JIMENEZ IS STRAIGHT NASTY

IMAGE FROM GETTING IMAGES

Ubaldo Jimenez threw his second shutout of the season by out dueling The Freak Tim Lincecum 4-0 to become the Major's first 10 game winner. He just lowered his ERA to 0.78 while extending his scoreless innings streak to 26. This Dominican hurler is bringing back memories of Pedro in his prime.

At just 26 years old Jimenez has completely come into his own while pitching half his games in Coors Field which has been known to kill many of young pitcher's confidence. He already has a no-hitter and is on pace to win 32 games (yeah I know there is no way he wins that many but it is still fun to look at the projections) and has been by far the best pitcher in the game this year despite the exploits of Doc Halladay. Opponents are only hitting .172 against him.

The kid is fucking nasty. Plain and simple. Just give him the Cy Young now.

FIRST PLACE LOOKS AND FEELS GOOD

AJC PHOTO BY JASON GETZ

It's June 1st and the Atlanta Braves sit in first place for the first time at this stage in the season since 2005. They finished off a 20-8 May with a convincing 9-3 victory over the Phillies thanks to the bats finally heating up.

Bobby Cox and Frank Wren deserve some credit. Usually I give them more shit than they probably deserve but I figured why not point out some of the great things they have done this season. Wren's signing of Troy Glaus to a one year contract for pocket change has to be one of the best moves in the offseason. Glaus hit his 8th homer of the season, a 3 run shot in the 8th, which proved to be the final nail in the coffin. He now has 8 homers and 37 RBI's and is starting to resemble the prototypical cleanup hitter he was in Anaheim. For $1.75 million this year I would say Wren has knocked it out of the ballpark with this signing.

Bobby deserves some credit too for shuffling his lineup. The Braves started scoring more runs when they realized they should put their most consistent hitter all season in Martin Prado at the leadoff spot. Prado isn't going to steal you bases but he is going to get on base at an extremely better rate than Melky and Nate would. He has been a doubles machine this year and I believe without a doubt he deserves to make his first All-Star appearance.

Bobby also put Heyward at the top of the lineup. We all know about how great Heyward has been this season ever since his first swing. The kid is a beast and has earned his way the right way by crushing the ball pretty much every game. He also is deserving of getting an All-Star selection and hopefully the fans start to punch his name on the ballot by the millions since he has been the story of baseball (with a hat tip to Ubaldo Jimenez) through the first 50 games. As a 20 year old The J-Hey Kid has lived up to all the heavy expectations bestowed upon him in Spring Training and for the most part him and Prado carried the Braves offense through April. The good news is he can go 0 for 5 and yet the Braves can still manage to put 9 runs on the board now. This wasn't the case 3-4 weeks ago.

Cox has also gone with the hot hands in Eric Hinske and Omar Infante. Hinske has crushed all season and deserves to start in left field. He might not have the defensive range as Melky in left but with McLouth covering so much ground in center the trade off in minuscule. I've become a big Hinske fan and Wren all deserves credit for picking him up for cheap. The players seem to really like the guy and you can see why he has been a part of a club who has made the last 3 World Series.

The bats of Chipper, McCann, and Escobar are heating up. All of these guys are way too good to be struggling like they have through the first 40 games of the season and if you look at their career seasonal averages then you would expect them all to have great second halves. I'm still not giving TP any credit though. Sorry.

Also got to give credit for the Tim Hudson resigning. Hudson has been the ace this year. I've always been a big Huddy fan and it's great to see him back healthy for once and resembling those A's days when he would mow down some of the best hitters in the AL at alarming rates. With Huddy, Big Red Hanson, and the eventual return of Jair Jurrjens you have three of the best pitchers in the National League. Lowe could still be a money pitcher especially if they make the playoffs. Kawakami is questionable but his performance on Sunday was outstanding and as a 5th starter you won't be able to find many others who can match his stuff even though the 1 victory is cause for concern.

