Mike Hampton to get more free money from Houston!

Mike Hampton, the oft injured pitcher for the Braves, you know the same Mike Hampton that stuck his hand in Atlanta's cookie jar for 4 years has decided he wants to take someone else's money. This time he suckered his original team, the Astros, into giving him a one year $2 Million contract. So I'm sure in the next month or two once we get out of football season and into spring training, we'll see the headline 'Hampton pulls quad muscle' or Hampton tears hamstring' or Hampton out indefinitely with tendinitis. Its really all just a matter of time.

He is basically a professional thief and how he got away with it for 3 years is beyond me. He was traded to the Braves in 2002 played with Atlanta from 2003 to 2008. But from 2005 through 2008 season he pitched in a grand total of 25 games going a Cy Young like 8-7.

While with the Braves for the last 5 years he made a mind blowing $84.5 Million, $35.5 of which was paid by the Braves the remainder by the Rockies and Marlins. Pulling out your calculator are ya? Well if you don't have one handy, here's a quick breakdown of his total time spent in Atlanta. He started a total of 85 games, so that's roughly $1 Million a start. But it gets better. His record in Atlanta was 35 - 24 so that's $2.4 Million per win.

So I guess you could say Houston is getting a bargain if he miraculously stays healthy for more than 5 games. If he goes 3-2 before blowing out his elbow Houston will only have paid $666k per win.

I still say Hampton should be forced to pay Atlanta to play baseball. Everyone says they'd pay just to play, well none truer than Hampton. He basically stuck his hand in the cookie jar for 5 years and he'll do the same, just it'll be someone else's jar.

Dabo Swinney beats South Carolina

First off I've got to say....How Bout Dem TIGERS!!!!

It's unknown at this point if we have seen the last of Coach Dabo or if we have just seen the beggining but either way this was one hell of a win. Not saying we are like Marshall but out of
the ashes that was the first six games of the 2008 season, Clemson has risen and they have answered for all those that wrote them off and
quit believing. Sadely myself included. I thought the season was over after the Wake Forest loss and the much needed firing (yes I say he had no choice) of Tommy Bowden. But out of the ashes has Dabo Swinney emerged as a savior, he has been able to do what Tommy couldn't for 10 years, get players to believe in him, to play inspired football. And the result? A 31 - 14 dismattling of the hated rival South Carolina Gamecocks, they of who play in the much tougher (so says) SEC.

But there is speculation that there has already been a decision made on the new HC for Clemson with a press conference already set for tuesday. So the question is; Have we already seen the last of Dabo as Head Coach. It would be a shame if we did, seems everyone believes in him from the fans to the administration to more importantly the PLAYERS. They respond to him in ways they never did to Tommy.

So if this was Dabo's last win then it was definitley his most memorable and he's already left a legacy of his own, having gone 4-2 and 4-1 in his last 5 games. Legact intact, future uncertain.

Thanks Dabo for keeping hope alive!!

Andruw Jones vs Mark Kotsay

No this isn't some MLB goes UFC kinda thing, just a little season comparison for any Braves fan wondering 'What if'.

Well here we are in May, over a month into the season and a little comparison in stats is worthy of note.

Good year or bad, the Braves basically decided they weren't going to get into a bidding war to keep Andruw in Center. Well coming off his worst statistical season ever, it looked like the Braves could throw something out there that would seem reasonable, well they decided not to even do that. Opting instead to say thanks for everything Andruw, we're moving in a different direction. Thus Andruw took his career low .222 AVG and 136Ks to the Dodgers who gave him a 2 year contract for $36.2, which is about $34.2 million too much.

Why is $34.2 million too much you ask? Well that is the difference for what the Braves are paying Mark Kotsay versus what the Dodgers are paying Andruw. When the Braves let Jones go they needed to replace him with a veteran centerfielder that would be salary friendly. Well they got that in a trade with Oakland in exchange for former first round pick Joey Devine. They also talked the A's into eating $6 million of Kotsay's $8 million contract. Thus the $2 million difference from what the Dodgers paid vs what Andruw is really worth.

So here is a breakdown on Andruw Jones vs Mark Kotsay's 2008 season to date.

_______Kotsay---Jones

AVG___-(.309)....(.170)
OBP___-(.367)....(.279)
ABs____(110)......(106)
Hits____(34).......(18)
RBIs___(15)........(4)
Runs___(15)......(15)
HR____(3).........(1) That one vs the Braves..we felt bad for him.
3B_____(2).......(1)
2B____(5)..........(5)
BB____(10).......(16)
K's____(12).......(36)
SB____(1)..........(0)

So you tell me, who's getting the most bang for their buck??!! I'm a die hard Braves fan and love watching Andruw roam centerfield but he's lost something and that something seems to be the ability to consistently see and hit the ball. He's not the same player that hit 51 Homeruns just 3 seasons ago.

Frank Wren in just his short time at the GM helm did a great job in landing Kotsay and getting him for the bargain price of just $2 million, its much better than the suckers in LA for paying $18 million for less production, we saw that coming, apparently the Dodgers didn't.

Pray for the fallen Heineken

Please give a moment of silence to the fallen Heineken.

They were youngings on the way to their rightful owner, haven't even had a breathe of fresh air yet and didn't know what it felt like to be held when tragedy struck. A truck load of Heineken came to a regrettable end on Friday as numerous Heineken's expiration dates expired way too soon. Their journey cut short.

I ran across this little accident, tragedy if you will, on Friday and as I passed I gave my own moment of silence. The accident happened on Clements Ferry Rd in Mt Pleasant. No word on how many Heineken's lost their lives on this fateful day.








































Here's a picture on the web strikingly similar but on a large scale than the one I saw.

Fixing the world one stupid driver at a time!!!

You know there are times when you want to thank certain people or a group for one creation, god for us, Allen for Microsoft, whoever created toilet paper and Al Gore for the internet. Well today I want to thank whoever created the fad that is now the camera phone. Cause without that invention I wouldn't have caught the stupidity that I did today driving in Columbia SC.

This had to be shared.




























I'm wondering what the thought process is when you go shopping for two 10 foot pieces of 2 X8's knowing you're not driving a truck but a small compact car, ' It's okay, I'll just put it through the window and drive down interstate 26 then around Columbia. Which begs the question now.

How many neighborhood mailboxes have to be destroyed but this person finally realizes, 'you know, I'm a first rate idiot. What was I thinking?'

Seeing this brought back a memory of another idiot picture that was forwarded around the world of an idiot in a VW Rabbit trying to stack 20 + sheets of plywood on the roof.










So next time you see Stupid, take your camera phone and snap a picture and thank the inventory so you have proof in case someone doesn't believe someone can be that stupid.

Michigan High School Hockey Co-Champs

Heard this story today on the ESPN 'Mike Tirico Show' and felt like it needed to be shared.

