Big Day in NCAAB

Both Kentucky and Kansas fell for the second time today. The Jayhawks were upset by Oklahoma State, which should crank up URI's win over the Cowboys a bit more, even though it was early in the season. (More on that in a minute.) Personally, I've been rooting for OSU all year so that win holds up. Kentucky went down at the hands of Bruce Pearl's Tennessee Vols and that awful orange jacket he wears.

Sherron Collins poured in 22 for the Jayhawks, but also turned the ball over a season-high six times. 101 of the Jayhawks previous 102 opponents had been held under 50%, but the Cowboys shot over 60%! James Anderson, who leads the conference in scoring dropped 27 to lead the Cowboys to victory.


As for Kentucky, they were trailing much of the game by a fairly wide margin, and managed to cut the deficit from 19 to tie it up late in the game. Kentucky was an ice-cold 2-22 from three. Wall had 19 and Cousins chipped in 15, but it wasn't enough. What looked like a snoozer of a game to begin with, turned into the game of the week as Tennessee turned it up late behind J.P. Prince who got 6 of his 20 in the final 90 seconds of the game.


In all likely hood, these two will still be #1 seeds barring any further slip-ups the rest of the way. I think Kansas will be the consensus #1 heading into the tourney, and Kentucky should be a #1 as well. These two teams are stacked, although Kentucky is very young. Kansas on the other hand has some championship pedigree and should be a good bet to get back to the Final Four.

Rhode Island fuckin' choked and lost to a bad 13-14 St Bonaventure on the road. Jim Baron really needs to lose his job. I don't know if the team quits on him, he is incapable of making adjustments or a combination of both, but it is ridiculous. And I think most Rhode Islanders are pretty sick of watching the rerun every year. Things are looking up for ASU and Cal who should be fighting for a 2nd PAC-10 spot as some of these A-10 teams stumble.

Texas A&M put a thumping on Texas. The Longhorns seem to be falling apart at the seams in typical Rick Barnes fashion, except usually he drags everyone along to the 2nd rd. This year it would seem they are getting an early start on the disappointment.

It's almost March, baby! And things are getting interesting!

Jordan to be Bobcats owner

The AP reports that Commish, David Stern, said in a statement on Saturday that he expects His Royal Airness to become the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan and his management group have struck a deal with the current ownership which would make Jordan the majority owner of the franchise.


There are a lot more complicated details to this deal which I'll refrain from boring you with. The bottom line is Jordan will be the majority owner, and I don't expect him to be one of these absentee owners. I see him being more in the mold of a Mark Cuban, courtside and vocal about things going on - basketball and otherwise. I don't think he'll be as obnoxious as Cuban, but if anyone doesn't think he'll be a highly visible owner they are kidding themselves. It's MJ!

History shows that these types of owners don't always pan out, and Jordan's track record of basketball decisions isn't in his favor. (See, Kwame Brown #1 overall.) His best bet would be to own the team and let some other people help with the basketball decisions, but I doubt his ego will let him do that. The same thing that made him the most driven champion of all time is also the same thing that leads him to be a prick at times.

Anyway, the Bobcats are a long way from being really relevant, so he's got his work cut out for him.

Oh, and then there is that whole gambling thing. He might have to tidy that up a bit, now that he's an owner.

Bruins Already Have Trade Done?

There are rumors flying about the internet today that say that the Bruins already have a trade completed, but it won't be announced until after the Olympics are over. The question is, what is the deal?

Most sources seem to think that it is for Predators' defenseman Dan Hamhuis. There is no word on what the Bruins are giving up in this deal, but the asking price for Hamhuis was scorer and high-second or late-first round pick. The Bruins do have a couple of draft picks to play with, but I can't see them giving up anymore scorers considering that is their main problem.

Anyways, just something to keep an eye on.

Why Not?

Why not see why He-Man is totally gay?

Westbrook Says Vick Will Be Traded

I wrote a post earlier about the Rams might be taking Bradford with the #1 pick. My argument for the Rams not taking Bradford with the #1 pick has been that I think Vick is going to the Rams. This seems to be gaining some steam as Westbrook was on the Dan Patrick show this week and said that Vick will "definitely" be traded before the start of next season.

Some Eagles fans seem to think that Vick is staying, but I don't buy it for a second. The Eagles have other areas they need to focus on, and Vick isn't even their 2nd QB (Kolb is), so it really would be fucking stupid to keep Vick.

The two top teams that keep coming up in Vick rumors is the Bills and Rams. Both teams make a lot of sense, but something tells me that the Rams are the much more likely option (could be because I think Vick is better in a dome).

Paul Pierce Injury Update

Wish I had better news, but Paul Pierce will miss at least couple more games according to Doc Rivers...

"We want to make sure it gets right," Rivers told ESPNBoston.com. "It's one of those things where, if he gets hit again, he'll go back down that road. We want to make sure when he comes back he can play, and play at that Paul level we know."

Doc is 100% right here. There is no reason to rush this, and have him run the risk of hurting it worse and being out longer. Let it heal. The Celtics are not going to be a #1 or #2 seed in these playoffs, so you might as well make sure everyone is completely healthy for the long and tough playoff run.

