Friday, October 31, 2008

Friday Picks



Friday, the 13th....oops.....make that Friday, the 31st.....

So easy to switch around numbers.

On this the final day of October........let us once again share our knowledge of college and pro football. Last week, we won with Arkansas, Penn State, and Philadelphia covering, while losing with San Diego and Wake Forest.

This being Halloween weekend......today's picks may seem a little "haunted".....but.......

Here goes:

Last Week: 3-2

Season: 22-18


LSU (-25) over Tulane.....


The Tigers have been embarrassed 2 of the last 3 weeks by Florida and Georgia....However.....this week the step outside the rugged SEC to play a home game....at night.......against an awful Tulane team. Blow out city....lay the points.

Auburn (+6 1/2) over Mississippi.....

Auburn can't be this bad.......and Ole Miss is definitely not this good. Both teams are 4-4....Still Auburn has more talent and speed. They may not win the game.....but will cover....take the points.


Notre Dame (-4 1/2) over Pittsburgh........

Very simple.....Pittsburgh has 2 losses.....( Their first game, 27-17 to Bowling Green, and last weeks 54-34 loss to Rutgers.) Enough said....The Irish will roll .......lay the points.


Detroit (+12 1/2 ) over Chicago.......

This is a huge line.......Every game the Bears play is close...Detroit (0-7) will play for pride and keep it with in a touchdown. Take the points.

New York Giants ( -9) over Dallas........

Another huge spread.......but.....no Tony Romo for the Cowboys against the best team in the NFC. Lay the points.

And........have a happy Halloween.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Where's "Joe the Plumber"?

Things are not going well .....

Joe the Plumber was a no-show today at a McCain rally.....

Poor republicans.....poor Joe.....

Take a look:


Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Hump Day News & Views




Election 2008.........

I have voted.....Monday.......in the "early voting" system in this state of Georgia. There have been war stories galore about people waiting in line for up to 8 hours.

I ..........was in and out.......in less than 60 minutes.

I urge all of you........if your state has "early voting"........take advantage.....vote this week.

And if you cannot ..........please .....please.......vote on November 4th.

Republican or Democratic..........let your vote be heard.



This young rookie.......looks mighty old to me......


Yes ........Greg Oden.....he of the Portland Trailblazers........the 19 year old.......going on 50. Oden finally made his NBA debut last night after missing all of last year with injuries. And folks.......he is not ready. He didn't even last a half. Went out with a foot injury....and the L A Lakers blew out his team, 96-76...... Uh....Greg? This is an 82 game season here..... Another first round bust.

This guy has never been healthy.......Too much weight.......too little muscle.......his knees and feet cannot support his 6' 11" frame.


Too bad.......from what I hear.......he is really a nice guy.......with a great attitude.




Mini World Series game.....


Tonight, Major League Baseball will attempt to complete game five between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays.......

Philly leads the series 3 games to 1. The game will be resumed in the bottom of the 6th inning, tied 2-2. Simply put........the Phillies have to get 6 outs........and the Rays, 9.

Look for this thing to go about 14 or 15 innings....and still not end until the wee hours of the morning. MLB deserves everything they get for selling their soul to Fox Sports.

By the way.........last we checked.......there were "lake effect" "ice showers" in the greater Philadelphia area.....





Mums the word.......


As in the gag order........ordered by Florida coach, Urban Meyer.......

If you have watched any of ESPN this week .......you have been constantly reminded of Georgia's end-zone celebration last year........(the entire 95 Bulldog players danced in the end-zone, following their first touchdown).

Meyer has instructed his Gator team to not dare speak out on the topic. Mark Richt of Georgia is also tip-toeing around the controversy.

Memo to Florida..........and ESPN........Georgia beat Florida last year, because they hit them in the mouth.....strong armed Tim Tebow........and made more big plays.....simple.....

This game Saturday features two of the most talented teams in the country........and the winner will be the team that best executes its offensive and defensive schemes.

Nothing more ........nothing less......

What happened last year........means nothing.


Things.......I think I think...........

Fall is fast becoming one of my favorite seasons........No humidity........beautiful scenery .......

TNT's NBA studio show .......is the best in all of sports with Ernie Johnson, Jr, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley.

Why can't Fox News........just admit they are a spokes-person for the republicans.......and be done with it....I would respect them more.....Instead of hiding behind, "fair & balanced....you decide"..... We have decided.......and you are so.......biased.

When does Hockey begin?

Just kidding........

Have a great "Hump Day"........





Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Bring on The NBA.....

The league...."White America" loves to hate on.....

Yes...the NBA.......the National Basketball Association.....90% black.......More black players.....more black coaches.......more black general managers....than in any of the big four (NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL).

The white media loves to hate on the NBA. They simply cannot get past the tattoos of Alan Iverson.....or the out-spoken voice of a Charles Barkley.......or the idiosyncrasies of a Ron Artest.

