REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE
Getty Images
Maple: now banned from prisons due to increasing shankliness.
Showing posts with label Reporting from the Jock-osphere. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reporting from the Jock-osphere. Show all posts
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Get Yer Jocko!
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE:
McNABB: WE STOLE ELTON. SO?
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
"Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone."
Jocks blog. We report. (You decide.)
Mark DeRosa: Whoa Oh, We're Halfway There
DeRosa reflects on his first half favorites:
"The 'Song' of the first half is 'Love me Sexy' by Jackie Moon," he writes. "If people have seen 'Semi-Pro,' they'll understand.
"'Best Celebrity I've Met' in the first half is Tony Romo, for obvious reasons. I'm a huge Cowboys fan. He's the worst singer I've heard in the first half, but it was awesome to be able to sit at my locker and talk football for five minutes."
So would Jessica singing "Love me Sexy" win his second half award for "best collaboration on two of my first half awards?"
Curtis Granderson: Time for the iPhone
What's the Tigers outfielder up to during the All-Star break? How about trying to score a 3G iPhone.
"Once the break starts, if I don't already get it by Sunday, I'm going to try to get the new iPhone," he writes. "But I heard they're already sold out here in the Detroit area. I think the first iPhone came out around this time last year, so maybe the owner of Apple is a baseball fan at heart, releasing the iPhone around the All-Star break for the past two years."
Curtis, if you do snatch one up, make sure you can actually activate it. We hear that's been a bit of a problem.
Donovan McNabb: A View of Philly Sports
The Campbell's Soup spokesman and Eagles' Quarterback riffs on Philly sports all the way from the land of McCain:
"What a great time it is to be a sports fan in Philadelphia," he writes. "I am 3,000 miles away in Arizona and spent some time channel surfing over the weekend and this is what I saw:
"The national media and many NBA experts believe that the Sixers stole Elton Brand and now have a difference maker in the NBA Eastern Conference. I agree. I love the way he plays the post and he will make the other young Sixers players much better. He makes them instant contenders.
"Although they had a tough day yesterday against the Diamondbacks, the Phillies are in first place approaching the All Star break. They have one of the most talented lineups in the game and Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell haven't even played their best baseball yet. Brad Lidge has been lights out as a closer. If they get some more quality starts from the pitching staff they can put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division.
"Philadelphia's Vai Sikahema, a former Eagle, knocked out former baseball player, Jose Canseco, in a celebrity boxing match. Vai gave away about 6 inches and 40-50 pounds to Jose but knocked out the bigger man in the 1st round. He proved that no matter how big and strong you look, you can't measure the heart on someone from Philly.
"In a contest that placed the winner in the ArenaBowl Championship Game, the Soul annihilated the Cleveland Gladiators, 70-35. If they play that well next week they will be able to set the route for the "Championship Parade in Philadelphia" in case there have been some changes in the past 25 years! With the promise shown by the Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and yes, the Eagles, hopefully that route will start getting used more often.
"Speaking of the Eagles, fans might be happy to know that I'm in Arizona working out with Brian Dawkins. Next week some other players will come out and we'll work together for a few days before training camp opens. I'm feeling great, the shoulder is fine, and I can't wait to get started this season."
John Lackey: Renewing the Rivalry
Lackey lines up his thoughts on the growing division rivalry with the A's:
"It seems like ever since I've been in the big leagues that the Angels and A's have been in 1st or 2nd in the division so there's definitely a little rivalry going on here," he writes. "It's not like some of those football rivalries, like Texas-Oklahoma or USC-UCLA, but they are definitely a team we look at and always want to play well against because they're always in the race. For a few years there when they had guys like Tejada and Chavez and drums in the outfield it felt like a Friday night football game to me. But it's died down a little since then. There's definitely more red in the stands these days. The Halo fans are everywhere.
"As an opponent you do have to give the A's front office some credit. They have made deals that have been unpopular with fans but a lot of those deals have really worked out for them. They have brought in some young players that have been really productive. Someone asked me how the Rich Harden trade was going to impact the division. I don't know how big an impact it will have on them because he hasn't pitched much anyway. Everyone in the league thinks he's one of the best when he's healthy, but he hasn't been healthy. But if the trade works the way these other trades have worked for them then the A's will be in the race until the end. That's why we always want to play well against them. They got the first one. Hopefully we'll get the next two."
And by getting the next two you will have earned two series more than the A's original series victory, so says our office of redundancy.
Kyle Harrison: Hey Look Ma, I'm an All Star!
Kyle makes the all-star squad, and talks up the new Batman release, as well as his healthy Entourage jones:
"I was fortunate enough to make the All Star team, so make sure if you've got some free time on Thursday night, check out ESPN 2 and watch the game!" he writes. "It's not often we get to be live on ESPN 2, so it's definitely an exciting event for our sport.
"Anybody else ridiculously excited for Batman to come out this weekend? I'm fired up for sure. Not exactly sure how I'm going to make time to see it if with the All Star game in Denver Thursday, then flying to Chicago Friday morning for our game for the weekend, but I'll make sure cause it's going to be hot!
"Anybody picked up the new iPhone? Thoughts? Thinking about checking that puppy out today.
"Just heard Entourage is starting back up on September, so I'm all kinds of fired up. I feel like I've been waiting for that show to start back up forever!"
It's not the waiting but the anticipation that is killer- hang in there, K.H.!
Donna Orender: The "Get It" Category
The WNBA prez praising some sports writers:
"I didn't realize I was creating an aspirational category of people of whom I could say: 'He gets it,'" she writes. I wrote that in praise of Bob Ryan, the well known Boston Globe sports writer, who saw a WNBA game and wrote about how much he loved it. (Have I mentioned that I love him?) Shortly thereafter, I received a query as to whether a David Knepler could also be put in that category. He enclosed the following link to his guest article in his local Bay Area (California) newspaper … and I want to officially note right here and now that Dave is a guy who also 'gets it.' He is part of our esteemed and ever-growing club. And now we are looking for others who are thus enlightened."Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Hump Day Jocko feat. Milton Bradley
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE:
MILTON BRADLEY BLOGS?
