Video: Bernie Williams on Players’ Perception of the Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry

Bernie Williams was in the Big Apple yesterday promoting Mastercard’s Priceless NYC campaign.

During lunch, he sat with a group of bloggers that included yours truly, Bronx Banter, The OCD Chick, River Ave. Blues, Bleacher Report and Bro Bible.

Bernie offered candied anecdotes, on, among other things: the contrasting managerial styles of Buck Showalter & Joe Torre; his early years stepping in to replace the popular (injured) Roberto Kelly; the roles Maas, Stankiewicz and the like played in paving the way for him, Jorge, Jeter and Mo; his music career; and, of course, Yankees-Red Sox.

Asked whether he and his teammates recognized and bought into the rivalry or whether it was simply a product of the media and fan bases, Williams acknowledges there “was something going on between players,” crediting Pedro Martinez as the lightning rod that sparked it, and laughing, “It wasn’t pretty.”

Here’s his response...

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NY Giant to for Philadelphia Eagle? What is This World Coming to?

Image: philadelphiaeagles.com

As an Eagles fan, it always seemed to me that the epic NFC East battles in the trenches between Jon Runyan and Michael Strahan always seemed to tip in favor of the gapped-toothed sack monster.

Now, according to a South Jersey political leader (and the Philadelphia Daily News), Strahan is making up for all those sacks against Runyan by helping raise money for the O Lineman's Congressional race.

When you think of probable NFL supporters of Jon Runyan you might logically conclude a quarterback or two he protected, or a couple of running backs he cleared a path for. However, an early NFL supporter of Jon Runyan is none other than New York Football Giant Michael Strahan.

The Eagles and Giants have a long-standing and fierce rivalry. The two directly competed against each other on the field. When you think of the competition between the two it is hard not visualize numerous high-speed impacts. During game time neither had any love for the other. Now both are retired from the game and are working together.

According to Dan Gross at the Philadelphia Daily News, Strahan will help Runyan raise money to take on John Adler in New Jersey’s third congressional district race.

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Yalie L's Uncensored

What happens when your Ivy squad gets upset by your long-time bitter rival?

Obscenity ensues.

"Go ahead and take my f*cking picture, a$$hole."
(At least he's not in pink skivvies)

You can check out John Wise's full Harvard-Yale gallery & recap at OneGreatSeason.com.

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Bird & Magic: When the Game Was Theirs

This past March marked the 30th anniversary of perhaps the most pivotal event in NCAA and NBA basketball history - the 1979 NCAA Championship Game between Larry Bird's Indiana state Sycamores and Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans.

After reading Seth Davis' When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball and speaking with the author/analyst, I noted that the legacy which followed that game "helped reshape the pro and college games and ushered in a new era of televised basketball."

From an April 2009 HHR post:

Their equally uncertain and tumultuous recruiting experiences aside, their paths to stardom couldn't have been more contrasting, and as such, the Bird-Magic rivalry which ushered in an unprecedented era of hoops could, in many ways, have never come to fruition.

With ESPN still in its infancy, March Madness hardly a nationwide cultural phenomenon as we know it today, and the NBA a fledgling league struggling to appeal to mainstream America, the attention-shunning, but competition-driven, "Hick from French Lick" and the charismatic, camera-friendly and freakishly skilled 6'9" point guard from Michigan captured the country's attention throughout the ensuing decade.

The league and broadcasters learned how to effectively capture that attention and market sport around its superstars. The rest, as they say, is history.

As their Hall of Fame careers progressed, their paths to the Hall of Fame - often seen as stark contrasts to one another (Showtime vs. Blue Collar, and, yes, Black vs. White) - actually ran almost exactly parallel, with each man's drive and intensity derived directly from the other. Once bitter rivals, Magic and Bird's mutual admiration helped dissolve the competitive hatred that early defined their relationship.

Today, their places in history are nearly inseparable.

