Bronco Buster

I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't talk about Brett Favre unless absolutely necessary. So if you were hoping for my reaction, as a longtime Packer fan, to Favre's signing with Vikings, you'll have to wait until the NFL Preview in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of said Preview, barring any drastic changes, I have last place in the AFC West going to the Denver Broncos. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Broncos will be one of the five worst teams in the NFL this season. Why, you ask? Well, for starters, there was the Jay Cutler fiasco back in April. Look, we can bicker for hours about how this thing should have been handled and who was at fault and blah, blah, blah. The fact of the matter is this: Everyone is to blame. Josh McDaniels should have been more upfront with his desire to have protege Matt Cassel as his franchise QB in his interview for the Broncos job. Cutler should have been a bit more mature and a lot less sensitive when the botched trade drama went down. Owner Pat Bowlen shouldn't have let pride force his hand in trading a franchise QB who would have flourished when teamed with McDaniels' offensive genius. The Broncos didn't HAVE to trade Cutler, and now because they did, it will set this franchise back years.

Here's why: The fate of McDaniels, GM Brian Xanders and ultimately the Broncos lies in the hands of the man they got in return for Cutler, Kyle Orton. If Orton fails, then the Cutler trade was a bust for Denver and McDaniels and Xanders deserve the axe. Up until the trade rumors swirled, Cutler was loved in Denver as the the Broncos' first legitimate quarterback since John Elway retired. By dealing him for Orton and a couple of first round picks(which they used the first one on Tennesee defensive end Robert Ayers, who many believe is not the best of fits for the Broncos' 3-4), the hope that Orton can at least be serviceable until McDaniels finds his new Matt Cassel.

So far, Orton's failed in his first attempt to make a good impression. In two preseason games of which Orton has played nearly three quarters, Orton has thrown four interceptions(three of which coming against a 49ers team that sorely lacks a pass rush and the other being a bone-headed lefty lob that was picked off in the end zone against Seattle). Another factor going against Orton in what will be a never-ending comparison between him and Cutler will be Orton's lack of arm strength as it relates to throwing in the brutal Denver winter winds. Sure, Orton has experience throwing in the Windy City of Chicago, but the Bears hardly asked Orton to air it out and one quality that went overlooked in the Broncos' hasty exile of Cutler was Cutler's ability to zip deep passes through the swirling mountain wind with ease.

Then, there's Orton's arsenal. First round pick, Knowshon Moreno, who was drafted to be the catalyst to the Broncos' running game, is already out for a couple of weeks with a sprained MCL in his knee. Then, of course, there's the Brandon Marshall situation. Marshall has made it clear he wants either a new contract or a trade out of Denver, preferably the latter. Keep in mind that Marshall is recovering from hip surgery and has been slow to pick up the intricacies of McDaniels' playbook(or so he claims). That means, even if Marshall isn't dealt, the odds are against him to emulate the type of Pro Bowl caliber season that he has produced in years past.

My solution? The Broncos trade Marshall to........Kansas City. Now, why would I advocate trading Marshall when I disagreed with trading Cutler? Simple. The damage has already been done. The underlying problem that was left by dealing Cutler is that it set a precedent for knuckleheads like Marshall to use when it came time to hold the team hostage. Now that the team has dealt Cutler for a quarterback that everyone can agree is a downgrade from his predecessor, what possible leg do the Broncos have to stand on in terms of not agreeing to Marshall's demands? Marshall's hurt, he's had numerous off-the-field issues and he's way behind in learning the offense. So if you have no intentions of keeping him when his contract is up, why not deal him while he has some value left? As for why Kansas City, if you can get a 2nd, 4th and QB Tyler Thigpen for Marshall, you've done well. The Broncos will need the extra picks after foolishly dealing their first rounder next year to take cornerback Alphonso Smith in the 2nd round. As for Thigpen, his skill set mirrors Cassel's(the guy who gave McDaniels the hard on that started this mess in the first place) and he's solid Orton insurance. He doesn't have the injury issues of current backup Chris Simms(or Orton, for that matter) and he's relatively young(25). As for trading Marshall within the division coming back to bite them, look, Marshall's not going to be a Bronco for much longer and his success elsewhere(no matter where it is) as well as the success of Cutler in Chicago is going to haunt this team for years to come. If the team can turn Baby T.O. into a couple of solid young pieces to rebuild under McDaniels or whomever is coaching this team in two years, I say do it.

As for Orton, he's in a position where he has no choice but to fail. His supporting cast has been compromised by injuries and selfish demands and he plays on a team whose defense is sure to turn every game into a shootout. I don't know about you, but I don't like the prospect of being in a shootout if my quarterback has managed to toss four picks in essentially three quarters of exhibition play against two of the worst pass defenses in the league. Luckily, Orton's in a contract year, which means he gets to go somewhere next year where Cutler and the Broncos fan base isn't breathing down his neck. Of course, that means the team will have to go back to the drawing board and grab another franchise quarterback in the draft next year.

Luckily, they'll be picking high enough next year to grab someone of McDaniels' liking.

