www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Piuuqqs10

I saw this video on YouTube making the rounds. New Mexico’s women’s soccer star Elizabeth Lambert -- young, athletic, photogenic, and a natural heel getting a little bit of notoriety online.

She’s a real-life heel. What a woman!

One of my favorite old songs, and part of my shower singing repertoire!

And here’s to my favorite trio of football players, the famous Three Horsemen of Boulder Dam, from the short film Three Little Pigskins.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTXhhkgwcJ0

You’ve Got To Be A Football Hero

You’ve got to be a football hero,
To get along with the beautiful girls,
You’ve got to be a touchdown getter, you bet
If you want to get a baby to pet!

The fact that you are rich or handsome,
Won’t get you anything in curls,
You’ve got to be a football hero,
To get along with the beautiful girls!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmXbTi5GjDE

It was the fifth race at Belmont, June 20th, when handicappers were treated to a rare sight.  Phone Jazz loses its rider early in the six furlong race, but it doesn’t seem to the a problem for this horse!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vd2VNpI00w

Enjoy this video from way back in the fall of 1989, when promoters tried to bring Roller Derby back into pop culture! Let’s go, Violators!

One of the most compelling moments of pro hockey happened 29 years ago today, December 27, 1979, when members of The Bruins squad took the fight to the fans in the good seats at Madison Square Garden.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8K7roZu3WU

Sunday, December 28, 2008

• Buccaneers
• Packers
• Eagles
• Giants
• Texans
• Saints
• Falcons
• Bengals
• Ravens
• Titans
• Steelers
• Jets
  
• Patriots
• Seahawks
  
• 49ers
• Chargers

Thursday, December 18, 2008

• Colts

Saturday December 20, 2008

• Cowboys

Sunday, December 21, 2008

• Steelers
• Dolphins
• Patriots
• Bengals
• Eagles
• 49ers
• Vikings
• Saints
• Panthers
• Jets
• Texans
• Broncos
• Buccaneers

Monday, December 22, 2008

• Bears

Thursday, December 11, 2008

• Bears

Sunday, December 14, 2008

• Packers
• Colts
• Redskins
• Falcons
• Dolphins
• Seahawks
• Jets
• Titans
• Steelers
• Panthers
• Chargers
• Cardinals
• Patriots
• Giants

Monday, December 15, 2008

• Eagles

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Chargers

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Colts
Bears
Packers
Titans
Vikings
Ravens
Giants
Falcons
Jets
Dolphins
Broncos
Cardinals
Steelers
Patriots

Monday, December 8, 2008

Buccaneers

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Titans
Cowboys
Cardinals

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Jets
Bills
Bucs
Packers
Giants
Dolphins
Ravens
Colts
Chargers
Patriots
Chiefs
Vikings

Monday, December 1, 2008

Texans

It’s no secret that my favorite series on this blog is Fridays for Friday, my continuing homage to one of my great heroes and role models, Mr. Jack Webb.

Well, I found this excellent verbal reprimand of some long haired liberal punks made soft by their instant orange juice very relevant today!  Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZo2hhvvlpw

In Webb We Trust!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Steelers

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Texans
Bills
Titans
Dolphins
Cowboys
Buccaneers
Ravens
Bears
Jaguars
Falcons
Broncos
Redskins
Giants
Chargers

Monday, November 24, 2008

Packers

I’m struggling this year, with less than a 60% accuracy in picking winners this season.  Maybe this will be my banner week!

Thursday, November 13, 2009

Jets

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Monday, November 17, 2008

Bills

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Browns

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Jaguars
Bears
Patriots
Saints
Jets
Dolphins
Packers
Panthers
Chargers
Steelers
Giants
Texans

Monday, November 10, 2008

Cardinals

Sunday, November 2, 2008
Vikings
Jaguars
Buccaneers
Browns
Bills
Cardinals
Bears
Titans
Broncos
Falcons
Giants
Eagles
Colts

Monday, November 3, 2008
Steelers

Well, so far my picks haven’t been panning out this season, so lets turn things around!  I am living down another 7-7 week!  Ugh!  Well, here goes nothin’!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Ravens
Chargers
Jets
Bills
Buccaneers
Eagles
Rams
Panthers
Redskins
Jaguars
Giants
49ers
Texans

Monday, October 29, 2008

Titans

Getting close to mid-way into the 2008 NFL season!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Chargers
Steelers
Titans
Dolphins
Cowboys
Giants
Bears
Saints
Texans
Colts
Jets
Redskins
Buccaneers

Monday, Ocober 20, 2008

Broncos

Well, I’ve had a lackluster 60% record so far in the 2008 NFL season, so I have to hit those stat books harder and work on my picks!  Here’s this week’s choices!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Saints
Colts
Jets
Panthers
Vikings
Bears
Texans
Redskins
Broncos
Eagles
Cowboys
Packers
Chargers

Monday, October 13, 2008

Giants

And that new dimension is ‘overrated hack.’  Losing in 14 seconds to a guy who had an 0-2 record in the UFC?  “The most incredible victory in the history of mixed martial arts?”  How much did CBS pay the announcer to embarrass himself?

The backstory is that Kimbo’s original opponent was to be Ken Shamrock, who had to bow out because of sparring injury.  Seth “The Silverback” Petruzelli was the last minute substitute, with a MMA record of 9-4-0 going into last night’s event, including a lackluster record of 0-2 in UFC competition.

He ended the night flattening the internet sensation, Kimbo Slice, an athlete that was marketed as a fearsome, invincible fighting force, mostly because he was a scary looking big black man.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQRCD0Shicw

The biggest loser had to be Ken Shamrock, who blew his last decent payday.  Given Kimbo’s performance, the old man might have even won, giving him a few more high profile paydays.