Lost in all the hate? These are the best "athletes " on the planet. Kobe? LeBron? Mr. Dwayne Wade?

Well tonight....the season
begins.....Boston versus Cleveland..........and ....the Lakers entertain the Portland Trailblazers.......

Note to "White America"............The NBA is back!

Like it or not...........the season begins.....

It is still "America's game".......This is ours......embrace it.

Let the games begin.......

A Major League Washout


Why is the baseball season still going on......in late October?

First, let me say, "I love baseball".....always have. Played it........watched it....supported it.

With that said.....this latest MLB screw-up cannot escape my rants.

Game 5 of the World Series between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay was played in a steady rain last night.......until the umpires called the game in the 6th inning.....with over an inch of standing water........and the score tied a 2 all.

Supposedly.....according to the official rule book.......a game is considered a complete game after 5 innings. Well......after 5 innings, the Phillies led , 2-1.......which should have given them their first World Series Championship since 1980.

But.......commissioner Bud Selig .......decided to just suspend the game......pick it up in the bottom of the 6th.....and go from there. (MLB has a history of "making it up as it goes along")

So here we are on Tuesday and guess what? It is sleeting in Philly........with snow in the forecast for tonight. Serves MLB right.....This season could ....and should have ended 2 weeks ago.

Very simple ways to shorten the season and still get those 162 games in. Get rid of all those useless "travel" days.......this ain't the old west. You can fly anywhere in the country in 2 to 4 hours.

Have each team play double headers once a month........a Saturday, perhaps....

These two very simple changes can take 2 weeks off the season.

And........once we do get into October........Why must all games start at night? Yesterday, it was a beautiful fall afternoon in Philadelphia.......But by night fall?

And MLB wonders why the viewership is down......

Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer shares my views:

Phil Sheridan: Tainted by television

Monday, October 27, 2008

Why There is Still Concern....in the Black Community


Some white people....just won't ever get over it....

This is very disturbing.....

But it is real. Be assured........it is very real.

The thought of an African-American president.

Let's just hope these two idiots are not a true representation of the United States of America.

Think about it.......A Barack Obama assassination would set this country back a hundred years in race relations.......would tear this country apart.

Just the thought of what these two guys were planning........is so repulsive....

Read it for yourself.......Via......New York Times:

Arrests in Plan to Kill Obama and Black Schoolchildren

Granted .....you won't see this on Fox News........

To them.......it never happened.....

But for us..........it's very chilling.

Monday Morning Notes & Quotes

Freeze warning in the deep south.....

Yes, in this southern college town, the mercury will drop tonight........and by sunrise...it may hit the freezing mark of 32 degrees.

Bring in the plants and the pets........put another blanket on the bed.......

Have that antifreeze checked......get all the winter coats out of the attic....

Have the fire wood ready to go and get out the long johns.......


For it's a freeze warning in the deep south.



Who's really #1???

What a great Saturday of college football. The new rankings are out....but who is the
true best team in the land? Texas? Alabama? Penn State? Texas Tech? Those four are all undefeated.......looked very good.

What about that group of one loss teams? Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, and USC? The Trojans and the Bulldogs went on the road for big wins.......while the Sooners and Gators handled their business at home.

Things will get a little cleared this weekend when Georgia meets Florida.......and Texas travels to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech.



Happy Trails.......Ty Willingham....


The former Notre Dame and current Washington Husky coach announced today he will step down at the end of this season. His team is 0-7 for the season.

Mr. Willingham is a decent man.....but a so-so coach. In his 4 seasons at Washington, his record 11-32..... This is "big boy" football........

As much as we here at 5 on Five campaign for black head coaches.......this was inevitable.

If you can't recruit 5 star athletes........and you are in the same league as USC.....You have a stacked deck. Willingham did not recruit well.......and he never "coached up" the players he had.

Saturday's 33-7 loss to Notre Dame was the final straw.



A warm welcome for Mike Singletary...

The Hall of Fame former Chicago Bear linebacker was named interim head coach of the San Francisco 49ners this past week.

After his team was beaten by Seattle 34-13......Singletary lashes out at the team.....and Vernon Davis.....Take a look:






Sunday, October 26, 2008

Finally...........UGA......Makes a Statement

Blow out in the Bayou........

52-38


This is the game the "Bulldog Nation" has been waiting for .........


52-38

As in scoring a half a hundred....plus 2..........against the defending national champions...on their home field....(Death Valley)........in Baton Rouge.......

52-38

Georgia has made a statement. The "Dawgs" soundly beat LSU Saturday on the road. This is what the pre-season #1.......was supposed to be.


After getting slammed by Alabama a month ago........the Bulldogs........with a make shift offensive line........dominated the Tigers...

Knowshon Moreno rushed for 163 yards.......scored a 68 yard touchdown.......And Matthew Stafford and the defense did the rest.