A Michigan High School state championship hockey game ended in a tie and Co-Champs as they continued to play overtime after overtime after overtime. High School league officials finally made the decision to end it as tie after 8 grueling overtimes sessions. They played a total of 109 minutes which is the equivalent to 2 full games and one period. One period lasts 15 minutes and each overtime was 8 minutes in length. In other sports, football its like playing 9 straight quarters, baseball 19 innings.

Hydration and the kids health was the obvious reason for the league to rule Co-Champs. The High School league in Michigan doesn't allow for shootouts, deciding to let the game end as it normally would in regulation. After this game they might want to rethink that rule.




Click here for the full story.

Danny Green says "In your face" to Greg Paulus

Captured this during the UNC vs Duke game tonight. Tarheels beating down the Dukies 42- 31 at the half with this nasty Danny Green dunk on Greg Paulus. With the 31 points UNC has held Duke to its lowest halftime total of the year.

ACC appears to be in UNC's control, along with a potential #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Charleston Riverdogs 2008 Promotion Schedule

The Charleston Riverdogs have released their upcoming promotion schedule for the 2008 Baseball Season. Leave it to Mike Veeck to come up with some of these zany promotions. Here is the Top 10 list the P&C compiled. I won't go into explation, you can click on the link below for that.

1) Go Back to Ohio Night
2) Bobblection Night
3) Pope Soap on a Rope
4) Muscle Shirt Giveaway
5) The Writers Strike Back - Its All Unscripted
6) Cheap Skate Night
7) What Would Chuck Norris Do?
8) Beards and Mustaches Club
9) Indiana Jones is Old
10) Superhero Cape Giveaway

Here is the link for full descriptions.

2008 Promotions

Randy Moss to the Cowboys??

Really? Could that actually happen?

Your guess is as good as mine, but just the thought of those two on the same team is mind blowing. Its like Madden Football just in reality. The thought of having those two line up on the opposite ends of the field makes your hair on the back of your neck stand tall, whether you're the opposing coach, player or fan.

It's been rumored that Moss could sign with the Cowboys since the day the Patriots decided not to franchise the leagues' top receiver this past year. And with Jerry Jones always looking for a "splash" it's not totally out the realm of possibility for Randy Moss to sign his name on a Dallas Cowboys contract offer sheet. Now common sense starts to take over once you hear this and the obvious thought turns to whether TO and his personality can co-exist with another super star WR and its seems that answer would be a quick NO. But here's the thing they both have in common and the thing neither has, a Superbowl ring.

Now I'm not sure if the NFL can produce enough footballs that would make either of them happy. They both want and demand the ball all the time and Tony Romo can only throw so many times. Now I'm a huge Cowboys fan and just the mere thought of those two combined with Patrick Crayton in the slot and Jason Witten with Marion "The Barbarian" Barber in the backfield just gives me the chills.

One thing I've learned thru the years with JJ is never say never, he wants to win and will do whatever he can do it. So just when you think Moss to the Cowboys couldn't happen, Think again!

Citadel upsets Louisville in the "Charleston 9" Memorial

It was supposed to be a nice warm and relaxing home coming for ex-Citadel players Dan McDonald and Chris Lemonis. But someone forgot to tell The Citadel that Louisville played in last years College World Series. In what I can only imagine was a thrilling 1-0 game, Citadel beat Louisville on a bases loaded walk with two outs in the bottom half of the 10 inning.

Dan McDonald is the HC of the Louisville Cardinals and Chris Lemonis is his assistant. Both were integral parts of Citadel Baseball having played under legendary Coach Chal Port. They have both been with The Cardinals for two years.

Citadel is hosting a tournament this weekend to support the 'Charleston 9' Fund for the fallen firefighters that lost their lives in the Sofa Super Store fire last June. Before today's game they unveiled a tribute the men who parished that day on the outfield wall.

Louisville came into the game ranked #23 in the Nation. So the win over the Cardinals marks the third consecutive year that The Citadel has beaten a ranked opponent as a tournament host. In 2006 Citadel beat #3 Nebraska 8-5 and last year they topped #1 South Carolina 7-6.

Citadel is 2-0 in this tournament with todays win and after beating NC A&T 2-1 on Friday. They conclude the tournament on Sunday when they face off against NC State at 2pm.

The Love Guru Mike Myers's new comedy

I saw a piece of Mike Myers new movie the other day and mistakingly took if for another of his genius Austin Powers movies. But alas I was wrong. It's his new movie called 'The Love Guru' that is scheduled to be released in June. But watching the preview I can't help but think Austin Powers, seems to have somewhat the same silly character that took over the nation for a few years.

Here's the Preview.

My 2008 Daytona 500 video of one lap

Just wanted those who've never been to a race in person how fast these cars are traveling. The Daytona track is 2.5 miles long and they complete one lap in 48 seconds.

Clemson Tigers 2008 Football Schedule

The 2008 Clemson Football schedule was released today. It includes three D-1AA games against Citadel, S. Carolina State and Duke. Wait, Duke?

Among the highlights of the schedule includes a trip to Atlanta to face Alabama in the Georgia Dome, an away game at Boston College and an a trip to FSU to face a team bent on revenge as Clemson as won 3 or the last 4 games. There really aren't that many attractive games at home this year, unlike this past year when BC and V Tech came to town. The home tilt includes in order, Citadel, NC State, SC State, Maryland, G Tech, Duke and S. Carolina. Away games are Alabama, Wake Forest, BC, FSU, Virginia.

Now I'm a homer when it comes to Clemson sports and I'm pretty confident 10 wins is almost a given. Clemson is fresh off what many consider to be their best recruiting class ever, filling and stock pilling talent at key positions. The 2008 squad will return 16 starters, 8 on each side of the ball including QB, RBs and WRs.

The only two potentional losses I see as of now would appear to be Alabama and FSU but they are having some issues with QB there and Clemson's defense looks to be very solid. A perfect season and a trip to Jacksonville in the ACC Championship game is a distinct possibility. But if you're a Clemson fan the one thing you've learned of the years is to not get too confident about potential, its come back to hurt.

Here's the 2008 schedule.

Aug 30 Alabama (Georgia Dome) W
Sept 6 Citadel W
Sept 13 NC State W
Sept 20 SC State W
Sept 27 Maryland W
Oct 9 at Wake Forest W
Oct 18 Georgia Tech W
Nov 1 at Boston College W
Nov 8 at Florida State W
Nov 15 Duke W
Nov 22 at Virginia W
Nov 29 S. Carolina W


Quite honestly I don't know where Clemson loses. Boston College is starting a new QB, FSU still has mediocre QB Drew Weatherford. Other question marks would be Alabama and maybe S. Carolina but everyone knows we own them, even Spurrier knows it now.

12-0?
ACC Champions
National Title Game Appearance?

It's all very possible and very realistic.

Go Tigers!!!!