An exiting night at EliteXc Heat!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Texans
Titans
Chargers
Panthers
Eagles
Bears
Packers
Giants
Browns
Patriots
Bills
Cowboys
Jaguars

Monday, October 6, 2008

Vikings

Well, you can set your watch by the fact that the NY Mets simply can not finish what they start, and when push comes to shove they will fail.  They did it in 2007, and they did it earlier today, when they blew a game against the Marlins, and when the Milwaukee Brewers won their game against the NL Central Division Champion Cubs, 3-1.

That means the Brewers are the NL Wild Card, and the NY Mets the perrenial losers that they are!

Sunday, Septemeber 28, 2008

Broncos
Bengals
Jaguars
Jets
49ers
Panthers
Titans
Buccaneers
Bills
Chargers
Cowboys
Eagles

Monday, September 29, 2008

Steelers

Sunday, September 21, 2008

• Falcons
• Bills
• Titans
• Giants
• Cardinals
• Patriots
• Bears
• Panthers
• Seahawks
• 49ers
• Broncos
• Eagles
• Colts
• Ravens
• Cowboys

I started out last week with an ok, but unspectacular 10-6 record.  Lets try and improve on that record – I’m picking a few underdogs, so wait and see…

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Chiefs
Titans
Vikings
Saints
Packers
Bears
Giants
Bills
Buccaneers
Seahawks
Cardinals
Patriots
Broncos
Steelers

Monday, September 15, 2008

Texans
Eagles

It’s that time of year again – football season! And I can tell you, Las Vegans far and wide stop everything and dedicate the balance of the year to filling out the ubiquitous football betting cards seen in sports books all over town!

Here are my picks for week one, all straight up, with no regard for the lines!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Giants

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Ravens
Jets
Patriots
Steelers
Jaguars
Lions
Seahawks
Buccaneers
Eagles
Cowboys
Chargers
Cardinals
Colts

Monday, September 9, 2008

Packers
Broncos

America’s sweethearts, Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh, fulfilled their destiny by repeating their Gold Medal win at the Olympics.  Fit and photogenic, the duo was celebrated as the rock stars of the American delegation.  Their dominance wasn’t in doubt, and they managed to bring the Gold home to the USA.

Congratulations, ladies, and kudos to you and to all of the Olympians for their outstanding accomplishments and efforts.

May-Treanor & Walsh did tick off their network overlords at NBC, though.  In their post-victory interview, they managed to sneak in a shout out to President Bush, noting him as personally inspirational to them.  NBC, of course, cut them off…

Special thanks to MsUnderestimated.com for getting the video and making it available, because the gang at NBC worked overtime to yank this file off of YouTube!

Our friends at The Irish Times report…

Minority ethnic groups used in Games’ opening were fake
CLIFFORD COONAN in Beijing

FAKE FIREWORKS, fake singers and now fake ethnic minorities. Beijing Olympics organisers have admitted that children from China’s dominant Han population were used in the opening ceremony last week, not youngsters from all 56 ethnic groups as previously claimed.

The news brings the issue of China’s treatment of the minority ethnic groups within its borders back into sharp relief, following accusations that Beijing has sought to drown out dissenting voices from different ethnic groups during the Games.

The Han ethnic group accounts for more than 90 per cent of China’s 1.3 billion people and is the dominant cultural group.

The 56 children who carried out the Chinese flag in a moment intended to showcase national harmony were all Han Chinese, but organisers played down the significance of using Han children to represent China’s ethnic diversity.

“It is typical for Chinese performers to wear different apparel from different ethnic groups,” said Wang Wei, spokesman for the organisers.

“There is nothing special about it. They will wear different apparel to signify people are friendly and happy together.”

Organisers often use Han Chinese instead of the genuine ethnic groups in national displays to avoid any spontaneous outbursts of independence.

Thanks goodness he didn’t pose for a picture with slanted eyes!

If this incident gets more mainstream publicity, I wouldn’t be shocked if he shows up on WWE tv soon!

SI reports…

Wrestler tosses aside bronze medal

Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian threw away the bronze medal he won in the Greco-Roman category in disgust in a protest over judging in his semifinal bout.

Abrahamian was beaten in the 84 kg class by eventual gold medal winner Andrea Minguzzi of Italy but was disgusted by the verdict, shouting at the referee before confronting the judges. The Athens silver medal winner had to be restrained by teammates and later went on to win a bronze medal match.

But the row continued at the medal ceremony as he only grudgingly mounted the podium and after receiving his medal made a point of taking it off and leaving it in the center of the competition mat.

Swedish fans in the arena disagreed strongly with the original decision, jeering the judges, while coach Leo Myllari also weighed in.

“It’s all politics,” he said.

The medal was later returned to the sport’s governing body.

So I hear that those rascals, the Spaniard Basketball Federation, are in some hot water for a photo they took where it certainly looks like they are mocking their kind Chinese hosts in Beijing.  Poor form, friends, poor form!

Well call me Curly, but when I first saw the pic, I thought it was the Chinese team making fun of the Spaniard team!  Boy, do I feel dumb!  And I evidently am a seething, hateful bigot to boot!  You learn something new every day!

Special thanks to my friend Jenny for sending me this Fox News story!

Spanish Hoopsters in Hot Water Over Olympics Ad

Spain might have high hopes of bringing the Olympic flame back to the Iberian peninsula in 2016, but the country that played host to the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 is sporting a public relations black eye today.

The Spanish Basketball Federation took out a full-page ad in the country’s largest sports newspaper, Marca, wishing the men’s and women’s teams good luck in the Beijing games. The photo accompanying the ad, however ”showing all team members making a slant-eyed gesture” raised eyebrows and sparked international outrage.

