The Phillies won right?
As a Phillies fan, I thought perhaps I was dreaming on Wednesday night.
And just to eff with me, Fox pulled this little stunt...
It's over, Johnny.
Seeing as the World Series is now over, it logically follows that another victory parade will come through the heart of Boston. It's the official Championship Parade City, right? HHR's Chief admits this parade for his glorious Red Sox shows much less enthusiasm than anticipated, but at least there are still good spots along the streets.
Like last year, here is a running photo blog diary of the celebration! WOOOO HOOOO!!! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!
Got off the T early this morning, and look at the crowds! Everyone is headed in the same direction: To GLORY!
Cops haven't closed the street yet, but already people are milling about, probably trying to get a sweet spot to see the Duck Boats and our Championship team. I hope Mike Lowell waves at me again like last year!
OK I am officially confused. But I see a Trolley coming from the other direction! That can only mean one thing: time to hit the street and take advantage of the unobstructed views!
Congrats to our first Iron Ref Playoff Winner, Lady Andrea. In a close race that came down to the final minutes, her tale of loyalty over wardrobe won the hearts and minds (and maybe a few pants of our voters). And like in the real sports world, we see established winners losing to that pesky wildcard.
Next week, look for three more previous winners as we wind down and look to crown the ultimate champion.
WEST VIRGINIA (-3 1/2) at Connecticut: What gives with these two? West Virginia started the year ranked highly, then lost to ECU and Colorado, and now seem to be rolling again after trouncing a faltering Auburn team last week in Morgantown. UConn is much the same way – after climbing into the top 25, they dropped some clunkers against Rutgers and UNC. I think WV QB Pat White is the best player on both teams and he has proven time and again to be a game breaker - I’ll be a front-runner here and stick by the Mountaineers.
MIAMI (+2) at Virginia: Both teams are 5-3 and angling for position in a suddenly crowded ACC Coastal Division. Virginia is scoring just 17.8 points per game and they’re giving up 22.3 points to their opponents, yet somehow they have won 4 in a row. As Dubya would say, that’s fuzzy math that can’t possibly hold up. I like Miami’s ability to score (39 ppg) and I like the fact their getting points here. I’m going with the ‘Canes.
AIRFORCE (-8) at Army: Army football hasn’t been good in a long, long time. Go with Air Force and lay the points.
Pittsburgh at NOTRE DAME (-4 1/2): This game is tailor made for the ‘Stache to lose. Outside of playing spoiler against West Virginia last year, Pittsburgh has a tendency to lose big games like this. It’s not that I’m so impressed with Notre Dame, it’s just that I would be scared to death to actually wager that Dave Wannstedt could win a game that matters.
#23 OREGON (+3) at California: Cal has had their share of problems with high-powered offenses (see their 42-27 loss at Arizona). That’s not so great for the Bears considering the Ducks are scoring 41.5 points per game. Give me the Ducks and the points.
Iowa at ILLINOIS (-2 1/2): The Big Ten season ended last week with Penn State winning at Ohio State. If you’re betting this game you either a) attended one of these schools, b) have been a lifelong fan for one team or the other, or c) you are a hard-core gambling addict that needs help.
Tennessee at SOUTH CAROLINA (-5 1/2): The orange apocalypse is soon to come for UT coach Phil Fulmer. Things are real bad right now in Knoxville – they played competitively in spurts last week against Alabama, but overall the Vols just looked to be outclassed and outcoached. It doesn’t get any better for the Vols considering that South Carolina still boasts a great D. UT only scored 9 points last week; I can’t see them exceeding that total by much, if at all, this week. I’m going with So. Carolina.
#16 FLORIDA STATE (+2 ½) at Georgia Tech: If you haven’t been paying much attention to the ACC this year (and let’s be honest, who outside the mid-Atlantic really has been watching?), Florida State has played well enough to this point to sit tied with Maryland atop the Atlantic division. Although Florida State isn’t blowing teams out and running up the score like they once did, the ‘Noles are winning close games that in recent years they always seemed to lose. Plus, I read that Bobby Bowden has never lost to Georgia Tech. Considering he’s been coaching for 200 years, that’s not very good for the Yellow Jackets. I’m taking Grandpa Bobby and the ‘Noles.
#1 TEXAS (-3 1/2) at #6 Texas Tech: Texas Tech has played very impressively to this point, and their 63-21 beatdown of Kansas last week was an exclamation point heading into their matchup with the Longhorns. Texas is certainly a little more battle tested that the Red Raiders, having knocked off Oklahoma, Mizzou, and Oklahoma State (all top 10 teams) in consecutive weeks. The common denominator in all of those Longhorn wins was their defensive performance, and they will be – by far – the best defense Tech faces all year. These two could very well trade scores all day long, but I really think the Texas D will force a couple of costly turnovers that decide this game.
#5 Florida vs. #8 GEORGIA (+6 1/2) (at Jacksonville, FL): What was more embarrassing for Florida last year: watching the ‘Dawgs jump around like crazy in the endzone or watching the scoreboard at the end of the game? Georgia ultimately won this game in a walk, cruising past the Gators 42-30. Emotions obviously always run high in this rivalry game, but last year’s pasting really seems to have gotten under the Gators’ skin. Georgia has been on notice since the SEC football media days this summer that Florida was gunning for them, so I highly doubt they’ll be caught off guard or fail to match the Gators’ intensity. Florida may well win the game, and I expect that they will. However, I think this game will be much closer than last year, and 6 ½ points is just a tad too much to give away. Take the ‘Dawgs and the points.
Last week: 4-6
In honor of the NBA season starting this week and in conjunction with Halloween jumping off this weekend HHR's Cadillac Mescallade would like to present the 1st Annual Tyrone Hill Halloween Memorial All-Ugliest NBA Team.
Why is he here: With hips wider than a booth at a West Texas Dennys culminating in a face only the Goonies could love, Popeye brought a mid range jumper that was to be feared and a knack for being feisty around the goal. He also brought flamboyant ears that allowed reception of WFAN 660am into the midwest for the first time ever
Why is he here: Emerged from Duke University to sign the leagues first ever 10 year contract earning genius status that a white forward from Duke was guaranteed a decade in the league. Made the receding and then retreating hairline sexy in Cleveland where legend has it he once tagged seven girls from the Bowling Green swim team in a Buffalo Wild Wings bathroom. Take that Humpty Dance. Eventually went shaved dome, won a ring with the Spurs, and now is the Cavs GM where he will ideally let Lebron go to the Knicks.
Why is he here: Bucked the odds by making the NBA out of Central Michigan and now destroys the LA landscape of beautiful grills with a look reminiscent of Harry and the Hendersons. Took his ghastly mug worldwide when he participated for his potentially native Germany at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing opening up a whole new audience to his beauty. Remains a recluse in Los Angeles ala bigfoot, the lochness monster, and bea arthur. Clips owner Donald Sterling recently wrote off Kamans new lucrative contract as a charitable donation. 
Why is he here: He makes the list not so much for his face, but for the hair he once maintained in the league. Sporting the fluid geri curil in the NBA is never a good idea especially for a power forward. Playing in an era where Patrick Ewing generated enough sweat that shower drains were temporarily installed on hardwood at Madison Square garden in the late 80s should say enough. Cage eventually tightened up his look and now has been seen sporting the MJ look.
One thing left me scratching my head last night. I couldn't determine which was more bizarre: The fact that this question was asked, or the answer which Charlie Manuel gave. Let's just say it involves So Taguchi, Billy Martin, Tony Oliva and Rod Carew.
Skip around 1:58 in (3:46mark)...
It's kind of appropriate that tomorrow is Halloween, because we're entering the Dead Zone. You know--that time of year when the World Series is over (for all six people outside the Philly metro area who actually cared) and the unmitigated evil of the NBA is upon us, but see-who-can-find-the-remote-and-hit-the-mute-button-before-Dick-Vitale-can-talk season (also known as college hoops) hasn't gotten here yet.
Scary, ain't it? 
Warning: Contents are flammable. 
The odds were this long!
The Joker enjoying his trip to Florida. The same can't be said for the rest of the Wildcat faithful.
UNT's backup long snapper. 
Free market entrepreneur? Evil bloodsucking parasite? Or your next governor?
The Big 12 (and Thanksgiving--not Halloweeen--weekend) the way God intended it.
People ask me how I feel. Congratulatory texts flooded my phone from friends across the country. I'm almost 30. I live in an area smack between the New York and Philly media markets. for 29 years I've worn a Phillies hat and was greeted by "Phillies suck" by Yankee fans. It doesn't feel bad. That I can tell you.
I have to say- throughout the Series, I felt more confident in Victorino-Feliz-Ruiz at the plate than I did anyone at the top of the lineup. Clearly, Buck and McCarver watched a different Series than I did.
I called my father in the 8th inning. He let me know, "Yeah, now Lidge is going to have his let me walk two batters and give you a heart attack inning."
He was close.
After the game-winning strikeout, I jumped off the couch and for some reason started teeing off on it Balboa-in-the-meat-locker-style, before Ariel tackled me the way Howard did Lidge & Ruiz and planted one on me.
Then I just sat there and took it in.
And by "it" I mean the post-game tomfoolery.
Let's recap...
Welcome Ken Rosenthal to the 'Dumb F*cking Question After a Sporting Event' Hall of Fame
Rosenthal: "Brad, you were perfect all season, how did you do it?"
Lidge (via Fat Willard): "Um, well on April 7th, I struck out the side against the Marlins. Then on April 8th, I threw an 0-2 curve to Hanley Ramirez for a double play...do you have time, this could take a while."
Not to be outdone, the greatest 'Dumb F*cking Question After a Sporting Event' icon, Peter Gammons, had this doozie...
Gammons: "Did you shout when you got that final out?"
Lidge: "What?"
Gammons: "Did you shout when you got that final out?"
Lidge: "I don't know what I did. I dropped to my knees."
Ren: "Peter, did you watch the f*cking game?"
Ariel: "What a stupid question."
Ariel: "Utley sounds like he just did 4 lines of coke."
Never seen Uncle Charlie so happy before.
Pat Burrell dropped the "Shit" bomb on Channel 2 in a post-game interview in the locker room. I'm really going to miss him.
Greg Dobbs will undoubtedly be sitting next to Mitch Williams and Ricky Botalico when he retires in the Comcast studio. In between hitting on the NBC blonde female reporter, he was definitely auditioning for a broadcasting career.
And then I just watched the riotous crowd. Thanked God I wasn't 21 anymore, and began mentally preparing myself for tomorrow's parade.
One last thing...For all the hype that the Rays got, and maybe, maybe rightfully so, they almost blew the series with the Sox and lost 4 of 5 to the Phillies. Get off their nuts.
After each major sporting event, HHR takes a look at how it is portrayed in news print in some of the nation's leading dailies. Part out of curiosity, and part to preserve the dying medium.
Well, it's come to this - people willing to give, pay, or sell anything to see what promises to be a mere 45 minutes worth of baseball. What are the odds that it is infinitely more exciting, and leads to a new league promising 3 innings only with a do or die home-run derby in the event of a tie? No more starters, closers, mid-relief - and you can drink through the entire game! It could be call the XBL and would have cheerleaders and... yeah. I know. Odds are probably as good as craigslist being a place where upstanding citizens go to rationally discuss the issues of the day and barter in good faith. Speaking of which, let's see how much brotherly love (aside from all the m4m postings) the sellers and their prey are showing each other:
Stay dry- sell me your tickets
Basically the vibe I am getting from this buyer is that there is no way to go to the game and not get wildly, incoherently drunk.
CLICK HERE - Two LL Seats $1,400 for pair
I'll be straight with you, you can never pay too much for LL Cool J tickets.
I need a miracle! Stub me down bro! I need game 5
Anyone else have the urge to tase this dude? I don't even know what "Stub me down" means. I'm still working on deciphering what A licky boom boom down means. But I do know that when used at the end of a sentence, the word "bro" means I should punch you in the trachea.
Trade iPhone for Phillies GM, 5 Tix
If I were Gillick, I would at first be insulted. Surely he is worth more than an iPhone. But before reacting, he should find out if it's an old one or a new 3G one. Those things are pimp.
Trade eagles tickes for World series suspended game
Here's your chance to see history, people. Be able to say you saw what others saw in 1980. That's right, I'm talking about the chance to see the Eagles in concert. Not since Eagles Live was released has there been such excitement about Don Henley wincing as he sings. At the mere price of a boring old 'world series' victory! Newsflash: Someone wins the world series every year! Make this trade immediately. It's like stealing candy from a geriatric Joe Walsh!
WHO IS WILLING TO MAKE MY DREAM COME TRUE?
If the dream involves you funding my raging gambling addiction while I fornicate with chesty cheerleader squads made of Marisa Miller clones, after a day spent training delta forces in the subtle arts of supermodel seduction and long distance axe-throwing, then yeah, I'll take a crack at it.
I am looking for 1 ticket for the completion of game 5
This buyer seems to be inferring that Game 5 has blue balls. There is no other way to read it.
A Blowjob is still a job
At my house it's more like an unpaid internship.
I'd Like my Son 2 experience what I did in 1980
You want him to see a boozed up Glenn Frey wobble through the lyrics of Take it Easy, while your home team wins the World Series? You must fucking hate your son.
Though not exactly known to be craigslist ninjas, let's see how the Rays fans are doing. I picture them permanently on edge, anxiously hoping to bring the series back to the Trop. Willing to pay whatever inflated prices the scalpers on craigslist are charging. These are die hard fans, who sense they are on the ground floor of a new and unexpected dynasty! What they are willing to sacrifice in order to see a game 6! Onward to Glory!!!!
my c*ck hasnt had any attention in weeks
Couldn't have said it better myself. Enjoy the games!
