I'm bacccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkk

What's up everyone? Don't say it, I already know you missed me. I guess the depression that sets in between football and baseball is real. I've been in a hole the last couple of months and finally found a way out with spring training and spring football.

AP Photo

First things first, there is a current NFL lockout. Who cares?!?! All this talk of labor disputes is killing me. Owners make a ton of money, players make a ton of money, someone figure out how to best share that money and move on. Football needs the American public more than the American public needs football. Someone somewhere has to understand that athletes and owners make money off of fans. Without the public, there is no salary, period. Do what's right by the consumers who "buy the product that is the NFL". A mediator makes sense, now listen to the mediator.


Let's talk spring baseball...
The Braves look good, period. I plan on having a further breakdown of the Minor/Beachy decision later, but how could you go wrong? The Braves pitching staff, inclusive of the bullpen, is the best in baseball. I know about the Phillies, the Giants, the Red Sox, and I simply don't care. I'll take Hudson, Hanson, Lowe, Jurrjens (healthy), and a combo of Minor/Beachy/Teheran/Delgado/Vizcaino (get the point?) as my starting rotation as quickly as I'd take anyone. Combine that with a bullpen that looks downright scary with Venters, Moylan, and Kimbrel and it's going to be a hell of a season.

The revamped offense, with Freddie "The Jackalope" Freeman, a full year of Heyward healthy, McClouth playing like, well Nate McClouth, Chipper driving the ball, McCann being McCann, Prado getting on base, and Dan "The Man" Uggla looks like a scary combination of lefty and righty batters, all with pop, all with on base ability, and all looking healthier than they have looked in a while. I couldn't be more excited.

Sure, the Braves have some questions, but the Phillies better watch out. The East isn't theirs for the taking this season. Let's keep up with our responsibility and fill up the Ted this year. Our boys are back and looking good! Let's Go Bravos!

In honor of my return, here's some Diddy comin atcha'

Jim Tressel might be in deeper shit than we previously thought

Jim Tressel's coaching career at Ohio State might soon be over. We already know Tressel has been suspended for the first 5 games of the 2011 season and fined $250,000 for failing to report numerous violations with his players to Ohio State's compliance department and the NCAA. Now there is word that Tressel has lied again about not sharing that information with anybody else acccording to BuckeyeExtra.com.

When Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel learned last spring that some of his current players were in trouble, he shared the information with someone he thought could help his star quarterback even though he said he didn't tell his bosses.

Tressel forwarded the information to Ted Sarniak, a mentor to Terrelle Pryor, after the coach received emails warning that Pryor and at least one other player had sold memorabilia to a local tattoo-parlor owner who was under federal investigation for drug trafficking, multiple sources have confirmed to The Dispatch.

Sarniak, 67, is a prominent businessman in Pryor's hometown of Jeannette, Pa. He befriended the quarterback years ago and accompanied him on recruiting trips to Ohio State and other universities.

During a news conference on March 8 to announce NCAA ethics violations by Tressel, the coach said he kept the information to himself to protect the confidentiality of the federal investigation and for the safety of his players.

But Tressel also nodded his head and said "um-hmm" when asked whether he had forwarded the emails to anyone.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith quickly intervened to prevent Tressel from answering that question about the matter currently under investigation by the NCAA.

Say it isn't so Sweatervest! The giant ball of lies continues to build up for Tressel. All Tressel had to do was report what he knew to Ohio State and the NCAA and he would be in the clear. Sure the players would have gotten suspended for a stupid rule to begin with but at least Tressel would have done the right thing. As the head coach it's his job to report these things he finds out if anything to cover his own ass. What I'm starting to wonder is if he told his athletic director Smith? I'm thinking he did and Smith told him to keep it on the hush and hush and hope the story goes away. But what we do know is Tressel has setup a pattern of lies in which he basically will have a hard time recovering from.

At this point I think there is no turning back for Tressel and Ohio State. The scrutiny is too much and the media is not going to stop asking questions nor should they since Tressel continues to lie about what he knew. The truth is Tressel is in deep shit with no exit strategy. If the University wishes to avoid a "Pete Carroll" they are going to either have to be honest with Tressel answering all questions that are reasonable or straight up fire him. Tressel knowingly lied to the NCAA and played players who were ineligible last season. The coverup as it unravels is something no coach can survive.

At this point I think the possibility of Ohio native and former Ohio State assistant coach Urban Meyer getting back to college football in Columbus in 2012 is becoming more a formality.

Love me some Adam Jones: goes off on the Baltimore fickle fans

 

Kudos to Baltimore Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones for stating the obvious and the truth. I love the candor he speaks with the "just knock the shit out of them" in regards to the obnoxious Yankees and Red Sox fans who come into Camden Yards and act like it is their home park. If you have a problem with what Adam has to say then too bad. Orioles fans need to take back the yard this spring. And by take back I mean knock the shit out of any drunk Yankees fan who starts talking shit about the Orioles in your homepark.

Mighty Ducks Rap Song

This might be the greatest rap song about the Mighty Ducks. There are others you are wondering? I have no fucking clue. What I do know is I never watched one of the Mighty Ducks movies. I leave the hockey movies to those eskimos up in Canada.

Video via BarStoolSports

Sweet 16 Picks

UCONN vs. San Diego St (Pick Em)
I managed to watch San Diego State for only the 2nd time all season last week. Holy shit what a boring team they have. I know all they do is win but they don't have one guy on their team that scares me. The Huskies on the other hand have the great Kemba Walker and they have an inside presence in Alex Oriakhi. In terms of talent and coaching I got to take the Huskies in this pick em game.

Prediction: UCONN 72 San Diego St 64

Florida (-2.5) vs. BYU
Last year these two teams met in the first round and BYU won a thrilling 99-92 game in double OT. One can only hope this year this sweet 16 battle lives up to those standards. Everybody knows about Jimmer. He will win the Naismith and we will never hear from him again after his college career is done. Hey I'm not a hater. I like Jimmer. But this will be his last game. BYU doesn't have the size in the front court especially without Brandon Davies to bang with the Gators. The Gators are a sleeper team this year to win the whole thing despite their 2 National Championships under Billy Donovan. The Gators also have better coaching and better talent. I know it sounds like a broken record but unless Jimmer goes for 40 plus (which wouldn't surprise me) I see the Gators handling this game rather easily.

Prediction: Florida 66 BYU 59

Arizona (+9) vs. Duke
I texted my Dad last week saying Arizona's Derrick Williams might be the best player in the college game and could be the #1 pick in the NBA next season. His response was "been watching VCU." In Dad terms that is a "I'm going to ignore your ridiculous statement." Of course Williams went on to have one of his worst games of the season vs Texas but he still managed to hit a clutch 3 pt play with the game on the line. Plus Williams had the game winning block vs. Memphis in the first round. Williams led the nation in free throw attempts as he loves to drive to the hoop and create scoring opportunities from the free throw line. He will be guarded by James Bond villain Kyle Singler. Singler will pull the usual Duke flopping bull shit that Coach K teaches and yet somehow the officials still haven't caught on that it's not an offensive foul when you breath on a Duke defender and he topples faster than the housing market. I'm not a Duke fan for obvious reasons (I have a functional cock) but I think the Dukies win this game in a close battle. The Duke back court is better than Zona's and Nolan Smith will have a solid second half. I'm still taking Zona to beat the spread though.

