Mike Leach video blowout!

By popular demand, here are some clips of Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach. I was gonna write an article, but I have no idea how I would put into words the character that is Coach Leach.

1. Need advice on how to score with the ladies? Mike Leach has your answers!



2. Wondering what the upcoming weather forecast will be? Well let Coach Leach fill you in!



3. Scientist Mike Leach performs an experiment to discover if bad coffee can, in fact, kill ants!



4. Leach describes the REAL Lubbock, Texas...



5. Finally, Mike Leach tells you what to do about those pesky in-laws!

Three reasons to watch the NBA this season

Busy week

I've been tied up with school this week, so while I have a moment I wanna recommend a pretty sick photo gallery on InsideLacrosse.com. A major lacrosse tournament just went down in Hawaii, and six albums worth of photos have been posted from the event. Note the ones of Brett Queener (native of Penn Yan, NY...UAlbany alum...and now member of Major League Lacrosse's Rochester Rattlers) taking the mud dive. I've done a few of those in my day, but none quite as impressive as the one Queener displays. Check out the full album here - scroll down to Hawaii Invitational (Part 6) to see the shots of Queener.

Phillies are champs

Yesterday I read a blog entry by ESPN's Peter Gammons stating why he felt this was the worst World Series ever. For a moment, I completely disagreed with him.

Then I watched the final few innings of game 5 last night. And I thought, wow, this kinda stinks.

I was hoping for a game 6 and maybe a game 7. I wanted to see more drama, more excitement, and I wanted to witness Cole Hamels on the mound one more time. But that didn't happen. And I was left feeling kind of....blah.

Don't get me wrong - the drama created by the absolutely terrible weather in Philadelphia was cool. It made me hurry back from the grocery store last night just so I could turn on the TV at exactly 8:37, in order to catch the first pitch of the home half of the 6th.

And I enjoyed the remainder of the game. It was exciting, and it had a little bit of everything. A big hit by Geoff Jenkins, a home run by Rocco Baldelli, a heads up defensive play by Chase Utley, and insanely good pitching by Brad Lidge.

But after Eric Hinske struck out on a nasty slider thrown by Brad Lidge to end the game, I was left feeling empty. I wanted more. The World Series had once again left me feeling unsatisfied.

And as I think back to Peter Gammon's blog, I gotta ask myself...was he really that wrong? In my mind, I attribute this World Series to being what baseball has been in the past few years - unsatisfying.

So today (much like the Tampa Bay Rays) I'm left with nothing but the chiche' phrase "there's always next year."

NHL Report: Ten games into the season...give or take a few

*My apologies for the crappy lighting. Before my next video update, I'll be sure to fix the burned out light bulb in my room...not that any of you would care about seeing my face or anything.

Gary Gait returning to professional lacrosse

Earlier this month, the Rochester Knighthawks and Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League finalized a deal sending 41-year old Gary Gait to Rochester. Gait has not played professional lacrosse since 2005, and is currently the head coach of the womens lacrosse team at his alma-mater, Syracuse University.

When I first heard this story, two things went through my head. First, why would Gary want to play professional lacrosse again? He's won nearly every lacrosse award possible, including an NLL championship as a coach with the Colorado Mammoth in 2006. Heck, a full Wikipedia page is devoted to his accomplishments in the lacrosse world.

Before I continue on to my second thought, let me answer the first. Gary Gait is a legend. Gary Gait IS lacrosse. And, in this case, the perfect opportunity presented itself. Rochester's leading scorer and reigning league MVP John Grant is out for the season with a complicated ACL injury that may ultimately end his career.

So Rochester was looking for another offensive weapon, and who better to turn to than the legend himself. This leads into the second thought that entered my head - what impact will a 41-year old have after not playing for 2 years?

Gait says he's in incredible shape. Does that mean he's in incredible shape for a 41-year old, or incredible shape by NLL standards? Can he still absorb a hard check into the boards? Can he make a cross-crease pass with defenders draped all over him? Will his body hold up week after week?

Gary Gait is the Brett Favre of lacrosse. He's a legend that loves the game, and has devoted his life to the game. He's the lacrosse version of Wayne Gretzky. So how can we not pay attention to his comeback? The drama surrounding whether or not a legend can return to the game he loves is too much to ignore, even if he's 41-years old and multiple years removed from his last stint on the carpet (carpet meaning turf, for all of those non-lacrosse junkies out there).

