Abby Wambach Dangling Dangerously Close to Patrick Cox Territory

I understand that when you play for a professional sports franchise you sometimes feel obligated to hock the namesake's product. I get it.

Yet, someone as talented as Abby Wambach shouldn't be forced to star in a comercial that makes Tax Masters spots look like Casablanca.

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...For Superfan #99 Over Here

Our buddy Bernie, formerly of FoxSports.com's Cubed, acted out one of the greatest scenes in 90's cinematic history with the dialogue's focal point.

I can't help but say that I am so super jealous that I'd like to make his head bleed.

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Five Minutes with CC Sabathia

Last month during MLB All-Star break, we talked with Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton about the Pepsi Max Field of Dreams contest.

Today, we trekked into the big city to talk with Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia about that same program as he casted his dream team ballot, selecting 11 legendary diamond stars (one at each position including DH & reliever) at the MLB Man Cave at 4th and Broadway.


Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia stopped by the MLB Fan Cave on August 10, 2011 to vote for his Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams team. Vote for your 11-man dream team of living legends at MLB.com/PepsiMAX.

For those who forgot since last month, by entering your picks for the Field of Dreams team, you enter for a chance to bring a team of MLB greats to your own hometown to play ball with you and 10 of your friends.

Throughout the afternoon, Sabathia was peppered with questions about his selections. I took the opportunity to grill him on his passing on Steve Carlton in lieu of Randy Johnson.

Having just watched his teammate Derek Jeter reach the magical #3000, I asked the Cy Young Award and World Series winner about his cognizance of his own legacy and milestones, to which he gave a very Jeterian answer.

Actually, much like the Captain, CC maneuvered landmine questions well throughout the day, and specifically throughout my chat with him.

I asked him to compare his time in the AL Central facing great teams such as the Twins, Tigs and Sox with his current battles in the media-saturated AL East. He didn’t bite.

They’re just as intense. Thery’re not as media covered…A lot of those teams have a lot of homegrown talent so you grow up playing against a lot of those guys.

We also talked about the current pitchers he loves to watch, which included “the best pitcher in the league” Roy Halladay, CC’s former Indians teammate Cliff Lee, David Price and a slew of fellow lefties.

Overall, a good, down to earth dude and a fun program from Pepsi Max.



For the record, my team:

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From The DC Bureau: Underrated Player Of The Day - Clay Buchholz

Turns out there's two things in the sports world I didn't know about, one is the NFL, the other is about Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz. Via Bleacher Report who highlights his girlfriend--Erica Ellyson, a Penthouse Pet and "soft-core" porn star. Meet your 2011 Blue Pulaski MLB MVP.

"No, we actually didn't meet at church."

-Blue Pulaski

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Be Like Miley: Start Your Tween on Beer Pong the Right Way...

In style!

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And then BOOM! There is wireless

Here's a guy who likes to get online when he wants Internet.

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Book Review: The Swinger

Rusty takes a break from NASCAR to look at Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck's new novel, The Swinger.


If you don't pick up on it reading the dust jacket or reviews like this one, you will just a few pages into the book. This is Tiger Woods' story. The Swinger, a novel by Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck is a work of fiction, though any sports fan will quickly see the parallels between the book and reality.

The story is told from the vantage point of down-on-his-luck sports writer, Josh Dutra. Dutra makes the move of his career when he joins the team of super star golfer, Herbert "Tree" Tremont Jr. Tree has carved out a nearly picture perfect existence at the top of the U.S. golf game, including a hot trophy wife, perfect kids, and more money and endorsements than Donald Trump. From the inside, Dutra watches Tree's life spiral out of control when his perfectly manipulated public image is shattered.

Even though this book was as nearly predictable as a children's comedy, it kept me turning the pages, and quickly. Bamberger and Shipnuck have crafted an inside view into the modern world of sports media and golf. Their easy writing style and goofy humor - Tree's home is called Tree House - make this an easy-to-read page turner. The story balances between real life and complete fabrication seamlessly. Tree's little marital fracas involving a fire poker was lifted right from the headlines. How he ends up dealing with his ultimate downfall is complete fiction, though, and in my opinion the best part of the book.

SPOILER ALERT

After he hits complete rock bottom and has been outed as a promiscuous pill popping sex freak, Tree takes his writer friend to rehab and undergoes a transformation never before seen in real life. Throughout the book, the authors keep you turning the pages looking for the next shoe to drop or the next scandal to unfold. At the end, though, they tell us a story of how life could and should be. It becomes a story of forgiveness and redemption. You turn the pages with a smile on your face and hope in your heart.

Don't get me wrong, the book doesn't have a fairy tale ending with Tree and Dutra marching off into the sunset. His pain and suffering remains real. His redemption is stronger though, and the authors make that clear as they weave the final threads of this great story.

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