What the 1979 Championship game did for the NCAA and televised hoops, the Magic and Bird Rivalry did for the NBA. Without the duo, along with David Stern, the NBA as we know it might not exist - not just the game, but the culture, as their revolutionary, bank-breaking "Choose Your Weapon" Converse campaign upped the ante with Nike to go all out with Air Jordan, and paved the way to the shoe endorsement racket ever-present today.

While its coverage of their early years and much of their playing career isn't ground breaking, the release of this month's joint memoir When the Game Was Ours. (with Jackie MacMullan) provides a fresh, first person perspective of their rivalry.

Much of the attention with the book's release surrounded the comments made by Magic regarding Isiah Thomas' alleged blacklisting from the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. However, those anecdotes are really just a small part of the book. Johnson places his own animosity towards Zeke on the Pistons guard's (and once good friend and confidant's) lack of support and unfounded accusations of Magic's homosexuality in the wake of his HIV revelations.

"Isiah kept questioning people about it. I couldn't believe that. Everyone else - Byron, Arsenio, Michael, Larry - they were all supporting me. And the one guy I thought I could count on had all these doubts. It was like he kicked me in the stomach."

"Our relationship was really strained at that point. We didn't speak for years, and Isiah knew why. He questioned me when I got my HIV diagnosis. How can a so-called friend question your sexuality like that? I know why he did it, because we used to kiss before games, and now if people were wondering about me, that meant they were wondering about him too."

The HIV revelations are among the most captivating in the book. The myriad struggles of Johnson had to deal with upon the diagnosis of a then-misunderstood virus were almost heart-wrenching.

In terms of calling out players, I was more amused by his thoughts on Kareem Abdul Jabbar:

"Thank God Kareem was my teammate, because I used to cringe at the way he treated people. There was a way to say no if you didn't want to sign an autograph...but Kareem didn't do it in a very kind way. Sometimes he'd have people in tears. It's hurt him now that he's done playing."

But for all the readers' hopes of dirt-dishing, the book is more a reflection on their thoughts throughout milestones and hardships in their careers, and their post playing careers - Magic Johnson Enterprises and Bird's coaching and executive roles. This includes a great few pages on Bird's relationship with Ron Artest during the fallout of the The Malice at the Palace.

To their credit, for all their collective bravado and rightful claims to having created the league's resurgence, the recurring theme in the book is their respect for the game, desire to be the best, and insistence that their teammates follow suit.

In follow up posts, I'll be publishing audio from a recent remote press conference where Bird and Magic talked with journalists and bloggers about When the Game Was Ours.

Here is a clip on why they now pushed forward with the project 30 years in the making.




Look for the following shortly:

ON THEIR RIVALRY & RELATIONSHIP

• On playing the "Right Way"
• A quarter a century later why they are still popular
• At the height of the rivalry how did they honestly feel about one another
• Recounting the joint ’85 Converse ad
• Favorite memories against each other
• Their relationship today

ON TODAYS GAME

• What obstacles would they as players face today in light of changes in officiating and rules today?
• Are players too close to ever have another true rivalry?
• Thoughts on the coziness of players with one another
• Are there two players in the league that might develop into a Magic-Bird type rivalry?
• Biggest differences between today and their day

ON ISIAH

• Magic refuses to take bait to elaborate on Isiah
• What made him reveal the nature of the incidents that led to their parting ways?
• Did Isiah’s personality attribute to his problems with the Knicks?

ON LAKERS/CELTICS

• On today’s Lakers/Celts and their leadership
• On Kevin Garnett in Boston.
• Could the rivalry have happened anywhere but LA & Bos?
• Would Bird-Magic have been as big in other cities?

ON PLAYERS

• On LeBron / NYC
• On Doctor J
• On Brandon Jennings
• Influence on AAU, Recruiting of Star Athletes.
• 1 and Done rule.
• Who today plays in the same style they did?

