You Play to Win the Game

All anyone is taking out of Sunday night's Colts / Patriots game is the alleged "worst call in the history of any calls that were ever made ever." I disagree.

How many times have we watched Peyton Manning carve up defenses in a two-minute drill to win the game? Plenty of times. Enough times to know that the best defense against it is to never even put the ball in his hands! Faulk gets across that line, Brady kneels, game over, and Belichick is hailed as an evil genius yet again. But since Faulk (allegedly) didn't get across the line, now everyone's wondering if the Patriots are fading away and Belichick has lost it. Whatever.

They could've punted it and watch Manning slice through their D (like he had been doing all half) for 70 yards, or they could've taken a chance to let him do it for 20 yards. Well unfortunately they gambled and lost, but I definitely think it was the right call. Hard for a quarterback to do much without the ball in his hands.

All coaching crap aside, how good was that game?? Colts/Pats never disappoints, hopefully a postseason rematch is in the near future.

When Soccer Gets Ugly...Real Ugly

Hopefully this video stays up long enough for you to enjoy this mauling. How could girls do things so hurtful to one another...in a game of freaking SOCCER. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say she's single...but if you're out there reading this, you know..feel free to shoot me an e-mail.

It's bad enough this girl wasn't thrown out or suspended (yet), she should be charged with assault. Some of the things she was doing were just completely ridiculous and clearly meant to inflict maximum pain to those other girls. She should also probably be referred to some kind of psychologist, because the whole kicking-a-ball-at-a-girl's-face-point-blank-when-she's-on-the-ground thing just might be a cry for help... or it could be a cry proclaiming "HEY WORLD, I'M A CRAZY ASS BITCH"

Oh yeah, and they lost

World Series Preview

Phillies in 6.

ALCS Preview: Yankees vs. Angels

So the Angels finally got past the Red Sox and the Yankees didn't implode in the postseason (yet). In a couple of series marred by terrible blown calls by the umps, both of these teams came away with clean sweeps. The Angels did what no one has done before in the postseason, get to Jonathan Papelbon; and the Yankees' timely hitting, good starts, and crushing of Joe Nathan's soul brought them to the next round.

Both of these teams are playing with such a passion that when the two collide, the results should be very entertaining. The two teams are actually pretty evenly matched, they had the most wins and runs in all of Major League Baseball, and their head to head record this year was 5-5. Mark Teixeira will be facing his old team, and Bobby Abreu will be facing his as well. Both of these teams seem to be playing their best baseball at the right time. All of the ingredients for a great series, minus the steroids..(well...).

Both of these teams have a great rotation, both offenses have been ridiculous (the Angels are the only team in MLB history to have 11 players with 50+ RBI each. The Yankees get the edge in starting pitching, but the Angels' speed gives them the edge on offense. Both have capable bullpens and solid closers.

Lady and Gentlemen, what we have here is damn near a push. Crack open your 40s and let's hope for a competitive series to wake us up from those lame divisional series'.

Players to watch: CC Sabathia, Alex Roidriguez, Torii Hunter, Scott Kazmir, Brian Fuentes

The Prediction:

Angels in 7

NLCS Preview: Phillies vs. Dodgers

Well, the Dodgers did a great job of making me look like an idiot when I doubted that pitching rotation that actually pitched very well. Of course, maybe take away one Matt Holliday nutshot and we have a different series, but that's baseball and now we're treated to what looks like it will be a really really good NLCS.

Again we have another scary rotation in the Phillies (who even got a save from Brad Lidge!), with King Cole taking the mound tonight against Clayton Kershaw. I think the key will be whether or not the Dodgers starters can continue to go deep into the game to hand a lead off to the bullpen to preserve, if that's the case then it's over for the Phillies. The Dodgers also have impressive players coming off the bench in Jim Thome, Juan Pierre, Orlando Hudson, etc. That could also be the difference. However, the Phillies have been in this same spot...last year even, and now they have Cliff Lee, Raul Ibanez, J. A. Happ, among others who are ready to step up and bring them back to the World Series.