Prediction: Duke 77 Arizona 72

Here are some highlights of Derrick Williams just because I want to prove to my Dad he is the best player in the college game...


And here is a little Blake Griffin-esque dunk...


Butler (+4.5) vs. Wisconsin
Seriously how in the holy fuck is Butler an underdog in this game? Is Vegas still not believers in the Bulldogs? Last year's Cinderella used some of that magic to beat Pitt last week in a downright brutal officiated game. For some reason I have never liked Wisconsin. I don't know what it is. I think the people are great and cheerful but for some reason the Badgers have always pissed me off. Maybe I'm letting my college football bias get in the way here. I'm also in love with Butler coach Brad Stevens. On the other hand the sight of Wisconsin's Bo Ryan makes me want to straight stomp on his man region. His face just pisses me off. He's a close second to Kansas State's Frank Martin in guys "I wouldn't mind dropping from the face of the earth just at the way they act on the sidelines." Anyways enough about my rage issues. Butler has made me good money the past two years. I'm not about to jump off their bandwagon especially as an underdog.

Prediction: Butler 69 Wisconsin 66

Great Moments in History with Gus Johnson

Great Moments in History with Gus Johnson from Gus Johnson

I love me some Gus Johnson. He needs to be doing college football this fall. Fuck Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson. They suck. I want Gus Johnson doing SEC Football this fall. He's already on CBS and his talents will be wasted with the NFL Lockout.

Buck Showalter throws a couple of verbal haymakers at Theo Epstein and Derek Jeter

Orioles manager Buck Showalter isn't worried about ruffling the feathers of his AL East rivals in the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The second year Baltimore skipper had some choice words for both Derek Jeter and Boston GM Theo Epstein.

From an interview in Men's Journal about Jeter:

"The first time we went to Yankee Stadium, I screamed at Derek Jeter from the dugout," said Showalter. "Our guys are thinking, 'Wow, he's screaming at Derek Jeter.' Well, he's always jumping back from balls just off the plate. I know how many calls that team gets -- and yes, he [ticks] me off."

While Jeter is the poster boy for everything that is good and right to the baseball world Showalter is basically kicking some dirt into his holy water. Anybody remember Jeter faking the hit by pitch last season? No well then let me refresh your memory...


Personally I love what Showalter is doing. Jeter is all over the plate and gets a shitload of walks by his leaning over the plate and acting like the inside strike is in fact off the plate. Showalter is already getting into not only Jeter's head but the umps around the majors. Plus he is providing a confidence boost to his own Orioles in the fact that they are not going to back down to the almighty Yankees. The Orioles have needed an attitude change as much as they have needed an ownership change. 13 straight losing seasons is a testament to this ideology. At least Showalter has the cojones to fight and it has already permeated to his young ball club (.600 win percentage in the 57 games he coached last year, best among the AL East teams).

Where I tend to disagree with Showalter is his words on Epstein:

"I'd like to see how smart Theo Epstein is with the Tampa Bay payroll," Showalter said. "You got Carl Crawford 'cause you paid more than anyone else, and that's what makes you smarter? That's why I like whipping their butt. It's great, knowing those guys with the $205 million payroll are saying, 'How the hell are they beating us?'"

Epstein isn't Brian Cashman. The Red Sox do have a ridiculous payroll like the Yankees and in many ways they are the Yankees Jr. in the way they operate. But Epstein at the very least has developed a strong minor league feeder system for the Red Sox organization and is one of the main reasons why they were able to trade for a slugger like Adrian Gonzalez without completely diminishing the farm.

I do like Buck's fighting words though. It's a good attitude to spread to not only his ballclub but to the fanbase of Baltimore. The Orioles beat the Red Sox last year despite having a payroll that is essentially less than half. If the team can win on the field there is no reason why the fans shouldn't start showing up this season and rooting for the home team while drowning out the bandwagon Sox and Yankees fans. Showalter, as a former ESPN media member, knew exactly what his words would do. They would be quickly spread amongst the media and blogs and turned into fighting words.

"Buck yeah!" should be the Orioles team motto this season. With the additions of sluggers Vladimir Guerrero, Mark Reynolds, Derrek Lee, and J.J. Hardy to the everyday lineup the Orioles should have plenty of firepower to back up Buck's words. Now it's a matter of time for the young pitching staff (Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Chris Tillman, and Zach Britton) to come together and turn around the misfortune of the Baltimore Orioles franchise. It's about "Buck"ing time!

Going Going Gonzo! Shirt

We got another new SportsCrack.com T-shirt just in time for baseball season. The "Going Going Gonzo!" shirt is in honor of the newest first baseman up in Boston. With his sweet fluid yet powerful swing expect to hear a lot of the "Gonzo!" chants this season in Fenway.

Going Going Gonzo Shirt

Girl pissing on Carnival Cruise

I mean wow. She just pissed all over the deck with her pants down. I don't know whether to laugh or be disgusted. All is fair during Spring Break though I guess.

Video via BarStoolSports

Notre Dame Spring Practice Video

First look Ishaq, Lynch, Golson from Irish Illustrated on Vimeo.

It's always good to get a look at some of the instant impact freshmen who are coming in to Notre Dame. First the video has #1 Ishaq Williams who will get a chance to crack the 2 deep at outside linebacker. Ishaq looks the part as he has the size of a college player already and at 6-5, 242 pound he doesn't have much growing to do. Just a hunch but I think we will see a lot of Ishaq this fall starting with the season opener against South Florida.

#19 Aaron Lynch also passes the eyeball test. Physically he is 6-6, 260 pound and the defensive end will put on some more weight and strength as spring progresses. I can see him being a solid backup to Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson this fall at the end position and picking up a half dozen sacks in passing situations.

#5 Everett Golson is basically the 4th string QB right now. The 6-0, 180 pound QB brings back fond memories of Tony Rice. He's got some time to learn the offense and I could definitely see Brian Kelly putting in some plays specifically designed for Golson to spread out the offense and make it run a little east-to-west while doing some quick reads.

All 3 of these freshmen have a chance to make some sort of impact for the Fighting Irish in 2011. I'd expect to see Ishaq and Lynch almost immediately in the season opener where Bob Diaco likes to get fresh bodies rotated in the defense. Both are speed guys who could make a future NFL living getting to the quarterback. Golson could be a while till we see him play but I would think Kelly has something up his sleeve. Right now Dayne Crist who is coming back from yet another knee surgery will probably be the starter with Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix backing him up. Golson brings a good mixture of speed, athleticism, and quick release that puts him in a different category than the other 3 QB's. His inexperience though at the college level will take time and I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him redshirt if and it's a big if Dayne can make it through the whole season healthy.

Go to IrishIllustrated.com for more spring practice updates.

The Reliant Stadium Basketball Shot

March Madness at it's finest.

Jeopardy's Alex Trebek's College Football Highlights

TheSolidVerbal has the highlights from the Stanford/Oregon game with play-by-play commentary from Jeopardy's Alex Trebek. Trebek nails it as usual.