It Has to be Bigger in Texas

The Dallas Cowboys spent $1.2 billion on a new stadium this off-season. That's billion, with a "b."

And for that money they get the most cutting edge stadium in the world, complete with the largest high definition screens on the planet, and, the pleasure of being the first NFL team to have to come up with ground rules.

In yesterday's preseason game, Titans' back-up punter A. J. Trapasso hit the giant screens with a routine punt. NFL rules state that the down be replayed, which surprises me because I didn't know this was ever an issue.

Jerry Jones for one is not happy. He thinks Trapasso was aiming at the screen. He also said that screens are not moving. He doesn't think punts ever go straight or high. I guess $1.2 billion doesn't buy you knowledge of the game either.

Craig Hentrich, the Titans' starting punter said he hit the screen at least a dozen times in pregame. He said any punt designed to have five seconds or more of hang-time is going to hit that screen.

This is not the first time something like this happened this year. We all know the Yankees spent the GDP of a third world country on their new stadium too. And they made sure to put a jet-stream to right field.

Who would have guessed that over $2 billion spent could allow one to stand the fifty-yard line with one of those t-shirt guns and thunk!, hit the screen, and then take that same t-shirt gun to Yankee Stadium, stand on home plate and put one over the wall.

And to all of this I say...

Bwahhahahaha!

Milk Carton All Star of the Week, 8/19/09

I'm filling in for Dave for this week's Milk Carton All Star.

We wanted to honor the Washington Nationals and their signing of No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg. Dave and I had the same thought - to bestow our greatest of sports honors on Ben McDonald, the former Baltimore Oriole who was the no. 1 overall pick in 1989. I nixed this idea after seeing McDonald-Strasburg comparisons all over the web, including a link to one on McDonald's own website.

I started perusing the list of no. 1 overall picks in the MLB draft. Some were too obscure, like Brien Taylor who never made the majors and currently is a brick layer with five kids who makes $909 dollars a month, according to court documents. Others were way too famous, like Alex Rodriguez or Chipper Jones.


So, with no further ado, let me present your number one overall pick from the 1992 Major League Baseball draft...........




(photo courtesy of mlb.com)

Phil Nevin!

As I said, Nevin was drafted no. 1 by the Houston Astros in 1992. He was taken ahead of a few guys you may have heard of; Jason Kendall, Raul Ibanez, Johnny Damon, and Derek Jeter.

He made his major league debut with Houston in 1995. He then played for Detroit and Anaheim before playing in San Diego from 1999 to 2005. San Diego was by far his most successful stint, during which time he was an All-Star once, in 2001. He finished his career by bouncing to Texas, Chicago, and Minnesota, all in 2006. He was a career .270 hitter with 208 home runs and 743 RBI's.


In 2001 he led MLB 3rd basemen in errors with 27. He also had the worst fielding percentage of all 3rd basemen.

The end of his career was a complicated trade mess involving Chan Ho Park, Jerry Hairston Jr., and stint on the 60-day DL. I don't even want to begin to get into it.

You can currently find him coaching the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League.

So everyone, join me in congratulating this week's MCAS.....San Diego's baseball answer to Pervis Ellison.......Phil Nevin!!

Dude(?) Looks Like a Lady?

First Lady Gaga, and now this:

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-worlds-gendertest&prov=ap&type=lgns

So South African teenager Caster Semenya smoked the field and won the gold in the 800 at the world championships in Berlin. Now it comes out Semenya may not be playing fair. Is it drugs? Illegal equipment?

No, the question is about Semenya's.......gender.

What the fuck!?

Excuse me, I meant to say.........what the FUCK!?!?!?

This story is baffling to me, and not because of cheating aspect. As long as there has been sport there has been cheating. What baffles me is this portion of the article:

"Before the race, IAAF spokesman Nick Davies stressed this is a “medical issue, not an issue of cheating.” He said the “extremely complex” testing has begun. The process requires a physical medical evaluation and includes reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, internal medicine specialist and gender expert."

A gender expert? Any one of you reading this is a gender expert. Have Semenya drop trou' and see if she/he is packing heat below the belt. Anyone with eyes, or hands, could make this judgement.

A psychologist? Why, so they can justify Semenya feeling like a woman? I'm going to try that shit in my co-ed flag football league. -
Official: "OK, the next play has to go to a female."
Me: "But sir, I caught that last pass."
Official: "Yes, that is why this one has to go to a female."
Me: "Well, I'm feeling very pretty today. That should count."

For what its worth I saw a picture of Semenya. That dude is juicing.

Fly Eagle Fly

I wanted to wait a little to give the Michael Vick-to-the-Eagles ruckus time to play out before I weighed in with my thoughts. It amazes me how some people in this country were willing to give George W. Bush a second term but won't give Vick a second chance. Look, I'm not marginalizing Vick's execution of pit bulls. Certainly, as someone with a love for animals, it definitely tugs at the heart strings. It was senseless. It was heinous. It was indefensible. It was two years ago.