Rams Taking Bradford #1?

Bradford is in great shape. Scouts say that he bulked up for the draft, and is looking very strong. There also rumors that Bradford will now be the #1 pick in the upcoming draft (just as DP predicted). While I still think Vick is going to ST. Louis I can't argue that this rumor is gaining momentum.

There is also a rumor that if the Rams are truly going to pick him #1 that the Redskins will try to make a trade with them to take the #1 pick, because they are in love with Bradford. This is a great situation for the Rams, if I was them I would trade down, because QB is not their only problem and they can grab Clausen with the Redskins pick.

These are all just rumors at this point, but this is a story you'll be reading about all the way up to draft day.

Think She Made A Wrong Turn...

New IPhone App: TigerText

When I first read this I thought it would just be texts that Tiger Woods sent to his skanks, but as I read on I found out it is way better. This app allows users to set a time limit on how long a text that they send will hang around after it has been read. When that lifespan has been exceeded, the message will disappear from the recipient's phone, the sender's phone and any servers. The message cannot be forwarded anywhere, stored anywhere or sold to any tabloids for an undisclosed sum.

Let me start off by says that every celebrity in the world should have this. Think about it. How many celebrities have gotten in trouble because of text messages? I mean it is really an endless list, so this is just a great fucking idea for them.

Beyond that anyone who has a girlfriend should get this. We all know that there is a time that you'll shoot a text to a former lover, and even if it is something as harmless as a "happy birthday", it is not going to go over well. So my suggestion is everyone should get this app.

Olympic Hockey Semifinal Preview

The final four. Kind of surprising. No Russia, no Sweden, no Czech Republic. That's what's so great about this tournament and about the game of hockey. It's played on ice, not paper.

3pm - NBC: USA vs. Finland

OK, now I'm actually pissed about what time these games are on. In earlier rounds, I tolerated the 3pm starts, because what else would you do with 3 or 4 games on a day. But now with only two games, they easily could have put this game on at 5pm, or even 6. Give US fans on the East Coast and Midwest (where most American hockey fans reside) a chance to see the semifinals. And give potential fans of the game a chance to watch it on TV, instead of inevitably ignoring it while they work.

Anyway, to the game. Finland won't blow you away with too many star-studded names, but they are ranked 4th in the world. They did win Silver in '06. They're deep and they're solid. Mikka Kiprusoff in net is outstanding. He's 4th in the NHL with a 2.18 GAA (only 0.02 higher than Miller's), and he's 6th in the League in SV%.

The Finns are also just as hungry as the US. After losing to Sweden in '06, veterans like Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne are starving for that Gold in what could be their last Olympics.

I think the Finn's experience helps them win a close, tight-checking game. I see a 3-2 win for the Finnish (now do you get the "Finish Him" pic?)

9:30pm - CNBC: Canada vs. Slovakia

Both teams had to fight through an extra round. Both teams have beat the Russians. If Slovakian goalie Jaroslav Halak beats the Canadians, will he ever be cheered by Canadien fans again?

The Slovaks feature players from 4 different Leagues (NHL, Russia's KHL, Swedish Elitserien, and the Slovak Extraliga). But don't let that fool you. Some of those European league guys are NHL veterans like Richard Zednick, Zigmund Palffy and Jozef Stumpel. The Slovaks also have firepower from Zdeno Chara, Marian Hossa, and Pavol Demitra.

The Canadians have depth. But they've been inconsistent. So has Slovakian goalie Halak. If both teams decide to show up at 100%, Canada will win decisively. But if Martin Brodeur goes crazy playing the puck, and Halak is on, this game could get very interesting.

I'm rooting hard for the Slovaks, because screw Canada. It'd also be nice to be able to make Canadiens fans weep at the Bruins/Habs game I'm going to on Tuesday. Especially whenever Chara touches the puck.

I have to pick Canada, though. 4-1 to Johnny Canuck.

-The Commodore

Anquan Boldin To Be Traded

We have been hearing these rumors for 2 years now, but there is a buzz going around the NFL that the Boldin trade will happen this offseason.

The asking price?

Only a 2nd round pick. The reason a trade hasn't been done yet is because the biggest offer they have got is for a 3rd rounder. Boldin is totally worth a 2nd round pick. You have to wonder if the Patriots will have their hand in this, since they have 3 2nd round picks. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Boldin or Marshall in a Patriots uniform next year.

Still, there are a lot of other teams that should have interest like the Bears, Lions, Panthers, Ravens, Chiefs, ect.

Wes Welker Injury Update

A source close to the Patriots says that Wes Welker is recovering well from knee surgery. While this is great news for the Patriots, there is still very little chance that he will be ready to go by the beginning of next season. With that being said, the Patriots have to be looking for a replacement. Edelman seems to be the guy. He looks just like him, and showed that he can pick up some of the slack.

The question is who else do the Patriots have? They just picked up Patten, but he wasn't even in the league last year. A guy who could be interesting is Tate, but he hasn't been able to stay on the field. That has led a lot of people thinking that Deon Branch could be on his way back, but I am not sure if that really solves anything. When was the last time Branch was good?

