Robin Givhan of The Washington Post was not happy with the Sports Illustrated cover of Michael Phelps... "But Sports Illustrated did him an injustice with its Aug. 25 cover. The photograph treats Phelps like a pinup, like beefcake, like a babe. And he is none of that." ...
This article in The London Times bluntly details what will be going on in the Olympic Village this final weekend of the Beijing Games - Booty Call!!!...according to Matthew Syed, a former Olympian and wuthor of the article, it is basically nothing but sex all weekend... "I played my first Games in Barcelona in 1992 and got laid more often in those two and a half weeks than in the rest of my life up to that point." ...
Greg Middleton, Indiana Defensive end, #92, 6'3" - 275 lbs. How did this stud and future NFL star get past Ohio State, Michigan, and Notre Dame?...Middleton, who is from Indianapolis, earned a number 6 state ranking from Rivals.com prior to the 2005 season and closed his senior year with 79 tackles and nine sacks...
In 2007, as sophomore at IU, he led the nation with 16 sacks...Middleton was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, presented to the top defensive end in college football...he was named first team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media...that was Indiana's first All-Big Ten first team selection from the defensive line since Adewale Ogunleye in 1997...
He picked up All-America distinctions from the Walter Camp Football Foundation (second team), the Associated Press (third), The Sporting News, CBSSports.com, SI.com (second), Rivals.com (second team) and CollegeFootballNews.com (first team)...
This is what was written about Middleton in the Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook: "As a freshman in 2006, end Greg Middleton (6-3, 275) had six tackles in five games. Not the kind of numbers that would have a coach projecting greatness. But Indiana co-defensive coordinator Joe Palcic had a feeling something big was coming from Middleton, calling him the team's best lineman before the season even started. Middleton spent the 2007 season proving Palcic right, recording a national best 16 sacks in a breakout season.
Now a junior, Middleton will be a candidate for several national awards in 2008. He was a finalist in 2007 for the Ted Hendricks Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive end. Middleton was an easy pick for the All-Big Ten team.
"We feel good about what he's doing," Palcic said. "He continues to improve. He'll be an NFL prospect when he comes out."
Former Oakland Raider Hall of Famer and NFL Player's Union President Gene Upshaw died today of pancreatic cancer...Upshaw was just diagnosed with the disease last Sunday...he was 63-years-old...
Michael Crabtree, Sophomore Wide Receiver, #5, 6'3" - 214 lbs. Michael Crabtree - remember the name!...as a redshirt freshman last season, Crabtree sprouted onto the national scene with a mind boggling 134 receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns...
Crabtree played "bigtime" against the big opponents...he led the team with 12 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown in Tech's upset of No. 3-ranked Oklahoma...against the Texas Longhorns, he made a team-high nine catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns...let's not forget the man throwing him the ball, Graham Harrell...
At the end of the year Crabtree walked away with the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver...he also took home the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year...Scout.com had this to say about Crabtree, "Michael Crabtree is the best receiver the school has ever produced, and that includes Wes Welker." ...
The Blue Ribbon Preview had this, "Crabtree, who made the Blue Ribbon and Playboy preseason All-America teams, among many others, has always been a strong receiver, able to keep corners from pressing on the line, but in the spring he showed he's even stronger and his technical skills, such as route running, are even sharper."...
As an interesting sidenote, when asked what his favorite activities are, Crabtree listed "cutting hair"...after watching this 3:30 clip, you will realize that Crabtree also loves to cut up defenses...
I first read about John Scott Challis when the New York Yankees came to PNC Park to play the Pittsburgh Pirates...Challis was an 18-year-old kid from Pittsburgh who was dying...he got to meet some of the New York Yankees including Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez...a few weeks later, at the height of the A-Rod-Madonna stories, Challis visited Yankee Stadium...he was determined to visit Yankee Stadium this year...
When the Yankees heard he was going to be at the game, they had A-Rod meet up with him...in the afternoon, Challis hung out at A-Rod's penthouse...A-Rod then drove Challis and his dad to the Stadium and allowed them to stay on the field during batting practice...