At what point do we, as Americans, learn to let go? Think about all the genuinely horrible people in this country and other countries worldwide, is Michael Vick really the unquestioned King of All Evil? It's dumbfounding how we choose to sum up the lives of a choice few with a particular event or occurrence. It's always case-sensitive. We don't choose to pigeon hole Ted Kennedy for the Chappaquiddick incident 30 years ago. We're not nearly as aggressive in our criticism of Bush, a man who helped send this country into the worst economic downturn in a century and promoted a senseless war in Iraq that has cost hundreds of American lives. Even in sports, how many members of M.A.D.D. do you see picketing outside of Rams games in protest of defensive end Leonard Little's employment despite his manslaughter conviction a little over a decade ago in which he served a whopping 90 days in jail. 90 days! For having a blood alcohol level double the legal limit and killing a woman and then, six years later, getting behind the wheel of a car once more when he was clearly inebriated. How come not much was made out of the fact that the Lakers currently employ an accused rapist whose youthful indiscretion never really got closure in the minds of many as well as a loose cannon who famously charged into the stands in an attempt to beat down an unruly fan? Does back-to-back NBA Finals appearances make Kobe Bryant less of an adulterer who may or may not have had non-consensual sex with a hotel clerk? And does Ron Artest's alliance with Bryant suddenly wash away his past sins? Mike Vick did 23 months in Fort Leavenworth, which seems like death row compared to the 24 days in jail Donte Stallworth was flicked on the wrist with for HIS reckless killing of man after he was driving high and drunk on the streets of Miami.

Think about Mike Vick before the dogfighting fiasco. Outside of a couple outbursts of immaturity(the weed in the water bottle at the airport, flipping off Falcon fans), Vick's biggest problem was his inability to throw downfield with touch. Now, all of a sudden, he's a crazed killer who shouldn't be allowed on professional football roster. My question to the naysayers would be 'What would YOU do with Mike Vick?'. If you don't want Vick in the NFL, where would you like him to be? Would you like him to work the drive-thru at Wendy's? Would you want him working construction, like he offered upon his release from prison? Or maybe you'd like him to sit on his ass and collect unemployment like so many other lazy bastards in this country? Vick could have chose any of those options. He could have allowed himself to use his ex-con status and the genuine disdain shown toward him by most of America as excuses for self-pity. Instead, he thrusted himself back into the smoldering heat of the media spotlight and took a job that involves him getting impaled by men twice his size running at him at full speed.

Also, what point exactly do you plan on making by going to a city like Philadelphia, where they throw D batteries at baseball players, looking for a fight? Michael Vick is a human being who made a mistake. Isn't it a bit hypocritical to treat his life with the same insignificance that he treated the lives of those dogs? Shouldn't we better than this? It's like we've never seen a person, celebrity or otherwise, try to take another crack at life after time in the can. Do they not have TV or Internet in your ivory tower?

As for Vick's impact ON the field, that remains to be seen. He's a perfect fit for the Wildcat formation, but I'd like to think a former # 1 pick like Vick, a man who was supposed to transcend the game, is a bit too talented to be a Pat White-esque gimmick quarterback. As Donovan McNabb said, the presence of Vick, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Brian Westbrook and McNabb on the field at the same time is going to be a headache for defensive coordinators. Certainly, Vick has already brought excitement, albeit with a heavy dose of controversy, to the City of Brotherly Love as well as made an already devastating Eagles team much more dangerous.

No matter what happens from here on out, Michael Vick will always be a dog-murdering convict in the eyes of some, and that's their right. However, understand that Vick has humbled himself over the past two years. He didn't attempt to use his celebrity status to barter for perks like being able to work out under house arrest to prepare for a job he wasn't certain was coming. He didn't use his attention to go on a soap-box. He didn't beg 60 Minutes to lob softballs at him in this past Sunday's interview. He showed contrition, remorse, and genuine sorrow for his mistakes and asked for forgiveness. Isn't that what you'd want out of someone who paid his debt to society? Vick will hear his share of boos come August 23rd when he makes his preseason debut against Jacksonville and maybe Vick's transgressions will never not receive an overwhelming amount of media attention until his playing days are over, much like how Michael Irvin couldn't escape his demons until he became an affable TV broadcaster. Friday's signing with Philadelphia gave Vick the opportunity he waited 23 months to have: A chance to start a second life.............

......even if it's now as America's biggest villain.

--Dave

First Dogs, Now Eagles

Breaking News: Michael Vick has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.

OK, that is not exactly breaking news or a scoop, but it is interesting.

I think this is going to be bad for the Eagles. This is going to be a PR nightmare. They are going to catch hell from everywhere. Every sports TV reporter, columnist, and little piss-ant blog is going to say something, and it will be mostly bad. Evidently the backlash from their own fans has already started. Scanning the message boards at the Philadelphia Inquirer's website shows that many of the fans still haven't forgiven Vick and wish that he had signed somewhere else.

Many don't think he has paid his debt to society completely and don't think he should be allowed to play football.