Overall I would say Cox and Wren have done an excellent job of piecing together this club. I know it's still early with 111 games to go but I like the way this team is meshing together. They seem to all be on the same page and pulling for each other and have a good collection of veterans (Chipper, Huddy, Lowe, etc.) and young studs (Heyward, Hanson, Escobar) that have one common goal in the end: Send Bobby back to the playoffs for one last hurrah!

Go Bravos!

RON ARTEST WITH THE WINNING SHOT

I think about 99% of the Lakers crowd that Kobe was going to nail the winning shot and that is the reason why Ron Artest was left open with the rebound and game winning putback. The Suns knew Kobe would take the shot. He makes them most of the time anyways. But the gritty Artest pulled a little Dennis Rodman out of his hat and got in position for the board and the put back. Money. Now we got to wait and see if the Lakers and the Celtics can close out these Conference Finals and give us a rematch of the NBA Finals from two seasons ago. I personally want to see them play even though I usually root for the underdog. I like the Suns. I hate the Magic. But there is little doubt the Lakers vs. Celtics would be fun to watch for most of the nation.

Video HT: TheBigLead

GOLDEN TATE SINGING TAYLOR SWIFT

It would be tough to argue that Golden Tate was the most exciting player to wear the blue and gold since Rocket was returning kicks for TDs back in the day and as you all know I'm a huge fan of Golden. The football player. The singer not so much. It's still killing me that the Atlanta Falcons passed up the chance to take a playmaker like Golden and now I got to hear him sing Taylor Swift. Why don't you just go ahead and dig that fork in me a little more.

Oh yeah, I'm going on record now stating that Golden will absolutely crush it in the NFL. The kid flat out makes plays when the ball is in his hands and in my mind he plays identical to Carolina's Steve Smith. He might not be the tallest wideout but his speed, hands, balance, and toughness make him stand out on the football field. He will be a football star in Seattle.

PASSED OUT DRUNK

You know it's bad when some fat dude in an Old Navy shirt is making fun of you. If that were me and God and plenty of my friends know I have been there before and this was caught on tape and shown to the world then I would never pick up another beer. For at least a couple of days. Because once chubbies start making fun of your drinking then you know it's time to take a break from the booze.

Video HT: BarstoolSports

HAIL TO THE VIOLATIONS

Rich Rodriguez might just want to tuck his tail and run for cover. Things in Ann Arbor continue to get worse under DickRod's watch. They apparently bend the rules and still can't produce anything close to a winning season for the Maize and Blue...

The school admitted Tuesday to a series of violations by its storied football program and said it had reprimanded seven people, including third-year coach Rich Rodriguez. Another staffer was fired and the school released more than 150 pages detailing a breakdown in communication within the athletic department as well as self-imposed sanctions that include two years of probation.

The school now has to hope that its explanation and sanctions will satisfy the NCAA, which will hold a hearing on the case Aug. 13-14 in Seattle. A final decision isn’t expected for 6-10 weeks later, perhaps sometime during the Big Ten season.

Athletic director David Brandon said he doesn’t believe the problems related to practice time and coaching activities are enough to warrant the loss of scholarships or extreme disgrace.

“I don’t think this is a black eye,” Brandon said. “This is a bruise.”

As if an 8-16 record is not horrid enough now you have the NCAA investigating because you practice a little too much. This isn't a black eye for the football program it's more like a black eye on DickRod. How can you have more coaches allowed and more practice time and yet still suck balls? Michigan was a perennial winner before Rodriguez got his filthy West Virginia hands on the program and now they are a laughingstock.

Well it is true that I'm not the biggest Michigan fan but I want to see Michigan at least compete and do it the right way. Nobody likes cheaters except the USC AD. The Michigan football program has a tremendous tradition of always coming in second place to Ohio State in the Big Ten and I think for the good of the conference that needs to come back. In the meantime let's hold hands and sing "HAIL TO THE VIOLATIONS!"

