Spouting Off About Sports and Stuff

Cowboys sign reality show star - NFL - Rumors - FanNation

2010-10-16T08:01:00.003-06:00

This story is a little reminiscent of Vince Papale and the Philadelphia Eagles from back in the day...

Cowboys sign reality show star - NFL - Rumors - FanNation

The dream ride that Jesse Holley has been on for the last 18 months became even more real on Wednesday. The wide receiver, who has spent the last season and a half on the Cowboys' practice squad, has been called up to the 53-man roster this week. The Cowboys made room on the roster by releasing offensive tackle Robert Brewster, who could return on the practice squad if he clears waivers. Holley not only officially signed his contract on Friday, but he is expecting to play Sunday in Minnesota as a key member of the special teams. The winner of Michael Irvin's reality TV show 4th and Long, which landed him the 80th and final spot on the Cowboys' training camp roster back in 2009, Holley has continued to work his way up the ranks and now that hard work and desire has officially paid off.

Read more: http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/237350#ixzz12WwzGVn1

America in the 21st Century Mousepads from Zazzle.com

2010-10-09T14:48:00.003-06:00

America in the 21st Century Mousepads from Zazzle.com

Zazzle's Jack Fact Graphics is your home for 21^st Century America inspired pictures, designs and images available on mouse pads (as shown through the link above) as well as t-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts and more. The mantra, "Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll" has finally been realized in the United States, so express this presidential sentiment by purchasing an “America in the 21^st Century’ gift. You will find great apparel, home and office accessories, clothing, unique custom gift items and more.

Bad Officiating and bad play by Seattle in Super Bowl XL

2010-08-07T10:36:00.007-06:00

So this morning while I sat on my recliner with a donut and Irish coffe, I checked out the NFL's official site and read an article from the Associated Press titled, "Super Bowl XL referee regrets that mistakes 'impacted the game'. According to the article NFL referee Bill Leavy was at Seattle Seahawks training camp as part of the annual training camp rules interpretation, and before starting, acknowledged he made mistakes in Seattle's loss in 2006 to the
Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL.

Obviously this was done primarily to placate the Seahawks organization, but judging from the volume of articles and blogs devoted to the topic, Leavy's remarks are refueling the conversation. Bottom line is Seattle Seahawks fandom is whining again, blaming everything on the refs....

In addition to the couple of calls Leavy admittedly blew, I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...

Seattle getting fooled out of their jocks on a 43 yd trick pass play for a TD.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle's defense giving up THE LONGEST TD RUN IN SB HISTORY, 75 yds by Willie Parker.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle missing 2 FGs.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle's TE Stevens dropping 4 very catchable balls ALL in key situations. Not 1st & 10, but 3rd & 13...3rd & 8...and one drop was the difference in Seattle punting or attempting a FG.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle REPEATEDLY punting deep thru Pitts endzone EVERYTIME, consistently failing to pin Pitt deep, resulting in an easier gm of field position and 1 drive which ended in a TD.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Hasslebeck dropping back on 3rd & 18 (IN FG POSITION) & lobbing an ugly INT.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Big Ben, completing a 37 yd pass on 3rd & 28 to Seattles 2 yd line, after PENALTY ON PITTSBURGH contributed to the 3rd & a mile situation.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle's "star" RB being shut down just enough to force several 3rd downs.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault that...
that ON those 3rd downs, Seattle, called some of the most BONEHEADED plays in the history of Superbowls. Five (5) times, heaving it deep for the big bomb on 3rd & 4 or less.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle carelessly having the ball at Pitts 37 yd line with 48 seconds to go in the half and foolishly failing to get the next play off until 13 seconds remained.

AND, again instead of a short pass to set up an easier than 54 yd FG. They heave it deep trying for a TD bomb vs a Prevent defense AND they go into the locker room with an inused timeout.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle doing the same thing again in the 2nd half. On 3rd & short, they heave it deep & incomplete forcing their kicker to AGAIN have to kick the FG from 50 plus...and of course BOTH of those kicks missed barely, making that extra 5-8 yds a BIG deal.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle failing to capitalize on the play where Jeremy Stevens caught the ball, took 3 steps, was hit by the safety & fumbled, only to have it ruled "Incomplete"...wait, actually, YOU'RE RIGHT, that WAS the refs fault. Lucky thing for Seattle huh?

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
All the passes Seattle receivers DID catch that were OUT OF BOUNDS. It happened on 2 very important plays, long pass plays, and Hasslebeck couldnt even keep the ball in bounds.

I guess it's "the Refs" fault for...
Seattle failing to make plays on plays when there WASN'T a penalty called

I guess it's "the Refs" fault when...
Seattle, later in the game, KNOWING they need a TD & FG, (in no particular order) and was currently in EASY FG position on 4th down, AGAIN went for the long shot TD play vs a pass defense that was defending EXACTLY that type of play. There was still time for the FG, onside kick, & a couple deep balls to the endzone, but instead they GAVE UP.

Yes, call me an Armchair Quarterback, but then again, they never really showed up.

599 Home Runs for A-Rod, anyone care?

2010-07-23T08:17:00.006-06:00

In the USA Today, Reid Cherner and Tom Weir asked if Alex Rodriguez sets an extraordinary record, and nobody claps, does he really make a sound? You can count me as someone who scarcely noticed, and certainly won’t be applauding the ‘achievement’.

Chemer and Weir wrote, “The Yankees superstar is on the precipice of doing something that only six other men in Major League history have accomplished -- hitting 600 home runs.

It is a list that includes Barry Bonds, Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa.

