David Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters gets honored in Warren, Ohio

Former Nirvana drummer and lead singer of the Foo Fighters, David Grohl, got a street named after him in his hometown of Warren, Ohio...actually it was more like an alley...David Grohl Alley was officially dedicated this past weekend...Warren, which is located next to my hometown of Niles, Ohio, celebrated the event with an actual appearance by Grohl...

He received the Key to the City and performed three songs...Grohl's father and stepmother still live in Warren...from all newspaper accounts, Grohl was very sincere and appreciative of the gesture...

Was Ray Handley the worst NFL head coach ever?

This past week The Sporting News listed its 10 greatest head coaches of all-time...since then, I have read a few lists of the 10 worst coaches of all-time...Stiles Points lists its worst NFL and college head football coaches of all-time in no particular order...some of these coaches are excellent coordinators or assistants, but they lacked key traits to be a quality head coach:

Larry Coker, Miami (Fla) - sure he coached The U to a BCS title in 2001 and follow-ed it up with another shot at the title before losing to Ohio State...Coker won that title with all of Butch Davis players...Davis bolted for the Cleveland Browns and left the cupboard full for Coker...the Hurricanes were loaded in his second year and were outplayed by Ohio State even though the Canes had an NFL caliber team...since then The U has been on a downward slide because of Coker's lack of recruiting and inability to win the big games...

Ray Handley, N.Y. Giants (photo) - Bill Parcells retired after leading the Giants to a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl win over Buffalo in 1990...Handley took over and in two seasons as the head man, the Giants were 14-18 and were in disarray...Handley was canned after the 1992 season...in 1993 Dan reeves took over and immediately led the Giants to an 11-5 mark and playoff berth...Handley has never been seen since...

Les Steckel, Minnesota - after 17 years as head coach, Bud Grant retired after the 1983 season...Steckel, a former Marine, took over and ran the organization like a military facility...Steckel was abusive and mean...the Vikings went 3-13...Steckel was fired after one season and Grant was asked to come out of retirement to try and clean up the mess...

Cam Cameron, Miami - Cameron went to south Florida after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Chargers high scoring offense...Cameron's time in Miami was doomed on draft day when he selected Ohio State's Ted Ginn at wr instead of Notre Dame's Brady Quinn at qb...the Dolphins needed a quarterback desperately...the fans went nuts...it was all downhill after that...Cameron went 1-15 in his one year stay in Miami...

Wade Phillips, Denver, Buffalo, Dallas - how could someone with a 67-45 overall mark makes this list...I'm sorry, but it seems like Phillips teams always underachieve at the key moments during the season...he is a helluva defensive coordinator but he lacks something as the head man...

John Blake, Oklahoma - in three seasons Blake led the Sooners to a 12-22 record...two years after he got canned, Bob Stoops led Oklahoma to the BCS championship...

Dave Campo, Dallas - Under Campo's leadership, the Cowboys posted three straight 5-11 records...Parcells replaced Campo, and with basically the same team the Cowboys finished 10-6 and made the playoffs...

Gerry DiNardo, Indiana, LSU, Vanderbilt - I will give DiNardo a pass on Indiana and Vandy, but there is no reason he should not have won at LSU...the Tigers were stuck in mediocrity, at best, under DiNardo...DiNardo could not even recruit the state of Louisiana despite being the only major football power on the Bayou...after he was canned, Nick Saban and Les Miles have proven the LSU is a force...

30 years ago today New York Yankees Captain Thurman Munson died in a plane crash

Thirty years ago I was a 10-year-old kid enjoying his summer vacation...being it was summer I was allowed to stay up late...the 10:00 p.m. ABC news brief came on in which they gave a recap of the top three or four news stories...the last story, a photo of New York Yankees catcher, and captain, Thurman Munson appeared in the top right hand of the screen...the broadcaster announced that Munson died in a plane crash in Canton, Ohio...as a Yankees fan that is something I will never forget...as a kid, it was my generation's Lou Gehrig moment...

Thirty years ago today, Thurman Munson died...Sean Brennan of the Daily News writes about Jerry Narron, the catcher who had to replace The Captain...