Anyways, you would think they might try to pickup a WR in the draft, but the Patriots haven't had much luck in doing that. Edelman is working out nicely, but other then that it has been really rough. I hope that this all leads to the Patriots focusing more on their running game, because I am sick of having the lead in the 4th quarter, but we can't run out the clock because we have no running attack.

Well... Boners Dead

I wrote a couple days ago about how Boner from "Growing Pains" is missing somewhere is Canada. Well, they found him and he is dead. I did enough jokes when he was missing that I feel it is kind of inappropriate, but feel free to do your own.

Koenig's body was discovered by a search team on "bridal path" in Stanley Park, which is over 1,000 acres and one of the largest urban parks in North America. They haven't released how he died, but someone in his family said that he was in a lot of mental pain, and he took his own life. So I am guessing pills.

Poor guy, but I guess life is hard on child stars, and it can't be made any easier when your name is Boner.

These pills made Boner limp....sorry couldn't help myself. Sorry Boner.

Cavs 108 Celtics 88

The Celtics were the better team in the first half, but the Cavs just had too much talent on their side, and blew out the Celtics in the 2nd on their way to a 108-88 win. Lebron had 36 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds, and Mo Williams scored 14 of his 19 points in the 4th quarter.

I wouldn't read too much into this loss. The Celtics were playing without arguably their best player (Pierce), and the Cavs could be the best team in the NBA. With that being said, there has been an ominous trend all season that the Celtics play really well in the 1st half only to turn around and fall flat on their faces in the 2nd. Whether it is age, bad coaching, or just a lack of focus the Celtics need to figure this out before the playoffs begin.

Still, you couldn't expect the Celtics to win this game, and there is a silver lining to this game. Shaq injured his thumb and early reports say it could be serious. Obviously this is good news for the Eastern Conference, since the Cavs will be weak up front without him, or at least until they get Big Z back.

Another good sign is that Ray Allen continued his hot streak with 21 points, and Rajon Rondo had another good game putting up 19 points, 11 assists, and 4 boards. I feel like the Celtics as a team are heading in the right direction, but I would really like to see them play some stronger in the 2nd half once Pierce returns.

Canada Wins Women's Hockey Gold, Then Drinks Beer

The International Olympic Committee is going to "investigate" the postgame celebration of the Canadian women's hockey team. After beating the US 2-0 and winning the Gold Medal, some members of the team celebrated on the ice by drinking beer and smoking cigars.

Who cares? How sensitive are we in sports today? If you're up by too many points, you're supposed to ease off. If you win, there are restrictions on how you can celebrate.

The Canadians did nothing to disrespect their opponent or the game. They were happy to win, and in their exuberance and jubilation, somebody opened up some beers. Do we expect these girls to say "No, I don't want free beer right now. It'd be inappropriate."

There weren't even any fans left in the arena. Just a few photographers and bitter Olympic officials who wanted to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Had they burnt the American flag, then I'd say their celebration went too far. But this is utter nonsense. They're kids, having the time of their life, let them have a beer and a cigar.

-The Commodore

Oh no! Hummel done for year

Purdue's hopes for a number 1 seed, and most likely their chances at making the Final Four might have just been flattened. Star forward, and jack-of-all-trades, Robbie Hummel tore his ACL Wednesday night against Minnesota. The Boilermakers squeaked out a win over the Gophers, 59-58, but things don't look bright right now for the #3 team in the country.

Hummel drove into the lane and mostly untouched his right leg buckled underneath him as he crumpled to the floor. An MRI on Thursday revealed the torn ACL.

Purdue was on the track to being a #1 seed, after losses by Villanova opened the door for them. But, that train has most likely been derailed with Hummel's injury. I wouldn't rule out Purdue to still win the Big 10, though Ohio State and Michigan State (maybe even Wisconsin?) will have something to say about that. JaJuan Johnson is a stud and will try to pick up some of the slack left by Hummel. But that is a lot of slack, as Hummel was the emotional leader of the team and contributed big numbers in every category.

They face Michigan State at home on Sunday which will be a big test to their ability to step up in the absence of their fallen star.

Chick Of The Day

Here is Playboy Playmate Lauren Pope.


For more Lauren Click Here

Cavaliers @ Celtics Preview

I would be a lot more pumped about this game if Pierce was ready to go, but he is hurt and sick, so he most likely won't play tonight. The Cavaliers lost three straight games after acquiring Antawn Jamison, but were able to beat New Orleans last time out. The Cavs are a better team right now then the Pierce-less Celtics. I really don't think anyone can argue that, but lets be optimistic for a second.

Since acquiring Jamison the Cavs defense has been flat out awful. Sure you can chalk this up to the team not having time to gel yet, but Jamison is not known for his defense, and the Celtics should be able to score on this team. The Cavs have also lost 9 straight when having to travel to Boston.

Ok, back to being miserable. The problem is that the Celtics played shit defense last game too (against the Knicks). They were playing without Pierce in that game, and they will be doing the same tonight. If they play like that again, this game is going to be a blowout in the truest sense of the word.

