Happy Birthday to The Boss

Happy 79th Birthday to George Steinbrenner

Happy Birthday Mike Tyson

Happy 43rd Birthday Mike Tyson

Note - I will leaving today for a conference in Cincinnati...if the weather holds up I'll be going to the Cincinnati Reds-Arizona Diamondback game tonight...Stiles Points will be back on Friday, July 3rd - hopefully with some photos...

Forbes Field in Pittsburgh - 100th anniversary

It's been gone for quite a while, but the City of Pittsburgh is still celebrating its greatest sports facility - Forbes Field and its 100th anniversary...June 30, 1909 the Pirates played the first game at Forbes Field...Robert Dvorchak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes a well researched history of the famed ballpark... Robert Dvorchak - Forbes Field

Here are a few interesting facts about Forbes Field:
- It featured lavatories specifically designated for women
- There were public telephones
- An underground parking garage
- Ramps instead of steps

Here is a real throwback, the ballpark was named after a British general, not some internet site or corporate sponsor... "The place was named after John Forbes, the British general whose forces built a road through the Pennsylvania wilderness to evict the French from Fort Duquesne in 1758. In his after-action report, the general called it "Pittsbourgh," and the name stuck even if the spelling didn't."

- Tenants: Pittsburgh Pirates (NL 1909-70); Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers (NFL 1933-63); University of Pittsburgh (football 1909-24); Homestead Grays (Negro National League 1939-48); also Duquesne, Carnegie Tech and Pitt freshman football.

- Groundbreaking: March 1, 1909
- First National League game: June 30, 1909 (Cubs 3, Pirates 2)
- First NFL game: September 20, 1933 (NY Giants 23, Pirates 2)
- Last NFL game: December 1, 1963 (Eagles 20, Steelers 20)
- Last National League game: June 28, 1970 (Pirates 4, Cubs 1)
- Demolished: July 28, 1971
- Baseball capacity: 25,000 (1909); 41,000 (1925); 33,537 (1939); 34,249 (1953); 35,000 (1960)
- Surface: Natural grass

- Architect: Osborn Engineering
- Builder: Nicole Construction Company
- Owners: Pittsburgh Pirates (1909-57); University of Pittsburgh (1958-71)
- Cost: $2 million (1909)

Dimensions:
- LF foul line: 360 ft (1909), 365 ft (1930), 335 ft (1947 Greenberg Garden/Kiner's Korner), 365 ft (1954)
- LF alley: 406 ft (1926)
- Deep left-centerfield corner: 462 ft (1909), 457 ft (1930)
- Center field: 442 ft (1926), 435 ft (1930); 436 ft (1946)
- Right-center at corner: 408 ft (1926)
- Short right-center: 375 ft (1925)
- RF foul line: 376 ft (1909), 300 ft (1925)
- Home plate to backstop: 110 ft (1909), 84 ft (1938), 75 ft (1959)

Donald Fehr is retiring and that is good for baseball

Random Thoughts

- MLB union chief Donald Fehr is retiring - that is good for baseball...Fehr's duty to protect baseball players no matter what has hurt the game of baseball...his stubborn demeanor has caused player salaries to go through the roof as an average fan can no longer go to a baseball game with their family unless they unload over $200...

- One thing, it took forever, but at least Fehr agreed to drug testing...the sick part is that former union czar Marvin Miller ripped Fehr for agreeing to drug testing...Miller was quoted earlier this year as saying that if he was now the union chief, he would negotiate drug testing out of the next collective bargaining...to me, Marvin Miller and Donald Fehr were the worst two things to happen to baseball...Miller is (and was) a stubborn individual who did not want to budge from his position...and his recent comment about drug testing shows why Miller is not, and hopefully will never make it to the Baseball Hall of Fame...

- Who is Stephanie Pratt and why should I care if she is bulimic?...

- Why do Americans care about Gosselins?...so they are getting a divorce, who the freak cares!?!?!?!...

- Kate Gosselin is a MILF... (photo, right)

- Kellogg's has a new breakfast bar that is Cinnabon flavored...only 4.5 grams of fat...

- If Manny Ramirez is allowed to workout in the minor leagues to prepare for his return to the Dodgers while still on suspension, why didn't the Dodgers just send him to the minors for 50 days instead?...he should not be allowed to play any professional baseball for those 50 days...

- All male sports fans love Erin Andrews...but who the hell is dating her?...she is 31-years-old and not married but someone has to be tapping that????...WHO THOUGH?!?!?!?...

- Whatever happened to Gayle Gardner?...

- This Facebook is a neat thing...just got on it the other day...technology is great...

- This is the time of year for eating big black cherries and juicy soft peaches...

- I have to read The Wizard of Oz in order to prepare lesson plans for my afterschool program...

- I see government waste everyday...

- Could Rafael Septien still kick a 30-yard field goal?...