Next up? Florida..........The Gators tuned up by dismantling Kentucky, 63-5........I think that score got Georgia's attention.

So here we are..........Georgia - Florida..........again.......With the winner almost guaranteed to play in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.

The worlds largest "Outdoor Cocktail Party"......In Jacksonville......

A "neutral" game........though Florida takes a bus..........and UGA has to book a flight.....

Yes, UGA has made a statement.....

Saturday is a new day........

But this past Saturday........these "Dawgs" showed why they were so highly ranked..........

52-38

Now.....go finish the drill.


Friday, October 24, 2008

Friday Picks

Wall Street....or Vegas?

We ask because......historically one could always depend on both of them. Lately though, Wall Street and the stock market have been taking a severe beating.

Not unlike the beating Vegas gave us last week.

The two are very similar .....Wall street has "bulls" and "bears".....Vegas has "favorites" and "underdogs".

It's.......where you put ..."your".....
money.......that counts.

Anyway..........another Friday is upon us......and with that.....our "Friday Picks":

Last Week: 1-4

Season: 19-16


Wake Forest (+2 1/2 ) over Miami......


The Demon Deacons were embarrassed by Maryland last week, 29-0. They will rebound this week against a Miami team that's still a year or two away from contending again in the ACC. Take the points....and Wake.

Arkansas (+ 5) over Mississippi....

Intriguing match-up featuring former Arkansas coach, Houston Nutt, returning to Fayetteville as the head coach of the Rebels. As much as I dislike Razorback coach Bobby Petrino.....facts are facts. Arkansas is due...... They are playing at home.....and Nutt's welcome back party will not be pleasant. Arkansas by a touchdown.....late.

Penn State (-2 1/2) over Ohio State....

So I sipped some of the Nittany Lion cool-aid....... Why not? This team has been dominating from the start of the season. Playing on the road? At night? No problem.....Penn State continues to roll.

Philadelphia (-9 ) over Atlanta.......

Not a good match-up for the Falcons...... The last two truly physical defenses they faced ....destroyed them (Tampa Bay and Carolina, by the identical score, 24-9). Both teams had a bye week last Sunday and the Eagles are now getting healthy. This could get ugly.

San Diego (-3 ) over New Orleans.....

This game is unfair to both teams....This is the annual "London" game.....played across the pond known as the Atlantic Ocean. Both teams are 3-4....and have been disappointing. The Saints, however, lost a huge chuck of their offense when Reggie Bush injured a knee last week and is out for at least 4 weeks. The Charger defense will carry them enough to lay the points and cover.

So there..........another vain attempt to beat the boys in Vegas........

You think it would be easier on Wall Street?





Desperate Times....Lead to Desperate Acts...

Desperation among republicans?????

We did warn our readers that these last two weeks before the presidential election would be indeed interesting.....

Well........it has turned to the.....bizaarre.....and then some.

Thanks to Jason Cherkis of the "Washington City Paper".....we give you this:

McCain Camp Has Its Own Tawana Brawley

OK. The headline was a little harsh. Via TPM:

“By now you’ve all heard about Ashley Todd, the 20-year-old McCain volunteer who claimed that she was assaulted in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night by an attacker who scratched a ‘B’ in her cheek after learning that she was for McCain.

The story was flacked madly last night by Drudge, even though few if any details had been established or independently confirmed.”

Well. The woman made it all up. The AP is reporting that police found her story just didn’t add up. Here’s more of the details:

“A McCain campaign volunteer who reported that a tall black man robbed her and then cut a “B” onto her cheek after seeing a McCain bumper sticker on her car has been given a polygraph test because of ‘inconsistencies’ in her story, police said.

Among other things, police said photos and bank card information from an automated teller machine where the college student claimed she was robbed do not show her using the machine at the time, police said.”

Yesterday, Todd became a mini Joe The Plumber. According to HuffPo: “The report of the attack Thursday prompted the Republican presidential candidate and his running mate, Sarah Palin, to call Todd expressing their concern. Barack Obama’s campaign also issued a statement wishing Todd well and hoping the attacker would be swiftly brought to justice.”

I guess Todd won’t be making any appearances on Fox News. And I guess McCain will not be citing her in any campaign rallies or using her as some sort of campaign theme.


I keep looking at her face........this took a lot of work...with Halloween just around the corner...she created quite a costume .....

What's next?

We shall see......

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Hump Day News & Views

If it's Wednesday....it must be Hump Day....

In this southern college town, the leaves are turning, the temperatures are dropping, and fall is in the air. Feels kind of nice.

The election....the most important election in our life time so far....is less than two weeks away.

Stories we are following:

Meet the Rays.....

As in the Tampa Bay (Devil-less) Rays. Who are these guys? And where did they come from? Well, first off....they play in St. Petersburg(across the bridge from Tampa).....in a stadium called Tropicana Field.

