Blog Posts For: January 2009

The Super Bowl is here this Sunday. My girlfriend is tired of listening to me talk about my man crush on Ben Roethlisberger (If I had said Big Ben she would not only be worried, but also wondering what I am doing in a relationship with her) and my utmost respect for Kurt Warner (if he does not get into the hall it will be a travesty). I decided to finally shut up about what I think will the truly most exciting game of the entire NFL season and make some predictions because I hold this belief that I am one day destined to be featured on Page 2 on ESPN.

They have not chosen the reserves yet and the Eastern Conference has no coach, but the starters have been chosen and speculation over the NBA All Star Game on February 15, 2009 has already begun.

Beyonce already ascended to R&B royalty with her marriage to Jay-Z last year, but she is quickly becoming the Queen of Controversy thanks to a few not-so-pleasant stories that have broken in the New Year.

I knew things were going to be bad. I knew the faltering economy was reverberating throughout every facet of American life, but I did not expect to see the MLB offseason to begin with such a whimper. It picked up around Christmas (more proof that having a budget around the holidays is simply futile) and now while the entire baseball world starts looking towards the World Baseball Classic (has anybody seen the roster for the Canadian team, with the utmost sincerity, wow), I am going to take time and reflect on the top ten free signings of this offseason.

When I was a kid I used to wake each morning in the summer, take out the sports section, and devour the box scores. I would read each game carefully, noting who was hot and who had gone cold. I delighted in imagining the pitching duels and cringed at the visions of a reliever coming in and getting lit up, ruining a stupendous seven-inning outing by the starter. I also noticed that certain position players did certain things. The corner infielders hit for power, the outfielders hit home runs or stole bases, the catchers struck out, and the middle infielders hit .260 with about five home runs a year. Then came Jeff Kent, and suddenly a second baseman could hit 20 home runs a year.

Recent reports from the AP have shed light on the fact that Akon has no clue how old he really is. Apparently, though he was born in the United States, he was raised in Senegal where age is simply not that important.

I will never be a professional basketball player. The market for six-foot white guys with a broken jump shot with absolutely no rotation on the ball, barely enough hops to touch the rim, and the lateral quickness of school bus in reverse is simply not there. It is also increasingly looking like my window to become a basketball writer for ESPN is quickly closing, thanks to my aforementioned non-existent basketball career and my complete lack of press credentials. My bitter broken dream be damned, I am still going to dole out my midseason NBA awards.

The most debilitating factor coming into the Super Bowl might be the Arizona Cardinals own organization rather than the suppressing Steelers defense. At the end of the game Cards offensive coordinator Todd Haley was seen in a shouting match with Anquan Boldin after leaving him on the bench for nine of the final 14 plays against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Ever watch a Lady GaGa video? I was curious after reading that Lady GaGa announced her “The Fame” headlining tour and decided to turn to YouTube (which has become the only place to watch music videos) for some research. After getting through Poker Face, Just Dance, and Beautiful Dirty Rich, I realized that while she has been mentioned in the same breath as pop acts like Madonna and her continued association with the Pussycat Dolls, she is actually an artist that has become pretty successful at transcending the pitfalls of the pop world.

Basketball is a young mans game. Sure every gym has its share of gym rats in their 40s that can come out and play solid ball, slowing the game down and offering sage advice that nobody really cares about, but when it comes down to it, the game is meant for those guys that love to run out on the fast break after every rebound. The NBA is the same way. Players like Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant are among the most respected in the league, but it is the youth that drives this league. So the question is, who are the five best players under 30?

At the beginning of the year it looked like a Giants-Patriots rematch in the Super Bowl. Now, after the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs neither team is going to make it to even the conference championship. Who would have thought the NFC Championship game would have the Arizona Cardinals hosting the Philadelphia Eagles? The Cardinals as the home team?!? While many guessed that the Pittsburgh Steelers might have made it to the AFC Championship, not many thought they would be playing the Baltimore Ravens.

Beyonce admits that the music business has become one with her family. She and her younger sister, Solange, are recording artists, her mother, Tina, designed her costumes while she was with Destiny’s Child, and her father, Matthew Knowles, has become the manager for every business venture his daughters pursue. She says they are like the Jacksons, but her family did not use her to get out of the ghetto.