The list does not include luminaries named Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams, Gehrig or Musial.

Last night A-Rod hit 599 and says of the milestone chase that he's "having fun. I'm going to hit it and, hopefully, when I (do), like (Thursday) it's going to count for a win."

But not since Bonds' pursuit of Aaron have there been this many mixed emotions about a milestone chase.

Rodriguez has rubbed many people the wrong way ever since he signed that $252 million contract in Texas.

Coupled with his steroids interview a year back, there are many who are turning their backs on A-Rod despite him being one of the greatest players of all-time.

Will you applaud him when he hits No. 600?”

No, I certainly won't be applauding A-Rod's milestone. Afterall, Ruth did it on hotdogs and beer.

On May 25th, 1935 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Ruth went 4-for-4, drove in 6 runs and hit 3 home runs in an 11-7 loss to the Pirates. These were the last three home runs of his career. His last home run, number 714, cleared the roof at the old Forbes Field—he became the first player to accomplish that feat.

Beetle Breakdown and an Unexpected Sighting of Boulder's Log Lady

2010-04-11T08:25:00.009-06:00

I drove my lightning bug green 2000 Beetle to work the other day, and the damndest thing happened. I stopped off at a coffee shop around the corner on my way in, and when I jumped back in the car it started, and immediately died. Not giving it a second thought, I fired it up again, and two seconds later it died. Not suspecting anything, I went through this sequence a couple more times before I noticed a peculiar flashing light on my dash.

Thumbing through the owner’s manual, I quickly discovered that this warning light was informing me that the ‘Immobilizer’ had engaged and the car was, well… immobilized. In other words I was screwed.

I walked the quarter mile to my office and frantically searched the web for a quick fix, a workaround, some little trick to reset the bugger and get me on the road. I found a couple of sure-fire solutions, naturally none of them worked. I was instructed to disconnect the battery for a full half hour, another one specified turning the key to the on position for 45 minutes, and a couple of other ploys in between. One offered that I should pound the dash repeatedly, something that I had already tried prior to abandoning the car in search of my blog based epiphany.

Later, I was to discover that the whole problem was a sensor (transponder) in my stupid key that had failed. Naturally I didn’t have a spare key with me, so I had to catch a bus home.

It was on this unplanned use of the public transit system that I sighted a legendary resident of Boulder County, Colorado; The Log Lady. I Never really paid much attention to the stories, simply dismissed this rumored being as nothing more than some homeless woman, a curious bag lady, nothing more. Every city’s got transients, and surely this was no different.

Nope, she’s the real deal. The bus crawled to a stop at my destination, the Park and Ride in Nederland, and she waddled past my seat near the front of the bus. Cradled in her arms like a newborn, was a two foot long pine log. It was a fine log, having a perfectly symmetrical pattern and an obvious point of pride for this middle-aged woman.

She seemed preoccupied with her log while departing, until the bus driver broke the silence by kindly wishing her that the log would burn nicely for her that evening. She didn’t say anything in response, but didn’t have to. Her eyes betrayed the distain she felt, piercing black beetle eyes behind her tortoise shelled spectacles.

Joe Posnanski's Incredible Column: No Goats Here

2010-04-06T18:26:00.007-06:00

Sports Illustrated writer Joe Posnanski wrote a tremendous article about last night's NCAA Championship game which I've included here in its entirety. Astonishingly, I also read a few blogs out there, and heard some commentary over the airwaves, where people were actually lambasting Gordon Hayward. Some actually pointed a critical finger at him, faulted him for the Bulldogs falling a few inches short, and essentially called him a scapegoat. Poor Gordon Hayward will undoubtedly relive that errant 45 footer for the rest of his days.

Magical game comes down to last shot and Duke earns greatness

By Joe Posnanski

INDIANAPOLIS -- The ball is in the air. And because the ball is in the air, anything is possible. Miracle? Heartbreak? Pandemonium? Silence? Yes. Anything. That's the beauty of a magical game like this, and also the pain. The basketball is in the air. If it misses, Duke wins one of the greatest championship games ever. And if it goes in (and it looks like it is going in), Butler wins the greatest game that has ever been played.

The basketball is in the air, a 45-foot shot that looks like it is going in, and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski knows that if it goes in, the right team won. And he also knows that if it misses, the right team won, too. This is that kind of game. Both teams have played impossibly hard. Every player defended with every ounce of strength they had. Every player made a winning play -- something, a rebound, a block, a devastating pick, a tough foul, a big shot, a good pass, a hard drive to the basket -- that added a line or shade to this masterpiece. Duke wore white, and Butler wore dark blue (the opposite of the image they came into this game with), but they played so much the same -- the same energy, the same violence, the same togetherness, the same purpose -- that at some point they just seemed to mix together into this wonderful blend of gray.

And now it comes to this -- a ball in the air and the quirks of gravity and chance and the bounce. Duke could have pulled away. Several times it looked like Duke would pull away -- the Blue Devils had a four-point lead, a five-point lead, and they had the ball, and it just felt like one more basket, one more three-pointer would slay Butler once and for all. But Duke could not make the shot. Not on this crazy night.

Then again, a couple of times it looked like Butler had the magic, that beautiful magic that can happen when five players defend like one and everybody on the team believes in the absurd. With six seconds left, Butler star Gordon Hayward drove to the baseline, and, while fading out of bounds, shot a high-arching 15-footer that felt good leaving his hands, looked good falling toward to the basket, and would have given Butler the lead and perhaps the title. The shot, though, was a touch long and the ball bounced out.