I hate the Cavs. I really do. I was so pissed that they got my boy Jamison, and I really want to pick the Celtics to win here. The only way I can see them beating them tonight is if Rajon Rondo has the game of his career, and Ray Allen stay hot. I think Boston will keep it close, but the Cavs just have too much talent, and trying to beat them without Paul Pierce is asking a little too much.

Cavs 102 Celtics 96

Tommy Award: Rajon Rondo

Sox New Spring Training Complex

Here are the first looks of what the Red Sox new spring training complex is going to look like...


Seems kinda big for a spring training field, but whatever looks cool.

Brees Lobbying For LT?

On Tuesday, Brees tweeted the following...

"I would love to get LT in the black and gold. Crazier things have happened."

This has started a lot of talk about whether or not the Saints would be interested in bringing in LT. Personally, I think this is fucking retarded. They have Bush, who is a pass catching RB with speed, and 2 other solid RBs in Thomas, and Bell. Why mess any of that up by bringing this piece of shit to your team? Sorry, that was a little overboard, but the Saints have a good thing going, why mess up that chemistry on offense?

LT should go to a team where he could be a nice complement to a solid runner. He has stated that he will only play for a contender, and as much as I hate to say it wouldn't the Packers make sense? They have been looking for a #2 to go along with Grant, and LT could give them a nice passing option out of the backfield. Just a thought, but I think it makes sense.

Killer Whales Kill People

As I am sure you have all read by now Shamu has killed one of its trainers. There are a lot of different stories coming out about what actually happened. One story says the whale grabbed her by the pony tail and dragged her underwater. Another says that she slipped and fell, but the most gruesome says that the whale jumped up bit her in the side and shook her violently until finally pulling her underwater and drowning her.

This shouldn't be funny, but when all I can picture is a scene from "Deep Blue Sea", I have to giggle a little bit....

I hope that she at least got to give an epic speech before she died.

Caron Butler In Trouble For....Chewing Straws?

Apparently Caron Butler likes to chew straws during games, and I guess that is against the rules, as the NBA has told Butler not to bring straws to the games anymore. I have to admit that I have a tendency to chew straws, so I guess I support Butler, but I don't think I could do it while running around on the basketball court.

What makes this story funny is the way the fans are dealing with it. For the Mavs next game fans have been encouraged by radio stations to bring straws to the game and chew them. I don't know why, but I find that hilarious.

Here is the real question. Will Mark Cuban be one of the fans chewing on a straw?

Why Not?

Why not watch a bully gets beaten up and taught a lesson?

You know how you can tell he is the bully? He's not wearing a shirt...sorry, but it's a fact.

Red Sox Already Eyeing Ortiz's Replacement

We all know how much Ortiz struggled in the first half of last year. He was able to turn it around in the 2nd half hitting 27 home runs and posting a .356 on-base percentage, but still the writing is on the wall that Ortiz's days are numbered. After this season the Sox are going to have to decide whether or not they are going to pick up his $12.5 million option for 2011. Right now, you would say that it isn't likely, but if he comes out and has a great year then they easily could, since it is just for 1 more year.

Still, Ortiz is 34 years old and his body is wearing down. There is no argument about that. So, the Sox are looking to the future, and that future could be Cuban free agent Jose Julio Ruiz. Ruiz looks a lot like Ortiz. He is a big guy (around 6-3 240 pounds), who can hit for average (hit .305 last year in Cuba) and can hit for power, though he hasn't showed a lot of it yet. He has said that he is interested in the Red Sox, so that he can be the next Big Papi.

I don't know if anything will come of this, but it is something all Sox fans should keep an eye on.

Steelers Sign Casey Hampton To 3 Year Deal

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reached an agreement on a 3 year contract with nose tackle Casey Hampton. This is great news for the Steelers as they really need Hampton in the middle of that defense. Having a guy in a middle like Hampton makes all the Steelers LBs better.

On top of that the Steelers can now put that franchise tag on someone else, and they already have, deciding to use it on kicker Jeff Reed. With all this taken care of the Steelers should focus on fixing that offensive line, which can be done in the draft as that is a position of depth this year.

Olympic Hockey Roundup: Day 9

Very interesting day/night of hockey. One game surprisingly close, another surprisingly distant, and a third a surprise result.

USA 2, SWITZERLAND 0

The Swiss held on for 42 minutes and 8 seconds, staving off a relentless US attack. Jonas Hiller was on his game, so were the posts and crossbar. But Zach Parise broke the deadlock on the 3rd, essentially ending the game. The Swiss just weren't going to score. Parise added an emptynetter to make it 2-0. The US outshot the Swiss 44 to 19.

CANADA 7, RUSSIA 3

The scoring started 141 seconds in, and didn't slow down until halfway thru the 2nd. Russia's weakness was their defense. I thought guys like Ovechkin and Datsyuk could keep the puck in Canada's end enough to limit the exposure of that weakness. Incorrect. Corey Perry scored 2 goals, Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and 2 assists, as did Dan Boyle.

FINLAND 2, CZECH REPUBLIC 0

This was a duel between Mikka Kiprusoff and Tomas Vokoun. But the Finns were able to slip one by Vokoun 53 minutes into the game. Kiprusoff's teammate with the Calgary Flames - Niklas Hagmen, scored the goal. Valtteri Filppula added the emptynetter.

