Friday, May 23, 2008

Jock-O for Friday

from ESPN:



REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE

by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch

Getty Images

"You think Alyssa will like the suit?"


[Ed's Note: In the long view of the sports media industry, it's still a relatively new concept that athletes, agents, executives, and yes, mascots, could circumvent us and tell their own stories…instantly, on blogs. We say, fantastic—but we're going to cover what they're writing.]

Donte Whitner: YouTube Diss

The Bills safety isn't taking too kindly to haters. In fact, he's posted a YouTube video of a fan reacting negatively to his draft choice in 2006 as motivation to get better. Check it out HERE.

Kyle Harrison: Turtle Sshoes and Ellen's Moves

The laxer on his new hot sneaks:

"Anyway, as you know, I love shoes, and pretty much any type of Nike is OK with me!" he writes. "On my drive across the country, me and my boy Brett came across this hot shoe store in Utah called '10' and they had all kinds of hot sneaks. But what made the store even better was they had a few people on site who were able to put whatever design you wanted on your shoe! When I was there I grabbed a pair of high top blazers and got them to draw my tattoo (a turtle, good luck on in my family) on the side which came out great."

And on Ellen:

"Oh yeah, such a random thought, but I happened to catch 5 minutes of Ellen today when I got home, how do we feel about her dancing at the beginning?" he writes. "I've got a few concerns."

The solution to Ellen's dancing follies? Set her up with your turtle sneaks, son. She should be getting down and dirty in no time.

Pat Neshek: On the Mend

With the news that he'll be out for what looks like the rest of the season, the Twins reliever has been filling time with what he does best: trading and auctioning items via message board. Don't miss your chance to pick up his My Little Pony backpack!

Chris Cooley: Getting Hitched Today

"Christy stepped through my back door three July's ago," he writes. "She walked into the house like she had climbed out of a poster in my high-school bedroom. Past fashionably late, she had given me way too much time to sit and drink and I knew it would be hard not to make an ass out of myself. By the time I was face to face with my favorite Redskins Cheerleader all I could muster was a shrugged shoulder handshake."

It was a summer Saturday night and Christy was thinking about me. I would have never known what she had on her mind, but I couldn't keep my eyes off her. She confessed that it wasn't coincidence that brought her to the house and she was prepared. If looks were bait then I was hooked. She dressed to make men panic, but beyond that she was beautiful. Her smile was incredible and she had something terribly contagious in her eyes. Awkward glances and stares filled the room, and before the night ended I knew that I wanted more."

On three: One, two, three … awwwwww.

Paul DePodesta: Road Warrior

Pauly D labored through a lot of baseball the other day. How much? Try 38 innings.

"On the amateur scouting front, I just returned to my hotel room after 38 innings of baseball (the first game went 11 innings - a bad omen for the rest of the day)," he writes. "Those 38 innings fell just shy of 16 hours to play. I don't care how much you love the game, that's a lot of baseball for one day. The first 7th inning stretch of the day occurred around noon time, and the fourth 7th inning stretch, yes the fourth one, was at 1:25 AM. Trust me, mid-inning pitching changes were not welcome as the evening turned into night and night turned into morning."

Tommy Lasorda: Proud of Piazza

Nothing like a boy you saw being born and raised and that you helped bring to the bigs becoming such a big success, eh?

"I was proud of him when he was my bat boy," he writes. "I was proud of him when he played college baseball. I was proud of him when he was drafted. I was proud of him when he went to the Dominican. I was proud of him when he became a Dodger. I was proud of him when he won the Rookie of the Year. I was proud to see him play in the World Series. I was proud when he became the all-time leading catcher in home runs and that he finished with a batting average over .300. I was proud to see him get married and have a daughter. I am proud that he was a 12-time All-Star, and I am proud to say that one day he will be in the Hall of Fame.

"But what I am most proud of is his heart, and his determination. What he has accomplished is the perfect example of what someone can attain if they believe in themselves.

"I love you, Michael."

Between Cooley and Tommy, we got our most sappy Jock-osphere to date. Enjoy your stay and hug your neighbors, friends.

Flea: The Silence of the Salty People

"the silence of the salty people
the silence of the loudest basketball place (do they pipe in noise
too during games?...hmmm...)
the silence of the crowd who booed the honorable Derek Fisher in a
blatant display of boorishness and classlessness
the silence of the dopes in the Utah crowd who threw things at the
Laker bench in the 4th quarter
the silence of the pathetic chanting of "referees s- -k" because they
had to defer of the blame, they could not handle their loss with dignity
the Utah Jazz has some great players and they are a tough team, i
wish them well
but they were no match for the finesse, brains, and grit of the los
angeles lakers"

How passionate is Flea about his Lakers? Just don't question his fanhood.

Yooooouuuuukkkkk: Say it ain't so, Youk!

"Thanks for all of the feedback on this blog since the start of the 2007 season. I am no longer actively blogging here since the Japan Opening Day Series. See you at the ballpark."

David Boreanaz, Actor: Flyers Alive in his Heart

"I think I'd like to start by saying if you take a team that finished dead last, one picked by many to not even make the playoffs, and that team not only makes the playoffs but defeats a hot team like Washington, and takes out its frustrations further on the No. 1 seed in the East before bowing out against 'the Next One' and a host of superstars, well&it would be silly to say this team was anything but a success.

"In fact, it was amazing. The 'experts' didn't even give us the time of day to make the playoffs, but we proved everyone wrong, got to the Eastern Conf finals and I'm proud of them. I'm very, very proud of my club.

"I have nothing but good things to say. And I'm on here now to represent my organization, I'm here to show up, unlike another club that didn't show up on Sunday (sorry boys, that was a cheapshot, but it's all in good fun and in the spirit of Philly love)."

Thomas Williams: Work? He Friggin' Loves It

"This is really happening. I am in the NFL. For a guy who has always dreamed of this day happening, it's amazing that it's become a reality. I am in Jacksonville, got here late last week to start OTAs and I'm enjoying every second of it. I am absolutely loving putting that helmet on every day. When you graduate from college it's time to get a job and go to work. The fact that my job is in the NFL will never get lost on me. I know I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to make the roster, but it's an honor to be here and I am very excited about it."

Colin Doyle: Amped for More LAX

"I will be playing in Brampton in the OLA Major Series (indoor lax) and competing there for the Mann Cup, as well as playing in the MLL with the Rochester Rattlers. Both seasons, continue over the course of the summer and do conflict sometimes, but I look forward to playing a full MLL season and as many as 13 games in the OLA. It should make for a busy summer, but what else would you rather be doing??? Both teams will be very competitive, as both teams are loaded with talent!! In Rochester, we have a very Canadian feel with the likes of John Grant, Gavin Prout, Jeff Zywicki, Brodie Merril, Jordan Hall. We also boast some of the best American field studs in Jack Ried, Casey Powell and Joe Walters....along with many other big time players. On paper this team is AWESOME!!!"

Ah, if games were only played on paper, Colin, this writer might be a different person … and Mr. Destiny would have turned out better for James Belushi too.

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