The heavily favored Spanish team, the reigning world champions, took the court Tuesday against China, and was greeted with typical Chinese polite applause and mixed with a rare sprinkle of boos. Spain went on to win in overtime, 85-75.

The Guardian newspaper reported that no one from the federation felt the ad was inappropriate, and that no offense was intended.

The 2008 Olympics has already had its memorable moments.  Most notable was the truly spectacular opening ceremony (the lip-synching imp notwithstanding).  Those guys sure know how to put on a show!  And the locals seem to be genuinely proud that their nation is showcasing this great event.

I don’t watch much of the Olympics.  I actually find the event pretty boring, by and large, and the whole enterprise tends to be a bloated mess.  But I do like the opening march of the national delegations and usually try to watch it.

Well, most of the delegations come into the stadium upbeat and happy, but pretty much march onto the grounds and wave at the fans, family, and friends in the stands and watching at home.  These days many of them hold camcorders to record their great moment, and I don’t blame them.  It’s not a stoic entrance in most cases, but the delegations tend to take it seriously.

“Here come the Italians”

The Italian delegation took the field in style – carrying their paisans piggy back, mugging for the camera, slapping each other in the back of the heads, and otherwise horsing around.  Several of the women in particular were enjoying the pomp and the the attention.  Broad smiles and laughter abounded.  Even the US announcers noted just how silly they were and how much fun they were having.

Kudos to Italia – reminding everyone that you should make every experience as fun and funny as possible!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=euLkuijBGaI

AFP reports…

Olympic child singing star was a fake: ceremony director
The little girl who starred at the Olympic opening ceremony was miming and only put on stage because the real singer was not considered attractive enough, the show’s musical director has revealed.

Pigtailed Lin Miaoke was selected to appear because of her cute appearance and did not sing a note, Chen Qigang, the general music designer of the ceremony, said in an interview with a state broadcaster aired Tuesday.

Photographs of Lin in a bright red party dress were published in newspapers and websites all over the world and the official China Daily hailed her as a rising star on Tuesday.

But Chen said the girl whose voice was actually heard by the 91,000 capacity crowd at the Olympic stadium during the spectacular ceremony was in fact seven-year-old Yang Peiyi, who has a chubby face and uneven teeth.

“The reason why little Yang was not chosen to appear was because we wanted to project the right image, we were thinking about what was best for the nation,” Chen said in an interview that appeared briefly on the news website Sina.com before it was apparently wiped from the Internet in China.

Lin was seen to perform the patriotic song “Ode to the Motherland” as China’s national flag was carried into the stadium, a key moment in the three hour ceremony.

“The reason was for the national interest. The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings, and expression,” said Chen, a renowned contemporary composer and French citizen.

“Lin Miaoke is excellent in those aspects. But in terms of voice, Yang Peiyi is perfect, each member of our team agreed,” he said.

He said the final decision to stage the event with Lin lip-synching to another girl’s voice was taken after a senior member of China’s ruling Communist Party politburo attended a rehearsal.

“He told us there was a problem that we needed to fix it, so we did,” he said, without disclosing further details of the order.

The ceremony directed by China’s Oscar-nominated filmmaker Zhang Yimou and featuring more than 15,000 performers won high praise in China and overseas for its breadth, scope and flawless execution.

However criticism began to build after it emerged that another part of the opening ceremony had been faked.

Supposedly live pictures of fireworks depicting footprints moving from central Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to the Olympic stadium in the north of the capital were actually partly computer-generated or pre-recorded for TV, organisers have admitted.

“This illustrates an important aspect of these Olympic Games,” said Xiao Qiang, the director of the China Internet project at the University of California at Berkeley and former dissident.

“It is all about projecting the right image of China with no respect for honesty or for the audience.

“I do not think the Chinese state realises how unethical this is, they don’t understand what kind of values they are reflecting.”

Earlier this year Olympic organisers preoccupied with the right image for the country were criticised for insisting that only tall, slim, young and attractive women could serve as medal award ceremony hostesses.

Reports in the Chinese press concerning the faking of the song were sparse but Internet chat rooms have attracted debate with most people critical of the decision to fake the performance.

“This is an insult to the real singer and to all the people who listened,” said one commentator on popular portal Netease, reflecting the general tone.

Sydney, Australia.  2000.  Like most men, when I think of Sydney I think of statuesque, beautiful Aussie women.  But the 2000 Olympics did give us another genuine Sydney mental association -- that is the stirring story of Equatorial Guinea’s Olympic hero, Eric Moussambani.

Equatorial Guinea had no Olympic sized swimming pools to train in, so he made do with a hotel swimming pool.  And Moussambani’s training consisted of about 8 months of part time practice.  No matter: with the dogged determination of a true world class athlete, he packed his bags and went to Sydney to proudly represent his nation.

After a false start that disqualifies the other two competitors from the 100 Meter Freestyle, Moussambani is the sole competitor.  He has to come in first, in a field of one.  And in his great Olympic moment, he does the impossible.

He almost drowns.

Despite his performance, the record books show that he finished the 100 meter freestyle in 1:52.72, breaking the Equatorial Guinea national record.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zjCc_VyxM4

Seoul, South Korea.  1988.  In a moment that would make children cry and give adults nightmares for years to come, those dumbass symbols of love and peace, the doves, decide to perch themselves on the Olympic torch just moments before it is lit, incinerating them instantly!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5pR2HGnbI0

Now, that’s Olympic History!

Well, folks who know me well know that I am a longtime fan and admirer of that shy creature of the pacific northwest, Sasquatch.  A mighty, misunderstood being, I have always felt that he was most likely quite friendly, and merely reacts with fear when he encounters human beings.  If we could demonstrate to his species that we mean him no harm, I am sure he would be far more social!