College Football Recruiting gone bad

This has to be one of the more bizarre recruiting stories I've ever heard. This HS kid named Kevin Hart in a small town of Nevada made up and lived in a lie he created six months ago that just came to a crashing halt two days ago.

I read the ESPN.com front page article about this kid committing to Cal but Cal had never heard of him before and that a recruiter he hired lied to him about the recruiting process and took his money so Hart filed a police report saying that he was a victim of fraud. The kid finally confessed that he made up the whole story about the police report and about his whole recruiting process. Seems the kid was starving to attention, and boy is he getting it. The story has been running on ESPN's Around the Horn, PTI, on its web site..Everywhere.



Click here for the complete story.

Harris Poll Shocker...NFL Rules

Harris Poll, the leader in Polls, released a poll recently on America's most popular sports. And as would be expected Professional Football leads the way in the American Sports landscape.

Here are the Top 5 Sports according to this poll and the percentage change from 1985 to 2006.

1). Pro Football Up 6%
2). Pro Baseball Down 8%
3). College Football Up 2%
4). Auto Racing Up 5%
5). Hockey Up 3%

If you're wondering about the next 5,it goes in order of:

Pro Basketball
College Basketball
Men's Golf
Men's Soccer
Horse Racing

Couple things you might be wondering. Boxing ranked #14 followed by Women's College Basketball, Womens' Soccer finished last behind Women's Pro Basketball. Real question there is who really watches women's pro basketball over soccer, come on. Mixed Martial Arts, aka UFC wasn't included because when this study was started in 1985 the sport didn't really exist.



Original Link

Chest Hair Insurance for "Carlton Banks Song" Tom Jones

Yes there is such a thing and if you can afford it you can buy a $7 million policy. Just ask Tom Jones. He approached Llyod's of London about covering his famous chest hair and they of course agreed because they insure just about anything for the right celebrity. They have insured the legs of Fred Astaire, Angie Dickinson and Heidi Klum. They've also covered Liberace's hands, Keith Richards's fingers and off course the amazing rumph of Jennifer Lopez. So chest hair isn't that shocking but still, chest hair? I mean whats going to happen? Someone going to break into his home and take the clippers to his Austin Powers like chest? Maybe he'll have an accident lighting some candles or maybe his grille will blow up. So does having chest hair been he can't pluck one or two here and there. What are the limits, can he file a claim when he takes off his t-shirt and some hairs come with it? Guess he won't pull at Steve Carrell moment anytime soon and get his chest hair waxed... ah Kelly Clarkson.

The one song I remember from Tom Jones will always be the "Carlton Banks Song" (Fresh Prince of BelAir). I can't help myself, that always makes me smile for some reason..how can you not?

Little Harlem Globe Trotter

I found this little, pardon the pun, gem today. It's a video done by a local reporter on an 11 year old boy that has basketball skills far beyond his age. Lord knows I'm sure college basketball recruiters are already nipping at the bud to get this kid on campus.

glumbert - Little Harlem Globe Trotter

Click here for original link.

I'm pulling for _______ in the Superbowl.

My reasons for pulling for the ______...

Patriots

Not in my lifetime have I seen or ever thought I would see a team go undefeated. NFL analyst have brain washed up over the last few years to think that it could never happen because of parity. So much for that theory that teams are more even. It was as top heavy this year as I've seen in a long long time. So seeing the Pats finish of this undefeated season would be pretty cool. My other reason is so that we don't have to listen to Mercury Morris run his damn mouth anymore about his 72 Dolphins being the only undefeated team. He is the only one that seems to have been on every damn telecast rapping about or offer his "wait till you're in my neighborhood" speech and I'm sick of it. And I don't think I'm alone. Seems that Mercury's identity is based completely around that undefeated season. I just want to see him go away. Go Away Mercury. Thirdly, I just hate the Giants, I'm a Cowboys fan.


Giants

Well I don't really like the Patriots and their whole "Spy gate" crap and I never wanted to see Dallas's record of 3 Superbowl titles in 4 years tied and damn if they didn't tie it. I'm sick of seeing the Patriots in the Superbowl, this is their 5th appearance since 1996 and winning this game would make 4 wins in 6 years. Secondly my Cowboys lost to the Giants in the second round and the Giants winning makes losing to them a little less painful and they are an NFC East team. Yes I know that contradicts my reasoning for seeing the Pats win but this is why I'm pulling the Giants. Thirdly, I'm worried about what's going to happen with Mercury Morris if the Pats win, if loses the "only" designation in "Perfect season" he may just go into deep depression and never be heard from again..wait. Anyways I don't wish bad things for him, just to be quite, but I'll pull for the Giants to win just to make sure old Mercury remains sane.

Chris Berman's off air explosion

For some reason I like Chris Berman even more after watching this video of him exploding. Guessing someone didn't like the nickname he gave them. Here's the dark side of broadcasting we're not privileged to.

Here's the swearing count if you're counting:

GD....2
JC....5
Fuck...3

Hitler's take on Cowboys loss

Thought this was worthy of sharing.

Citadel Bulldogs release 2008 Football Schedule

The Citadel Athletic Dept released the upcoming 2008 Football schedule today. Among the highlights include games against Clemson, Florida and Princeton.

The Dawgs open the season at home against Webber International then travel to Clemson to take on the Tigers. Princeton comes to town the following weekend. Citadel will visit Florida in late Nov, a good time to face the SEC team as they will avoid the dreaded heat in the "Swamp" and maybe catch them resting some players in preperation for the SEC Championship game.

Other home games include Wester Carolina, Elon, Georgia Southern and Tenn Chattanooga (Homecoming).

This schedule is full of great games and road trips. I will no doubt be in attendance for the game of the "C" schools as Citadel visits Death Valley to battle Clemson. It'll be a tough game for me to root for, I can't win and can't lose. I don't want Clemson to get embarrased yet I don't want Citadel to get throttled. I'm hoping for a 35-17 type game.

The other game that I'm excited for is the trip to Gainsville in Nov. I missed out on the opportunity to witness this game in person when they last played in 1998. The Dawgs lost that game in somewhat respectable fashion 49-10.

I'm going on record to predict a 2008 record of 7-5.



Click here for the full 2008 Schedule.

Kansas Jayhawks top college in Football/Basketball

Scout.com just released their rankings for the top Colleges in Football and Basketball. The rankings were based on the combined records for both sports. And in an unusual ranking, Kansas sits at #1 with its basketball record of 20-0 and football record of 12-1. They are five games better than #2 Tennessee. Clemson is tied at with 5 other schools at #11 with a combined record of 24-8.