Mikey Powell is the pop-culture version of Gary Gait. He has revolutionized the game in his own right, but even he credits Gait with providing the lacrosse foundation on which his own career has grown...



So we wait for December 27th (the Knighthawks season opener against the Chicago Shamrox) to see the legend return to action. Will the greatest lacrosse player to ever live fizzle out and tarnish his legacy by playing like an average 41-year old? Or will the awe and admiration of peers and fans alike heighten with another superhuman stint in the NLL?

We'll find out in two months.

Props to Mike Singletary

For those of you that have not yet seen this, you owe it to yourself to watch



Three things I love about this press conference:
1. Mike Singletary is brutally honest
2. Mike Singletary is EXTREMELY passionate
3. Mike Singletary is introducing change to a crappy team that desperately needs it

The question now is simple - how will the players react? Stay tuned

FINALLY my thoughts on the World Series

So for those of you that don't know, I am a currently a college student. As such, I have been bombarded with homework, studying for tests, and all of that good stuff for the majority of the past week. I've uttered "great googly moogly" more than a few times in past couple days (click here to understand what I mean).

But, alas, I am back and finally ready to provide my thoughts on the World Series.

Gotta start out by giving Cole Hamels his due. He was stellar last night for the Phillies once again. Winning Game 1 has to be a huge boost to the moral of that team, especially with the way the Rays had been swingin the lumber. Not to mention the way Tampa typically plays inside the Trop.

A couple days ago, I heard Buster Olney (ESPN baseball analyst) talk about the 3rd and 4th starters for each team. I think he's right in that a distinct advantage goes to Tampa in depth of rotation. I watched Jamie Moyer (Phils game 3 starter) get rocked in his last outing against the Dodgers (6 ER in the first 3 innings..? Can't remember the exact stats, but it wasn't pretty). The Rays game 3 starter is Matt Garza, the man who just shut the door on the Red Sox season with seven innings of rock solid pitching. I guess what I'm saying is that Rays fans need not worry if their team is to fall into an 0-2 hole, because game 3 should (as this postseason indicates) be a laugher.

But nothing is ever guaranteed in the World Series. The Phillies will be back home for game 3 with their crazy fans ready to provide as much support as possible. So who knows, maybe Jamie Moyer will avoid senior citizen status by pitching a gem.

The only thing I hope for is a long drawn out series. Baseball stinks when one team sweeps another. Face it, baseball flat out stinks when there isn't a game 7. At this point, I'd just take a game 5 or 6. My recent memory is filled with thoughts of the Red Sox dominating the Cardinals and Rockies, with drama nowhere to be found.

Baseball is at its greatest when two teams are duking it out in a game 7. Every pitch, every sign, every movement is intensified times 100. I compare baseball game 7's to hockey game 7's - not a lot of people watch regular baseball or hockey games, but when it comes to that final game of the World Series or Stanley Cup, everyone tunes in.

And for baseball's sake, I'm gonna predict this World Series to go the distance. Cole Hamels will keep the Phillies in it, but the bottom of their rotation will provide fuel to Rays hitters. The question is gonna be within each bullpen - can the Phillies pull out wins in those games when Hamels isn't on the mound? If their starters in those games are shaky, can their bullpen provide stability?

My answer is no. The Rays lost game 1 because they weren't used to Hamels and his pitching style (and just the fact that Hamels is ridiculously good). But Cole can't pitch every game for the Phils. The Rays will turn it around against Jamie Moyer and the rest of the Phillies staff. Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton have been too scorching hot this postseason to just go dormant now. Rays complete the improbable dream, winning in 7.

This was too good to pass up...

Nike - Hotdog Cart - video powered by Metacafe

Cowboys, national media continue to make me cringe

I can see it now. Susan Lucci on stage, opening an envelope and saying "and the Daytime Emmy Soap of the Year Award goes to...the Dallas Cowboys!"

Drama, suspensions, a broken pinkie, another Roy Williams, and now an alcohol treatment center. I gotta admit, it's not hard not to be intrigued by this franchise.

But for these Cowboys and the NFL as a whole, all of this publicity is taking away from what is really important - success on the field. For example, I turned on ESPN this morning, and the first game highlight was that of the Cowboys at Rams, a game that wasn't even a contest, a game that was never close, a game that was a complete whitewash (final score: Rams 34, Cowboys 14).

