Tuesday, October 28, 2008
On the Record...
Second, I firmly believe this team has the ability to beat any team in the league and not in a fluky off-night for the opposing club sort of way, but that will only occur if Coach McMillan can can mold these players, assuage their egos and coax the best performances out of them as possible and the young guys come to play consistently. I am confident the character of Coach and the players will make both of these things a reality.
Third, while I hope for a 5 or 6 seed in the playoffs, realistically a 7 or 8 is what we should get. Next year will be a completely different story though.
That said, Go Blazers...Beat LA!!!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Did the ESPN Editors Miss Something?
Simmons recounted one conversation between he and Elgin regarding the lap of luxury today's NBA players live in, including chartered flights. To which Elgin responded:
"Sheeeeeeeeeet," he said. "When I played, we flew coach and carried our own bags! We landed two, three, four times! You ever hear about the time we crashed in a cornfield?"
(emphasis mine). It's not like the Disney conglomerate to allow those sorts of words, even alternative spellings, onto their website.
I have a screen grab below for verification purposes in case the editors end up changing it.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Rudy Will Put Points On Your Face
On who he's looking forward to playing against the most: "Pau. I've never played against him, only on the same team. I want to put points on your face."
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Just Do It: Steal and Stab
Thankfully, there was some good to come from this tragedy. Free shoes for some lucky travelers.
Several people attempted to steal some of the load of Nike athletic shoes being carried by one of the trucks.
Oregon State Police troopers at the crash along Interstate 84 in the Columbia River Gorge did not arrest anyone trying to take the boxes of shoes. But Lt. Gregg Hastings of OSP said several people, apparently also stalled because of the fire, were trying to do so.
In other Nike news, the shoe company is pulling its Nike Air Stab shoes from the market in Britain. This comes after a spate of stabbings in England, including some Nike employees themselves.
All of this while Nike celebrates the 20th anniversary of its iconic "Just Do It" slogan.
[Photos: KATU]
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Cocked and Ready To Fire
[Photo: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer]
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Triple Crown Fashion
The only people who know anything about horse racing are degenerate gamblers who drink and smoke too much. Everybody else attending these events is just there to be seen. Like at the Derby. The women are really into the hats.
It's the shoes, however, that are most important at all of these events. The horses have their own shoes, of course. But, I have been provided a photo of the latest shoe fashion that all the well-heeled will be wearing at Belmont this weekend.
The rumor is that Sarah Jessica Parker will be around this weekend to announce her endorsement. Maybe if she turns her ankle, somebody will put her down.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
John Canzano On Thongs
Gah...I need a mind scrubber. And, while Canzano may be correct, I will never take fashion advice from a sports columnist (see Whitlock, Jason above).On the thong-appropriate age issue... just to be clear, it's NEVER appropriate for a male to wear a thong. A friend of mine maintains that the cutoff for females is 52 years old. He has his reasons. But I'm not into placing restrictions on women's undergarments, especially ones I'm not seeing.
***
If someone feels like they have the caboose to pull off a thong at 60, and she feels loose and free enough to do, and has the confidence, even under their tearaway warmups, I'm not going to stop her.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Robert Weintraub, This Is For You.
The Ultimate In Sportsmanship
Well, I may have just seen the greatest display of sports(wo)manship ever on the news this morning. In a softball game between Western Oregon University and Central Washington University, Sarah Tucholsky of Western Oregon hit what would eventually be a game-winning three run home run in the top of the second inning. As Tucholsky rounded first she missed the bag and when she returned to touch it her knee gave way.
Unable to circle the bases, the rules stated she could not be helped around the bases by any of her teammates. So Central Washington Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace carried Tucholsky around the bases, letting one foot touch each of the bags until she made it home.
This is an amazing act of selflessness on the Central Washington players' part because not only would this actually affect the score of the game but it was still during the play of the game. Amazing. Acts like these reinvigorate the belief that we are still a respectful society. A big round of applause is necessary for the Central Washington team who managed to show us all what sports(wo)manship is truly about.
Ed. Note: For those of you wondering why I have been posting far less in the recent months on this blog, I just wanted to let you know that I am also now contributing at Unprofessional Foul. All of my soccer posting is done over there now and that is a big portion of what I post about. I am still posting here, but I just need to get things smoothed out so I can do both. So, check me out at Unprofessional Foul and all of the other great contributors over there.