About that, let me say this. I don't agree with what Vick did at all. I am an unashamed animal lover. However, he served his sentence. He didn't get off easy because of his money or celebrity. In fact, he may have served more time than a "normal" person because he was being made an example of, according to ESPN legal analyst Jack Ford. Also, probation agreements always allow for an ex-con to earn a living. Michael Vick is an athlete. That is how he earned his living before he was convicted. His situation is different from other convicts only because his skills allow him to earn tens of millions instead of tens of thousands.

The other way I think this is going to be detrimental is in the locker room. What exactly does Donovan McNabb have to do to get some respect in Philly?

Last year he bristled when the team drafted Kevin Kolb, a player whose biggest accomplishment in college was leading his team to losses in the Hawaii Bowl, the Fort Worth Bowl, and Liberty Bowl, for which I give him the career college football post-season "who gives a shit" award. How is McNabb supposed to feel now with the younger, faster, more dynamic, McNabb 2.0 on the sidelines?

Anyone who thinks Vick is being brought in just to run some crazy wildcat package or be a change of pace is being naive. If he performs well he will be McNabb's heir. And a cheap one at that.

(Sidenote: I'm sick of the word "wildcat" and hearing about how it is this new crazy offense. It is a variation of the "Wing-T," the oldest offense in American football history. 1882, Walter Camp, look it up.)

It is no secret that I am a NY Giants fan, and therefore an Eagles hater. But I feel for McNabb. The little amount of respect he gets is out of proportion to his performance on the field and the man he is off the field.

The disrespect started in high school. Only Syracuse offered him a scholarship to be a pocket QB. He was booed by Eagles fans when he was drafted. Rush Limbaugh said the media inflated his ability. The stink with Pam Oliver and Freddie Mitchell.

No one seems to remember he has led the Eagles to more success than they have seen in their history. He is the Eagles' all time leader in career pass attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns. He is also the team's career leader in what matters most, wins. He has led the team to five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. He is also the least intercepted quarterback per pass attempt in NFL history (!).

For crying out loud, the man once played on a broken fibula.

Anyone remember 4th and 26 against the Packers in the 2003 playoffs?

McNabb has been a tough valiant player, a leader, and model citizen in Philly. He is one of the smiling faces of the NFL. It's a shame he doesn't get treated better.

We all knew that Vick was going to sign somewhere and bring a firestorm with him when he did.

As a Giants fan I say it couldn't have happened to a better group people than the Fluffy Iggles and their fans.

Milk Carton All-Star of the Week.....8/13/2009

In Part 2 of our Sportstalkbuzz-inspired Milk Carton All-Star of the Week, we went hunting for Seahawks. In case you missed last week's(or are just too lazy to scroll down), Gabe and I can now also be found on Sportstalkbuzz.com as bloggers for the Texans and Seahawks, respectively. Last week, in a dedication to Gabe, we honored former Texans running back Domanick Davis/Williams/Slaton/Whatever. This week, the canidates varied from boring to obvious. There was journeyman quarterback John Friesz. We considered the Blades brothers, Bennie and Brian. We even had a clear-cut winner in former Oklahoma washout turned Van Damme wanna-be Brian Bosworth. Instead, as usual, we had a last-minute change.







This man is former 3-time Pro Bowler Chris Warren. Sure, you might say Warren had a bit too successful of a career to be considered in a feature normally dedicated to washouts and nobodies, but ask yourself this, when was the last time you heard the name Chris Warren? When's the last time, when talking about running backs of the past or even 90's football history, the name Chris Warren came up? The answer is never. Warren was a good running back during an era of great running backs like Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders, and Thurman Thomas. He's like the Aaron Hall of 90's running backs, notable yet forgotten about because of the accomplishments of so many others of his ilk.


Warren played for 11 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Seahawks, but the prime of his career was a four-year stint from 1992 to 1995 in which Warren rushed for 1,000 yards each of those seasons(This was back when that meant something) and was a Pro Bowler in '93, '94, and '95. It went all downhill after that. Warren failed to reach the 1,000 yard mark in his next 2 seasons in Seattle and inevitably was let go after the '97 season and ended up playing a couple more years in Dallas and Philadelphia. Most recently, Warren made the news for failing to pay child support during his prime years despite making close to $10 million dollars, which would have definitely made him the Jon Gosselin of his era if anyone gave a crap about Chris Warren at the time(or Jon Gosselin, for that matter).


So let's give it up for the Color Me Badd of NFL running backs, Tecmo Bowl wunderkind Chris Warren!!!

--Dave

Two Announcements!!

The first announcement is a little self-indulgent. It looks like rugby sevens is the leader in the clubhouse to be added to the 2016 Olympic games. Unlike rugby union, which is the most prevelant and popular form of rugby worldwide, rugby sevens is fast paced offensive game. It only requires seven players, instead of the normal fifteen, per side on the field at once. It is a much more accessible game for fans and players. Many countries which wouldn't be competitive in rugby union can be competitive in rugby sevens.

The second announcement is very self-indulgent. This entire blog entry was written using my new smartphone.