No one represents thug life like a Manning.
This is for all you sports fans out there who moved away to another city and know the suffering that can come when you dare to spread your wings.
Maybe you rooted like hell for the Mets all your life, but you found a good job in Atlanta in 1990 and had to watch the Braves and their lukewarm fan base dominate the entire decade. Maybe you're a rabid cheesehead from Green Bay, but you went to college in Texas and had to listen to "America's Team this," "Greatest Team Ever that," for four agonizing years. Maybe you got transferred to Boston...from anywhere outside New England.
Or maybe you're a die-hard Cubs fan, nursing wounds that have wounds that have wounds, and through marriage, you settled in Philadelphia. And there you are, right now, with the big "Red October" wave ready to drown you. The Phillies are going to win the World Series.
You have to know how much that hurts.
You try to lay low, but you can't escape feeling like a sad, lonely outsider. You're the only adult in the room not covered head to toe in candy-striped polyester jerseys and National League Championship tee shirts so new you can still smell the Modell's clerk's rank cologne. You're the only one not gabbing about your plans to hit McFadden's at the Ballpark tonight, just to be part of the scene when IT FINALLY HAPPENS! You're the only one who thinks Bud Selig acted out of genuine administrative responsibility -- and not an evil conspiracy to screw the Phillies -- when he decided to suspend Game 5 in the sixth inning. You're the one happily admiring the snow as it falls outside your office window -- snow that will ultimately force Game 5 Postponement, Part 2 -- because it's so much better than watching endless inane Phillies reports on local TV news ("Today at 5, meet the team's newest fans, just-born twins Chase and Cole!")
This must be how non-sports fans feel when a team from their town makes it big.
Well, actually, what I've learned over the past few weeks in Philly is that non-sports fans jump on the bandwagon with both feet. Suddenly, folks who a few weeks ago wanted to debate you that baseball wasn't a sport because the players "don't run enough" (true story) are bouncing up and down and asking you why you're not excited, oh my God isn't this exciting, come on you have to be excited!
Excited? Really? When the team you live and die with has just pulled your heart out and stomped on it for the 30th time in your 30 years on Earth -- perhaps more painfully this time than ever before -- nothing short of a time machine and magic pixie dust would get you excited.
It's hard not to be bitter in times like these. You try to put on your best face, not be outwardly hostile to people who've done nothing to deserve your wrath. OK, well, if we're talking about Philadelphia, that's a little different. You're not apt to wish success on those who've leaned over and yelled in your face, "Go back to your F-ing city," again and again, year after year. You're not apt to wish success on those who, according to reports this week in the St. Petersburg Times, curse at and pour beer on children wearing Rays gear.
In fact, when those people find success, it makes your lack of success all the more depressing. You find yourself feeling jealous of people you'd never really want to be, and that...sucks.
So that's where we are, dear displaced sports fans. It's going to be a long, hard winter.
After being trounced by Florida 65-3 this past Saturday, the University of Kentucky football team announced yesterday that QB Mike Hartline had lost his starting job to freshman phenom Randall Cobb.
This move shouldn’t have caught anyone off guard – UK’s offensive unit is lifeless, averaging only 14.25 points per game in SEC play. Hartline hasn’t done much to help his own cause either – against the Gators, he completed 7 of 13 passes for just 33 yards. He did throw one TD pass, but he threw it to the wrong team – his interception to start the second half was returned 40 yards for a Florida score.
Understandably, it is frustrating for any athlete to come to grips that they’re losing playing time, especially at a position as high-profile as QB. One thing is for sure, however: Hartline is definitely not hiding his frustration over the demotion. From the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader:
"I'm disappointed. It stinks. You don't ever expect to win the starting job and then lose it because the guys around you aren't performing the way they should."
I’m not sure how well liked Hartline is within his own locker room, but I’m going to venture a guess that his reaction hasn’t won him any new fans among his peers.
In the meantime, I’m proposing a new helmet sticker for the Wildcat players who still are on the field.
Remembering Dean Barnett, a Red Sox blogger (Red Sox Monster)
Thanks to NJ.com's Shabe for passing along this story that was posted last night by Mike Kinney and Mark Mueller of The Star-Ledger.
Two suburban schools refuse trips to Newark for football
Two suburban high schools refused to play football games tonight in Newark, citing worries about safety after a spate of drive-by shootings in the city Friday left two people dead and another injured.Sure, Newark has made strides in reducing violent crime. But fact is, it's still a major issue. For the life of me, though, I can't understand how officials, who are well aware of the area's troubles, can be in such denial in regards to childrens' safety.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School and Cranford High School balked at playing games rescheduled from last Friday and Saturday. Newark school Superintendent Clifford Janey had suspended all athletic events districtwide while police were hunting for suspects in the Friday afternoon shootings.
The decisions by the suburban schools underscored Newark's struggle to shake its reputation as an unsafe city, even as it has seen far fewer homicides this year than last year. The city has recorded 52 slayings so far this year, compared with 83 over the same period a year ago.A Newark city spokeswoman, Esmeralda Diaz Cameron, called the schools' choice "unfortunate.":
"This past Friday's shootings were not random acts of violence and did not occur on the premises of any of our schools. Newark is the largest city in the state, and over the past two years we've made dramatic progress in fighting crime. Newark is currently the number one city in the country for violent crime reduction, and we have had a 40 percent reduction in crime compared to last year's statistics."Shabazz athletic director Faheem Ellis: "That's not fair to our home fans and the people of Newark. And it's definitely not fair to our kids. We have plenty of protection at our home games in Newark. It is not an unsafe situation for an opposing team."
While Central High School agreed to a neutral field in keeping with a decision by the Mountain Valley Conference of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, Shabazz athletic director Faheem Ellis rejected a similar decision by the NJSIAA's Watchung Conference.
This round's theme:
---------------------------------------------------
Did my eyes just fail me? Did I just see an accused rapist, drunk driver, accused adulterer, but definite stripper aficionado , and Tony Hawk dancing around in their underwear selling a product to children?
Proceeding from my awestruck, this commercial may have a reverse affect by providing thousands of kids an "oh shit" moment when they see Phelps riffing. "Is that what I look like?" "I rock the axe cooler than him, right?" "Maybe I should dust off Madden."
Let me explore the space a little more on Michael Phelps. I thought he was going to pull a hundred million in endorsements after his record breaking Olympic Games. All I have seen is a low budget AT&T commercial. Don't gold medals have a life expectancy of 3 months? I already see a gymnastics rock jam coming to a city near me. I know he is not struggling already pulling in over $5 mil a year and living with his mom, but he might want to stop scratching the dog and kick it up a notch.
Back to the commercial. Why is Kobe lip syncing? Does the game have an attachment that measures lip and tongue movement? Because the knockoff that Guitar Hero is knocking off requires actual singing. Come on Kobe, aren't you America's sweethheart again? Isn't that why you received a call to do this after being sent to the corner for 4 yrs, ehm Sprite, ehm McDonalds. I thought you were this great competitor? Let's hear those pipes.
Unfortunately, this commercial was set to fail the moment A-Rod pranced onto the screen. Everyone knows if an athlete is going to be the spokesman for Guitar Hero, the first call is to this guy:
By giving to "charity," we wonder if that means he plans to extend Chad Pennington's contract.
From the SunSentinal via Drudge:
Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga said Sunday no date has been set for selling up to 45 percent more of the team to Stephen Ross, but the presidential election is among the issues weighing on his decision.
That's because a Barack Obama administration is expected to mean higher capital-gains taxes.
"He wants to double the capital gains tax, or almost double it," Huizenga said. "I'd rather give it to charity than to him."
Ross purchased 50 percent of the team and Dolphin Stadium for $550 million earlier this year with the intention he would eventually become majority owner. NFL owners approved the eventual transfer this month, meaning it can take place anytime.
"If you do it this year or you do it next year, the difference is humongous because of the taxes," Huizenga said.
Among the naked cowboys, overwhelmed Midwestern tourists and panhandlers, New Yorkers may have noticed people parading around the Big Apple looking for a pick-up game. Then again, maybe they just blended into the city's backdrop.
Tomorrow, to tip-off the NBA season, Kia Motors (in partnership with the NBA) will be building a full-size basketball court on an elevated platform, a 3-story DJ tower, and a 8X10' video wall and a live broadcast ESPN 1050 Radio with Michael Kay at NYC's Union Square from 7am to 7pm.
The event is free and will feature current Knicks players, Knicks and other NBA legends and the Knicks City Dancers, along with several other celebrities (like Spike Lee) signing autographs and participating in basketball challenges on the court.
While I am guardedly optimistic that somehow the New York Knicks will improve this season with a coaching staff that doesn't have Isiah Thomas, I am also well aware that it might be struggle at MSG in 08-09. Keep in mind there are still many holdovers on the court from last season - most notably Eddy Curry who's picture appears in the dictionary next to a definition of "lumbering." Joining him is Stephon Marbury, who, while wildly talented, is a complete wildcard and the Knicks have made no secret they are trying to get rid of him. Yet, in a move straight from the movie "Eddie," Mike D'Antoni may pull a Whoopi Goldberg and play his best player because they have to pay his contract. Regardless of how that plays out, there is the potential for a silver lining on this Knicks season should things go south - and I'm talking about more than just David Lee who is already cemented himself as the new fan favorite.
I speak about Patrick Ewing Jr. The Knicks front office made moves to obtain the recent Georgetown graduate and now it's down to final cut day with one player needing to go to get the Knicks roster down to 15. The candidates to take the Survivor walk of shame are: Ewing Jr, Anthony Roberson, and one of the cardinal sins of the Thomas era, Jerome James.
James is the obvious choice as he rarely gets a chance to rise from the bench and will not get any burn with D'Antoni at the helm. The problem is, he signed up to steal 14 million dollars over the next two years and that is a tough pill to swallow. Second is Roberson - who has a contract (but a small one) and is one of 73 guards the Knicks have on their rosters. He could go, but I have no real problem with him. Finally, Ewing Jr, who has no guaranteed contract but brings so much to the Knicks.
Immediate nostalgia with his Hall of Fame dad and the Knicks' winning days, not to mention what he does on the court. Is he going to win a jump shooting contest? Probably not, but he is just a super energy guy, someone that would fit great in the new D'Antoni system. If anyone saw him posterize one of the Menendez twins the other day at the Garden or his follow-up jam against the Celtics you know he can create energy and highlights, things that have been lacking.
I'll be honest. I'm completely biased. Patrick Ewing was and is my favorite Knick of all time and to have a Ewing back on the roster would be great. But in all honesty when you look at the other options, its a no brainer: James is the answer. He has been a bust since he arrived in NY and as part of the sweeping changes of the Walsh/D'Antoni regime it's time to ditch him and bring back some good times to the world's most famous arena.
Exhibit A in the dismissal of a Mr. Jerome James
I wonder how many calls the TOSU coach is fielding from heartbroken Buckeye fans.
Dr Drew & Coach Jim
We mentioned a little over a week ago that we were asked as a part of a group of bloggers to submit some of our favorite SI stories as the magazine kicks off its online archive, The Vault.
Now posted are not only HHR's staff favorites, but also those from Free Darko and The Sports Hernia.
I have no love for Tim McCarver. His commentary in the 8th proved why. After ogling over the way BJ Upton's speed single-handedly produced the Rays' game-tying run, in the bottom of the inning he chastised JP Howell for all the attention he was showing to the Phillies' baserunner noting, "the one that can hurt you is the one with the stick in his hand." Howell then proceeded to pick off Werth at second.
I have an issue with Elmer Fudd's post-game presser Saturday.
JOE MADDON: "I'm really happy with our team. I have to reiterate with all of my love that we take chances. I love that they're not afraid to make mistakes. That's why we're going to win."
Right. Kind of like all those chances he likes to take...
Welcome one and all to the final rounds of Iron Ref, where we pit previous winners against each other to determine the Ultimate Iron Ref (Ed: Ironer Ref?) of 2008! It begins.... NOW! KEEYAH!
Grimey is the creator of the blog LOL Jocks, where he takes photos of athletes and adds humorous captions. He's also a frequent commenter on Kissing Suzy Kolber, and has contributed fantasy football picks to Mass Hysteria. He would have used a photo where he has a little sunnier disposition, but goddamn is that one awesome beard. See his previous winning submission HERE.
Lady Andrea is a recent law school grad who has decided not to practice law so as to hold on to the remaining pieces of her soul. She can be found on Ladies..., Bugs & Cranks and Zap 2 It. She enjoys all things Iowa Hawkeyes and St. Louis Cardinals, her mom's cooking, bad reality TV and winning at Trivial Pursuit. She does not enjoy whiners, the Cubs, Those Guys, and people who start ignoring their fantasy teams thus allowing their opponents to walk all over them and snatch victory from Andrea's hands. See her previous wild-card worthy submission HERE.
Brian Bassett of TheJetsBlog.com, has blogged about the Jets (how about that for self-loathing?) pretty much every day since September 2004, starting his blog as a cathartic outlet due to living in and amongst "Patriots fans." You know Patriots fans ... they are that group of people who didn't exist before the team's second SuperBowl victory. Brian has unsuccessfully tried to ruin sites like FanHouse and The Grey Lady's football blog, Fifth Down. See his previous winning submission HERE.