Here's at look at the current top 25:

1. Kansas (12-1, 20-0 = 32-1)
2. Tennessee (10-4, 17-2 = 27-6)
3. Memphis (7-6, 19-0 = 26-6)
3. Texas (10-3, 16-3 = 26-6)
5. BYU (11-2, 15-5 = 26-7)
5. Florida (9-4, 17-3 = 26-7)
5. West Virginia (11-2, 15-5 = 26-7)
8. Wisconsin (9-4, 16-3 = 25-7)
9. Ohio State (11-2, 14-6 = 25-8)
9. Oklahoma (11-3, 14-5 = 25-8)
11. Arizona State (10-3, 14-5 = 24-8)
11. Boise State (10-3, 14-5 = 24-8)
11. Clemson (9-4, 15-4 = 24-8)
11. Indiana (7-6, 17-2 = 24-8)
11. Michigan State (7-6, 17-2 = 24-8)
11. USC (11-2, 13-6 = 24-8)
17. Houston (8-5, 15-3 = 23-8)
18. New Mexico (9-4, 16-5 = 25-9)
19. Georgia (11-2, 11-6 = 22-8)
20. UCLA (6-7, 18-2 = 24-9)
21. Boston College (11-3, 12-6 = 23-9)
21. Connecticut (9-4, 14-5 = 23-9)
21. North Carolina (4-8, 19-1 = 23-9)
24. Vanderbilt (5-7, 17-2 = 22-9)
24. Washington State (5-7, 17-2 = 22-9)

Shred Rich Rodriguez Night

Saw this article on ESPN. Leave it to a Minor League hockey team to poke fun at former W. Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez.

Here's the article, C/P from the site:

Mountaineers fans get to rip and shred Rodriguez at ECHL game

The Wheeling Nailers, taking advantage of the rancor felt by the state's residents toward a certain former West Virginia football coach, is holding a "Shred Rich Rodriguez" night on Saturday.


The ECHL hockey team's promotion is playing off reports that Rodriguez was seen shredding team-related documents in his office about the same time he left the Mountaineers to take the Michigan coaching job in mid-December.


So on Saturday night, at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, the Nailers are playing host to the Charlotte Checkers, as well as an industrial-sized paper shredder. Fans who bring in a newspaper article or picture of the reviled coach to be shredded will receive a discount off tickets.

Any fan wearing WVU apparel at the game will get $2 lopped off the ticket price.

Ohio State fans, natural enemies of Michigan, get to share the love on this one -- anyone wearing Buckeyes paraphernalia also gets a discount on tickets.


"Everybody is so upset," Nailers co-president Rob Brooks said in Monday's edition of The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register. "We wanted to let [fans] release some frustration."


In addition, any fan wearing University of Michigan apparel "will be charged double in order to help Rodriguez pay his $4 million buyout to WVU," according to the Nailers' news release announcing the promotion.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

NFL Owners Resend Oakland Raiders franchise

In stunning news today, 31 NFL Owners held an emergency meeting to discuss the current crisis that is the Oakland Raiders. In that meeting they held a silent vote to resend the franchise license in which a resounding statement was made as all 31 owners voted to rid the league of that mess of a franchise.

That of course didn't happen but my goodness someone needs to step in and relieve Al Davis of his ownership duties. Just days ago the media got word that Big Al wanted to remove first year Head Coach Lane Kiffin after he posted a 2 win improvement from the 2-14 record of 2006.

Al Davis at 79 is running this once proud franchise right into the ground. NFL analyst abound are quick to say that some coaches time has past them and that they no longer understand or can deal with the current players. I've never heard any analyst though say that an Owners time has passed them by. But that is the case with Al Davis. He doesn't seem to have a clue how to manage this club anymore. Since Jon Gruden left to take over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the Raiders have gone through4 Head Coaches. One of those was Art Shell who Al fired after the 1995 season in the same position. He was only given one year after Norv Turner compiled a 2 year record of 9-23. Al recently had a letter drafted for Kiffin to sign announcing his resignation. Davis wants Kiffin to resign to avoid having to buyout the current contract.

I compare the Raiders owner to the Yankees George Steinbrenner. The both had great success in their ownership years but both were quick to fire coaches for really no real reason. They only difference with them is that George finally realized that it was time for him to relinquish control. Raider faithful in the "Black hole" can only hope that Al finally comes to grip with reality that the game has passes him by. The Raiders have now replaced the NY Knicks as the worst sports franchise today, and only one person to blame.

If things keep going south, I wouldn't be surprised to actually hear that owners would vote to remove Al Davis from ownership duties.

Green Bay Bikini Girls

I've been meaning to get this posted but I couldn't get the picture downloaded from my phone till today. So this is about 2 weeks late now but still worth it.

If you didn't catch the Packers and Giants NFC Championship then you missed out on the best camera work ever in a freezing cold football game. Usually when you're watching a game that is 20 degrees or below, the camera man subjects you to the cruel image of some over-weight, beer bellied, hairy chested man wearing overalls. But not this time. The FOX camera man gave us the shot of the year as 3 very cute young ladies were dressed in jeans with only a bikini top in Packer yellow. They held up a sign that poked fun at Tony Romo that read "Favre, Thanks for not going to Mexico Love Bikini Girls".

Cheers to FOX producers for this shot.

Redskins = Sniksder

I'm taking great pleasure right now in the backwards world that Daniel Synder now operates.

I woke up today the crack of 4:30 pm and logged into ESPN.com only to see that Redskins owner, Daniel Snyder , fired coaching candidate Gregg Williams and Al Saunders. Gregg Williams was supposedly the leading candidate to replace HOF Joe Gibbs.

Now I know that my team's owner, Jerry Jones has his way of running a team but it seems the only direction Snyder is running his team is into the ground. The normal way of replacing a coaching staff is to start with the head coach and work down but not Snyder. He'd rather hire a Defensive and Offensive Coordinator and the other staff than hire the head coach first. Usually the hiring process starts w/the head coach, then the coordinators and then all assistants. But this isn't your fathers Redskins anymore, this is your Redskins.

Welcome to the world of baseballs equivalent to George Steinbrenner, over paying for players that are way past their prime. Snyder is now looking for his 6 coach since he became owner in 1997.

Who knows what coach he'll reach for this go round, he already looked to the past for an answer to the present.

The new drinking game called "Bumbel"

Here's what's required:

Cable or Satellite.
TV...preferably an HD one.
Two cases of beer at minimum...per person.
A sofa or chair or whatever won't let you fall over if you pass out.
Two or more people cause this game wouldn't be fun by yourself.
Must tune TV to the NFL Network during Thursday night games.

Here's how it work:

You must take a drink every time Bryant Gumbel screws up during the telecast of games.

Tonight's game is Chicago at Washington.



Have fun and please remember, we here at Unlimited Mulligans do not support heavy consumption of alcohol but it's not really our fault how many times Bumbel Gumbel screws the pooch.

Tommy Bowden and Clemson Football's Future

Tommy Bowden, Clemson Head Football Coach, signed an extension to his current contract that will keep him at the SC school until 2012. Rumor has it that he is now on the hot seat for 2008.