The Rays first season was in 1998, after years of unsuccessfully trying to lure other teams to Tampa, Major League Baseball finally granted the city an expansion team.

It has been ugly thus far. But finishing in last place for virtually their entire existence, has meant a ton of number one draft picks......and the Rays have used them wisely.

For years these Rays have been a laughing stock of baseball. Even we here a 5 on Five have stated major league baseball has no business being anywhere in Florida. We were wrong....who's laughing now?


Goin
g hunting in the Bayou .....for a tiger.....

This Saturday, the University of Georgia will go down deep inside the Louisiana bayou.....to hunt, fight, and try to kill a tiger. As in the LSU Tiger football team. The dawgs of Athens are a 2 1/2 point underdog. Georgia is ranked 9th.....LSU 11th. LSU is the defending NCAA National Champions.

The winner will still have a shot at the title..........the loser? The season is all but lost. Two
weeks ago, LSU lost to Florida by 30 points. Three weeks ago, Georgia got blasted by Alabama.

Both
teams are big and fast..........Both play in the rugged SEC......Should be a knock down drag out .....old fashioned slug-fest down in the bayou....

We say the dogs of Georgia will find a way to win. Say ........23-20?


Happy trails.....Pete Van Wieren....


As part of the Atlanta Braves broadcast team for 33 years.....Van Wieren announced today....he is retiring.

We will miss you .......Pete (the professor) Van Wieren....



Happy trails.......Rudy Ray Moore....

During the '70's ..........Rudy Ray Moore was "Dolemite".........and "Dolemite".....was the bomb. Moore died at the age of 81.




Things I think I think......

If I see one more political TV ad........I just might puke.

I think Matt Drudge........and his Drudge Report.......both have run their course...and are becoming increasingly a non factor.

This roller coaster known as the stock market is getting bleaker by the minute.

I bank with Wachovia..........they just announced a loss of $23.9 billion....should I be worried?

My home page is Yahoo.com........they just laid off 1400 workers....again.....should I be worried?

Aaaahhh........this world in which we live.......can I just find a deserted island....or an uninhabited mountain ....to live the rest of my life?

Have a great Hump Day.




Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Michael Vick Update.......

Michael Vick.....will never go away.....

And we really don't want him to simply go away.......

Michael Vick ready to plead guilty on Va. charges

SURRY, Va. (AP)—Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick plans to plead guilty to state dogfighting charges, a step that could allow him to qualify for an early release from federal prison and into a halfway house, court papers show.

In a motion filed Oct. 15 in Surry County Circuit Court, Vick’s attorneys asked to have him enter his plea by video teleconference. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Oct. 30, Surry County Circuit Court administrator Sally Neblett said Tuesday.

The court papers note that allowing Vick to appear on two-way video would save the government the considerable expense of transporting him from prison in Leavenworth, Kan., to Surry County. His guilty plea would also allow him to pursue a halfway house program.

Under federal rules, Vick is ineligible to be released to a Residential Re-entry Center in the federal system until any pending charges against him are resolved.

In a statement, Vick attorneys Billy Martin and Lawrence Woodward said their client “is committed to taking responsibility for his actions. He is hopeful that, through this motion, the trial court will allow him to finally resolve these matters and put the charges behind him so that he can begin to focus on his future and to prepare to be reunited with his family.”

The plea deal, if approved, also would satisfy the county’s need to hold him accountable for the grisly crimes he bankrolled and participated in at a rural house he owned there.


“I’m not trying to make him suffer,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald Poindexter said in a telephone interview. “I’m just trying to make him account for what he’s done.”

Vick pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges tied to the dogfighting operation last summer and is serving a 23-month term. Three convicted co-defendants also face local charges. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons lists Vick’s projected release date as July 20, 2009.

Vick will have three years of federal probation upon his release from prison, and the deal offered by Poindexter would tack on an unspecified jail sentence, which would be suspended, and an additional year of probation in the county, he said.

Poindexter said he’s not sure how quickly the judge would rule on the motion.

If permitted by a judge, Vick’s video participation in the plea hearing would not be the first time he has participated electronically. Prison officials in Kansas have allowed the former Atlanta Falcons star to listen via telephone line to each of his several bankruptcy hearings in recent months.

Associated Press sports writer Hank Kurz Jr. contributed to this report from Richmond, Va.


Let's Get.......Political!!!!

Not to be confused....with "Let's get physical".......


We here at 5 on Five are of the "non-violent" persuasion .....

The election for the presidency of the United States........and ruler of the fre
e world is a mere 2 weeks away.

Are you registered? Will you vote?

Today, I received my new voter registration card from this great state of Georgia. All I had requested was a change of address ..........and this took a startling 3 weeks!

Remember folks.....in order to vote....you must be registered.

