sports news and analysis from the Bay Area and beyond that ALWAYS gives 110%
I can say with 99.9% certainty that by the time tonight is over, Lamar Odom will have consumed more candy than your sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and cousins combined. All this time I thought Odom disappeared in the 4th quarter of games because he was soft and disinterested, when actually it's just a sugar crash. What do you think is worth more, Lamar and Khloe's prenup or his dental bill?
Loyal fans, team employees, and now Al Harrington's heart and arteries are just a few entries on the growing list of casualties claimed by the NBA lockout. Last weekend the Nuggets forward attempted and subsequently failed the Bugsy Challenge at the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas. Harrington, who averaged 10.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG for Denver last season, was obviously looking to boost his career LDL numbers by devouring this humongous hunk of hamburger heaven.
Although an isolated event, Harrington's weekend of gluttony sheds light on the fact that during a lockout players are largely left to their own devices in the absence of a training camp or structured off season workouts. The injury-laden, inferior basketball played during the lockout shortened season of '98-'99 is a prime example of what may amount to a lost '11-'12 season for a league that started to regain some national traction over the past few years.From Haute Living via Balls Don't Lie:a burger with six one-third-pound burger patties, six types of cheese (American, cheddar, pepper jack, fresh house-made mozzarella, Swiss and panko-crusted deep-fried provolone), chorizo, sautéed mushrooms, black and tan onion rings, three strips of applewood smoked bacon, three strips of cayenne peppered bacon and a fried egg, all oozing with Burger Joint's special pink peppercorn aioli. This massive burger is accompanied by a cast iron skillet packed with two whole potatoes cut in wedges and deep fried, then smothered in cheddar cheese sauce, three-cheese blend, crumbled bacon, sliced green onions and topped with two strips of cayenne peppered bacon.
Harrington's epic fail is somewhat surprising since it's no secret the man's got a big mouth as evidenced by the amount of trash he talks during a game. Although the Nuggets forward could not finish the massive burger in the allotted 45 minutes, Harrington can proudly declare that he's better than Lebron James (at hamburger eating), because had Lebron attempted a similar feat, he would have undoubtedly choked during the last 5 minutes.
Free agent wideout Terrell Owens, fresh off a six month stint of rehab for a torn ACL, held an open workout today for the press and NFL scouts in hopes of landing a new contract with a team. Unfortunately for T.O., his workout, which was promoted by the NFL Network and Owens' agent Drew Rosenhaus, generated the same amount of interest as when I'm at the gym doing dumbbell curls near the pilates class (minus their laughing or my subsequent sobbing).
The showcase was held at Calabasas High School, but the 37 year old veteran may have been better served staging his audition on the croquette lawn at the local senior center as Owens lacked any semblance of the burst necessary to create separation on his routes.
Undaunted by the fact that none of the 32 NFL teams sent reps to the training session, Owens remained confident in stating, "I have faith I'll land on my feet."
I'm all for the guy looking at the situation with the glass half full, but in this case it appears that the glass isn't even on the table any longer. It's a fairly telling sign when your VH1 reality show garners more interest than your ability to catch a football, and the sooner Owens sees the writing on the wall, the sooner he can transition into a cushy commentator gig. With his flash and charisma, Owens would be a natural fit alongside the likes of Keyshawn Johnson or Deion Sanders.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report
Raiders offensive coordinator Al Saunders shocked the sports world yesterday morning during an interview on 610 Sports Radio Kansas City when he stated newly acquired quarterback Carson Palmer would start Sunday's contest against the Chiefs "as long as he's breathing."
Palmer, eager to impress his new teammates and Bay Area fan-base, took his coordinator's words to heart and began studying the nuances of cellular respiration from a biology textbook he once saw some Asian students carrying around the USC campus.
When asked how his assimilation to a new team and playbook were going, Palmer responded, "I've got a pretty firm grasp on where the ball needs to go when coach calls Slant Left 787 check swing, check right, but I can't seem to remember that the decarboxylation of oxalosuccinate is the rate limiting step of the Krebs Cycle."
With each passing day it's becoming clear that Palmer will get the start Sunday as he continues to take first team reps and breathe at a very efficient rate, generating an impressive 36 ATP along the way.
In other Raiders' news, the Kyle Boller era in Oakland has ended before it ever got started, and former starter Jason Campbell has begun rehabbing a brokenheartclavicle.
ESPN is reporting today that the Philadelphia 76ers have been sold to a new ownership group in which actor turned rapper turned actor turned rapper turned actor Will Smith has a minority stake. The announcement makes Smith the latest in a list of musicians to hold partial ownership of NBA franchises, with artists such as Usher (Cavaliers) and Jay-Z (Nets) having crossed over in the past.
Following the press conference, Smith wasted no time excersing his 0.000001% control over the team by announcing his intent to beef up the team's front-line by signing Philip Banks to a 10-day contract pending the end of the NBA lockout.