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
Milton Bradley with a baseball bat: good for your baseball team or menace to society?
Jocks blog. We report. (You decide.)
Milton Bradley: I'm an All-Star Now
The Rangers DH on finally making it to the gala:
"Last September, I was being peeled up off the dirt in San Diego with a torn ACL," he writes. "I was completely written off by the baseball world. I was barely given a chance to be ready to play by the All-Star break, let alone be a part of the annual celebration. But my hard head refused to listen to the nay-sayers. 'I'll be ready for opening day,' I arrogantly proclaimed last December before I was even able to jog.
"But that's where my mother Charlena Rector comes into play. Well actually, she's been a part of things since day one. She kept me in school every single day (perfect attendance my whole life), in church every Sunday and she guided me through the trials and tribulations of this crazy career I've chosen. "God is able," she always says. And my faith in God never allowed me to waver from His perfect plan. I haven't necessarily taken the most direct route, but I made it."
Let's hope Joe Buck doesn't make a crack about M.B. in the booth next week.
Tommy Lasorda: Master Motivator
The Dodgers lifer doing what he does best:
"I can remember Cardinal O'Connor gave a memorial Mass for my mother," he writes. "After the Mass he said he wanted to see me, and he said that every time he heard me talk that I always talked about motivation.
"'Do you really believe that you need to motivate players making five, eight, 10 million dollars a year,' he asked.
"I told him that everybody in this country, from the President, down to the lowest job in the land, at some time or another needs to be motivated because they think they are doing their best when in reality they are not."
John Lackey: A Trip To The White House … and Some Bowling
John Lackey really digs the White House:
"One of the days we were in DC, a few of us players (Reggie Willits, Justin Speier, Robb Quinlan) and staff got a tour of the White House, mostly the East Wing and some of the West Wing," he writes. "I really had to pinch myself because it was surreal. I guess since 9/11 they don't do public tours so I definitely felt privileged to be there. We got a chance to see the Oval Office and the Rose Garden during our visit back in 2003 after we won the World Series but this time we spent about two hours there. Our tour guide was a former sniper with the secret service. This guy was great, knew all the ins and outs to the White House and gave us some great insight. He took us down to the basement where there is a bowling alley. I got to roll a ball and left three pins standing. You know I would have picked up the spare but we each threw just one."
Later in the visit, Lackey tried reenacting the scene from There Will Be Blood in the bowling alley. He was promptly kicked out.
Jennie's not ready for the Olympic ride to be over; just ready to get started in Bejing:
"Watching the Olympic trials has been rejuvenating and energizing!" she writes. "It has been amazing watching dreams come true for many. After watching many hours of track and swimming I thank the Lord above for me playing a team sport and us being chosen in September!
"My heart breaks for the many who have given so much just to have a shot on that one day. That one day they have to be their best. Less than a second, less than a centimeter, there were so many emotions in the trials this past week. I have a really close friend who was there competing for her one shot, she has given so much, faced an injury 2 months before the trials, fought so hard to overcome, she was so very close. My heart ached for her this week as she went through the trials and came up just short. She will remain a champion in my mind. Watching her face this past week just makes me realize how many belong and gave so much but yet will not be in Beijing physically but are with all of us that are.
"We are better and who we are and will carry them with us as we represent the US because of all these amazing athletes. It reminds me how grateful, blessed, thankful, and incredibly special this is. We have been grinding daily getting ready for this our whole lives and its only 32 days away."
Rafael Nadal: Nacho Typical Morning
Wimbeldon Champ Rafa blogs about morning practice with his uncle and friend:
"It has been quite a busy morning," he writes. "I practiced for 2 hours. Initially it was going to be a smoother practice but I wasn't feeling that great hitting the ball and decided to practice a bit more with my Uncle Toni and a player from Menorca called Nacho Coll. I know him for some time, he is in the Balearic Tennis Centre and he is around to play some future events. I use to hit with him sometimes when we are in Mallorca. After that I had a lot of media obligations with Press Conference, TV interviews and a get together with the Spanish media that follow me around the different tournaments."
Is Nacho Rafa's secret training weapon? Is that why Federer went down?
"Ok, this is your chance," he writes. "Well, not really, but I am interested in hearing your opinions.
"Today we saw a blockbuster transaction with CC Sabathia moving to the Brewers. I'm not looking for your take on the trade (sorry) - these are actually two of the best GM's in the game making bold, yet solid, moves for their respective organizations. It should be a win-win, which is what you'd expect with these types of players and organizations involved. What I'm curious about is this: what would you do this month if you were the GM of the Padres?
"As I've written before, this year has been frustrating on two fronts: 1) we've played well below our expectations, and 2) we were a timely hit away yesterday from being just seven games out of an underachieving division. Given the state of our current team, our organization as a whole, and the entire division, what would you do?
"I've posted a poll to the right that will run for the next three days - no dillydallying or waiting to see how things unfold. I'd like your vote in the poll and your comments below this posting. This should be interesting…"
Ah, this pulls us right to this Seinfeld memory; cue Frank Costanza (the average crazed fan) when he has Steinbrenner over at the house because Big Stein thinks George is dead. What comes out of Frank first? Not 'how is my son' or 'what happened to George' but 'what the hell did you get rid of Jay Buhner for?!' Let the fans have their say, for it will be interesting.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Daily Jocko - All the Best Jock Blogs in One Place!
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
"'Bron, you ain't on that screen. Isn't this Niketown, in New York?" "Get me the manager. And by that, I mean, bring me his head."
Jocks Blog. We Report. (You Decide.)
All the best jock blogs in one place.
The National Team member chilling with his teammates:
"We have a lot of fun together on the court, but we also have fun together off the court," he writes. "Friday night we all got together off the court. Myself, LeBron, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer all had a chance to get away from basketball at a club and really chill. We're going to have fun together and we're going to keep doing it with the rest of our teammates as well.
"While I might be one of the funniest guys on this team, LeBron is by far the craziest guy on this team. With him, it doesn't matter, he will say anything. Carmelo is very silly. We keep J-Kidd (Jason Kidd) and Kobe (Bryant) young because we keep them laughing a lot."
