SportsCrack Blog

Thursday, August 12, 2010

What?!?!? No Freeman?!?! Possible Trade?!?!?



You've got to be kidding me Frank Wren! This is insane, and I quote "Another option isn't likely: Wren dismissed the idea of calling up slugging first baseman Freddy Freeman from Triple-A and moving Troy Glaus back to third base, his original position. He said Glaus just doesn't have the range he did earlier in his career." Okay, agreed, Glaus obviously is not the answer.

Even with Chipper, Freeman is tearing up the minors! In the same article posted on ESPN, Wren talks about losing the power of Chipper and says "Wren will look into making a trade to bolster the lineup, but his options are limited since the deadline for non-waiver moves has passed. Besides, he's not sure the Braves could find a player more effective than Infante, who made the All-Star team as a utility player and is hitting a team-leading .330. Another All-Star, second baseman Martin Prado, is expected to take batting practice Friday and could return from the disabled list soon after breaking a knuckle."

Wren has yet to shy away calling players up too early. Look at the situation with Jordan Schafer. Mike Minor tore AAA up for a couple months and he's in the rotation, Wren didn't check out a trade to replace Medlen, but Freeman has been in Gwinnett absolutely raking and he doesn't get a chance?!?!? Come on Wren, don't spend foolish money, call the kid up and let him and Heyward go back to tearing shit up, because that's what they do, tear shit up!!! Check out the full article on Chipper's torn ACL in an article on ESPN, written by the Associated Press here.

Gotta keep ole Larry in our thoughts and prayers and hope he comes back to at least mentor our young Bravos! He's been one of the greats and he deserves every honor he gets. Maybe he could help the team this year by telling Wren to grab his balls and make the call. If Freeman is our future at first, there's no need in not putting him in now and getting his feet wet before playoff time.

FUCK THIS GUY



Holy shit. Did Katy Perry perform this? Congratulations on the "I've watched all the games since 1995" comment. Could you be a little more fair weather? Yankees fans are just pathetic. They talk like they have a mouth full of peanut butter and walk like they just popped a hemorrhoid. Their lives are so fucking sad they have to cling on to something that actually wins in life. You don't see these douchebags wearing Knicks apparel. But then again if the Knicks had gotten the Big 3 this offseason you would have seen all those degenerates claiming they have watched all the games since 2010 once they actually won something.

Plus New York just fucking smells. I know a lot of SportsCrack heads on here are from New York and I am probably pissing them off but honestly I don't give a fuck. Your city stinks. It smells like wet cat shit. Now take your jorts and get your ass down to Florida before you go dying on us.

Love,

Matt (a ticked off Bravos/O's fan)

Video via BarStoolSports

CHIPPER JONES HAS TORN ACL


It's a good thing the Atlanta Braves have a deep bench because the shit just hit the fan today. Chipper Jones has confirmed he has a torn ACL and will probably need season ending surgery according to Dave O'Brien...

An MRI showed Chipper Jones has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, his agent BB Abbott said Thursday morning. Abbott said he received a text message from Jones, saying the ligament was torn. Jones had been examined by Dr. Marvin Royster, Braves orthopedist who read the MRI.

“He said it was stretched out pretty bad,” Abbott said. “That it was torn and needed to be fixed.”

Abbott said that it appears Jones is headed for season-ending surgery, but that Jones might seek a second opinion. It’s the same knee Jones had surgery on in 1994 which cost him his rookie season.

Jones injured his knee Tuesday night in Houston, jumping as he turned to throw across his body on a groundball up the line by Hunter Pence.


Yes this sucks for the Braves but it's not a season crusher. I love Chipper as much as the next Hooter's waitress but he can be replaced in the lineup. First off you call up Freddie Freeman immediately. Freeman has been tearing it up in AAA Gwinnett and deserves the call up. I know he is young (only 20) but the kid is ready. Give him the chance to start some games at first base and let Troy Glaus and his cavemen knees rest. When Martin Prado comes off the disabled list move Omar Infante to third base and keep him there. I like Brooks Conrad(need his clutch bat for PH situations) too but I like Infante a lot better. The guy is an All-Star after all right? The infield moving forward should be Freeman 1B, Prado 2B, Alex Gonzalez SS, and Infante at 3B.