SLOVAKIA 4, SWEDEN 3

A shocking result. The Slovaks barely got by lowly Norway. Then they defeat the '06 Gold Medal winners. Sweden never even had a lead in this game, and twice found themselves down by 2 goals. Captain Zdeno Chara had an assist. Marian Hossa had 3 assists. Pavol Demitra scored a goal and had 2 assists. The Slovakians have now beaten Sweden AND Russia. They started slow but not they're rolling.

Semifinals are Friday. The US plays Finland at 3. Canada plays Slovakia at 9:30.

-The Commodore

Wizards Buyout Ilgauskas

The Washington Wizards and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas have reached an agreement on a contract buyout.So now you are going to see a lot of teams complain about this, because reports indicate that Ilgauskas is already back in Cleveland and they will resign him soon. To be honest, I don't have a problem with this at all. It is within the rules, and the Celtics did this a couple years back with Payton.

I am concerned about how good and deep the Cavs are now, but the question is whether or not they can gel in time. I think they will, and that makes me very worried as a Celtics fan.

Patriots Close To Deal With Wilfork

A very ugly situation may not be so ugly after all. Today Kraft came out and said that the Patriots and Vince Wilfork, who is currently franchised, are close to a long term deal, and they hope to finish it up soon. There is no word from Wilfork, but this is the most positive news we have heard in a long time. Wilfork might be the best player on the Patriots' defense, and it is hard to find a guy who can dominate the middle of that line like Wilfork does.

Kraft also talked about Randy Moss' comments. If you can remember Moss came out and said the Patriots don't pay top dollar, and that this would most likely be his last year in New England. Here is Kraft's response...

“I think (his comments) were taken out of context,” Kraft said. “Do you know what he made over the last two years with us? He made over $20 million the last two years. We don’t pay for quality? I think you can see that (we do).”

Both have points. On the one hand Moss needs to shut up, because he has been paid every well here, but on the other hand the Patriots have a track record of not going out and signing the top free agents. Not that is a bad thing, because with the salary cap you can't be a good/deep team and recklessly spend (ask Washington).

Anyways, I will be very happy if this Wilfork contract can be settled, and they can start focusing on next season. As for Moss, he doesn't have a lot of options. He has to go out and 100% this year if he wants to make any money next offseason, and to be honest I am fine with this being his last year in New England.

That's Right LT Cry Like A Bitch

NFL: No Punishment For Cable

Here is your WTF story of the day...

The NFL announced that there will be no punishment for Cable breaking the jaw of his assistant coach and beating up a woman. Seems a little odd to me considering they suspend players for being assholes, so why does a coach not get the same treatment? I understand they can't suspended Cable for hitting the woman, because it was before he joined the NFL, but he BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIS ASSISTANT COACH. That seems like the kind of activity the NFL is trying to get away from. You can question the merits of suspending someone for something they do on their own time, but this is done at the stadium.

I don't know maybe I'm overreacting, but this just seems unfair that a coach can get away with acting like this, and yet players have to follow a conduct policy.

Chick of the Day

Here is Krystal Forscutt, totally smokin.

For more Krystal Click Here

Lap Dancing Teachers

2 Canadian teachers are in a lot of trouble after they preformed a lap dance with a bunch of students around. At first the general reaction was positive, but then it got a little weird as it went on. To be honest, I watched the video and they make this out to be far worse then it really is. I mean you shouldn't be doing that, but this also shouldn't be a headline story on news stations. A quick suspension, or talking to, and this should have been swept under the rug, but now that this video is out parents will have a field day, and these two are cooked.

Here is the video. You make the call...

Mike Lowell Still A Class Act

So, there was a big to-do about Mike Lowell's first day in camp. We haven't made a big deal out of this, because well...it's not. Mike Lowell has always been a class act, and he proved once again...

"I’m getting ready for a season. I think I’m pretty intelligent in a sense that there’s no real playing time for me here basically barring a major injury and I’m not really in the business of hoping somebody gets hurt so I can get at-bats. For me, I feel like I’m more prepared and ready for a full season than I was last year. So why shouldn’t I play more than I did last year? Whether it’s here or somewhere else? I can’t control that.

"I have to separate some things. I think there’s the baseball aspect of it and I think there’s (a) real life aspect of it and I’m very comfortable with where I am in my real life. You know what I mean? I feel I’m in a tremendously privileged situation. No one needs to feel sorry for me in life. Is my baseball situation not ideal? Yeah, it’s not ideal. I don’t want to diminish the baseball fact. But you never know what can happen. When I left the Marlins I was disappointed and (Boston) turned into a really good transition for me. So we’ll see."

Sure he could have ripped the Red Sox. He could have gone on and on about the fact he has been a tremendous player for the organization since he arrived, but he didn't. That's class, and it is truly rare these days.