OK, that seals it: with both Wade and LBJ's acting prowess, Hollywood needs to throw these guys in a movie. They can be superheroes by night, two of the best basketball players in the world by day. No one will suspect a thing. No one.
The Blazers' big man is back on campus in the Buckeye state:
"So far summer has been good to me," he writes. "I've been in school and working out in Columbus. It feels good to be back here. I'm taking biology 101. It has a 2 hour lecture and a 3 hour lab 3 days a week! I'm also still working out 4 days a week.
"Last weekend I went to Chicago for the Taste of Chicago and I had a really good time. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's basically a huge festival in Chicago that has music and food from like 60 different restaurants that you can try. I only gained like 3 pounds even though I couldn't get a lot of food from the taste cause there was too many people. But my weekend was good and now I'm back in Columbus. Gonna get ready to go to class."
What do you mean you couldn't get all the food you wanted? You're seven feet tall! Make it happen! Where is your 'can-do' attitude?
Shaun Phillips: To Cap or Not To Cap
Shaun presents an interesting take here on capping rookies in the NFL:
"I think they gotta stop somewhere with this," he writes. "I love that everyone is making money but it's starting to get ridiculous how much money unproven players are getting before they take a snap. There are future hall of famers that are not making as much in their entire career as these kids are making in one check.
"I think the NFL should take some notes from the NBA on capping rookies. If you think about it most rookies don't really come into their own until 4th our 5th year anyway. So just imagine how much their second contract will be if they were to play their whole 50mil contract out; it makes you wanna laugh, huh. My final note is more power to them cause I want everyone to get all the money in the world 'cause I'm gonna get mine."
Shaun, it's o.k. to flip-flop; but people don't usually do it all at once. Pace yourself. Make statement A, and then come back in a couple of weeks and then bring statement B out.
Natalie Coughlin: What a Relief!
"Thank God. I've stamped my ticket to Beijing and a huge weight has just been lifted," she writes. "It's pretty late right now and I need to get to bed, but I'm a bit wired from today's swims. The last 15 meters of the 100 back hurt so badly! Brenden Hansen alluded to this after his 100 breast: the nerves were so high before my race since I didn't yet have my place on the Beijing Team. In my case and in Brenden's, those pesky nerves made our swims much harder than we would have liked. But, it turned out just as I was hoping. I broke :59 seconds (something I have been aiming for for quite some time) and placed myself on the 2008 Olympic Team.
"I was able to get through the 200 IM tonight after a quick turnaround from the 100 back, which also was something I was worried about. I'll explain my decision to swim the IM later& Now I need to get to bed and rest up for tomorrow's final! Thanks again for all the well wishes. I really appreciate them!"
Rafael Nadal: Not the Local Favorite
The Spaniard on his match today at Wimbledon:
"Well tomorrow (today when you read this), I have that big match here at Wimbledon," he writes. "I play against the local player Andy Murray. It is funny in one way since I have always gotten a lot of support here at Wimbledon. The crowds really support me and I really feel it. So tomorrow I suppose they will support mostly Andy. I have been asked a lot about that today. It is normal and I find it normal that the support will go to his side, but at the same time I am sure that they will be very respectful with me and I am also sure they will applaud the good points of both players. I expect this kind of atmosphere and I am sure that if the match is close and good the crowds will get very much into it. "
Curtis Granderson: Stealin' Ain't Easy
Think stealing a base is easy? Not so, sayeth the Tiger outfielder:
"People always ask me where I rank in terms of the fastest guys in baseball," he writes. "I'm not a good time guy (the 60 yard dash, this is used to compare speed in baseball), and my time is a lot slower than most. I'm also not a good race guy. Guys such as Carl Crawford, Joey Gathright and Jose Reyes would all beat me in a foot race. So considering I don't have the natural speed element like some players, I have to be able to pick the right pitch to run on and get a great lead in order to steal a base.
"Last year, I was able to steal 26 out of 27 times successfully. Since I had success last year, pitchers, catchers and managers are paying more attention to me on the bases, which has made it more difficult this season, being that I've been caught four times already. This is what amazes me about the guys who steal 40 or more bases a year, because the opposing team knows when those guys run and they can't do anything about it. And to think, guys like Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman, among many others, used to steal 100 bases a year. Former Tigers great Ty Cobb stole 892 bases in his career."Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Get Your Jocko?
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
Rousey (left) represents our best chance for gold in Judo.
Twenty-one-year-old Ronda Rousey is America's best chance to bring home gold—the first ever—in women's middleweight judo. She also pens an entertaining blog. Last week, she used that blog to bring to light sexual molestation accusations against a judo official in a post. After AOL's FanHouse reported on it, she removed the post and still seems a bit miffed by the whole ordeal. (We've been there.) The Mag.com talked with Rousey about the situation while she trains in Spain, as well as her one-time Pokemon fanaticism and yes, buffalo wings.
MAG: You came under a little heat for a post you wrote about an official who you wrote had "DOZENS of documented accusations of molesting young girls." That post has since been taken down. Why did you take it down? Do you regret writing it?
ROUSEY: My coaches didn't want me to have any distractions before the Olympics, so I took it down at their request. It's really sad that these days people care more about staying out of trouble than doing the right thing. People may not agree with my methods, but you can't say I don't have good intentions. I don't believe in regret. It's a waste of energy.
You seem outspoken and candid in your blog posts.
My blog started just as a way to let my family and friends know how I was doing while traveling, cause I was tired of writing so many letters. I write journals all the time so I write my blogs like journal entries, not politically correct updates on what I ate that day. It's not my fault people care what I think. And yes, to my close friends, I am that opinionated ALL the time.
Into some lighter stuff: We hear you used to be a bit of a Pokemon fanatic.
Well, so much traveling leads to a lot of time for handheld games. I was even a Pokemon forum moderator at one point on Gametalk.com, but after a while I couldn't believe how much useless Pokemon knowledge was stored in my head and decided my time would much better be spent reading or something.
And there was a Queer as Folk obsession somewhere within there as well?