I think the Dodgers get a couple shaky starts that lead to a couple losses, but bounce right back in this back in forth series to knock off the defending champs in a decisive Game 7.

Players to watch: Cole Hamels, Clayton Kershaw, J. A. Happ, George Sherrill, Dodgers bench players

The Prediction:

Dodgers in 7


Oh yeah, this series even brought us this awesome little image from ESPN.com's frontpage:




You're sittin on a goldmine, Trebek!

Most Disgusting Game in NFL History?

Imagine a game with 4 turnovers, 16 penalties, a combined 10-33 on 3rd down conversions, no touchdowns, 16 punts, and this impressive line:

Derek Anderson: 2/17, 23 yds, 1 INT

That, my friends is the lowest completion percentage by a quarterback in a win (minimum 15 attempts) since the merger.

Fitting that this game would end 6-3 on a late field goal by Browns backup kicker Billy Cundiff set up by Roscoe Parrish muffing a punt.

It appears to be another expected season of ineptitude for the Cleveland Browns, but Buffalo fans have to be extremely disappointed in their team. They had visions of winning the AFC East while the Patriots still lick their wounds but are now 1-4. Not quite what they had in mind when they brought in quarterback-enthusiast Terrell Owens.


Oh yeah, and one more thing from this game I found:

The Browns' two completions are the fewest for a winning team since the Bengals did it in a 31-21 win over Denver on Oct. 22, 2000. Corey Dillon had 278 of the Bengals' 407 yards rushing. Akili Smith went 2 of 9 for 34 yards and Scott Mitchell missed all five attempts.

AKILI SMITH!

NLDS Preview: Cardinals vs. Dodgers

This has potential to be the best of the first round playoff series. Great pitching and a lot of offense are the strengths for both of these teams. The acquisition of Matt Holliday is working out pretty well, he was straight murdering the ball right away. He's back down to earth since then, but is definitely a key part of the Cardinals offense. The Dodgers had some trouble closing out the season, and Manny Ramirez has looked like...well... a guy that's no longer on steroids, but there's always a chance he'll find his stick in the playoffs, and between him, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier there's a lot of danger for a quick burst of offense.


Cardinals Player to Watch:

Matt Holliday, St. Louis definitely does not regret going after this guy as he has solidified himself as a key part of the Cardinals offense, which really wasn't all that bad to begin with...Albert Pujols, maybe you've heard of him? Let's not forget that Holliday's a free agent after this, so he'll definitely want to use this opportunity to fatten up any potential contract that's on the horizon after this postseason, I'm expecting big things from him.

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Ludwick, Chris Carpenter, Ryan Franklin

Dodgers Player to Watch:

Clayton Kershaw, this kid got off to a great start this season before a shoulder injury hampered him. He's been kinda sketchy ever since. The Dodgers need their pitching in general to come up big and keep up with the superior Cardinals staff.

Honorable Mentions: Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton, Manny Ramirez

The Prediction:

While it does have potential to be the best matchup, to me the Cardinals pitching staff is just too good, and the Dodgers have too many question marks at the wrong time of the season. Carpenter, Wainwright, and Piniero are a lethal 1-2-3 punch and just might be enough to get a clean sweep of the Dodgers right back to Mannywood to lick their wounds. Speaking of, ManRam has been in a big slump lately and I just don't think he'll recover. The Cardinals get the edge in every aspect of this one to me, I like them to sweep.

Cardinals in 3

NLDS Preview: Rockies vs. Phillies

Pitching, pitching, and more pitching is what this series comes down to. The Phillies have one of the strongest rotations in the postseason with a couple of Cy Young winners, World Series MVP, and possibly a Rookie of the Year. However, the Rockies pitching is a lot more improved than it was in 2006. They're the only team in the majors to have all 5 starters reach double digit wins, and Jason Marquis continues his unlikely streak of playing in the postseason for 10 straight years but hasn't been looking sharp as of late. The Phillies have been a little shaky as of late, but definitely are ready to defend their title. The giant question mark is Brad Lidge who was perfect for saves last year, this year he's been anything but.