Well, I’m poking around some sites checking out those creepy Beijing 2008 Olympic mascots, and I encounter a link to the official mascots of the 2010 Olympics to be held just to the north of the USA the city with the most nordic-looking fashion models per capita, friendly Vancouver.

Needless to say, what I discovered thrilled me!

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Mascots

So I look at Miga, who I suspect is an obnoxious French penguin.  Then I look at Sumi, who I suspect is a gay mountain climber.  OK, it’s Canada so suppose that makes sense.  Then my attention shifts to the large mascot in the middle – despite the earmuffs and snow shoes, I immediately figure it must be Sasquatch.

I must be wrong – no way that my old pal Sasquatch would be given such a prominent promotional push for the Olympics.  That would be great for his career!  So I click on the icon to get to the bottom of it.

Turns out I was right – the mascot is indeed ‘Quatchi,’ The Sasquatch!

Needless to say, the Vancover Olympics will be must see tv!

Yep, the folks in Beijing are gearing up for the 2008 Summer Olympics – an event held every four years to test the athletic mettle of representatives of numerous nations around the world!

It seems that most folks stateside have no idea the Olympics is coming right up, though.

I remember as a kid in the1970s and 1980s how much hype surrounded the Olympics.  People were genuinely excited about it and I recall the Olympics being a much bigger deal. Back then, most people only had 6 or 7 tv channels and the Olympic games presented a rare opportunity to see some sporting events – save for a stray episode of Wide World of Sports.

There was also the nationalism factor, which was always a big part of the appeal. The whole ‘where athletes get together and the politics of their nations doesn’t matter’ was never really accurate in the modern era. Jesse Owens at Berlin in 1936 immediately come to mind, the 1980 US hockey team beating the Soviet hockey team is memorable and significant largely because of the politics involved, and there are other examples.

I think much of the rest of the world still looks at the events as a golden opportunity to ’stick it’ to the Americans.  And I think that the Americans are just too busy to notice or care.  If Canada can beat the USA in an event, for example, that gives Canadians an opportunity to pump their fist in their air and celebrate their (momentary) superiority over their friends to the south.

This impact has to be muted by the common American reaction – inattention.  No, we’re busy watching American Idol and Dancing With the Stars.  We cared so little about the 2006 Winter Olympics that we sent a squad of impetuous rich kids to represent us at the events.

Then we just don’t bother to tune in. That’s just got to take at least part of the ’shine’ off of the hard-fought-victory: the American athletes themselves are underachieving bunch, and the American public doesn’t bother enough to care.

The specialness of the Olympics is gone. When Snickers is the official candy bar of an international athletic competition, and cable companies want to charge a fortune for 100s of hours of coverage that nobody cares about anyway, you can just count me out.  And I think most Americans simply tune out of this nonsense.

Until the International Olympic Committee is distracted long enough from taking their bribes and indulging in prostitutes to add Jai Alai and Roller Derby as Olympic sports, just count me out!

Mr Santhi Soundarajan? Ms Santhi Soundarajan?

Now, that’s an unusual headline! You don’t read stories like that every day! Yahoo reports..

China ’sets up Olympic sex determination lab’

Olympic host Beijing has set up a sex determination lab to test female Olympic athletes suspected to be males, state media reported Sunday.

Experts at the lab, located at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, will evaluate dubious cases based on their external appearance and take blood samples testing sex hormones, genes and chromosomes, Xinhua news agency said.

Sex testing has been routine at the Olympics and other sports events for decades, triggered by fears that male athletes sought to cheat by posing as women.

Indian athlete Santhi Soundarajan was stripped of an Asian Games silver medal in 2006 after failing a gender verification test.

Bobby Murcer 1946-2008

Just got word that one of my favorite sports broadcasters, Bobby Murcer, passed away today. The AP reports…

Ex-Yanks star, broadcaster Bobby Murcer dies at 62

By BEN WALKE

NEW YORK (AP) Bobby Murcer succeeded Mickey Mantle, played in pinstripes with Don Mattingly and watched proudly from the broadcast booth when the New York Yankees returned to power.

A cherished link from former Yankees greats to the club’s current stars, Murcer died Saturday due to complications from a malignant brain tumor, the team said. He was 62.

In his final moments, Murcer was surrounded by family at Mercy Hospital in his hometown of Oklahoma City, the Yankees said. A five-time All-Star outfielder, he spent nearly four decades with New York as a player, executive and announcer.

“Bobby Murcer was a born Yankee, a great guy, very well-liked and a true friend of mine,” owner George Steinbrenner said. “I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Kay, their children and grandchildren. I will really miss the guy.”

Murcer was diagnosed with a brain tumor on Christmas Eve 2006 after having headaches. He had surgery that week in Houston and doctors later discovered the tumor was malignant. Determined to be around his beloved Yankees, Murcer returned to the broadcast booth last year and briefly this season.

The only person to play with Mantle and Mattingly, the popular Murcer hit .277 with 252 home runs and 1,043 RBIs in 17 seasons with the Yankees, San Francisco and the Chicago Cubs. He made the All-Star team in both leagues and won a Gold Glove.

“All of Major League Baseball is saddened today by the passing of Bobby Murcer, particularly on the eve of this historic All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, a place he called home for so many years,” commissioner Bud Selig said. “Bobby was a gentleman, a great ambassador for baseball, and a true leader both on and off the field. He was a man of great heart and compassion.”

Always a fan favorite in New York and known for his folksy manner as a broadcaster, Murcer won three Emmy Awards for live sports coverage. His most dramatic words came during his time as a player on one of the saddest days in Yankees history.