Sure, I could understand why there would be storylines stemming from this game. I'm not debating that at all. Steven Jackson was a beast for the Rams, scoring three touchdowns. The Cowboys looked like a mediocre JV team, while the Rams played inspired football. Those are two headline stories from the game that deserve noting.

What I'm debating is the AMOUNT of coverage the Cowboys receive in the national media. Gone are the days of "America's Team" (Cowboys haven't won a playoff game in 12 years). These Cowboys are known for hot celebrity girlfriends, disruptive receivers, and a guy named after a classic video game character that cares more about "making it rain" than making plays on the field.

Is it the classic tragedy? A "perfect" team imploding and creating their own demise? Is that what intrigues the national media? Are the 2008 Dallas Cowboys a William Shakespeare novel waiting to be written?

I can't answer that. But what I can provide are 3 storylines from the NFL that I would have rather seen at the beginning of this morning's edition of "Sportscenter"...

1. Raiders 16, Jets 13 in OT. Sebastian Janikowski kicks a 57-yard game winning field goal to give the Raiders the win. For a while, this game looked like it would end in a 13-13 tie as neither team could produce offense in overtime. Brett Favre led the Jets down the field in the final minute of regulation to give kicker Jay Feely a chance to tie the game. After a 52-yard miss that was negated by a Raider timeout, Feely redeemed himself and sent the game to OT. Bottom line: this was a tightly contested game throughout, with drama from start to finish. Brett Favre was his usual self - at times completely out of control (a few throws made me say "huh?") but he ultimately gave his team a chance to win.

2. Buffalo 23, San Diego 14. This game was back and forth, with a key Phillip Rivers interception being the deciding factor. Few people are getting on the Bills' bandwagon. It's time for that to change, and here's why: after last week's thrashing of New England, everyone began calling the Chargers one of the elite teams in the AFC that had just gotten unlucky a few times, resulting in their 3-3 record. Ok, so if those people are right, if the Chargers are an elite team, where does that leave the Bills? Trent Edwards was nothing short of brilliant, completing 25 of 30 passes for over 250 yards and a TD, but more importantly committed no interceptions or turnovers. It's been a while since the Bills were anything besides mediocre, so I can understand some national hesitation in calling them an "elite" team. But as Tom Jackson (ESPN NFL analyst) says - "you are only as good as your record" - and for the 5-1 Bills, that's pretty darn good.

3. Tennessee 34, Kansas City 10. Why is this game important? Because when it comes to the NFL, history tells us to "expect the unexpected." What made this game unusual was that the Titans were expected to destroy the Chiefs, and they did just that. No surprises. 332 yards of rushing offense. Wow, take that in for a minute...332 yards rushing (did Kerry Collins attempt a pass?) Props to LenDale White and Chris Johnson for cementing what we all thought was true - the Titans are really good, and the Chiefs are really bad. Oh yeah, and the Titans are still undefeated.

An ode to Charlie Manuel and the Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies won the National League Pennant last night by defeating the L.A. Dodgers 5 - 1, clinching the best-of-7 series 4 games to 1. Kudos to all members of the Phillies for a terrific season to date.

I also have to salute their manager, Charlie Manuel, for re-defining the definition of courage.

Manuel lost his 87-year old mother last Friday before the Phillies game 2 victory. Despite his personal loss, Manuel was able to guide his team to the NL Pennant.

Anyone who has experienced losing a family member knows how difficult the coping stage can be. Imagine for a moment if you were in Charlie Manuel's shoes - being interviewed and having a camera follow your every move for the better part of 24 hours. How do you think that would affect your ability to cope?

Maybe, in some strange way, it helped. Maybe all of the media attention and focus on baseball helped Manuel temporarily escape the pain of losing his mother. Maybe worrying about whether or not to pull Cole Hamels in the 7th inning of game 5 with runners on 1st and 2nd helped take his mind away from the grief. When Hamels struck out Jeff Kent to end the 7th with no damage done, maybe that provided a momentary reprieve.

At any rate, Manuel displayed poise and toughness throughout the series. His strength inspired his team. And that inspiration has translated into a berth in the World Series.


(^photo taken from www.espn.com)

WOW, I couldn't disagree more

To follow up on my last post, I just came across an article by ESPN's Jayson Stark. Check it out here.

If this "tension" is what it takes to make a great NLCS, what does that say about baseball in general? Two great teams battling it out for the right to represent the National League in the World Series isn't enough? There has to be some sort of benches-clearing head-hunting tension in order to get people to watch baseball and term it a "great" series?