Haha yeah for a while I was living with a family in upstate New York and our big activity together was to watch as many Queer as Folk episodes as we could stay conscious for. After moving out though it wasn't really the same.
If there were 300 buffalo wings sitting in front of you now, are you confident you could finish them all?
Hmmmm … not breaded?… 60 is my record but there were only 60 on the table. If you buy me 300 wings we'll see how it goes, I've never been one to shy away from a challenge!
This is your second Olympics and you are ranked as one of the top three in the world. Does it bother you that it's in a sport that's largely unrecognized in the States?
No it really doesn't bother me that much. If I wanted to be famous I would have tried to be an actress. As long as I make enough money to get by, I don't care about making the millions professional sports offers either. I'm get to travel the world doing what I love - and better yet, doing it well! I couldn't ask for much more. I look at professional athletes and grow frustrated seeing how much more they care about money than the game itself.
You're in Spain now. What's good on the menu over there?
I just had the most bomb-diggity gyro in recent memory with some cookies and an electrolyte drink. I've been asking around but no one can tell me what an electrolyte actually is! I'm probably gunna go all Wikipedia on it after this interview.
Lastly, to everyone who doesn't follow judo: what can we expect in Beijing. And what do you see as your chances for a shot at gold?
I really can do it. I've fought all these girls before, and despite all the advantages in facilities, financial support, and scouting they have over me - I've showed everyone before that I don't care and will win despite what they have. Every day I've decided and been completely assured that I will win - I have. It's all about your state of mind. Besides, it's just a judo tournament, and winning judo tournaments is what I'm good at.
Elsewhere in the Jockosphere
C.J. Wilson: My Picks for the All-Star Team
C.J. is always one to tell it like it is…and today is no different as he makes his case for his Ranger teammates.
"The all-star break is almost here. How many Rangers will make it?" he writes. "5 extremely deserving guys."
Hamilton - beast
Kinsler - best hitting leadoff hitter in 08
Bradley - leading AL in every percentage/average
Young - deer
Padilla - aka the flotilla, aka the chief- already has notched 10 wins
"We're such a better team than we were last year...I can't wait 'til we actually get something rolling..."
C.J. goes on to highlight one of his favorite clubhouse moments:
Best behind the scenes clubhouse thing of 2008: watching Frank 'El Jugador' Francisco play chess. Some 'true player wisdom' that brings joy to my day each time I hear or see it:
'A true player moves likes this'(while attacking)
'Right there? Right there?'(when opponent moves piece multiple times before deciding)
'Let me eat this little snack' (as he takes a pawn)
'You gonna lose your horse. Seriously.'(obvious)
'Let me eat this little snack' was runner-up to Pacino's more famous 'Say hello to my little friend' in Scarface. OK, maybe not. But it could be, right?
Craving some insight into the A's rumor mill? Big Joe Blanton has you covered:
"It's about that time of year when my name starts popping up in trade rumors, so I figured you might want to know my thoughts on the whole deal," he writes. "It's obviously not the first year my name's come up, so I'm pretty used to it by now. I think this is Year Three of 'Joe's Gonna Get Traded' talk before the deadline.
"I'm used to it by now, I've kind of learned the best way to deal with it—or at least the best way for me. It's just one of those things that you acknowledge is out there, but you realize it's just a rumor, and rumors are usually nothing more. I don't know what the percentage is of trade rumors out there that actually happens, but I do know the percentage when it comes to me is zero up to now.
"I'm not saying I don't acknowledge that it's possible I'll get traded, but I just kind of ignore it. I've got a job to do for the Oakland A's, and that's all that matters in my baseball life right now, doing the best I can for the A's."
Sixty percent of the time, you get traded every time. That's the skinny, we hear. But keep it under your hat. We don't want Hank Steinbrenner getting all up in our grill for releasing trade secrets.
"I went to the Grizzlies NBA draft party last night at the forum and had a great time signing autographs on the floor," he writes. "I then watched maybe the first 15 picks of the draft and went out with my cousins to get something to eat and watched the rest of the 1st round.
"Before I flew down to Memphis for the draft party we had some pretty good open gyms at Ohio State, Scoonie Penn was back along with some more OSU players. Evan how'd you like that dunk?"
Ah, talking trash over an open gym dunk. Evan Turner must have gotten posterized something good for MC Jr. to be blogging about it days later.Thursday, June 26, 2008
Presidential Jocko
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE:
CANDIDATES EDITION
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
Smile? When Obama's marginal tax rates will make FDR's America feel like Reaganomics? Not this guy.
With the field set for the 2008 election, we've been keeping a close eye on the advocacy going on in the athletic world with our Presidential Fantasy League. And out there among the jock-osphere exists some athlete endorsements, with their stance on who should lead this country away from high gas prices and a weak dollar (two areas a Pres is virtually powerless, but anyway). Who can forget Barack ringing up Greg Oden, or Diana Taurasi pushing the Obama-Barkley ticket? What of McCain getting approval from Dana White, or the coveted Luis Gonzalez nod and Curt Schilling endorsement?
Today on Jocko, we wanted to briefly highlight a few other recent posts on the subject of politics. Call them the passionate and perhaps undecided. For a brief update on the candidate jock status, we'll remind that Barack has become synonymous with basketball, and McCain was also once a lightweight boxer. So keep that in mind, Mr. and Mrs. athlete blogger/voter.
Mark Cuban: The Definition of Madness
The Maverick boss is baffled by voters.
"They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results," he writes. "So why is it the American people allow our politicians to do the same things over and over and we believe them and expect results different from previous elections?
"I've looked at the websites of current and previous candidates to get an understanding of their platforms. They all have positions, some of which I agree with, some of which I don't. But there is one thing that is missing from each and every one of them, any manner of implementation. Health care, spending cuts, retaining or repealing tax cuts, keeping or removing troops, the soundbites with pretty numbers never end. Not a single candidate provides details on how exactly they are going to accomplish anything. Don't they realize that economists exists to make lottery ticket buyers look smart, not presidential candidates?