Losing Chipper in what still looks like a promising season is horrible but the Braves can weather the storm. As much as Chipper means to the organization as the face it would have been much more devastating if they would have lost Huddy or Brian McCann or even Rookie of the Year candidate (yes I said it, he has been more valuable than Heyward) Johnny Venters. This could be the last season for Chipper as some have speculated and if it is well at least he can be their #1 cheerleader and audition for a possible coaching job in the Braves organization.

Image via AJC

I DON'T RECALL THIS PART IN INCEPTION



Shit, I must have been fucking dreaming during this part. This is why you have to go see Inception at least twice. There is shit Christopher Nolan put in that you somehow missed because you were staring at Leonardo's package. I mean his hair. He does have lovely hair. Right guys? Oh don't get all fucking uptight on me now. Oh and in case you were wondering and I'm sure you could care less I fucking loved "Inception." This time I managed to watch the whole movie without being rushed to the emergency room.

Watching tons of fun getting hit by the ice cream truck never gets old. Never.

REX RYAN + HARD KNOCKS=GREAT TELEVISION



"Does it matter that Revis is not here?"
"God damn...he's pretty fucking good!"
"But you know what guys...it ain't about one guy...it's about leading the league in fucking wins on defense!"


After watching the opening of Hard Knocks 2010 with the New York Jets I knew that they hit a gold mine with head coach Rex Ryan. The guy is about as straight a shooter as you can get and he is pretty fucking funny. I don't even like the Jets but after listening to Big Rex you can not help but want to run through a brick wall for him. The guy knows how to communicate with his players and his coaches. It isn't coach speak. It's straight up honesty. He told one of his coaches that one of the undrafted rookies in camp just flat out "sucks." This is something you would read here on SportsCrack. You don't expect to hear that shit from coaches especially when they know they are being taped.

And that is what makes this year's Hard Knocks so much better than the previous seasons. Rex is a loud mouth know it all and doesn't give a shit what other people think other than his team. His team has taken on that persona. LB Bart Scott called QB Mark Sanchez a "nacho." Sanchez replied back that nachos aren't even real Mexican food. Are you fucking kidding me? They could never get away with this stuff on basic cable much less network television which is why HBO is the perfect home for it. It's uncensored.


You also get a little insight from the general manager's perspective on the Darrelle Revis holdout. He makes it known Revis is under contract and exchanges pleasantries with his agent over the phone while nearly pulling out his hair. Then he goes to meet Revis in a secret location called "Roscoes" fried chicken or some shit like that. He leaves the meeting more frustrated and you can almost see his realization that a contract might not get done is becoming more a reality unless he budges and gives Revis top money. Usually I side with ownership/management in these cases when a player is under contract and is failing to report to camp but I think Revis has a great argument. He is without a doubt one of the best defensive players in the NFL if not the absolute best and he deserves to be paid like one. One hit on the practice field could be the end of your career and football players are like gladiators. You have to get your money while you are still hot or the next thing you know you are limping around with a popped up collar, hiked up shorts and an incredible leather face like Joe Namath.

In short you owe it to yourself to watch Hard Knocks 2010 on HBO. If you don't have HBO try it out for a month just to see the show. It's that good and entertaining. And if you hate Rex Ryan because he's a walking slobbier living version of Sam Kinison I can almost guarantee that you will be rooting for him and the Jets after watching Hard Knocks. It's fucking funny assholes so go ahead and watch it and thank me later.

And oh yeah, F-u-c-k the J-E-T-S.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

SCOUT.COM IS SMOKING CRACK IF THEY THINK UGA IS #3 PRESEASON


Look I'm all for a little overhyping college football expectations in August but Scout.com went completely off the deep end today with putting Georgia at #3 in the nation. Ahead of Florida (last time I checked Florida owns Georgia). Ahead of Boise State (shut up Georgia fans, they are better than you, deal with it). Ahead of Texas and Oklahoma. Ahead of Iowa? Come on Scout. Let's get serious. Here is their reasoning:

Predicted Record:: 10-2
Why Georgia Should Be No. 1: Don’t be fooled by last year’s slide. The loss of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, along with a laughable array of injuries, kept Georgia from being Georgia, but this year’s team should be back to form thanks to a deep offensive line that will be among the best in the country (if everyone stays healthy), a phenomenal linebacking corps, a strong backfield, and a future NFL star in WR A.J. Green. Throw in the best kicking game in college football, and shhhhhh … here’s your sleeper for the national title.
Why Georgia Isn’t No. 1: Aaron Murray. The Georgia quarterback situation wasn’t exactly settled this offseason with Murray the best of a mediocre lot. Murray has the tools and he has the talent, but he has to prove he can navigate his way through the SEC wars. On the other side, unlike last year, the defense has to play up to its talent and athleticism.
Key to the Season:: Turnover margin. Georgia, with enough talent and speed to hang around with anyone in the SEC, forced two fumbles and picked off ten passes, while the offense gave it away 28 times. Alright, so takeaways aren’t necessarily indicative of success (Florida and Cincinnati only recovered three fumbles and Alabama came up with seven), but the knucklehead streak when it came to penalties didn’t help. The Bulldogs were flagged 105 times; only five teams got hit with more penalties.
Relative Strength: Offensive Line, Linebacker
Relative Weakness: Quarterback
What to watch for on offense: The health of the offensive line. There were a slew of injury problems throughout the line last year, highlighted by a second knee injury to OT Trinton Sturdivant, and there was plenty of scrambling. The starting combination was rarely the same with the right starting five not set until halfway through the year. Even with all the drama, the production was still solid. Now, with talent, depth, and plenty of experience, the line might be the best in America if everyone stays healthy and the skill players will get plenty of time to work.
What to watch for on defense: The 3-4. Grantham will install a pro-style defensive scheme taking pass rushing star Justin Houston off the line and making him into a hybrid. The idea is to put three sides of beef up front, and the Georgia linemen are quick enough to get into the backfield, too. The four linebackers will be turned loose to be disruptive, swarm around the ball, and fly to the quarterback from a variety of angles.


You gotta realize that Georgia is starting a quarterback in Aaron Murray who has never taken a snap in college. If you remember Matthew Stafford's first season you will recall how painful that was. And that team was much better talent wise than this years team. Listen, Georgia's defense should be better but that isn't saying much. They were completely awful last year. To say they are a top 5 preseason team means they have a great to good defense and an offense that will score a lot of points. Georgia has proven neither. Their offensive line should be strong with plenty of experience and depth coming back but I don't see a talented back in the mold of Knowshon or Herschel or even a Garrison Hearst who is going to lead you past Florida.

I see Georgia going 9-3 at best during the regular season. South Carolina in Columbia is always tough (50/50). Arkansas the next week in Athens could see Ryan Mallett throw for 300 plus yards (50/50). They should beat Tennessee but then again the Vols always seem to play their best game against the Dawgs especially in Athens. Florida could again crush them in Jacksonville. Auburn on the road is not easy and history tells you the last time the Bulldogs won 5 straight against the Tigers was in the 1940's so expect a close battle. And then you got the home state battle with Georgia Tech who under Paul Johnson can hang with Mark Richt scheme wise. So you are telling me that Georgia could possibly lose only one of those games Scout? Highly doubtful.

24 DAYS TILL NOTRE DAME CRUSHES PURDUE



With senior running backs Armando Allen and Robert Hughes (with his size he should be like Ray Zellars) and talented underclassmen such as Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood (hearing similar reports on the redshirt freshman as Knowshon Moreno had before his breakout season in Athens) the Fighting Irish should be able to run for at least 230 yards against a rather weak Purdue front 7. It looks like at this moment according to practice reports that the Notre Dame offensive line will consist of Taylor Dever at right tackle, Trevor Robinson at right guard, Dan Wenger at center, Chris Stewart at left guard, and Zach Martin at left tackle. If you are counting that is two new starters at the tackle spots. Dayne Crist will of course be the starting QB and his first option at tight end will be All-American Kyle Rudolph and at wide receiver it will be another All-American in Michael Floyd. Freshman WR TJ Jones looks like he will get starting duties as does tailback convert Theo Riddick (think Golden Tate in the slot with Riddick). The offense should be explosive and Brian Kelly's teams at Cincinnati routinely put over 40 points a game on the score board. The offense has a ton of experience and depth at key positions but the key will be the offensive line meshing especially at the tackle spots and keeping Crist healthy. Without Dayne this offense will struggle to form an identity in my opinion.

The defense remains a different story and something I will dive into tomorrow. The whole front 7 returns with plenty of talent among the starters but do they have the depth to shut down teams running games? We will see.