And ..........if you don't vote.....you don't matter.

Race.......does matter.....


Regardless of what you have heard, read, or seen.......The fact that this race pits a white man versus a black man..... race matters. ......

Think about it .......both Barack Obama and John McCain are US senators..........both want to give us tax breaks........both want to distance themselves from the present Bush administration....

So.......what gives?

We think it is simple........

Barack Obama is the most presidential .......the most intellectual ...........the most communicative ..........the most compelling candidate since JFK.....

But........he's a black man..... his ancestors were slaves.......

Some of white America.......especially those who get their only news .....from FOX News and Rush Limbaugh.......see him as a threat.

They..........are just not ready for a black man to lead the free world. They are still stuck in the 1950's and '60's.......Where is was okay for a black man to "shine your shoes"......but never be in a position of power.

There is history to be made here.....but.....

We urge all of you.......White.....Black........Hispanic.......Asian....."non of the above"..........to reach into your inter self.......and research the issues ..........make a decision........and vote.

Rush Limbaugh and Fox News prey upon the uneducated white voters in America..........For they believe whatever Fox and Rush tell them......Obama's an Arab.....he has ties with terrorist....etc.

All in an orchestrated effort.......to keep a black man down......

And you thought they hated Hillary?

The true meaning of hate will be illustrated....in the next two weeks........

Are you ready?


Monday, October 20, 2008

How Not to Eat Grits

Sometimes.....stories just get dumped on our laps.......

Such is the case of University of Georgia gymnastics coach, Suzanne Yoculan . Seems Yoculan made micro-wave grits ( a sin in itself to southerners).

And when she ate them.......or tried to .......the grits burned her esophagus to the point of her being hospitalized for 3 days.

She must have been mighty hungry. Has she never heard .....you
"blow" on your grits.....before putting that fork full into your mouth?

Or........you put a lot of cold butter on your hot grits........to neutralize the situation. Obviously, Ms. Yoculan is no true southerner.......and a miss-informed outsider.....who has not mastered the art of eating that "Georgia Ice Cream".....we all know .....as grits.

From the "Athens Banner-Herald":

Yoculan released from hospital

By Jennifer Iannone | Athens Banner-Herald | Story updated at 11:09 pm on 10/16/2008

Georgia gymnastics coach Suzanne Yoculan was released from the hospital Thursday after being treated for burns to her esophagus.

Yoculan was admitted to Athens Regional Hospital for three days after ingesting a spoonful of grits just out of the microwave. The grits burned eight inches of her esophagus.

"I couldn't breathe or swallow or drink," Yoculan said. "It was really painful. I was on morphine for three days."

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Friday, October 17, 2008

Things We Learned From the Weekend..........

Vegas.....gave us a "beat down".......


Just when I was getting the "big head" and thinking I was on a serious roll in the "Friday Picks"( 8-2 in the last two weeks).......Vegas dealt a humbling blow.

0-3 in the college picks.....and 1-1 in the pros. But oh how close it was. Betting against the point spread is a risky thing. Think about the picks......Clemson was wi
nning......but lost in the final minutes. Oklahoma won easily.....but didn't quite cover the 19 point spread. Kentucky won.....but only by 2.....the spread was 7 1/2.

In the pros........Indianapolis laid an egg. The Colts lost........straight up. The only winner was the Chicago Bears and they had us chewing our collective fingers until finally winning, 48-41....and covering.

There is always next week.



Tampa Bay......."shamed" the devil.......

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays........who this year.......ditched the "devil".....to be known as simply the Tampa Bay Rays.....are in the World Series.

Good for them! Now , I am not a religious man , but I applaud them for the name change.

In the Rays mere 10 year existence, they had never had a winning season. They had never even won 70 games in a season.

Tampa also plays in the division of the "best teams money can buy".......a
s in the N Y Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and the Baltimore Orioles.

And they rose above ........with a payroll.....a fraction of the big boys.

The Rays feature a nucleus of talented young players.....drafted and developed in their farm system.


How refreshing.




The BCS.......has started its' mess...........

The first "Bowl Championship Series" (BCS) poll has come out..........This poll incorporates the "Harris Poll", the "Coaches Poll", and a computor poll to figure out who will ultimatly play for the national championship. No major surprises. 3 conferences dominate: the SEC, the Big 10, and the Big 12........with USC the lone representative from the Pac 10. Noticeably absent are teams from the Big East .......and the ACC.

The top 10:

Bowl Champ. Series Ranking

Rank Team Record Pts Last Week
1. Texas (7-0) 1.0000 --
2. Alabama (7-0) 0.9500 --
3. Penn St. (8-0) 0.8700 --
4. Oklahoma (6-1) 0.8300 --
5. USC (5-1) 0.7800 --
6. Oklahoma St. (7-0) 0.7700 --
7. Georgia (6-1) 0.7200 --
8. Texas Tech (7-0) 0.7100 --
9. Ohio St. (7-1) 0.7000 --
10. Florida (5-1) 0.7000 --



At 43.......Bernard.....is "da man"!!!