Sean Brennan

This article appeared in the Daily News in 2004 which was 25th anniversary of The Captain's death...

Wayne Coffey

Lou Grant - an old school boss

This is a great 3:34 clip from the Mary Tyler Moore Show...Mary meets Mr. Grant for the first time and goes through a job interview...this is great stuff:

Is there more to the NFL than just Brett Favre and Michael Vick?

The NFL season is fast approaching...it will be Week 1 before we know it...but the media is taking some of the excitement away from the upcoming season because of their nauseating coverage of Brett Favre and Michael Vick...there are over 1,400 players in the NFL and all we have to hear about every stinking day is of an old broken down drama queen and a criminal who butchered dogs...

Favre
Brett Favre made an ass out of Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress...if Childress had any onions, he would have told Favre, back in May, that he needed a decision by Memorial Day, if not, the Vikings would move on...Childress had a responsibility to lead this team, instead, Favre made Childress his bitch...

Did Childress really think that Favre was going to lead the Vikings to the Super Bowl?...Childress was trying to hire a name - Brett Favre...that's all it was...the name was not going to take the Vikings to the Super Bowl...in fact, when was the last time Brett Favre led his team to the Super Bowl?...try 1998!!!...

Childress should have tried to sign freaking Joe Willie Namath or Joe Montana...I hope the Vikings tank this season and Childress gets fired....if it wasn't so close to the start of the season, the owner should can him now...

As far as Favre goes, I still think this is not entirely over...if a quarterback gets hurt, ala Tom Brady last season, the entire drama will start over again...

Another scenario is Favre pulling a Roger Clemens...Favre sits out the first eight games and comes back for the last half of the season...Favre cannot physically handle the rigors of an entire 16 game season...therefore he may try a comeback in October...

Vick
Now that gray beard if off the radar for now, the media will drive us all nuts with Michael Vick coverage...it will be a media circus the day he signs with a new team, the day he reports to camp, the day he takes a dump at the football facility...and I dread the week that Vick makes his return to the NFL...

Sorry, but I can't write anymore about this crap...I'm out of here...

Jim Johnson, Eagles defensive coordinator, dies

Amid all the Brett Favre circus and Michael Vick sympathizers, the NFL lost a great assistant coach...

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson died yesterday at the age of 68-years-old after a six month battle with cancer...if the Pro Football Hall of Fame ever inducted assistant coaches, Johnson would be a first ballot hall of famer...

Johnson coached last season from his familiar spot on the sidelines...however, he coached in the press box in Week 17 and throughout the playoffs...he was suffering from severe back pain and had a difficult time standing for a long period of time...after the Eagles lost in the NFC title game, Johnson went to the doctor and was diagnosed with cancer...

It will not be the same this football season in not seeing Johnson dialing up the defensive schemes for the Eagles...Favre and Vick may be getting the headlines, but the real story of the NFL this week was the loss of a great coach...

Jim Johnson Obit

Rich Hofmann

Gwen Stefani - Is she hot?

Gwen Stefano Bio
Birthday - October 3, 1969 - Fullerton, California

Background
Stefani was raised in a Roman-Catholic family...as a kid she had weight problems and joined the high school swim team in order to lose weight...her first job was working at the local Dairy Queen...nowadays she is a mega-star as the lead singer of No Doubt...she has also been successful as a solo artist...

She was once married to a member of the band...after a divorce, she married Gavin Rossdale and now has two kids...Stefani is a natural brunette, however she has been a platinum blond for the last 15 years...she likes hanging around Japanese woman called Harajuku Girls...

Is Gwen Stefani hot?
At first look, she is someone who can easily be picked up at any bar after she gets a few drinks in her...I will say, her mid-section is phenomenal...she seems like a nice person and would probably be wild in the sack...she is not super hot, but I would give her thumbs up...

Tom Hamilton of the Cleveland Indians is the worst baseball announcer

There are many annoying baseball announcers...the first that comes to mind is the New York Yankees John Sterling with his "Yankees Win...thaaaaaaaaaaaa Yankees Win"...the Chicago White Sox play-by-play man Hawk Harrelson gets under my skin with his "He gone" call after a White Sox pitcher strikes out a batter...but the most annoying and worst baseball announcer in the sport is the Cleveland Indians Tom Hamilton...