Of course that's not true, TB is one game away from perhaps his best year ever at the school that last won an ACC Championship in 1991 and a school that is starving for a championship. He was recently being courted by Arkansas for the same position but for more money. But one would ask what exactly would he gain from such and move and why would he consider it. Here's my take.

The only tie that he has with Arkansas is the new AD there is a good friend from a coaching stop at the football powerhouse known only as Duke. Sorry for that little jab you cameron crazies. One benefit, money aside, would be that he gets that honeymoon period where expectations aren't as high as they would be at Clemson where he is currently in his ninth year. A new start would give him at least 3 to 4 years relief from being included in annual preseason football magazines as a coach on the proverbial hot seat. But of course the downside to Arkansas is that fan base basically just ran out a coach that won them two division titles in the SEC, regarded as the best football conference around. So if TB thought the expectations at Clemson were high he would've been stepping into a hornets nest at Arkansas.

TB's 2008 squad is already being hyped as his best team every, returning 19 starters including every skill position on offense and most of the defense. Things set up nicely next year as Boston College will no longer have Matt Ryan behind center, FSU will still have a weak QB and I think Clemson has finally figured out the Wake Forest issues and we get G. Tech at home.

But there are still Clemson faithful that actually wanted TB to part ways and head to Arkansas. Which to me is completely incomprehensible. Being a huge Clemson fan that I am I've grown frustrated with the program but I recognize that this program is headed in the right direction, the direction opposite of where we were headed before he took over in 1998. He has had Clemson bowl eligible all 9 years of his tenure. He is 7-2 against hated South Carolina, graduates his players and leads the program in a respectable manner.

Those that wish for TB to go are made up for a majority that still live in the days of Danny Ford, known as the greatest coach in Clemson history thanks to the programs lone National Championship in 1981. What those people fail to recognize is that football in 1981 isn't the same football that is being played today. Passing is the name of the game now as opposed to the line it up and just run it. Teams use spread offenses to better utilize more athletic players, the game is quicker now and if you can't throw the ball with consistency you're not going to win many games. Add in the fact that there are more powerhouse programs in the ACC thanks to the additions of Florida St, Miami, V Tech and Boston College. The ACC used to be a conference ruled by the Tigers and Maryland. Clemson became blinded by its dominance and failed to look to the future as other colleges started putting more money into stadium additions and facility upgrades. Not till Bowden entered the picture in 1998 did Clemson finally commit financially to upgrades. So for all those TB haters, look at where we were in 1996 and fast forward to today, do you not feel good about where the program is headed?

Coach comparison.

If you want to compare a coach in the ACC to Bowden you need look no further than Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer, know now as one the top coaches in college football. He is 3rd among current head coaches in wins. But for those that thought he was always successful know that he wasn't. In his first 6 seasons he had a combined record of 24-40 and in year six he was 2-6-1. Imagine where that program might be now if Hokie faithful had given up him at that point? Hard to imagine isn't it? Well he turned it around and in year 9 found himself in the Sugar Bowl as Big East Champions and a 10-2 record. Since that first double digit win season he has gone on to nine seasons of 10 or more wins. He legacy is now firmly secure at V Tech.

So for all those TB detractors, have a little faith. Good things are coming.

Stevo and LouLou Video

Thought this was too funny and worthy of sharing.

Bryant "Bumbling" Gumbel

Bryant Gumbel.

I'm really not sure I need a intro sentence for you to understand what this post is about, that is unless you've never heard him as an announcer on the NFL Network.

Bryant Gumbel is the lead play by play announcer on the NFL Networks games and without argue one the worst announcers ever. As I watched the broadcast last night of the Dallas Cowboys vs Green Bay Packers game, I couldn't help but wish I was in a market where I could get the radio broadcast so I could mute the TV. Having to listen to Bryant Gumbel is as much fun as getting a root canal, its just really painful on the ears.

Throughout the game last night he would often forget which team is was referring to, calling the Cowboys the Packers several times. He referred to Cowboys RB Marion Barber as "Marion Jones" and RB Julius Jones as "Julius Barber". He also referred to Tony Romo as "Rick Romo", he apparently hasn't been paying any attention to the hype of Romo. And at one point in the first half with Dallas holding possession of the ball with 2:20 left in the first half said that Dallas needs to hurry to get the snap off before the two minute warning, they get the snap off at about 2:15. Also as LB Kevin Burnett limped to the sideline, Bryant, like your elderly grandmother running through the names of her grandchildren, referred to Burnett as Akin Ayodele then Brady James until he could clearly see the name Burnett on his jersey.

The NFL Network is in a tug of war negotiations with cable companies to get their channel available to consumer but are asking for more money than what other channels with more shows typically get. They may have shot themselves in the foot last night in what was arguably the second biggest game of the year and one that had the feel of a playoff game. If you sat and watched and listened to that debacle of a broadcast you're probably not inclined to call your cable company to demand they add the NFL Channel to its lineup. Which is why the NFL Network must make a change with their broadcast team if they expect people to pay higher cable prices or switch to satellites. I've really never heard a worst broadcast than what I heard last night, even the Carolina Panthers, who get the worst announcers around, have better announcers than the NFL Network.

If they are looking for viewership and respectability they must make a change and that change is in the form of type-casted Bryant Gumbel. He needs to stick with his HBO show, it's more suiting of his lame personality.

Dear NFL Network;

This is one fan who won't watch another game until change is made.

Unlimited Mulligans vs Ken Burger Week 2

Week One saw Unlimited Mulligans beating Ken Burger 7-3 to his 6-4. Here's the games for this weeks contest.

Clemson at NC State -............................Clemson
South Carolina at LSU - ........................LSU
Charleston Southern at Hawaii -..........Hawaii
Winston Salem at SC State -.................SC State
Coastal Carolina at James Madison-....James Madison
Kentucky at Arkansas-..........................Arkansas
Georgia at Alabama-..............................Alabama
Maryland at Wake Forest-....................Wake Forest
Washington at UCLA-............................UCLA
Iowa at Wisconsin-.................................Wisconsin

This time I'm turning in my entry form so I can claim that sticker that I will attach to my Clemson cooler. Check in on Sunday for the results.

Red Sox Late Season Collapse

Are we perhaps witnessing one of the greatest September collapses in Baseball history? Red Sox nation is collectively holding their breath in anticipation of the doom that is fast approaching. That being the Red Sox lead in the AL East which now stands at only 1 1/2 games. It doesn't seem that long ago that fans and baseball analysts alike buried the Yankees and gave the Red Sox the Division crown, I included. But, and there is always a but, the Yankees didn't just roll over and die like everyone wished they would. They battled, found young pitching and found their offense.

At the All-Star break on July 10th the Red Sox held what looked like a very comfortable 9 1/2 game lead. They were a Major League best 54-34. Since the break they are 36-29, a very respectable record. Here's that but again, the Yankees have been better, 8 games better, they have a post all star record of 44-21 which is the best in baseball since.