NEW SHIRT: 9 RUDY SHAMROCK



We are bringing back the old vintage design Shamrock shirts we did a few years ago. This is the first new "old" one with a new moniker of "RUDY" on it. Get it today for only $17.

CARDINALS AND REDS BRAWL



Now that is what I was talking about yesterday. The Cardinals and the Reds just now officially moved into a heated rivalry worth talking about. Brandon Phillips opened the floodgates the day before with his "little bitches" comment and the Cardinals responded when Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (most overrated catcher in the game) did not take kindly to Phillips before the first pitch was even thrown. Phillips hit Molina's shin pads with his bat (Phillip's ritual which is bull shit anyways) and Molina flipped out. Of course Molina being the pussy he is didn't throw a punch. He just started screaming at him and then of course the benches cleared and a whole bunch of pushing and shoving and crying ensued.

Eventually ordered was restored and the only ejections were the managers. Tony Larussa and Dusty Baker have a history that dates back to 2000 in which both guys have had heated exchanges. This was no different. And you know what? This is great for baseball. Right now is about the time people like myself start to forget about baseball because football is right around the corner. The major network and MLB love to shove that AL East rivalry down our throats and talk about it like it is the only thing that matters. Clearly it doesn't. And now with the Reds and Cardinals feuding for first place in the Central it's bound to get more interesting and we can actually focus on other teams. It shows the fans that the players care and it was great seeing Scott Rolen (future Hall of Famer) muck it up with ex-teammate Chris Carpenter. This is what rivalries are about. No more buddy-buddy bull shit. It's about fighting till the last pitch.


As much as I loathe Molina (the guy just gets on my nerves for some reason) I was actually smiling when he hit the home run yesterday. You could see how much it pissed off the Reds team and you could also see how good it felt for Molina with his slow trot around the bases which was very Phillips-like. This is good theater my friends. Finally.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

BRANDON PHILLIPS CALLS THE CARDINALS "LITTLE BITCHES"


All-Star second baseman Brandon Phillips is not a big fan of their division rival St. Louis Cardinals. In fact he had some pretty choice words for the Redbirds...

“We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little bitches, all of ‘em. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear – I hate the Cardinals.”


This is what baseball needs. We need teams and players who hate each other. It started earlier this season when Red's first baseman Joey Votto said he hates the Cubs and wouldn't even acknowledge Marlon Byrd at the All-Star game because he is a Scrub. I'm sick and tired of all the players being all buddy buddy with the opposing teams. Growing up I remember a lot more baseball fights then there seem to be now. I remember Otis Nixon doing a Karate Kid on one of the pitchers for probably making fun of the powder on his nose. I remember George Brett freaking out at the umpires for the Pine Tar incident. It just seemed like players cared more back in the day.

Maybe I am romanticizing it but I honestly I enjoy hearing the players hate their rivals. It shows to me that they care more about winning than anything else. There should be no finger blasting each other before or after the game (talking to you A-Roid) and instead I want to see yelling and cursing at each other.

I guess what I am trying to say is baseball needs more "bad guys" like Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto. You want players on your team who are ready to go to war because you know they have your teammates back. A little psycho is good for the camaraderie every once in a while.

Hopefully Albert Pujols stops being the nice guy and calls Phillips a "little Stone Mountain piece of shit" who can lick his zits off his back. Come on Albert. Stop being Winnie the Pujols and start acting like the bad guy. More vinegar and less honey would make baseball more exciting for the common fan.

Image via SI.com

Monday, August 09, 2010

JERRY RICE GIVES THE OLD ONE FINGER SALUTE



The greatest receiver of all-time just showed why he was so dominant. He has fucking bananas for fingers. No wonder he caught all those touchdown passes from Joe Montana and Steve Young. I like the planning ahead and putting the Super Bowl ring on his middle finger too. That way he can give a double FU to all the people who don't have a ring. I'm thinking Dan Marino wouldn't appreciate it.

TIM TEBOW ROCKING THE MONK DO



Tim Tebow suffered a little rookie hazing this weekend from his Denver Broncos teammates with the annual "Monk Cut."

Bravo Broncos. I think the haircut suits him perfectly. This might actually become popular in the Mile High City. Next thing you know you will see Carmelo rocking it to the clubs.