And now, the buzzer sounds, the crowd is standing, America is watching, and the basketball is in the air -- Hayward's not-quite desperation 45-foot shot that will decide this game is in the air.

"It had a chance," Butler coach Brad Stevens would say.

"It looked good," Duke's Kyle Singler would say.

"I was just praying it would not go in," Duke's Nolan Smith would say.

"I thought it was going in," Butler's Matt Howard would say.

But you already know. The basketball is not in the air. The basketball hits the backboard a touch hard. The basketball hits the front rim. And the basketball falls away. It could have fallen. It did not fall. And Duke wins the national championship.

"I still can't believe we won," Krzyzewski said after it ended, and his voice sounded hoarse, and he had been crying. Four Duke championships -- this was easily the most emotional Krzyzewski had ever looked. He stared out.

"I don't think we were lucky," he said. "Because we earned it. But there is some ..."

He paused. There is some ... some what?

"But there is some ... yeah," he said.

Some ... yeah. What a game. What a night. Everybody knows the amazing Butler story, but the truth is that there was a Duke story, too. Nobody thought this was a great Duke team. Seven times in 24 years, Krzyzewski had coached a Duke team into the national championship game, a staggering achievement, but each of those teams had that certain Duke aura. Those were terrific teams, and they were expected to be terrific teams, and they had All-Americas, and, well, this team was different. This team had very good players, of course. But there were no first-team All-American. There was no Grant Hill here, no Christian Laettner, no Jay Williams or Shane Battier. The core of this team got drilled in the Sweet 16 of the tournament last year by Villanova, and the bulk of this team lost three of its first seven conference games. They were good all year. But they just seemed vulnerable.

Krzyzewski felt it, too. He would tell them: You are a good team. That's all. He did not want them to get comfortable. He did not think they could afford to feel too good about themselves. After a while, well, they played so hard, and they were so close, and they came together, he would tell them: "You are a very good team." That's as far as he could go. The Blue Devils went into the NCAA tournament as pretty clearly the last No. 1 seed -- "good but not great" was their tag. They defended. They could make three-pointers. They had a lot of size inside. They played as a team. But, people said, this still was not DUKE, all capital letters, the teams that had won so much and won so thoroughly that the only reaction for much of America was to despise them for being so good.

These Blue Devils won tournament games. They rolled past Cal. They streaked past Purdue in the second half. No, it wasn't always art. The Baylor game, especially, was often agonizing. But they won. They rained three-pointers on West Virginia. Krzyzewski told his team then that they were a good team with great character.

Finally, Monday night, Duke faced Butler, Duke faced America's story, Duke faced a dome filled with Hoosiers fans. The Blue Devils mainly faced a Butler defense that is so quietly suffocating that people kept missing the point, even though the Bulldogs had not allowed a team even 60 points the entire tournament. They also faced a stunning Butler confidence -- "These guys didn't come in here thinking they were just gonna roll over," Stevens said after the game.

No. The Butler players, quite apparently, kept thinking they were going to win, even as the evidence piled against them. In the second half, Duke led by four and Singler, the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, had an open shot, and if that shot went in ... but it didn't. Butler stayed close. The game stayed close.

Then Duke led by five, and Nolan Smith had an open jumper, and if that went in ... but it didn't. Duke still led by five, and Jon Scheyer had an open three-pointer, and if that went in ... but it didn't. Duke had one more five-point lead, this time with three minutes left, and this time it looked like Duke would put it away for sure ... but Singler turned the ball over.

Maybe it was Indiana voodoo. Maybe it was destiny. Or maybe Duke players, like every other team that played Butler, found themselves running from ghosts and ducking away from shadows because that's the sort of defense Butler plays. But here's the thing: Duke plays defense like that, too ... shoot, Krzyzewski and Duke practically INVENTED defense like that. And so while Butler would not crumble, Butler also could not quite come back. Butler's terrific Gordon Hayward made only 2 of 11 shots. Butler's terrific Shelvin Mack made only 5 of 14. They were dodging ghosts and shadows, too. This was a game for survivors.

And that's how it came down to that last, desperate heave. Duke's Brian Zoubek stood at the free-throw line with Duke up one. There were 3.2 seconds left. Zoubek made the first free throw. And then, using a herky-jerky motion, he purposely missed the second. Krzyzewski had decided that his team's best shot was to get the clocking going (Butler had no timeouts) and force Butler into some sort of desperate and hopeless heave toward the basket.

Only, Butler had one more bit of sorcery left. Instead of panicking, Hayward grabbed the rebound and dribbled quickly to his right. And instead of panicking, Butler's Howard set a crushing pick on Singler, a certain foul except no referee is calling a foul there. That pick cleared Hayward, left him alone to shoot the final shot. It was a long shot, but it was open. The basketball was in the air. And, it just missed.

"What the hell," Krzyzewski said with a sigh, "it worked." He looked happy and dazed and proud and like he was not entirely sure what had happened. This victory takes his already legendary career one more step up -- now he has four championships, more than his mentor Bob Knight and as many as Kentucky icon Adolph Rupp. Krzyzewski did not want to talk about all that ... he said reminiscing about his own achievements is for another time, once he's retired, once he can look back.

What Krzyzewski did want to talk about is that, after the game, he went into the locker room and looked hard at the players on his team. There was all sorts of emotion. They all realized that they just had won one of the great games ever. They all realized that for the rest of their lives they would be connected by this game and this championship and that final heave that did not go in. And, as everyone quieted down, Krzyzewski said to them in his craggy voice the words he had been waiting all year to say.

He said: "You are a great team."