"It reminds me of business plans I get from kids who tell me about their vision and project all kinds of numbers leading to grand results. They can site historical facts and figures, but when it comes time to get into details of exactly how they are going to execute on their plans, the response is basically that they will figure it out as they go. I wouldn't invest in a business that is winging it any more than I want to vote for a presidential candidate that is winging it."
''I don't care who you are, with this election, how can you not pay attention to what's going on?'' said Dolphins defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday. 'It's historic. As a kid you're told you can do anything, just put your mind to it, and for a long time, for women, for blacks, that wasn't necessarily the case. Now, Hillary made that dream a reality. When my daughter says, `` `I want to be president,' it's like, `Yeah, you have a shot.'
''Same for my son,'' says Holliday. "He can be president one day.''
Matt Treanor: Six Figure Taxes Got Me Into Politics
Treanor, whose famous wife also has a blog, feels the pinch a bit when he sees how much he's putting back into the system.
''I started getting more interested when I started making more money, and they were taking a lot of it. When you pay six figures for federal taxes, you want to know where it's going, what motivates our politicians.
"I don't like the way we've been going about our business for a while now. War stinks. But I'm a patriot, to some extent. It shouldn't take the bombing of the World Trade Center for people to put a flag in front of their homes or say what a great country we live in. It's an amazing place, and everyone should exercise their right to vote.''Monday, June 23, 2008
Your Daily JOCK-O
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE:
BLOGGER CLARITY CONTEST!
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
June 23rd, 2008
Getty Images
Madden Nation: Where journalism happens.
With the dawn of jock-blogging, no longer do we only have stats and head-to-head matchups in which to gauge who is best among athletes. No friends—we now have their blogs. Using the Flesch reading ease score (higher score = more clear and concise writing) we've pitted blogger vs. blogger in a battle of words. Read on as they do battle with the keyboard. It's a blog off.
Mark Cuban vs. Curt Schilling: Battle of the Blowhards
These two are the most oft-quoted in mainstream rags and for good reason: they tend to speak their minds, sometimes at the risk of offending others. Controversy swirls around them. So who maintains the more literate blog?
Cuban Sample Post: Hulu is Kicking Youtube's Ass
Quick Hit: "It is coming up on 2 years post my declaration that only a moron would buy Youtube and that Google was crazy for actually going through with it."
Schilling Sample Post: There's Some Pitching Going On
Quick Hit: "Great starting pitching wins games, except, when the other teams starting pitchers are matching your guys…"
Cuban's Flesch reading ease score: 72.7
Schilling's Flesch reading ease score: 89
Winner: Schilling
A guy that parades around online as Scythehands Voxslayer already has a lot of experience with Web battling, no?
Marshawn Lynch vs. Rod Benson: Battle of the Funny Men
Marshawn Lynch might not always voice it on his blog, but the dude has some serious comedy chops. But can he take down Boom Tho! himself?
Lynch Sample Post: WASSUP WIT IT
Quick Hit: u kno 07 was a tough yr to swallow...........we didnt make it 2 the playoffs, but its coo tho cause it give me more reasons to work harder this off season...
Benson Sample Post: Too Much Rod Benson: Moms, Shirts and Masks
Quick Hit: "I have three weeks to get ready for my mini-camp with the San Antonio Spurs. What does getting ready entail? It means that I have practice twice a day, five days a week, with weights in between."
Lynch's Flesch reading ease score: 74.3
Benson's Flesch reading ease score: 83.1
Winner: Benson
Considering Lynch hasn't written one complete sentence on his blog, this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
Tiger Woods vs. Roger Federer: Which Champion's Blog Will Be 'The Best a Man Can Get'?
Tiger may be done for the year on the fairways with his season-ending knee injury, but I wouldn't count him out in the blogosphere, even against tennis overlord Roger Federer.
Tiger Sample Post: Can I Go Undefeated?
Quick Hit: "I have been asked whether I think I can go undefeated this year. I pointed out that when I was 11, I went 36-0, so I've already had a perfect season."
Federer Sample Post: Finishing off a Year
Quick Hit: "It is always terrific to be able to round off the year with a victory in the Masters—above all because you know that afterwards you can enjoy a fully-deserved holiday."
Tiger's Flesch reading ease score: 88.6
Federer's Flesch reading ease score: 69.3
Winner: Tiger
Tiger wins in a landslide. Rock beats scissors, paper beats rock, but Tiger beats Swiss.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Bill Russell: Blog Battle of the Big Men
The sheer number of championships, MVP hardware and all-league accolades between these two NBA Legends boggles the mind. It also makes us hesitant to name a winner. So we'll let the software do it.
Kareem Sample Post: Remembering the Rivalry
Quick Hit: "A lot of years have passed since the classic Laker-Celtic Finals matchups of the '80s...It was an intense rivalry, but basketball is a brotherhood."
Russell Sample Post: Don't Question my Knowledge
Quick Hit: "I know probably as much as anybody on the planet about playoff basketball."
Kareem's Flesch reading ease score: 81.8
Russell's Flesch reading ease score: 87.2
Winner: Russell
Russell, the 11-time NBA Champ edges Kareem the 6-time NBA Champ, proving that games can be won on paper after all.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Your Morning Jocko!
REPORTING
FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
"Costner won't return my calls." "Tell me about it."
Jocks blog. We report. (You decide.)
All the jock blogs in one place.
Rajon Rondo: Like KG says, "Keep that mother#*%!@$ rocking!"
The Lakers won last night, Rajon, but that doesn't mean you have to like it:
"We fought tonight, but in the end, it wasn't enough," he writes. "I know I will be breaking down film tomorrow to see where I could have been better. It's going to be a long flight back home, but it will give me plenty of time to reflect. I have confidence in my team, and I'm sure we will bounce back!
"I'm going to need to see and hear all the fans on Tuesday in the Garden. Like KG says, 'keep that mother#*%!@$ rocking.'"
Sounds like a new Jocko creed to me.
The Mavs owner has a new phrase to live by:
"Today is the youngest you will ever be," he writes. "Act like it."
Ah yes, Mr. Cuban. Nothing like living young while you can, huh?