OTHER

• Thoughts on the Pistons Back-to-Back Championships
• Laimbeer as an NBA coach and Rambis’ hiring of him
• On their versatile game and who influenced it?
• Contributions of Role Players: Praise for Rambis, Cooper and DJ
• On Kareem’s Coaching Prospects

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Rick Reilly Should Leave Top 10 Lists to Bloggers

Rick Reilly for ESPN the Magazine put together what he calls his "must-see" sporting events to see live, proving (again) he still doesn't know sh*t from shinola.



Rick Riley: The 10 best sporting events to see live
Commentary courtesy of Assassin Ave.

10. Home Run Derby NOT EVEN A REAL FUCKING GAME!

9. Iditarod -- WHAT?!! IT'S F*CKING COLD AND YOU CAN'T SEE ANY OF THE ACTION!

8. Ryder Cup -- GOLF KINDA SUCKS LIVES. AGAIN, YOU CAN'T SEE ANY OF THE ACTION AND AT BIG EVENTS YOU CAN'T MOVE AROUND CUZ THE CROWDS ARE SO BIG!

7. Yankees vs. Red Sox at Fenway - AGREED

6. America's Cup -- UMM, SURE

5. Tour de France -- BEYOND DRESSING UP IN A DEVIL CUSTOM AND CHASING PEOPLE, I DON'T SEE THE APPEAL.

4. North Carolina vs. Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium - AGREED.

3. Wimbledon -- ONLY TO CHECK OUT THE CHICKS.

2. Kentucky Derby -- HST OWNS THIS ONE.

1. Masters -- AGAIN, GOLF IS RIDICULOUS LIVE.

Not a single football game? Come on, the big college rivalries are the best thing to see in sports. Talk about pumped up crowds.

Thanks for nothing, Rick.

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Die Friggin' Eagles

Speaking of Boomer and Carton. Al Dukes, their producer and resident musician of Ron and Fez fame, wrote and sang an "inspirational" song for the Giants this weekend to the tune of the Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle.

WFAN - The Fan - Eagles Die

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The Cynic’s Guide to College Football, Week 12

Coming up is some of the greatest football of the year. No, I don’t necessarily mean good football (although the Texas Tech/Oklahoma game this weekend could fit the bill, especially if you like lots of offense and five hour games). I mean rivalry week—that one time of the year when, no matter how lousy your team is this year, you can claim “you can throw the records out the window” and still talk smack about your least favorite opponent. And speaking of which . . .

1. The Cynic’s Game of the Year is Here

Every team has that group of fans who claim, “We don’t care if we go 1-11, as long as that one is against insert name of rival school here.” Well, Washington fans are going to get a chance to prove it. Exactly how bad do you have to be to be an 8 ½ point underdog at home to an 0-10 team with a lame-duck coach? That’s exactly the situation for the deplorable 1-9 Washington State Huskies as they enter this week’s game against Washington and Tyrone Willingham.

And courtesy of a really screwed up TV contract, the entire country (yes, that means you) will be subjected able to watch this piece of garbage epic rivalry game.

Even the most ardent Apple Cup fans will find this one hard to swallow.

2. I’d Hate to See What the Losers Get

As I write this, Ball State just defeated Central Michigan 31-24. The Cardinals are now two games away from an undefeated season. Their likely reward? The Motor City Bowl.

On the plus side, between the Lions and the US auto industry, this may be the closest Detroit gets to seeing a winner for a looooooong time.

GM is a 22 ½ point underdog. I’d still give the points.

3. No Pressure Here

If Utah wins this week’s game against BYU, they are a near lock for a BCS bowl game.

Lose, and they’re likely headed to the Poinsettia Bowl.

The difference in payout? $17 million vs. $750,000.

That whimpering sound you hear coming from Provo is Utah’s athletic director curled up in a ball under his desk.