[Photo Credit: New York Times]
Monday, April 07, 2008
French Fail To Foil Flame
Protesting China's human rights record and recent treatment of Tibet, the French managed to slow the long, slow march to Beijing of the flame. Protesters impeded the flame and even managed to get close enough to douse the flame in water. In typical French fashion they failed to extinguish it. But, what the French failed to do, the organizers did--four times--to avoid the protesters.
Thankfully, there is a backup flame so that the even when the torch is extinguished the Olympic flame lives on...in an enclosed lantern. In classic political speak, the Chinese government played down the French (and British) antics.
Wang Hui, the media head for the Beijing Olympics organising committee, today condemned what she called a "few separatists" involved in the protests, insisting the relay would continue as planned.
"The smooth progress of the torch relay cannot be stopped and will definitely be a big success," she added.
Yes, this has been smooth progress. Just a few bumps in the road for the Chinese tank...I mean flame. Protests are expected elsewhere along the relay in San Francisco.
UPDATE: Kiss My Ass
Tough break for the man. Now he won't get to know the thrill of having another man's lips planted on his ass in front of 20,000 people.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
OSU Baseball Team Making Like The Football Squad
So, maybe it's not the University of Miami, but it certainly is stupid.Corvallis Police spokesman Dave Henslee said the men were seen using a rifle to shoot at soda cans in the backyard of Maxwell's house early Tuesday, and some of the bullets went through a fence.
Brian Bodtker, one of seven students who lives in the house on the other side of the fence, said two of the bullets lodged in an outside wall but one went through his bedroom window. Three more bullets hit a car parked in front of the same window.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Kiss My Ass
So when Blazers athletic trainer Jay Jensen - who tends to the aches and pains of Przybilla - heard Przybilla's goal of playing in 82 games, he snickered.
"He kind of laughed at me,'' Przybilla said of Jensen. "So I said, 'Do you want to make a bet?' ''
At that moment The Bet was established:
If Przybilla doesn't play in all 82 games, he has to buy Jensen dinner. But if he does play in every game, Jensen has to kiss Przybilla's behind at half court after the Blazers' final game.
Monday, February 18, 2008
New Orleans Gets By Without Tracy McGrady
Even some of the NBA ballers were worried about New Orleans hosting the All-Star Game. Houston's Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston both verbalized their qualms.
"If I don't feel like it's going to be safe, if I'm on that team, I will think about not going," said McGrady as the Houston Rockets were preparing for tonight's match-up with the visiting Toronto Raptors.First off, karma's a bitch isn't it McGrady? He didn't make this year's squad. I know he qualified his statement, but really he probably shouldn't have tempted fate. And, Alston, he has a better chance of being the U.S. President than he does making an NBA All-Star team.
***
Alston said if he did make his first all-star team next season he would likely go, but likely would go alone.
By all accounts, though, the New Orleans All-Star game went down better in Chocolate City than Sin City. There weren't the claimed multitude of criminal elements or criminal acts and people seemed to enjoy themselves without fear.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Dana Jacobson Update
Obviously the political pressure has increased significantly on ESPN regarding this matter. Enough so that ESPN has now doubled back on its "policy" of not commenting on personnel matters. I wonder if Jacobson's gender has anything to do with this given ESPN's less than stellar history with gender relations.
Regardless, I have learned that Bill Donohue considers the matter over.
ESPN has mollified the Catholic attack dog. And, I have also learned that ESPN will be meeting with the Christian Defense Coalition on Friday after the group protested ESPN corporate HQ in Bristol, Connecticut. This information comes from an email from ESPN Ombudsman Le Anne Schreiber sent to me by a reader.On January 22, I said in a news release that ‘there is no evidence that ESPN is taking this matter seriously.’ I am happy to say that after speaking to two ESPN officials today, and having learned more about exactly what happened, that the are in fact taking this matter seriously. Indeed, I am convinced that what occurred at the roast will not happen again.
To be sure, Jacobson’s remarks were patently offensive; no one involved in this incident, including her, is maintaining otherwise. But it is also true that there is no evidence that what we are dealing with is a bigot—lots of people who have made bigoted comments are not inveterate bigots. No, what we are dealing with is a person who went off the rails while drunk at a raucous event. “The ESPN officials whom I spoke to answered the questions I had to my satisfaction. Therefore, as far as the Catholic League is concerned, this matter is over.
So, what have we learned today? ESPN will cave to political pressure and violate its own policies on personnel matters. Any way Jesse Jackson can get righteous and indignant about Harold Reynolds's situation so we can get more information?