On Tuesday, August 19, 2008, Challis died...so if you thought you had a bad day today, stop for a few moments and read his story... John Scott Challis
When asked a few weeks ago how he would like to be remembered, John said, "I could see people having some beers and hopefully remembering how I always tried my best, no matter what I was doing. That's my message -- just for people to always do their best, no matter what they're doing or how stupid it might seem. And no matter what, there will always be a reward, no matter how small it is."
George Selvie, Junior Defensive End, #95, 6'4" - 245 lbs. In 2007, South Florida showed the country they are a force in the college football world...also 2007, South Florida defensive end George Selvie put his stamp on being a force at sacking quarterbacks...the first ever consensus All-American in school history...led the country with 31.5 tackles for loss and needed just one more to break the NCAA record...second in the country with 14.5 sacks...
The College Football News wrote this about Selvie, "Selvie opened eyes as a freshman. As a sophomore, he made them bulge. One of the most explosive ends in the country, he erupted for a nation’s-high 31.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks, commanding constant double teams. An All-American who’s just a few years removed from being a center, Selvie’s a three-down guy that’ll also pitch in on running downs. He’s such a disruptive force, everyone on the defense benefits from his presence." ...
Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook wrote this, "If there was one player who epitomized USF's sudden emergence on the national scene it was junior end George Selvie (6-4, 242). Selvie started as a freshman in 2006, contributed 5.5 sacks and earned freshman All-American honors by The Sporting News. Despite that auspicious debut, no one could have predicted what Selvie accomplished last season. After becoming USF's first consensus All-American last year, Selvie achieved another USF first this summer when he was selected to Playboy's All-American team. He's also a member of Blue Ribbon's preseason All-American team, among others. Rivals.com chose Selvie as its No. 2 "Scariest Defender" in college football, behind only USC linebacker Rey Maualuga."
Coaches call him the best practice player on the team...he is also a good person off the field...Selvie participates in every community service opportunity around the athletics department and football program...
Interesting fact - A Buick rolled off a car jack and onto his head as a infant...still has a dent in his head from the accident to this day...moved many times as a youth because his father was in the military...
With Michael Phelps' amazing feat of 8 Olympic gold medals, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote in his blog about who he thought were the 10 greatest male athletes...he listed in no particular order: Babe Ruth, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, Wilt Chamberlain, Wayne Gretzky, Pele, Willie Mays, Lawrence Taylor, and (tie) Michael Jordan and Emil Zatopek.
My top 10 (in no particular order) varies a bit...to me, a great athlete does not mean someone who dominates their sport, such as Tiger Woods...to me, a great athlete is someone who can do various sports extremely well or various aspects of their sport very well...below are my top 10...
- Deion Sanders - Sanders was the best lockdown cornerback in the NFL...he was also a good baseball player who had super speed...he was not a baseball All-Star, but he was good enough... - Bob Hayes(right) - Bullet Bob won the Olympic gold in the 100 meters at the 1964 games...afterward, he played wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys...he was a good receiver...Hayes is the only person so far to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring...
- Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis - these two are lumped together because they both won 4 Olympic gold medals at one Olympics in four different track and field events...they were not only fast, but they were also the best at the field event of long jump...
- Wilt Chamberlain - Wilt was a badass on the basketball and volleyball court...he did not let his height become a hindrance...
- Bo Jackson - Bo was not a Hall of Famer at baseball, but he was mighty good though...he had a terrific arm...and in football, he was a freakin' BEAST!!!...if not for the hip injury, he would have been enshrined in Canton, Ohio...
- Jackie Robinson - besides all the crap he had to deal with at baseball, Robinson was also a very good football player at UCLA...he was UCLA's first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track...
- Jim Thorpe - Thorpe won the decathlon at the 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm...he was also a rugged football player who played almost any position...former president Dwight Eisenhower played against Thorpe and had this to say after he injured his knee while trying to tackle Thorpe..."Here and there, there are some people who are supremely endowed. My memory goes back to Jim Thorpe. He never practiced in his life, and he could do anything better than any other football player I ever saw."...