Officially Thin-skinned

On Sunday, at the W.G.C.-Bridgestone Invitational, Padraig Harrington was leading Tiger Woods by a stroke at the start of the par-5 16th hole in the last round of the tournament. They were on top of the leaderboard at the time, and the last pairing on the course. Harrington was leading at the start of the round, lost the lead, and had regained it by the 16th hole. Woods and Harrington are arguably the two best golfers in the world right now. Basically, this is as good as it gets in golf, outside of a major tournament.

Then an official stepped in. He told Woods and Harrington that they were playing slowly and were "on the clock."

Woods then sends his tee shot way left. Harrington sends his way right. Woods recovers and birdies the hole. Harrington implodes and posts a snowman, an 8, on the hole. Eventually, because of this hole, Woods won the tournament.

Woods then had this to say about being put on the clock, “That certainly affected how Paddy played the hole, and the outcome of the tournament. He was in control of the event. He was 1 up with three holes to go and he had a par 5. And you know, when we were put on the clock, it certainly changed everything.”

As Kornheiser and Wilbon said on PTI on Monday, this was very magnanimous of Woods. He certainly did not have to say that. In fact, it is somewhat out of character for Woods.

Then it came out that the PGA may or may not have fined Woods for his comments. There are conflicting reports about this, and Woods maintains that he has not been fined.

To me the point is that they were considering fining him at all. I'm a little sick of officials, refs, umpires, etc., being so sensitive. It has gotten to the point that in some leagues, NBA I'm looking at you, if a player or a coach says anything at all in the media about the officiating in a game, they get fined. Their comments don't have to be derogatory, angry, or even pointed. Any comment equals a fine.

This has lead to officials inserting themselves into games and affecting the outcomes. There is an old cliche that says the best thing an official can be is invisible. No one ever congratulates a ref after a game for calling it correctly. Refs are only talked about when they blow a big call or make some kind of spectacle of themselves. An example of this happened over the weekend too. MLB umpire Ed Rapuano ejected Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino, from centerfield (!), for raising his arms over some ball and strike calls.

Really Ed? You're that sensitive that you can't take a guy raising his arms over a call you made? You're umping a game in Philly my friend. Raised arms are the least of your worries. If you're calling a bad game, as most reports say you were, you should be prepared to hear some ornate and vulgar swearing involving you, your wife, your mom, and your kids.

Officials are human and make mistakes. They should be prepared to hear it from the fans, players, and coaches when they make these mistakes. That is the nature of sports.

Take your lumps, don't cry over every little comment, and move on.

Milk Carton All-Star of the Week.....8/7/2009

We here at Boom Roasted Sports are big fans of self-promotion. As you may or may not have heard, you can now find Gabe and I on Sportstalkbuzz.com as NFL bloggers for the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks, respectively. So, in honor of ourselves, we decided to dedicate America's favorite weekly glorification of obscurity to a memorable player for our respective teams. Since Gabe got the gig first, it was only fair that we decided to rep H-Town first:

The man you see before you is Houston Texans' all-time leading rusher Domanick Williams(formerly Domanick Davis.....more on that in a minute). Williams/Davis emerged on the scene in 2003 as a 4th round pick out of LSU. He became the first Houston Texan to rush for 1,000 yards in a season(an easy thing to do when the franchise was only a year old at the time) and was named the 2003 Pepsi Rookie of the Year(an online award voted on by the fans who are only slightly more biased than the sportswriters who vote on the official award, which, for those scoring at home, went to Cardinals wideout Anquan Boldin in 2003). He would follow up on his breakout rookie season(1, 400 total yards and 8 TDs) with an even more impressive 2004(Close to 1,800 total yards and 13 TDs). That led to a contract extension before the 2005 season. That season would be cut short by a knee injury 11 games in and Davis/Williams would never be heard from again. In 2006, despite clearence from Houston's physicians, Davis/Williams declared himself unable to play and sat out the season. A year later, he changed his name from Domanick Davis to Domanick Williams and then was released by Houston. Two years later, he would inevitably resurface with the Texans under the alias Steve Slaton.

So let's give it up for the man responsible for ending the Jonathan Wells Era in Houston....Domanick Davis or Williams or whatever he's called these days!

5 x 5

If there's one constant in today's society, it's that the American people love lists. It sparks debate. It brings people together. Lists are just guaranteed entertainment. That being said, I composed five lists of five different topics. Now, these aren't rankings(That, my friends, will be coming to you once a week as Gabe and I will be sparking national debate once a week on various topics throughout the year. So stay tuned for that). These lists, however, are more a compilation of various thoughts running through my head. Here goes:





5 Things I Don't Understand.....



1......how the state of New York turned a blind eye to the Abner Louima assault, the Amadou Diallo murder, the Rodney King beating and various other indiscretions over the years but are suddenly anxious to throw the book at a guy who shot himself in the leg in a nightclub?



2.......why the Atlanta Braves' best plan to compete in a deep NL East was acquiring two of the four best players off a Pittsburgh Pirates team struggling to stay over .400.



3......why the Lakers were so arrogant in their dealings in re-signing Lamar Odom, a man who sacrificed personal achievements to come off the bench in a contract year.