Michael Floyd arrested for DUI

With Spring football just around the corner the last thing the Notre Dame football program needed was a star football player arrested. Unfortunately Notre Dame just lost it's best player in returning senior wideout Michael Floyd who was arrested Saturday night for drinking and driving.

WSBT has confirmed star Notre Dame football player Michael Floyd was arrested over the weekend for drinking and driving.

Sgt. Bill Redman, St. Joseph County Police public information officer, confirmed Floyd was booked into the county jail just after 4 a.m. Sunday.

Floyd was released from jail about seven hours later after posting a $500 bond.

Redman says Notre Dame Security Police arrested Floyd on campus.

A court date is set for May 2, Redman said, clarifying his earlier report of an April 2 court date.

Losing Floyd next season due to a suspension would be a huge blow for the Notre Dame offense. Floyd is one of the top 3 wide receivers in the college game and honestly is not replaceable. It was a huge shock when he decided to come back for his senior season and skip the NFL draft. This DUI arrest is of equal in shock value considering Floyd is a senior captain who is suppose to lead by example for a Fighting Irish team that is a sleeper for a BCS Bowl run in the fall. This isn't Floyd's first offense with drinking either. He was cited for underage drinking in his hometown of Minneapolis 14 months ago. A fight was involved.

If I had to take a guess I think head coach Brian Kelly will suspend Floyd for at least 2 games with a possibility of 6 games max. A suspension isn't a possibility at this point. It's a reality especially at a school like Notre Dame. Starting fullback Rashon Powers-Neal was suspended the rest of his senior year after he was caught for DUI midway through the 2005 season. Other players with past offenses were basically kicked out of the school. It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame handles the situation. Michael Floyd fucked up and he fucked up pretty bad. Now one can only hope he learns from his mistake and has a chance at redemption this fall.

Here is what the Notre Dame du Lac handbook (think of it as the rules all students must follow at Notre Dame) says in regards to alcohol offenses.

Regarding drinking and driving:
Driving Under the Influence of
Alcohol or Drugs
The University prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated
or impaired. Any person doing so exhibits wanton disregard for
the rights and safety of others.
For purposes of this policy, “driving under the influence” is
defined as a situation in which the operator of any motorized vehicle
is determined by admission, by testing for blood alcohol content or
by commonly accepted behavioral observations (e.g., slurred speech,
staggering, etc.) to be driving such vehicle after having consumed
alcoholic beverages or ingested other drugs or legally controlled
substances which may alter, inhibit or impair a person’s condition
of thought and action.

Also for purposes of this policy, a first offense is a first-time
violation of the “driving under the influence” policy. A second
offense is a second violation of the “driving under the influence”
policy or a first-time violation of this policy with at least one
previous violation of the intoxication policy.
I. Violations and Sanctions
a. First offense: If a student is determined to have violated
this policy, the Office of Residence Life and Housing will:
1. Place the student on Disciplinary Probation for at
least one semester.
2. Require the student to participate in an alcohol
assessment at an appropriate assessing agency and
undertake alcohol education according to the
assessor’s determination.
3. Require the student to forfeit all University vehicle
registration and campus driving/parking privileges
for at least one semester.
4. Require the student to pay an appropriate monetary
fine or perform equivalent community service.

Since this is Floyd's first DUI it would constitute a first violation of "driving under the influence" and since they are still in the spring semester his probation could start now and go into the summer semester. If I'm reading the 4 points right Floyd would basically be subject to probation, alcohol classes, forfeit driving privileges, and pay a fine with some community service. It does not state expulsion from the school which is obviously huge. Best case scenario is Floyd does not participate in spring practice while he finishes up his obligations for first time offender during the summer semester and is thus granted full eligibility starting in the fall.

Jim Tressel continues to dot the i in LIAR

I was on vacation last week when the whole "Jim Tressel lied about not knowing his 5 players committed infractions" story broke. I honestly didn't think too much of it. I just figured the Sweatervest has lied about a lot of things since he came to Columbus. It's not necessarily his fault. It's part of the game. Literally there are so many fucking NCAA rules that if an athlete takes a shit without contacting Tressel on whether he wiped his ass 2 or...wait for it...3 times then the NCAA could see it as a violation.

Listen I don't like Ohio State. But I hate the NCAA even more. If a player wants to sell his own jersey for money then let them. If a player wants to exchange their own jersey for tattoo's then let them. It's their own fucking property as soon as Ohio State gives it to them. I thought the A.J. Green suspension was bull shit and I think the 5 players for Ohio State being suspended is bull shit. It's a dumb ass rule and the only reason it is around is because the NCAA doesn't want anybody profiting off anything college related unless they have their dirty fingers in it. They are the biggest hypocrites in the world. A college athlete can't sell his image or likeness for money while playing yet the schools and the NCAA can profit off those players by putting them on billboards, commercials, and jerseys. And yeah I get it that they get a free education, food, clothes and room and board but some schools are literally making 100's of millions off certain athletes. Everybody knows Cam Newton was worth the 180K to Auburn. The guy brought in millions to Auburn.

But anyways enough of the NCAA rant. Tressel has now upped his suspension to 5 games instead of the 2 he initially was suspended for. Here is what he said today...

"Throughout this entire situation, my players and I have committed ourselves to facing our mistakes and growing from them; we can only successfully do this together," he said in a statement. "I spoke with athletic director [Gene] Smith, and our student-athletes involved, and told them that my mistakes need to share the same game sanctions."

First off he is lying. Bold face. The "players and I have committed ourselves to facing our mistakes and growing from them" is complete and utter bull shit. Tressel knew the players committed an infraction and hid it from the University's compliance department and the NCAA. That isn't facing your mistake throughout the entire situation. That is running and hiding from it. So Tressel is about as trustworthy as Lane Kiffin is right now. He knows he broke the rules but as long as he didn't get caught he would still be coaching. In other words he is not a very good leader or example right now for the Ohio State football program. His track record with wins and losses is fantastic and you can't discount the winning attitude he has brought to Columbus since leaving Youngstown State. The Buckeyes struggled for national prominence and couldn't even beat arch rival Michigan before Tressel arrived. Now they dominate the Big Ten and destroy Michigan every single year and compete in BCS Bowl games because of Tressel. But like Dez Bryant faced when he lied to the NCAA I believe Tressel should be suspended for the whole season if the NCAA is going to follow their protocol. If a student-athlete lies about knowing something the NCAA hammers them. They should do the same with the coaches in my opinion.

In the big picture this whole story is more of a witch hunt for Tressel's head. Tressel knew about the infractions back in April of 2010 when he was notified by Columbus lawyer of the 5 player's infractions for the tattoo's in exchange for jerseys. He didn't notify anybody because all 5 of those players are major parts of his program. Suspending them last season would probably have meant the Buckeyes wouldn't have been in the Sugar Bowl. So he hoped it went away. It didn't. The player's infraction isn't even bad in my opinion. Tressel lying about it the whole time and trying to avoid the subject is worst than what the players did. And for this Tressel should be suspended for the whole season if the NCAA wants to "uphold it's integrity*" of the game.

*=corporate sponsors

House of Pain - Shamrocks and Shenanigans

It wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day without a little House of Pain blast from the past.