Hamilton calls every Indians homerun like it is a World Series clinching blast...Ryan Garko can hit a solo shot in the first inning and Hamilton will be screaming and yelling...as a kid I used to listen to Herb Score call the Indians games...Score was not perfect as he made many errors in calling the game...but at least he was professional and did not act like every homerun was the "mother of all homers"...this weekend the Tribe is honoring Hamilton as fans will be receiving a Tom Hamilton bobblehead...the Indians will then have fireworks after the game with a replay of Hamilton's greatest play-by-plays...if anyone gets one of those bobbleheads, please send it to be so I can bust it into pieces...

These announcers need to take a lesson from Los Angeles Dodgers great Vin Scully...Scully is the best baseball announcer ever...he was praised by the media for his call on Manny Ramirez's pinch-hit grand slam last week...check it out:

Vin Scully

Cleveland Indians become major player on trading deadline with Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez

Cleveland Indians have become a major player as the trading deadline looms...with Toronto asking for your blood in their demands for Roy Halladay, the Indians may be the beneficiary...

Talk on the internet states that the Philadelphia Phillies are interested in Indians pitcher Cliff Lee...what makes this possible deal intriguing for the Phils is that they don't have to give up their top pitching prospects in J.A. Happ nor Kyle Drabek...

There are also reports the Los Angeles Dodgers are talking to the Indians in a blockbuster deal...supposedly the Dodgers will send either Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw along with James Loney, and prospects to Cleveland for Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez...talk is that Joe Torre would like to have a veteran in his rotation for the playoffs...

Supposedly the Indians have another offer from the San Francisco Giants...the Giants would send prospects to Cleveland for Lee...

Tony Kubek, former NBC broadcaster, to be inducted into the Baeeball Hall of Fame

Richard Sandomir of The New York Times writes about former New York Yankees shortstop and NBC broadcaster, Tony Kubek, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award for his 30 plus years of broadcasting... "Apart from the banter, Kubek and his wife, Margaret, are using the weekend as a family outing, with his two sons, two daughters and five grandchildren in attendance. Underlining Kubek’s individuality, they are staying in a house separate from the Hall of Famers’ headquarters at the Otesaga. And when the weekend ends, the Kubeks will drive back home with one of their daughters to continue their lives without baseball and resume helping the Hmong community in Appleton, Wis., where they live most of the year." ...

Richard Sandomir

The top porn stars you would take home to mom

Here is an interesting post I saw on Spike TV's web..."the top 7 porn stars who you would take home to mom"...first, I wonder why this person just chose 7...he might have wrote about the reason in the blog, but I did no reading, just checking out the 7 women...check out the site Porn Stars for Mom...

I'm not up to date with the top porn stars of today...back in my day the top of the line was Amber Lynn, Tori Welles (photo) and Nina Hartley...

Erin Andrews peephole nude video - new safe link

First off, I have nothing to report on Erin Andrews...the headline is just a test to see how many hits I would get today compared to the rest of the week just because I used Erin Andrews name...sorry if I deceived you...

Michael Vick
All the talk about the NFL is centering on Michael Vick...I don't understand how Vick is being presented as some type of "hero"...one idiot called the Dan Patrick Show and said that Vick is a "success story of this country"...he said that Vick grew up with nothing, lost it all, and is now going to come back...if Vick is a "success story" then this country is in deep trouble...

The fact is that Vick lost his fortune because he was a brutal, lying, heartless, scum who was doing an illegal activity over the course of years...it's not like Vick lost his money to Bernie Madoff...

I do believe he should be given a second chance in the NFL...I believe Roger Goodell should suspend him for 10 games then allow him to rejoin the NFL...everyone deserves a second chance...

Personally, I do not like Vick...flat-out - I want Michael Vick to fail...in fact, I would like to see Vick get his leg broken to the severity of Joe Theismann...I am a dog-lover and a member of the Humane Society and what he did was cruel and unforgiving in my book...the photo above is of a dog who was involved in a dog fight...I still cannot understand how some people defended Vick when this story first broke and are now making him out to be a hero...