"Uncle Phil gives us another weapon on the pick and roll, ha-ha, Big Willie style," Smith added while flashing a goofy smile.
Although it is unclear if Uncle Phil's signing will do much to bolster the team's interior defense or rebounding, his demonstrative screaming and gruff parenting style will undoubtedly charm Sixers fans and viewers alike.
The San Francisco 49ers (5-1) notched yet another come from behind road win on Sunday, and in the process dealt the Detroit Lions (5-1) their first loss of the season with a 25-19 victory at a raucous Ford Field. Alex Smith put the Niners ahead for good with just 1:51 remaining in the 4th quarter when he hooked up with Delanie Walker for a 6 yard score on a dramatic 4th and Goal situation. Smith's TD to Walker capped an impressive stretch going back to the second quarter where the Niners rallied from down 0-10 to outscore the Lions 25-9 in the final 3 frames.
The most impressive part of the win is the way that the 49ers dominated the Lions in the trenches, playing a smash mouth style of football personified by their fiery coach Jim Harbaugh. Make no mistake about it, this is not the "physical with an F," run into a wall repeatedly and punt style that was the trademark of the Mike Singletary era. This is a smart kind of dominance, physical toughness tempered by cerebral calculation.
You hear talk across the Bay from Raider's coach Hue Jackson about wanting to create a bully in Oakland, well Harbaugh's Niners are also a bully, but they're a bully that will beat you up just to steal and finish your algebra homework because it's fun. The Niners aren't physical with an F, hell they aren't even physical with a PH, the Niners are physical with a PhD.
Of course it's easy to play smash mouth football when you believe your coach is willing to literally smash the opposing coach in the mouth, as was evidenced in the post game "handshake" between Harbaugh and Lions' coach Jim Schwartz. Harbaugh's post game mea culpa claimed exuberance leading up to a firm handshake, while Schwartz claimed he felt dissed and ignored. Deliberate or not, you can judge for yourself after watching the video below. Anyone familiar with Jim Harbaugh's track record knows he's a passionate guy, but he's also shrewd as they come, and loves his guys to play with an edge harboring an "us against the world" mentality. So after the fines, sound bytes, and pomp and circumstance, what remains is a Niners team sitting atop the NFC West at 5-1, and a Niners coach that just stole Jim Schwartz's homework.
The reasons behind the Boston Red Sox's historic September collapse are becoming clearer as the Boston Globe published an article describing a clubhouse devoid of leadership, motivation, or accountability. The most egregious offenders appear to be starting pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey, who as the days and losses and pounds piled on, appeared more like they were rushing a fraternity than pitching for an AL pennant:
Instead, Boston’s three elite starters went soft, their pitching as anemic as their work ethic. The indifference of Beckett, Lester, and Lackey in a time of crisis can be seen in what team sources say became their habit of drinking beer, eating fast-food fried chicken, and playing video games in the clubhouse during games while their teammates tried to salvage a once-promising season.Sources said Beckett, Lester, and Lackey, who were joined at times by Buchholz, began the practice late in 2010. The pitchers not only continued the routine this year, sources said, but they joined a number of teammates in cutting back on their exercise regimens despite appeals from the team’s strength and conditioning coach Dave Page.
Now I'm no expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once, and I'm guessing it's pretty tough to strikeout a major league hitter if all you can think about are miniature hamburgers when your catcher is calling for a slider.
Whatever someone wants to do in their free time is their own business, but if you're getting paid $17 million a year to play once every five days, you probably should be present in the dugout and cheering for your teammates during the game. Last time I checked it's kind of hard to clap when you've got an XBOX 360 controller in one hand, and a piece of the colonel's extra tasty crispy in the other. Then again, if the Red Sox are playing the Yankees, and Papelbon is pitching, the game is likely to last 5 days until your next start, so I guess there are exceptions to every rule.
Not to be outdone, former major league pitcher and current MLB Network analyst Al Leiter appeared on the Dan Patrick show today, and practically admitted to the existence of a dedicated porn room at the Mets' old Shea Stadium:
Gives new meaning to the saying, "If you build it, they will come."
The 49ers turned in their most complete effort of the young season this afternoon in a 48-3 throttling of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Candlestick Park. The offense hit on all cylinders, paced by 2 TDs from all-pro tight end Vernon Davis. Frank Gore helped break the will of the Tampa Defense scoring a TD and logging his second consecutive 100+ yd rushing game. Gore's recent success has helped ease some concern about the Niners' nonexistent rushing attack early on in the season, a change which seems to have coincided with Adam Snyder's insertion into the starting lineup at right guard. Niners QB, Alex Smith, managed the game with the ruthless efficiency of an Asian accountant, going 11/19 for 170 yds and 3 scores. The same could not be said for Bucs QB, Josh Freeman, who at times seemed confused by San Francisco's blitz packages and zone coverages, even surrendering a pick-six to Carlos Rogers early in the second quarter.