Over the next several weeks, HHR will be interviewing 20 and 30-something-year-olds in various careers in professional, amateur and collegiate sports to get a take on how they broke into their respective industries and to offer tips how ambitious sports-related job seekers might do the same.
Today, we interview Steve Masterson, recruiting manager for Game Face Inc. Steve consults with over 400 major league, minor league, and NCAA teams nationally and internationally representing sports ranging from football to lacrosse. As recruiting manager, Steve specializes in assisting entry-level job seekers break into the sports industry. Day-to-day, he consults with presidents, vice presidents, and directors of teams in regards to recruiting, staffing, and management issues. Since college, Steve also found time to launch and operate the Sports Business Education Network, a free networking resource specifically for the sports industry.
What better way to help people gain knowledge of breaking into the sports management arena, than by interviewing someone who helps teams find people looking to break into the sports management arena?
Name: Steve Masterson
Age: Old enough to rent a car
Position: Recruiting Manager
Organization: Game Face Inc.
College Major: M.S. Sport Management, B.S. Sport Management
Prior Sports-Related Experience: North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Arena Football League, GameDay Consulting, WFAN 660, the YMCA, and the Sport Business Education Network (founder)
You worked for WFAN. Are you a Mike or a Mad Dog partisan, and how much better are Carton & Boomer?
Having worked with Mike and the Mad Dog, as well as a being a long time listener, the split was definitely jarring. I can’t pick sides. Those two guys created and popularized the sports talk radio format that is so prominent today. I’d prefer to remember both parties as pioneers. As far as Carton & Boomer, I haven’t had the pleasure of listening to them, so I can’t compare.
Tell us about the company you work for, Game Face Inc. - the services offered to both job seekers and employers - and then also your specific role with the company. It almost seems like a hybrid of a head hunter service and educational crash course.
You are closer than most. To truly understand Game Face, it is best to understand our history and how we evolved.
Our story starts in 1990 when our President, Rob Cornilles, joined the Los Angeles Clippers as a sales guy. At that time, the Clippers were contending with a crowded sports entertainment market – MLB, two NFL teams, Gretzky was passing through town, major college football and basketball programs, and let’s not forget Magic across town winning championships. Entering the industry with no training and little experience, Rob had to discover a path to success. Within a short time of starting, he topped the Clippers sales board and eventually moved into management. As a manager, Rob reflected on what made him successful and developed his own sales and service training philosophy and methodology.
After finalizing his new techniques, Rob shared the training with others. Within a short time, Rob caught the attention of the NBA League Office in New York City. Quickly, the NBA realized that whatever Rob was sharing with his staff was working. He was asked to share his ideas with other teams in the NBA. The results were undeniable. The other teams Rob worked with saw similar results and this caught the attention of other teams from other leagues. An entrepreneur, Rob founded Game Face in 1995.
Between 1995 and 2000, our primary function as a company was live training. Since 1995, we have trained over 25,000 executives and have been in over 400 front offices nationally and internationally servicing teams in every major and minor league sport. During that five-year period, we broadened our reach developing strong relationships with presidents, vice presidents, directors, and up-and-coming executives in management today. We also earned the title as the top sales trainers in the industry. Between our strong relationships, bird’s eye view of the industry that can only be developed by visiting so many front offices, and training expertise we started being cornered by team presidents … in a good way! Leaders of sports organizations recognized that we not only consistently exceeded expectations training top talent, but were also adept at identifying established and up-and-coming talent.
The entrepreneurial side of Rob struck again when he recognized that Game Face was uniquely positioned to assist teams develop, identify, and acquire top talent. The Game Face Search Division was born in 1999. Our Search Division focuses primarily on filling sales, service, marketing, and management positions throughout the industry. With two subdivisions, one department within the Division focuses on assisting established executives with proven track records advance their careers. The other department within the Division specializes in assisting entry-level job seekers break into the industry. Since 2000, we have assisted over 500 job seekers break into the industry into full-time sales and service positions. We have never placed anyone into an internship. The primary mode for identifying and developing talent is the Game Face Executive Academy. The Academy is an exclusive two-week training session held at our headquarters in Portland, Oregon. The two weeks are filled with the same training that has propelled our business to the forefront of the industry, included a great deal of one-on-one time with the Game Face Search Division discussing career strategy, interview techniques, and insider industry information, and culminates with a project for one of our hundreds of professional team clients. Celebrating our 50th Academy in January 2008, we have successfully placed 75% of graduates in full-time positions in sports.
Business has exploded, specifically our live training and consulting services division. We are on the road in team front offices more than ever. As a result, we’ve taken the Academy on the road to team facilities and university conferences in an effort to broaden our reach and identify more star candidates for our team partners who rely on us as a source of entry-level talent. We are finalizing an event schedule for next year. If you are interested in more information on our events or how our Search Division may be able to assist you break into sports, please email me directly at stm@gamefaceinc.com.
You can also click here for more sports career insights (PDF).
Assuming a great number of young job seekers are always looking to break into jobs in sports, what is the benefit of a team or franchise using a company and service Game Face, as opposed to doing the work in-house?
That is a great question. The reality is that there are far too many people who want to get into the industry and not nearly enough jobs available. Put yourself into the seat of your typical sports manager. Also consider that most teams do not have a human resources department. On a day-to-day basis they have to:
A) Run a department of 20+ people
B) Do THEIR jobs
C) Answer to the fans AND the owner
D) Work 15+ hours if it is a game day.
When in the world would anyone have enough time to effectively review the hundreds of resumes that come pouring in every time they have an opening? As someone who gets anywhere from 20 to 100 unsolicited resumes in his inbox everyday, after a while they all just start looking the same!
Our Search Division streamlines the hiring process for teams. First and foremost, we handle the volume of inquiries. Sports is a small industry, but hundreds of thousands of fans want to break in without the slightest idea of what the industry really wants in an employee. We filter through these candidates and identify those with great attitudes, those with strong communication skills, those who are serious about selling, and those who have the willingness and ability to get their careers started. Sacrifice includes the ability to relocate, the ability to handle a few years of low wages at the beginning of your career (average $30k), and the willingness to work where the industry needs you, whether that is with a major league team or a minor league team. I’ve had candidates question me about MY willingness to relocate. For the record, I picked up and moved 3,000 miles across the country from New Jersey to Portland, Oregon, to accept my ideal position in sports. Most people will have to do something similar to break into this industry.
Second, we prepare our candidates for a career in sports. Game Face candidates receive the same training the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Celtics and on and on, have been delivering to their people for the last 13 years. The logic goes…if those teams want their employees to have these skills, wouldn’t it benefit you to have those skills too!?
Third, we don’t just send a list of candidates to a client and say, “Good luck!” We establish a thorough understanding of the position they are filling, including required skills, the corporate culture, compensation info, benefits, estimated start date, et al. and make sure the candidates we present are a good fit for the position and interested in the job. We then present a concentrated list of the top candidates we have available to the hiring manager, and facilitate the interview process.
Literally, all a hiring manager in sports has to do is give us a call and describe their job. Within a few days, they’ll have a list of five-to-ten eager, qualified, pre-trained candidates interested in the job ready to interview. The first round of interviews are typically completed within four days cradle-to-grave.
Now, if you are a hiring manager, would you rather spend hours and hours away from your family sorting through thousands of “doctored” resumes trying to figure out who will make a good employee? Or, would you rather make a quick phone call and have outstanding candidates hand-delivered to you?
As for the candidates, we take a vested interest in your success. If we choose to put our name on you that means we are engaging in a partnership that includes marketing of your candidacy directly to decision makers with teams with whom we have a strong relationship, interview preparation and coaching, feedback from interviews (don’t you hate when you don’t get a job, but never find out why?), guidance once you receive a job offer(s), and support AFTER you take the job. Game Face candidates are high performers in the sports industry for a reason and that is because we invest ourselves fully into the people we work with.
Are most of the jobs you place entry level or more executive in nature?
Our Search Division has two branches. One side is devoted to executive and management level positions, while the other branch specializes in assisting entry-level job seekers break into sports. Entry-level placements outpace executive and management level placements based entirely on the comparative number of positions available on each level. In any business, there are more front-line staffers as compared with managers.
What qualifications are most employers looking for? Any specific experience levels or education backgrounds?
Qualifications…well, from us, Game Face sales and service training! Our candidates get hired because they have the skills to hit the ground running from day one.
It always helps to have previous sales experience and earning a four-year degree is important (having a four-year degree is required by most of the organizations we work with), though I haven’t observed any specific educational background that might give a candidate a particular advantage when trying to break into sports.
Now, in my personal experience, students with undergraduate degrees in sport management (sport administration or any derivative) are, in general, more prepared for the industry than your typical college graduate. This is a direct result of the work that dedicated sport management professors perform every day. We, at Game Face, feel professional, dedicated educators do not get enough credit in this country for the important work they do.
What type of jobs are generally most sought out by users of your service?
Full-time and non-internship. I’m sure you wanted a specific department. See below for that answer.
What type of jobs are most employers seeking to fill?
Revenue-generating positions. The fact is the two biggest expenses any team will have are the facility they call home and player expenses. Everything else centers around covering the bills related to those two assets and making a profit (or minimizing loss). If you are successful bringing in revenue, you have a career in this industry.
Based on these answers, what would you recommend to students looking to get a job you might potentially be looking to fill - courses, experience, internships?
Our training. I know, it sounds homerish, but there is a reason teams come back again and again to utilize us as a source of the best talent available.
What is the weirdest/most interesting job title you have seen so far (and if you can say where, all the better)?
One minor league executive we work with is referred to as “GERT.” Or, “Guy Everybody Reports To!” To clarify, this executive oversees every aspect of three minor league baseball teams. His official title is, “General Manager.” We prefer GERT!
Some teams (like the Red Sox) have hired beat reporters to become full time bloggers. Is this a trend in the making, or are teams open to the idea of hiring bloggers who have experience... blogging?
I think the truly talented, serious bloggers of the world will always have a place in the media scene. Unfortunately, the barriers of entry to become a blogger are non-existent. As a result, you have a lot of knuckleheads giving blogging a bad name. I hope teams pay attention to the professional bloggers and not the irrational fans who can’t string a sentence together.
What has been your proudest moment as a recruiter for Game Face?
I’d say it was the first time my President told me he trusted me. When you work hard for the big moments, you expect the results. Often, it is the small things that catch you off guard. I went home very happy that day.
Do you see many mid-career switchers or do you mostly focus on college students and the next generation?
We get a nice demographical mix of candidates. In fact, here is a breakdown.
Typically, most of the people we deal with are between the ages of 22 and 25, but we stress diversity. Our teams don’t have a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to hiring, so it is in our best interest to cultivate a deep pool of talent. Diversity is very important to us.
One interesting success story centers around a professional who was 65 years of age when we got our hands on him. He had a successful, long-term career with a Fortune 500 company before coming to us to transition into sports. He wasn’t the kind of guy who could “retire,” so a career in an industry he loved made sense for him. He tried taking a sports management course online but found that didn’t prepare him nor qualify him for a job with a team, but after completing our training we were able to successfully place this individual with a minor league baseball team in the same town where his granddaughter calls home.
The Sport Business Education Network (SBEN) is unlike most sports job resources, mainly because it is free. Tell us about starting that up, its usefulness and its growth.
The original SBEN was developed back in 2003 as project for a college class. The idea came to me during my very first sport management class. My professor made a huge point during one class about how important networking was to our futures in the sports industry. I went home that night and used what was a relatively new search tool at the time, Google, to see if there were any sports career networking sites online. To my dismay, there weren’t. I decided, why not me?
The SBEN is a free resource and will always be a free resource. In my eyes, it serves two functions:
1) Provide a central point for all the great resources on the web dedicated to assisting people break into this tough industry
2) Provide a central point for networking and the sharing of great ideas
So far, we’ve accomplished both!
Also, don’t rule out “fee based” job boards. They do a good job serving the industry. If you have the resources, I’d recommend checking out the two biggest, www.jobsinsports.com and www.workinsports.com. A free job board to consider is www.teamworkonline.com.
What feedback, positive and negative, do you get from users on the site?
Surprisingly, I’ve gotten 100% positive feedback from users on the website. Keep in mind the current incarnation of the site is a result of five years of mistakes, successes, feedback, and trial and error. Back then, I did get a lot of feedback, but from the ashes of the old website I’ve been able to build a valuable resource, which serves a very specific market free of charge. I think the positive vibe around the Sport Business Education Network is a direct result of the efforts put in by early members and volunteers. Although, for the sake of space, I can’t name each and every person involved in the site in one way or another, I want them to know I thank them all for caring and nurturing the concept!
Personally, how do you compare your current work with that which you've done in the past? The other places you've worked seem like the sort of jobs you are placing people in. Any temptation to just get back into something like them as opposed to what you are doing now?
I’ve been in the industry and sometimes I miss the feeling of being in a ballpark on game days, but I’ve really lucked out and found my niche. I’m very good at what I do and I’m eager to continue improving. As long as the opportunity to develop and grow is here at Game Face, I don’t anticipate leaving. Although, I’m not really sure what my future holds! Candidly, I get job offers from clients all the time!
What are your ultimate career goals?
I’m not sure. Unless someone knows something I don’t know, I’ll be involved in taking Game Face to a whole new level. Perhaps my future lies in another industry. One way or another, I look forward to making a positive impact on this industry and on the lives of thousands of people before all is said and done.
What's the most rewarding part of your current job?
Most rewarding part of my job…serving our clients. When I say “client,” I am referring to both candidates whose careers we assist launch and the satisfied hiring authorities who thank us for our efforts. It feels really good to assist so many people achieve their dreams!