WOW. Baseball must really be THAT boring.

I really don't mean to sound so anti-baseball...

...but I can't help myself this time. Last night's Dodgers/Phillies LCS Game 3 brought out my biggest dislike for "America's Pastime."

I think it was in the first or second inning. Dodger catcher Russell Martin is up to bat. He gets plunked.

OK. No big deal, right? He goes to first base.

Martin is up to bat again an inning or two later. He nearly gets hit again. He gives the Phillies reliever (I can't remember his name, and that really isn't what's important here) a prolonged stare.

Alright, so let's halt this story right there. If, in fact, the Phillies ARE intentially throwing at Martin, the question then becomes...why? What would their motivation be?

I can't answer that question. Maybe someone on the Phillies staff can. Or maybe they'd just play dumb and say something like "oh, it wasn't intentional."

OK, back to the story. The next inning, Shane Victorino is up to bat for the Phillies. Hiroki Kuroda is on the mound for L.A. What happens? Kuroda whizzes a 94-mph fastball over Victorino's head.

Shane takes exception, and yada-yada-yada, the benches end up clearing before the end of the inning.

This drives me absolutely insane. This aspect of baseball - the "if you throw at one of our guys we're gonna throw at one of yours."

Lets get back into the context of the game. The Phillies are losing, and their pitchers aren't throwing strikes. Maybe a few pitches happened to come inside to Russell Martin. Maybe a few were SUPPOSED to come inside to Russell Martin (no one knows for sure). The bottom line is that they weren't helping themselves by pitching out of the strike zone.

Wouldn't the rational thought be to come out and "mow down" the Phillies hitters? Strike out the side? Demoralize them? Put the game completely out of reach? I hoped the Dodgers would have thought this way.

Instead, Kuroda decided to lower himself to the Phillies level. He decided to go with the thought process of "anything you can do I can do better." And everyone says he had to. Everyone says he had to stick up for his teammates (Martin, in particular).

Why couldn't he just throw strikes? Why couldn't he continue to pitch so well? Why couldn't he forgo the extracurricular junk and focus on striking out the side?

I dont get it. When I was growing up playing sports, my coaches always told me to "be the bigger man." If someone picks a fight with you, just walk away. I remember one basketball coach saying to me "if they wanna mess around and start fights, you just go out there and hang 20 on them...that'll shut them up."

But apparently baseball players didn't grow up the way I did. Apparently no one told them the benefits of being the "bigger man."

Think about what this is doing to youth baseball leagues across the country. Some kid thinks an inside pitch is too close, so the next inning he goes head-hunting with his fastball. Not to sound like a parent or anything, but is that really the way we want kids playing baseball?

I hope not. And I hope I'm not alone.

The Ideal World Series

So I stayed up until 11:30 last night watching the Red Sox/Rays LCS Game 2 (I would have stayed up later, had I not been drifting asleep on my living room couch). The Sox took the lead 6-5 in the 5th inning, and then the Rays went on to answer right back. Then I asked myself "well, who do I really want to win this series?"

I couldnt come up with a straight answer. Yeah, the Rays have made an amazing turn around this season. It would be cool to see them go all the way.

On the other hand, who could pass up a chance to see the Red Sox face Joe Torre, Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers?

Then I thought about who Bud Selig and MLB officials want to see in the World Series. Obviously, Red Sox/Dodgers. But would that be the best thing for baseball?

From a monetary standpoint, you would have to think so. The average viewer, or average baseball fan, would tune in just to see the Boston fans react to Manny. Or to see the reception for Joe Torre in Fenway (do you think he would be boo'ed or cheered?) Bud Selig knows this, and knows that TV ratings for that World Series would go through the roof.

But think about the Tampa Bay Rays for a moment. They made an amazing turn around this season, winning the American League East division and out-dueling the Red Sox and those New York Greenbacks (er, I mean Yankees...my bad). What if they make it all the way to the World Series? Would that be just as fruitful as a Red Sox/Dodgers series?

Think about fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals, not to mention any other small market team. Year after year, their team stinks. They don't have the money or payroll to compete in free agency with the big market teams like Boston and New York.

But what if the Rays make it to the World Series? What if they WIN the World Series? That would have to give hope to fans of small market teams. The Rays went from last place to first in one year. In a league dominated by large markets and big money, the Rays could give hope to fans who have experienced years of futility.