4. Steve Kragthorpe is a Godless Heathen

Picking a fight when the other team jumps on or otherwise disrespects your team logo at midfield is one thing. Picking a fight because the other team holds a pre-game prayer at midfield? Whole different ballgame.

God bless those pagans.

5. Living and Dying on Tulsa Time

Earlier in the season, I was extolling the virtues of Tulsa’s seemingly unstoppable offense and pondering their potential as a BCS buster. Yeah, I kinda got ahead of myself there. Two weeks ago, the Golden Hurricane lost to Arkansas (no real shame in a CUSA team losing to an SEC team, even with the whole Gus Malzahn subplot). But then this week they go and lose by 40 to Houston. Sure, the offense put up 501 yards (and I did learn they have a WR named Slick Shelley.) But they also had five turnovers. And TU’s defense? Um, yeah. The Cougars were up 42-17 at half and scored TDs on their first three possessions of the second before Houston coach Kevin Sumlin took his foot off the pedal (the Cougars only scored one offensive TD in the last quarter-and-a-half).

So let’s examine the timeline:

2008: UH beats TU by 40.

1988: UH hangs 82 on Tulsa in an 82-28 win.

1968: UH sets an FBS record for points against a major college opponent with 100-3 win over Tulsa in 1968.

Note to self: go to Vegas in 2028 and bet the farm on Houston.

6. I’ll Take “Message Board Posts I Wish I’d Written” for $1000, Alex

Bad football can sometimes lead to some really good writing (this blog may or may not be an example of that). This week saw one of the most inspired pieces of sports message board writing I’ve seen in some time. A Baylor fan posted a note on a Texas A&M message board letting Aggie fans know how to act now that they have replaced the Bears at the bottom of the Big 12 South hierarchy (side note: how bad do you have to be when you’re getting smack talked by Baylor? Yeesh.)

At any rate, the message was quickly deleted by the Aggie board admins but, thanks to the miracle of Google cache, a Houston blogger was able to repost the guide to being in last place. This is some good, good stuff and could be useful for lots of your various smack talk needs over the next couple of weeks.

Chapter 3: How ‘bout that Aggie lacrosse team?

That's His Teammate...His Quarterback

Well done, Giants fans. Well done.

Look Out, Cleveland!

Steelers fans issue a storm warning (via The Band) to Cleveland fans (and ironically Houston, too)...



Nicky Zierenberg better watch the hell out, as well.

Cubbie Chaser: Obama Goes J-Roll on North Siders

Photo: Deadspin

Phillies fans were upset a couple weeks ago when their MVP shortstop called them frontrunners.

This is much worse.

In an interview with ESPN's Stuart Scott on SportsCenter, Democratic presidential nominee (and Chicago native) Barack Obama accused Cubs fans of essentially NOT being baseball fans.

"The Cubs are nice," Mr. Obama said, after revealing he would root for the White Sox in a crosstown World Series, because he's "not a fair-weather fan."

"You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer," he continued. "They've got all the beautiful people out there. Nobody's watching the game. The White Sox....now that's baseball."

See, now that concerns me. Gravely. I was going to vote for Obama in November, but he's clearly so out of touch with his constituency as to give me pause. How can someone who claims he can fix our economy and foreign policy be so clueless about folks in his own hometown?

So let's clear something up.

Just because we Cubs fans have a beautiful, landmark ballpark in a rocking neighborhood, play our games under the hot sun (thus prompting our fanbase to wear fewer clothes) and enjoy our cold, frothy beverages in bulk does not mean we don't live and die with every pitch of every game of every season.

Have you been to Wrigley Field? Tell me the fans aren't into the game, when they throw backing opposing home runs, or when they boo (yes, it happens everywhere), or when they rise to their feet with two outs and two strikes on the other team's last hitter. Or when they see Bob Howry walking in from the bullpen, and they link arms and start doing synchronized yoga breathing. Or when the 'W' flag is raised and everyone sticks around to sing the team's cornball anthem, "Go Cubs Go."