Murcer delivered one of the eulogies in Ohio after captain Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash in August 1979. The team flew home after the funeral and, that night, Murcer hit a three-run homer and then a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to beat Baltimore 5-4.

A tearful Murcer fell into the arms of teammate Lou Piniella after the game and gave his bat to Munson’s wife.

“There is no way to explain what happened,” Murcer said. “We used every ounce of strength to go out and play that game. We won it for Thurman.”

The Yankees learned of Murcer’s death Saturday after a 9-4 victory in Toronto. Visibly upset, players such as Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte spoke softly about how much Murcer meant to them.

“He touched everybody,” Rivera said.

“One of the greatest Yankees of all-time,” Alex Rodriguez added. “One of the greatest human beings I ever met.”

It was the second consecutive summer that the Yankees lost a former star and beloved broadcaster. Hall of Fame shortstop Phil Rizzuto died in August 2007.

Now, the Yankees are mourning Murcer.

“If there’s a Hall of Fame for people, he’s in it,” Reggie Jackson said. “He was such a good person, and he was appreciative of the people who cared so much for him.”

Touted by many in New York as the next Mantle — they were both from Oklahoma, played shortstop and came with strokes fit for Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch — Murcer made his major league debut as a 19-year-old player in 1965.

After serving in the U.S. Army during the 1967-68 seasons, Murcer homered on opening day in front of President Nixon in 1969 at Washington to launch a career as a full-time player.

Murcer moved from shortstop to third base to begin that year, but soon was in center field, Mantle’s old spot. Murcer also took over Mantle’s locker.

“That was supposed to be the tag. You know, he was going to follow Mantle and do it with ease,” said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who managed the Yankees from 1996-2007. “He certainly understood it. It’s not easy, but he wore the mantle with a lot of class and never shied away from the responsibility.

“Bobby was a great human being. He really zeroed in on the person he was with, and he was a lot of fun. A lot of class. He’s going to be missed.”

Murcer spent most of his career in pinstripes. He was traded to San Francisco for Bobby Bonds after the 1974 season and was with the Chicago Cubs when the Yankees won the World Series in 1977 and 1978.

He came back to the Yankees during the 1979 season. He had a pinch-hit grand slam in the 1981 opener and was a part-time player when he reached the World Series for the only time later that year, with New York losing to the Dodgers.

“Just a wonderful person, a great teammate and a heck of a baseball player,” Piniella said in Chicago after managing the Cubs to a victory over San Francisco. “It’s a sad day.”

During his career, Murcer had a three-homer game, hit for the cycle and once homered in four straight at-bats.

Smart at the plate, he beat out Willie Mays in 1971 to lead the majors in on-base percentage. The next year, Murcer set career highs with 33 homers and 96 RBIs, and led the AL in total bases and runs. He finished with more career walks (862) than strikeouts (841).

Murcer made the All-Star team for five straight seasons, starting in 1971.

“He was a tough man,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, fighting back tears. “He was a great Yankee, but probably more importantly he was a great friend. He always put others first. He played the game the right way. He got what life was about, and that was making life better for the people around you.”

Murcer retired in June 1983 and moved into the broadcast booth that season, working as a color analyst on radio. He served one year as assistant general manager of the Yankees, returned as an announcer in 1989 and stayed in the booth as New York won four World Series titles from 1996-2000.

“He always had that bright smile and that positive spin on everything,” Yankees slugger Jason Giambi said. “He was the type of guy who never had a bad day.”

Murcer also served as chairman of B.A.T., the Baseball Assistance Team charity that provides financial help and other support to players in need.

“I’ve never met a more genuine person,” Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay said. “What he went through the last couple of years no one should ever have to go through, but he went through it with such grace. He was an amazing, amazing guy. He was a piece of work in the best way possible.”

A family service will be held within the next several days in Oklahoma City. In addition, a celebration of Murcer’s life will be held at a date to be determined, the Yankees said.

Murcer is survived by his wife, his children, Tori and Todd, and his grandchildren.

What a catch! Evidently fans who went to see this game between the Tacoma Rainiers and Fresno Grizzlies at Fresno’s Chukchansi Park saw a truly amazing feat!

No doubt every MLB team is lining up to sign her for the 24 person roster! What a bidding war this will be!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SqJz0NgnnE

Of course, if you believed this video, you should also understand that the word ‘gullible’ doesn’t appear in the dictionary. Read all about it here.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A5aeD6oT_k

LOUIS DEFEATS SCHMELING BY A KNOCKOUT IN FIRST; 80,000 SEE TITLE BATTLE

FIGHT ENDS IN 2:04

Rights Drop the Loser Thrice and Trainer Tosses In Towel

1936 SETBACK AVENGED

Challenger Says He Was Fouled With a Kidney Punch – The Gate Tops $900,000

By JAMES P. DAWSON
The New York Times, June 23, 1938

The exploding fists of Joe Louis crushed Max Schmeling last night in the ring at the Yankee Stadium and kept sacred that time-worn legend of boxing that no former heavyweight champion has ever regained the title.

The Brown Bomber from Detroit, with the most furious early assault he has ever exhibited here, knocked out Schmeling in the first round of what was to have been a fifteen-round battle to retain the title he won last year from James J. Braddock. He has now defended it successfully four times.

In exactly 2 minutes and 4 seconds of fighting Louis polished off the Black Uhlan from the Rhine, but, though the battle was short, it was furious and savage while it lasted, packed with thrills that held three knockdowns of the ambitious ex-champion, every moment tense for a crowd of about 80,000.