Tom Watson
This Tom Watson lovefest needs to stop...I was rooting for Watson to win the British Open...it was remarkable that a 59-year-old with an artificial hip almost pulled off one of the greatest wins in golf history...but the fact remains, he choked...if this was Tiger Woods, and God forbid Phil Mickelson, the media would have flat out stated they choked...Watson had the British Open title in his hands, even at the start of the playoff, but he melted down...

Why are some idiots making Stewart Cink out to be a villain...Cink made his birdie putt on the 18th, unlike Watson who missed his putt for par on 18...Watson could have closed the deal, but he didn't...he left the door open and Cink smashed it in...

Michigan
The Michigan football program is seeking an opening game for the 2010 season, which will be the first game in the newly renovated stadium...this scheduling issue has brought up an area of weakness within the Michigan football program...

Michigan needs to start scheduling games against other big-time programs...I know the Wolverines have Notre Dame slated in as one of their four non-conference games...however, in order to get more national attention and to play games in other parts of the country, Michigan needs to start doing more home-and-home games with elite teams...

I give Ohio State credit, they have scheduled home-and-home games with many elite teams...they have played Texas and Southern Cal...in the future, their schedule will include games with Miami (Fla), Cal, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, and Tennessee...when Ohio State plays these games, the games are usually featured on prime time television which allows their football program even greater exposure...

Michigan needs to expand their schedule...imagine these home-and-home match-ups:
Michigan vs. Texas
Michigan vs. Texas A&M
Michigan vs. Georgia
Michigan vs. Clemson
Michigan vs. Nebraska
Michigan vs. LSU
Michigan vs. Florida State
Michigan vs. Virginia Tech

Athletic director Bill Martin needs to have the Wolverines play not only in the midwest, but throughout the country...

Michigan Stadium shaping up

MICHIGAN STADIUM
Here are some updated photos of Michigan Stadium and the ongoing rennovations...

Michael Jordan avoids a penis

Former NBA great Michael Jordan, in the white pants, cautiously avoids a woman with a huge penis...this may have been MJ's best move of his life...

Chief Nokahoma: the great mascot of the Atlanta Braves

Before all this politically correct bullshit, the Atlanta Braves may have had the best mascot - Chief Nokahoma...

The name was a play on the phrase "Knock a Homer"...The Chief would leave his tipi and perform a dance whenever a Braves player would hit a home run...I found this tidbit on the internet about the Chief:

In 1982, the Atlanta Braves management ordered that Chief Nokahoma's teepee (which was then located on a platform in the field seats) be taken down. The Braves were on a winning streak, and team officials wanted to free up the seats blocked by the large platform. After the teepee came down, the Braves lost 19 out of the next 21 games. Officials then directed that Nokahoma's teepee be erected again, and the Braves went on to win the division.

Erin Andrews of ESPN to sue after nude video of her was taken of her in her hotel room

The public's obsession with ESPN's Erin Andrews may have finally went over the edge as she is suing after a nude video of her appeared on the internet...the video was taken through a peephole while she was in a hotel room...the following was reported by AOL:

A lawyer for the popular ESPN sideline reporter says that she was unwittingly videotaped through a peephole in a hotel room without her consent and that she intends to take legal action against the still unknown perpetrators.

The video, which was later posted on the Internet, showed a woman in the nude. Reports say the initial video posting made no direct reference to Andrews being that woman, but her attorney later confirmed it.

"While alone in the privacy of her hotel room, Erin Andrews was surreptitiously videotaped without her knowledge or consent," Andrews' attorney, Marshall B. Grossman, said in a statement via PR Newswire. "She was the victim of a crime and is taking action to protect herself and help ensure that others are not similarly violated in the future. Although the perpetrator or perpetrators of this criminal act have not yet been identified, when they are identified she intends to bring both civil and criminal charges against them and against anyone who has published the material. We request respect of Erin's privacy at this time, while she and her representatives are working with the authorities."

It was not clear from the reports what hotel the video was filmed in or when it was made. The video has since been pulled from the Internet.

ESPN also came to Andrews' defense.