Chris Cooley: Thanks for Retiring, Mr. Strahan
The Skins tight end, happy as a clam, but a bit saddened Michael Strahan has hung up his cleats for good:
"Thank God Michael Strahan is retiring," he writes. "He's doing me a favor by relieving plenty of stress from my life two weeks a year. Number 92 has beaten my ass enough times for any 36 year-old man.
"I'm happy I don't have to worry about it anymore, but at the same time I'm a little disappointed. With this offseason's retirement of Strahan, as well as Brett Favre, almost none of my childhood idols are left in the game. The fact remains, though, that Michael Strahan has been, and in my opinion still would be, a major force in the NFL."
Darren McFadden: You're Gonna Get Four Quarters of #5 on Sundays!
"As most of you know by now I chose #20 as my jersey number," he writes. "I like the number and thought that it fit me well. I always wore #4 in little league, although the first year I ever played I was #71. That was not the right # for me so I became #4. My first year in junior high I was #8. I tried to get #4 in the 10th grade but someone already had it so I became #5 and stayed with it in college. Now I'm #20, which means they'll be getting four quarters of #5 on Sundays! Michael Irvin told me you make your own history and that's what I plan to do."
This writer went from #12 to #2 to #9 to #84 and the only advice this writer ever got was how to talk in the third person from Freddie Mitchell.
John Lackey: Happy Father's Day
John Lackey gets to thank his father in person:
"Cool thing for me is that my dad's out here staying with me right now so I got to see him today and wish him a 'Happy Father's Day' in person," he writes. "He's had such an impact on my life, in baseball and beyond.
"He was my baseball coach growing up in Abilene so I learned right away how to play the game from him. Most of what I know in this game, I learned from him. I just fined tuned a lot of things when I became a professional. He always challenged me, made me realize the cerebral side of the game. He wanted me to play other sports as well to learn about competition in other aspects of athletics. He always emphasized competition. He also showed me what it means to work hard and work towards a goal. He inspired me when I was young and it has stayed with me today. I'm grateful for that.
"He was and is an intense dude. I think I get my intensity from him. He was never afraid to get on me or my teammates if we messed up. He was always trying to make us better and I respect that. Most of all he taught me how to be a man and go about my business as a professional."
Ovie Mughelli: Hey, It's My Birthday
There's love on the fullbacking squad in Atlanta. Check Ovie Mughelli's birthday story:
"My friends took me to a rooftop lounge on top of the Glenn Hotel to a surprise birthday party for me. And I truly was surprised," he writes. "What surprised me most was that there was so many people that showed up to celebrate with me. Everyone I have met from my networking functions, charity events, football stuff I do around the city, business dealings, or just from hanging out in the city showed up. But what made me feel real good was to see some of my teammates like DJ Shockley, Michael Turner, Roddy White, Jerious Norwood and others stopped by. I can say I really felt special.
"Something that impressed me was that my backup fullback Corey McIntyre helped to set this up with my assistant. It's not always that you have 2 people who play the same position really be cool with each other on and off the field. I know this because in Baltimore when I was a backup FB the starter showed no love towards me and even told me that I should concentrate on special teams because I would never take his spot."
"Well guys I hate to brag, but I am typing this from the comfort of my own house finally!" he writes. "I survived the last show in Rockhampton, survived the 20 hour travel day, and survived getting swarmed at my house by friends and family! The only downfall is the jetlag, I went to bed at about 12:30 am and woke up at 4 am, not good, but at least when I'm at home and this happens I can entertain myself a lot better than if I was stuck in a hotel somewhere sleepless.
"I have 3 days before we fire up the Dew tour, so as I type this I am getting ready for some breakfast and then out the door to our practice area to get used to my bike, the ramps, and the craziness of the contest season.
"Luckily for me they enforced a new rule for Dew tours this year that the top 3 from last year go directly into the final, which means I get 2 extra days at home by skipping prelims and no matter what happens I get at least tenth, haha. The plan is to basically ride good and survive this first round and go into July healthy so I can put the hammer down for X games in August! Well that's about all I have for you guys right now, I will put up a post later in the week once I land in Baltimore, hopefully I'll get to sneak on the football field again and run some routes!"
That's the mindset of the seldom used Ravens receivers as well. Stupid ball control offense.
Bryon Friedman: Stepping Up to the Man
The skier takes aim at the USSA (that's a skiing assoc., not America):
"The athletes are ultimately held accountable for their own performance on the hill, but my question is who can the athletes rely on to fully fund, manage, and provide the necessary resources needed in a program that claims they are 'best in the world?'" he writes. "Nobody seems to know who has the answers to our questions and if we do get a chance to meet with Marolt or Jesse Hunt (Alpine Director) our questions are rarely answered directly. Instead they tend to dance around them and give us vague political responses that leave us with more confusion than resolution. This lack of communication and state of confusion is a big reason why the situation perpetuates itself and athletes like Erik Schlopy, Dane Spencer, Jake Zamansky, Caroline Lalive and I are wondering where it all went wrong, who ultimately makes these decisions, and why they make them. Again, I cannot speak for everyone but this type of communication is upsetting, which leads to frustration and is the fundamental reason why these problems exist."Friday, June 13, 2008
Today's Jock-o! Catch it! The Fever! Catch the Jock-o Fever...
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
"When you say my body is a wonderland—and you say it all the time—it makes me feel fat!"
Jocks Blog. We Report. (You Decide.)
All the best jock blogs in one place.
"The game, what can I say, great team effort," he writes. "I've seen comebacks before but I've never seen or been part of one like that. 24 points, but it really hasn't sunk in yet. We felt we were supposed to win this one from the jump, but didn't start the way we thought we would.
"Everybody made big shots, Paul made shots, Pose made shots, E House made shots and we got stops - that's how we got back in it. We stayed focused. We've been through adversity all year and knew we could come back. We faced it in game 6 against Detroit. We were down 8 in the 4th and came back to win. We changed momentum in the 4th to win that game and we did that again tonight.