Rockies Player to Watch:

Ubaldo Jimenez, the Rockies need Ubaldo to step up big time and shut down the Phillies right away in Game 1. I'm thinking he will be the key to their postseason success.

Honorable Mentions: Troy Tulowitzski, Todd Helton


Phillies Player to Watch:

Brad Lidge, all eyes will be on Brad Lidge assuming the Phillies do indeed keep him in the closer spot for the postseason. I have a feeling he will be on a very short leash, don't be surprised if he gets yanked in favor of Ryan Madson if he finds himself in any kind of trouble. The Phillies know Lidge was one of the heroes of 2008 but they want to give themselves the best chance to win again in '09.

Honorable Mentions: Cliff Lee, Raul Ibanez, J.A. Happ


The Prediction:

The Rockies steal one away from the Phillies at The Bank and when Philadelphia travels to Denver, bullpen uncertainties eventually lead to their demise. The Rockies are damn near as hot as they were two years ago, and a large chunk of that team is still on the roster so they know how to win postseason games. The Phillies have the overall better lineup and rotation, but the Rockies will use clutch hitting and solid outings from starters to send the Phillies home.

Rockies in 4

It All Comes Down to This

If you would've told me a month ago that today the Minnesota Twins would be one game away from clinching the AL Central I would've called you a stupid liar, and an idiot... and I would've thrown a rock at you.

Well, here we are. The team that refuses to just go away like everyone thought they would is now finding themselves in yet another one game playoff to decide the AL Central. This has been anything but a dream season; our best pitcher is out for the season with a wrist injury, our former MVP has a fractured back, our 3rd baseman has a back made of glass, and Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert are in the everyday lineup. Our one-time unhittable prized rookie is now struggling to even come out of the bullpen. But somehow, some way, the Twins are finding ways to win. Players are getting hot at the right time (Delmon Young's batting .529 with 3 homers and 10 RBI in the past 4 days, Michael Cuddyer: 10 homers and 29 RBI in the past month, and Jason Kubel contributed 16 extra base hits and 25 RBI over the same span). Speaking of spans, Denard has been arguably the team's second most valuable player this season providing great defense as well as offense. He has been dominating the leadoff spot and is a huge reason the Twins are where they are right now. He's definitely an exciting player to keep an eye on for years to come.

I'm not sure what's more incredible, the fact that there's been a one game playoff for the third consecutive year or the fact that the Twins have been involved in the last two.

I know what the majority of MLB fans are thinking, "who cares who wins this game? They're just gonna get dominated by the Yankees anyways like they did all season...durf durf durf" Yes the Twins did lose all seven of their games against the Bronx Bombers, but let's keep in mind that these were not all decisive victories...six of the seven games were decided by 3 runs or less. Oh yeah, and three of those games in New York were decided on walk off hits; the Twins were very much in all of those games. What has history taught us? The team that gets hot at the right time tends to make the deepest run in the playoffs, just ask the '07 Rockies (who might've cooled down a little too much when they swept the NLCS and had an extended break only to be swept by the Red Sox in the World Series). Hell, you might even be able to ask the '09 Rockies in a few weeks. The Twins offense is getting hot at the right time, and the Yankees have been known to choke in the postseason as of late. I'm not terrified by their pitching either, I think the Twins would have a legitimate shot at beating them.

But before any of that happens, they have some work to do Tuesday night.

Is there enough Metrodome magic left for one last run before the Twins move outdoors?

Mark May Expresses What We're All Thinking

This is one of the greatest screw-ups caught on live tv.

Credit goes to Detroit4Lyfe



He'll probably play it off like he was yawning, but I think we all know what Mark May was really thinking. Hopefully this stays up long enough for the world to enjoy.

UPDATE: Video is now down, can't find a replacement...but for the archives, it's a video of Lou Holtz rambling on about how Jimmy Clausen is the greatest athlete in the history of all sports ever and the camera suddenly cuts to Mark May making a suggestive gesture involving his hand and an open mouth.....it just didn't look good at all.