The King of Pop is Dead - the day the music stopped

Farrah Fawcett 1947-2009

Farrah Fawcett died today at the age of 62...the following was lifted from the internet about Farrah's early years...

She was born Feb. 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas, she was named Mary Farrah Leni Fawcett by her mother, who said she added the Farrah because it sounded good with Fawcett. She was less than a month old when she underwent surgery to remove a digestive tract tumor with which she was born.

After attending Roman Catholic grade school and W.B. Ray High School, Fawcett enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin. Fellow students voted her one of the 10 most beautiful people on the campus and her photos were eventually spotted by movie publicist David Mirisch, who suggested she pursue a film career. After overcoming her parents’ objections, she agreed.

Soon she was appearing in such TV shows as “That Girl,” “The Flying Nun,” “I Dream of Jeannie” and “The Partridge Family.”

Phillip Wellman Douche Bag Award

This video has been seen many times over the last two years...on June 1, 2007, Phillip Wellman, manager of the Mississippi Braves of the Southern League, made a complete ass of himself and the game of baseball by putting on an infantile incident while arguing with the umpires...the topper was when he crawled on the ground and tossed the resin bag like a grenade toward the homeplate umpire...if I was that umpire I would have met Wellman in the parking lot after the game and shoved that resin bag up his ass for trying to show me up...

I still cannot believe he was given only a three game suspension...being that he was the manager a minor league team, he should have received at least 20 games...imagine if an athlete like Terrell Owens did that - people would be calling for his head...maybe the umpires did make a bad call, but they did not need to be treated that way by Wellman...I sure he would be ticked if someone made one of his players look like an ass, the same way he tried to make the umpires look that way...

Some may think his tirade was funny, but I think it was stupid, unprofessional, and self-centered...I can't believe ESPN ranked it as the best sports tirade of all-time...Wellman's antics has led me to start the Phillip Wellman Douche Bag Award...every so often Stiles Points will be presenting the Wellman Douche Bag Award to people who either act or are simply a douche bag...

So Phil, this Massengill's for you!!!...

Tyler Hansbrough will be a solid NBA player

The NBA Draft is coming up and it is a lock that the Los Angeles Clippers will take Oklahoma stud Blake Griffin...usually I don't follow the NBA Draft, but I am intrigued by one player - Tyler Hansbrough...

Yeh, yeh, I know 96.4% of the country hates this kid and thinks he will be a flop and out of the NBA within 3 years...but I think Hansbrough has the toughness and a nice outside shot to hang in the league for a while...especially if he gets with the right team...

Hansbrough is not going to be the star of any team...but I could see him being a Bill Laimbeer-type player who was tough, had a good outside shot, was a decent rebounder, and a solid free throw shooter...and most of all, the opposition hated Laimbeer because he was the enforcer...

I notice that ESPN has Hansbrough going at #20 to Utah...another publication had him going #24 to Portland...Chad Ford for ESPN.com had this about Hansbrough:

Positives
- A warrior in the paint
- Outworks everyone for rebound and second-chance putbacks
- Strong, physical player who isn't afraid to do the dirty work
- Does a great job of getting to the line
- Decent free-throw shooter for a big man
- Turning himself into a polished scorer

Negatives
- Not an explosive athlete
- Plays beneath the rim
- Not the elite rebounder he should be
- Struggles to score against long, athletic defenders
- Limited upside

June 4 Update: For all of you who wrote me all season furious that I didn't have Tyler Hansbrough in my mock draft lottery -- now's the time to yell, "I told you so!" I think it's time to declare Hansbrough the big winner of the 2009 NBA draft combine. Although he was what you would expect him to be in the skills portion of the combine, he came out better than expected in the measurements and strength and agility testing.

My thoughts - I believe Hansbrough will go sooner than the experts think...don't be surprised if he goes #12 to Charlotte or #13 to Indiana...if for some reason he slides, the perfect team for him would be the Lakers...he would add some toughness in the post...also, the kid is a hustler...he will run through a freaking wall for a rebound...and he would be a luxury for the Lakers ala Kurt Rambis...

Another good fit for him would be the New York Knicks...now I am not saying the Knicks should take him at the #8 spot, however, if Hansbrough is still there at say #15, the Knicks should works some deal to draft him...the Knicks fans would love this kid and he would be the enforcer when the Knicks sign either LeBron or D-Wade after next season...honestly, I would want him on my team...

Tim Tebow: the greatest of all-time?

Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun was nice enough to respond to the "Five Good Questions" segment pertaining to Florida All-American quarterback Tim Tebow...I want to thank Pat for taking the time...