DO NOT TOUCH ME AGAIN

Who knew hospital meetings could be so riveting? The director of community relations aka PR guy for the hospital has a real hands on approach when it comes to dealing with the media. I'm actually shocked the news reporter didn't just flat out slug the guy after he told him to stop. The PR guy continues to come at him like he is some fresh choir boy meat at a Catholic church. If some guy molests you like this PR guy does you have the right to flat out punch him right? The drama in this scenario flat out kills that garbage called Grey's Anatomy.

Video HT: HotClicks

MUST BE A PHILLY FAN

I guess they started letting in those crazy Philly fans into international basketball events. With the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1997 I'm just waiting to see a fan jump over the glass and start harassing one of the Chicago Blackhawks on the bench. It's honestly the only way ESPN will show a highlight of hockey.

MORTAL KOMBAT BUS FIGHT

MORTAL KOMBAT BUS FIGHT - watch more funny videos

I played Mortal Kombat in the arcade probably 1000 times (no shitting you either, I still have that song in my head when I go to sleep) when I was a kid and I still would have gotten my ass kicked by Epic Beard Man. His form is flawless.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND

As rough as this week has been for you or others take solace that you aren't matador Julio Aparicio. Deadspin posted the picture just a while ago of Aparicio literally taking a horn through the chin and out of his mouth. Somehow the guy is still alive but of course he is in critical condition. I wonder if he got a good view of the T-Bone's ass...wait a second, no, it's got to be your bull...



And for you sick people like myself who are skeptical of the picture being authentic (everything seems to be photoshopped these days) well then I give you this video. The bull clearly won this round...


Adios!

ARE YOU READY FOR THE WORLD CUP?

To be completely honest I'm not the biggest soccer fan in the world but I do appreciate the skill that is involved with not being able to use your hands in a sport. Seems strange to me but then again I'm just another dipshit American. With that being said this Nike commercial got me pumped up for some Italian and Argentinean flopping this summer down in South Africa. I'll be rooting as always for the Americans to beat the Brits in the early rounds and for someone to take out both Ronaldo and Ronaldniho. I want a country that no one expects to win it. Like Iraq. I think they deserve it with all the smart bombs they have had to deal with for the past decade. Nah, fuck it! Go USA!!!

ANDY RODDICK BETWEEN THE LEGS SHOT

Does it take big balls or no balls to pull off the in between the legs tennis shot? Because I'm thinking if you have big ones then you don't want a piece of solid graphite/titanium/whatever the fuck they make out of racquets these days swinging between your legs so close to your junk. But if you have no balls then go ahead and swing away. Brooklyn Decker could give us a solid answer. Or Roddick's boyfriend. Things that make you go hmmm.

BROOKS F@#KING CONRAD!

The Braves bats are coming alive my friends! Brooks stinkin Conrad hits the walk off grand slam today in the 9th to send the Braves to an improbable 10-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Braves were down 8-0 and 9-1 before entering the 9th down 9-3. Starter Tommy Hanson was off his A game but the Bravos never gave up and chipped away until the Reds completely self destructed.

Back-to-back-to-back walk off 9th inning wins for the Bravos send them over the .500 mark for the first time since they were sitting at 8-7. Hopefully they can keep the momentum going with an offense that seems to be heating up as fast as the summer arrives here in the ATL.

Here is the walk off grand slam from Conrad which is sure to be pulled by MLB because they are puppy raping Nazis...

I HATE DOING LAUNDRY

I honestly can't stand doing laundry. Ever since my college days when I would have to go to a laundry mat and sit around in a shit hole with no air conditioning while waiting for 2 hours for my clothes to dry I get angry when I do laundry. But seeing The Hills Audrina What's her face do fake laundry in this photo shoot puts a smile in my bitter heart. Somebody with some entrepreneurial skills should start a business where hot women come and do your laundry in nothing but skimpy or no clothes at all. I'm married now but back in my single days I would have paid for it. The laundry of course is what I'm talking about. I like my shit folded with creases but I think I wouldn't give a rat's ass as long as there was Audrina prancing around in panties.



And if you were wondering if this post was just an excuse to post pictures of Audrina topless then you would be correct.

