Tuffy Rhodes: 15 years ago he made National League history with the Chicago Cubs

Saturday will mark the 15th anniversary of a great moment in baseball history...

Who could ever forget the show that Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes, of the Chicago Cubs, put on for the Wrigley Field faithful on Opening Day of the 1994...Tuffy unloaded for three homeruns to become the first and only National League player to ever hit three homers on Opening Day...all three shots came off Doc Gooden of the Mets...

What a day it was for Tuffy...after that three homer performance, he went on to hit a total of five more home runs the rest of the season and finish with a .234 batting average...by the way, the Cubs did lose that opener to the Mets 12-8 despite Tuffy's heroics...

So whatever happened to Tuffy?....

In 1996 he went to Japan...he is the all-time home run leader for foreign-born players with 442 home runs...in 2001 Tuffy unloaded for 55 home runs which tied the mark set by the great Sadaharu Oh...at the age of 40, Tuffy is still trying hook on to a team in Japan...

John Calipari shakes up the basketball world

John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Leader writes how Kentucky fans are thrilled that John Calipari is their new basketball coach... "Calipari gets players. He gets big players. He gets quick players. He gets talented players. He gets monstrously talented players. You can question the methods he uses to get those players. You can't question his results." ...

John Clay

Mark Story of the Lexington Herald-Leader writes that Kentucky should have hired Calipari two years ago... "John Calipari waited for the phone call. And waited. And waited. Two years ago, after Tubby Smith bolted for the Great White North, Calipari figured he was a logical candidate to become the new head man at Kentucky." ...

Mark Story

Rick Bozich of the Louisville Courier-Journal writes that Coach Cal was a hit at his first news conference... "He paid respect to the tradition of the program. He recognized coaches and players that had come before him. He talked about not flinching from the pressure of winning championships and hanging more banners." ...

Rick Bozich

David Climer of the Nashville Tennessean writes how Kentucky will be a force again in the SEC... "The arrival of John Calipari at Kentucky after nine outstanding seasons at Memphis will help the Big Blue return to a dominant position." ...

David Climer

Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News writes how the Kentucky job was just to good to pass us... "It is a fine place to try, one of the true and lasting capitals of the sport, one where four different coaches have won national titles. Kentucky is one of those jobs, one that should have gone to Calipari before they were dumb enough to hire Gillispie." ...

Mike Lupica

A look at how Calipari's hiring will impact the recruitment at both Memphis and Kentucky...

Recruiting

Amy Robach - the hottest woman on network news

I don't know how I missed this, but back in November 2008 Maxim magazine named my girl Amy Robach, from NBC News, the hottest news anchor in America...and this is no April Fool's joke...

I could be reading the newspaper when the NBC Nightly News is on, but when I hear her name, my newspaper hits the floor and all my attention is on Amy...boy does she have great legs!!!

This is what Maxim wrote: "All the recent wailing about America's unemployment rate overlooks some of its benefits, namely the additional time it affords you with the hottest host in Today Show history. Her fill-in work at the news desk and on the NBC Nightly News has been par excellence . . ."

The poor economy has led some women to become strippers

The Associate Press recently published a story about how more women are becoming strippers and even entering the porn business because of the poor economy...many lost their jobs and are in need of fast cash... "Employers across the adult entertainment industry say they’re seeing an influx of applications from women who, like Brown, are attracted by the promise of flexible schedules and fast cash. Many have college degrees and held white-collar jobs until the economy soured." ...

AP

Bill Raftery - the hardest working man in college basketball

You got Dickie V as probably the most famous college basketball analyst...and Clark Kellogg replaced Billy Packer at CBS...but my favorite college basketball analyst is Raft - Bill Raftery...he is the most under-rated hoops guy on television...this guy does like 5-6 basketball games a week...and he is not ashamed in being the color man for a small college basketball game...where there is college hoops, you will find Raft...he may never do a Duke-North Carolina game nor a Final Four, but he is still my main man behind the mike...Richard Sandomir of The New York Times wrote about Raft in last Thursday's paper... "Bill Raftery sings of onions and nylons, sweet kisses and lingerie, small change and nickel-and-dimers. The CBS and ESPN college basketball analyst’s big fellas take it to the tin and his little guys have big tickers. His puppies get set, get organized and get off the bus. He says that Chiclets must be counted and bounce passes may lead to ecstasy." ...

Richard Sandomir

Lou Saban, former head coach of Buffalo, Denver, and VP of Yankees, dies

The Associated Press reports that longtime and well-traveled former football head coach Lou Saban died on Sunday morning... he was 87-years-old...among his numerous stops as head coach, he will most be remembered for leading the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos...Saban also served as president of the New York Yankees from 1981-82...

Lou Saban Obit

Who will win the title: UConn, Nova, Sparty, or UNC?

Pitt isn't it...The Ville came up empty...and The Cuse's magical run is over...we are down the Final Four - Michigan State vs. Connecticut and Villanova vs. North Carolina...who is going to win the National Championship?...be a real American and VOTE NOW!!!!...

Who will win the National Championship?
	Connecticut Huskies
	Michigan State Spartans
	North Carolina Tar Heels
	Villanova Wildcats
pollcode.com free polls

Johnny Blanchard, former New York Yankee, dies

While going through this week's New York Times, I came across the obit of former New Yankees back-up catcher Johnny Blanchard...Blanchard died on Wednesday, March 25th... "Johnny Blanchard, a power-hitting catcher and outfielder known as Super Sub who played in five consecutive World Series for the Yankees in the 1960s, died Wednesday in Robbinsdale, Minn. He was 76." ...

Johnny Blanchard Obit

UConn's Kemba Walker gets a haircut to help his game

Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant writes how a little trim got Kemba Walker going... "We were nowhere near a barbershop, and I do cut my own hair," said Townsell, a member of the UConn academic support staff. "He's not complaining right now." ...

Jeff Jacobs

Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette writes how the Pitt players will one day appreciate their special season... "But today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year and for many years to come, those players will remember only the hurt they felt at the finish of their 78-76 loss to Villanova last night at TD Banknorth Garden, their time together gone forever." ...

Ron Cook

Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes how Villanova has quietly moved into the Final Four... "It was a game in which Villanova was matched against a team that might have some superior individual players, a game that required them to be fundamentally sound. That was particularly in evidence at the free-throw line, where the Wildcats made 22 of 23 attempts." ...

Bob Ford