HT: Jake



Image via Ebaums World

The Greatest Charlie Sheen Shirt Yet: Winner Winner Sheen Dinner

All you warlocks out there better get your hands on this Winner Winner Sheen Dinner shirt today! It's just another SportsCrack original t-shirt that others will surely rip off. Get your shirt today! Tiger Blood not included.

WINNER WINNER SHEEN DINNER SHIRT

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It wouldn't be St. Paddy's without the Leprechaun in Mobile video. This video still brings tears to these Irish eyes. It's a classic that just keeps on giving. St. Patrick would be proud of the crackhead.

I hope everybody has a Happy St. Paddy's Day!

The new Adidas commercial has Notre Dame in it...not Michigan

Sorry Michigan. You couldn't cut it for the newest Adidas commercial. I think I saw a quick glance of a Wolverines helmet in there. Unfortunately it was when Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph was reaching for the goal line and Michigan defenders were dropping like flies. Sucks to be a Wolverine.

Snoop Dogg killed it and The Situation bombed at the Roast of Donald Trump

It wasn't the same without Greg Giraldo there but the Roast of Donald Trump had some knockdown laugh out loud moments. One of the best was Snoop Dogg just straight out killing it. Who knew Snoop could be so fucking funny? Snoop's Jeffrey Ross jokes were hysterical. It was great to see him tear up The Situation. I know a lot of people love The Jersey Shore but I personally think it is one of the worst shows ever. It's not even remotely funny. It's just a bunch of talentless redneck guidos doing laundry. Great concept.

Here is the Situation trying to act funny and in the process his 15 minutes just ran out.

R.I.P NATE DOGG

The smooth and soulful Nate Dogg passed away yesterday at the age of 41. Regulators was his major hit back in the mid 90's and it was one of those tunes you couldn't get out of your head. The flow and melody to the song was G-Funk like. Just listening to it now makes me want to roll a fatty, kick back and reflect on life.

R.I.P Nate Dogg

Tonight's Basketball Picks

UAB +5 over Clemson
I know Clemson comes from a power conference in the ACC but did you actually watch it this year? It was terrible with the exception of Duke and North Carolina. Going 9-7 in the ACC conference is like UCONN in football going 6-4 in the Big East. It's no big deal. The UAB Blazers on the other hand have heard all about how they don't deserve a spot in the tournament and how Virginia Tech or some other loser team should have gotten in over them. The winner of this 12 seed vs 12 seed game gets West Virginia on Thursday. Take UAB with the points as the dog and if you are feeling really lucky take them with the outright win and the odds pay 3-to-1.

Prediction: UAB 66 Clemson 64

Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks -5
The Bucks are garbage and the Hawks for the most part kick ass at home. Atlanta hasn't been playing it's greatest ball of late but they can handle the Bucks. This game won't be close. Al Horford and Joe Johnson are going to destroy the Bucks.

Prediction: Hawks 98 Bucks 85

Albert Pujols panty shot

TheBigLead via JoeSportsFan got this Ryan Franklin tweet picture of some singer named David Nail and oh my god Albert Fucking Pujols is wearing women panties in the background. I can see the lace off his balls. Pujols is our modern day Nuke Laloosh.

Great March Madness Moments in Legos

Tauntr.com had this rather brilliant recreation of March Madness moments lego-lized. I watched the "Fab 5" documentary on ESPN last night and seeing Chris Webber call the time out still makes me laugh. The guy would talk so much shit to opponents but when he failed he would just cower and not answer questions. Personally I had no problem with the Fab 5 even though they were a Michigan team. I generally liked Jalen Rose because he had a swagger and I thought the Fab 5 was great for college basketball. It's just too bad Chris Webber fucked it all up for them on the court with the idiotic timeout and off by taking money (over $250,000) and still won't answer questions or apologize for what he did. For a big man C-Webb looked like a little bitch the way he came off in the documentary. Maybe in 2013 when he is reinstated by the NCAA he will man up and admit he fucked up.

Tommy Zbikowski moves to 2-0 with 1st Round TKO

This obviously wasn't as impressive as his first professional fight 4 years ago but Baltimore Raven's safety Tommy Zbikowski still delivered a powerful left hand hook to tomato can Richard Ryant's upper chest for the first round TKO. With the NFL Lockout in full force Zibby will have a chance to fight again in less than a month. The venue will be in Atlantic City.

"As long as he is available to fight, we plan to keep him very busy, whether it's once a month, every two or three weeks," said promoter Bob Arum, a corruptible weasel who acknowledged during a 2000 federal trial that he bribed the International Boxing Federation (IBF) to attain a higher ranking for one of his scrappers.

"Our matchmakers feel he can compete at the top level in boxing as a cruiserweight, and we're going to keep him busy.”

Zibby seems up for the challenge.

"I wanted to get the ring rust off in this fight," he said. "Right now this isn't a second career for me. It's a first career."

Sorry for my absence

As you can see I'm excited to be back. Now give me your cuppy cakes!

Bring on the NCAA Tourney and Gus Johnson

Just hearing CBS Play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson scream "COLD BLOODED" gets me all tingly and hard. It's that time of the year again folks. NCAA March fucking Madness. Yesterday they announced the brackets and looking at them at first glance I don't really see anybody who got hosed. The Tourney is going to be wide open. Some of the favorites (please be Duke!) will get knocked out early and you know there will be at least a couple of Cinderella's who make it to the Elite Eight. Bring it on!

Charlie Sheen knocks one out of Dodger Stadium. Winning.

The Tiger Blood is dripping strong here with Charlie Sheen knocking this shit out of ball at Dodger Stadium. Check out that textbook left handed swing. Wild Thing can play a little ball. Winning.

NOW THIS IS A HOCKEY FIGHT: JUDD BLACKWATER VS JIM JORGENSEN

You might call the second punch a sucker punch considering Jim Jorgensen was already going down but I think Judd Blackwater was doing what needed to be done: finish the fight. The announcers made this fight even more exciting. Anytime you can throw in a Charlie Sheen reference you will be put on this blog. Winning.

Video via ExtraMustard

FOR THE HELL OF IT: STACY KEIBLER

It's always good to see an old classmate of mine making it big other than myself. Granted Stacy and I didn't talk too much during our mass communications courses at Towson University. She was a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens who was actually pretty smart who didn't need to cheat off this genius. Granted I'm no genius who would much rather party than study back then and hell..to this day. Anyways Stacy managed to go on without me and become a Wrestling Diva and Dancing with The Stars contestant. Now you can check her out in this Esquire spread.


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How's that Brandon Davies suspension working for you BYU?

So much for BYU getting a #1 seed and making a run for the Final Four which would have been huge for all the Jimmer Fredette and BYU fans out there. BYU got crushed in Provo last night by New Mexico of all teams 82-64. This was their first game without starting center Brandon Davies who was dismissed from the team because he had premarital sex. For now Davies is still allowed in school while his case is being reviewed by the Gestapo. Sorry I meant the Honor Code Office at BYU.

The lesson here kids is to never go to BYU to play sports unless you hate sex and want to be a virgin throughout college. Or you can get married and have kids during college which will work out just as well for you when you are 30 years old and regretting the decision to be Mormon. Don't worry I'm not anti-Mormon. I'm anti-religion when it comes to punishing kids for something they shouldn't feel guilty about.