This change could save baseball. Think about it - why is the National Football League so popular? One big reason is parity. Any Given Sunday. For example, the Patriots and Colts are good, but that doesn't mean they're gonna make the playoffs every single year. And who could have predicted the Giants, Redskins, and Cowboys all making the playoffs last year? Thats what makes people tune into the NFL - unpredictability.

To baseball's credit, I need to mention the '07 Colorado Rockies. Talk about unpredictable. However, look at what happened in the end - they were swept out of the World Series by the Red Sox, a big market team with a much higher payroll (The Sox began 2007 with a $146 million payroll, compared to $63 million for the Rockies).

Baseball is different. Baseball is a competition between the same teams every year (give or take a few). You can put money on the Red Sox, Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees being in some sort of playoff race in September.

If Tampa Bay were to play in the World Series, everything would change. Baseball would become college football. Baseball would become the NFL. Pirates and Royals fans would have a reason to maintain hope, if they haven't restored that hope already (the Rays postseason run to this point has already been impressive).

Either way, Major League Baseball will be reaping the rewards (Sky-high TV ratings vs. an increased fan base among small market teams).

Well, except if the Phillies play the Red Sox. Then baseball will just continue to be...plain old baseball.

(^photo at top of story taken from http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3638442)

College Football delivers drama and upsets...again

There were a plethora of big-time college football games yesterday...and a plethora of big-time upsets. Should we have expected anything less?

Let's begin by looking at the Red River "Shootout." I put shootout in quotes because the new technical name is Red River Rivalry, but I dont know how anyone could call yesterday's game anything less than a good old fashioned shootout. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, #5 Texas beat #1 Oklahoma 45-35.

Since 1997, these two rivals havent play a game decided by less than 7 points. The ironic thing is that neither team has dominated the rivalry (Texas victories in '99, '05, '06, '08; Oklahoma victories in 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04). Texas QB Colt McCoy was great when he needed to be, passing for 277 yards and one TD, while rushing for 37 more yards. Although his numbers weren't gaudy, the question now is whether or not he has planted himself as the Heisman front-runner.

Speaking of Heisman front-runners, Chase Daniel and the #3 Missouri Tigers fell to the hands of #17 Oklahoma State, 28-23. Daniel completed 39 of 52 passes for 390 yards, but threw 3 critical second half interceptions that ultimately led to Missouri's first loss. Lucky for Chase, he has a chance to rebuild his big-game credentials when the Tigers travel to Austin next week for a heavyweight matchup against Texas.

In 2007, LSU bottled up Tim Tebow, holding him to his lowest statistical output of the season (12-26 passing for 158 yards and 2 TD's; 16 carries, 67 yards and a TD). Tebow got his revenge last night by leading the #11 Gators to a 51-21 mashing of the #4 Tigers. His numbers weren't superhuman (210 yards passing, 3 total TD's) but they didn't have to be. Freshman Jeffrey Demps rushed for 129 and a TD, while Percy Harvin caught 6 passes for 112 yards and 2 scores, taking a significant amount of pressure off of Tebow.

So lets recap: the #1, #3, and #4 teams in the AP poll lost. The #2 team in the country, Alabama, was idle this week. #17 Oklahoma State and #11 Florida had big wins, but #5 Texas takes the cake by beating the top-ranked Sooners. The AP poll has just been released, and the fallout shapes up like this...

Before I end my CFB recap for the week, let me give a big shoutout to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Wow, demolishing Wisconsin 48-7?! This team is a legit national title contender. Sure, Wisconsin has fallen quite a bit in the past few weeks, but I doubt anyone expected the Badgers to get crushed like they did last night. Hats off to Joe-Pa and company for a very impressive win.

(^photo taken from http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/photos?photoId=2058533&gameId=282850201)

First post

Finally! It's Sunday, October 12th, 2008 and the blog is up and running. I know it looks kind of bland right now (I don't know a THING about HTML code) but I'm hoping to change that in the very near future.

I'm really consumed right now with the current state of the sporting world. Let's see...MLB playoffs, NFL week 6, NHL season getting under way, College Football providing upsets and drama every week, and the NBA preseason. Wow, a great time to be a sports fan, eh?

I think it's time to collect my thoughts over lunch and recap everything that happened yesterday. WOW, what a Saturday! I'll be back once I have a slight idea of where to begin...