Florida high school cornerback Spencer Boyd will pick Notre Dame tomorrow over Georgia and Michigan according to the Cape-Coral-Daily-Breeze...
"I talked to Spencer (Tuesday) and he told me he was going to verbally commit to Notre Dame," Cape High coach Mike Goebbel said. "He thought that was the best place for him. He was excited and his parents are excited about it."
Boyd (5-foot-10, 178 pounds) is entering his senior year with the Seahawks. He's expected to play defensive back at the college level after contributing all over the field for the Seahawks since his freshman year.
Boyd is the second Florida cornerback to join the Irish to go along with Lo Wood. Both are 3 star recruits as of this moment but since they picked Notre Dame they should move up a star or two. That was a recruiting joke by the way. A very poor one. It's great to see Notre Dame recruiting the state of Florida now as aggressively as they have California the past few seasons. As we all know the Sunshine State produces a ton of top notch football recruits and anytime you can steal a player like Boyd from Georgia and Michigan then you have done your homework precisely.
Boyd is the 13th verbal commitment for the Irish and the 7th on the defensive side of the ball. If they can finish up with players that they stand a good chance at such as Anthony Barr, Sean Parker, Dion Bailey, David Amerson, and Josh Shaw on the defensive side then it would be a hell of a defensive haul for Corwin Brown and Jon Tenuta.
Courtesy of EDSBS.com comes the 2009 version of the Notre Dame student and alumni shirt. "Piss and Moan" seems about right especially when it comes to the older Notre Dame crowd if you dare stand up during the actual game and cheer for the Fighting Irish.
This is why we introduced our new "Tailgate Like A Champion" shirt for 2009. No more pissing or moaning or bitching about the last two seasons. Shut the hell up because Notre Dame is going to be back in full force and ready to kick some serious ass this year. Go away doubters because I don't need your negativity. Grab yourself a beer or two as the shirt suggests and let's get ready to have a great season...
It's been way too long since we last saw each other. Just the thought of Saturdays in the fall bring me back to those days when we would literally wake up in each other's arms and then go to bed with each other after finishing those 30 packs. Sure I could tell you that you don't mean that much to me and that baseball can fill my insatiable needs while you are gone but then of course I would not only be lying to you but myself as well. I miss you. I need you. Life is hell without you. Please come back. I'm on my knees begging.
Love you,
Matt
P.S.-I attached a little video to show you how much I care and think about you. Just get here already.
Tony Romo seems to be recovering nicely from his break up with Jessica Simpson. And by nicely I mean he is plunging in knee deep in road beef all over this great nation.
It's all about the Roosevelts baby! I love this commercial. If I had a choice to eat fast food every day it would have to be Taco Bell. Of course if I carried out that choice I would be tipping the scales at Andre Smith weight right now. Taco Bell is even coming out with some environmental friendly food...
For being a complete idiot the other day when I questioned your weight loss. Last night you proved to know it all bloggers like myself to never question the power of Erin Andrews. If you must punish me I ask you do it while wearing this dress you wore at the ESPY's the other night...
That dress is straight out of a 80's hair band video which is a great thing. Keep it up Andrews.
Because we can have incessant arguments with no real winners or losers about who is better. Take for instance this argument heading into the season. Who is the better safety?
USC's Taylor Mays...
or Tennessee's Eric Berry?...
You be the judge Sportscrack heads. Who would you rather have patrolling your secondary this season? I think I would take Eric Berry but you can't go wrong with either.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Erin Andrews. Ever since she started rocking the television screen during Atlanta Thrashers broadcasts it's been hard to ignore her and for good reason. But seriously Erin eat something. Anything. Ketchup packets if you may. Maybe she is paying homage to Wacko Jacko. God knows she won't have a hard time getting little boys to come to her.
23 total home runs including one that traveled an estimated 503 feet from big Prince's bat got him the win in this year's Home Run Derby. Fielder beat the Ranger's Nelson Cruz by 2 home runs but it didn't have the flair of last year when Josh Hamilton hit 28 home runs in one round. I think Prince is long overdue for a shirt from us. Any suggestions?
According to the SunSentinel.com Florida head football coach Urban Meyer has all but squashed my wet dream of coming true:
At last weekend's Bob Dooley Invitational, a fundraising event put on by Gainesville Sun columnist Pat Dooley, Meyer announced "I'm not going to Notre Dame. Ever."
What an a-hole! How could he not want to leave hot and humid Gainesville for the bleak coldness of South Bend? It just doesn't make sense. Sure the Gators have more talent and he has won 2 National Titles in 3 years while playing in the toughest conference in the nation but it's Notre Dame. The Gipper played there. Jesus tailgates there. What is the world coming to when the most successful coach in college football no longer wants to coach at the most prestigious university not named Stanford?
Actually I think I know why Urban said he isn't going to Notre Dame. It's because Charlie Weis finally has a squad full of talent, depth and experience and with their weak ass schedule this year they have an outside shot at going undefeated. Sure this is coming from a Notre Dame fan but who besides USC is really that good on their schedule this upcoming season? Michigan blows. Not one other top 25 team is on their schedule. So stay put Urban and win your 3rd title in 4 years.
I know it comes as a shock to all of you, but prepare yourself by sitting down and adjusting your Tampax. This is going to be rough for both of us. The inevitable has happened. Tony Romo, star choke artist quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys has dumped Pop Star/Reality "Star" Jessica Simpson a day before her 29th birthday. I know the horror of it all is really hard to take but there is some explanation according to the New York Daily News...
"She is heartbroken," says the source. "She loves Tony. But it's been difficult lately. He's busy with his career and she's getting ready to shoot her show (The Price of Beauty). They decided to part ways."