Tommy Zbikowski returning to pro boxing, fights March 12th

It looks like an old familiar friend of the SportsCrack is getting back into the ring. Baltimore Ravens safety Tommy Zbikowski is scheduled to return to the pro boxing ring on March 12 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand as one of the undercard fights headlined by the main event of Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga.

Tommy Z has fought professionally once before in 2006 when he was a junior safety for Notre Dame. He knocked out some chump named Robert Bell in the first round at the Madison Square Garden. If you don't recall the fight here it is with most of his Notre Dame football teammates in attendance...


Before Tommy Z fights he needs to get his Nevada State license on March 8th. This shouldn't be a problem since he has fought professionally before and has 90 amateur boxing matches (75-15 record). This actually makes a lot of sense for Tommy Z with the impending NFL Lockout set to start in 15 hours. Zibby is a restricted free agent for the Ravens who isn't under contract so he has the freedom to fight and not void his NFL contract.

Personally I can't wait to see Tommy Z fight again. An opponent hasn't been named yet but you figure it has to be someone decent especially if it's the undercard to the Mayorga/Cotto fight. He is fighting as a cruiserweight after previously fighting as a heavyweight back in 2006. A cruiserweight is just under 200 lbs. The fight is a four-round bout. I hadn't even planned on ordering the fight but now with Tommy Z fighting you can pretty much assume it will be on my TV. If you are a Notre Dame fan or Tommy Z fan this should be pretty exciting. I wonder if he comes out in green shorts with a shamrock for Notre Dame or he comes out in something purple for the Ravens?

Tommy Z turn to pro boxing via ProFootballTalk

Charlie Sheen is winning with his 1927 Yankees Championship ring

The only watch that keeps Warlock time - Class of 1927 ring "Bambino U"

If you aren't following Charlie Sheen and his "winning tigerblood" on Twitter than you need to follow him immediately. It's fucking gold. It's magic. It's highly entertaining. And yes that is a 1927 New York Yankees World Series Championship Ring. Winning.

Here is a twitpic with one of his goddesses, Bree Olson, the porn star who is living with him. Winning.

BYU loses starting center Brandon Davies because he had sex..WTF?

Yeah I know BYU has some bull shit honor code where you can't fuck on campus or smoke a cigarette or whatever but did they seriously just suspend starting center Brandon Davies from the Cougars during a dream season? Holy shit those Mormons actually did it!

SALT LAKE CITY -- BYU officials confirmed Wednesday that starting forward Brandon Davies wasn't involved in anything criminal that resulted in his dismissal from the team.

BYU is in the midst of a dream season. But Brandon Davies' dismissal over the school's honor code is a nightmare for the Cougars, writes Eamonn Brennan. Blog

University spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said an honor code review is under way to determine if the BYU sophomore will be allowed to remain in school, as well as his status with the team next season.

BYU's honor code requires students to live a chaste and virtuous life, be honest, abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse, and attend church regularly.

The school announced the dismissal on Tuesday night after being made aware of the violation Monday -- the same day that BYU (27-2, 13-1 Mountain West) vaulted to No. 3 in the ESPN/USA Today and AP polls.

Davies had started 26 of 29 games and averaged 11.1 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds.

God damn it I hate when religion gets in the way of my gambling! Seriously though I hate this kind of shit. The kid is in college. He is an athlete. He wants to have sex. Let him. You know what happens when you tell adults they can't have sex? Well besides marriage they start rebelling and start killing people. Davies is a very important piece of the BYU basketball team and right now they are looking like a legit #1 seed. The fucked up thing about it is if Davies was married to like 5 chicks and banging them all this wouldn't be an issue. He would probably get a statue put right next to Brigham Young. Instead he had a sip of beer and fucked some broad like normal college kids do, didn't commit a crime by any means yet he is off the team and quite possible kicked out of school.

It's just not right. Free Davies!

The next great defensive end recruit is just a freshman in high school. Meet Lorenzo Carter

He is only a freshman in high school down in Atlanta, GA but Mays defensive end Lorenzo Carter will most definitely be getting texts and phone calls from the Mark Richts and Nick Sabans of the recruiting world very soon. If not already. I know he isn't even old enough to drive but Carter looks like a senior in these highlights. Mays High School plays in AAAA so they face some pretty good competition and he isn't exactly playing against teams from the Northeast. Georgia high school football is right up there with producing elite NFL talent aka SEC talent. By the time Carter is eligible to sign in 2014 I'm sure Urban Meyer up at Ohio State will be fawning all over him.

If you are a recruiting junkie like myself you can only imagine how Carter will fill out and progress into the next Jadeveon Clowney or Da'Quan Bowers. I'm calling it early. Carter will be the #1 prospect in 2014.

EPIC WEDNESDAY SONG SELECTION: BULLS ON PARADE

Bulls on Parade brings back fond memories of high school spring break down in Panama City. Rage Against the Machine and Sublime were constantly on the shuffle mode in the cd player back then. Definitely an epic song. Enjoy.

Notre Dame picks up first commitment for 2012 class in CB Tee Shepard

If you follow Notre Dame recruiting you know there has been a major concern in terms of numbers in the defensive backfield after the 2011 season. With the losses of senior cornerbacks Gary Gray and Robert Blanton not to mention safety Harrison Smith after this coming up season the Fighting Irish will be extremely low in depth and talent in the defensive backfield.

Enter the commitment today of Fresno, CA cornerback Tee Shepard.

Shepard is the first commitment for the Fighting Irish's 2012 class. He is a 6'1, 175 lb elite cornerback who has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Miami, and USC among many others. In fact he might be the best cornerback in the 2012 class and his commitment is huge for Notre Dame.

Shepard has a chance to start right away during his freshman season. He is the quintessential shutdown corner who would be right up there with Manti Te'o, Aaron Lynch, Ishaq Williams, and Stephon Tuitt in terms of elite high school talent. Shepard also has the ability to return quicks and is extremely fast and agile. If Notre Dame fans want to compare him to somebody recently in college football think of LSU's Patrick Peterson. Shepard has the same ability.

As with all verbal commitments they are non-binding which means Notre Dame is just in the proverbial lead right now for Shepard. With 11 months left till signing day you can bet Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban won't stop pursuing a player with Shepard's ability till the ink is dry. Either way it's a great start for Notre Dame's 2012 class.

Here are some highlights of Shepard from the steady hand of Michael J. Fox....

Luis Moreno is the Michael Vick of Colombian Soccer

As you can see Colombian soccer player Luis Moreno likes to kick defenseless animals. In a way he was just paying respect to Michael Vick. Except Vick would have electrocuted and killed the owl if it wasn't a good fighter. I guess what I'm saying is Moreno is an asshole but not any bigger than Vick. Vick's a-hole is the Chernobyl of all a-holes.

Moreno like Vick could be facing jail time up to 3 months for kicking the owl which later died today.