What's happened?

That's what many Sox fans would like to know. Part of the answer is that in the second half of the season the Red Sox are 1-5 vs the Yankees, that not only gives the Yankees confidence but also gives Sox fans heartburn. The other part is two fold. One being the biggest hitter in the lineup hasn't played since Aug 28th, Manny Ramirez has been out since he suffered a strained left oblique. He was a huge part of that lineup and the main reason the team has gone 10-11 in his absence. The other part of the problem is pitching and the bullpen, which after the acquisition of closer Eric Gagne was supposed to be their strong suite, instead it's been their Achilles heal. Gagne since joining the Red Sox, has posted stats that makes former Brave closer Dan Kolb look like a Cy Young pitcher. Gagne has an ERA of 8.80. But he's not the only one in the bullpen that is struggling, Rookie Hideki Okajima, since August, has also posted a balloon sized ERA of 7.05. But you also have to look at the starting pitching. Prized rookie Dice-K, Daisuke Matsuzaka, has gone 1-4 in his last 6 starts with an ERA of 8.44.

Good News
Yes with the bad comes some good. The Red Sox remaining games are against the Devil Rays, Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins, with the last 6 games at home. They Yankees remaining games though are against the Blue Jays, the Devil Rays and Orioles.

But look on the bright side Sox Nation, you're still going to make the playoffs, lets just hope though that the curse doesn't rear it's ugly head once more.

Who will win the AL East?
	Red Sox
	Yankees
pollcode.com free polls

Week 2 NFL Power Rankings

Week 1 in the NFL doesn't make or break a team, week 2 though starts to give you an insight into what a team is capable of. As such there is a big shake up in the week 2 NFL Power Ranks.

1) New England Patriots
2) Indianapolis Colts
3) Pittsburgh Steelers
4) Dallas Cowboys
5) Chicago Bears
6) San Diego Chargers
7) Baltimore Ravens
8) Houston Texans
9) Detroit Lions
10) Green Bay Packers
11) Washington Redskins
12) San Fransisco 49ers
13) Cincinnati Bengals
14) Denver Broncos
15) Tennessee Titans
16) Seattle Seahawks
17) Carolina Panthers
18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19) Jacksonville Jaguars
20) Minnesota Vikings
21) Arizona Cardinals
22) Philadelphia Eagles
23) New Orleans Saints
24) St Louis Rams
25) Miami Dolphins
26) Cleveland Browns
27) NY Jets
28) NY Giants
29) Buffalo Bills
30) Oakland Raiders
31) Atlanta Falcons
32) Kansas City Chiefs

Barrry's 756 a Future Space Odyssey or Cooperstown bound?

The ball that Barry Bonds deposited into the left center seats that broke the Home Run record was just recently auctioned off for just short of $900K. Well if the public has anything to do with that ball could soon be floating in outer space. Yes you heard that right.

The winner of the auction was Mark Ecko, a designer from what I've heard today in NY. He has decided what he wants to do with the record breaking ball he just won, let the public decide its fate. Yep, the man that just spent almost a cool Million isn't keeping the ball but may end sending it up with NASA if the public says so.

He created a web site called, Vote756.com, to let people vote on three choices for the ball. They are as follows:

1) Bestow It - Give it to Cooperstown
2) Brand It - Mark the ball with an asterisk (*)
3) Banish It - Launch it to outer space

I'm really not sure how I feel about this. I'm not happy about Barry breaking this time honored record but now that it's broken part of me feels it should be in Cooperstown and then again part of me wants to see it in outer space. But I really feel like this is some marketing ploy for his designer clothing company and to get his name out in the general public that might not otherwise have known him, ie me. So I'll give him is 15 seconds of fame here and I'm voting for Cooperstown.

Click here to enter your vote.

Unlimited Mulligans vs Ken Burger of the Post & Courier

Ken Burger of the Charleston Post and Courier holds a weekly contest in the fall for college pick'ems. Here's how it works. You cut out the form for the weekends games, fill out who you think will win then send it in to the Post and Courier. Ken will post his picks for the week on Saturday and if you beat him you'll get a bumper sticker that reads "I Beat Burger" and a chance to win a "Beat Burger" Koozie Deluxe Chair Cooler.

I'm going to try my hand at this for the first time. So the following are my picks:

Citadel at Wisconsin - Wisconsin
Furman at Clemson - Clemson
SC State at S. Carolina - S. Carolina
Johnson C Smith at Charleston Southern - Chas Southern
Boston College at Georgia Tech - G Tech
Virginia at UNC - UNC
Tennessee at Florida - Florida
Arkansas at Alabama - Arkansas
Notre Dame at Michigan - Michigan
USC at Nebraska - USC as in Southern Cal

I'll post the results on Monday against Burger. These seemed pretty easy to pick but you never know how these things will turn out.

Update

The only game Buger picked different from my picks was he stuck w/a promise to pick SC State in every game so he chose SC State over S. Carolina. I win!!!

Well as I had my mind on other things friday I forgot to get my entry by the Post and Courier so no bumper sticker for me this week. I'll try again this week.

Only the Raiders!!

Finally!! He's in camp. He being the the #1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft. The Raiders are still the Raiders. They are perhaps the only organization that would let the top draft choice sit out all of training camp and the whole first week of the regular season. Most organizations take the suspense out of their selection prior to the draft, i.e. the Houston Texans signing Mario Williams before the draft.

JaMarcus Russell just signed his rookie contract which has a maximum value of $68 mil with $31.5 guaranteed. But this long hold out has also guaranteed that he won't see any playing time anytime soon. On a side note, these rookie contracts are getting completely out of hand, NFL needs to cap these contracts like the NBA does. These kids haven't proved anything yet they get paid more than 90% of veteran and more proven players.

But back to Al.

There's isn't much the Al Davis and company are doing right these days. Only Al Davis would hire a32 year old, yes 32 as head coach. One that would have zero experience as an NFL coach. His highest position as a coach was USC (So Cal) Offensive Coordinator. Only Al Davis would sue fellow NFL franchises for color and logo similarities. That's right, he tried suing the Carolina Panthers for their silver and black color scheme and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of it's pirate logo.

His franchise was once feared, now people just laugh at them. Since their SuperBowl appearance in 2002, the Raiders have gone a total of 15-49 and are currently on their 4th head coach in that same span. This signing, well the fact that it took so long, is just another in a string of bad decisions he's making. This franchise isn't going anywhere anytime soon until Al decides to remove his name from the GM title.