Saturday night in Atlantic City, Bernard Hopkins and his 43 year old body won a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Kelly Pavlik (26).........Hopkins confused and dominated the Youngstown, Ohio native in a non-title middleweight fight.

Bernard........you have made all of us "old men" proud....

We salute you.

This Ref.......Still has a Job?

Shocking.......appalling.....

In Saturday nights' LSU / South Carolina game, a referee makes a forearm shiver tackle on South Carolina's QB, Stephen Garcia.

He was clearly .....not .....trying to get out of the way........Instead, he initiates the contact.

This ref should be fired.....today......if not sooner.

But don't believe me........you can be your own judge........

Courtesy of ESPN and YouTube:


Friday, October 17, 2008

Friday Picks


The Cell Phone is 25 years old today.......


Look at that thing.......Try putting that.....in your pocket.

25 years ago.......only the CIA and the FBI.......and the rich and famous had cell phones...

Wow......technology is great!

Anyway.......our weekly Friday Picks.......3 college, 2 pro.......


Last Week: 4-1

Season: 18-12






Clemson (+2 1/2) over Georgia Tech.....Historically, these are the kind of games Clemson wins....New coach.......underdog......backs against the wall. The Tigers win this one straight up.


Kentucky (-7 1/2) over Arkansas.......Kentucky had its bell rung against South Carolina last week, while Arkansas beat an absolutely bad Auburn team. The Razorbacks aren't that good. The Cats will roll. Lay the points.


Oklahoma (-19 1/2) over Kansas....The Sooners are mad.......still smarting from that loss to Texas. They will pile it on the over matched Jay Hawks.


Indianapolis (-1) over Green Bay......I think we've picked Indy every week. And for good reason. The Colts started looking like themselves of old last week and don't look for them to slow down in the cheese head state. Indy by at least a touchdown.


Chicago (-3) over Minnesota.......The Bears are due.......Last weeks final second loss against the Falcons was mind boggling .......but.....it was just one game. I think they will not only win.....but dominate.

Take it to ..........the bank........or Vegas.......or..........

buy a new cell phone.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Hump Day News & Views

They're still playing baseball?????

So it seems. But not for long.......Both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies have commanding 3-1 leads in their best of seven league championship series over the Boston Redsox and the L A Dodgers.

So instead of an east coast -- west coast match-up between L A and Boston in the World Series.....it looks like a Philly-Tampa .....nobody cares....series.

And..........is any one watching?

MLB has a knack for screwing up the obvious. Think about it....How many starting times have their been in this post season? 4pm.....4:05pm.....7:05pm.......7:30pm.....8:05pm....10:05pm.....It's so frustrating.....In the NFL, the early games aways start at 1pm.......the late games, 4:15pm.....been that way .....for 30 years. It's not that difficult..........but MLB.....as usual........still doesn't get it.



The train wreck.....that is the Dallas Cowboys.....


This could get ugly. The starting QB (Tony Romo) is out for 4 weeks with a broken pinkie finger.......the number one coverage DB (Adam "Pacman" Jones) is suspended for at least 4 weeks. Rookie sensation RB ( Felix Jones) is injured. The offensive line is big....but slow.

And..........mark my word.....T. O. is about ready to have one of his team ripping tantrums.....to totally derail this football team.

Oh yes........and a coach (Wade Phillips) who all they players like.....but do not respect.

This won't be pretty.




Home Coming......this Saturday in this southern college town......


For the first time in history........Vanderbilt and Georgia .....will play a football game ........with both teams ranked in the top 25. UGA is #9 and Vandy is #22.

Fun facts:

Since Mark Richt took over as Georgia’s head coach in 2001, the Bulldogs have won six of seven meetings against Vanderbilt. However, Vandy won the last game against Georgia in Sanford Stadium after picking up a 24-22 win in 2006. The Bulldogs beat Vandy 20-17 last year with a field goal as time expired. Georgia leads the series 48-18-2 overall and is 24-4 in Sanford Stadium.

But...........this will not be easy.....The line is Georgia by 14....... And Vandy will just be Vandy.

Just hang around 'till the 4th quarter.....Should be an interesting game.




Shaq...........talking ........smack.......

The only thing I call cowardly is when you're up by 10 and do it. That's a coward move and he knows that and I'll make them pay for it.

--Shaquille O'Neal, on KTAR

Alright already.....Shaq..........we get it.....

Read the link below:

Shaq still hacked, vows revenge on Spurs

Our take is this: Shaq, you are an old man. You are no where near the player you once were. You are a 1985 Bonneville going up against 2008 Nissan Maximas.......