Long story short, Lou Holtz has lost any semblance left of his mind and needs to be let go if not for anything else but his disgusting bias towards Notre Dame. How's that Notre Dame BCS Champion pick lookin', Lou?

Today's Thumbs Up and High Five Awesomeness Award Winner...

Kaleb Eulls, come on down!


So you're riding a school bus, doze off while listening to your iPod and wake up to a deranged teenage girl waving a loaded gun around, oh and you have three little sisters on the bus with you. What do you do? Don't answer that, just save yourself the embarrassment, because it's not nearly as awesome as what Kaleb Eulls did.

Eulls:

"I kept my distance for a second, she kind of glanced away or blinked and I got to her," he told the newspaper. He took her down, wrested away the gun, and held it up to show the other kids it was over.

Wow. That is so awesome... it's really nice to hear about some good off-the-field athlete related news. Even better though:

“I just tried to catch her attention to get the girl to point the gun directly at me and not at anyone else,” Eulls said.

He stared her down and would've actually gotten shot so that the others wouldn't. Can we get this kid a movie deal already?

Kaleb Eulls is an 18 year old DE/QB for Yazoo County High School in Mississippi and is a commit to Mississippi State. Kaleb, this TUHFAA's for you.


MSNBC

I Miss Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett

Watching the Twins struggle of late makes me really wonder how we would be sitting if we still had Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza instead of Delmon Young and Matt Garza. What are our pressing needs right now? Middle infield and pitching.

Not that Brendan Harris has been terrible, but let's take a look at his and Bartlett's stats this year:

Harris:

BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
.263	5	26	.306	.373

Bartlett

BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
.341	8	41	.391	.522

Yeah.

I mean look at our middle infield!

Alexi Casilla

BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
.168	0	6	.247	.203

And here I thought Alexi was having a Denard Span-esque breakout last season only to see that awesome .168 average this season.

Nick Punto

BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
.202	1	18	.316	.241

WE'RE PAYING NICK PUNTO $4 MILLION THIS YEAR AND $4.5 MILLION NEXT YEAR.




Matt Tolbert

BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG
.178	1	12	.272	.225

Casilla...Tolbert...doesn't matter, both are having absolutely nauseating years at the plate.


Don't worry, Bill Smith has a plan! What? Trade for Jack Wilson or Freddy Sanchez? No way! Trade for Orlando Cabrera? No need! Hey what's Mark Grudzielanek doing? Nothing? Ya don't say! Get that man a contract! The sad thing is, if Grudzielanek does at least somewhat as good as he did last year he would be a drastic improvement over the rest of the garbage at middle infield. I never did get the Twins' fetish for giving ancient players one last chance... it never works. Why can't we just suck it up and make a trade. It's stupid front office moves like this that's gonna make Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau question if they actually wanna stay in Minnesota.

Anyways, back to the Rays trade.

I didn't like the trade from the beginning...I loved Bartlett and Garza and saw the potential they both had. Well that potential carried the TAMPA BAY (devil) RAYS TO THE WORLD F*#$ING SERIES! I was at least excited about the prospect of Delmon Young coming to Minnesota...former number 1 pick with a ton of upside. Well all I keep hearing about is that stupid upside and all he's done is grossly underperform. He was supposed to provide a power boost and solid hitting and has really done neither. Oh yeah and his defense kinda sucks too.

Can we please have a do-over? Between this trade and the Santana trade it's like all this bad karma is coming back from the A.J. Pierzynski for Joe Nathan, Boof Bonser, and Francisco Liriano trade. Or maybe it's just that Bill Smith is a jackass and far from a Terry Ryan.

The Curious Case of Ricky Rubio

There's a lot of buzz around the young Spaniard and the upcoming NBA draft. He could go anywhere from 1st pick to 5th pick, but the general consensus is that he's a top 5 pick, and after watching his performance in the Olympics last year it's no surprise. This kid can seriously ball...and he's only 18!