- Jim Brown(left) - Jim Brown was the best running back ever...but most people don't realize he may have also been the best collegiate lacrosse player ever too...
- Michael Phelps - Phelps dominated his sport of swimming...but unlike Tiger Woods in golf, Phelps won at varying distances in the pool...and he won his 8 gold medals all within a week's time...often times, having to swim different lengths during the course of a day...
- Babe Ruth - The Babe was simply a Freak of Nature...imagine Alex Rodriguez being able to pitch like Jim Palmer...or imagine Greg Maddux being able to hit like Albert Pujols...The Babe would have been a Hall of Fame pitcher if he stayed on the mound...and he would have easily hit over 900 homers if he was not a pitcher early in his career...
Who are your Top 10 Greatest Male Athletes?......
Check out this 3 minute clip of Bo Jackson and his great plays when he strapped on the helmet of the Silver and Black...
Elena Delle Donne announced today that she plans to enroll at the University of Delaware...story below is from the New Castle-Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal...
DelleDonne hopes to attend UD this fall
Ex-Ursuline star issues statement on decision to leave UConn
The News Journal
Elena DelleDonne intends to enroll at the University of Delaware this fall, the former Ursuline basketball star said in a statement released this morning.
DelleDonne, who has decided to forego a basketball scholarship from the University of Connecticut, will not be eligible to play sports at UD for one school year because UConn has not released her from the scholarship.
DelleDonne, widely considered the nation's top girls high school basketball recruit last season, has not said specifically why she decided not to go to UConn.
"Both UConn and I require a 100 percent dedication to the sport, and as of now I feel I cannot give that level of commitment," she said. "It therefore would be unfair to the excellent program, Coach Geno Auriemma, the team, and UConn fans for me to play."
Elena DelleDonne's statement
"I have decided that in the best interest of both UConn and myself that I will not play college basketball this year. Both UConn and I require a 100% dedication to the sport, and as of now I feel I can not give that level of commitment. It therefore would be unfair to the excellent program, Coach Geno Auriemma, the team, and UConn fans for me to play.
Coach Auriemma and the team have been extremely understanding during this time of my transition from high school to college, and I thank them for that. I am especially grateful to Coach Auriemma whose kind wisdom has shown me why UConn is such a class program.
I intend to enroll at the University of Delaware for my freshman year this fall.
If you want the best darn coverage of the NFL, check out The Zone Blitz...everything is one click away...he has links to game stories, videos, boxscores...all that shit...so if you are a REAL MAN - a true NFL Fan, then you better check it out...from what I hear, I believe L.T. checks it out...
Adam Rose of The Los Angeles Times USC Blog All Things Trojan was kind enough to take some time and respond to a few questions that I had about USC's stud defensive players linebacker Rey Maualuga (photo left) and safety Taylor Mays (photo below)...I want to thank Adam for taking the time to respond...
Q1. What are the strengths of Rey Maualuga's game? A. The first thing people talk about is how hard Maualuga hits. YouTube is littered with clips of him crushing some pour soul. I like to joke that Maualuga is the reason Waldo is hiding. In more realistic terms, Maualuga is an aggressive player with an incredible burst that allows him to get into the backfield -- which makes him a threat to sack a quarterback or drop a tailback for a loss. His bone-jaring hits can also lead to turnovers, which has also been a cornerstone of USC's success. While he's strong, athletic, and pretty big, he never struck me as a weight-room freak. He's more energetic and intense, like the Tazmanian Devil cartoon.
Because of his raw ability, Maualuga becomes a player that offenses have to gameplan around. If a quarterback takes his eyes off of Maualuga, there's always a chance that he'll wind up eating the turf (and even spitting up blood, like Rudy Carpenter did last year).
While not a strength, another factor is that he's always been surrounded by other talented players. He's been very modest about sharing credit, and deservedly so. He wouldn't have wound up in the backfield so often without Sedrick Ellis, Lawrence Jackson, and Keith Rivers distracting the offensive line. All three have left for the NFL, but they've just been replaced by another group of highly touted players (plus he's still lining up next to Brian Cushing).