"That game in Detroit helped prepare us for this. The other playoff series helped get us ready for this. It really is all about mental focus - we never believed we were in trouble. We knew if we kept making runs and got it down to 10 we'd have a chance. We made the extra pass, made the shots and made stops. P was great tonight. He wanted to guard Kobe and stepped up to the challenge.
"Now the focus is on game 5. Someone asked me if I was excited. I won't get excited until we win the 4th game, then I'll get excited. The next 48 minutes - we give it all we got."
Greg Oden: Tiger: Watch Your Back, Jack
The Blazers' prize possession puts his workout chops on display:
"Here I am training in Indy for my ESPN Sweat Spot video. Tiger better watch out."
Brooke Lopez: One-on-One with Kevin McHale
The former Stanford big man got in a little one-on-one pickup b-ball with the Timberwolves GM as he preps for the NBA Draft.
"Playing one-on-one with Kevin McHale, that's the sort of stuff that's just unreal. Hall of Famer, NBA Legend, three championships, played with so many great players he knows so much," he writes. "Every possession there's something to learn, something to take away from.
"Kevin was helping me with my explosiveness and post moves. He really highlighted footwork and how a different step can help you move that much quicker, make you that much more effective."
Mark DeRosa: Starstruck in Lala Land
DeRosa spent a dinner on the Cubs recent road trip in Los Angeles next to some famous faces.
"L.A.'s always fun," he writes. "Vince Vaughn was sitting in the front row of the game on Sunday. Every guy on our team was trying to make eye contact with him. I had a chance to have dinner with a bunch of guys on the team and our wives, and sitting next to us at dinner was Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore and John Mayer. That stuff—we become starstruck in a hurry. For me and my wife, you're trying to take pictures with your phone under the table because no one's going to believe you."
DeRosa is selling himself short. Rumor has it John Mayer is penning a song about a renaissance ballplayer from Chicago for his next album.
"Well I'll give you a quick summary of our road trip yesterday," he writes. "Everyone hops on the bus in the morning and does their best to sleep the first part of the trip away. After the nap, the bus had the movie "Transformers" playing on the tube. Talk about brutal. Don't go out and rent that bad boy...trust me. Next up was "Blood Diamond" which I am a fan of. Even though I've seen it about 11 times over my days of traveling for baseball and football, I still dig it. After that I knocked out some website stuff with my bro and tried to sleep the rest of the trip. Then bingo, you're in Mississippi."
Dan Reed: Props to Michael Curry
The D-League prez gives praise to Michael Curry as he steps into the head coaching spot with the Pistons:
"I had other plans for this post, but I had to audible and send a big congratulations to Michael Curry, who was just named the new head coach of the Detroit Pistons - and is the second former NBA D-Leaguer to land a head coaching position in the NBA (Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats was the first)," he writes. "Many of you might know that Michael, like an increasing number of former NBA and college basketball players, utilized the NBA D-League to jumpstart their post-playing basketball career."
"It is Thursday evening and I just landed in the ATL," he writes. "Today was our last day of OTA's and that is a good feeling knowing that our bodies can rest a bit. I feel pretty good; my body isn't that banged up but it could use some down time, so I am going to take full advantage. I am going to be here for a few and who knows where this will take me.
"Thanks again for your support and keep blogging!"
Anytime. You know how we do, DBo!
The Whigs: Kickin' It With Billy Bennett
They ain't jocks, but The Whigs blog about them all the time.
"Sunday's rock show in San Diego was held at a local football field and featured the Hold Steady, Cold War Kids, Ting Tings, MGMT, and the Whigs," he writes.
"Keeping with the football theme, our old buddy Billy Bennett who engineered our first album, currently sound engineers for MGMT, and is the SEC's all-time leading scorer in football had a ball set up for a kick-off which he performed to a screaming audience during the final song of MGMT's set."
Bennett's career totals. Decent.
Say it with me, Jockosphere readers, 'San Diego' is German for…
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Wednesday's Jocko from ESPN the Mag
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE
(PLUS A BONUS CHAT WITH MARK DEROSA ON HIS BLOGGING LIFE)
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
First rule of jock blogging: Wash your hands before you get started.
Jocks Blog. We Report. (You Decide.)
All the best jock blogs in one place.
Mark DeRosa plays second base (and everywhere else, really) for the best-record-in-baseball Chicago Cubs, and currently sports a .303 batting average. And, hey: DeRosa also blogs!.
He took some time out after a 10-5 victory against the Braves last evening for a brief chat with Ryan Corazza about his Internet scribing. Onwards!
MAG: The infield single you knocked down that was hit by fellow MLB.com blogger Jeff Francoeur could be the first ever blogger to blogger infield hit of all-time.
DeRosa: (Smiles genuinely — I think)
What have you liked doing about the blog?
Just giving a little bit of insight, what I'm thinking day to day. I enjoy reading the comments that people write in.
A lot of other athlete bloggers write about personal things, but yours seems to stick with the experience of being a baseball player. Will you ever dish a fraternity story or two?
I don't know about that, there's definitely some skeletons in the closet that I'd like to keep there. (Laughs.) But no, I think the fans don't realize what goes on day to day inside the clubhouse or don't realize our thought process, what we do during a game or what we feel from my perspective. So it's nice to share that with them. And the comments I've gotten have been nothing but positive.
Do you see blogging as sort of therapeutic?
That's actually dead-on. Not every blog is going to be a love-fest of how great we're playing or how everybody's doing so well. Sometimes you struggle and sometimes you want people to know what goes on in your mind day to day. I think that it gives them a true feeling of what it's like to play in the game and to be part of this team.
You gonna knock around with Ryan Theriot anymore?
(Laughs) No he's done.
ELSEWHERE IN THE JOCK-OSPHERE
"If you were watching the game you know that I injured my ankle in the third quarter," he writes. "It happened on a fast break and I rolled it. I think I may have stepped on someone's foot, but I still haven't seen the play. It's a different feeling than I've ever had. I've injured my ankle before but this one is unlike the others. The pain is on the inside of my foot. All the other ankle sprains have been on the outside.
"…I did try to go again in the fourth quarter, but I really couldn't make any hard cuts. No one is 100% at this point, but I was probably 50%. Coach made the right decision taking me out because I didn't have my quickness. E House did a great job filling in. When his name was called he was ready to play and that's big for us.