4......why the Yankees or Red Sox weren't willing to overpay if it meant securing the best pitcher in baseball, Roy Halladay.



5......why Carlos Boozer isn't a member of the Miami Heat right now.





5 Things That Made Me Laugh



1. The Erin Andrews' 911 Call: First off, I loved how she tried to big time the operator by mentioning how she's all over the news in her introduction and then proceeded to describe herself as the girl who was filmed naked in her hotel room. Secondly, two reporters sitting on your front lawn does not make you Britney Spears, Ms. Andrews.



2. Michael Crabtree's holdout threats: Crabtree was one of the top prospects in this past April's draft, but slid because of, among many things, a ongoing perception that he's somewhat of a diva. Now, the 10th overall pick, is willing to sit out the season until the Niners meet his demand of Top 5 money. First off, assuming he agrees to a deal, the time he would lose in this meaningless standoff is only going to cost him going forward as he'll enter camp way behind in his adjustment to the pros. Secondly, public displays of greed like this aren't exactly going to go over well if Crabtree re-enters the draft next year. Do you think a team picking in the Top 10 is going to grab Crabtree when they know he's going to be a pain in the ass to sign? Michael, you've done nothing in the pros and you already come into the NFL with a lot of questions about your durability, your speed, and whether you were a product of a spread offense, so just shut up and play.



3. As Gabe mentioned earlier, Phil Mickelson's business plan of buying up Waffle House restaurants. Phil, if you really want to go to a place where you can eat without Tiger lurking over your shoulder, you should have bought a Denny's.



4. Eli Manning's contract: A fringe Top 10 QB making Top 3 money? 16 million dollars a year for a QB with no receivers who can't throw in the wind? Look, Eli's a solid QB, but the guys most responsible for his success are either on their way to jail with a hole in their leg or playing on the other side of the ball.



5. Laker fans thinking Ron Artest is an upgrade over Trevor Ariza: No team was willing to give Artest, a headcase who has been pushed out of four NBA cities, more than a two year deal in the offseason. The Lakers gave him 5 years and it came at the expense of Ariza, who would have done everything Artest can do.....except better and for cheaper and without killing your team chemistry in the process. We'll see how much the fans of Showtime will love watching Artest's overrated defensive skills get exposed.....or watch him snap on Kobe after Mamba gives him one of those trademark snarls he's been shooting at Pau Gasol the last 18 months.

5 Predictions For 2009 You Can Take To The Bank

1. The recent Rashard Lewis failed drug test scandal will inevitably lead to at least one story pairing the word "steroids" and the name "LeBron James". When you're as freakishly strong and fast as King James and stories like this Lewis fiasco surface, it's not going to be too long before some lazy journalist starts to let the accusations float.

2. Roy Halladay will be a member of the Boston Red Sox by Christmas.

3. Brett Favre will be a member of the Minnesota Vikings by Thanksgiving

4. Packers GM will eventually realize he isn't strong enough to deal with another QB circus and go against his better judgement by passing on the acquisition of Michael Vick. Vick will then sign with the Washington Redskins after Jason Campbell tears a hammy trying too hard in his contract year.

5. The Cardinals will defeat the Yankees in 6 games to win the World Series and the discussion of whether Albert Pujols is the greatest player of all time will hence forth commence.

5 Fantasy Football Sleepers

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers: Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo and Peyton Manning. All of these guys(and maybe even a couple more) will go ahead of Rodgers in your fantasy draft and Rodgers will once again outperform every one of them with the exception of Brees.

2. Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders: He's too big and too fast to not finish as one of the Top 3 or 4 fantasy RBs by season's end.

3. Deon Butler,WR, Seahawks: This year's Eddie Royal. Yeah, I said it.

4. Laurence Maroney, RB, Patriots: Last year, he was overhyped. This year, he's undervalued and possibly healthy. Plus, there's a reason why we know Fred Taylor as "Fragile Fred". If you're getting him after Round 8, he's a steal.

5. Earl Bennett, WR, Bears: He's probably the Bears' best receiver and he has chemistry with Cutler from their days at Vanderbilt.

5 Fantasy Busts

1. Eli Manning, QB, Giants: Just because the Giants think the world of him, doesn't mean you should.

2. Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers: It goes without saying, but guys who miss precious training camp and preseason time tend because of contract squabbles tend to start slow out of the gate.

3. Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins: Take away his huge game against New England in Week 3, he finishes with 800 yards and 6 TDs. Now, he'll be losing carries to rookie Pat White. Never was a fan and I'm still not.

4. Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Cardinals: Um, we're not 10 days into August yet and he's already hurt.

5. Cowboys Defense: They're a wee bit thin in the secondary and their front seven leaves a lot to be desired. Plus, they're playing in a division with some aggressive offenses and their other opponents don't look very promising for them either(@ N.O., San Diego, Carolina, @ Green Bay).

----Dave

Phil's Diner?

This news broke about two weeks ago, but I just heard about it today.

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/tour-insider/phil-mickelson-bids-waffle-house-franchise-30994/

Evidently Phil Mickelson - through his company GS Acquisitions LLC, is trying to purchase a 105-restaurant Waffle House franchise.