The win is significant for the 49ers on many fronts, keeping them two games ahead of division rival Seattle, avenging last season's shutout loss to the Bucs, and validating last week's come from behind victory over thedreamnightmare team Philadelphia Eagles.
The Oakland Raiders are deeply saddened by the passing of Al Davis. Al Davis was unique – a maverick, a giant among giants, a true legend among legends, the brightest star among stars, a hero, a mentor, a friend.
USA Today is reporting that iconic Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis has passed away at the age of 82. Check back at THMG for updates as the Raiders prepare to issue a statement later today.
I should preface this post by saying I'm a pretty avid PC guy, but I'm also a Warriors fan, so that makes two inferior products I've had no problem supporting for the better part of the last two decades. That being said, the passing of technological visionary and Apple founder Steve Jobs has given people around the nation and around the world great pause. By the time the iPod hit the market back in 2001 it was clear that Steve Jobs' reach would extend far beyond Mac fanboys and their computers, and into a wide breadth of areas such as the realm of sports.
Baseball is one sport in particular that has embraced all that Apple has had to offer over the past few years. The advent of the iPad in early 2010 was every Sabermetrician's wet dream, allowing countless hours of viewing every player's DIPS, VORP, and WAR till the cows come home (or ten hours of battery life, whichever happens first).
Jayson Stark of ESPN.com wrote a great piece at the end of August on how the information age is changing the way baseball is played, and of course Apple had a prominent role:
AN APPLE A DAY
In the beginning, there were tapes. Big, clunky VHS tapes that had to be loaded into bigger, clunkier VCRs. And that's how players watched video once upon a time.
Eventually, a few of the more advanced teams started editing those tapes to produce custom DVDs for a few technologically savvy players. And as the years rolled along, more and more players started lugging around laptops so they could crank up that video from airplane seats and hotel rooms.
Then came the iPod, an invention that made it possible for players to watch every episode of "Lost" and every pitch against the Blue Jays with just about the same ease. But the screens were smaller than Joe West's strike zone. And loading that video onto each iPod presented major, time-consuming technological challenges. So even the iPod had its limits.
So for years now, teams have been using video in some form or other. But it was just 16 months ago -- drum roll, please -- that life in the video room, as we used to know it, changed forever.
All because of the iPad.
So clearly the collapse of the 2011 Giants, and more specifically the anemic offense that couldn't hit their way out of a wet paper bag can be attributed to Steve Jobs and Apple. While opposing pitchers were watching video of every swing of every at-bat the Giants took, Aubrey Huff was playing Angry Birds.
Y! sports via the AP is reporting that Mercedes Benz has purchased the naming rights for the Lousiana Superdome, home to the NFL's New Orleans Saints, and the source of frustration for countless fantasy football owners trying to figure out which Saints wideout will be Drew Brees' flavor of the week (please let it be Meachem).
Ernst Lieb, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, issued the following prepared statement in response to thisblatant example of crass consumerismjoyous occasion:
"The joining of the Mercedes-Benz brand with the world-class Saints organization and the Superdome, an iconic destination which has undergone an incredible transformation over the past six years, is a significant moment for us, the City of New Orleans, and the State of Louisiana."
The deal inked between the German auto giant and the 2009 Super Bowl champs leaves the NFL with just 9 stadiums (e.g. Lambeau Field) across the league yet to be pimped out for corporate sponsorships. Sadly, even THMG's beloved Bay Area teams aren't immune to such pandering, as evidenced by local venues such as the HP Pavilion (clever product placement in the name, except that HP no longer makes computers) and the Overstock.com Coliseum. I'm sorry Oakland, but you're doing it wrong by only getting $1.2 million out of the sponsorship, a sum that amounts to sofa cushion change to a company like Overstock.com.
The Colts, led by luscious locked QB and Hans Gruber associate Curtis Painter,continued to surge ahead in the "suck for Luck" sweepstakes by falling to 0-4 in a 24-17 loss to the Bucs on Monday Night Football.
Painter, in his first career start managed to throw for 281 yds and 2 scores, and had this to say about his team's performance:
"It's always a little easier when you know you're going to get some playing time," Painter said. "We got off to a good start and put some points on the board. But obviously we have to find a way to put more points on the board and move the ball a little bit better."
Now if I were Painter I would have thanked (and possibly offered up my first born child to) Pierre Garçon for racking up both my TDs and half my passing yards on two short throws followed by monstrous YAC. Then again, if I were Painter I probably wouldn't sport the haircut of a 13 year old girl either, but hey that's just me.
Lost in this snore fest of a game that featured 20 penalties for 156 yds was that the comeback kid Josh Freeman led his Bucs to yet another 4th Quarter come from behind victory. Of course when you're playing the Colts, it's usually just a matter of when and not if the comeback is going to happen.