Kanye West has apparently reached the level of fame that allows him to say anything he wants, seem pious, and then blatantly build himself up. Yes, I thought that the one artist who I would ever see able to expertly navigate these treacherous public relations waters was Madonna, but now she has competition from the Grammy Award-winning, world famous rapper, producer, and “singer”.

The NFL tickets for the Divisional Playoffs have been set for a week and Las Vegas has set line for the games. The experts have weighed in and it looks like a clear sweep by the higher seeds. This does not make for much exciting football, but thankfully for all the odds that are set and all the games that are analyzed (and overanalyzed) there are still upsets every year. Anybody remember the Giants last season?

Their music may be years apart, but Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich is excited to offer his services to the UK rock legend Deep Purple during their Mark III Reunion tour. This does not mean that the famed drummer would leave Metallica. He would simply be on loan to the group he grew up listening to.

How much effect could a player who hit .250, 33 homeruns, and drove in 86 RBI have on the game of baseball. These are not numbers that even make this player a top ten free agent, even keeping in mind the slim pickings this offseason. Still, Pat Burrell’s departure from Philadelphia to Tampa for $16 million over two seasons has caused a ripple effect up and down the East Coast.

The rumor mill, now brought to you by sites like Oh No They Didn’t instead of E! or celebrity rags, have linked Rihanna and Chris Brown. The two were playing a show in London and afterward Rihanna was seen with a fingerless glove and a giant rock on her ring finger.

One of the running jokes in the NBA is the idea of traveling. Traveling exists in Europe, but is a rare creature here in the states. The NBA is hoping that the fans truly believe that its players are so tall, athletic, and flexible that it is possible to take a dribble from the three point line, two steps, and end up at the rim in the air.

Taylor Swift is set to perform on Saturday Night Live this weekend as the musical host alongside host Neil Patrick Harris. The country singer/songwriting sensation that has been collecting awards from the American Music Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Country Music Association is making her truly national debut on January 10, 2009.

Saturday was awesome. I got to see two great, close games. I was hoping that Sunday could give me at least half the thrill. The story lines were not as great, but it was still postseason football. NFL playoff tickets may not have been near me because the Bears are awful, but I can still enjoy the excitement of playoffs in just about any sport. I did not enjoy Sunday even a fraction as much.

Peyton Manning continued his NFL MVP performance with a 25/42, 310 yard, 1 Touchdown game, but the Indianapolis Colts lost for the second postseason in row to the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers won 23-17 in overtime thanks to the legs of backup running back Darren Sproles and punter Mike Scifres.

The momentum and the history were on the Atlanta Falcons side before the first game of the playoffs started. The Falcons had won five of their last six and the Cardinals had not won a playoff game since 1947. I thought the only way the Falcons could lose this game was if Matt Ryan had a rookie meltdown. Well the Arizona Cardinals beat Falcons 30-24, Ryan had a game full of mistakes, and Arizona dominated the line on both side of the ball.

Katy Perry has come out and stated that she was forced to fight with record label executives for creative control of her songs. They wanted her to be a punk pop diva back in 2001. Then the biggest femme pop influence on the radio was Avril Lavigne and looking for a quick buck they wanted the doe-eyed Perry to sing about teen angst and how much boys suck.

Who is going to win this first weekend of the NFL Playoffs? I think the Falcons will beat the Cardinals, the Colts will hold out and win over the Chargers, the Ravens will end the magical Dolphins turnaround, and the Eagles will put Vikings fans out of their misery. I have some good reasons too. I think Bill Simmons some pretty good ones too. I really do not feel like boring readers with my obvious reasons why. I do want to pose a question though, if you could create your own football team with parts from these eight teams what would your football Frankenstein look like?

It seemed like 2008 was the year of the teenyboppers. Well, 2009 is shaping up to be a little more adult. Jay-Z last released American Gangster in 2007 and his next record, The Blue Print 3, is going to be his 11th and last with Island Def Jam. Eminem is coming back with Relapse, his first new release since Encore in 2004.

Last season the East beat the West in the NBA All Star game 134-128. I had to look that up. Last season Sophomores beat the Rookies in the Rookie challenge, same as every year. Last season Jason Kapono won the three-point shootout. I did not even realize he was involved in the All Star festivities. There were a few other contests, but I do not remember them at all.

What I do remember is the vision of a seven-foot tall black Superman launching from a two foot jump a few feet in front of the free throw line and rocketing toward the rim to win the slam dunk contest. He became a rare winner. A winner who is not a guard.