Biggest perks?
Biggest perks … the relationships and my mentors. I’m on a first name basis with hundreds of executives in the industry. I can’t say I expected that at such an early juncture in my career.
I also have the BEST bosses in the world. They would call me a partner. I’ve been blessed enough to learn from the sports industry’s best sales trainer and a true visionary, a Harvard MBA with over 20 years of business experience, a staffing industry expert and business-builder extraordinaire, one of the best and most seasoned sales managers in the industry, and a former high-level NBA executive.
Not bad company!
Biggest hassles or obstacles?
Biggest hassle…dealing with the unrealistic expectations of job seekers. This is a cutthroat industry. Game Face has a proven track record of guiding people into the industry and throughout their careers. Some job seekers decide they know more than we do about the industry and refuse to accept the realities of what type of job they’re qualified for, what skills they need to develop, and what sacrifices they may need to make to acquire a job in sports – lower starting pay, longer hours, you probably aren’t starting your career with your favorite team, you are probably going to have to relocate for your first job in sports, and sales is the widest door into the industry.
As successful as we’ve been, we don’t have a magic wand. If a job seeker doesn’t accept the realities of the industry, no matter how talented they are, they probably aren’t going to get in.
Anything you would have changed during college to better prepare you?
Wow, this is an interesting question. Obviously, I wouldn’t be where I am if I hadn’t followed the path I took, but…I probably would have saved more money, cut back on my student loans, and would have delved into sales earlier in college. As far as money/student loans, most college students don’t think about the ramifications of the loans they take for education. I know I didn’t! My loans aren’t outrageous, but I deal with many college graduates who have to pay the government as much as $1,000 per month for the next 20 years to pay off their loans. How do you survive on an entry-level salary (around $30k), when $12,000 of it is going to Uncle Sam? $1,000 is more than a monthly rental payment in most cities in America!
As far as sales experience, I understand now that everything is about sales. Whether you are negotiating, developing a relationship, servicing a client, communicating with your boss, or…actually selling…you need these skills. I can’t stress this enough.
You're GM for the Pittsburgh Pirates. What are the first three things you implement to turn the team around?
1) Pick up the phone
2) Dial (503) 692-8855
3) See what Game Face thinks.
In all seriousness, we’ve worked with a number of people in the organization and they have made a couple of excellent hires recently. I predict better times ahead for the organization.
Contact Stephen: stm@gamefaceinc.com
---
See all our "So You Want to Work in Sports?" Features Here.
HHR contributor Woody passes along this gem (which he probably saw at EDSBS):
I'm all for admiring the strengths and skills of the opposing team, but Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel took it to a new level when recently talking about Texas QB Colt McCoy.
"I said HUG ME not LICK ME."
I am finding that I am experiencing the same difficulty that ESPN will have on Saturday. What do you talk about when Curlin is more likely to win than Chance getting an STD on Real Chance of Love?
Thankfully for ESPN, they have deep pockets for the 5th Grader musings of Kenny Mayne to fill some time. Anyone want to take a guess at the comedy stylings of Mayne this go around? Most likely: Curlin and a curling iron. Holding out hope for: getting beaten by a riding crop.
Unfortunately for you, I am but a sports blogger with an empty wall where a gallant TV once stood. So, let me do a quick hard nose analysis of what I see in this race:
Curlin is good. He has never competitively ran on a synthetic racetrack before, but his warm ups at Santa Anita are showing that he is still all balls.
Early speed is lacking in this race and that Slytherin Todd Pletcher knew it so he entered Fairbanks. If Fairbanks goes uncontested, he could steal this thing, but I think Curlin is too good to let that happen.
Plenty of foreigners in this race, and I am American so I don't like that. If a commie put a gun to my head, my favorite foreigner is Duke of Marmalade because he knows the distance. Casino Drive is a big question mark because we don't know if he will go for the lead or stay back. He is bred for distance, so I imagine he will stay back, but nonetheless he has never been in a race like this before.
Student Council and Raven's Pass are sounding like hype horse to dust up some drama. No way Trainer Steve The Assman allows Student Council beat his precious Curlin.
My Plays:
Curlin to win in the exotics, not straight up because you won't win much.
Curlin keyed in an exacta box with Fairbanks and Go Between.
No Usain Bolt in here to run away with this sprint.
The Sprint is always my favorite race to watch and handicap. The gate, the turn and the stretch is all it is with everyone going full tilt. Set it up, feel it out and finish, skip the foreplay.
This year's sprint has several horses gunning for the lead: Fatal Bullet, Fabulous Strike, Blackseventeen and maybe Cost of Freedom and First Defense. In Summation and Sing Baby Sing will try to stalk the pace, while Street Boss and Midnight Lute will drop back. Because of the Santa Anita synthetic track, the speed horses are going to wear down as quickly as an Obama presidency. I think this sets up for the closers.
I would look for Street Boss, who knows the surface and is a quality steed, to finish with a good move. I don't know if the move finishes with twirl or a knuckle though. I'm staying away from Midnight Lute no matter what Trainer Baffert and his cronies say about his comeback.
My Picks
Street Boss to win
In Summation across the board
We're getting close to the scariest time of the year. Around this corner are friendly folks looking to hand you sweets and goodies, just for asking. Around the other, blood-sucking ghouls looking to steal your soul. But then you find out they're the same person! Every one of them hiding their true identities behind a mask, each more frightening and hideous than the last. Yep, it's election time.
Boo.1. I’m The Cynic, and I Approved This Message
This time of year, we always hear a lot of talk about Washington, DC politicians flip-flopping. Well, apparently Potomac Fever has spread outside the Beltway and is infecting neighboring states. Have there been any more split-personality teams this year than Virginia and Maryland? For Virginia, the season started with a blowout loss to USC (no real shame in that) and then a 16-0 shutout over Richmond, putting the Cavs at 1-1, right where most people thought they’d be. But then things got weird—UVA was humiliated 45-10 by UConn and 31-3 by Duke (yes, that Duke). The Cavaliers were 1-3, with their three losses coming by a combined score of 128-20, and the scribes were already writing Al Groh’s obituary. But a funny thing happened on the way to oblivion—UVA started playing football. They destroyed Maryland 31-0, beat East Carolina and, most recently, upset #18 North Carolina in overtime. Suddenly, UVA is sitting pretty at 4-3. Admittedly, their schedule doesn’t do them any favors down the stretch. But as odd as their play has been this year, I don’t want to even try to predict which ones will be wins and losses.
If it’s possible, Maryland has been even more unpredictable this year. The team that struggled to beat Delaware (14-7), lost to Middle Tennessee State and got shut out by Virginia is also the same team that beat #23 California and #20 Clemson and shut out #21 Wake Forest.
With all this flop-flopping going on, I halfway expect to see Al Groh or Ralph Friedgen on the election ballot.
And you thought Dick Cheney was a heart attack risk.
2. Maybe Brett Favre is Tipping Off UW Opponents?
Save the badgers.
Go into the Light, Coach Long. There is peace and serenity in the Light.
Hold that block, or see me after practice.
At least the Natty Light supply is safe.
The Phillies make me ill. ILL.
I could take a swing from my living room here in Trenton and come closer to hitting a pitch than either Dobbsy or Werth can when they are standing in the box.
Pathetic.
To get a better understanding how I and other Phillie fans across the Delaware Valley feel, check out Lee Jenkins' article in this week's SI, "Historically, We Suck."
Then, all you Ray's "fans" should check out Leitch's "Will's World" piece in this week's Sporting News. Fans. Heh.
It's all about perspective.
Speaking of perspective, here's some things I observed tonight while struggling to keep dinner down thanks to Philadelphia's abysmal performance thus far.
Speaking of Baldelli and balls...
In these tough economic times, it’s encouraging to know that if you invested in HHR’s pick ‘em recommendations last week, you would not have lost any money. Can the S&P 500 say that? Of course not! So stick with us, and we’ll get you through the rough waters in the weeks ahead.
We know that for you betting fanatics, a 5-5 record is not real encouraging. We’ll consider last week a lesson learned – but we’re back now with a vengeance ready to improve on that .500 mark. Here we go:
#23 BOSTON COLLEGE (+ 3 1/2) at North Carolina (5-2): At 5-1, Boston College seems to be enjoying life just fine in the post-Matt Ryan era. After spotting Virginia Tech 10 early points last week, BC came back to beat the Hokies 28-23. Meanwhile, North Carolina inexplicably lost in overtime last week at Virginia, a game I was sure they were going to win. I’m still mad about the UNC game, so my vengeance pick this week is Boston College on the road and getting the points.
CINCINNATI (-1 ½) at Connecticut: Acutally, I have two vengeance picks this week: UConn let me down last week with a pitiful performance at Rutgers. In fact, every time I’ve picked UConn this year I’ve been let down. So I’m going the other way now - I’m convinced that the Huskies have peaked and will finish no better than fourth in the Big East. Meanwhile, there’s at least one football team in Cincinnati that is playing halfway decent this year, and I’m definitely not talking about the Bengals. In the latest AP rankings, the Bearcats stood just outside the top 25. The Bearcats only loss this season came at Oklahoma, which isn’t too shabby. Take Cincy and give the points.
NOTRE DAME (-11 ½) at Washington: What’s to like about the 0-6 Huskies? That’s a rhetorical question – don’t answer. Plus, how sadly ironic is it that Notre Dame will be hammering one of the final nails in Ty Willingham’s coffin this weekend?
#8 TEXAS TECH (+ 1 ½) at #19 Kansas: Texas Tech is undefeated and averaging close to 46 points a game. This will be the first time the Red Raiders will have faced a top 25 opponent this year, but offensively this matchup may work in their favor. You see, the Kansas D got exposed quite a bit by Oklahoma’s passing attack last week; bad thing for the Jayhawks, then, because Texas Tech slings the ball on just about every play from scrimmage (343 pass attempts vs. 174 rushing attempts, nearly a 2:1 ratio). Guns Up! I like TTU and the points.
MICHIGAN STATE (-4 ½) at Michigan: I’m calling for a mercy killing for Michigan’s 2008 football season. Somebody end this now.
#7 Oklahoma State at #1 TEXAS (-12 ½): Has anyone played a more brutal stretch of games over the past couple of weeks than Texas? Having defeated previously unbeaten Oklahoma and Missouri in back-to-back weeks, does Oklahoma State really stand a chance? 12 ½ is a ton of points to give to the Cowboys, but considering how well the Texas D is playing, the line sounds reasonable.
VIRGINIA TECH (+5 ½) at #24 Florida State: Quietly, Florida State has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence this year – the ‘Noles are 5-1 and are tied with Boston College atop the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Virginia Tech won this game last year in Blacksburg, coach Bobby Bowden’s first loss to the Hokies, so you can bet that FSU will be out for some revenge. However, VA Tech is a decent defensive team, and I just don’t think FSU is offensively powerful enough to put the Hokies away. I’m looking for a close defensive struggle – FSU should win, but I don’t think they’ll cover.
#9 Georgia at #11 LSU (-1 ½): Georgia and LSU are two pretty evenly matched teams – both are probably about 2nd best in their respective SEC divisions. Death Valley is an awfully tough place to play on a Saturday night (what, with 90,000 well-lubricated Tiger fans screaming for blood), and outside of Knowshown Moreno, I don’t think Georgia’s really got the offensive firepower to challenge LSU’s D. If they were getting a few more points, I might be tempted to take the Dawgs, but since they’re only getting 1 ½, I’m taking LSU at home.
#2 Alabama at TENNESSEE (+ 6 ½): Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer made a career out of beating rival Alabama, and he might need to do it again Saturday in Knoxville in order to keep the critics calling for his head at bay. Their coach notwithstanding, the Vols have the size and girth to avoid being pushed around by ‘Bama’s offensive and defensive lines, giving me reason to believe Tennessee will keep this close. I still like ‘Bama to win the game outright, but I think Tennessee covers here.
“Is this over yet?”
Over the next several weeks, HHR will be interviewing 20 and 30-something-year-olds in various careers in professional, amateur and collegiate sports to get a take on how they broke into their respective industries and to offer tips how ambitious sports-related job seekers might do the same.
Yesterday we interviewed SI.com Senior Producer Jimmy Traina. Today we followup with his counterpart, best known for his work with SI on Campus, SI.com Web Producer Andy Gray. Andy, who now oversees SI's free online archive The Vault, took a much different path to his current position than did Jimmy. He talks about that path, his sports preferences and being a conduit between the magazine's old and new media infrastructures (among other things).
Remembering the lack of advice and direction he he received in getting there, Andy is more than happy to talk sports and career with our readers. Feel free to drop him a line.
Name: Andy Gray
Age: 31
Position: Web Producer
Organization: Sports Illustrated
College Major: English (I also have a Masters from Columbia Journalism School)
Prior Sports-Related Experience: Wrote a couple fantasy stories for ESPN, that's about it.
Can you give us an overview of your current position (and some of your priors), and the course by which got you there?
I am currently in charge of The SI Vault, SI's complete online archive, which launched in March. It is my job to figure out ways to make our old stories and photos relevant to today's sports scene.
Prior to this, I was in charge of SI on Campus since its online inception in September, 2005. I was responsible for writing Campus Clicks and finding content for the rest of the page.
I got my official start in journalism as an Editorial Assistant at the Harvard Business Review in Boston. This was a good job because it gave me a real nuts and bolts lesson on how a magazine comes together. I also happened to be there during a fantastic scandal in which our Managing Editor had an affair with a married Jack Welch (all the info is here -- I replaced the 22-year-old editorial assistant she was sleeping with prior to Welch, though some people still think that person is me).