Video via TheBigLead

Zach Enyeart Trick Shot Long Snapper

You have already seen the trick shot videos of Johnny Mac and Alex Tanney and while they were damn impressive long snapper Zach Enyeart may have them beat. Enyeart just graduated from Washington State and is eligible for the NFL Draft. With his video ending ball shot I would most certainly draft a guy with his skills. Who doesn't like a ball shot?

Is the Cam Newton Story about to explode again?

I'm already kind of sick and tired of mentioning this story but apparently we might be getting ready for a second dose of Cam juice. And yes it tastes disgusting. There are new allegations about to come out revolving around Cam Newton actually being present during a taped audio conversation in which money was discussed for the supposedly "play-for-pay" Heisman Trophy winner. The audio tape apparently involves Cecil Newton and former Mississippi State players John Bond and Bill Bell with Cam in the room. The NationalFootballPost.com has more to the story...

The host of a Huntsville, Ala., sports talk radio show says he has heard audio tapes, allegedly in the possession of former Mississippi State players John Bond and Bill Bell, that implicate the dual-threat signal-caller in his father, Cecil’s, pay-for-play scheme that was investigated by the NCAA.

Scott Moore, an Alabama fan and a college football speaker, said Friday during a radio interview with WNSP in Mobile, Ala., that he heard tapes of Cecil Newton selling his son's services to Mississippi State while Cam was in the room. Moore also claimed that Cecil Newton said he had received an offer from Tennessee for $200,000, but that he’d give Mississippi State a $20,000 discount.

According to Barrett Sallee of CollegeFootballNews.com, however, Moore contradicted himself regarding the amount supposedly offered by Tennessee. In an interview on Mississippi-based 1st Call with Matt Wyatt one day before the interview in Mobile, Moore stated that Tennessee offered $150,000 for Newton’s services and not $200,000.

Of course, Auburn and Tennessee are the Crimson Tide's two biggest rivals and both are implicated in Moore’s claim.

Now it looks like Tennessee might have been involved and honestly who wouldn't be surprised especially if Lane Kiffin was still the coach. Or it could all be BS created by Cecil to drive up Cam's price. It's all conjecture at this point and until I see an actual money trail going from point A (Auburn or someone affiliated with the program) to point B (Cam or Cecil) then there is nothing the NCAA can do about it. Maybe rules were broken and maybe they weren't. At this point I want proof and not rumors. If someone took $200K there should be someone who is in the know who is willing to sell their story to make a lot of money. Until then we just have bitter Mississippi State and Alabama fans grasping at straws to discredit Cam Newton and Auburn. All is fair in love and college football.

Epic Beer Chug

God I miss the German beer gardens. Fucker just chugged a liter of Spaten in less than 6 seconds. Count it. 6 fucking seconds. Unbelievable. I consider myself a pretty decent beer drinker and I can fully admit there is no way I could chug a hearty Spaten that quickly. I think this kid might be my hero. Sorry Charlie Sheen. You got competition.

Just another Blake Griffin Alley-oop Dunk

These Blake Griffin dunks are starting to get old. It's like he doesn't even try anymore. They just come so damn easy for him. Despite Griffin's 27 points and 12 boards the Clippers lost to the horrible Sacramento Kings. I guess that isn't saying much since the Clippers are a horrific 21-40 now.

Hottie Body Hump Club

I gotta hand it to Jimmy Kimmel. He got Scarlett Johansson, Minka Kelly, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Eva Longoria, and Sofia Vergara to hump the shit out of an exercise ball. Bravo Jimmy. The Humpilates craze is going to sweep this nation in no time.

For the Love of God please let this be true: Two groups have interest in buying Thrashers, Hawks, and Philips Arena

If you aren't familiar with the ownership group of the Atlanta Spirit then you are one of the lucky ones. The Atlanta Spitir is a group of douchebags who own the Atlanta Hawks, Thrashers, and Philips Arena. Here is some video for reference:



As you can see they would rather piss on themselves then put out a good product. They bitch and moan about fans not showing up but if they actually tried to put a quality product on the ice in case of the Thrashers people will show up. The one season when the Thrashers made the playoffs they averaged over 17,000 in attendance. The problem is they have only had one playoff season in over 12 years of existence. The Atlanta Spirit has been trying to sell the Thrashers since 2005. They are a group of idiots who have no fucking clue what they are doing. Thankfully all could be saved if Arthur Blank, Ted Turner, or some other rich dude came in and bought them out.

Well those prayers might be answered according to the AJC.com...

There are two prospective investment groups inquiring about purchasing the Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena, according to several people familiar with the situation. Both groups plan to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta.

A deal is not close in either case as proper paperwork has not been filed to begin serious negotiations. However, at least one group has met with the officials from the NBA and the NHL.

With the group that has met with league officials, including the NHL on Thursday, there is one main investor with others in the group, some of whom are from Atlanta. The group is not only interested in purchasing the three properties but there is a “development element” to the deal, possibly involving the area around the arena.

The Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena, owned by the Atlanta Spirit, have been for sale and groups have expressed interest in buying the Thrashers and moving them to another city. Canadian cities Winnipeg, Quebec and Hamilton have long been rumored to be a possible destination.

Atlanta Spirit co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. recently told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that there is a “sense of urgency” to find a buyer or additional investors to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta.

According to those familiar with the situation, it would take at least a month to complete due diligence on a proposal and at least another month to complete negotiations.

The two interested parties do not include Atlanta native Stephen Rollins, who has publicly stated a desire for his multi-city investment group to purchase the Thrashers. That group is said to still be interested but a formal bid has not been made at this point.

At this point I would take anybody as an owner as long as the name Peter Angelos isn't attached to it. This looks like potentially great news in keeping the Thrashers in Atlanta. They need to stay because people will support the team if you look like you actually care about putting the best product on the ice. No more nickel and dime bull shit. No more letting your star players leave (Heatley, Kovy, Hossa, and Savard).

And while we are at it no more Hawks giving Joe Johnson max contracts when they should be giving stars like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul those type of contracts. Right now I really wish the Hawks could somehow dump Johnson and his massive contract and go full tilt for Howard and Paul in 2012.

Kyle Rudolph Notre Dame Game Used Home Navy Jersey for sale

This is yet another game used Notre Dame football jersey we got in from Steiner Sports. This is from the 2008 season and it was worn by Kyle Rudolph. It has some heavy scuff marks around the collar on the front and you can tell Rudolph went to war with this jersey in Notre Dame Stadium. This is his home navy jersey from his freshman season. There is only one available so it's first come first serve. This is your chance to own a piece of Notre Dame history. Rudolph is projected to be the top tight end taken in this year's NFL Draft.

Kyle Rudolph Game Used Notre Dame Home Jersey

MLB.COM'S Top 50 Prospects

I watched the MLB Network last night reveal their top 50 prospects in the game and was surprised by some of the rankings. First off I was almost positive Bryce Harper would be #1. How could he not be? The kid tore it up at junior college ball when he should have still been in high school and he played above and beyond in the Arizona Fall League. He should be the #1 prospect but what the hell do I know? Last year the #1 prospect was some guy named Jason Heyward. He lost the ROY to Buster Posey who was ranked #4. The #10 guy was Madison Bumgarner who won huge games for the Giants in the playoffs. If you are in the top 10 of this list the chances are you could be making an impact at the Major League level this year. So here is the list with some quick thoughts on the player.