A Representative Gathering

This gathering, truly representative and comparing favorably with the largest crowds in boxing’s history, paid receipts estimated at between $900,000 and $1,000,000 to see whether Schmeling could repeat the knockout he administered to Louis just two years ago here and be the first ex-heavyweight champion to come back into the title, or whether the Bomber could avenge this defeat as he promised.

As far as the length of the battle was concerned, the investment in seats, which ran to $30 each, was a poor one. But for excitement, for drama, for pulse-throbs, those who came from near and far felt themselves well repaid because they saw a fight that, though it was one of the shortest heavyweight championships on record, was surpassed by few for thrills.

With the right hand that Schmeling held in contempt Louis knocked out his foe. Three times under its impact the German fighter hit the ring floor. The first time Schmeling regained his feet laboriously at the count of three. From the second knockdown Schmeling, dazed but game, bounced up instinctively before the count had gone beyond one.

On the third knockdown Schmeling’s trainer and closest friend, Max Machon, hurled a towel into the ring, European fashion, admitting defeat for his man. The towel sailed through the air when the count on the prostrate Max had reached three.

Ignored in Boxing Here

The signal is ignored in American boxing, has been for years, and Referee Arthur Donovan, before he had a chance to pick up the count in unison with knockdown timekeeper Eddie Josephs, who was outside the ring, gathered the white emblem in a ball and hurled it through the ropes.

Returning to Schmeling’s crumpled figure, Donovan took one look and signaled an end of the battle. The count at that time was five on the third knockdown. Further counting was useless. Donovan could have counted off a century and Max could not have regained his feet. The German was thoroughly “out.”

It was as if he had been pole-axed. His brain was awhirl, his body, his head, his jaws ached and pained, his senses were numbed from that furious, paralyzing punching he had taken even in the short space of time the battle consumed.

Following the bout, Schmeling claimed he was fouled. He said that he was hit a kidney punch, a devastating right, which so shocked his nervous system that he was dazed and his vision was blurred. To observers at the ringside, however, with all due respect to Schmeling’s thoughts on the subject, the punches which dazed him were thundering blows to the head, jaw and body in bewildering succession, blows of the old Alabama Assassin reincarnate last night for a special occasion.

Louis wanted to erase the memory of that 1936 knockout he suffered in twelve rounds. It was the one blot on his brilliant record. He aimed to square the account and he did.

Because of the excitement attending the finish, Louis, in the records, will be deprived of a clean-cut knockout. It will appear as a technical knockout because Referee Donovan didn’t complete the full ten-second count over Schmeling. But this is merely a technicality. No fighter ever was more thoroughly knocked out than was Max lasts night.

Thrilling to the spectacle of this short, savage victory which held so much significance was a gathering that included a member of President Roosevelt’s Cabinet, Postmaster General James A. Farley; Governors of several States, Mayors of cities in the East, South and Middle West, Representatives and Senators, judges and lawyers, politicians, doctors, figures of prominence in the professional world, leaders of banking, industry and commerce, stars of the stage and screen, ring champions of the past and present, leaders in other sports and other fields – all assembled eagerly awaiting the struggle whose appeal drew them from distant parts of the country and from Europe.

Millions Hear Fight

In addition to those looking on at the spectacle, there were millions listening in virtually all over the world, for this battle was broadcast in four languages, English, German, Spanish and Portuguese, so intense was the interest in its outcome.

Louis, hero of one of the greatest stories ever written in the ring, owner of a record of thirty-eight victories, in thirty-nine bouts spread over four years, entered the ring the favorite to win at odds of 1 to 2. He won like a 1-to10 shot. The knockout betting was at even money, take your pick. It could have been on Louis at 1 to 10, for Schmeling never had a chance. His number was up from the clang of the opening gong.

Schmeling, 32-year-old campaigner over a period of fourteen years, aspired to the unparalleled distinction of being the first man to regain the heavyweight crown. He suffered, instead, the fate that overtook Jim Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Jim Jeffries and Jack Dempsey, ring immortals all, who tried and failed.

The fury of Louis’s attack explains the result in a nutshell. The defending champion came into the ring geared on high. He never stopped punching until his rival was a crumpled, inert, helpless figure, diving headlong into the resined canvas, rolling over there spasmodically, instinctively, trying to come erect, his spirit willing to return to the attack, his flesh weak, for mind and muscle could not be expected to function harmoniously under the terrific battering Schmeling absorbed in those fleeting two minutes.

Max Throws Two Punches

Emphasizing the savagery with which Louis went after this victory was Schmeling’s feeble effort at retaliation. The German ex-champion threw exactly two punches. That is how completely the Bomber established his mastery in this second struggle with the Black Uhlan.

With the opening gong, Louis crept softly out of his corner, pantherlike, eyes alert, arms poised, fists cocked to strike from any angle as he met Schmeling short of the ring’s center. Max backed carefully toward his own corner, watching Louis intently, his right, the right which thudded so punishingly against Joe’s jaw and temple two years ago, ready to strike over or under a left guard. At least, that was Schmeling’s pre-arranged plan.

But Louis wasted only a few seconds in studying his foe, menacing Max meanwhile with a spearing left before quickly going to work.

Like flashes from the blue, the Bomber’s sharp, powerful left started suddenly pumping into Schmeling’s face. The blows tilted Max’s head back, made his eyes blink, unquestionably stung him. The German’s head was going backward as if on hinges.

Max’s face was exposed to a left-hook attack and Louis interspersed his onslaught with a few of these blows, gradually forcing Schmeling back to the ropes and preventing the German from making an offensive or counter move, so fast and sharp and true was the opening fire of the defending champion.

Schmeling suddenly shot a right over Louis’s left for the jaw, but the blow was short and they went close. At long range again, Joe stuck and stabbed with his left to the face, trying to open a lane through Schmeling’s protecting arms and gloves for a more forceful shot from the right.