Now to the important news. Lowell says he feels a lot stronger then last year, and his hip "only bothers him when he runs". The Boston Globe played that comment off as nothing, but isn't that a big deal? I mean it still hurts him when he runs, so it will hurt him every time he hits the ball. I love Mike Lowell, but the Sox did the right thing. From a business stand point they had to do this. I just hope Beltre starts the year hot, so we don't have a bunch of fans going crazy over Mike Lowell.

Olympic Hockey Quarterfinal Preview

Four excellent games to watch today and tonight:

3pm - NBC: U.S.A. vs. Switzerland

I'd intended to pick Switzerland for an upset here, but they really looked inconsistent last night against Belarus. Jonas Hiller's been shaky in this tournament, as opposed to Ryan Miller, who's been a wall. These teams met in the group stages with the US eking out a 3-1 win. This should be quite similar. 4-1, USA.

7:30pm - CNBC: Canada vs. Russia

Two juggernauts meeting here. Russia is ranked #1 in the world by the IIHF, and Canada is #2. Oh, and it's also Ovechkin vs. Crosby. But it's also teammates Malkin vs. Crosby. This is more of an All-Star Game than the US/Canada match on Sunday. 7 of the top 10 NHL goal scorers will be on the ice.

I think Canada is a bit too excited. They've got more than enough talent, but they don't seem to be clicking as a team. Top to bottom, Canada is deeper. But the Russians have some lights out studs on their side. I think Nobokov stands on his head, Ovechkin overwhelms, and Datsyuk dazzles. Russia 5, Canada 3

10pm - CNBC: Czech Republic vs. Finland
Not as exciting as the Canadians and Russians, but still a game to watch. The Czechs struggled against Latvia, and haven't done much this tournament except beat the Slovakians. Finland is focused, primed, and good enough to master the Czechs. Finland 4, Czech Republic 2.

12am - CNBC: Slovakia vs. Sweden

For some reason, the Swedes have always been the superlate game. But remember, they had a perfect Group round, just like the US. Slovakia struggled against Norway. And even though the Swedes and Norwegians are geographical neighbors, they're not even on the same planet when it comes to hockey. Sweden rolls 5-1.

If my predictions come true, the semi-finals will be USA vs. Finland, and Sweden vs. Russia. Now who was in the final four of the 1980 Olympics? USA, Russia, Sweden, and Finland.

-The Commodore

Breaking News: Patriots Sign David Patten

WEEI is reporting that the Patriots have just signed David Patten. This isn't really much of a big deal, as he is not a top receiver or anything, but I was a big fan of him when he was the Patriots a couple years back. So, at the very least I am excited about this. Patten signed with the Cleveland Browns for the second time on March 23, 2009, but was released on September 5, 2009, and that just about did it for his season. I don't think he has anything left, but I guess he could be some sure hands off the bench.

That's Not How You Hammer Throw

MLB To Test Minor Leaguers For HGH

It is about fucking time!!!

The MLB is making moves, so that the minors will be tested for HGH. If you remember earlier this week a rugby player was the first person to get caught for HGH during a test. This made the MLB confident enough to try it out in the minors. I think this is a great idea, because a lot of the players that do use will be the ones looking for the extra push to make it to the MLB. Don't get me wrong, the MLB needs this too, but it is a good first step.

What is interesting is that the NFL players union is fighting this exact testing right now. It is amazing how that isn't a major news story, but anything with the MLB about this is. All leagues should have this, so that there is fair play, and we don't get in to situations where guys are breaking records they don't deserve, or at the very least had an unfair advantage over the previous record holder.

Patriots' Mosi Tatupu Dead At 54

Mosi Tatupu, a fullback and special teams player for the Patriots for 13 years, died at the age of 54. His cause of death is currently unknown, but his family said that he had "some health issues". I feel like I read a story like this every month or so. Football players in general don't live very long. You would expect this from offensive linemen, just because it can't be good for you to carry around 300+ pounds, but it seems like it is a problem across the sport.

Mosi Tatupu had 612 carries and 2,415 yards in his 14-year NFL career. After 13 seasons with the Patriots from 1978 to 1990, Tatupu played five games for the Los Angeles Rams in 1991 before ending his playing career. He also payed in the Super Bowl when the Patriots got crashed by the Bears.

I bring him up even though he is before my time, because I know a lot of people truly loved him around here. He even coached football at Curry College. He will be missed, and I am extremely interested in how he died.

I also brought this up to show the damage that the NFL has on a player. The average lifespan of a normal person in the US is around 77-78 years old. An NFL players lifespan is about 55 (52 if you're a lineman). Kind of crazy...

LOST Recap: "Lighthouse"

Last week was one of the best episodes of LOST maybe ever. This week was not nearly as good, but it is what I call a filler episode, and was really just getting characters up to speed. As I have gone in my previous LOST posts I'll split this up between on-island and off-island timelines.

OFF-ISLAND:

There is a bit of a shocking revelation right in the beginning. Jack has a kid named David. What is not shocking is that they have issues. We find out that Jack does not see David much, and there seems to be some resentment. Jack in this timeline is much different then the Jack we knew earlier. Basically he is not a drugged out, drunk, douchebag that can't hold his life together.

Still, he struggles with getting close to people. He couldn't get close to his father, because he was scared he'd let him down, and he can't get close to his son, because his son is afraid of the same thing.

