Seriously, PLAY Magazine, couldn't you get a better picture of Michael Phelps?
The story.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Rick Gosselin: Closet Eagles fan?
I like that the Dallas Morning News did a story on the Eagles defense, but can we teach Rick Gosselin what the hell a synonym is!?
Paragraph excerpts in order:
The Eagles aren't going to take any chances with health in 2008.
Even though Philadelphia had two Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks in Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, they signed a third – Asante Samuel – away from the AFC champion New England Patriots in free agency. He led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2006. Counting the playoffs, Samuel has intercepted 19 passes in his last 37 games. He has six career touchdowns on interceptions.
The Eagles drafted safety Quintin Demps, who intercepted 17 career passes and scored four defensive touchdowns at UTEP. He set a school record with 404 career yards on interceptions.
The Eagles also heated up their pass rush, signing end Chris Clemons (eight sacks in 2007) away from the Oakland Raiders in free agency and drafting tackle Trevor Laws from Notre Dame in the second round.
The Eagles now go five deep at both end and tackle – a depth chart that includes three first-round draft picks (tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson and end Jerome McDougle), two seconds (Laws and end Victor Abiamiri), a third (end Bryan Smith) and a couple of big-money free agents (ends Clemons and Darren Howard).
If the Eagles can increase pressure on quarterbacks and make them throw the ball out of rhythm, turnover opportunities should increase. Johnson feels he has a cast capable of finishing off those opportunities.
The Eagles, in related news, can also be referred to as Philadelphia, the Birds, Philly, they (on second reference) and Tony Romo's daddy. That is all.
Paragraph excerpts in order:
The Eagles aren't going to take any chances with health in 2008.
Even though Philadelphia had two Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks in Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, they signed a third – Asante Samuel – away from the AFC champion New England Patriots in free agency. He led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2006. Counting the playoffs, Samuel has intercepted 19 passes in his last 37 games. He has six career touchdowns on interceptions.
The Eagles drafted safety Quintin Demps, who intercepted 17 career passes and scored four defensive touchdowns at UTEP. He set a school record with 404 career yards on interceptions.
The Eagles also heated up their pass rush, signing end Chris Clemons (eight sacks in 2007) away from the Oakland Raiders in free agency and drafting tackle Trevor Laws from Notre Dame in the second round.
The Eagles now go five deep at both end and tackle – a depth chart that includes three first-round draft picks (tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson and end Jerome McDougle), two seconds (Laws and end Victor Abiamiri), a third (end Bryan Smith) and a couple of big-money free agents (ends Clemons and Darren Howard).
If the Eagles can increase pressure on quarterbacks and make them throw the ball out of rhythm, turnover opportunities should increase. Johnson feels he has a cast capable of finishing off those opportunities.
The Eagles, in related news, can also be referred to as Philadelphia, the Birds, Philly, they (on second reference) and Tony Romo's daddy. That is all.
LeBron supports Obama
Despite the advice and blueprint of his idol, Michael Jordan, LeBron James has endorsed a political candidate.
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
James has lavished a little more than 0.1 percent of his 2008-09 salary of $14.4 million on the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, according to Federal Election Commission records. In June, the Cavaliers star donated $20,000 to the Democratic White House Victory Fund, a joint committee set up by Obama and the Democratic Party for the presidential race.
I'm glad to know that LeBron and I have more in common than a 40-inch-plus vertical.
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
James has lavished a little more than 0.1 percent of his 2008-09 salary of $14.4 million on the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, according to Federal Election Commission records. In June, the Cavaliers star donated $20,000 to the Democratic White House Victory Fund, a joint committee set up by Obama and the Democratic Party for the presidential race.
I'm glad to know that LeBron and I have more in common than a 40-inch-plus vertical.
More annoying? Michelle Wie vs. Britney Spears
Does Michelle Wie's saga remind anyone else of Britney Spears'?
Whose parents are worse?
Michelle's parents control her every move and shop her around the world to pad their wallets.
I don't even know who Britney's dad is, but I know her mom sold out Jamie Lynn for money from Gossip.
Edge: Spears
More money for doing less:
Wie definitely works hard on her game although she has sponsorships in the $10 million range and isn't a full-time member of any tour. (She has one LPGA exemption left.)
I think Spears has just one Grammy nomination for "Toxic," but she was very attractive early in her career and put out multiple albums.
Edge: Wie
Bigger fall off the map:
Wie hasn't won anything that anyone cares about since taking the Women's U.S. Public Links Championship when she was 13.
Spears shaved her head.
Edge: Spears
I'll give Britney the final edge as a younger Wie still has a chance to redeem herself. I just hope it doesn't come this week.
Whose parents are worse?
Michelle's parents control her every move and shop her around the world to pad their wallets.
I don't even know who Britney's dad is, but I know her mom sold out Jamie Lynn for money from Gossip.
Edge: Spears
More money for doing less:
Wie definitely works hard on her game although she has sponsorships in the $10 million range and isn't a full-time member of any tour. (She has one LPGA exemption left.)
I think Spears has just one Grammy nomination for "Toxic," but she was very attractive early in her career and put out multiple albums.