Q2. Where does Maualuga rank among the great linebackers at USC? A. It's a little early to say, because his legacy will depend on this season. Just think of the guys who have worn USC #55 alone: Rivers, Seau, McGinest, Claiborne. As Maualuga continues to make his mark wearing #58, it may come down to how the team performs this season. Maualuga is a leader, and leaders are remembered for winning. If the Trojans don't win it all this year, he'll be their first superstar in recent memory to leave school without a national championship ring. At the same time, Maualuga has already won three Pac-10 championships, a Rose Bowl MVP, and could approach 300 career tackles this year. It's not like his resume is lacking. He just has some big shoes to fill.
Q3. What are the strengths of Taylor Mays? A. Size and speed. He's got an unusual combination of the two. When I say Maualuga doesn't strike me as a weight room freak, Mays does. You'll hear that from everybody who watches him (ESPN ranked him #2 in the nation when it comes to workout freaks). Like Maualuga, he's physical and loves to hit.
Q4. Could you comment how Mays can impact the game from the free safety position? A. He takes away the middle. Big wide receivers aren't fast enough to escape him, and Mays won't hesitate to crush them. He leveled a 6'5" receiver in practice the other day. A 5'10" guy doesn't stand a chance. I'm often skeptical of 40-yard dash times, but for those who care he's been clocked under 4.3 seconds. Receivers can't run, and they can't hide.
Do you love Jesus?...Do you have an extra $50,000 burning a hole in your pocket...then I got a deal for you...a person from Struthers, Ohio is selling, on ebay, a marble sink with an image of Jesus...check it out...five days left to bid...
Here is the Five Good Minutes Segment from the Friday, August 15th edition of PTI...Charles Barkley talks about the Olympics and why he thinks this year's team is going gold because of one player...
With the Olympics in the news and the start of football season only weeks away, this news nugget easily slid onto the agate pages of your local sports section...but recent high school graduate Elena Delle Donne, who was enrolled at the University of Connecticut, and was supposed to be the next star of the U.Conn Lady Huskies basketball team has dropped out of college...Delle Donne was the Female High School Basketball Player of the Year in the U.S. last season...for more about this story is an article which appeared in Sunday's Hartford Courant...
Delle Donne Not Coming To UConn By JOHN ALTAVILLA
Courant Staff Writer
August 17, 2008
Elena Delle Donne, the reigning Naismith player of the year and the prized UConn women's basketball recruit, has told the university she will not accept her scholarship and will likely seek a future without basketball.
UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma confirmed the decision Saturday, releasing a statement: "I have recently been informed that Elena Delle Donne has decided not to play college basketball and will not enroll at Connecticut. Everyone at UConn wishes her the best of luck."
Delle Donne, who is expected to make a statement Monday, had decided to attend UConn last year after an intense recruiting battle with Tennessee. She would have been the third consecutive national player of the year to attend UConn, following Tina Charles in 2006 and Maya Moore last season.
Delle Donne could not be reached for comment.
With a deft shooting touch and extraordinary size for a perimeter player, the 6-foot-5 Delle Donne was expected to be an additional element to a team thought to be the preseason No. 1 this season.
Delle Donne left the summer session after just two days in June, and she had been spending her summer at home with her family. The fall semester begins Aug. 25.
Delle Donne averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds last season and led Ursuline Academy to the Delaware state title.
"This is nothing out of the ordinary," Auriemma told The Courant when Delle Donne left summer session. "It happens all the time. Maybe she's just not ready to make the move [away from home] yet."
A few days later, Delle Donne said she was taking a personal break with no timetable to make any decisions. She said the break had nothing to do with UConn and told ESPN.com that her decision was the result of problems "so much deeper than basketball. ... I have a lot of personal issues to fix. Only my family understands what's going on."
Ernie Delle Donne, Elena's father, told The Courant at the time that he was pleased with how UConn had dealt with the situation.