WEDDING PARTY PICTURE GONE WILD

Lesson be learned: Too many fatties in a wedding party can send the whole thing crashing down.

Video HT: Rick

FLOYD LANDIS IS THE DOPE

Finally disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis thought he could come out and pull his Pete Rose card out and get some sympathy for cheating his game but all he really has done is thrown the entire sport including his former teammate Lance Armstrong under the bus...

Mr. Landis said that Mr. Armstrong’s longtime coach, Johan Bruyneel, introduced Mr. Landis to the use of steroid patches, blood doping and human growth hormone in 2002 and 2003, his first two years on the U.S. Postal Service team. He alleged Mr. Armstrong helped him understand the way the drugs worked. “He and I had lengthy discussions about it on our training rides during which time he also explained to me the evolution of EPO testing and how transfusions were now necessary due to the inconvenience of the new test,” Mr. Landis claimed in the email. He claimed he was instructed by Mr. Bruyneel how to use synthetic EPO and steroids and how to carry out blood transfusions that doping officials wouldn’t be able to detect.

What is it with athletes not accepting responsibility for their own actions this week? At least Hanley Ramirez apologized yesterday both verbally to his teammates and coach and also literally with his bat and his hustle. Listen Floyd Landis: YOU ARE A DOUCHEBAG! Everyone knows you don't go snitching once you have been caught. This isn't going to save your pathetic career. Everyone knows Armstrong used PEDs. You don't just miraculously recover from stage 3 cancer and go on to win 7 consecutive Tour De France races without a little or a lot of help from some PEDs. Some people may have their head buried in the sand on this and think prayer and the grace of God saved him but science proves with Armstrong at least that we can all LIVESTRONG with the help of some drugs and medication. I've already come to the conclusion that Armstrong cheated just like Bonds and McGwire miraculously started hitting 70 HR's in a season. So all you are doing Landis is being the dope. Stop being an asshole and go ride a bike or something.

THE J-HEY KID IS SO FREAKING MONEY

Just another game and another walk off double for The J-Hey Kid. No big deal with a game of 2 doubles and a triple. Just continues to play hero on a team that desperately needs him to be clutch every time he comes to bat. Heyward is so fucking money they should just hand him the Rookie of the Year Award along with the key to the city now.

The Bravos would easily be 5 to 6 games below .500 right now if Heyward was picking his nose in the minors. Instead he leads the team in OPS, RBI's, Slugging Percentage, and bitches who want to get on his nuts. Sorry Chipper and McCann but this is now The J-Hey Kid's team. 20 years old and already he has Albert Pujols nervous about stealing away his MVP Awards.

GOTTA LOVE BULL SHIT BIG TEN RUMORS

All of these come courtesy of Tom Dienhart's Tweets who apparently is a college football "writer" for Yahoo/Rivals...

If Texas and ND joined the Big Ten, the thought is they would request to play each other every year.
about 3 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

If ND joins the Big Ten, there is talk the league wouldn't take any other Big East schools.
about 3 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

And it sounds like the Big East may be pushing ND to discussions with the Big Ten. Play football in the Big East--or get out.
about 4 hours ago via web

Big Ten, Texas, ND are discussing a special rule to accommodate both schools. Instead of playing 8 league games, both would play 7.
about 4 hours ago via web

Latest Big Ten expansion buzz has the league focusing on Notre Dame, Texas, Nebraska.
about 4 hours ago via web

Listen I would love for Notre Dame and Texas to join the Big Ten and play each other every year but the special rule of 7 league games for the two of them is such bull shit I can't believe Dienhart would even "Tweet" it. I've come to the conclusion over the past 31 years that college football is a fucking mess because the NCAA doesn't control shit. I mean seriously why in the hell is Notre Dame still holding on to the independent status in football? I love Notre Dame football and all the tradition and everything about the school but they need to wake up and just join a conference. And the only reason why I want them to join a conference is so the Big Ten can expand to 16 teams and we can start moving toward an eventual playoff system.