The Suns grossly over paid for your services. You hold this high powered offense back........because it takes you 15 seconds to make it.....back....... across half court.

Ten years ago.....if Shaq had made these same comments.......they would be relevant.....but in todays' game? Nope........

The only thing that has remained constant during Shaq's NBA career? His free throw shooting.......It still sucks.



The final debate..........

It will go down tonight. Obama and McCain......McCain needs a miracle. McCain comes out yesterday with his economic stimulus plan.........a day after Obama's. And a bit bland in comparison.

And watching Fox News........it was hilarious.... They want .......so bad to derail the Obama Express.......and all they could come up with is ACORN

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - Wikipedia ...

Just vote........

And have a great Hump Day......



Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Some Idiots.......Will Never Get It.......

Yes.....Adam "Pacman" Jones........

We mean ...you! We are talking about....you. You ........were given yet another "second chance" by the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys.

You........were coming off a one year suspension........

You........were told by the league.....there would be a zero tolerance......

You........were then re-instated.......signed by the Cowboys.

You........had 4 "body guards" (hired by Dallas) to follow you around....to make sure ...you...stayed out of trouble.

You........got drunk.......and punched out one of those body guards.......in a bathroom........

And .......you.......may have played your last game........in the NFL.

Jones was suspended today by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, for a minimum of 4 games.

Our thoughts?..........

Adam "Pacman" Jones......should never play another down in the NFL. He is either an idiot.....or stupid.......or both.

Yes .......he is talented.......But.....more so than.......say.......Michael Vick? And we all know where Mr. Vick resides today.

Enough.......is enough.

Kick his ass out of the league..........Mr. Goodell........you did what
you could....

It's just a sad fact.......some idiots.....will never learn.





Here's a glimpse at this boys' legal problems.....starting in college:

10/2003 Sentenced to a year in prison. Dropped to 2 years probation for a fight (Punched a WOMEN in her face)

4/2005 At a club at 3am Pac Man friend punched a women in her face

7/2005 Arrested on charges of assault and felony vandalism stemming from a nightclub altercation. Jones was in handcuffs, a white T-shirt and light blue exercise pants when he appeared smiling before a night court commissioner

9/2005 Jones was counseled for a loud verbal tantrum when he was told to wait in line for his vehicle.

10/2005 In a petition filed by the state, it was alleged that Jones has not made regular and sufficient contact with his probation officer. Given 1 year probation

3/2006 Charged with marijuana possession in Fayetteville, Georgia

4/2006 Nine people were arrested on suspicion of having roles in two major drug rings that trafficked cocaine and marijuana in Sumner and Davidson counties, including a Nashville man with possible ties to Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones.

4/18 Police say Pacman was one of 12 or more people that gathered at a gas station in Nashville when a fight broke out and gunshots were fired

8/23/06: Jones was also accused of simple assault by Toya Garth, who said Jones spit in her face.

10/2006 Jones was issued a citation for misdemeanor assault after a female student from Tennessee State University claimed that Jones spit in her face at a Nashville night club.

2/2007 Jones was in the middle of a fight and shooting at a strip club in Las Vegas that left one man paralyzed and two more wounded. The fight broke out after Jones showered strippers on stage with $81,000 dollars. The club owner claims Jones was beating a strippers head against the bar while claiming to kill one of the club's employees.

1/2008 Pacman is accused of punching Wanda S. Jackson in the face at an Atlanta strip club called the Body Tap Strip Club. Jackson says Jones reached over the counter and sucker punched her in her left eye.

Again.....enough....is enough!

Another Serena Williams Sighting.....in Hawaii?

Ah........yes...........our girl, Serena.....

On a recent vacation in Hawaii.......

Enjoy.....Courtesy of "The Young, Black, & Fabulous":









Poor Sportsmanship? Or Poor Match-up?

91-0..........In multiples of 7, that's 13 touchdowns.....

The fallout from this high school game has reached a 10 on the Rickter Scale.

Courtesy of the Associated Press, Yahoo Sports, and Rivals. com.

You be the judge:

ESTERO, Fla. - The Estero High football staff gathered in head coach Rich Dombroski's office late Friday, almost in stunned silence.

Earlier that night, Estero lost to Naples High by 13.

Not by 13 points. By 13 touchdowns. That's right: Naples 91, Estero 0.

All-purpose back Greg Pratt helped Naples pile on the points.
The rout fallout has been growing since the game ended.

"Hey," offered Estero defensive line coach Pat Hayes after the one-sided affair, "I didn't even know 91 was a multiple of seven."

With that, the coaches all got a much-needed laugh.

A half-hour away in Naples, Eagles coach Bill Kramer—the man on the winning end—could use one of those.

He looked at the scoreboard late in the game, saw 91-0, and said he felt sick to his stomach. Kramer's team ran only 31 plays and he kept most of his best players on the sideline—for the entire game in some cases. But still Kramer knew what was coming.