"Erin has been grievously wronged," ESPN spokesman Mark Mandel said. "Our people and resources are in full support of her as she deals with this abhorrent act."

Andrews has been a subject of fascination ever since bursting onto the scene with ESPN. She was voted America's Sexiest Sportscaster by Playboy in 2007 and 2008.
She started working for ESPN in May 2004 as a member of their NHL coverage and has since covered numerous other sports, including college football and basketball, MLB and the College World Series.

Andrews also made headlines just 10 days ago when she was taken to a hospital after being hit on the chin by a foul ball during an MLB telecast.

Jillian Michaels - Is She Hot?

Stiles Points is bringing back an old favorite - Is She Hot?...the first woman to be analyzed, prodded, and reviewed is Jillian Michaels...

Jillian Michaels Bio
Born - February 18, 1974, Los Angeles
Age - 35 years old
Job - Personal trainer and beast on "Biggest Loser"

Jillian is the scary workout trainer who does not take crap on "The Biggest Loser"...I only watched the show 3 times and she scared the crap out of me...believe it or not, by the time she was an adolescent, she was overweight...her mom encouraged her to take part in physical activities...she soon began attending martial arts classes...as they say, the rest is history...she is only 5'1" - so she is not some Chyna-like beast...Jillian also is the author of two physical fitness books...

Is Jillian Michaels Hot?
Okay, I could see a lot of men being turned off by her because she is so physically fit...fit or not, she is hot...she has that "I'll fuck the shit out of you" look in her eye...I guarantee that sex with her would not be soft and cuddly, but hard and rough...I would have to keep my cellphone by the bed because I would probably need to call 911 for cardiac arrest...beside her smoking eyes, she has nice color to her skin, not pale, and wonderful dreamy lips...she is muscular, but not overly built...so yes, Jillian Michaels is hot...

So what do you think?...

Audrina Patridge - I want a Carl Jr's now!!!

Over the weekend I was watching the Los Angeles Dodgers - Milwaukee Brewers game on the Dodgers network when a commercial came on for Carl Jr's...I guess it is a hamburg joint on the west coast...all I know, I could give a damn about any hamburger while watching the commercial...

Sit back and enjoy 33 seconds of bliss with Audrina Patridge...then go take a cold shower...

Erin Andrews showing some rack

Erin Andrews at the ESPYs - in a short little dress

Cincinnati Reds - my visit to their ballpark

A few weeks back I was fortunate enough to attend a conference in Cincinnati with three of my co-workers...during our time there we attended a Reds-Diamondbacks game...here are some photos from the trip...

At Great American Ballpark...


Rosie was a little tart who was flirting...she had a nice rack...I wanted to grab her ass...


Hanging on Pete Rose Way...

Sheryl Crow at the All-Star Game

Sheryl Crow from the All-Star Game...

All Star Game - Pre-game thoughts

Quick thoughts on the pre-game:

- I loved watching the pre-game...it was nice that MLB honored the average person who works hard in their community...

- Sheryl Crow did an excellent job with the National Anthem...plus she still has great legs...she makes us 40 something year olds proud!!!!...

- I loved the Stan Musial moment...

- I thought it was cool that President Obama wore his Chicago White Sox jacket...that's his team...I loved it...

- FOX blew it though by not showing the first pitch!!!...the producer and director should get their asses ripped for not being prepared to have the correct camera angle...how often does a sitting U.S. President throw out the first pitch at an All-Star Game...

All-Stars come to Busch Stadium 43 years ago

St. Louis has long been considered a baseball town, however tonight's All-Star Game will be the first time that it will be played in the Gateway City in 43 years...

The game was played at the new Busch Stadium (photo, right) on July 12, 1966 in 105 degree heat...here are some facts about that game:

- National League won 2-1 in 10 innings...

- Despite the NL winning, the MVP went to the AL's Brooks Robinson from Baltimore who went 3 for 4...

- The starting outfield for the National was comprised of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Roberto Clemente...

- St. Louis' Bob Gibson was supposed to start for the NL, however he was injured...the starting pitchers were Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers and Denny McLain of the Tigers...