Shawn Vansant and the Butler Bulldogs Prevail

2010-04-04T09:39:00.002-06:00

In the ongoing saga that could easily eclipse both Hoosiers and The Blind Side, It was Shawn Vansant and an offensive rebound that Butler, Michigan State, and the basketball world will long remember. A forgettable player interrupting what would otherwise have been a routine play, for a team, in a season, which will arguably go down as the most memorable one in the history of the NCAA tournament.

Scarcely 6-feet tall, Vanzant snagged a one-armed rebound off the offensive glass at a critical juncture in Saturday's semifinal game. Falling out of bounds and certain obscurity, Vanzant caught a glimpse of Gordon Hayward cutting to the basket and zipped him the ball for the layup.

That basket was Butler's only field goal in the final 12:17 of the defensive struggle. Hayward's bucket gave the Bulldogs a 50-46 lead. A lead which they desperately needed to fend off the Spartans in their 52-50 upset win.

It is Dangerously Close to Midnight, and Cinderella is still at the Dance

2010-03-28T08:38:00.002-06:00

Unbelievable. Butler shocks second-seeded Kansas State; 63-56, to advance to its first Final Four. Ladies and gentlemen, it is getting dangerously close to midnight and Cinderella is still at the dance.

I was reading this morning that the Bulldog’s home court was used in the filming of “Hoosiers”. That, coupled with the realization that the Butler campus is a mere 5-miles from Lucas Oil Stadium, undoubtedly makes this the best fairy-tale team remaining in the tournament.

The Bad News Baylor Bears are arguably the next best story to get behind now that most pools are in tatters at this point. Sure, they’re a three-seed, but they can grab a Final Four appearance today (their first?) if they can knock out the perennial favorite blue blooded Blue Devils from Duke.

Bracket Busters and a Basketball Boost from Barack?

2010-03-21T08:17:00.014-06:00

Some upheaval in the NCAA tournament yesterday. Kansas is out of the picture, losing to Northern Iowa in a huge bracket busting shocker, and personally I took some pleasure in seeing 10th seeded Saint Mary’s knocking the holy hell out of Villanova, having lived on the wrong end of Philadelphia’s Main Line for too many years than I care to acknowledge. Another big upset, and a bit of a yawner, was 11th seeded Washington beating 3rd seeded New Mexico; 82-64.

The corporate compliance Nazis took all forms of gambling away from me at work a couple of years ago. Football pools, even for the Super Bowl, are gone as un-American as that may seem. Gone too are the NCAA brackets which once were prominently displayed in everyone’s cubicle and office. The normal banter that used to fill the office this time of year has faded away, at least in my world. Damn, what’s happened to the workplace over the last few years? Maybe with Obama’s bracket being so large and so public, things will start to loosen up. Screw healthcare, this is a CHANGE we would all welcome. Could the president’s enthusiasm for the tournament clear the way for some policy changes in corporate America? I won’t bet on it.

The Devil Went Down To Georgia

2010-03-06T08:18:00.037-07:00

Hell, I thought I was going to reflect on the Olympics and the gold medal game against Canada this morning, but given the events of the last 24 hours, it looks like hockey will take a back seat to the National Football League (NFL) at least in my world.

I will say before getting into the Roethlisberger story, that although I was hoping that the U.S. Hockey team would have upset the Canadians, I was glad that Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal in overtime. I thought he was going to have the game winner with that breakaway late in the 3rd period, but the play was broken up. I didn't have any sympathy for him at the time, but ultimately was glad that he redeemed himself, scored the game winner, and sealed his fate.

I was also pleased to see Penguins fans give Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller a standing ovation in Pittsburgh for leading the United States to an Olympic silver medal when regular season play resumed.

So, speaking of scoring, Big Ben has been accused of sexual assault. I have no doubt this is utter nonsense.

I know Roethlisberger isn’t exactly a big success with the ladies, doesn’t have the swagger of a Joe ‘Kissing Suzie Kolber’ Namath or a Tom Brady, but come on. Have you ever seen who he took to his high school prom? In all honesty, his only crime is that he is a big awkward doofus when it comes to meeting woman. Think about it. His move at that hotel in Lake Tahoe was to call the front desk and ask the girl (McNulty) to come up and fix his television. Not exactly ‘Rico Suave’.

Seriously, are we to believe that this crime was perpetrated in a ladies room in a crowded nightclub? I know Ben has had a history of plying woman (girls really) with drinks, but considering his close call in Tahoe, I’m sure he was never really ever alone with this girl.

Oh wait, he allegedly ran off with her, past the line of woman waiting to use the bathroom, so he could fiddle around with her. Child please, it never happened.

As testament to Ben’s character, arch rival Chad Ochocinco of the hated Cincinnati Bengals, took a moment to express his support of Big Ben on Twitter this morning.

Take that for what it’s worth, but the truth is, Ben Roethlisberger is not evil, is not the devil, and is anything but…

I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, I'm a midnight suicide at the Olympics

2010-02-27T08:51:00.023-07:00

Still awaiting Canadian authorities to provide details on the autopsy, but it’s official. More tragedy and heartache at the Winter games.

Another former Joker; Andrew Koening, like Heath Ledger before him, discovered dead.

One was a suicide contemplated while ‘sitting on a park bench’ (sorry, another Aqualung reference) in Stanley Park in Vancouver. Andy was sitting in the city garden a little after midnight waiting for the sun, when his emotions overtook him. In the case of that other joker; Heath Ledger, it was an ill-timed overdose. Wasn’t exactly executed in true rock star or Hollywood fashion, didn’t involve a sex worker, but it was a ‘masseuse’ that discovered his body the next morning nevertheless.