Again Lunges Forward

But the opening didn’t come immediately. Instead Schmeling again lunged forward, his right arching as it drove for Louis’s jaw, and it landed on the champion’s head as the Schmeling admirers in the tremendous crowd roared encouragement.

Louis, however, only scowled and stepped forward, this time with a terrific right to Schmeling’s jaw which banged Max against the ropes, his body partly turned toward the right from Louis.

Schmeling shook to his heels under the impact of that blow, but he gave no sign of toppling. And Joe, like a tiger, leaped upon him, driving a right to the ribs as Schmeling half turned – apparently the blow Schmeling later claimed was a foul – swinging with might and main, lefts and rights, that thudded against Schmeling’s bobbing head, grazed or cracked on Max’s jaw and swishing murderous looking left hooks into Schmeling’s stomach as the crumpling ex-champion grimaced in pain, his face wearing the expression of a fighter protesting “foul.”

Shaken when he first landed against the ropes, Schmeling was rendered groggy under the furious assault to which Louis subjected him while he stood there trying unsuccessfully to avoid the blows or grasp a chance to clinch.

Suddenly the Bomber’s right, sharp and true with the weight of his 198 ¾ pounds back of it, as well as his knack of driving it home, landed cleanly on Schmeling’s jaw. Max toppled forward and down. He was hurt and stunned, but gamely the German came erect at the count of three.

Louis was on him in a jiffy, with the fury of a jungle beast. After propping the tottering Schmeling with a jolting left to the face, the Bomber’s deadly right fist again exploded in Max’s face, and under another crack on the jaw, Schmeling went down. This time, however, the German regained his feet before the count progressed beyond one.

Crowd in an Uproar

But Schmeling was helpless. He staggered drunkenly for a few backward steps, the crowd in and uproar as Louis stealthily followed and measured his man. Max was an open target. His jaw was unprotected and inviting. His mid-section was a mark for punches. The kill was within Louis’s grasp. He lost no time in ceremony.

Spearing Schmeling with blinding straight lefts, numbing Max with powerful left hooks that were sharp, true and destructive, Louis set the stage for one finishing right to the jaw, released the blow and landed in a flash, and the German toppled over in a headlong dive, completely unconscious.

The din of the crowd echoed over the arena, cheers for the conquering Louis, shrieks of entreaty and shouts of advice for Schmeling. But this thunderous roar was unheard by the befogged Schmeling and was ignored by the Bomber, intent only on the destruction of his foe.

In routine fashion, Eddie Josephs, a licensed referee converted into a knockdown timekeeper, started the count over the stricken Schmeling. He counted one, then two, as Referee Donovan went about the duty of signaling Louis to the farthest neutral corner.

Machon Hurls Towel

At “three” a white towel sailed aloft form Schmeling’s corner, hurled by the ever-faithful Machon, who realized, as did every one else in the vast gathering, that Schmeling was knocked out, if he was not, indeed, badly hurt.

The towel fell in the ring a few feet from Schmeling. It is the custom in European rings to recognize this gesture as a concession of defeat. It used to be recognized here. But for many years now it has been banned, and Referee Donovan, disregarding the emblem of surrender, tossed it through the ropes and out of the ring.

When he returned to the prostrate figure of Schmeling, moving convulsively on the ring floor doubtless with that instinctive impulse to arise, the count had reached “five.” One look was enough for Donovan. Instantly he spread his arms in a signal that meant the end of the bout, although Time-keeper Josephs, as he is duty bound to do, continued counting outside the ring.

This led to confusion at the finish. Some thought the third knock-down count was eight. Actually, the bout was ended at the count of five, the three seconds beyond that time being a gesture against emergency that was superfluous. Schmeling could not have arisen inside the legal ten-second stretch. His hopes wee blasted. He was a thoroughly beaten man.

In a few moments, however, as police swarmed into the ring and his handlers worked over him in the corner to which he was assisted, Schmeling returned to consciousness. He was able to smile bravely as he walked across the ring to shake the hand of the conquering Louis, a gesture that carried the impression, somehow, that Max realized at long last that Louis is his master now and for all time.

Bout Described Blow by Blow

Louis came out of his corner quickly and wasted little time springing at his foe. He lashed out with two lefts to the face and cracked a right to the jaw. Schmeling tagged the jaw with a right but the punch seemingly had no effect on the champion.

The challenger hooked a left to the head and took a left to the body in return. Louis drove Schmeling to the ropes with a fusillade of rights and lefts to the head. The latter was absorbing punishment about the body without being able to lift a hand in his own defense.

Referee Donovan stepped between them, as if to stop the slaughter, but did nothing but wave Louis back to mid-ring.

Puzzled for a second or two, Louis returned to the attack on shouts from his corner and crashed a right to Schmeling’s jaw, flooring him for a count of three. The German arose shakily and was submitted to a heavy body fire before taking another right to the jaw, a paunch which put him down for only one second.

Rubber-legged and glassy-eyed, the gallant German sought to hold off his tormentor, but Louis shot both hands to the body with crushing force, drove a sharp left hook to the jaw, then fired a right to the chin that felled Schmeling once more. The challenger’s instinct drove him to drag himself to all fours, but further he could not move.

The count had reached three when Max Machon, Schmeling’s trainer, tossed in the towel to signal defeat. At five Referee Donovan waved his hands to signal the end of the battle. The round had gone 2 minutes 4 seconds.

IDOL’S DOWNFALL SADDENS GERMANS

Gay Radio Parties in Berlin Stunned by Louis’s Quick Knockout Triumph

BERLIN, Thursday, June 23 (AP). – All Germany, clustered about it short-wave radio sets in the early morning hours, was thunderstruck and almost unbelieving at the unexpected news that “Unser Maxe” Schmeling had failed in his heavyweight comeback try, and failed by the knockout route.