I stayed there for over three years, but decided that business was way too boring for me and I wanted to be in sports. Unfortunately, nobody would give me the time of day, so I went to Journalism school. This was a good experience because I'd never written for a school paper or anything and I needed to learn the basics. The program was only a year and when it ended, I had a summer internship at SI.com (this was the summer of 2005). Toward the end of the internship, my boss offered me a full-time gig and here I am.
And that's my story.
As an English major, what were your expectations upon graduation? How did you end up getting into the Editorial Assistant position at the Harvard Business Review - was it a path you were pursuing or was it what was available?
I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation. I thought I’d maybe follow in my sister’s footsteps and become a lawyer, so I worked as a Clerk at a firm in Atlanta. Unfortunately, that made me realize I didn’t want to become a lawyer. I ended up at a dot-com in 2000, just as the bubble was bursting. I stayed there six months and was laid off. I saw an ad for a job at HBR, applied and got it.
If my math is correct, you were in your mid-twenties - arguably old by intern standards - when you were interning at SI. How did you make ends meet?
I was a 28-year-old summer intern, living in a dorm room and doing busy work for people younger than me. That was a bit depressing, but you gotta suck it up sometimes. The internship was paid and they provided free housing, which made it easier from a financial angle.
Given the situation as you described it, going back to school "to learn the basics" when met with road blocks in trying to break into sports journalism, what did you find more valuable - the education or the piece of paper?
Definitely, definitely, definitely the piece of paper. Journalism school, to me, was a waste of time. I had some great professors and learned a lot, but I also ran into a bunch of people (students and faculty) who took themselves way too seriously. Plus, the school (Columbia) had a strong anti-sports bias and I always felt like a second-class citizen because I was more interested in sports than politics.
How has the transition been from overseeing SI on Campus to the more meticulous task of preserving history with the Vault? Have you found it more professionally rewarding and challenging?
SI on Campus was a little more irreverent, which I enjoyed. But it was a challenge because I was directly responsible for finding all the content on the page, whereas producers for other sections opened their email and the story was waiting for them. As for The Vault, it’s a little less pressure on a day-to-day basis because most of the content is already written.
Take us through an average day.
I arrive at work around 9am. I usually talk to Hot Clicks guru Jimmy Traina for 5-10 minutes about Gossip Girl, pro wrestling or sports (usually in that order). Then I put together our “This Day in History” gallery (which we call “Back in Time”). We have an edit meeting at 10:30 where I find out what we’re featuring on The Vault that day. I try and change the theme every day to correspond with what’s going on in the sports world. That usually takes me until lunch. After lunch, it’s a bunch of planning bigger projects, meetings, returning emails and phone calls, etc. I may also have to cover for another producer who’s out of the office, so that can often change my day.
You still do Campus Clicks. What is the balance of sources for the material - how much is it stuff that you find through your daily browsing/reading compared to reader submissions?
I do Hot Clicks and Campus Clicks still, but not on a daily basis. I have a few blogs I always visit (Big Lead, HHR, Busted Coverage, Awful Announcing, Mr. Irrelevant, Barstool Sports) and those help in finding items. Another great site is Ballhype, which collects a bunch of different blog stories. I also love to find weird, random items so I’ll visit Yahoo’s Odd News section as well as Fark. I don’t receive a ton of readers submissions, but I try and include them when I can.
Is there anything specific you look for when determining content?
My thought is that if I find something interesting, chances are the reader will as well. I try and avoid stories that have been beat to death a hundred times over. Last year, I can’t tell you how many videos I saw of various people doing the Souljah-Boy. I mean, it was funny for a while and then way overexposed. I also am a big TV fan, so any time someone compares, say, a team to characters on The Brady Bunch or something like that, I will put it in. Lastly, I’m a proud native of Americas’ greatest sports city, Boston, so I try and sneak in a Boston sports item if I can.
Campus Clicks and Hot Clicks are favorites among sports bloggers given their large readership and subsequent traffic referrals. Have you had any indication on how SI on Campus is received by SI journalists, editors and players and programs alike?
I think some old school SI journalists don’t love Cheerleader of the Week or even Hot Clicks, but I don’t like a 2,500-word story on a 1929 Army-Navy football game, so to each their own. I do think athletes enjoy reading it. At SI on Campus, we do a feature called Campus Cribs where we take pictures of some athlete’s dorm room or apartment, which I know athletes love. But to be honest, some things don’t work. I tried doing college lax and hockey power rankings and I think 12 people read it, total. The value of the web is that you can try different things and see what works and what doesn’t.
How big of a task is it managing the Vault, given the magazine's rich history and vast archives? You describe it as your "job to figure out ways to make our old stories and photos relevant to today's sports scene." Can you give us examples?
Managing the Vault can be a little daunting, but at the same time, I’m getting paid to look through old sports stories, so I can’t complain. To me, the biggest challenge is making the stories interesting to a younger generation of readers. When you think about it, most people who want to read about Joe Namath’s tenure with the Jets are over 50-years-old. Those people, however, are not the most web-savvy folks and many ignore the web altogether (except email and CNN.com). So there’s a bit of a disconnect. One way to make these stories relevant is to have prominent sports figures and media personalities give me their favorite SI stories. So people may not care what Andy Gray’s favorite SI stories are, but they do care about Bob Costas or Chuck Klosterman’s favorites. The Back in Time galleries are good too because I put links to old stories near the item. For instance, Mike Tyson may have won the WBC Heavyweight Title 20 years ago today, and I’ll also link to a story detailing his troubled marriage with Robin Givens. Nobody would think to read about that, but put it in front of them and they’ll read it.
Why was the decision made to convert these archives online now - for free no less?
This was a strategic decision and a damn good one if you ask me. Think about it – would you really pay a monthly fee to read old Sports Illustrated stories? Would anyone pay that? Probably not, but put them on for free and people will check them out.
One thing you need to understand is that SI.com is one of the few mainstream sports sites without a TV station affiliated with it. Yahoo is another, but they get so much traffic from their fantasy games that it’s not much different. SI needs to distinguish itself somehow, and what distinguishes us is our history. We’ve been around since 1954, longer than anyone else, so we need to play that up. The Vault lets us achieve that goal.
How much autonomy are you given with each of your roles - with On Campus and with The Vault? What, if anything, is specifically off-limits?
My bosses are great with autonomy. I pretty much give them an idea and they give me the green light to go ahead with it. The only this that is “off-limits” is posting an item with nudity or in poor taste in the Clicks. But that’s kind of common sense.
What attracted you to want to work in sports journalism? Were/are you a rabid fan? Favorite teams?
My whole attitude towards a career is that if I’m spending half my life in an office, I better enjoy what I’m doing. And what guy doesn’t love sports? As a proud native of Framingham, Mass., sports are a part of life growing up.
As for favorite teams, it goes Celtics, Celtics and Celtics. Basketball is my favorite sport and I grew up during the Bird-McHale-Parish days. I also love football and think Bill Belichick is the greatest coach in NFL history, times 20. I actually tried to write a Sportsman of the Year essay last year on all the charity and good deeds he does that go without public notice. My bosses shot it down. I guess in this day and age, you have to be a self-promoter to get any credit (see Parcells, Bill; Billick, Brian; Edwards, Herm). Whoa, sorry for the tangent.
You've covered college sports. There are some real partisans who either prefer the pro game or the college game. What's your preference? What's your take on the differences between the fan bases?
I would take pro sports over college sports any day of the week. I know this is a hot-button issue, but when you grow up in New England, there isn’t a lot to choose from. And I’m not a BC guy, which is just about the only major football school we have. College hoops are great – I actually used to have class with Marcus Camby at UMass – but I just think the NBA game is much better.
Plus, when you think about it, you’re generally born into your pro sports affiliations based on either where you grew up or what team your parents followed. You have no choice. But then you turn 18 and can suddenly apply to – and become a fan of – any school you choose. That being said, I went to UMass during the Calipari glory days, so I guess I am a bit of a hypocrite.
What's the harshest criticism you've received from either subjects you've covered or readers? Most positive?
Oh man, people really hate me at some places. I’ve always had a thing against Notre Dame and I’ve been called out by students there for being biased against them. Some of the other descriptions are not appropriate for a family-friendly website like HHR.
As for positive, my parents met someone in Switzerland who read Campus Clicks and knew who I was. So I’m big with the Swiss. That’s exciting.
"Big fans." 
"Call me." 
"Flattery will get you everywhere."
"Please open your text books to Chapter 3."
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is the main stage for prospective Kentucky Derby contenders. In a sense, it is like the lottery picks in the NBA Draft. You have the top prospects, but only a few of them will make it. The winner/first pick rarely succeeds in the Derby/NBA. On racing night/draft night you are taking a shot with them, but in the end they are highly priced and will likely disappoint you. Inevitably, along the way you will see a few stars, a majority will burnout, be injury prone or shot. But because of the rules and excitement, you need to play the game and gamble on them.
David Stern with Square Eddie.
My Plays:
If the Rays showed us anything last night, it was that reliever JP Howell has mastered the art of Josh Beckett voodoo douchebaggery.
It might only be a small connection (or more likely no connection whatsoever), but while Barack Obama has been portrayed as the bball hoopster, perhaps he is more of a water polo guy.
Funny how USA Water Polo, which phased out this logo in 2007 in favor of a shield-look, has some similarities to the Obama '08 campaign logo. Circular look, stripes of the flag running beneath, you get the idea.
While California is the area most known for water polo, there is a growing hotbed of talent in the Chicago-area. Perhaps he can help popularize one of the greatest sports in the water. Now that is change we can all embrace.
You want to go to the first game of the world series? Well, you are going to need tickets. Sure StubHub could offer you tickets at ridiculously inflated prices. And since you are in St. Pete, you might as well try and drum up a date for the night with ridiculously inflated... ummm, 'tracks of land.' But that would require two different websites, and hiding two different unexplainable expenses from your loved one. Like manna from heaven, craigslist is there for you. Craigslist - for those too lazy to use Stubhub and Adultfriendfinder separately.
I need 3 Rays Phillies tickets-GOOD SEATS ONLY
This is like saying, "I would be willing to kiss a woman for the first time - but ONLY IF SHE'S A SUPERMODEL." If I may relate a personal anecdote: I have a friend Jimbo who blacked out one night and managed to hook up with a slightly tipsy and undeniably out-of-everyone's-league gourmet college cheerleader. The best part is, he patently refuses to go back to the kinds of girls he used to get, even though he has no recollection of the event, and heard about it second hand from his friends. The kid is on a strict self-imposed hot chicks only regimen. The real victims here are, of course, the hot chicks.
TRADE DIAMONDS ,GOLD , JEWELRY 4-2 GAME 2
This sounds like a bad country song. Maybe the best way to go is to ask for payment in gold bouillon. Because if they say yes, they are definitely a Bond villain. So that's kind of cool.
WANT RAYS TICKETS TO GAME 2, WILL TRADE BUCS CLUB SEATS
This person is willing to opt out of seeing the first game of the Rays' first World Series for the likes of Ike Hilliard, Jeff Garcia, and Joey Galloway. Granted, club seats are nice - but you can't polish a turd, you know? Even if you don't have Bucs Club Seats, consider offering this person front row seats and a backstage pass to your friend's new band. He might bite.
Watch Tampa Win...Watch me perform on Cam (Free!)...at the same time!
While both are free, it comes at the steep price of your dignity and the ability to unsee what you just saw. The best part? "Please be a woman and have a cam (or willing to talk on phone). I don't have time to play games trying to guess if you are a male pretending to be a female." Let me second this sentiment - if someone is going to be sticking an eggplant up their butt, the least you could do is show some respect for their time, and not be weird.
Last attempt for tickets
Pretty sure this is a suicide threat/note.
2 upper Deck Tickets Tonight!
I wrote an ad just like this once, but craigslist made me put it in the 'casual encounters' section. I'm not sure why. Like this person, I was selling tickets to anyone who wanted to watch me drop a deuce in the top shelf of my neighbor's toilet. Huh. Maybe it's world-series themed? Who knows. Anyway, my neighbor is out of town, so I also have two tickets. Call me!
Travis Tritt 10/24/2008, 8:00 PM
Guarenteed bad country songs!
TRADE OR I WILL PURCHASE 2 LOWERS NOW , GAME 1, PLEASE CALL
Well this is definitely a threat. I can see the S.W.A.T. Team negotiator now: "DON'T DO IT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PURCHASE THOSE TWO LOWERS. I KNOW THINGS ARE NOT GOING YOUR WAY.... BUT I PROMISE THERE IS A WAY OUT... WE CAN FIGURE OUT SOMETHING TOGETHER. MAYBE BOX SEATS FOR A POTENTIAL GAME 7. HOW ABOUT BUCS CLUB SEATS? OK! OK! JUST KIDDING, PLEASE STEP BACK FROM THE LEDGE! UMMM... DO YOU LIKE TRAVIS TRITT???" (craigslister jumps). Aaaaaaand.... Scene.
PAMPER YOURSELF in the WHITNEY BANK CLUB
As I mentioned last time, I am unfortunately a member of the Whitney Bank Club. She who loved me hard and broke me harder. At first I thought this was some kind of spa or luxury post for other scorned men going to the game, but now I realize it's a Public Service Announcement. You see, many of us have been reduced to slobbering, incoherent psychological basketcases. Maybe it was from aggressive public fornication at travelling circuses, or perhaps a result of waking up in a different gutter every night wondering how you crossed so many timezone's in a single evening. But one thing that suffers from the repeated waves of adrenaline, ecstasy, and eventual withdrawal is a man's continence. So if you are going to watch the World Series and get excited - do the right thing and put on some pampers.