But Obama's a Sox fan, and I guess he feels he's being loyal to his team by blindly, ignorantly ripping on the North side. Loyalty's OK, even if it's a bit misguided. To eschew his real beliefs, play the politician and say he likes both teams would be worse.

That said, come October, I better not see his skinny butt on the mound — or in the booth — at Wrigley Field, campaigning through first pitches and seventh-inning stretches. Then, he'd really lose my vote.

Phils/Mets: SNY Looking to Get This Party Started

The first place Phils and Mets will square off in a series at Shea starting tomorrow.

Before the first pitch, SNY analysts and former Mets Ron Darling, Keith Hernandez and Lee Mazzilli "will be on hand for a Q&A session hosted by Mets field reporter Kevin Burkhardt, followed by an autograph session."

Festivities begin at noon and run until 1:30 p.m.

In addition to free Cracker Jacks, ThunderStix and Mets pocket schedules, "SNY will be raffling off a chance to win a Mets DreamSeat, a David Wright Fathead and more."

So, if I read this correctly, they are not raffling off a Mets DreamSeat or a David Wright Fathead, but rather a "chance to win a Mets DreamSeat, a David Wright Fathead."

Interesting.

But come on, what self respecting Mets fan doesn't already own a David Wright Fathead?

SNY ought to pony up for one of these bad boys...

Anti-Obama Vandalism Asks "How ‘Bout them Gators"

Barry must be a 'Nole...

Jorts Photo: SECTalk.com

City Vehicles Painted with Anti-Obama Sayings

The vandal or vandals appear to have political intentions; most of the vehicles were spray painted with anti Obama sayings, with ‘Obama’ misspelled several times. Some of their vehicles had their gas caps removed.

The person or persons left a business card with political ramblings and other phrases such as ‘How ‘Bout them Gators’ and ‘Legalize Marijuana/ Stop Building Prisons’.

The Dangerous Summer

After Mens Vogue spotlighted Spanish bullfighter Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, I mentioned that in order to get a firmer understanding for the "sport" and its place and role in Spanish society, I would start by reading Hemmingway's The Dangerous Summer, which chronicled the 1959 Spanish Bullfighting season and the rivalry between Cayetano's grandfather Antonio Ordóñez and his grand-uncle Luis Miguel Dominguín.

While the piece splendidly looked at the skill and artistry of two of the greatest bullfighters ever, HEmmingway made very little effort to dive into the bullfighting's history and cultural significance.

Papa Ernesto, rather, was nothing short of an aficionado, respected so much so, that he was allotted unparalleled access to not only the events, but also the social circles of the bullfighters themselves - dining, traveling and lodging with both subjects.

While friendly with each of the brothers-in-law, he makes no excuses for whom he favors as the greatest in the world - Cayetano's grandfather Antonio, while he notes that Dominguín is fighting, not out of financial necessity, but rather to keep his place at top of the sport against his foe.

The book's title indicates the effect this rivalry has on its competitors - each trying more dangerous maneuvers to up the ante against the other. The result, predictably, is injuries - namely horns to the legs, abs and intestines.

Bullfighting continues to pique my interest, but unfortunately, while I enjoyed The Dangerous Summer, I still consider myself uneducated about the true meaning behind it.

Women's Hoops Rivalry Goes South Philly

It's the classic Geno vs. Pat rivalry. Personally, I prefer Tony Luke.

From FanHouse: Geno Auriemma on Pat Summitt: 'She's Not Playing Us Because She Hates My Guts'

Geno: "I think she should just come out and say she's not playing us because she hates my guts. And I think people would buy that. Then everyone [who seeks a reason] would be happy. She should just say that [Geno is] a dope, a smart-ass and then everyone could say that they agree with her."