Tim Tebow File
Senior, quarterback, 6'3", 240 lbs.
Hometown - Jacksonville, Florida
2008 - 2,746 yards, 30 TDs, 4 Ints - 89 carries, 469 yards, 8 TDS
2007 - 3,286 yards, 32 TDs, 6 Ints - 210 carries, 895 yards, 23 TDs
2006 - 358 yards, 5 TDs, 1 Ints - 176 carries, 673 yards, 12 TDs

Q1. I assume Tebow would make this list. Therefore, who are your five all-time greatest Florida Gators - in order?
A. Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel, Steve Spurrier, Wilbur Marshall, Emmitt Smith

Q2. What is Tebow like off the field? He comes across as being a nice guy who cares about helping people. Is that for real or just a front?
A. Oh, it's real. Tim likes to have fun like any college kid but the work he does is truly amazing. I admire how he's able to juggle everything. And he's a funny guy.

Q3. What makes Tebow special compared to other great college quarterbacks?
A. There has never been one who is a five tool player. You hear that expression in baseball but it works here. 1. power running 2. open field running 3. passing with accuracy 4. leadership 5. toughness

Q4. In your opinion, what do you see Tebow doing in the NFL? Will he be a first round selection?
A. That's the big question. He'll play somewhere and I think he'll be a quarterback. but I don't see him being a starter. I think someone will take a chance on him in the first round

Q5. Last question, where would you rank Tebow among the greats in college football?
A. It all depends on how he finishes. Right now, he'd be in my top 10. Herschel (Walker) is still the best I saw but if Tebow has another big year and Florida is in the National Championship, I'd have to change my mind.

Jahvid Best: the nation's best running back?

An old favorite of Stiles Points is back - "Five Good Questions with . . . "...with college football coming on fast, Jonathan Okanes of The Oakland Tribune was kind enough to respond about one of the best secret weapons in college football - Cal running back Jahvid Best...Okanes covers the Golden Bears for The Trib...I want to thank him for taking the time to respond...

Jahvid Best File
Junior, Tailback, 5'10", 195 lbs.
Hometown - Vallejo, CA
2008 - 194 carries, 1,580 yards, 15 TDs
Best game - Dec 6, 2008 vs. Washington - 19 carries/311 yards/4 TDs/84-yard TD run

2008 - Led the Pac-10 and ranked third in the country in rushing, averaging 131.67 ypg ... his 8.1 yards per carry was the best of any player in the FBS with at least 125 rushes on the year, as well as a school record

Q1. Cal has had some strong running backs over the past few years, such as J.J. Arrington and Marshawn Lynch, how does Best compare to those backs?
A. The other backs don't have the flat-out breakway speed that Best does. Lynch was a rare combination of size, strength and athleticism. Best certainly doesn't have the ability to bruise defenses like Lynch did. But none of the other backs are a threat to go the distance as much as Best.

Q2. What are Best's strengths? His weaknesses?
A. His strenghs definitely lie in his speed. Get him in space and it will almost always be a big play. He also can make defenders miss in the open field. His weakness so far has been durability. He missed the final two games of his freshman season with an injury and missed one game and parts of a few others last year with an assortment of ailments.

Q3. How is Best off the field? Does he have an attitude? Is he a team leader?
A. Best has a terrific attitude off the field. He's very humble and always prefers talking about his teammates more than himself. He's not particularly outgoing, but he has said he wants to be more of a leader this season.

Q4. What does Best have to do in order to get the attention of the east coast sports writers?
A. Cal won't be on national TV much, so it will be hard for him. The biggest thing will be if Cal has a good year and beats USC.

Q5. What are your predictions for Best this coming season?
A. Best is out to prove he can stay healthy. If he does, I think he'll lead the nation in rushing. But the Heisman talk is pretty unrealistic. The three finalists from last year are back and rarely does a West Coast player not on USC get much consideration.

Neda - the face of a revolution in Iran

The protesting in Iran now has a face - Neda...

Neda, a 27-year-old Iranian woman, along with her father, walked in protest down Karegar Avenue in the city of Tehran...they were peacefully participating in the protests against the 2009 Iranian election when she was shot by members of the Iranian Basij volunteer militia...

As she was dying, the name "Neda" can be heard several times on the video clip, presumably by her father...it has been reported that he can be heard saying (in Farsi) "Neda, don't be afraid. Neda, don't be afraid. [obscured by others yelling] Neda, stay with me. Neda stay with me!"...

This 37 second video may change the world...please pass this on...God Bless Neda...

Happy Father's Day

Stiles Points want to wish all the dads a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY...moms get all the glory but the dads are the backbone of a family...so Happy Father's Day!!!!

Lucy Pinder is not Tim Tebow's girlfriend

Yesterday I ran a photo of a chick with some huge cans who I thought was Tim Tebow's girlfriend...G$ from The Money Shot straightened my ass out by correctly stating this chick was (and this is a direct quote), ". . . British whore, Lucy Pinder."

I did some research on this "British whore" and found out she was born December 20, 1983 which makes her 25 years old...she is "a glamour model noted for her large, natural breasts, which have been voted as being "the most beautiful all-natural pair in Britain."...well, here are some more photos of Pinder...enjoy...