Soon after the game ended, his inbox began filling with angry e-mails, some from Estero parents wondering why so many points were necessary, some from Naples parents wondering why their kids didn't play more in an effort to pad their stats.

"There's only one way to describe it," Kramer said. "Just bizarre."

The schools aren't far off in size: Estero has about 1,400 high schoolers, Naples roughly 1,700.

But the pedigree of the football programs couldn't be more different.

Estero is rebuilding from the lowest level, with Dombroski in his first year at the school and having inherited a program that had simply crumbled. Naples is the reigning state Class 3A champion, and a contender to win the title again. Naples has players committed to Division I schools like Ohio State already and a roster filled with talent at every position. Estero has no college prospects and only about 25 healthy or so players remaining on its roster.

"Some of us, most of us, well, all of us were intimidated," said Tyler Eastridge, a free safety who may be exaggerating when he says he weighs a 150 pounds.

Naples led 70-0 at the half; only four of the 1,420 games reported by member schools to the Florida High School Athletic Association this season have seen teams score more than 70 points.

"It was David versus Goliath," Dombroski said, "and David didn't have a stone to throw."

The national record books are incomplete, but a score like 91-0 won't register a blip on the list of all-time defeats. It wasn't even the most lopsided score in the country this weekend—in Ohio, Beechcroft beat Centennial 96-0, taking knees on plays in the fourth quarter to avoid triple figures.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, five teams have scored more than 200 points in a game, with the record believed to be 256 by Haven (Ky.) High in 1927.

Dombroski isn't blaming Naples.

"Naples did absolutely nothing wrong," Dombroski said. "We just didn't do anything right."

Kramer has been in this spot before.

In 2001, the Golden Eagles scored 63 first-quarter points and beat Lely High — ironically, where Dombroski's girlfriend teaches today—85-0, and Kramer suddenly became the target of perceptions that he intentionally ran up the score.

But in that game, just as on Friday, Naples had some of its starters not play at all, and others just for one or two series.

Carlos Hyde paves the way
"We've been through it before and you never want to go through it again," Kramer said. "There were people ready to burn my house."

It's an unsettling time again.

The Naples Daily News ran a poll asking if Kramer and his team "should be ashamed" over the result, and by Monday afternoon, the vote was nearly dead-even: 239 no, 225 yes.

Hearing that, even Dombroski shook his head. He e-mailed Kramer on Monday to reiterate that Naples did nothing wrong, but that's hardly the only opinion swirling around Naples these days.

"My daughter plays basketball and there's a local team that's really good and when they're about to score 100, there's no polls about that," Kramer said. "When the local lacrosse team wins 24-0, where's the outrage? Or when kids win 6-0, 6-0 in tennis? We score 10 touchdowns and everybody loses their minds.

"The real irony is we've got some of our parents upset that their kids didn't play or didn't play enough. And you just say, 'Wow."'

Dombroski knew when he took the Estero job that there would be days like Friday, but he said the 91-0 thumping might help him turn the program around.

"We won't forget this. I won't forget this," said Dombroski, whose freshman program is off to a 4-1-1 start this year, a sign that better days could be ahead for Estero. "We're not going to lay down. We're going to fight for 48 minutes, every time we're out there."

So on Monday afternoon, when school got out at 1:45, the Estero High football team headed to its locker room and prepared for practice. New scouting reports were waiting for them, and soon the team headed onto the field for practice, their blue jerseys whipping in the wind as they stretched.

"Our team might not be winning or might not be on top right now," said right guard Mike Perez. "But we all have to do the best we can do. We can't forget that."

And so, they were back to work, which they'll need. This week, Estero plays Cape Coral—a team that nearly beat Naples.

Monday, October 13, 2008

The NFL....at It's Best


A truly amazing Sunday.....

This is why we love the NFL.

The Atlanta Falcons beating the Chicago Bears, 22-20.....on a field goal (Jason Elam pictured).....with no time left.

The Arizona Cardinals beating the Dallas Cowboys, 30-24....in overtime.....by a blocked punt.

The Houston Texans beating the Miami Dolphins on the last play of the game, 29-28.

The Saint Louis Rams beating the Washington Redskins.......kicking a field goal with no time left, 19-17.

The Minnesota Vikings beating the Detroit Lions, 12-10.....with a field goal....with 9 seconds left in the game.

The Philadelphia Eagles........rallying....with 23 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to beat the San Francisco 49ners, 40-26.

Such is a Sunday in the NFL........Somebody once said, "On any given Sunday".......These are the best of the best. The talent pool is so even. It's who....makes plays..........who is mentally tougher.

NFL........we thank you.......

What a wonderful weekend of football at it's highest level.

Here is how an Arizona newspaper saw it:

AZ_ST.jpg
My Ping in TotalPing.com