And what about Philadelphia? What are the classy people in the city of Brotherly Love doing?
WILL TRADE SEX FOR PHILLIES TICKETS
Enjoy the game, everybody.
The last time the Phillies won a World Series, members of this year team was too young to remember, if they were born at all. None were from the Philadelphia area, and each was too busy doing what kids do.
Let's take a look back at where the 2008 starters were 18 years ago.
Starting Pitcher, Cole Hammels, b. 12/27/83, San Diego, CA
The gods had not yet bestowed upon us their majestic offspring. Only chose to do so following the 1983 World Series loss to the O's.
Closer, Brad Lidge, b. 12/23/76, Sacramento, CA
Crapped his pants so much at the thought of the boogy man hunting him down at night in the darkness of his room, his drunk father nicknamed him "Lights-On Lidge."
Catcher, Carlos Ruiz, b. 1/29/79, David Chiriqui, Panama
At the height of their popularity, Van Halen's world tour took them through David Chriqui. 9 months later, Carlos was born. He is said to be the inspiration for their-yet-to be recorded hit "Panama" - one of the few big hits Ruiz has ever been credited with.
First Baseman, Ryan Howard, b. 11/19/79, St. Louis, MO
Was a 300-pound almost-1-year-old already adored from here to Calcutta.
Second Baseman, Chase Utley, b. 12/17/78, Passadena, CA
Not yet 2 years old, little Chase and his little do-gooder buddies spent their days saving kittens.
Third Baseman, Pedro Feliz, b. 4/27/75, Azua, DR
His family was so poor that instead of cleats, young Pedro had to make due with creating shoes from Pedro Guerrero's discarded rolling papers and syringes. It only made him a better fielder.
Shortstop, Jimmy Rollins, b. 11/27/78, Oakland, CA
Seethed as he watched a young Stanley Kirk Burrell (no relation to Pat) make a name for himself as a world class bat boy for the A's. Was soon accusing Stanley, who went on to become MC Hammer, as being a fairweathered frontrunning Oakland fan.
Left Field, Pat Burrell, b. 10/10/76, Eureka Springs, AR
Not yet a machine, or a South Beach or South Street playboy, young Pat was just a bumpkin hillbilly in rural Arkansas.
Center Field, Shane Victorino, b. 11/30/80, Wailuku, HI
Was then known as the "Flyin' Semen."
Right Field, Jayson Werth, b. 5/20/79, Springfield, IL
The one-year-old son of this handsome couple:
Over the next several weeks, HHR will be interviewing 20 and 30-something-year-olds in various careers in professional, amateur and collegiate sports to get a take on how they broke into their respective industries and to offer tips how ambitious sports-related job seekers might do the same.
Today, we interview Jimmy Traina, age undisclosed, Senior Producer at SI.com. A name known universally to sports bloggers, Jimmy runs the Extra Mustard page and Hot Clicks section at SI.com.
Name: Jimmy Traina
Age: Ugh.
Position: Senior Producer
Organization: SI.com
College Major: Broadcasting
Prior Sports-Related Experience: Worked at WBAZ radio on Southold, Long Island, Scorephone and AP
First, tell us about your work prior to SI. What were you responsible for at your stints at WBAZ, Scorephone and the AP.
At WBAZ, I was on air and read news. I hated it. It was a very local station and they wanted me to do reports on the Strawberry Picking Festival taking place that weekend. I was miserable and the job sucked. At Scorephone, I recorded sports scores and news updates every 15 minutes. That was a fun job. And at AP, I wrote game previews.
Can you give me an overview of your current position, and the course by which got you there?
My current position is Senior Producer and my responsibility is handling the Extra Mustard page and writing Hot Clicks. I started at SI eight-plus years ago as an editorial assistant and basically worked my way up, becoming an associate producer, producer and now senior producer. At one point or another, I've worked on almost every sports section on SI.com.
Basically, I run the Extra Mustard page on SI.com and write Hot Clicks. In addition to putting out Hot Clicks every day, I edit and post the rest of the Extra Mustard columns, do the production work for those columns.
Before the page was "Extra Mustard," it was "Scorecard Daily" and I did the same thing minus Hot Clicks. Before that, I mainly edited and produced columns for various sports across the site. I started here 8-plus years ago, and got the gig through a friend who was working here at the time.
So it's who you know not what you know?
Who you know plays just as big a role in landing a job in sports as anyting. The other big factor is luck. I think what you know is a very small part of it.
It seems you have mostly editorial responsibilities. How much original work do you produce for the site?
Well, I produce Hot Clicks every single day. I also produce our weekly "Did You See That" (formerly called "Caught in the Act") photo gallery. I'll also put together other photo galleries (Leryn Franco, Minka Kelly, Maria Menonous -- do you see the trend here?), do interviews and other miscellaneous features.
Given your college major and your experience in radio, did you ever think you'd not only get a job in print media, but remain there as long as you have? Any interest in pursuing something on-air or are you content with the direction that your career has taken you.
I wasn't focused on getting in radio or TV as much as I was focused on just getting a job in sports. The Internet really came into play just as I was finishing college, so the timing worked out perfectly for me. I think in this day and age, working for a sports site is just as good, if not better, than working for a sports radio station or sports television station. I'd have interest in pursuing something on air, but I'd still make sure I had some Internet presence as well.
We've seen you describe this elsewhere, but it's been a standard question that we ask...Can you take us through your typical day?
Get on my Long Island Railroad train at 7am. Fire up my laptop and start going through e-mail. I get to the office at 8. I either listen to Howard Stern on the Internet or, these days with it being election season, I put on Morning Joe on MSNBC or Saved by the Bell on TBS, and I go through even more email and start surfing the 'Net and I start to put together Hot Clicks. A big part of that is finding the photos to use. Some days, that takes more time than you'd think. I work on Hot Clicks until 10:30, when we have our daily staff meeting. After that meeting, I clean up any typos in Hot Clicks, switch out or Campus Clicks section, update our Hot Clicks Facebook page, and then I get started on my other work for the day. But all throughout the day, I'm still surfing sites for the next day's Hot Clicks and I'm still dealing with tons of emails.
How many different blogs do you have bookmarked in your web browser?
More than 200.
And what are your must-visit straight news sources?
Hmmm. I can't say that I rely on straight news sources much these days. I do read the NY Daily News and NY Post first thing every morning. The first sites I tend to go to are Drudge Report, Huffington Post, Perez Hilton, People.com, Big Lead, Awful Announcing and Ballhype. I usually check those 7 sites first each day and then go from there.
On average, how many emails do you receive from bloggers looking to push some of their work? How annoying does that get?
I don't know how many I get but I do know that I can't keep up with it anymore and it usually takes me a couple of days to respond to emails. I easily get more than 100 a day. The only time I get annoyed is when it's clear that someone has had all their friends send me the same link, and I get 10 emails within 2 minutes of each other, all telling me I should check out the same link.
Do you consider yourself a king maker and pseudo-celebrity among the blogosphere?
I definitely don't consider myself a pseudo-celebrity. I wouldn't say I'm a king maker, either. I'd say that I do have a little bit of power in that I can drive traffic to places. But I think that's more of SI.com's power than my power.
Which blog would you consider the model by which others would be best served emulating and why?
I think there are a lot of good blogs out there and there are different ones to emulate depending on what you want to do. The key is figuring out exactly what you want to be. Do you want to focus on one specialty a la Awful Announcing, which covers the media, or do you want to cover the entire sports landscape, a la Deadspin. Once you narrow that down, I'd say, just use a simple, basic, plain layout that doesn't shove tons of ads into the readers face. I'm a big fan of With Leather's layout because they really draw you in with a big, eye-catching photo. The Big Lead also has a simple, yet eye-appealing layout. And I'm still a fan of blogs that use the simple Blogger format, a la Mac G's World and The Big Picture.
When compiling Hot Clicks, is there anything specific that you look for in terms of content and/or format?
I'm just looking for things I think the readers will enjoy. I have to appeal to the regular SI.com reader and the blog audience, so things that have a broad appeal work best for me. The funny thing is that I think bloggers think they have a better chance to get picked up in Hot Clicks if they send me something chick related, but the truth of the matter is it's much harder for me to find good sports links that T&A links. Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate the links that have to do with eye-candy. But I have the SI Swimsuit collection at my disposal, so I always have that in my back pocket. But unique sports pieces are harder to find on a day-to-day basis. I can't really say that there's anything *specific* I'm looking for. I know what I'm not looking for, though -- anything that's just straight analysis.
Do you take the time to read all of your email? Or do you have an intern to weed through all this daily armchair babble?
I definitely read all my email. I try to replay to all of it, too -- and I used to up until recently. But I'd say I still respond to about 90% of it. I don't have an intern but I want one -- badly. I want to do some sort of Hot Clicks contest where I find an intern, but I don't think the powers that be at SI.com would go for it.
While there is an (unnecessary) riff between new and old media, SI has gone as far as to list best team blogs in its print editions. Other sports news sites, and most papers, have brought on their own authors and set up blogging features on their respective websites. Your position is unique in that you deal with both factions very intimately. What is your take on the simultaneous adoption of blogging platforms by the MSM and their vocal displeasure with many independent blogs?
I am in a unique position because I work for an MSM site but the main part of my job is dealing with blogs. The ironic thing is that I'm not a blogger and I don't really consider myself part of the MSM, so the whole thing is screwed up from my perspective. I'll just say this: I think sports fans *need* MSM sites AND blogs. MSM sites can't do or say what blogs can say or do. And blogs aren't gonna break as much news as MSM sites. So I think both have an important role in today's sports media landscape. In my opinion, blogs are the voice of the fans. The MSM can't be that (although there are plenty of MSM members who are clearly fans of teams and players, though they'd like you to think otherwise), so blogs are only gonna gain in popularity. But the MSM still has access that most blogs will never get. So they'll always have that advantage. I say everybody should just get along and love each other.
How long do you foresee staying with SI, and what would your ultimate career goals be?
I don't know and I don't know. Hot Clicks has only been around for a year and a half so I've been completely focused on that and haven't really thought about the future too much.
Do the big wigs at SI purposely put teams they want to fail on the cover or do they deny the curse exists?
Ha. Good question. I don't think they do, but who knows.
You seem to have an affinity for old school wrestling.
Greatest tag team ever and why?
Oh man. I think I'd have to go with the Road Warriors. I used to be legitimately scared of them when I was kid. The face paint, the spikes on their shoulder pads, the vicious way they wrestled... I was in awe but petrified at the same time.
Better 1980's Champion: Hogan or Flair?
Ric Flair, hands down. I never ever got the whole Hulk Hogan thing. Even as a kid, I always wanted the bad guy to beat him. I always thought he was incredibly boring. Flair, on the other hand was anything but. From the robes to the hair to the Four Horseman and all the hysterical sayings (Space Mountain, to be the man, you gotta beat the man, etc) Flair, was a billion times more entertaining than Hogan.
Let's play a little word association:
Vince McMahon: He is wrestling.
James E. Cornett: I loved it when he used the tennis racket.
Sweet Saphire: How did Dusty Rhodes allow Vince McMahon to have her be part of his gimmick?
The Bushwhackers: I was always grossed out by them licking people.
The Fabulous Freebirds: Very underrated tag team. Great entrance music. But I didn't like when stragglers came into the Freebirds. To me, the Freebirds is Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy and that's it.
What's the most rewarding part of your current job?
Getting emails every day from readers who say they love Hot Clicks. I also love getting emails from people who respond to something I write or from people who react to something in Hot Clicks and send me follow up links. The readers will often drive Hot Clicks in the direction they want it to go in and it's awesome. Recently, I had a video in Hot Clicks of some amazing catch. The next thing I know, I have tons of emails from people sending me more amazing catches. I love that. The other rewarding part is knowing that Hot Clicks is always one of the most-read pieces on SI.com.
Biggest perks?
I've gotten a couple of free T shirts. That's about it. Honestly. More free shit would be nice, but oh well.
Biggest hassles or obstacles?
I can't use about a billion photos that I'd like to use because SI.com doesn't have rights to them. I get killed with photos every single day. Blogs just use whatever they want and I'm beyond jealous for that -- and that's another reason why blogs are important for sports fans. I also can't curse on SI.com, which sucks. Prime example was this past Monday. I featured the video of the referee forearming the South Carolina player. I had to write "What the hell?" What I really wanted to write was "What the fuck?"
Anything you would have changed during college to better prepare you?
I would've focused more on English, grammar and writing classes.
Relevant courses or internships you'd recommend?
Like I said above, take as many writing classes as possible. No matter what form of media you get into, writing is vital. And I'd recommend doing as many internships as humanely possible. That's how you make connections and that's how you end up in this business.
What advice would you offer those looking to follow in your footsteps?
Like I said, do as many internships as you can, make as many connections as you can, and if you can get a job -- ANY kind of job -- in the industry, take it and do it. Just get your foot in the door. Once that happens, anything is possible.
---
See all our "So You Want to Work in Sports?" Features Here.
I played football since I was 5. My coaches were always the biggest baddest mothers I knew. More importantly, they dedicated themselves to the sport. They taught you the sport, and in many ways, how to be a man - on and off the field. Never can I remember the situation being reversed. And never did they wear a Kaballah bracelet.