This was hopefully the last tragedy in Vancouver, which began with a Luger's broken back, on a mountain of sorrow.

Livening up the macabre mood a bit. The Canadian woman’s hockey team stirred up a bit of conversation with their on ice celebration after winning the gold. Captain Hayley Wickenheiser dismissed the underage drinking of 18-year old Marie-Philip Poulin, the center who scored both goals, in the 2-0 defeat of the United States.

‘Trust me, there's a lot worse things that go on at the Olympics than this. Everybody just take a deep breath and just chill out. It's not a big deal."

Champagne, cigars, and under-age drinkin’, what’s not to like?

Still, the fallout continues. The last time I remember anyone getting this riled up over woman’s sports was when Brandi Chastain stripped off her jersey at the 1996 Olympics in celebration. In doing so, she revealed a black sports bra that had everyone talking about the US Soccer team for months to follow, albeit for all of the wrong reasons.

Both sports had been going through their own respective ‘Growing Pains’ at the time of these incidents. Who knows, maybe there will be a renewed enthusiasm for woman’s hockey as a result? Wonder what Boner would have had to say? Maybe we can get a some celestial guidance, or at least a statement from Chekov?

Expert, textpert, choking smokers,
Don’t you think the joker laughs at you?

See how they smile like pigs in sty,
See how they snide.

The Americen woman lost...
...and I’m crying

Mistaken Identities Along The Way

2010-02-21T10:40:00.085-07:00

I was thumbing through a magazine in a barber shop, listening to this gray-haired black man talking about the Olympics. He asked if Shaun White was that standup comic with the red hair that he recalled seeing on MTV.

“Yeah, right… He trains like a SOB by day, and hits the comedy club circuit at night”

It was a funny exchange when I heard it, until I realized what Scott Thompson looks like these days. Easily confused with the Flying Tomato? I don't know, maybe.

That was a couple of days ago. Last night I experienced a different case of mistaken identity. It was cold and wet as I stood in line outside the bus terminal waiting… A guy emerged from the late afternoon shadows and edged closer to the huddled masses. We were all waiting to board our bus. There was something vaguely sinister about this guy. He was Charles Manson and a little Bob Seger in his appearance, rotting garbage in his aura, and otherwise soulless in his existence, or so I imagined. More Manson in his homelessness, but because this incident took place in Colorado where the Coors ‘Silver Bullet’ is king, maybe I was also subconsciously connecting him with the front man of the Silver Bullet Band.

He was a train wreck and I couldn’t stop staring. I caught a glimpse of a dirty turquoise medallion, a 60’s era bauble of some sort that was visible when his cloak and robe-like ensemble parted briefly. Surely this was an exiled gypsy king, sage of the Boulder gutter, or the forgotten Traveling Wilbury.

I wasn’t and will never be sure.

Still, I stared.

More people joined us in line. He didn’t walk, but kind of shuffled over. For a moment, I turned away. I was somewhat mesmerized by this being, sort of in a Squeaky Fromme or Susan Atkins kind of way. I looked back just in time to catch his contorted face. In the next instant he grabbed his nostril and sent a lugie splattering down on the pavement. I jerked out of the way as he hockered and cleared more phlegm from his aqualung. He assured me in a self amused hoarseness that he wasn’t going to get me. I wasn’t assured nor amused at barely escaping the virulent spray. He continued about his business, his greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes.

I boarded the bus as the afternoon faded away and could hear him behind me, muttering about the fare before his mind was confronted with the driver. Again, there was that image of Bob Seger as I heard his worn out voice grow louder and more animated than before. Dirty and downtrodden, yet oddly intriguing.

He spied an acquaintance of his. Damned if this guy wasn’t the spitting image of the Zig Zag man! The three of us sat in close proximity. They immediately started catching up, while I mindlessly stared ahead.

I listened intently as Charlie told his tale about how the city had worn out his body, was eating at his mind. Said he no longer felt, and then without warning his raspy voice trailed off for an uncomfortably long time. Heads suddenly turned when like a cold hard slap to the face, he began to exclaim that he would be going to California for the summer. Alarmed, most of the passengers quickly looked away. His outburst was like a sidewalk sermon, and his friend was immediately caught up in the hellish homily which followed. Charlie the evangelist, started rattling off obscure western destinations as if they were stops on the way to purgatory or eternal hell. Small towns that nobody ever heard of, or at least I never did. He went on for several minutes this way, like an over caffeinated meth addict.

The bus ride quickly became claustrophobic, and I was instantly transported to the rowing scene from Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory:

There's no earthly way of knowing

Which direction we are going

Is it raining, is it snowing

Is a hurricane a–blowing

Not a speck of light is showing

So the danger must be growing

Are the fires of Hell a–glowing

Is the grisly reaper mowing

Yes, the danger must be growing

For the rowers keep on rowing

And they're certainly not showing

Any signs that they are slowing

Then he stopped. He resumed in a far less animated fashion and took on a somber tone. Staring out the window at nothing in particular, he said a trip to the Motor City was on his immediate horizon. I strained to hear him murmuring that his mother asked him to spend a week in Detroit, and he was planning on staying for a couple of months. That brought a slight smile to my face. He said that his mommy wanted to hear him sing his songs. Then an uncontrollable sniffling arose from this pitiful creature.

Between quiet sobs he said his mother died back in ’62, and that he has been on the road wandering aimlessly ever since. Almost inaudible, he started softly humming a song from 1962.

Ain't it funny how the night moves?

