What a day of losses…
The news started with with Bergman, mentioned previously, then went through this amazing cast of characters:
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Archive for the 'football' Category
Vick co-defendant pleads guilty, will throw Vick under the bus
It is widely believed that Taylor’s plea, which had been expected, and his future cooperation could hurt Vick and help the government prove its case against the Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback.
Even better than I expected
Randy Moss!
I know he’s had his moments, but to me this looks like another Corey Dillon situation where a player is coming into New England win. The incentive laden reworking of his contract ought to illustrate that desire pretty well. He left what? 16 million on the table? He’s not coming here to lose…
Who is going to bet against the Patriots this year? I’m not. As far as I can see they’re at least as talented now as any team in the league and they have the best coach. If they stay healthy they, by all rights, should go at least 14-2 and win another Super Bowl. Here’s hoping they stay healthy…
Pats procure incomparable weapon
ESPN.com - NFL/DRAFT07 - Pats acquire WR Moss from Raiders for draft pick
Sports.Random
Baseball
I know it’s early, but I really like this year’s edition of the Boston Red Sox. The pitching staff has the possibility to be the best of my lifetime and the positional players seem like they could come together to be a real force. To my mind, the lynch pins are probably Coco Crisp and the health of JD Drew. If Crisp can be the player he was a couple of years ago (and he’s starting to show signs) and Drew can remain healthy I really like this team’s chances.
And I won’t even get started with Daisuke-mania 
Speaking of early, is it just me or is the blisteringly hot start that Alex Rodriguez is having a complete microcosm of his career? He’s having the best start of anyone, ever and yet the Yankees are basically treading water. I know that the pitching staff has been bludgeoned about the face and chest by injuries, but still, it’s like Texas all over again.
Cycling
Discovery suspend Basso
This is one of those issues that just drives me nuts. Let’s explore why:
- Basso is one of my favorite cyclists (and I’m obviously a fan of Discovery Channel) so I’d be doubly disappointed if he were found guilty- on the one hand I’d be disappointed in him doping and on the other I’d be seriously bummed to not be able to watch him go for the double.
- I’m sick to death of hearing about Operacion Puerto, so anything that prolongs that agony is a bummer
- With this uncertainty I can’t even speculate on the Giro or the Tour. Speculating on these events is half the fun and without knowing who the leader for Disco is at each event I’m seriously out of sorts. Considering I was just getting ramped up on the Giro, that’s a real kick in the nuts.
On the bright side if he is found guilty then Levi will get a shot at the Tour. With the way Disco have been riding (remember, they’ve got a bunch of hardware this year and none of it is from Basso) and with the way he’s looked so far this season (both fit and confident) I’d look for good things from him. It would also open the door a little wider for the most exciting GC rider of them all, Alexandre Vinokourov. That’s a double plus bonus.
Armstrong backs Landis in attacking French lab - Cycling
This is why I wish the B sample was tested by another lab. It doesn’t add any clarity if people believe in incompetence (or worse) from the French. Honestly, with what Armstrong went through nothing would surprise me in terms of conspiracy theories being proven true. I can see an easy scenario where Landis winning, and continuing the America streak, was the back breaking camel straw and sent some lab worker over the edge.
Of course, Occam’s Razor tells me that’s not likely, but because of the French lab doing the B sample test the door is still open for that sort of conjecture. An American lab would have been a better choice.
And on a non-doping note (and honestly it’s been a fun season minus the lingering doping stories), it was fun watching David Rebellin take the Fleche Wallonne today. That’s a cool race. cycling.tv rocks and will completely suck my time away from proper work during the Giro and La Vuelta this year…
Football
European football that is…
Who the hell is going to be the unlucky slob to follow Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United? Obviously being the manager of one of the sport’s premier clubs is a good thing, but following Ferguson is going to be completely thankless.
This, of course, is spurred on by United’s excellent run this season. As of this writing they’re up 3-2 after a stunning first leg of their Champions League semi versus AC Milan, they’re leading the Premiership over a Chelsea team that looked poised to run away with another championship at the beginning of the season and they’re set to take on that same Chelsea squad in the FA Cup final in May. If they win out it will be the second treble of Ferguson’s career and, to my mind at least, a surprising result for a year where maybe not so much was expected from United (mostly owing to the perceived strength of Chelsea.)