His agent Dan Fegan made some noise by implying that Rubio would not agree to play for a smaller-market team such as Memphis or Oklahoma City. From Draft Express:

"Rubio doesn't want to go to Memphis, and he especially does not want to pay money out of his own pocket with that huge buyout for the honor of doing so. Fegan [Rubio's agent] wants him in L.A., and if he can't have him there, he wants him in Sacramento. Definitely not Oklahoma City. "

So he must be another Steve Francis or Eli Manning, right? Well it's a little more complicated than that...allow me to explain.

The thing with Rubio that is going overlooked is that his current club, DKV Joventut, is forcing Rubio to pay a 7 million Euro buyout should he decide to enter the NBA draft. With NBA type salary, that shouldn't be a problem right? Well he doesn't play for the NBA yet, his yearly salary with DKV Joventut is something closer to 200,000 Euro a year. He would essentially be playing for free for his first couple of years in the NBA just to pay off his debt.

So why does he not want to play in Memphis or Oklahoma City? Endorsements. In those cities, basketball takes a backseat to other local teams (Tennessee Titans, Oklahoma Sooners, etc.) so he would not have as good an opportunity to make more money to pay off that debt. A city like Los Angeles or Sacramento where basketball is primetime would result in much more money from endorsements coming in for Rubio.

So why should we feel sorry for him, he's eventually going to be a rich NBA player anyway right? Well, first of all this kid is willing to go into 7 million Euro worth of debt just to get a chance to play in the NBA when he could just stay in Spain. Rubio's huge in Spain and likely to become even more popular, as well as earning a decent, risk-free paycheck. But in the NBA, he's running the risk of getting injured in his rookie season and then having no way to pay that debt off... he's really taking a leap of faith here so I can understand why he wouldn't want to go to smaller-market teams. This is so much more different than Yi Jianlian, Eli Manning, or Steve Francis because they were just crybabies who didn't want to play at a certain city...Rubio's got a lot more to lose than those scrubs did.

So whenever Rubio gets drafted (if he does come out), I'm definitely going to be buying his jersey to help the kid pay back his 7 million Euro debt. I can only hope that once he pays it off he can help me pay off my student loan and credit card debt... maybe even Rick Reilly can write a stupid feel-good piece about it. Hear me Ricky? I'll scratch your back now but it would be totally awesome if you could scratch mine in a few years.

Manny Ramirez Suspended for 50 Games

The Dodgers tie the record for most consecutive home wins to start the season (12), the starting pitching is decent, they have a closer who's ready to be considered elite, and there's no shortage of offense..things were definitely looking up in Mannywood. Then the bomb drops. Manny Ramirez is suspended by MLB for testing positive for...wait for it... a female fertility drug.

Wasn't expecting that.

"The officials investigated Ramirez further and found evidence that he was using Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (H.C.G.), a fertility drug for women that has been known to be used by athletes to generate the body’s production of testosterone after steroid use." - NY Times

That makes more sense. This is extremely unfortunate and saddens me to no end. I've always been an avid fan of Manny and all his Mannyness, and I really don't want to believe that he's just another juicer like Canseco and Fairy Bonds. Manny of course claimed that it was a big misunderstanding and he didn't know the drug was banned blah blah blah, he's most likely just covering his own ass but I REALLY hope he's being honest. His legacy may already be tarnished by his antics in Boston and accusations of "not playing hard" but that was all at least entertaining. Now we're getting into some serious stuff....this doesn't bode well for the ManRam. I think the Dodgers will still be sitting in a pretty good position when he does return, especially since the NL West is sketchy at best minus the Dodgers.

If Albert Pujols is ever found to be taking performance enhancing drugs, I officially give up on baseball.

How My Team Did at the Draft: Seattle Seahawks Edition

Round 1, pick 4: Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest

Before the draft started, I was just hoping the Seahawks wouldn't take Mark Sanchez and hoped they would take the safe pick of an OT assuming Curry was off the board. I absolutely did not expect Aaron Curry to fall in our laps like he did, but I'm so glad they didn't screw it up. Curry was considered by most to be the safest pick in the draft, and with good reason. The guy is an absolute beast who ate up the ACC for 4 years; not to mention the fact that he oozes class. He invited a cancer-stricken kid to come with him to the draft! How awesome is that!? Welcome to Seattle, Mr. Curry. Please enjoy your extended stay.