I mean it's 2010 and we still have a bunch of greedy a-holes in charge of an archaic bowl system that doesn't mean shit. If the NCAA had any balls (which they don't as evidence with the lack of USC sanctions) they would give Notre Dame an ultimatum to join a conference like the rest of the free world (except Navy and Army) or they will never be given a chance to play for a National Title even if they go undefeated. Notre Dame fans are pretty much divided when it comes to joining a conference. Some love the idea. Some absolutely loathe joining the Big Ten. But guess what? All of them would get over it in about 20 minutes once Notre Dame finally caved and just joined the conference. The money will be more and the incentive to play for a conference championship is something the current football players could look forward to.

Ohio State AD Gene Smith made some good points to USA Today about Notre Dame joining the conference...

There has been speculation Notre Dame could again be approached. That strikes a chord with Ohio State's Smith, a Notre Dame alumnus.

"I've always struggled with my alma mater," he said. "I love them deeply, and the things I enjoy in life today are because of my experiences there, so my feelings run deep, really deep. If they end up being one of the schools, I hope that they would consider what a conference championship means to a young person.

"I was blessed to be there when we were winning national championships, as a coach and a player. The landscape has changed. … For me, I've just got to believe that for a Notre Dame football player, winning a conference championship and having that conference ring is a memorable experience, and then chasing a national championship. You can do both."

Some ND alums want to argue that Notre Dame would lose it's "brand" as a national university. No. It wouldn't. Just because the Yankees are in the American League East and the Duke Blue Devils are in the ACC and the Dallas Cowboys are in the NFC East doesn't mean they lost their "national brand." People are still going to love or hate Notre Dame throughout the world.

Personally I wish Notre Dame would join today because I think it would help create a huge domino effect. The Big Ten could get Texas, Missouri, Rutgers, and Pitt to make it a 16 team super conference with an incredible championship game in Chicago in the cold of December. Notre Dame could still play USC and Navy out of conference and would also create new rivalries with the likes of Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, etc. This would be incredible. It would also force the SEC to expand and steal schools such as Miami, FSU, Clemson, and Georgia Tech from the ACC. The SEC would be absolutely sick. The PAC 10 could add Utah, BYU, Boise State, and UNLV among others so USC can still play a weak conference schedule every year and get their ass kicked with Lane Kiffin following the path of Paul Hackett's steps. The Big 12, Big East and ACC could join together for another conference of whomever is left after the Big Ten, SEC, and PAC 10 steals away their other teams.

That would make it 4 power conferences with 64 total teams. The other 50 plus schools who are 1-A or FBS or whatever the fuck you want to call it can either drop down to 1-AA or make their own conferences and play in all those bullshit bowl games that don't mean anything. The 4 conference winners then play in a playoff. Two semifinals. One final that would be bigger than the Super Bowl. You could fill in all of the other bowl games with teams who finished with at least 7 victories.

BAM. There you go. I just outbid Dienhart on his BS Big Ten rumors with my own mess of a scenario. Now go post this shit everywhere.

GREAT MOVIE POSTER

HolyTaco has some literal movie posters for all the summer shit coming to our screens this year. I thought this "Twilight" one was the funniest only because I've actually watched the first two movies (yes, I know, I'm gay, you win) and kind of enjoyed sleeping while watching them with the wife. The "Sex and the City" poster would have been great if they would have put the puppet from "Tales from the Crypt" on there instead of that retarded donkey.

MY FUCKING BALLS DUDE

Video HT: BarstoolSports had this priceless classic up before I could get to it. I love everything about this video. First he completely busts it on the concrete which is always funny. Second not one of his stoner buddies even reacts to his fall at first. They just sit there and try not to laugh or think about Cheetos. And then "I'm bleeding out of my fucking balls dude!" comes out of the kid's mouth and then you realize he isn't faking it. The kid's scrotum looks like shredded cheese on a taco. Now that is funny video.

Here is the extended version...."THIRD TIME IS A CHARM!"....