Guess that’s why this event is also called, “NASCAR on ice”…

2010-02-15T19:48:00.015-07:00

South Korean Lee “Chim Chim” Jung-su won the gold, while Apolo Ohno, a.k.a., ‘Speed Racer', and J.R. Celski, a.k.a., ‘Racer X’, took the silver and bronze respectively.

I watched the 1,500-meter short-track speed skating event, and maybe I had a little too much Daytona 500 on the brain or something, but I couldn’t help thinking I was watching an old Speed Racer episode in the instant when those two South Korean skaters collided and careened into the wall. Images of countless Speed Racer episodes where so many of Speed’s adversaries met similar fates immediately came to mind. Anyway, I actually found myself laughing out loud at the spectacle of those two guys wiping out.

That crash was so perfect in it’s timing and absolutely beautiful in its synchronicity, that it looked almost choreographed. It was also a little ironic that the two ill-fated skaters hailed from the dog-eating nation of Korea, the same country that eight years ago had a skater disqualified for blocking, which resulted in Apolo Anton Ohno receiving the gold at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

In addition to the gold medal that year, Apolo Ohno also received a number of death threats from irate South Koreans who directed their wrath at both Ohno and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They sent so many accusatory letters and e-mails protesting the race, that the volume of e-mails crashed the Olympic Committee’s e-mail server.

Crashing definitely seems to be a bit of theme here with these Korean skaters.

Man or Beast - Who Do You Love?

2010-02-14T07:42:00.068-07:00

Hopefully you’ve got someone to love, someone who loves you, or at least something you love doing on Valentine’s Day.

Not surprising, for a lot of people that someone in their lives is their pet. Some take this to extremes (like billionaire Leona Helmsley who in 2007 famously left her dog $12 million, and two of her grandchildren jack shit), while organizations like PETA and Friends of Animals have a long track record of over-the-top animal advocacy.

Fringe groups like those black masked fur fanatics that vandalized at least one kiosk selling Olympic collector's pins, and have generally been wreaking havoc at the Winter Games in Vancouver, is yet another high profile example. Not sure these are the same cats that have threatened American figure skater Johnny Weir, but apparently he's elected not to wear his trademark white tuft of fox fur on his shoulder. THAT my friend, is the true travesty of these Olympics to date.

Speaking of transgendered atheletes... er, I mean... track records, the other day I was reading that Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to race against the undefeated mare and Breeder's Cup Classic winner; Zenyatta in the April 9 Apple Blossom. Now I don’t know Jack about horse racing, but racing affectionados (not horse lovers necessarily), are calling this the greatest thing to happen to thoroughbred racing in America since Affirmed captured the Triple Crown in 1978. Stay tuned for that animal exploitive sports spectacle!

Still, for those of you who love horse racing simply for the love of the horse, find something for that special someone on this Valentine's Day...

[Click here to buy products with this image]

Oh Canada... Rain, Mud and Glum

2010-02-13T10:17:00.018-07:00

The horrific death of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili from the republic of Georgia added a black cloud of despair to the grey skies looming over Vancouver. The games haven’t even started, yet you get the eerie suspicion that more tragedy and heartache awaits us.

"With Glowing Hearts, We Kill the Arts,"

The various protest groups got things started with their predicable pleas and demonstrations, and managed to cause the route of the torch relay to be altered. If those stunts bring attention to their cause, well ‘yippie’ for them. On the dark underside of their movement, you can be assured that many of those protestors looked on with glee as the Georgian luger crashed and sealed his fate. The irony in their mantra, “With Glowing Hearts, We Kill the Arts” was not lost.

Evening turned to darkness and the opening ceremonies got underway and softened our collective memory of the afternoons cold hard slap of tragedy. Yet, as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron was coming to a climax, a moment Canada spent seven years building towards, a technical malfunction marred the event. In the awkwardness of the moment, speedskater Catriona LeMay Doan improvised a salute to the crowd with her torch, while skier Nancy Greene, NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and NBA All-Star Steve Nash proceeded as planned.

The uncharacteristically warm weather contributing to the rain, the mud and the glum, has forced the cancellation of training runs, and has delayed both the men's downhill which was scheduled for today, and the women's super-combined which was originally scheduled for Sunday.

Prior to her interview in a room that was oddly decorated by several candles, a jubilant Lindsey Vonn was heard to selfishly squeal out a ‘yippie-yi-ya’ for what the delay would mean to her badly bruised shin. No doubt NBC’s Olympic guru Dick Ebersol was also girlishly giddy over these developments.

None of this is surprising in this age where the pursuit of personal fame and television ratings trumps all else. Still, although I’m pulling for Bode Miller, Shaun White, a.k.a. The Flying Tomato, Apolo Anton Ohno, Shani Davis, Gretchen Bleiler and the other Americans, I feel a bit sorry for the Canadians this Saturday.

"Oh Canada" indeed...

EAGLES Scavenging the NFL Scene as the SAINTS March on...

2010-02-11T16:13:00.005-07:00

Indianapolis Colts owner Bill Polian felt compelled to point out where his team lost the Super Bowl, instead of simply praising the World Champion New Orleans Saints or Sean Payton and his staff for a gutsy called game. [click here for great SAINTS GEAR]. No real fault there, and I do enjoy it when guys don’t necessarily take the sports high-road, exhibit a little less ‘sportsmanship’ in their statements to the press, and generally let it all hang out there. He pointed a finger (No, not THAT finger) at ‘offensive’ line play, and the special teams. There was a lot of truth in what he said, but it came off like a little sour grapes as well.