After a couple scenes of David being a douche, Jack gets a call from his mother that he needs to come over and help find his fathers will. Jack leaves his son, and heads out. When he gets there they finally find the will. The only thing that was important here is that Jack's dad left something to Claire, so it will only be a matter of time before Jack and his mother know that Jack's dad has a daughter.

When Jack returns home his son is missing. Jack flips shit, and obviously blames himself leaving a voicemail saying "whatever I have done I am sorry", or something to that affect. Jack heads to his ex-wife's house (which we assume is the same woman he saved from being paralyzed in earlier seasons), and goes into his son's room. We find out that Jack's son has not run away, and doesn't really hate his father at all, he is actually just hiding the fact that he is playing the piano.

Jack tracks his son down, and asks why he would hide this from him (oh and Jack sees the head "Other" guy, who is also there for his son, but I don't think that means very much). He responds that Jack was so into it, and he didn't want to let him down. Finally Jack is a good father and says that no matter what he does he can never be a failure (the exact opposite of what Jack's dad said to him, which made Jack the man he is today).


ON-ISLAND:

Jack tells Sayid that they were trying to poison him, not a lot comes from this, but it will in later episodes. Hurley is visited by dead (?) Jacob, who tells him that he has a mission for him, and that he needs to bring Jack (btw Hurley was awesome in this episode) with him. Jack refuses to go, but Hurley (as Jacob told him to) says "you have what it takes", which is the opposite of what Jack's dad said to him when he was a kid. This gets Jack all riled up, and they are off. After leaving the temple they find Kate, which was a completely pointless scene, and they part after only a minute or two.

After a long walk, which included a trip back to the old caves hangout in which Jack tell Hurley he found because he was chasing his dead father around the jungle (something Hurley can relate to), they finally head to the lighthouse.

How do they not see a big lighthouse on this island is beyond me, but they make fun of it too, and whatever this is a crazy island. When they get to the top of the lighthouse there is a series of mirrors, and a compass. Jacob told Hurley to put it at 108 (which for all you math nerds is the combination of 4,8,15,16,23,42). As they begin to move the compass Jack sees images in the mirrors. He gets all fired up and makes Hurley push it to 23, which is "Jack's Number". When it settles on his number Jack sees his childhood house. Jack flips shit, and wants to know why that image is there, and where the fuck Jacob is. Hurley has no answers, so Jack picks up some kind of rod and smashes all the mirrors.

Jack then charges off for one of his patented stare off into nowhere scenes. Hurley then is visited by Jacob again. He tells him the plan went to shit, but Jacob doesn't seem to care. It seems the whole trip was just to get Jack to sit and think.

Meanwhile, Jin and that random black "Other" guy have been captured by Claire, but this isn't our normal Claire. She is a fucking nutcase now after being alone for 3 years without her baby, and her only friends are her father, and Flocke (which are most likely one in the same). She has even made a fake baby out of boar bones. Yea... that crazy.

After a quick interrogation of the black guy she axes him. Jin, trying to save the guy, blurts out that Kate has had her baby all along. This is much different then what Flocke has been telling her, which is that the "Others" have her baby at the Temple. After she kills that guy Jin finally decides that it is probably not a good idea for Claire to be going after Kate, so he says he lied and the Others have her kid. Claire says "good, because if Kate had my baby this whole time I'll kill her". Well that should be interesting later, since Kate is looking for Claire.

The episode ends with Flocke showing up, and Jin being very surprised. No sign of Sawyer, but I guess he could have been just outside.

QUESTIONS:

- What are all these characters candidates for?

- Why is Kate not one of these candidates?

- Why can Hurley only see Jacob/other dead people?

- Why does Jack have a kid? Did he always, and he just never said anything?

- Who is coming to the island (that Jacob keeps saying)?

- What is at the Temple that Flocke wants so badly?

THEORIES:

- Jack didn't have a kid in the "on-island" timeline, and we are just seeing the affects of the island/Jacob never touching these people's lives.

- Jack is going to take Jacob's place.

- All the Others at the Temple are going to die.

- Claire is already dead, and is being played by Flocke to get in the Temple (obvious...well at least the temple part).

- Kate will take Locke's place in the sequence of numbers.

- These two timelines are going to cross over at some point, and by the end of the season we will have 1 timeline.

As always leave any questions or theories in the comment section.

Josh Howard Out For Season

The Washington Wizards said Tuesday that forward Josh Howard will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee.

Well this blows for the Wizards figuring he was the centerpiece in the deal for them.

This is a great quote:
"We're disappointed for Josh personally. He did an outstanding job," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "We feel bad for him. The guys will have to step up in his absence."He was excited to be here."

meaning:

"fuck, What the Fuck! How the fuck are we going to get fans in the seats, I mean it's bad enough we have terrible attendence anyways, but fuck. I hope the Motherfucker chockes on his weed smoke and collapses."

Either way the Wizards are doing shit this year so fuck them.