"There's no question this one is disappointing. We feel like we had a chance to really put them away and go up 3-0. Paul never had a chance to get in a rhythm because of foul trouble and we just struggled on offense. Even though we played very bad we still had a chance in the end. We just didn't get the stops down the stretch when we needed it. They were very aggressive tonight similar to the way we were in game 2. But in the end we still had a chance but let it get away."
Shake it off Rajon, it wasn't your fault. This isn't your fault. Look at me, son—it's not your fault.
Donovan McNabb: Chilling with the Phillies, Griffey Jr.
The quarterback turns batting practice phenom Ken Griffey Jr. fanboy:
"Early in the week I had a chance to take batting practice with the Phillies," he writes. "First, I had a chance to meet the fellas in their locker room. Then they dressed me up in some Phillies gear and I headed to the batting cage. I think I saw about 20 pitches and I connected on most. My best drive was a one-hopper over the left field fence for a ground rule double.
"I also had a chance to meet Ken Griffey Jr. and we exchanged jerseys. What a great guy and obviously a player headed to the Hall of Fame. He came to Philly one home run shy of 600 and will certain pass that milestone soon. We talked about the joy we have playing the games we love for a living and how that fun helps us to play well. I was a bit in awe. I remember watching him play baseball when I was in high school!"
Baron Davis: Freestylin' with Snoop Dogg
The Golden State guard chilling with Snoooooooop:
"Sunday night I was fresh to death and headed to the Sports Spectacular, man I look like Denzel in this suit!" he writes. "The event is an annual event that raises more than $1 million each year to benefit Cedars-Sinai and the battle against birth defects … Big shout out to D. Fish and his fam! It was great to have all of my family and friends there with me. Cash was able to present me with the award. Yo, I'm about to be uncle Boom!! LOL … My night ended with me and Snoop freestyling HUH! I mean what else do I need to say."
This begs the question: Does Boom Dizzle have better flow than fellow NBAer Tony Parker? We would hope so.
Mike Mason: On Yearbooks … and Hot Chicks
The motocrosser saying goodbye to some friends, and trying to meet other ones:
"Being on this tour for so long has kind of turned us all into a family and as much as I want to go home I really am going to be sad to leave all these guys and the all the great memories behind," he writes. "It's kind of like your last days at high school only we don't get yearbooks, which makes it hard for me to find an excuse to talk to the hot babes on tour now, I can't go up to them and break the ice by asking them to sign my yearbook!!"
Paul DePodesta: Baseball Is Like a Casino
The Pads front office guru drops a Vegas anecdote to explain how blind luck works sometimes, but ultimately the house wins out:
"On one particular hand the player was dealt 17 with his first two cards," he writes. "The dealer was set to deal the next set of cards and passed right over the player until he stopped her, saying: 'Dealer, I want a hit!' She paused, almost feeling sorry for him, and said, 'Sir, are you sure?' He said yes, and the dealer dealt the card. Sure enough, it was a four.
"The place went crazy, high fives all around, everybody hootin' and hollerin', and you know what the dealer said? The dealer looked at the player, and with total sincerity, said: 'Nice hit.'
"I thought, 'Nice hit? Maybe it was a nice hit for the casino, but it was a terrible hit for the player! The decision isn't justified just because it worked.'"
Later in the night, this guy won $3,000,000 on a slot machine. Hey, it was just his night.
Jeff Francoeur: I Heart Chicago
With the Braves taking on the Cubs in a three-game set this week, Frenchy drops his love for the Second City:
"I think a lot of us are looking forward to Chicago," he writes. "I love the fans, the food and the drink. They've got great everything. It's a place where you can relax and have fun. When you wake up, you know that you're going to get to play in a cool stadium and in a cool city. It's just a lot of fun."
Misty May: Shakes Her Groove Thing
After May-Treanor returned to the sand on Sunday—her day off after winning the 2008 AVP Hermosa Beach Open—she proved once and for all that she has all of the right moves.
"I got to dance with the Beach Girlz and it was so fun!" said May-Treanor of her dancing debut.
During the time out at the 28th point of the first game during the men's final, May-Treanor made her debut with the Beach Girlz to T-Pain's song Apple Bottom Jeans in the sand.
"I learned the dance yesterday with a DVD they gave me and it was fun," said May-Treanor. "I haven't danced since I was 11, so it was a lot of fun to get back in the routine and do something with the crowd outside of volleyball. The girls are fantastic and are really nice, genuine people who made it easy."
Along with the Beach Girlz—a new entertainment feature on the AVP Tour this year—providing some guidance with the steps, today's performance also came to fruition because May-Treanor chose to bust a move.
"NBC was looking for something out of the norm and I didn't have time for anything else," said May-Treanor. "They wanted to get me playing poker, but that's kind of boring. Also, with the choice between dancing and poker, I chose dancing."
"The Q and A portion of this blog has been amazing," he writes. "I have loved reading and answering everyone's questions but it is however, time to branch out and give you the opportunity to ask another Redskin his opinion. This time it is Jason Campbell's turn.
"Now I don't want nor will I ask questions that Jason gets all the time. We want you to be creative. So please ask questions you have never heard Jason answer and will probably never get asked again. To help stimulate some creativity, enjoy watching this classic from Bog TV."
If you enjoy teammates ganging up on one player in order to shower that player with pseudo, yet loving praise, this video is for you.
Annika Sorenstam: Photo Shoot with Eli Manning
"I am checking in from NY," she writes. "I just finished a photo shoot with Eli Manning for USA Weekend. I had never met Eli before, but I followed his success last season. What a nice guy! He is so down to earth and unassuming.
"We shot for about 3 hrs and we had a fun time. The insert will be placed in newspapers sometime in October and it's all about our Foundations and how we give back in different ways. Please check it out for more details and other great photos."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
from ESPN the Mag: Reporting from the Jock-osphere
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE
Getty Images
Not aware there is a lap dancing provision in his contract, Zimm was miffed.
[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.]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
thekooks.co.uk