- The National League used only four pitchers: Sandy Koufax (Dodgers), Jim Bunning (Phillies), Juan Marichal (Giants), and Gaylord Perry (Giants)...

- Gaylord Perry got the win...Pete Richert of the Orioles got the loss...

- FOX baseball analyst Tim McCarver scored the winning run...McCarver, who played for the hometown Cardinals, started the 10th inning with a single and later scored on a base hit by the Dodgers Maury Wills...

Stan Musial - the most under-rated baseball Hall of Famer

Tomorrow night's All-Star Game will be played in St. Louis...long before Albert Pujols owned the Gateway City, another player was the heart and soul of St. Louis - Stan Musial...Musial may be the most overlooked and underappreciated Hall of Famer of all-time...Major League Baseball should honor Musial on Tuesday just as they did Willie Mays when the game was played in San Francisco and Ted Williams when the game was at Fenway...

Williams is considered by most baseball experts to be the greatest hitter of all-time...but many forget the numbers that Musial put up during his 22 seasons as a Cardinal from 1941-63...his numbers are very comparable to Teddy Ballgame...

First off, I understand that Williams missed 3 seasons because he was in the military and only played in 43 games, combined, in 1952-53...but when comparing raw number, Musial is right there...here are some quick numbers:

Williams finished with 2,654 hits and never led the league in hits...Musial finished with 3,630 hits and led the N.L. six times in hits...

Williams finished with a .344 batting average and won six batting titles including the last person to hit over .400...Musial finished with a .331 batting average and won seven batting titles and including a high of .376 in 1948...

Williams had 521 homers to Musial's 475...

Williams was a two-time MVP and finished second four other times...Musial was a three-time MVP and finished second four other times...

Williams was a 17-time All-Star...Musial was a 20-time All-Star...

Williams appeared in only one World Series in which the Red Sox lost to Musial's Cardinals in 1946...Williams had a miserable Series in which he batted .200 with no homers and one RBI...Musial did not do much better in the Series as he batted .222...however, Musial played in four World Series with his Cardinals winning three times...

By no means am I trying to diminish the legacy of Ted Williams...however, Major League Baseball should do a better job in promoting the legacy of another great player - Stan "the Man" Musial...

Why are death row inmates scared to die?

Did you ever notice that prisoners on death row are a bunch of crybaby bitches?...for real...you see, where I live in Ohio, we have probably 10-12 bitches who are on death row...and the funny thing, they are scared to die...here are three in particular...

1. Danny Lee Hill - in 1985 Hill was convicted of torturing and murdering a 12-year-old boy...Hill beat, raped, impaled, strangled and burned the boy who was riding his bike to a Boy Scout meeting...the boy suffered for three days before dying...for 24 years Hill has been dodging his date in hell through appeals...his latest gimmick is trying to get the court to believe that he is mentally retarded even though he plays cards with inmates, writes, plays bingo, holds down a prison job, and maintains acceptable hygienic standards...fortunately the judge did not buy this scheme and Hill is still on death row...

2. Ken Biros - in 1991 this bitch was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted rape, aggravated robbery and felonious sexual penetration of a young woman he met at a bar...Biros, who admitted killing the woman, then cut up the body and spread various parts over railroad tracks in northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania...Biros is dodging his death date by saying that lethal injection is "cruel and inhumane" and that it "will cause him pain"...some tough guy - he is scared to get a needle in his arm because it may hurt...

3. Jason Getsy - in 1995 Getsy was convicted of a murder-for-hire case in which he went into the home of an elderly woman and unloaded an assault rifle, killing her and injuring her son...afterward, Getsy bragged to his friends about his accomplishment...now the pussy wants to avoid death by asking the judge to change his sentence to life in prison...suddenly the big talking tough guy is getting cold feet to meet the devil...

Years ago, the State of Ohio used an electric chair, named Ole Sparky, for executions...now the method is lethal injection...but somehow, somewhere a liberal whack lawyer decided to appeal the use of lethal injection stating it was "cruel" and painful...so this has allowed death row inmates more time to appeal and keep dodging death...it's just ironic how these bitches did not blink an eye when taking someone else's life, but are fighting and begging to spare their own...