As for why he started coaching, Kutcher says that he's always wanted to coach, but was "afraid of the time commitment. I was afraid that I would look stupid. I was afraid that the players wouldn't listen to my football advice, I was afraid that the advice that I gave wouldn't be very good."Ok. He's essentially admitting that he doesn't know much about football, much less coaching.
And he's also found he's gotten something out of the job as well. "Though coaching a football team is no great step for man kind I finding that it's a great step for me," writes Kutcher, adding "I'm not there to teach them, they are there to teach me."Just what you want in a coach. Vince Lombardi would be proud.
Remember that old lady on your block who liked to keep your balls when they went into her yard?
She is going to jail.....
Edna Jester, 89, of Blue Ash, Ohio, was arrested for taking a football away from kids in her neighborhood. Apparently, the ball kept landing in her yard and she was fed up. She refused police demands for her to return the ball, so they arrested her for petty theft.
In PA today, ceasing on the Obama flip-flop on his World Series allegiance, Sen. McCain breaks the Illinois Senator's balls a little while invoking the obligatory "Joe the Plumber" reference, while failing to mention his own running mate's baseball allegiance issue.
"I heard and I think you did too that Senator Obama was showing some love to the Devil Rays down in Tampa Bay yesterday. Now, I'm not dumb enough to get mixed up in a World Series between swing states, but I think I may have detected a little pattern with Senator Obama. It's pretty simple really. When he's campaigning in Philadelphia, he roots for the Phillies, and when he's campaigning in Tampa Bay, he shows love to the Rays."
Our buddy Joe Student pointed out today at PhillyEdge.com two "Young women of ’burbs sport: Jamie Vanartsdalen and Olivia O’Neill."
Last Friday, USA Today profiled Bloomsburg University field hockey star Jamie Vanartsdalen (right). The senior from Lower Moreland H.S. (Montco) is now the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division II history. (USA TODAY)While Jamie is no Clarissa Andorfer-Lopez, she certainly gives Allison Stokke a run for her money.
And, Pennridge High School’s Olivia O’Neill, who serves as the kicker on the football team, was named queen of the school’s homecoming court last weekend. (Intelligencer)
This Saturday the best horses of the year will congregate in Santa Anita, CA for the world champions of horse racing also known conspicuously as the Breeders' Cup. Here are some quick thoughts before the Reverend and I make the picks that pay for the chicks.
The Cup's handlers have expanded the number of races to 14 and once again will run the races over two days. Have you ever sent an evite for a party you are hosting and begin to worry that no one will show up so you begin to invite second tier friends to get a good showing? That's what the Breeders Cup did. Struggling to pull off a great event, they have decided to invite everybody to race hoping that more horses will enhance the experience. Instead, they have diluted the quality of the races and have turned the marquee Classic into a joke by allowing owners to run in a Dirt Mile to avoid facing Curlin. You have a dull party because your attendees are a hodge podge of random people only you know, and you're all stuck watching the free beer and drunk guy dance with the popcorn bowl.
I recently read an article about how the promoters are trying to put the Breeders' Cup on the same map as the Super Bowl. In the same breath he used the expected appearance of Jerry O'Connell as an example. As a horse racing enthusiast that provides critique for the improvement of the sport and has utmost faith in the Breeders' Cup, I puked a little in my mouth and in the same breath respectfully suggest they 'try again.'
Since they have expanded the volume of races, this will be the second year of races on Friday and Saturday (last year it was because of a small venue). Sadly, this will probably be a reoccurring format of the event. This is a question about what horse racing wants to be. Is it the Kentucky Derby where only the fanciest hats may apply or is it for the guys that consistently bet on the ponies but need to actually go to work on Fridays? As a middle class man trying to get a nut to move your butt (as C + C Music Factory would say), the full card on Friday is wasted. Expect decent numbers on the amount gambled because of the slew of races, but totals will not meet expectations and it is not because of the economy.
In all likelihood, I will have to watch Hank Goldberg stammering incoherently all Saturday, proving immediately his inability to do his job. I think watching him last year may have been the reason that I was praying to the porcelain gods not the fifth of vodka I polished off.
Big Brown's foot injury before facing Curlin is like saying you have cold sore at the close of your date with Jenna Jameson.
I swear I just heard Emmitt say on Monday Night Countdown that Matt Cassell "hasn't won the right of patches."
---
Update (10.21.08, 8:32 AM)
I heard correctly. Awful Announcing picked up on the gaffe too.
Darius Miles, whose knee injury was deemed career ending by Portland Trailblazers team doctors, was attempting to buck the odds.
Miles had signed with the defending champion Boston Celtics in hopes of resurrecting his career. The Celtics cut Miles after he failed to comply with the NBA's drug policy as reported on espn.com and multiple other places. He was handed a 10-game suspension by the NBA before he could even get started again.
This should do nicely to blackball him from being signed by any other team - much to the delight of the Blazers. Had Miles played in anything more than 10 games this season, Portland was on the hook for a contract well over 40 million dollars (otherwise insurance picks it up).
Miles says he has no idea how he failed the drug test. Might the Blazers know? (cue the CSI: Miami opening, WAAAAAAAA!)
As Ren and I embark on the mediocre existence known as being "middle-aged," we joined a social phenomenon - a bowling league.
Our team, Mark It Zero, consists of a rag tag group of our peers, including:
Photo: APObama, a self-avowed Chicago White Sox fan, declared his allegiance earlier this month for the Rays’ National League opponent in baseball’s championship, the Philadelphia Phillies. On Oct. 11, Obama told a crowd in the City of Brotherly Love – the biggest city on the key swing state of Pennsylvania: “My White Sox are gone, so I’ll go ahead and root for the Phillies now.”
Yet in Tampa Monday afternoon, where he was introduced by Rays’ players Fernando Perez and David Price, Obama also seemed to express support for the Rays, telling the crowd that he had just met with several members of the team
backstage.
"I have said from the beginning that I'm a unity candidate, bringing people together. So when you see a White Sox fan showing some love for the Rays and the Rays showing some love back, you know we're onto something here,” Obama said.
"It's a learning process for me, but I am over that. It has made me a stronger black man … and made me a stronger competitor. When I do get a chance to be back out there it is going to be a whole other Vince Young."
Back in 2001, the Patriots were kinda cute with who dat Tom Brady's appearance after Bledsoes's injury, the Tuck Rule and the Super Bowl win over the Rams. And who couldn't root for a team called the Patriots after 9-11? No one really felt any ownership of the LA errrr St Louis Rams anyway. The Greatest Show on Turf never rang true.
Same thing with the Red Sox. I admit it -- I found the come back against the Yankers in '04 thrilling. The team doing shots before games, making the impossible happen. It was great. I even cheered for the Sox in bars with the chief during the World Series.
Eventually though it all went sour. Cockiness always does. We began to have enough of these teams and the city as a whole. From Belichick's bad attitude to Spygate to Red Sox fans trying to gloss over the fact that their "rag-tag" team was the second highest paid in the game -- it all became fairly revolting. But it just wouldn't stop.
The glimmer of hope the Super Bowl loss gave us was stolen by the Celtics win.
But now, it seems, our long national nightmare may finally be over. First Brady's injury exposed the hubris of the Patriots organization. Really guys? A back-up who hasn't started since high school? And now the Red Sox lose to the Rays, a team that actually is what the Sox pretend to be - a loveable underdog.
It just all seems too good to be true.
So see you later Boston. Go back to the cowpaths from which you came. The rest of us are sick of you and happy to see you go.
I am not sure what is more amazing, the fact that Moneyball would be thought of as a movie or that Brad Pitt and George Clooney are being considered for the role of A's GM Billy Beane.
Brad Pitt is his name, and playing Billy Beane is his game, according to Variety, the Hollywood entertainment newspaper, which reported that a project is "being developed" for Pitt to play Beane in a movie based on "Moneyball," the book about Beane's distinct methods of running the A's in the 2002 season.
"A little lower on the left, my good man."
Happy Friday from the baddest rock 'n roll band of all time.
w
"Drunk me home, I'm take."
As mentioned previously, we love this idea.
Once again, we were asked to participate in "Meeting People is Easy" at One for the Other Thumb.
We've noticed the resemblance and have seen it pointed out on a few rasslin sites, but since it was submitted by a reader, Jeff the Greek, we figured we'd share with all you huggers out there.
WWE's Edge & Phillies OF Jayson Werth.
For all you sports betting fiends out there, Rev switches up the pick ems this week, now offering picks based on weekly college football odds.
CONNECTICUT (-1 ½) at Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have to be considered the poster children for the ineptitude of the Big East conference this year in college football. Since knocking off then #3 Louisville in 2006, Rutgers has stumbled badly to an 11-12 overall record. With no Ray Rice to lean on, senior QB Mike Teel has played poorly, completing only 55% of his passes and has a paltry 3-7 TD to INT ratio. Connecticut was exposed in their 38-12 loss at North Carolina, but after a bye last week they should bounce back strong against one of the weakest teams (outside of Syracuse) in the Big East.
Michigan at # 3 PENN STATE (-23 ½): This pains me to write, but I have very little faith in this Michigan squad – so little hope, that I’m not even tempted by the 23 ½ points they’ll be getting at Happy Valley. Penn State has speed everywhere on offense and are scoring way too often (317 points on the season thus far) for Michigan’s beleaguered defense to handle. In losses to Notre Dame and Illinois, Michigan gave up 35 and 45 points, respectively. After Penn State’s rout of Wisconsin last week (48-7), I don’t think Penn State will have too much trouble scoring.
Western Michigan Broncos at CENTRAL MICHIGAN (+1 ½): With both teams entering this contest undefeated in conference play, the outcome of this game will go a long way toward determining the MAC champion this year. QB Tim Hiller leads Western Michigan with over 2,000 yards passing and 23 TDs this far into the season. Central Michigan on the other hand, doesn’t score a ton of points or put up gaudy numbers, but they do just enough to hang around and win games late. In the four games since their 56-17 blowout loss at then #2 Georgia, the Chippewas have gone 3-1 with an average margin of victory of 5.0 points. Considering their games are usually close, I’m going to take the underdog at home and run with the points.
#18 NORTH CAROLINA (-4 ½) at Virginia: I love UNC here. In just year two under Butch Davis, the Tarheels will challenge for top-dog status in the ACC as the season goes on. They face a Virginia team that has won two straight after early season struggles, but I just don’t think the Cavaliers stand much of a chance. Virginia’s averaging just 17.0 points a game vs. UNC’s 31.8. Did I mention I love UNC?
#11 Ohio State at #17 MICHIGAN STATE (+3 ½) So far, no team has been able to hold down the Spartans’ super running back Javon Ringer – but then again, the Spartans haven’t played a team that is as good against the run as Ohio State. With the loss of DE Lawrence Wilson, the Buckeyes may be tempted to bring 8 men into the box to stop Ringer, and that may open things up just enough for MSU QB Brian Hoyer to hit some quick, intermediate routes downfield. Of course, Michigan State will likely be forced to do the same to stop OSU RB Beanie Wells, so much of the Buckeyes’ success will depend on how freshman QB handles his first true test against a top-flight opponent on the road. This one should be close, so I’m taking the Spartans and the points at home.
MIAMI (-4 ½) at Duke: Duke is one of the feel-good stories of the season in year one of coach David Cutcliffe’s stewardship. Cutcliffe is a fantastic offensive schemer and play caller – for proof, look at what his absence has meant to the Tennessee Volunteers this year. However, I expect Miami’s raw athletic ability will far outclass that of Duke; plus, the ‘Canes are 0-2 thus far in ACC conference play, so they should be out hungry for a win in this one.
ARKANSAS (+7 ½) at Kentucky: Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino returns to Lexington sporting a spotless record against the ‘Cats, having gone 4-0 vs. UK during his days at the helm of Louisville. Kentucky has an outstanding defense, but their offense is almost non-existent – they had 4 take-aways last week and still lost to South Carolina, 24-17. Compounding problems for UK is the loss of senior WR Dicky Lyons to a season-ending knee injury - without their top WR target available, the Cats seemingly will be very one dimensional from here on out. If Arkansas stops the run this weekend, they have a very real chance to win this game outright. That, and you know Petrino will have something devious cooked up for his former in-state rival.
#13 LSU at SOUTH CAROLINA (+2 ½): LSU was flat embarrassed last week against Florida, losing by 30 in the Swamp. Taking cues from that game, South Carolina’s superb defense will look to put a ton of pressure on LSU’s inexperienced QB tandem of Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch and force them into multiple turnovers. Plus, now that the ol’ Ball Coach has (for the time being) settled around the talented Stephen Garcia as his starting QB, the reins may be loosened a bit on the Gamecocks’ here-to-now bottled-up offense. I think they have a real shot at springing the upset outright in this one.
#25 CALIFORNIA (-2 ½) at Arizona: Outside of a no-show performance in their loss at Maryland, Cal is quietly enjoying a solid start to their season out West. The only remaining unbeaten in the PAC-10, Cal is ringing up 39.4 points per game. The numbers, meanwhile, say Arizona tops that with an average of 40.1 points a game – but if you throw out their 70-0 blowout of Idaho to open the season, Arizona’s scoring per game average drops to 34.2. Cal looks to be a little more balanced offensively than the pass happy Wildcats, and the Bears running game should grind them out a win this weekend in the desert.