1. Mike Trout, Angels-Trout wasn't even a top 50 prospect (#85) last year but after a stellar 2010 the future corner outfielder is a speedy, get on-base guy with a little bit of pop in his bat. Not a big guy but he reminds me of a white version of Rickey Henderson.
2. Jeremy Hellickson, Rays-The Rays will look to replace Garza with Hellickson. Similar makeup to Greg Maddux.
3. Bryce Harper, Nationals-He's on the 40 man roster but won't make the team out of camp. He could get a late season call-up for the struggling Nationals to sell some tickets.
4. Domonic Brown, Phillies-Kind of overrated in my opinion. The heir apparent to Jayson Werth.
5. Dustin Ackley, Mariners-Struggled in his first minor league season out of college but tore it up in the Arizona Fall League. Should be up in the majors soon.
6. Aroldis Chapman, Reds-The Cuban Missile throws 105 mph. Already up with the big league team he should be a future closer.
7. Mike Moustakas, Royals-The first of many Royals on this list, Moustakas hopefully will become the next George Brett and not the next Alex Gordon.
8. Eric Hosmer, Royals-I think he should be a top 5 prospect. Hosmer is going to be a superstar. Reminds me of Joey Votto.
9. Jesus Montero, Yankees-Extremely overrated catcher and of course he is put in the top 10 because he is in the Yankees organization. Terrible arm, decent bat.
10. Julio Teheran, Braves-Drawing comparisons to Pedro Martinez because of his size and his lively arm. Has a chance to grab the #5 spot in the rotations with a great spring.
11. Desmond Jennings, Rays-Do or die time for Jennings. A lot of hype but has yet to impress at the big league level. Carl Crawford's replacement.
12. Kyle Drabek, Blue Jays-Great minor league numbers but has yet to show anything in the majors. Could develop over time.
13. Michael Pineda, Mariners-Big, strong righty who can bring it.
14. Mike Montgomery, Royals-The top lefty prospect in the game, Montgomery has a plus fastball and curve to go along with a good change.
15. Jacob Turner, Tigers-The Tigers have found another great young starter in Turner. He should be up by 2012.
16. Wil Myers, Royals-He's the best hitting catcher in the minors in my opinion. Could be switched to outfield and be up in KC by the end of this season.
17. Freddie Freeman, Braves-He's been handed the 1st base job for the Bravos. Has a chance to shine after slugging a massive HR off Roy Halladay during his brief call-up last season.
18. Jameson Taillon, Pirates-Josh Beckett-like stuff with more control. Jameson will be a future ace.
19. Zach Britton, Orioles-Draws some comparisons to former Orioles farmhand Erik Bedard. He has great off speed stuff that creates a lot of groundballs. Has a chance to make the Orioles rotation by 2012.
20. Shelby Miller, Cardinals-Has great stuff he just needs to improve his control.
21. Mike Minor, Braves-Will be the #5 starter for the Braves this year. Doesn't have great stuff but he gets outs and knows how to pitch.
22. Casey Kelly, Padres-A solid righty obtained in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, he should start in AA in his third season as a pitcher after moving from shortstop.
23. Martin Perez, Rangers-Just 19 years old, he struggled last season but this lefty has a mid 90's fastball with a devastating curve.
24. Manny Machado, Orioles-The #1 shortstop prospect should probably be rated a little higher. Think more future Tulo than A-Rod.
25. Chris Sale, White Sox-Already a reliever with the big league club, the White Sox should give him a shot for their rotation this season.
26. Brandon Belt, Giants-Absolutely tore it up last year on three levels and is the future 1b for the Giants.
27. Matt Moore, Rays-Another southpaw in the Rays organization who led all of the minor leagues last year in K's. He should start in AA this season.
28. Brett Lawrie, Blue Jays-A tad overrated in my opinion he was acquired in the Shaun Marcum trade. Should start in AAA this season.
29. Jarrod Parker, D-backs-Still rebounding from Tommy John surgery he will probably be in AA to start with a fast promotion to possible the bigs if he produces.
30. Jonathan Singleton, Phillies-
31. Jordan Lyles, Astros |
32. Gary Sanchez, Yankees |
33. Tyler Matzek, Rockies-I really wish the Orioles would have drafted this kid in 2009 instead of Matt Hobgood. Has some issues with command but he is a lefty who is a strikeout machine.
34. John Lamb, Royals |
35. Manny Banuelos, Yankees |
36. Lonnie Chisenhall, Indians |
37. Jake Odorizzi, Royals |
38. Nick Franklin, Mariners |
39. Aaron Hicks, Twins |
40. Kyle Gibson, Twins |
41. Wilin Rosario, Rockies |
42. Jose Iglesias, Red Sox |
43. Tanner Scheppers, Rangers |
44. Dee Gordon, Dodgers |
45. Devin Mesoraco, Reds |
46. Brett Jackson, Cubs |
47. Chris Archer, Rays |
48. J.P. Arencibia, Blue Jays |
49. Yonder Alonso, Reds-Trade bait for the Reds since Alonso is blocked by Joey Votto.
50. Christian Friedrich, Rockies |

FOR THE HELL OF IT: KATE UPTON

Kate Upton is the newest SI Swimsuit "it" girl. And by "it" I mean she has a really great pair of ankles. Damn those ankles are fucking hot.

Tim Floyd goes Jerry Springer on refs, has to be led off by a cop

UTEP head coach Tim Floyd went ape shit last night at East Carolina and had to literally be pushed off the court and separated from arguing with the referees by the cops. Now that is some serious Jerry Springer shit if I have ever seen it. I was just waiting for a Floyd's midget cousin to run out and start doing karate kicks. Then you know Steve from security would pick both of them up and drag them off the court while the other cousin who is a little overweight but has big tits somehow has the puppies pop out and screams obsenities while the crowd goes nuts. Come to think of it I kind of miss Springer.

First Pujols. Then Wainwright. Now it sounds like Carpenter wants to flee the sinking ship in St. Louis

Apparently when it rains in St. Louis it also pours. Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright have both delivered lightning bolts for the Cardinals and today starter Chris Carpenter offered up this little doozy...

"It's not up to me," said Carpenter. "If the Cardinals wanted to trade me, obviously I would go. There's no question about that. I'm not going hold back or veto or do anything like that if they're looking to move me.

"I'm not concerned about it, though. I'm concerned about getting myself ready to pitch at the beginning of the season."

If you are reading between the lines like myself it sounds like Carpenter is willing to leave right away if the Cardinals want to trade him. Carps, 36, in the final year of his contract with $15 million owed this season with a club option for $15 million in 2012 sounds like he wants to go to a team who can contend for a World Series. Carps is reaching the tail end of his career and is still got a ton of trade value. The Cardinals could look to go full rebuild mode starting now by trading Carps for some prospects. Besides Shelby Miller in the minors the Cardinals have very little young talent up and coming. If they could somehow convince Pujols to waive his no trade they could get a ton for the slugger who looks to be on his way out.

So what do you do if you are St. Louis? Continue to rely on a few aging superstars who could leave in a year with little compensation or do you try to resign them, up your payroll significantly and go the Yankees way by adding more veteran starters?