Kevin Hart and an ostrich

I learned about this comedian - Kevin Hart - from the best tweeter on Twitter, Alyssa Milano...

The return of Nomar

I'm in a pissed off mood...

It was a nice moment on Monday night when the Red Sox fans acknowledged Nomar Garciaparra when he came to the plate in the second inning...this was Nomar's first game back at Fenway since he was traded five years ago...

My one cousin wanted to see more hot chicks on the site...the photo below is for you...

My computer at work in going to give me a breakdown...the freakin thing is 7 years old and moves as fast as an 80-year-old in a foot race...

What do you think, is Lance Armstrong a doper?...

When you look up the word "class" in a dictionary, you will see a photo of Larry King...

I have been tweeting...Alyssa Milano is my favorite tweeter...

This was a cool blog with lots of hot chicks... Uncoachable Blog

Bobby Cox - the player's favorite manager

Fourth of July is over...the next big holiday is Labor Day, then the opening of the NFL...

Six more weeks until my fantasy football draft...

Having a summer cold sucks...

An interesting piece from Sports Illustrated...they polled 380 MLB players which manager they would most like to play for...the players could not vote for their own current managers...the results were: Bobby Cox, Braves 25%; Joe Torre, Dodgers 16%; Mike Scioscia 8%; Joe Maddon, Rays 8%; Terry Francona, Red Sox 7%

Sports Illustrated then asked who are the managers they would not want to play for...the results were: Lou Piniella, Cubs 26%; Ozzie Guillen, White Sox 21%; Tony LaRussa, Cardinals 10%; Joe Torre, Dodgers 4%; Eric Wedge, Indians 4%...

I am surprised that LaRussa received 10% of the vote for least wanting to play for...LaRussa has this image of being a baseball mastermind...another surprise was the Detroit Jim Leyland did not make the top five managers who players wanted to play for...

Maurice Clarett should not get out of prison early

As some around the nation may have heard, former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett is asking Ohio governor Ted Strickland for an early release from prison so he can possibly get back into football...

Clarett was sentenced to seven years that would last until February 2014 if he served the full term...however, he is eligible to be released sometime in 2010...Clarett is asking for a special privilege from the governor...he wants to be released now - not in 2010...Clarett, who is 25-years-old, believes he can still play football and if he has to wait another year or so, his football skills will be even more eroded...

First off, as most know, I hate everything associated with Ohio State sports, however, my views on this would be the same even if a Michigan player was in the same situation...Gov. Strickland should not make a special exception for Clarett...

The time has come to stop allowing athletes to receive these special privileges and exceptions compared to the average common man who may have committed the same mistake...

After his freshman season at Ohio State, Clarett had the world "by the onions" but he did not want to follow the rules on how to enter the NFL Draft...he wanted to play in the NFL - now!!!...he was Maurice Clarett...he did not want to wait the three years like every other college football player has to...the rules clearly state that a player has to wait three years from their high school graduation date...but Clarett was never made to follow the rules...

Throughout his entire life, Clarett was given special privileges than other athletes...it started when he was a running back at Warren Harding High School when head coach Thom McDaniel let Clarett be the boss...a good high school head coach would have set Clarett straight right then and there...

Then when he headed to Columbus, he ruled the team as Jim Tressel allowed Clarett, a freshman, to live off campus, yell at assistant coaches on national television, and gosh knows what else...but like McDaniel, Tressel knew that Clarett was the one who was going to get him that title...at those points in his life, McDaniel and Tressel should have been a true "father figure" to Clarett and made him understand that life is tough and that he would not always be getting special treatment...instead McDaniel and Tressel supported this behavior and character...

There is undoubtedly hundreds of other young men in the Ohio Pen under the age of 26-years-old who made a mistake by robbing someone or similar to what Clarett did...many of these same young men want to "get on with their life" and have the chance to hold their son and daughter...but they are not allowed because the law states that they must serve their time...

Obviously Clarett has not learned one damned thing while sitting in the clink...once again he believes he is "special" and should be treated differently than any other prisoner in the Ohio State Pen

Hopefully Gov. Strickland treats Clarett just like any other inmate...see ya in 2010 Mo....

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!!!!