Rich Rod Might Be In Some Trouble

The NCAA is accusing Michigan of five potentially major rules violations under coach Rich Rodriguez, who admitted making "mistakes" but will be back for a third try at at Michigan. This makes his seat a little bit hotter. I've defended Rich Rod this far, but this is a make or break year for the coach. I think he made steps last year, but anything short of a 9 win season is a failure, and he should be fired. I don't know what these violations will do to him or the school, but it certainly wont make things easier for him.

Why Not?

Why not watch a prank caller pose as Brian Westbrook on Howard Stern.

Paul Pierce Out Indefinitely With Thumb Injury

Even though his suit jacket is a little long for me, it seems like the Truth is going to be out for a little bit do to his nagging thumb. I'm fine with it because he hurts the team more than helps with a banged up thumb. I wouldn't look into indefinitely as a huge amount of time, I consider it more day to day. It wouldn't surprise me to see him against Cleveland, but I'm glad they are letting the thing heal.

110 Celtics, 106 Knicks

Yes this game shouldn't have been close, yes there was no defense, blah, blah blah, who cares? The team who leads the NBA opponent scoring average can slip up every once in a while. With Paul Pierce's injury keeping him out (that will be the next post) the Celtics scored the points, but blew a lead and made the end of the game a little interesting. Rajon Rondo is a godsend and he looks like he was had by making 11 million a year. The boy had 15 points and 15 assists and 3 steals, he is by far the MVP of the Celtics. Ray Allen is on a big fuck you tour to all of his naysayers by dropping a smooth 24 points and a monster block on Wilson Chandler at the end of the game that could have tied the game. Maybe the Celtics should threaten to trade Ray every game, since the deadline the man has been on fire.

As for Nate he has a blah game, I had way to high for his first game. He finished with 4 points, 2 steals on 2-7 shooting. I'm going to blame it on his lack of knowledge of the offense.

A win is a win.

Olympic Hockey Roundup: Day 8

No upsets in the Qualifying Round, but we were very very close to some. In fact, only one game was decided before the 3rd period.

SWITZERLAND 3, BELARUS 2 (SO)

Switzerland's best asset - their goalie - almost cost them this game. Less than a minute in, he horribly mishandled a routine softshot (my word for when the puck just drifts in on the goalie from like a deflection at the blue line), and Alexei Kaliuzhny hacked away until the puck went in. But the Swiss rebounded with a big power play goal, and eventually won in the shootout. If Jonas Hiller and the Swiss decide to show up, they could harass the US.

CANADA 8, GERMANY 2

Well, Canada might have impressed some people with this win, but I'm not sold... yet. Germany has been awful in this competition. Crushing them 8-2 doesn't mean much. But at least maybe the Canadians can take some confidence out of such a lopsided win. Iginla scored twice, so he now has 5 goals, but 0 in tight/meaningful games. Eric Staal had 3 assists, and Drew Doughty was +4. Canada vs. Russia in the quarterfinals.

CZECH REPUBLIC 3, LATVIA 2 (OT)
Another scare for a top team. Latvia finished 12th in the Preliminary Stage, so needing OT to beat them is pretty sad. David Krejci had the game winner in OT (why can't he do that for us once and awhile?) and an assist in regulation. The Czechs face Finland in the quarterfinals.

SLOVAKIA 4, NORWAY 3

I picked Norway to beat the Slovaks, and they put up a damn good fight. But Miroslav returned from injury and netted the game winner in the 3rd. Richard Zednick had 2 assists, and Zdeno Chara had 1 assist. The Slovaks face Sweden in the quarterfinals.

A comprehensive preview of the Quarterfinal Round shall be forthcoming a bit later today.

-The Commodore

Chick Of The Day

Today's chick is Ayanna. She's hot.

For more Ayanna click here

LOST Tonight!!!

Here is the promo


and a sneak peak...

Celtics vs Knicks Preview

We get to see the new look Knicks verse the injured Celtics tonight. I'm actually excited to see T-Mac and old friend Eddie House play against us. I'm not really worried about us losing because behind David Lee, T-Mac and Al Harrington the Knicks don't have enough firepower to keep up with a Paul Pierceless Celtics team. I'm rooting for pierce not to play but here are the line ups:
PG C. Duhon 7.5 R. Rondo 14.0
SG T. McGrady 7.5 R. Allen
SF W. Chandler 15.4 T. Allen
PF D. Gallinari 14.0 K. Garnett
C D. Lee 20.1 K. Perkins 11.1

Nate Robinson was traded for this situation. Paul Pierce is going to be out, so he needs to pick up the slack and he will. Not only is he a prolific scorer, he is playing against his old team. I don't want to get carried away with Nate, but it's real hard not to.

Celtics 110- 97
Tommy Award: Nate Robinson

Breaking News: Eagles Cut Brian Westbrook

The Philadelphia Eagles announced that they are releasing running back Brian Westbrook. The official announcement will be make around 3pm today. It has to be a sad day for any Philly fan. He has meant so much to that team, and it is really too bad he never got a ring with them.

Westbrook was one of the most versatile running backs I have ever seen. I kind of hope he retires. He has had way too many concussions and I would hate to see anything terrible happen to him. Truly one of the "good guys" in the NFL, and he will be missed (if he retires).