What I was pleased to hear in his anguished words was that he found fault with the Colt’s special teams unit, just falling short of calling out former-Eagle Hank “couldn’t catch it if it landed in my bread…” Basket and throwing him under the proverbial bus. Hank could hardly be blamed for misfielding the surprise kick, and I’m sure he fought like the devil in the ensuing scrum, but I do love that there is a Philadelphia connection there.

Speaking of Philly and dogging it on the football field, I’m not sure what to make of Michael Vick’s revelation that he took a ‘…lazy and complacent’ approach to playing when he was with the Atlanta Falcons. No big surprise there, but was this revelation simply a teaser for the Eagles quarterback heir apparent’s 10-part documentary-series, "The Michael Vick Project," which was unleashed on the public by BET network Tuesday night?

The smart money insists that Kevin Kolb will get the start for the Eagles if and when they part ways with Donavan McNabb. However, one has to stop and wonder if we are going to be seeing Michael Vick taking a much more prominent role in Philadelphia. Perhaps running an Eagles version of the Wildcat, appropriately termed; Wild Dog?

McDaniels McContemplating McNabb?

2010-02-09T22:37:00.007-07:00

You’re joshing me right? So rumors out of Philadelphia are that the Denver Broncos are one of three teams in trade talks with Donavan McNabb. The acquisition of McNabb would almost certainly help the Broncos, primarily because he would be replacing a mediocre quarterback in Kyle Orton. However, I would not for example, anticipate that he would have the same impact that Brett Favre has had with the Vikings this past season. I’m just saying…

Maybe I’m a little biased, but having lived in Philadelphia for the past 20 years, I have never been impressed with McNabb, and very dismissive of descriptions of him as an elite NFL quarterback. Keep in mind that a lot of the Eagles success earlier this decade had more to do with a weak NFC East than anything else.

The knock on McNabb is that he is great between the twenties, but is not very accurate and has the propensity to throw the occasional gopher ball. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for his subpar playoff games, but many question his intestinal fortitude in a big spot, and like to point to his apparent choking (literally) in the Super Bowl against the Patriots. He has choked in some other big spots too. Still, he can heave the pigskin with the best of them, something Kyle Orton is definitely not capable of doing. If the Broncos do wind up with him, this would presumably lift the play and attitude of Brandon Marshall and the receiving corps.

At 33-years old, Donavan McNabb is still a viable option at quarterback. He would be a good stop-gap measure for the Broncos until they can either get Chris Simms to overcome his own problems ‘Manning-up’ and demonstrating that he has the stones to compete in this league, or until they can draft their quarterback for the future.

The Colts or the Saints, Who's It Gonna Be?

2010-02-06T07:23:00.023-07:00

Just read Mike Lupica’s article in the New York Daily News this morning. In the piece he argues that the two best teams are playing in the Super Bowl this year, and dismisses the notion that the game might have been better had Brett Favre and the Vikings made it.

“Favre is where he belongs Sunday Night: Watching.”

You could have counted me among the throngs rooting for the spectacle of a 40-something Favre making a curtain call of sorts in Super Bowl XLIV (Get the official program here). I too felt a little sorry for him when he slung that interception with the NFC Championship nearly in hand in the game against the Saints. Still, Lupica makes a compelling argument that in fact, Colts vs Saints is the matchup we want to see this Sunday.

Not sure who I’ll be pulling for. Both teams have that good-guy reputation and stories that you can get behind. I find the endless ties to Katrina a little tiresome, and the ‘Who Dat’ chant a little too reminiscent of the copy-cat Bengals and their equally annoying ‘Who Dey’. Still, they are the underdog and its always fun getting behind David in a David and Goliath slug fest. The Aint’s have waited an eternity for a title, wear a muted version of my beloved Black & Gold, so I guess I’ll be getting behind them. Can New Orleans pull off the upset? Will it be the World Champion New Orleans Saints in 2009?

NEW ORLEANS CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR - by Jack Fact

On the other side of the spectrum, there is the squeaky clean Colts and Payton Manning. As much as I like his commercials, particularly the one with Justin Timberlake where he claims... “The more sports you watch on a Sony, the better you get at sports" there is something about all the talk about him being the best quarterback to ever don a dress that has me wanting to see him get schooled. Maybe Greg Williams and the Saints defense can deliver some of those ‘Remember Me’ hits? Will it be the World Champion Indianapolis Colts hoisting the Lombardi?

INDIANAPOLIS CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR - by Jack Fact

One thing you can be sure of, by this point we've got most of our Super Bowl Party Supplies, beverages, food and other essentials ready for the game. All that remains is the game itself. Pass the chips, Brett!

Terrell Owens to the Bengals?

2010-02-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

The Super Bowl awaits us this Sunday, but we are also reminded of the potential for an imminent work stoppage looming on the horizon. Thankfully the antics of Ochocinco, and his proclamation that Terrell Owens will be a Bengal next year, brought a little humor into this conversation and brightened up an otherwise unremarkable football Friday.

I am a fan of the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers (I can still say that until Sunday night, right?), and actually would like nothing more than to see Terrell Owens teamed up with the player formerly known as Chad Johnson. It makes sense that the Bengals would do this in order to fill the vacancy created by the departure of the human formerly known as Chris Henry.

Let me explain. Owens has done an admirable job towing the line in Buffalo, but playing there is roughly analogous to being banished to Siberia. So even if he were acting up, chances are those stories would have never seen the light of day anyway. I thoroughly believe that should he find himself in Cincinnati sharing center stage with Ochocinco, we could all sit back, grab our popcorn, and enjoy the circus.