"The way Geno Auriemma has handled Elena's personal situation should make every little girl in America want to play for him," he said. "That man is an incredible individual."
Delle Donne also took off last summer, saying she needed time to get away from basketball and the recruiting process. By doing that, she passed up the chance to play for USA Basketball's U-18 team that featured Moore and won a gold medal. Her senior season was then complicated by mononucleosis that forced her to miss 10 games.
The Huskies played in their first Final Four since 2004 last season and were being touted as overwhelming favorites to win the national championship in 2009 with Delle Donne joining a strong returning team, featuring senior Renee Montgomery, junior Charles and sophomore Moore, a first-team All-American and Big East player of the year as a freshman.
Delle Donne was to be the icing on the cake on this year's team, which includes freshmen Caroline Doty, a guard from Doylestown, Pa., guard Tiffany Hayes of Winter Haven, Fla., and center Heather Buck, Connecticut's two-time player of the year.
Delle Donne's talent always brought praise.
"Let's hope that she's just tired of it all right now," analyst Debbie Antonelli told The Courant in June. "The game needs a talent like her in it. A lot of people felt she could have started in the WNBA when she was a sophomore in high school. That's a lot of pressure to put on a kid. I hope for her, as a young woman about to start a new phase in her life, that she can resolve it and move on. I feel for her. I feel for her parents. She has had a lot to deal with."
There has been repeated speculation that Delle Donne is simply homesick. She is very close with her sister Lizzie, who is deaf, blind and has cerebral palsy. Elena has often commented on how difficult it would be to leave her sister.
Robin Givhan of The Washington Post was not happy with the Sports Illustrated cover of Michael Phelps... "But Sports Illustrated did him an injustice with its Aug. 25 cover. The photograph treats Phelps like a pinup, like beefcake, like a babe. And he is none of that." ... 
Greg Middleton, Indiana
Former Oakland Raider Hall of Famer and NFL Player's Union President Gene Upshaw died today of pancreatic cancer...Upshaw was just diagnosed with the disease last Sunday...he was 63-years-old...
Michael Crabtree, Sophomore
I first read about John Scott Challis when the New York Yankees came to PNC Park to play the Pittsburgh Pirates...Challis was an 18-year-old kid from Pittsburgh who was dying...he got to meet some of the New York Yankees including Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez...a few weeks later, at the height of the A-Rod-Madonna stories, Challis visited Yankee Stadium...he was determined to visit Yankee Stadium this year...
George Selvie, Junior
ne could have predicted what Selvie accomplished last season. After becoming USF's first consensus All-American last year, Selvie achieved another USF first this summer when he was selected to Playboy's All-American team. He's also a member of Blue Ribbon's preseason All-American team, among others. Rivals.com chose Selvie as its No. 2 "Scariest Defender" in college football, behind only USC linebacker Rey Maualuga."
ack to Jim Thorpe. He never practiced in his life, and he could do anything better than any other football player I ever saw."...
Elena Delle Donne announced today that she plans to enroll at the University of Delaware...story below is from the New Castle-Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal...
Adam Rose of The Los Angeles Times USC Blog All Things Trojan was kind enough to take some time and respond to a few questions that I had about USC's stud defensive players linebacker Rey Maualuga (photo left) and safety Taylor Mays (photo below)...I want to thank Adam for taking the time to respond...
Do you love Jesus?...Do you have an extra $50,000 burning a hole in your pocket...then I got a deal for you...a person from Struthers, Ohio is selling, on ebay, a marble sink with an image of Jesus...check it out...five days left to bid... 
With the Olympics in the news and the start of football season only weeks away, this news nugget easily slid onto the agate pages of your local sports section...but recent high school graduate Elena Delle Donne, who was enrolled at the University of Connecticut, and was supposed to be the next star of the U.Conn Lady Huskies basketball team has dropped out of college...Delle Donne was the Female High School Basketball Player of the Year in the U.S. last season...for more about this story is an article which appeared in Sunday's Hartford Courant...