Round 2, pick 17: Max Unger, C, Oregon


I like this pick because Unger is so versatile. Our offensive line is getting more and more questionable, so we really need Unger to step in and make a difference.

Fun Fact: He played high school football at Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela, Hawaii.

Round 3, pick 27: Deon Butler, WR, Penn State



Of course I was hoping we would end up with Crabtree somehow (the Raiders are idiots), but I would take Curry over him every time, especially since we signed Houshmandzadeh. The Seahawks moved up to take Butler who was a standout at Penn State where he finished with the record for most receptions (passing former Seahawk Bobby Engram).

Fun fact: Butler spent the summer of 2008 as an intern with the Philadelphia Police Department's Crime Scene Unit, observing several homicide crime scenes, and augmenting his degree with valuable field experience.

Round 6, pick 5: Mike Teel, QB, Rutgers


Fun fact: On December 4, 2008, Teel had a career night in the final home game of his college career, completing 21 of 26 passes for 447 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions as Rutgers routed Louisville 63-14. The yardage and touchdown totals were single game school records as the Scarlet Knights finished their schedule at 7-5.


Round 7, pick 36: Courtney Greene, S, Rutgers

Round 7, pick 38: Nick Reed, DE, Oregon

Round 7, pick 39: Cameron Morrah, TE, California

I honestly don't know enough about the last 3 picks to offer any analysis, but I do know that they all filled team needs (except running back).

Undrafted signed free agents:

Michael Bennett, DE, Texas A&M
Tony Fein, LB, Mississippi
Dave Philistin, OLB, Maryland
Devin Moore, RB, Wyoming
Andre Ramsey, OT, Ball State
Tyler Roehl, RB, North Dakota State

We ended up with a couple running backs after all. I've heard good things about Devin Moore, so we'll see what he can do, plus Tyler Roehl is like a legend here in North Dakota so I really hope he takes it to the next level, it would definitely help the local market to pick up some Seahawks games.


Overall, I love what the Seahawks did in the draft, and that usually doesn't happen, they usually find a way to screw something up. I'm ecstatic that we got Aaron Curry, plus a trade with the Broncos gives us their 1st rounder next year...so I'm really counting on Denver to suck.

This was a little bit of a head scratcher, because I felt that Seattle still needed a running back to throw into the mix and there were still some viable options on the board. Teel's alright, but we already had a clipboard holder in David Greene and I'm afraid that Teel's headed to the same fate. I really hope I'm wrong because I know of a couple other 6th round quarterbacks that had their fair share of doubters.

For Sale: Pistons Allen Iverson Jersey

What the hell was I thinking? I would like to say that my excuse was that I thought it was a Chauncey Billups jersey without looking at the name on the back, but sadly that's not the case. I'm a bit of an impulse shopper and I was trying to decide between a Chris Paul jersey shirt and an Iverson Pistons jersey (the pickings were pretty slim at this particular store). Being a Pistons fan, I figured the jersey would be a much better idea...how could the Allen Iverson experiment possibly go wrong?!

Well now I'm that guy with an Iverson Pistons jersey... I no longer want to be that guy. It represents one of the most painful seasons in recent Pistons history which will probably end with LeDumbass sweeping us right out of the playoffs. That jersey represents pure evil and I have to get rid of it. Someone please take it off my hands. It's large, red, screened, and awkward... the bidding starts at 1 penny.

Today's Thumbs Up & High Five Awesomeness Award Winner...

Brian Dawkins, former Eagles defensive back. Long story short, Dan Leone, an Eagles game-day stadium employee complained about the trading of Dawkins on his Facebook page, the wrong person saw it and that resulted in his firing. The status:

"Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!"




