073011-Barstools and Dreamers

Read it, don't read it, I don't care...I just need to get some things off my chest.

In no particular order of chronology or importance...

1.  OK, people.  Keep talking about all of the other NBA starts talking about playing overseas, but quit the Kobe shit.  I am not interested.  It won't happen.  That is it.  It won't.  Can we have 5 athletes get domestic abuse charges or DUI's tonight so it can be removed off of the wire?

2.  In the sky is blue, the grass is green category, James Harrison has apologized to the media for his comments about his derogatory comments on Goodell.  We never saw that coming, did we?  He says he was angry at the time.  Did they do the interview at 2am after he left the club scene?

3.  Props again to the place I am writing this.  I LOVE this place.  http://www.pubonpenn.com/home/

4.  Klinsmann is named US Soccer Team coach.  I know you have games coming up, but that was FAST.  That was as fast as Taint going out with a boy after postponing our out of state wedding.  Shady...

5.  I don't care.  I know I have had MONTHS to have an aggressive take on Tiger.  I don't want to.  I am still a fan.  I hope he smokes everyone at Bridgestone next week.  Take THAT and rewind it back.  He won't, as he is too rusty, but at least I have something to look forward to for the PGA Championship.  Plus, MJ is giving him comeback advice.  I hope MJ is giving his 1996 comeback advice and not the Wizards info.

6.  FIBA just announced that NBA players can play overseas.  They couldn't before?  What the hell have I been reading about?  Williams, Howard, Nash...  Confused.

7.  In another version of the sky is blue and the grass is green, there is no Hard Knocks show this year.  Thanks, media Einsteins.

8.  Nice weekend, Philly.  Pence to the Phils.  This addresses their only real weakness...right handed bats.  Pence is a happy camper these days, as he is going from a last place team to the best team in baseball.  Kind of sad that he found out mid-game, and his goodbyes to his teammates were in the middle of an inning.  Is that necessary?  Then the Eagles pick up Asomugha.  They now have solidified their team as the best secondary in baseball even if they dangle Asante Samuel in the next few days for a big trade.  There are not a lot of shutdown corners out there these days, but he is definitely on that short list.  Think about his career.  He goes from the Raiders to the Eagles.  They don't dress like Darth Vader, but they are still pretty mean.  I am allowed to say that since I am from the area.

9.  On that note, Vince Young has proclaimed the Eagles a "dream team."  Hey, Vince, you are talking about the rest of the players on the team, right?  Because, correct me if I'm wrong, but you ain't actually a dream teamer, bro.  You are an underachieving headcase is what you are.  I would love to be a fly on the wall during any conversations between Vick and Young.  Those two aren't dream teamers, they are a Mastercard commercial.  Priceless.

10.  Burress is toying with the Giants and the Steelers.  Come on, boys.  Get him.  Bad with a gun or not, there are not too many 6'5" receivers out there.  The funny media story out there is how Eli didn't talk to him when he came in for a visit.  Eli is no poker player.  He said he is not into lobbying for a player.  It is pretty evident to me that he doesn't really like the guy.  He looked like Cam Newton on 60 Minutes up on that podium talking about all of the things he didn't do wrong.

11.  Sticking in the Manning family, check this out.  Peyton Manning asked for less money.  His owner promised to make him the highest paid player in the league.  So, what happens?  It is a push.  He takes less money and is paid exactly what Mr. Brady is getting paid, because the Colts insisted.  Weird, and genuine.

12.  I have been wondering where Drew Stanton is.  I found him.  He is the backup now for the Lions.  That guy was a stud coming out of college.  What happened, dude?

13.  Press time on this rant is Saturday night.  I get the feeling that the Yankees or Red Sox are going to do SOMETHING.  Just saying... What would a trade deadline be without one of those two doing something?  Plus, maybe it will kick Kobe and Turkey off the wire.

14.  Osi Umenyiora reported to camp but refuses to speak with his GM...ever.  Sounds like that is a great relationship.

15.  Michael Phelps wins the 100m Butterfly at the Championships.  I am glad to know that, even if he loses here and there, his bread and butter is still solid.  Regulating.

16.  In a recent NY poll about the Yankees, Jeter drew a tie with Ruth for best Yankee ever.  Are you people smoking crack?  They both got 23% of the vote.  The only reason I kept sane after reading this story is that I assume the 3% of the people polled who voted for Mickey Mantle were smart enough to not vote for Jeter and voted for Ruth or Dimaggio.

17.  Hardy har har.  Duke is being investigated for a recruiting violation.  They aren't totally perfect. Yay.  Apparently, Mike offered this kid a full ride before he was done his AAU tournament.  Whoops.  If I was Mike, I would have offered him one to.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZLGW7MOFgQ

18.  Whatever you like or dislike about this whole NFL lockout, and considering the rookie pay scale was the major issue, isn't it kind of nice to not read about rookie holdouts this year?  Everyone is, in the word of Alex Baldwin,   http://www.avclub.com/articles/glengarry-glen-ross,39294/

19.  We have a Rafael Furcal sighting!!  For some odd reason, it is big news that the Cards and Dodgers are in "serious" talks.  Nice.  Rafael has an average hovering right around .195.  And he is 33.  Really?  I know that baseball trades are heated right now, but I don't want Kobe off the wire THAT bad.