(American) Football
I am absolutely jacked for the draft. I’ve never been so excited for a draft ever. Why? The Patriots have had such a great off-season already and with two 1st round picks they’ve got a chance to get even better. I can’t wait.
In light of the Patriots crushing, crippling, soul destroying loss…
I’m switching my entire sporting attention to a blend of cycling and proper football. At least until Baseball’s opening day. To that end, here are some links readers of this blog from the United States might find useful:
Manchester United Official Web Site
Official Site of the F.A. Premier League - Barclays Premiership News, Fixtures & Results
Juventus: notizie ufficiali, foto, biglietti e gadget; i comunicati stampa (although, reallly, I’m just waiting for them to resurrect themselves after the demotion/scandal)
Alexander Vinokourov - Official Website
Official website Robbie McEwen
From Simmons excellent Friday column:
“I can’t believe how well New Hampshire reader Tony Westover summed up my feelings on that whining nickname-stealer LaDainian Tomlinson: ‘I can understand why LT thought it was disrespectful and unclassy that the Patriots started “doing the dance Shawne Merriman is known for.” Imagine if the Chargers won and some of their players went and did the Tom Brady dance at the midfield? Oh wait … Tom Brady doesn’t have a dance because he’s a class act and doesn’t do steroids.’”
Yeah, LT, your Charger teammates sure know all about class:
This video of the Defensive Player of the Year (Steroid Division) Shawne Merriman pretty much sums up the gassed attitude that the Chargers had in the week leading up to this game (they were making Super Bowl plans and holding pep rallies!) To listen to LT spin it last night after the Pats stuck it to Merriman in the middle of their field, you’d think the Chargers hadn’t spent all week talking smack and dismissing the three time Super Bowl champs. The thing is, they did, and spinning that back in the Chargers face, while not being the epitome of good sportsmanship, certainly feels like just desserts to me. Merriman and the rest of the Chargers believed their own press and, for whatever reason (Schottenheimer?) were too stupid to keep it to themselves.
Honestly, I think part of LT’s reaction was based on the fact that he really didn’t think the Chargers could lose. At least that’s what it looked like to me. Which is funny because the Patriots have made a habit of beating overconfident “can’t lose” teams over the past few years (various vintages of the Steelers/Rams/Colts.) How anyone could look across the field at the Pats and just assume an easy victory the way the Chargers apparently did is beyond me. Hopefully, for their sake, they took something away from this game. Of course, as long as Schottenheimer is calling the shots over there I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for them to master the intangibles that it takes to win in the NFL.
And it just gets worse from here.
After a perplexing week of love poems penned by the national (and local) media anointing the Marty Schottenheimer (!) lead San Diego Chargers the reincarnation of the 1985 Bears I now get to squirm my way through yet another week of watching grown men swoon over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
Oh joy.
I’m constantly amazed by the selective memory employed by various analysts. They do it annually with Manning, but watching them give the Patriots no chance against a team coached by Schottenheimer this past week was just excruciating. Hopefully they’ll pull a reversal this week and actually paint the Manning story with a more tethered- to- reality brush, but after the Chargers love fest of the past couple of weeks I’m not holding my breath.
highlights from one of the best college football games I’ve ever seen.
A hook and lateral. The statue of liberty play. Drama galore. What a game.
Honestly, it probably only trails the Flutie Hail Mary game in my personal list.
I don’t watch enough SportsCenter
I had no idea about the insane Miami / FIU fight that took place over the weekend until tonight. Check out the (obligatory) youtube video.
The funniest part of the whole thing is Lamar Thomas, the announcer in that clip, being completely into it. He’s so geeked out by the impromptu reenactment of The Warriors it’s not even funny. The press will be all over this thing for months and the guy is cheering along with the rest of the stadium. Not surprisingly he was fired by Comcast today. Still it makes for interesting listening.