Okay, the status is pretty ridiculous...but whatever happened to that little freedom of speech thingy? Why would the Philadelphia Eagles care that one employee, who is assumedly a long-time Eagles and Brian Dawkins fan, complain about trading one of the most popular players in Eagles history. Of course that's going to happen, they're idiots to think otherwise...uh oh, sorry Eagles front office, are you gonna shut our blog down too?

Now onto the part where Brian Dawkins shows he's a classy dude. He heard about the story and felt really bad about Mr. Leone's firing and, even though he nothing to do with it directly, Dawkins decided to give him a pair of tickets to the Eagles-Broncos game in Philly. I genuinely love stories like this where athletes go out of their way to show their appreciation to fans. Great work Brian Dawkins, this TUHFAA's for you!

The Allen Iverson Experiment Officially Gets Plug Pulled

Let me preface this by saying that I'm a Pistons fan...(sigh). It's awesome going from six consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals to on the verge of being knocked out of the playoffs by the Charlotte freaking Bobcats. I was extremely stunned to see the Pistons trade Chauncey Billups away...stunned and heartbroken. Chauncey was my favorite Piston and will always be one of my favorite players. I know Joe Dumars said that no one was safe but jeez...Chauncey? Now at the time I was a little excited about the prospect of one of the best pure scorers in NBA history joining a team that needed..well...scoring. It didn't look good from the start, and Iverson just never really meshed completely with the rest of the team. Michael Curry (read: idiot) was pretty adament about young Rodney Stuckey starting, so he gave AI the start and sent Richard Hamilton to the bench (another one of my faves). This didn't sit too well with Rip, who was already pretty heartbroken that they shipped Chauncey away, but he accepted his new role.

Long story short, Iverson got hurt somewhere along the way and Rip came back to the starting lineup to kick some ass and the Pistons actually started..you know... winning. This was great, except it was inevitable that AI would come back and screw it all up. This past week, Iverson yapped to the press about how hard it was to come off the bench and how he would rather retire..blah blah blah, so he immediately comes out the next game and goes 1-8 from the field. Do you forget how to shoot if you sit on the bench too long? Give me a break. Now he has a "back injury" that's going to keep him out for the rest of the season...I don't know if this is Joe Dumars' doing or Iverson's, but I'm pretty sure he could play if he wanted to...not that I'd want him to. Oh well, now the Pistons clear around $20 million in cap space from him alone, definitely enough to make some big splashes in free agency, which is something they'll need to do if they want to get back to the glory days of losing the Eastern Conference Finals every year. If Chris Bosh doesn't retire, then I'd LOVE to see him in Mo-town. Meanwhile the Nuggets are looking very solid out west, poised to make a deep run into the postseason...good luck Chauncey, you deserve it.

If the question is "How can we make an awesome team completely self-destruct?" then Allen Iverson is definitely The Answer.

Jay Cutler's Tears Will Freeze in Chicago

In a move that caught everyone by surprise, the Bears sell the house to bring Cutler to Chi-town. The Bears only gave up 2 first-round picks, a 3rd round pick, Kyle Orton, a couple Escalades, and naming rights to Soldier Field. Okay, take out the last two, but still, the Bears must've reallllly wanted Cutler, they gave up a lot. Do they finally have their remarkably sketchy quarterback situation settled? The Bears also signed offensive tackle Orlando Pace today as well, they certainly have had a busy day. Is it enough for them to compete for the NFC North crown? Probably, the Vikings are the favorite but not by much....not with the Rosencopter under center.

Chris Bosh Announces Retirement

I was stunned to turn on my TV today and see a press conference of Toronto Raptors center and Indie-film star Chris Bosh announcing his retirement from the NBA effective at the end of this season. The woes of the Raptors franchise seemed to have taken their toll on the big man. Bosh announced that after his retirement, he will pursue his first love: fashion design. A photo from the press conference can be seen below:





Bosh also stated that the nerdy look might take some time to catch on, but he thinks that the world is ready to embrace this new trend. More details on his new fashion line will come soon.

A video of the press conference can be seen here.