Hall Of Fame day at the Super Bowl

2010-02-04T17:14:00.005-07:00

Today on ESPN’s ‘Mike and Mike’ it was announced that it was Hall of Fame day on the program. One listener pointed out interestingly enough, that of the six guests scheduled to appear, four of them were from Western Pennsylvania; Tony Dorsett, Jim Kelly, Joe Montana and Mike Ditka. The others were Jerry Rice and Dwight Clark.

Pittsburgh, a.k.a., The Iron City, and to a greater extent Western Pennsylvania, has been the birthplace of many great football players. Commemorate the terrific fan base that supports this sport and it’s players by purchasing an IRON CITY REAL TEAM REAL FANS REAL FOOTBALL gift. There are a variety of custom Iron City; Real Team, Real Fans, Real Football inspired pictures, designs and images available on t-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts and more. Whether you are a Steelers fan or simply love the sport, you will find great apparel, home and office accessories, clothing, unique custom gift items and more at this site.

The Diluting of Ground Hog Day

2010-02-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

The sun has long set on another Ground Hog Day, and until this year I never realized that a lot of places have gotten into the act. Not sure how I feel about this, but I’m sure the people out there around Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania feel that their quaint little event has been cheapened.

Looking through the list I was a little surprised to see ‘Staten Island Chuck’. You’ve got to be kidding me, right? To top it off, apparently this particular rodent lives in the Staten Island Zoo. I guess I don’t mind that some of these small towns and hamlets have gotten into the Ground Hog Day act, but I find it a little nauseating that New York City felt compelled to muscle in on the action too.

On a positive note, I noticed that there weren’t any West Coast entrees, so either there aren't many meteorologically inclined groundhogs there, or they're simply too busy chasing mythical monsters like Bigfoot. Actually, this probably isn't too far off the mark since they’re currently trying to understand the meaning of all those giant squids that have been invading the beaches by the hundreds.

Postscript: In a dramatic counter-move, the citizens of Gobblers Knob have agreed to the production of a Groundhog Day-themed Super Bowl spot featuring Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The ad promotes the new truTV series NFL FULL CONTACT, which premieres the day after the Super Bowl: Monday, Feb. 8, at 10 p.m. In the ad, Troy plays the role of “Punxsutawney Polamalu.”

Birds of a Feather

2010-02-01T21:02:00.001-07:00

I recently moved to the mountains west of Boulder from the Northeast, and was bewildered to see a large flock of Robins flying around my cabin yesterday afternoon. I always thought of these guys as harbingers of spring, so I was a little shocked to see them in the dead of winter en masse. My guess is that they were on their way north. Were they part of some larger migration? Damned if I know…

What I do know is that it was far less shocking to hear that New York Jets coach Rex Ryan had flipped-the-bird to some Dolphins fans this past Saturday. He definitely ruffled a few feathers with that stunt and will be fined by the team, the league and possibly even both. Roger Goodell might even make an example of him since it has only been a couple of months since Titans owner Bud Adams was fined a cool quarter of a million dollars for flipping off Bills fans.

So, could it be that this is some emerging trend in the AFC East, or with this latest incident are we simply witnessing Rex Ryan displaying a temperament he inherited from his father? If you recall, Buddy Ryan famously sucker punched Kevin Gilbride, then a fellow Houston Oilers assistant coach, in a game against the New York Jets back in 1994. Could it be that the old adage, 'Birds of a feather...' is at play here?

Hand gestures aside, I think the really obscene gesture was Rex Ryan’s quote where he said "I want to just tell everybody in Miami, ’Hey, we’re coming to beat you twice next year,’ "

The Jets were swept by the Dolphins in 2009.

An Alternative to the NFL Pro Bowl

2010-01-31T07:07:00.002-07:00

Even as a child I never really had any illusions as to what the NFL Pro Bowl was, but the 2009 installment has become quite the charade. Bad enough that the voting in recent years has made selection more of a popularity contest than anything else, but now because the game is played before the Super Bowl it has now become an absolute joke. Second and third alternates starting in the game used to be the norm, this year promises to feature fourth, fifth and in at least one instance a sixth alternate. Give me a break.

By the way, some of you out there still recovering from Brett Favre being well, Brett Favre, are now groaning over the announcement that Bryant McKinnie was booted from the Pro Bowl. Weary Vikings fans, take some solace in knowing that the bum had no business being selected in the first place, but I digress.

Scheduling issues aside, at this point I would much rather see the NFL replace the Pro Bowl altogether and feature a skills event instead. A mere ‘Punt, Pass, and Kick’competition might be a little boring, but I’m not ready for a Herschel Walker inspired mixed martial arts spectacle either. Who didn’t like seeing the NFL’s strongest man competition, fastest man, quarterback challenge, and the obstacle course? I don’t know, does the league still hold those contests? If not, I say bring ‘em back with a vengeance. Do it with the full complement of NFL regalia too. Get rid of those red and blue outfits, and have the players wearing t-shirts and shorts from their respective teams. The television coverage of these events had consisted primarilyof highlights, kind of like watching Wide World of Sports back in the day, but since the NFL network is compelled to feed us every moment of the NFL Combine, why not give us these events in their entirety too?

Not to worry, sure as anything, later today I’ll plop down on the couch, crack open a cold frosty one, and watch the festivities. Either that or maybe watch some of the X-Games, although I guess I already missed Gretchen Bleiler winning her 4th Gold in the Woman's Superpipe. Just biding my time until Super Bowl XLIV gets here.

This isn't an observation or mere speculation, after all, it's a Jack Fact.