Image via Lendale White's Twitter

CENTRAL FLORIDA DOES IT RIGHT



Axis Magazine got permission from George O'Leary and the University of Central Florida to do a photo shoot of Playboy Playmate Shanna Marie McLaughlin in the locker room. Fanfuckingtastic. Some people think it's highly controversial to have an UCF alum in Shanna doing bikini poses in the player's locker room and to those people all I want to say is FUCK OFF. We live in America. Football and TNA go together like baseball players and PEDs. I'm sure now somebody will be fired and there will be some big political correctness uproar at Central Florida over something that is FUCKING AWESOME. You can take your Totalitarianism ideology and shove it up your ass.

Oh, and by the way I might have just become Central Florida's #1 fan. Sorry for the yelling. It's Monday and I'm a little high strung today.

Link HT: Extra Mustard

Thursday, August 05, 2010

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALEX RODRIGUEZ (A-ROID) ON HIS 600TH*



I use to remember when hitting 600 home runs was a big deal. Now it's barely a blimp on the sports world. And with good reason since the man who did it yesterday goes by the name of A-ROID. Just like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire I refuse to acknowledge Alex Rodriguez as an all-time great because of the steroids.

In honor of A-ROID's 600th* home run we have marked down all A-Roids shirts to $6.00. Get them now. We have a limited amount available.

AMAZING CATCH OR FAKE?



The Japanese fooled me once with Godzilla and since then I refuse to be sold with a false bill of goods. Is this shit real? If it is it's the most amazing catch I've ever seen by somebody 5 foot 5. It's probably some bull shit Gatorade commercial. You remember the one with Michael Vick throwing a football out of the stadium? Only way that shit would have been real if it was a pitbull.

Video via Extra Mustard

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

POLITICAL CARTOONIST MIKE LUCKOVICH NAILS IT WITH THE CHUGA



Slow clap for AJC Mike Luckovich for hitting one out of the park with this cartoon of UGA.

EVA MENDES SEX TAPE



It's not even funny. What a bunch of bull shit this is. I'm just posting it to get the traffic. Seriously. Sometimes it's about making sacrifices for the good of my wallet. Live and learn. Eva is on my shit list after this garbage. You want an Oscar well you better start Monster Balling like Halle Berry did.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

NOTRE DAME TO PLAY TEXAS IN HOME AND HOME STARTING IN 2015



This will put a smile on your face if you are a college football fan. I just got word that college football powerhouses Notre Dame and Texas will meet in 2015 and 2016 for a little recreational football. ND and Texas probably have the two biggest fan bases and both programs can benefit greatly in each other in terms of $$$$$ by scheduling these games more often.

This will just add another game to my college football bucket list. I got to eventually get out and see the Red River Shootout and also see a Michigan-Ohio State battle. Last year I saw Notre Dame-USC. I've seen Notre Dame-Michigan and I've seen Georgia-Georgia Tech. I already have plans in 2012 to go see the Catholics vs Convicts rematch in Chicago and also see Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland against Navy. I still have never been to the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville. Come to think of it I've missed out on some great college football action. What other battles would you recommend?

THIS MADE ME LAUGH



Sorry but I could not help but laugh at this jackass. You start dancing or slow walking in the road you are bound to get hit. Lesson learned the hard way. I don't usually wish harm on people but I wouldn't mind it if more people got hit. You know the people who walk as slow as possible across the street so you will stop for them. And then they stare you down like they are the tough ones. In my dreams I blow my horn and hit them. Obviously the guy driving the chip truck was living the dream in this video.

Video HT: George Lee

SERIOUSLY UGA THIS VIDEO IS EMBARRASSING



After watching this video the Princeton Review might have to revoke the whole #1 party school tag they just received. Seriously this video makes Georgia look like a bunch of uncoordinated non-talented assbags. My high school video production could make better shit than this. And how the fuck did this get sent to BarStoolSports before it got sent to us? If you are going to send the video to a bunch of jerkoffs you might as well send it to a Southern jerkoff who lives in Atlanta. I'm very disappointed I had to go to a Boston blog to see the video. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Now go to your room.

I know this is just for orientation for incoming students but this is the kind of shit that makes you lose to Florida by 30 plus points. Hey good pick on the Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA." Too bad Penn State already got to it...