Edge: Wie
Bigger fall off the map:
Wie hasn't won anything that anyone cares about since taking the Women's U.S. Public Links Championship when she was 13.
Spears shaved her head.
Edge: Spears
I'll give Britney the final edge as a younger Wie still has a chance to redeem herself. I just hope it doesn't come this week.
Iowa tickets for disaster victims are also disastrous
This is a nice gesture by the Iowa Hawkeyes, but I don't think I'd want to watch another natural disaster after experiencing one.
From the Des Moines Register:
Victims and those who who supported victims of recent natural disasters in Iowa are eligible for free tickets to home football games at the University of Iowa, officials announced today.
Two tickets for either the Aug. 30 game against Maine or Sept. 6 against Florida International will be given to people who provide completed FEMA disaster assistance application forms.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz is the highest paid state employee in all of Iowa, but that doesn't mean he has any control over his players.
From the Des Moines Register:
Victims and those who who supported victims of recent natural disasters in Iowa are eligible for free tickets to home football games at the University of Iowa, officials announced today.
Two tickets for either the Aug. 30 game against Maine or Sept. 6 against Florida International will be given to people who provide completed FEMA disaster assistance application forms.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz is the highest paid state employee in all of Iowa, but that doesn't mean he has any control over his players.
Can we get some real golf reporters?
I can't stand when casual reporters analyzing golf tournaments. Surely this stems from my own dedication to and scrutiny of the sport, but I get upset when people like Bill Plaschke blabber on Around the Horn about how Michelle Wie will be overswinging this week by trying to keep up with the men. Those are the stupid statements that eat away at the credibility of general sports reporters trying to give insight into golf.
Then I read this column in the Cleveland Plain Dealer by Bill Livingston, who I had never read until today (unlike Plaschke who I like otherwise.)
Still, I wish we could put the lasers back in the science lab.
Lasers are what designated volunteers use for a PGA Tour media service called ShotLink. The shot-trackers use lasers to determine a shot's distance, then record on PDAs (personal digital assistants) the yardage, the spot on the course where the ball lies, and maybe the golfer's astrological sign.
I, and I'm sure many other tournament golfers, like to know exactly how far a tour golfer hits his shot so we know how they play in different situations. But that doesn't have to take away from the traditional lingo we're used to:
The sports world, including the PGA Tour, has gone stat crazy. But Tour golfers still use the formula that sufficed for years. From one to six feet, they measure putts by each foot. At eight, 10 and 12 feet, they measure two feet at a time. Then it's three, for 15- and 18-footers. Back to two feet to reach 20, but then it's a quick march in five-foot increments to 40 feet. After that, 10-foot increases stretch to infinity and beyond.
So I thought maybe Bill did know a little more than he let on -- until he came back with these ridiculous comments:
Once, we (who do you mean by "we?") had lingo. Now we have lasers. Monster putts were "snakes," and sometimes, for truly vast distances, "anacondas." Around the cup and out was a "U-turn," and around and in was a "victory lap." A missed gimme was "afraid of the dark." Hacking it back and forth across the green was "Army golf -- Left, right, left!" On the green, more than three putts was going into the "hockey mode."
Only hackers talk like that, Bill. But don't worry, that's exactly what most reporters are in the sport. And since golf isn't as commonly played of a sport as baseball, basketball and football, to name a few, it's understandable that most reporters don't have a good grasp on the nuances of the sport. Please, though, don't remove all doubt with this annoying posturing.
Then I read this column in the Cleveland Plain Dealer by Bill Livingston, who I had never read until today (unlike Plaschke who I like otherwise.)
Still, I wish we could put the lasers back in the science lab.
Lasers are what designated volunteers use for a PGA Tour media service called ShotLink. The shot-trackers use lasers to determine a shot's distance, then record on PDAs (personal digital assistants) the yardage, the spot on the course where the ball lies, and maybe the golfer's astrological sign.
I, and I'm sure many other tournament golfers, like to know exactly how far a tour golfer hits his shot so we know how they play in different situations. But that doesn't have to take away from the traditional lingo we're used to:
The sports world, including the PGA Tour, has gone stat crazy. But Tour golfers still use the formula that sufficed for years. From one to six feet, they measure putts by each foot. At eight, 10 and 12 feet, they measure two feet at a time. Then it's three, for 15- and 18-footers. Back to two feet to reach 20, but then it's a quick march in five-foot increments to 40 feet. After that, 10-foot increases stretch to infinity and beyond.
So I thought maybe Bill did know a little more than he let on -- until he came back with these ridiculous comments:
Once, we (who do you mean by "we?") had lingo. Now we have lasers. Monster putts were "snakes," and sometimes, for truly vast distances, "anacondas." Around the cup and out was a "U-turn," and around and in was a "victory lap." A missed gimme was "afraid of the dark." Hacking it back and forth across the green was "Army golf -- Left, right, left!" On the green, more than three putts was going into the "hockey mode."
Only hackers talk like that, Bill. But don't worry, that's exactly what most reporters are in the sport. And since golf isn't as commonly played of a sport as baseball, basketball and football, to name a few, it's understandable that most reporters don't have a good grasp on the nuances of the sport. Please, though, don't remove all doubt with this annoying posturing.
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