20.  I crack on Fox all the time, but I will admit one thing.  They might report ridiculous news, they might report wrong news, but throughout this whole free agent week, they have been faster to the story of a pickup then ESPN or CNNSI.  Yes, people, I alot time to read all of them thoroughly.  Damn, I need a girl, or a pet.  If it makes you sadder for me, I also cover rivals.com and deadspin.com.

21.  We are going longer this week.  I am far from done.

22.  The US Soccer Team drew Group A today.  France got screwed and ended up on a date day with Spain, but the US's group looks winnable.  It has Jamaica, and then a bunch of second rate directional countries as possibilities.  Since the only thing on my calendar no matter what is going on in my life is to go to Rio and finally experience the World Cup, I am happy that our boys might be in the mix.

23.  The Brickyard is tomorrow.  I have no idea how this race got so popular so quick, but I still didn't return Golden Tate's phone call about going.  I don't know if you get that one or not, but that is my favorite joke thus far.

24.  Props to my boy's blog as always.  Some of you have date nights with girls or guys you like.  You might need to have movie advice:  http://rockiesmovies.blogspot.com/

25.  UNC must have been really mad at Butch Davis.  A couple weeks before the season starts?  Weird.  It goes with my theory that we know 40% of everything that happens in sports, and that 60% in this case must be pretty over the edge.

26.  Florida State continues its recruiting onslaught.  For 2012, and it is early, but Texas and Florida State are neck and neck.  Maybe Bowden ran out of energy, was too old, or...maybe these high schoolers are really glad he is gone.  I would have loved to play for Bowden, but FSU is making it back.  Fast.  I said in a previous rant that they are back perennially in the top 5 in two years.  I am sticking with it.

27.  I think Kenny Boynton has been in college for 7 years I am pretty sure.  I feel like I will be getting reports on his college stats when I am Brazil in 2014.  On a sidenote, they have two studs coming in.  Walker, Boynton, and Rosario are all seasoned.  It is really too bad they don't have any really good big guys.  They are the second coming of 2006-2010 Villanova.  By the way, one of the studs coming in is Bradley Beal.  If you don't know who he is, he was #4 in the nation as a recruit.  Somehow, the cheating Calipari didn't snag him also.

28.  Oklahoma basketball got two more violations.  I find it so funny when a team that presently sucks gets busted.  You are cheating, aren't good, and still get busted.  Chandler would tell you that he has too many jokes.

29.  Jarime Anderson, the point guard who stole a computer and got arrested for grand theft, is serving a one game suspension.  Hey, Ben Howland, way to suspend you robber point guard for one game against probably a directional school.  I haven't looked at your schedule, but I am assuming that the SW Missouri State AD or someone similar has a smile on his face right now.

30.  I might not like NASCAR, but I need it to keep existing as I find all pit crew commercials (Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray for example) very funny.  That's it.  They are hilarious.

31.  If I had to lay a crazy bet next season, I think it would be that the Washington Nationals will win the World Series.  I figure it will be about 300-1 maybe?  Harper.  Strasburg. Zimmerman.

32.  I know I don't really have a schedule to worry about conflicts, but is anyone else out there as excited as me for the Sept 3rd Oregon/ LSU football game?  The winner of that game could feasibly run the table and be in the Championship.  I LOVE it when the pedal is to the medal that early in the season.

33.  I am a closet Ohio State basketball fan next season.  The fact that Jared Sullinger stayed in school just makes me happy.  I love college basketball.

34.  If the public is not familiar with "Lamb" as a household basketball name, it will be next year.  Both those guys, from UCONN and UK, are going to be STARS next year.  Trust me.  Stealing a line from "Hard to Kill," "and you can take THAT to the bank."

35.  If you have not read the Arian Foster article in Sporting News, stop what you are doing (well, after this rant) and go read it.  It is fantastic.  I am now a huge fan.

36.  Trent Edwards goes to the Raiders.  I am glad, Trent, that you have finally accepted your role as a forever backup in this league.

37.  Jimenez is still out there being dangled.  Remember my Red Sox/ Yankees take?  Yup.

38.  Have I ever mentioned how fantastic the movie "Rounders" is?  No?  Never?  Just like drinking brings out the truth, I have noticed that a few beers, late at night, and my hand just automatically puts it in my DVD player.  Actually, that is not totally true.  Frequently, it is already in there from the night before.

39.  I am winding down.  A few more NFL notes.  As much as I hate the whole "outperformed his contract" thing, Chris Johnson should get more money, especially considering what DeAngelo Williams pulled in.  Yup. In a follow up Rounders take, "Pay that man.  Pay that man his money."  I think the Saints signing Mark Ingram is brilliant (he is going to be GOOD, people), and I also think that the Michael Jenkins pickup is great for Minnesota.  It doesn't replace Rice, but it helps.

40.  Forty takes?  Sorry, people.  Like I have said before, it is a total stream of consciousness.  I can't stop it, I only hope to contain it.  No jokes tonight about the ex.  She already got a mention earlier anyway.  Taint, you are a hooker.  As one shepherd said to the other shepherd, let's get the flock out of here. Peace.