Hansbrough Likes it Texas Style

Oh thank God UNC and Duke are finally going at it. The countdown clock on the World Wide Leader was a bit much. As was the repeating profile on SI cover boy Tyler Hansbrough. Here "Psycho T" talks about a painful sport he invented that involves having balls slapped against his chest. Yeah, it's as hetro as it sounds.

Snarky Jon Stewart Compares Obama/Clinton to Dimaggio/Williams

"The thing that people I guess shouldn't lose focus of is either way this is an historic race. You have done better than any woman in the history of this country running for the highest office of this land. Barack Obama has done the same for African-Americans. It's almost whoever wins or loses, it's almost like in 1941, this is a stupid analogy so bear with me. In 1941 Ted Williams hit .400. Nobody has done that since in baseball but that year he didn't win the Most Valuable Player because Joe DiMaggio had a 56-game hitting streak. I feel like we as Americans are watching two historical figures battle it out. I don't know if people will be able to appreciate that because it's unfortunately one of you guys is going to have to yield to the other."

For video, see around the 2:10 mark...

Focus, Roy, Focus

Are you threatening me?

Now, Rusty usually lets the Rev handle college hoops, but when it comes to the mecca of college bball, Tobacco Road, ole Rusty can hang with the best of them.

Williams irked by Coach K

So, apparently, looks like Roy Williams is having a fit about something the venerable Coach K said on a radio show.

"[He] has been dealing with that since -- and unlike other schools we don't release our injuries -- so I thought he played a strong game tonight," Krzyzewski said.

That nine-word aside about "other schools" was, Williams said on Tuesday, "aimed toward us."

Seriously? Doesn't he have a top ranked team he needs to coach? Isn't he going into the hostile RBC Center tonight to play Carolina's real in-state rival (sorry national fans, but for us NC folks, Duke is Mayonaise, the real rivalry is State Carolina)?

Just seems like a bunch of hooey to me. But maybe if he worried about his own ball club more, he wouldn't be fainting on the sidelines so often. Just a thought.

-posted by Rusty

ESPN and Jesus Approved Basketball Game

In obscure sports bars across the country, the old and young alike will gather for the big rivalry game. The Hope College Flying Dutchmen and Calvin College Knights men's basketball teams have battled each other for 88 years with the series currently tied at 83 apiece.
The rivalry has gained national prominence over the past few years. ESPN ranked it as the fourth greatest college basketball rivalry, and it dominated a national online poll for the fiercest rivalry (I am sure it was scientific and had no margin of error).

These two schools hate each other as much as the Bible allows them to. Separated by about 35 miles in west Michigan, the Division III colleges are populated by Dutch Americans and sprung from a division in the Reformed Church in America.

This isn't just about sports Duke/North Carolina Louisville/Kentucky, this is rooted in religion. Judiasm vs. Islam type stuff.

If you are out on Saturday afternoon, here are a few signs that you have stumbled into a bar showing the game:

• Room divided in two by pairs of maroon and orange wooden shoes.
• Old men wearing maroon sweaters with an Alvin and the Chipmunks-like giant "C" on them.
• On TV, 10 white boys with heights ranging from 6'2" to 6'6" playing basketball.
• Jokes about Jesus loving a particular team best after a 3 pointer.
• Groups dividing the check between each other to the penny.
• Pitchers of water.
• Angry waitresses that just received an exact 15% tip from a large group.
• "Fudge" and "Shoots"
• Children running around with parents younger than you.
• Hope fans whining about everything.

Misleading Headline: Rob Deer, Buckeye Fan

Deer invades basement of Mich. home

Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!

Wade Phillips Wants Big Sausage

Say what you will about Andy Reid, but Wade Phillips is a fat, jolly f*ck himself. The Texan on this audio could very well be him.




Damnit. Sucka gots to eat. Someone feed this sumbitch.

Thanks to our buddy Mr. Met up in Flushing for the heads-up.

While we're on Wade, he looks an awful lot like Newt, don't he?