Good luck JaMarcus, you're now a part of Raider Nation, one that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

NFL Power Rankings Week 1

Here are my week one NFL rankings. Choose to comment or leave you own ideas but this is mine.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Who knew the defense would play like it did against the Saints.
2. New England Patriots - Lets see what they do post spy games.
3. San Diego Chargers - Offense will play better but credit Bears D for lack of production
4. Pittsburgh Steelers - Browns not much of a test but new Offense will carry team, D good too
5. Chicago Bears - If they Rex can finally develop into a reliable QB this team is nasty.
6. Cincinnati Bengals - Defense is still the question mark on this team, Offense will carry them.
7. Carolina Panthers - Offense looks back in form, can Defense return to 03 form?
8. Dallas Cowboys - Offense hitting on all cylinders, can Defense play as expected? If so look out!!
9. New Orleans Saints - Didn't play well in opener but look for better in week 2.
10. Seattle Seahawks - Offense finally healthy, should be much better.
11. Denver Broncos - Team will go as far as Cutler can take them, how much will he improve?
12. Minnesota Vikings - Finally a franchise RB but question mark at QB.
13. Baltimore Ravens - Billick an offensive genius?? Really?? Defense will have to carry team once again.
14. St Louis Rams - If offense doesn't play better than week 1 they are in for a long year.
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Philly fans should hope McNabb can play all 16 games, rookie troubles otherwise.
16. Houston Texans - Offense improved w/additions at QB and RB, Defense better, new coach. No longer a laughing stock.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars - Not enough offense to carry team if the defense continues to get pushed around.
18. New York Jets - NY fans better pray Pennington stays healthy, no cheer.
19. Detroit Lions - Martz the mad scientist is at it again, weapons galore on offense.
20. San Francisco 49ers - Nolan has team in right direction, defense looks much improved.
21. New York Giants - Offense okay. Injuries and age hurting defense.
22. Tennessee Titans - VY (since when did we shorten his name media?) to have sophomore slump, on teams' radar now. Plenty of questions on defense.
23. Washington Redskins - Unproven QB...and well they are still the Redskins, great on paper..struggles on the field.
24. Miami Dolphins - Aging QB, Aging Defense, new coach...long season Dolphin fans.
25. Green Bay Packers - Yes they won but lack of playmakers on offense will hurt in long run
26. Arizona Cardinals - If monday is any indication this Offense will struggle thanks to it's O-Line.
27. Buffalo Bills - Only bright spots on this team; Losman, Evans, Parrish and Lynch.. Defense lacks playmakers.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - No Offense, aging Defense...another long year in Gruden's QB carousel.
29. Oakland Raiders - Well they are still the Raiders...They should be a couple games better in 07
30. Atlanta Falcons - With or without Vick this team would struggle.
31. Kansas City - I think Larry Johnson should've waited to be a free agent, this team stinks.
32. Cleveland - They belong in the Big 10. Seriously, App State would give them a game.

Palmetto State dominates Saturday Football

Saturday afternoon was a great day for many of South Carolina colleges and their fans. In 11 games that involved state schools, 8 won and one game pitted two state schools against one another. All in all the state's Saturday record was 8 -3. Of course the big two of Clemson and USC both notched a win.

Here's a quick rundown of the Winners:

Clemson won big against a lesser foe in Louisiana-Monroe. They were able to shake off a sluggish beginning to route Monroe 49-26 as Junior QB Cullen Harper passed for 5 TD's, a Clemson record.

South Carolina had arguably the schools biggest win in Steve Spurrier's tenure, as well as Lou Holtz's. They beat Georgia in Athens and between the hedges which maybe the school's biggest road win ever. They led throughout winning 16-12. The win vaulted them from the land of the unranked to #17 in the country. As much as it hurts me to write this, S Carolina has put themselves in great position to challenge for a spot in the SEC Championship game.

Citadel. That's enough said. Call this a program statement game or call it a blow out but whatever you call they won BIG, as in 76 to zero BIG. They beat Webber International of the NAIA. Granted they only have 550 students but for Citadel to score 76 unanswered points it is a thing of beauty. For giggles Citadel scored 4 TD's on their first 11 plays and the defense scored 3 TD's. Look out Wisconsin, another So Con team looks to take down the Big10.

Wofford beat up a Charleston Southern team already coming off one blowout the previous week at Citadel only to get ripped again 52-24. The Terriers ran for 317 yards on 57 attempts. The Buccaneers sadly enough will need to get used to blowouts, as in two weeks they will travel to Hawaii to take on the pass happy Rainbows and record setting QB Colt Brennan.

South Carolina State recorded their first win of the year as they knocked off Bethune-Cookman 24-13. SC State will try to bring their run game with them as they travel to Columbia Saturday to take on the Gamecocks.

Coastal Carolina in a rebuilding mode was able to fend off Winston Salem State to win 28-21 and even it's record at 1-1. William Richardson threw for 301 yards and a TD.

Newberry beat up a Bowie State team 41-7 as RB Alex Haynes rushed for 255 yards as the Indians piled up 507 total yards.

Presbyterian, in their first year of Division 1-AA football (FCS), knocked off Pikeville 58-7. QB Grayson Mullins passed for 342 yards and 6 scores. The Blue Hose, for laughter, scored 35 points in the second quarter.

Loses

North Greenville remains winless as they lost 21-17 to Fairmont State.

Furman traveled to NY only to come back with a loss as they were beat by Hofstra 32-17. They are 1-1 on the year.

2007 NFL Season Predictions

It's that time of the year, when football analysts and fans make their predictions for the season. Now I'm giving this a whirl for the first time. All give the winner for each division and the Wild Cards in both leagues and who will win the SuperBowl.

AFC

East
New England 11 - 5
NY Jets 9 - 7
Miami 8 - 8
Buffalo 4 - 10

West
San Diego 12 - 4
Denver 11 - 5
Kansas City 5 - 11
Oakland 5 - 11

North
Baltimore 12 - 4
Cincinnati 10 - 6
Pittsburgh 8 - 8
Cleveland 4 - 12

South
Jacksonville 12 - 4
Indianapolis 10 - 6
Houston 7 - 9
Tennessee 5 - 11

NFC

East
Dallas 12 - 4
Philadelphia 10 - 6
NY Giants 8 - 8
Washington 5 - 11

West
Seattle 11 - 5
St. Louis 10 - 6
Arizona 7 - 9
San Fran 6 -10

North
Chicago 12 - 4
Detroit 9 - 7
Green Bay 8 - 8
Minnesota 5 - 11

South
New Orleans 13 - 3
Carolina 10 - 6
Atlanta 7 - 9
Tampa Bay 5 - 11


AFC Wild Card: Denver, Indianapolis
NFC Wild Card: Philadelphia, St. Louis

AFC Championship Game: Baltimore at San Diego
NFC Championship Game: Dallas at New Orleans

SuperBowl: New Orleans vs San Diego

NFL Champion: San Diego




Check back on this in February to see how good of a prognosticator I am

App State makes themselves at home in the BIG HOUSE!

It's now being called the greatest upset in sports history, not college history, sports history. Even over the Miracle on Ice, USA over Russia in Olympic hockey. And rightfully so. I mean this is Michigan, they have the most wins in the history of Division 1A football, err FBS and they were playing at home in front of 100,000 or so fans. True life David vs Goliath. If this were college basketball it would be the likes of a 16 seed beating a 1 seed, something that has never happened.