I heard they are only going to serve white bread.

I also heard all of the bacon is going to be made from tiger meat.

It won't be a safe place to eat because there is nothing to protect you from choking.

But, most people won't have to worry because you'll only start to choke on your 72nd bite.

Got more jokes? Leave them as a comment.

Giant Steps?

The New York Football Giants have been dominating the NFL headlines for the last few days and as Boom Roasted Sports' resident Giants fan, I feel I need to share an opinion.

First let's talk about Plaxico Burress.

There is a lot of gray area in the Burress situation, but let me state two truths: One, I miss Burress being a New York Giant, and two, he is an idiot.

When he did what he did last year (for those who don't know, he accidentally shot himself in the leg in a New York City nightclub), I knew he was going to be suspended. My immediate thoughts were about the Giants offense and how they were going to get along without Eli Manning's safety valve. Six foot five receivers with Plax's talent don't come along everyday.

I truly think that Burress carrying a gun into a nightclub is not that egregious. He was doing what he felt he needed to do to protect himself. Many athletes feel this way, and carry weapons or use bodyguards while they are out. These guys are targets, in many ways. They are high profile, recognizable, and rich. They are targeted by gold digging women, family members, jealous men, jealous men who have had a few too many cocktails at a nightclub. Get the idea?

I don't necessarily think that Burress should have taken a gun with him into that nightclub, I just understand why he did so. To me his mistake was not taking the gun into the club, his mistake was taking a gun into a club in New York City, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.

Well, I guess you could say his mistake was carrying a gun into a club in NYC, and tucking it into the waistband of his sweatpants, and then shooting yourself. Like I said, he's an idiot.

Now onto Eli Manning and his new contract. Little Eli signed a six year extension for a reported $97.5 million dollars, making him the highest paid player in the league on a per season basis.

At first I thought, like you did, that is an outrageous amount of money. Then I thought about it for a while. Then I listened to Doug Gottlieb on ESPN Radio on my way home from work, and he brought up the money side of this.

This contract is not about his stats or on the field performance. Eli has spent five years in the league, so we know who he is now. At times he looks every bit the QB who has a sub-par completion percentage and throws lame duck interceptions off of his back foot. Other times he looks like the calm and collected QB who leads his team on pressure packed game winning drives and throws the prettiest post pattern ball in the league. At best he is somewhat above average.

This contract is about the Giants locking up the face of their franchise. This is about Eli being beloved by New York fans. And ultimately, this is about selling tickets. New York fans love Eli, and they will forever. New York fans are peculiar in that they are always suspect of players on their teams, until they win, then they are beloved forever. Joe Namath, Derek Jeter (and most of the mid to late '90's Yankees), Mark Messier, the list goes on. By winning Super Bowl XLIII the way he did (the David Tyree catch), against who he did (the 18-0 Patriots), Eli added his name to that beloved list.

New York fans are going to love him forever, and by locking him up with this contract extension the Giants have taken a step to make sure their stadium is filled for years to come.

(They needed to do something. Those Personal Seat Licenses are ridiculous. I know personally. I was offered mezzanine seats (because I am on their season ticket waiting list) that with PSL's, and the required eight regular season games, two preseason games, and a minimum two ticket purchase would have run me just over $31,000. Anyone got that lying around?)

Steroids.....again???

A few weeks ago I said in this space that I was a little saddened by the fact that Manny Ramirez was caught using steroids and consequently suspended. I wrote about the loss of innocence and baseball being more refined with more sophisticated fans, blah blah blah.

In the time since then I have gone completely the other direction on this issue. In case you haven't heard, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were on the list of players that tested positive for something in 2003.

What happened afterward made me nauseous. The sportswriting/blogging/commentary world went nuts once again. Who else is on the list? Should all of the names be released? Does this taint the 2004 World Series Championship won by the Boston Red Sox with Ortiz and Ramirez on the team? Where do we put the asterisks in the record books?

I am so over all of this, to the point where I am almost done with baseball. Steroids is not important enough to overshadow the game every time some name trickles out. Everyone is to blame for the steroids era. The players, the owners, baseball executives, even the fans....everyone. The players took the steroids, the owners and executives let it happen, and the fans stood by and cheered while homeruns were being launched.

No records should be expunged, or "asterisked", or anything of that nature. Baseball has always embraced cheating. The list is long: amphetamines ("greenies"), scuffed balls, corked bats, stealing signs. Steroids is just another way players have used to try and get ahead. This is all also part of the human element of the game that baseball accepts, along with phantom tags and different sized strike zones.

From now on I'll be indifferent every time someone mentions steroids. The steroid era happened. Everyone needs to get over it.

Baseball is a truly wonderful and glorious game. It is too bad that gets forgotten anytime anything about steroids is mentioned.



P.S. Really, the smartest person in all of this is the guy leaking the names. How much do you think he is getting paid for that?

Cut His Mic Off Award #s 3 and 4.