Their high hopes of hearing black-browed Schmeling had fought his way back to the heavyweight championship were dashed so suddenly that the ardor of radio parties and café gatherings was quickly dampened.

Heavy-lidded Germans, who had stayed up till 3 A. M. for the short-wave broadcast only to hear a 2:04 minute fight end with dramatic dispatch, climbed into bed a saddened lot at Joe Louis’s victory.

All over the Reich they had clustered in homes, restaurants and cafes to hear the fight they hoped would bring the world’s championship to Germany.

It was said Adolf Hitler at his Bavarian mountain retreat was among those who heard the disheartening news.

Keeps News From Wife

The maid at Schmeling’s Berlin home was so disappointed by the knockout she said she would not awaken Maxie’s movie actress wife, Anny Ondra, who left instructions not to be aroused until after the fight.

“I think morning will be time enough to tell her,” said the maid, who had stayed up in hope of being able to bear her good news.

The Sportsbar, where Schmeling and his cronies have a regularly reserved table, was “like a tomb,” a waiter lamented after the radio told the sad story to patrons looking glumly into their beer steins.

Schmeling’s German pals said their only comment was an echo of what the German announcer said at the close of his broadcast from the Yankee Stadium ringside:

“We sympathize with you, Max, although you lost as a fair sportsman.

“We will show you on your return that reports in foreign newspapers that you would be thrown into jail are untrue.”

Officials Listen In

K. Metzner, head of the German Boxing Federation, who listened to the broadcast with members of the International European Boxing Federation (FIFA), believed the fight, because of its sudden end, did not give a clear picture of whether Louis or Schmeling was the better fighter.

He said Louis undoubtedly was in excellent form. Schmeling, he thought, watched Louis’s left hand too closely, whereas since their last meeting two years ago Louis had developed a powerful right.

He said it was hard to judge whether Trainer Machon’s action in throwing in the towel was the proper move, thus making the fight end as a technical knockout.

He added Schmeling could be sure of as hearty a reception at home as ever.

Statistics on Fight

Attendance – 80,000 Estimated gross receipts -- $900,000 Federal tax -- $90,000 State tax -- $45,000 Louis’s share (40 per cent of net) -- $306,000 Schmeling’s share (20 per cent of net) -- $153,000 Promoter’s share, from which all other expenses are deducted -- $306,000.

Chicago Cub baseball player Rick Monday saves an American flag from would be flag burners during a game in 1976. This great clip includes insights from Monday, as well as comments by Tommy Lasorda and Steve Garvey.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrV8QPQAhxo

WNBC in New York reports…

Georgia Baseball Team Plans “Eliot Spitzer” Theme Night

MACON, Ga. – Eliot Spitzer may no longer have a job, but he could still be the belle of the ball.

Macon’s minor league baseball team, the Music, is inviting the former New York governor to throw out the first pitch at its June 13 game, which was named “Eliot Spitzer Night” just hours after Spitzer stepped down amid a prostitution scandal.

South Coast League chief development officer J.D. Hardin says fans with the name Eliot, Spitzer or Kristen – the moniker of the callgirl authorities say Spitzer spent thousands on at the swanky Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. – get $1 off admission. So do fans from New York and fans who have ever resigned any position.

During the game, the team will give away a trip to New York and a one-night stay at the Mayflower Hotel, Hardin said. Frank Sinatra songs will serenade fans during the game.

The ninth fan – Spitzer was described in FBI documents as Client No. 9  – will get a prize. The 871st fan to buy a ticket will get a gift certificate from the team store – a play on the hotel room number authorities say Spitzer stayed in at the Mayflower.

Spitzer has not replied to the invitation to the game, but the theme night will go on regardless of whether he attends, Hardin said.

“I think this is probably the craziest idea to come out of the Music office yet,”  Hardin told The Telegraph of Macon.   “Hopefully, people will take this with a light attitude.”

Will the Pats beat the Giants to be the first team in over three decades to go undefeated in the regular season?

The Giants will bring their A Game, but I expect the Pats to win.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Patriots

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Eagles
Panthers
Bengals
Redskins
Packers
Jaguars
Saints
Steelers
Seahawks
Browns
Titans
Vikings
Chargers
Cardinals
Jets

This week features a game between the best team in the NFL, the undefeated Patriots , and the worst team in the NFL, the almost completely defeated Dolphins. An easy Patriots win, right? Except for the fact that the Dophins are defending their franchise’s season-long undefeated record from 1972! Will they play the spoiler for the Patriots dream season?

No, I don’t think so.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Steelers

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Cowboys

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Bengals
Packers
Colts
Lions
Patriots
Giants
Jaguars
Eagles
Vikings
Cardinals
Seahawks
Titans
Buccaneers

Monday, December 24, 2007

Chargers

Will The Pats be undefeated for the entire regular season? The drama!

Thursday December 13, 2007

Texans

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Bengals

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Saints
Buccaneers
Ravens
Browns
Packers
Steelers
Patriots
Seahawks
Titans
Colts
Chargers
Cowboys
Giants

Monday, December 16, 2007

Vikings

After this past Monday’s game, I don’t know how things can get any more dramatic! Lets see what week 14 has in store!

Thursday, December 6, 2007
Redskins

Sunday, December 9, 2007
Jaguars
Cowboys
Bills
Eagles
Packers
Patriots
Chargers
Rams
Texans
Seahawks
Vikings
Browns
Broncos
Colts

Monday, December 10, 2007
Saints

Thursday’s game will be The Packers battling The Cowboys in Dallas in what will probably be a great game!

I’m pickin