This was the greatest upset in sports history, plain and simple. Never in the history of college football has a division 1AA school (FCS) beat a ranked 1A school (FBS). And this wasn't like Michigan was a top 20 or top 15 school, they were ranked #5 in the nation. Had the likes of a lower tiered Big 10 school beat them it would've been considered an upset but this takes on an even greater meaning.

I awoke on Sunday morning expecting to turn on ESPN's Sports Center and finding the following headline, 'Michigan fires Lloyd Carr', alas but nothing. I likened it to my high school days when Citadel beat Arkansas and the very next day they fired the head coach. So I figured the situation and record in big games coupled with this disaster of epic proportions was enough for Michigan nation to say enough is enough.

Well he has so far escaped being fired but I'm sure he's on a short leash now. I would say unless he beats OSU (something he can't do) or wins out the remaining games he's out as head coach. There's no coming back from a meltdown like this.

The following coaches would like to say thanks to Lloyd Carr; Charlie Weis, Bobby papa Bowden and Al Groh.


Oh by the way: Michigan also becomes the first team to drop from the Top 5 to completely out of the Top 25 in one week.

Braves and September renewals

Ah September!! It's that great time of the year when College Football and the NFL seasons are getting underway and baseball pennant races are heating up. It's the best time of the year if you're a sports fan, well with the exception of a three week period in March.

Well for the second straight year I am only left to look forward to football and wondering if the Dallas Cowboys will challenge the Eagles for the NFC East Division Championship and to see if Clemson can manage to piece together a great overall season and play for a ACC Championship. The reason I can't include baseball into that mix is because the Atlanta Braves can't seem to get anything together and are in a serious hole to make the playoffs.

With 23 games remaining in the 2007 schedule, the Braves find themselves at 70-69 and in third place in the NL East. They are currently 8 1/2 games out of first in the east and 6 games back of Wild Card leading Arizona Diamondbacks. Playoff hopes are fading as fast as Michigan's chances at a National Championship, but that's another story all together. Basically in order for Atlanta to have a chance at making the post season they would seriously almost have to run the table in the next 23 games and considering in the last 10 games they are 3-7, I'm not holding my breathe for that to happen. So I'm now re-shifting my focus to football.

It's yet another disappointing season for the Braves world. Remember back in early April, think hard, like really hard, the Braves were 10-1 and looking like an all-world team. They had pitching and hitting, timely hitting and a consistent bullpen. It looked then like last years losing season was just a fluke, a hiccup in a 15 year winning stretch. Well it's looking more like they have a flu and this isn't a hiccup anymore.

There are two things that have stood out the most in this turbulent season. One being Andruw's well document struggles at the plate. The second is really three things, as in Atlanta's 3, 4 and 5 game starters. With the exception of Smoltz and Hudson the braves have used a total of 7 men for those 3 spots and their combined record is 23-35 compared to Smoltz and Hudson's record of 27-17.

So I am taking my emotions out of baseball now and moving them to football.

Ah September, time for some Football and sports rejuvenation.

David Beckham USA Soccer Savior? Really?

There are times in American sports where hype never meets reality. Think Ryan Leaf, Brian Bozworth or Grant Hill. Now think David Beckham. He may not be in the same group as those other guys nor do those three get grouped together. What I'm saying is they none of them lived up to expectations imposed on them. I've grown old and tired of hearing about David Beckham being the savior for American Soccer.

The main problem with marketing him as the savior to a sport that has been dormant since the beginning of sports, is that he isn't a scorer in a sport where scoring is at premium. Beckham is only famous for one thing, his ability to score off of penalty kicks when he bends the ball over the defenders heads and into the corner of the goal. Hence the movie "Bend it like Beckham". I don't understand why the MLS and the LA Galaxy expect Americans to pay attention to an entire game to see maybe one play of his kicks, if at all. The American sports landscape is dominated by the big three of Football, Baseball and Basketball. Soccer for goodness sakes is as irrelevant as the NHL and we all know how popular that sport is today. So I'm having a hard time understanding why he is a savior to a sport that doesn't matter to the vast majority of Americans.

In my view American only pay attention to soccer once every four years. And if you can't figure out why that is then you really don't pay attention to soccer. The World Cup is played every four years, that's the time most people will tune in their TVs to watch. I myself am not a soccer person, I subscribe to those three previous sports mentioned above, but I will watch the World Cup not only when the USA boys hit the field but will watch other matches. But when it comes to the MLS and regular soccer it just doesn't hold our attention. If I asked you to tell me how many teams are in the MLS or name more than 5 teams you could you do it?

In my opinion here is what is wrong with soccer and why it can't capture Americas attention.

* There are too many tournaments within the MLS season that teams and players compete in. I looked at the MLS web site and counted 6 tournaments that are played throughout the year. Honestly that's just too much to keep up with. For example in David's latest injury, one that will sideline him for the rest of the year, he and his Galaxy teammates were playing in a Superliga tournament against Pachuca (who) and sprained his knee. Now this tournament is right in the middle of the MLS season. Can you imagine your favorite NFL team playing one Sunday against a CFL team in the midst of the NFL season, hell no. You wouldn't stand for it. But that's exactly what soccer does. Stop playing all these in season tournaments so people can focus on your season and your league.

* Soccer regularly has ties. We as Americans expect to see a team appear victorious. We don't pay enormous ticket prices and sit for 3 hours just to see a game end in a tie. Remember the outrage when baseball ended the All-Star game in a tie? We were outraged and to think that game was just an exhibition game, they wouldn't dare end a regular season game in a tie and ties in the NFL are a rarity.

* Scoring needs to increase. I say shrink the size of the field some, does it really need to be as big as it is? Other sports find ways to increase scoring. Baseball lowered the pitching mound, NFL pushed the kickoffs back and the NBA, well they just don't play defense.

* The MLS needs to change its name. Too many people think of the MLS in real estate terms. Change it to the NSL (National Soccer League) or maybe the ASL (American Soccer League). Okay this is a minor issue but seriously, the MLS (multiple listing service) was around way before Major League Soccer.

* In America we are used to sports in countdown mode, we start at 15 minutes and count to zero, 20 minutes to zero. Nope, not soccer. They count up and then have extra time at the end. We're a countdown society. Seriously, what if we changed New Years Eve, instead of 10, 9, 8, 7...1 we went 1, 2, 3, 4....10. Wouldn't work, that concept wouldn't be excepted. Soccer needs to start at 45 and count to zero and stop the clock for injuries and balls out of play.

I'll give MLS and LA Galaxy credit for trying to help a sport grow in a country that just doesn't care, but you can't expect David Beckham to save a sport from itself. Nice try. With his injury you're not relegated to the back page of sports yet again.