#11 Mizzou at #1 TEXAS (-5 ½): Mizzou is coming off a crushing and unexpected loss at the hands of Oklahoma State last week. With this weekend’s matchup with #1 Texas next on the slate, it’s fair to say that it’s panic time in Columbia right now. Two losses in conference doesn’t necessarily kill their season, but it just may end any talk that the Tigers could play for the national championship. The number #1 ranking hasn’t been kind to those who’ve worn it this year, and Texas will have a big target on their backs this week against a desperate Mizzou squad. That aside … did you watch the Texas-Oklahoma game? Texas is pretty good – better than Mizzou, in my opinion. I’m taking the ‘Horns and giving 5 ½ here.
Not long ago, Andy Gray (he of sports blogosphere notoriety for his work at SI on Campus), asked HHR to be a part of a feature he was implementing at SI.com in his new role as overseer of the magazine's online archive, SI Vault.
"As part of an ongoing series, SI asked prominent sports bloggers to give us their 10 all-time favorite SI Stories."
Honored by the request (and by being categorized as "prominent"), HHR's contributors collectively submitted a list of our faves.
Check them out here:
My favorite SI stories: Hugging Harold Reynolds
First he loses to the Cards. Then he gets injured. Then Iron Man Brett Favre tells him to man the hell up. Then D-II Trevor Wikre shows him up by telling doctors to "cut it off." So Tony Romo does what any emasculated man with a pinkie injury would do. He collapses in the face of peer pressure and decides to show us all how tough he is. We'll see. The decision to play after being teased like a 10-year old, shows just how emotionally unstable he is.
Embarrassed by his .227/0 RBI NLCS performance, at least Andre Ethier can tell people around Hollywood that he's actually "Sunny" star Rob McElhenney.
After each major sporting event, HHR takes a look at how it is portrayed in news print in some of the nation's leading dailies. Part out of curiosity, and part to preserve the dying medium.
To many, this might not seem monumental. But to those in SE PA, South Jersey and Delaware, it's been a long time coming. As one fan described it on the live post-game news cast from Chickie & Pete's "It's once in a lifetime." Now, I'm not that old, and I've been alive for 3 pennants, but I digress.
Today is October 15. That means nothing to most people (except Yankees fans who actually know today is the anniversary of their 1st world series title ever). And unless its your birthday, it will probably pass by as just another day in your life. This is exactly why we at HHR are taking part in today's Blog Action Day. This year we focus on poverty.
Right up front: we run and write for a website that basically interviews people in great jobs, or shows nutshot videos, or some variation thereof. That means that we have time on our hands people. This in addition to our day jobs. We live in the lap of fucking luxury if you ask me. Our worst days are definitely someone else's best.
I don't know what it's like to experience poverty. I only think about it through the guilt I feel when I see someone on the street who is suffering and at some point am glad that isn't me. But see what I did there? I turned someone else's poverty into a story about me. That takes a priveleged life and a whole lotta gumption to do. But we do it all the time. Today can be different. It has to.
So what do we recommend? Doing the same thing we all do: make poverty a story about yourself. But do it so it shows what kind of person you want to be. Volunteer. Donate. Today, HHR wil be making a donation to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans. There are people on the street, people at risk, and people in cookie-cutter neighborhoods all in the throes of poverty. Whether it's crushing medical debt or being on fixed incomes that can't keep up with rising costs of food, gas, and rent - at some point it all contributes and leads to an endless cycle of decline.
So today, this fall (especially this winter), find a way to do something you've already been doing, and make the story of poverty a story about yourself.
Need ideas? Start here.
--
Feel visit the sites of some of our friends who have also taken part in the day.
Federation Soccer
Philly.com's Sam Wood reports "If the Phils win tonight, increased Phila. police patrols."If the Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers and clinch a World Series berth tonight, the city will have an increased police presence to handle boisterous fans.
In the meantime, word on the street that should the Phillies lose tonight and games return to Philadelphia, SEPTA will be taking extra security precaution by enlisting the Rock N' Roll Express, Midnight Express, Lex Express, Ryan Express and the Marrakesh Express in lieu of its Sports Express.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said extra police patrols would be out in locations determined by previous Philadelphia sports championship celebrations.
Go ahead. Try to jump a turnstile...
According to Big League Stew, PETA has a stick up their furry tails about Shane Victorino's love of Spam.
Wait until they see Shane's protective batting gear for Game 6/PETA protection device.
He is also going to be the hit of the Halloween party.
Related Posts:
Wedding bells for 'scumbag' Victorino
Welcome to the Life on Mars edition of the Cynic's Guide. For those of you not familiar with the premise of the show, the basic storyline is that the lead character is a police officer who is hit by a car and then wakes up in the year 1973. And that's what it seems like, with Texas, Alabama, Penn State and Oklahoma at the tops of the polls. But the future continues to be parity (aka mediocrity), and we're going to see more bad football. Case in point . . .
1. There's Nothing Like a Good Win. And This Was Nothing Like a Good Win.
We've all heard about moral victories, but is there such a thing as a completely meaningless victory? You make the call—which is worse:
A: That Georgia Tech, a BCS conference school, could only win by three at home over a FCS (nee I-AA) team.
B: That it wasn't even a good FCS team (a la Appalachian State vs. Michigan last year).
C: That the team they beat sounds less like a football school than a trial law firm that advertises on late-night TV.
D: That the Yellow Jackets had just 199 yards of total offense and three turnovers.
E: That they needed a last-minute tipped field goal to do it.
F: That the win is completely meaningless.
G: All of the above.
On Saturday, Georgia Tech eked out a 10-7 over Gardner-Webb, a Christian university in Boiling Springs, NC with a student population of 4,000 and which, until Saturday, 99% of the population had never heard of and 99.99% didn't know they had a football team. Best of all, this win counts for absolutely nothing. NCAA rules only allow you to count one win versus a FCS (nee I-AA) team, and GT's season-opening win against Jacksonville State fits that bill. So, although Georgia Tech is now 5-1, they are still two wins away from bowl eligibility. And with their upcoming schedule, the Yellow Jackets may struggle to get them.
GT was down to their third string QB who, at 6-4 and 234 pounds isn't exactly the poster child for coach Paul Johnson's triple option offense. I bet Army (who was supposed to be the Yellow Jackets' opponent this week, but bought out of the contract, forcing the Yellow Jackets to find a I-AA replacement) is wishing they'd shown up after all.
2. Speaking of Ugly Wins . . .
You'd think that, in the case of a 28-0 shutout, you could at least call it a good game for one team. But not really in the case of last week's USC/Arizona State game. Sure, the USC defense was dominant, holding the Sun Devils to just 229 total yards. But beyond that, this game was ugly all the way around as the Trojans' offense couldn't stay out of their own way and ASU was just bad period. The two teams combined for nine turnovers and 19 penalties. USC QB Mark Sanchez threw three picks and ASU combined for three more. When starting QB Rudy Carpenter went down with an ankle injury, Sun Devils' backup Danny Sullivan was thrown to the wolves and finished just 4-17 for 28 yards and 2 INTs. I don't know how much style points matter to the BCS computers, but this one certainly won't help USC's cause.
And the award for "Most Disappointing Team Not Named Clemson" goes to . . .
3. All Good Things Must Come to an End.
Michigan lost at home to a 1-4 Toledo. Ouch. I'll leave it to you to debate whether this was a worse loss than last year's loss to Appalachian State (this was Michigan's first ever loss to a MAC team). I think even the most maize-and-blue-blooded fan knew there would be some growing pains this year, but nothing like this. The Wolverines are 2-4 with six games to go. With road games still remaining @ #3 Penn State, @ suddenly tough 6-1 Minnesota and @#12 Ohio State plus a home date with #20 Michigan State, I really don't see four wins that would get them bowl eligible, which would end their nation's longest bowl streak at 33. (The record is Nebraska with 35 straight bowl seasons from 1968-2003.)
On a related note, Toledo now has the chance to win the Michigan state championship—they already hold wins over Michigan and Eastern Michigan and still have games remaining against Central Michigan and Western Michigan.
4. My Name is Earl, Football Style, Version 2.0
Last week we talked a bit about karma, and I think I've finally figured something out: after a preseason top-ten rating and being picked to win the ACC, Clemson's 3-3 record and coach Tommy Bowden's subsequent firing is a direct karmic response to Bowden stripping Ray Ray McElrathbey's scholarship.
You'll have to look in the mirror sooner or later, Tommy.
Missouri's next free safety?
Penn State's 3rd String Right Guard
A football coach from Wyoming is trying to turn a profit with a homerun ball hit by....Jose Molina?
"Jose Molina kept the bat he used to hit the final home run at Yankee Stadium, wrapping it in a long white sock and carrying it home for safekeeping when the Yankees' season was complete. The spikes that the backup catcher wore when he clubbed the homer were sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., for display. And the baseball? Well, that could be yours
-- for a price.
Steve Harshman, a Wyoming state legislator and football coach for Natrona County High School in Casper, has decided to sell the ball at an auction this
weekend in New York."
It has been often noted that Sen. Obama's oratory eloquence and swagger greatly resemble that of a certain People's Champion.
Recently at a campaign rally in Philly, BaRock did little to quell those comparisons, as the People's Candidate went on-and-on about (presumably the "People's") pie.
It's Columbus Day. Try as they may, the government still hasn't whitewashed Christophero Columbo from the history books. Yet. So for us Italians, it's the one day we have to celebrate our heritage.
In the spirit of the greatest Yankee first baseman of all-time, HHR presents the upper echelon of paisan ballplayers that epitomize what we think of when we perpetuate Italian-American stereotypes.
Why He Made the Team: Sure, questions will always surround his beautiful folliage. Rumor has it that he had 2 rugs - his "going out" rug and his "under the hat" rug. However, his distinction of being widely credited for introducing the hairdryer to MLB locker rooms is something that will never be questioned. Tony Manero has nothing on this man.
Why He Made the Team: He smelled like the obligatory Italian scent of masculinity: a combination of Pall Malls and Aqua Velva.
Why He Made the Team: His namesake founded this country. Or something like that.
Why He Made the Team: Perhaps the missing Mario Bro., Cerone has that look of an inappropriate drunk uncle who plays a little to close to wrong side of the law.
Why He Made the Team: With a temper a little too short, a shirt a bit too tight, and wearing one too many gold chains, you might find him doing too many reps at the gym. But, he has your back. And if he doesn't, then you might find him bopping your girlfriend after a late down "downnashore."
Why He Made the Team: No real discernible skills other than being an Italian from Brooklyn who played in New York. Will forever remind you that he is an Italian from Brooklyn who played in New York
Why He Made the Team: The man got hit in the face and came back to play the game. Not even a mobster's wife could take a hit like that.
Why He Made the Team: What does Steve Balboni tell a lady with two black eyes? Nothing, he already told her twice.
Why He Made the Team: No real discernible skills other than being an Italian from Brooklyn who played in New York. Will forever remind you that he is an Italian from Brooklyn who played in New York
Why He Made the Team: With his "everyman" persona, Fasano, for a short time, gave hope to every South Philly ginker that they too could play for their beloved Phillies. He's the Vince Papale of baseball.
I made the hour and a half drive east this past Saturday night out to Indian Wells to see the first outdoor NBA game since 1972. I'm not much for tennis venues, having only been to the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, NY, but this place wasn't bad. 20 bucks a ticket on ebay found me in the upper reachers of the stadium, but, it being a tennis stadium, no seat was too far away. I initially hoped for a legit outdoor game with blacktop and chain nets, but the NBA installed an actual court over the tennis surface for the contest. Since you can read a recap of this game just about anywhere, I will just run off a list of random observations I noticed as a spectator.
1. No sign of Allen Iverson, and Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire did not play. Shaq and Steve Nash did play, and for quite a few minutes. I figured these guys would have ran around for a few minutes in the first quarter and then threw on the snow suits at the end of the bench, but not the case.
2. Save a nice Nash spin move and a few dunks, this was one of the most disgusting basketball games I have ever seen. Perhaps rust from the offseason or the fact it dropped down to about 60 degrees (that is frozen tundra weather for the Palm Springs area), but this was just bad. Many passes being whipped out of bounds, multiple bounces passes in the paint to seven footers. This is, of course, what happens in the preseason since everyone wants to make the roster. I likened it to my high school basketball tryouts: everyone is trying way to hard, the games suck, and the guys who know they are on the team just try not to get injured.
3. Mateen Cleaves is still floating around the NBA. The most famous towel-waver this side of Pittsburgh checked in at some point much to the shock and awe of the crowd.
4. Chris "Birdman" Anderson has resurfaced with a new team: he is on the Nuggets again.
5. Robin Lopez had about five amazing blocked shots and, at least for one night, disproved my theory that the Lopez brothers will be less successful than the Menendez brothers. His main highlight was turning away Kenyon Martin on a sure dunk.
6. It really felt like we were at a game in Phoenix. I know the game was stated as a Suns home game, but I didn't realize that half the city would show up. The entire place was going nuts for the Phoenix Suns all decked out jerseys ranging from current Shaq and Nash to the classic throwbacks of Barkely and Majerle.
7. Cedric Ceballos (former blindfolded dunk champion) is the on court MC for the Suns during timeouts. This was stunning to see but I give Ced credit as he has a great speaking voice, I just never thought a former NBA player would take on that position.
8. You know you are at a tennis arena for a basketball game when chicken panini sandwiches are available at the concession stand and certain bathrooms are for certain ticket holders only.
9. That whole thing about the desert being hot in the day and cold at night is true. It did get pretty cold there, I headed home towards the end of the third as I was freezing and the game had devolved into the NBDL All-Star game- no fun for anybody.
10. The NBA should do this more often. Next location: the infield at Monmouth Park.