Over the weekend, we had a clear-cut candidate for this spot. However, just as I was about to type it up, a new candidate emerged to share the honors for our 3rd(and now 4th) winners of the Cut His Mic Off Award. I suppose you can call this the Cut THEIR Mic Off Award.

"The night before the game ... Charlie gave this talk, and then he goes, 'Any Notre Dame fans in here?' ... He had his guys, 'We do something special at Notre Dame,' he said, and they get out and they do this little cheer ... like this ... this little faggot dance.....Don't write that 'faggot' down. I was misquoted," he said. "Just please … cover for me," McMackin said Thursday. "Go ahead, say ‘faggot dance.’ No. Please cover for me on that, too — right Karl [Benson, the WAC commissioner]? I’ll deny it. Anything else?""

- University of Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin

Greg, Greg, Greg....Oh, Greg. A couple "teachable moments" for you, sir. One, in the YouTube/blogosphere/media overreaction era, you never, NEVER, say something that could even be in the slighest bit offensive to the media and then beg them to have your back. Sportswriters and bloggers make a living off taking quotes like this. Secondly, it takes a lot of nerve for you to call anyone a "faggot", considering your team used to be called the "Rainbow Warriors". Also, can you really be the expert on questioning another man's masculinity when you're crying like Nancy Kerrigan in your apology speech? Greg, things have changed since Janet Jackson's Nipplegate. You can't just say stupid, ignorant things like this......unless you're Sarah Palin. That's not to say that what McMackin said would have flied years ago, but in a time of hypersensitivity where more of the world is watching the sayings and doings of someone even as minuscule as McMackin, you've got to be more careful. Greg, if you're going to be a public figure and a mentor to the nation's youth, you have to act like you have some common sense. However, if you want to be a crotchety, old bigot, you can always be a Republican.

"I really got to be honest. It wasn't a lot of major diet changes. (It was) watching what I drink. I was a big Patron consumer. ... That's what it was. I was drinking a lot, drank a lot of alcohol. I cut that out of my diet all the way. I don't drink at all. I cut the drinking, I stopped drinking for six months."

-Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White

When you're a website that promotes a Beer of the Week, it's hard to knock a guy for his acquired taste for booze. That being said, isn't a bit too coincidental that White chose a life of sobriety in the offseason leading up to his contract year? Look, I respect a man's honesty, especially with the media these days, but how much credit do you want me to give a guy for not spending his time off poppin' bottles with top models and actually deciding to show up to camp in shape? Isn't that what he's supposed to do? Last year, White's dedication to the Jessica Simpson Diet got him sent to coach Jeff Fisher's kennel(because he's too big for a doghouse....come on, people!) and that led to the emergence of last year's breakout star, Chris Johnson. Do you think Johnson's increased workload this season played a role in Mini-Buster Douglas' sudden desire to be svelt? Maybe White decided to watch a few more John Basedow infomercials as opposed to KFC commercials when he saw the Titans drafted ANOTHER running back this year(which they've done every year since drafting White in '06), when they used a late-round pick on Michigan St. workhorse Javon Ringer. Hey, the fact that White led the AFC in touchdowns last season despite having the workout regimen of Artie Lange was impressive, but perhaps this wouldn't be such a story if White showed more of a commitment to being in shape earlier in his career. On the bright side, if White's unable to secure that big payday he's busted his hump to achieve, he can always do ads for Patron with this guy:

---Dave

Rugby!!

I've been threatening to do this for a few weeks, so here we go.

I'm going to give you all the rugby you can stomach, and maybe teach you something too.

For the uneducated, the Tri Nations rugby tournament is an annual series of games played between the national rugby teams of Australia (the Wallabies), New Zealand (the All-Blacks, famous for their "haka"), and South Africa (the Springboks). This is one the two premier international tournaments played annually in the rugby world, the other being the Six Nations - played between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales.

This year's Tri Nations is particularly interesting. The teams are top three ranked teams in the world. New Zealand plays South Africa in Durban in a few hours and the winner will be ranked no. 1. Last week South Africa beat New Zealand to end the All-Blacks eleven month hold on the no. 1 ranking. Currently South Africa is no. 1, two tenths of a point ahead of New Zealand. Australia is more than four points behind both of their rivals. For those who are curious, the USA is ranked 18th, and is generally considered a second-tier rugby team on the international stage.

The other big news in rugby this week is the announcement of the host countries for the 2015 and the 2019 Rugby World Cup. England will host the 2015 event, and Japan will follow in 2019.

The choice of England in 2015 makes sense in a traditional way. They are a traditional rugby powerhouse. Rugby has a long and rich history in England as well as a rabid fan base. Boom Roasted Sports is hoping to go on the road for this event (at least Gabe is hoping.)

To me, Japan in 2019 is the interesting choice. Currently they are a rising star on the international rugby scene and this is a great way to grow the sport in that country, and all of Asia. This will allow kids who are teenagers now to watch international rugby, and the upcoming 2011 World Cup and think that they could do that too, and have a chance to play in the World Cup in the host country in a few years.

So there you are folks. My first rugby blog. I've educated, informed, and self-indulged. I hope you enjoyed.