Bel Biv Devoe has still got it

Dude I use to jam Bel Biv Devoe every fucking day when I was in middle school. Just hearing them rock out "Poison" with The Roots on the Late Show with Jimmy Fallon brings back a ton of memories. "Never trust a big butt and a smile" still pops up in my head when I come up to bat in baseball. "Poison" use to be my relaxing music I would play before my baseball games to get me ready. It was a strange combination of Guns N Roses, The Doors, and Bel Biv Devoe before all my games. Literally when I would rip a double I would be singing in my head "that ball is poison" just to fuck around with the lyrics.

Anyways it's great to see the trio still has the flow going. They sound damn good. The dance moves aren't as crisp (my buddies Jason and Jaime could nail them, me not so much) but the sound and rhythm is definitely still there. I would pay to see these guys tour again.

Video via Extra Mustard

Another Trick Shot Quarterback: Alex Tanney

Monmouth College quarterback Alex Tanney saw UCONN's Johnny Mac with the amazing trick shot video a couple of weeks ago. He decided to make his own. You be the judge. Who has the better trick shot video?

Oscar Talk with Mike Tyson

Oscar Talk with Mike Tyson & Leonard Maltin from Mike Tyson

The Champ still has it. Without the Funky Bunch Marky Mark has no chance of winning best film for "The Fighter." Tyson knows his shit. Who am I to argue with his brilliant commentary?

I think the chances are pretty good Leonard Maltin shit himself during this sketch. I would.

Emmy Rossum makes "Shameless" must-see TV

If you have Showtime you owe it to yourself to watch "Shameless" because actress Emmy Rossum is basically butt naked in every other episode. The show is good too and the chances are it will make you laugh at the Gallagher family because of the toxicity of the family and their relationships. But Rossum is the star and if you enjoy nudity (seriously who doesn't?) then I definitely recommend putting "Shameless" on your DVR or on your Netflix when season 1 ends.

By the way what in the hell happened to HBO? Granted they had "Boardwalk Empire" this past year which was incredible but they have really struggled to put out good shows while Showtime is just killing it. "Big Love" is awful. "Entourage" is old news. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" comes on once every five years. Meantime Showtime puts out hits like "Californication" and "Dexter" and "Nurse Jackie" and even "Episodes" with Matt LeBlanc had hilarious writing.

Come on HBO. Step it up.


Anyways enjoy these very NSFW clips of Rossum in "Shameless"...

Emmy Rossum Topless Pool Scene in Shameless
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emmy-rossum-shameless-sexy-clip
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Emmy Rossum Shameless Love Scene
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Another Blake Griffin Epic Dunk

Blake Griffin messed around and nearly got a triple-double last night in a homecoming of sorts in Oklahoma City. Unfortunately for him the rest of his team kind of sucks (Baron Davis still has some game left in him) and Kevin Durant led a blowout for the Thunder. The Clippers aren't going to make the playoffs but one could argue The Blake Show has been the most exciting thing to watch in the NBA this season. The Clippers should just go balls to the wall and try to sign Chris Paul and Dwight Howard in 2012. It's time for the Clippers to stop being the shit on the bottom of the NBA's massive shoes. Be the cock for once. With that being so eloquently put Paul will probably go join Melo and Amare in New York and Howard will sign with the other LA team.

Cardinals lose Adam Wainwright for the season

Spring Training hasn't even technically started their games and already the St. Louis Cardinals have been dealt with two huge blows to the ribs. Or in this case elbow. Cardinal's ace Adam Wainwright has a "significant injury" to his right pitching elbow according to general manager John Mozeliak. The injury happened Monday during a bullpen session and it looks like there is a significant tear in the ligament which means Wainwright, who finished 2nd place for the Cy Young last season with a 20-11 record and a 2.42 ERA, would need Tommy John surgery and be lost for the season if not more.

This is yet another crushing blow to the Cardinals organization. Just last week they found out Albert Pujols would not be resigning before the season started and could lose the future Hall of Famer in free agency after this season. With the cloud already lingering over the organization with the failure to secure a contract for the best player in the game they might have just lost the best pitcher in the National League in Wainwright (with all due respect to Doc Halladay). Not to mention one of their rivals in the Milwaukee Brewers made significant improvements with the additions of starters Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum to go along with Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf in the starting rotation and it is clear that the Cardinals will finish no better than third in the NL Central this season. Division champ Cincinnati is the favorite and the Cubs have a good chance to be much improved with the additions of Matt Garza and Carlos Pena.

So where do the Cardinals go from here? They still have Chris Carpenter as their other ace but we all know his injury issues. They are going to have to rely on Jaime Garcia repeating his stellar rookie numbers and newcomer Jake Westbrook catching some of that Dave Duncan magic to compete in the Central. The season isn't over by any means but it became a hell of a lot harder to see the Cardinals competing for a playoff berth in 2011 without Wainwright.

Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman on the SI Cover

You know when you get that sick feeling in your stomach? Like somebody just hit you in the balls and you can feel the pain getting worse and worse. This is how I felt when I saw Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward on this week's Sports Illustrated cover. Two young Atlanta Braves sluggers with their whole future ahead of them. A deadly duo who at just 21 years of age could be the building blocks of future pennants gracing the Turner Field walls. But now I don't feel good because I know all about the SI cover jinx. It's notorious for knocking down hyped phenoms. All Braves fans remember Jeff Francoeur and his infamous "The Natural" cover 6 years ago. Yeah that didn't turn out so well for the last Brave who was considered the hometown hero. I still have fresh memories of last year's Spring Training coverboy in Matt Wieters.

"The Perfect Catch" eh? I guess if you consider a .319 OBA and a slugging percentage of .377 as Mauer-like but I most certainly do not. Listen I love the hype that these kids get. It just scares the shit out of me when it's somebody on the team I root for. Instantly the guy has a target on his back and unless his name is Michael Jordan they usually don't live up to the enormous hype. I mean fuck SI, why couldn't you put Albert Pujols or the Phillies starting rotation on there? Those are more interesting spring training stories. Jinx them. Not us.

To read more on the SI cover story go to Jeff Schultz piece in the AJC.com

Kyle Rudolph Game Used Notre Dame Jersey for sale

I just got this in from Steiner Sports who is the exclusive memorabilia dealer for game used Notre Dame jerseys. It's a game worn Kyle Rudolph road jersey from his freshman season in 2008. During his freshman season Rudolph was the first ever tight end to start the season opener and went on to set freshman receiving records while hauling in 29 receptions for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns while starting all 13 games. This is a chance to own a piece of Notre Dame history. Rudolph is expected to be the top NFL tight end pick in the upcoming April NFL Draft.

KYLE RUDOLPH GAME USED NOTRE DAME WHITE JERSEY-2008

Mr. Brooklyn Decker with the impressive tennis shot

You gotta hand it to Andy Roddick. While his wife Brooklyn Decker in on the road promoting her movie with her huge cans and no doubt getting plowed by every A-list actor out there in Hollywood he is making amazing diving tennis shots for a ATP championship in Memphis. The actual chances of their marriage surviving past 2 more years in fading faster than Roddick's hairline.




Video via ExtraMustard