Wait a second here. Simpson has a show coming out called "The Price of Beauty?" Poor girl. It must suck to have enormous fun bags that have earned her so much more money than an actual talented ugly person would have. Think of the Kelly Clarkson's of the world and how they feel Jessica. I think Romo dumped her because she is approaching the big 3-0 in less than a year. When you are QB of the Dallas Cowboys, no matter how pitiful your post-November NFL record is, you don't settle for washed up Pop Stars nearing their 30's. You turn her in for better "Road Beef." It's the law of the Dallas Star.
Frank Mir's face looks eerily similar to unrefrigerated three day old pastrami. I would say Brock Lesnar won the UFC 100 fight fair and square. And by fair I mean gay. Too much men wrestling for my liking.
This is what happens when you get drafted by the San Diego Padres. Your world starts to crumble as your baseball skills and ability to stay sober without crying vanish. Let this be a lesson to everybody that there is crying in baseball. Bush league move if you ask me.
I figured since I posted the Jon one a couple of weeks ago why not see how Kate is doing on Match.com. You got to love the backwards mullet guys. It's great to know a haircut derived from Alabama backwoods country can make it all the way to mainstream America.
The Atlanta Braves have traded young but inconsistent RF Jeff Francoeur to the hated New York Mets for Ryan Church. It sucks to see a Georgia native leave the team but it needed to be done. Frenchy needed the new scenery and I am genuinely pulling for him to do well except when he plays against the Braves of course. You can't knock the kid for not trying, it always seemed to me at least he put in a 100% effort and hustled and wanted to win with the Braves. But things didn't work out for obvious reasons: Terry Pendleton. All kidding aside I don't think Church is the answer in right field but I sure as hell think that Jayson Heyward will be. Heyward is currently the #1 prospect in all of minor league baseball according to Baseball America but he won't be up in Atlanta till 2010 at the earliest.
Via The Big Lead comes the news of the first fatality since 1995 from the running of the bulls...
"A man died after being gored in the neck during the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, the Navarra regional government said Friday on its Web site … [he is] a Spanish man, Daniel Jimeno Romero, age 27, from the Madrid area who was vacationing in Pamplona with his family.”
Count me in the group of people who never really understands why these people get in front of a loose bull and don't expect something bad to happen. I guess you could call me a pussy but I don't see the thrill in running away from a raging bull. If I am in Spain I would rather be sitting on a beach or in a cafe drinking a beer and kicking back. Not running away from a fucking bull. I'm always the guy rooting for the bull in these situations too. You don't fuck with an animal as big as a bull and expect to come out unscathed. I went to a bullfight in Mexico about ten years ago. I honestly had no idea they killed the bull till I got there. It was pretty fucking gross and brutal. Since then I've always been on the "Toros" side. Here is a helpful hint if you don't want to get gored in the neck by a bull: DO NOT FUCK WITH ONE.
If you are a Notre Dame fan then I think this shirt needs little if any explanation. The new Hawaiian linebacker is considering taking a mission but we all know what that mission has become: DESTROY USC.
The shirt is available in navy or irish green for the low price of $17. A portion of all sales goes to the American Cancer Society. Hopefully someday we can HIT cancer hard enough to eliminate it. Thanks for the support!
I have been on a heavy Eddie Vedder kick ever since I saw him live a few weeks ago. The habit is getting a little out of control. Just the other day I called my dog "Daughter" as he was barking at me and then cursed politics for being all political and stuff. So this is it for a while. Pearl Jam is shown performing "Crazy Mary" at the House Of Blues in Orlando in 2003.
Notre Dame gunner Mike Anello, a former walk-on who plays every play like it's his last...
Via Blue-Gray Sky comes this video of Notre Dame special teams extraordinaire Mike Anello who some describe as a modern day "Rudy." Anello was a walk-on like Rudy Ruettiger and has a similar build (generously listed at 5'10, 170 lbs) but unlike Rudy he has earned a scholarship and for good reason: the guy is a tackling machine. Just another reason why I can't wait to watch some college football. Gotta root for the little guy!
I can see why Obama wanted to thank Russia for Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin. He is the best hockey player in the world and he makes hockey in our nation's capital bearable. On a personal note I want to thank Russia for Stoli and supermodel Natasha Polevshchikova for making my life bearable...
The Washington Nationals are to the MLB what the Washington Generals are to the Harlem Globetrotters. They can't win...ever. Even in the simple fundamentals such as sliding into second base. They don't even know how to get there. Eventually the Nationals will be good when ever Stephen Strasburg signs...oh yeah...that might not happen if agent Scott Boras aka Satan's fart gets his way. This is what happens when you accept damaged goods from Canada. Beady eyes and shitty baseball.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick has a good article on the Orioles young outfield nucleus of Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. We may suck balls again this year (last place in the AL East heading towards 12th consecutive losing season) but the future looks bright with all 3 of these guys around for a long time. The pitching will get better as soon as Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, and Brian Matusz are called up from the minors. All 3 of those guys have legitimate shots at being future aces for the club and rookie Brad Bergesen has been very impressive in his first season.
Just have to remain positive Orioles fans. That or drink a lot of beer. In MacPhail We Trust. He even has Markakis doing circus tricks just to get fans out to Camden Yards...
My patience has run thin but at least I know the Orioles are finally heading in the right direction with all these young players.
Notre Dame recruiting continues to roll with the punches after they landed their 10th commitment today in the 2010 recruiting class with California defensive end Justin Utupo. Utupo is a very important commitment in that the Irish are always in desperate need of defensive lineman especially ones with the physical and speed presence at strongside end that Utupo possesses.
In just the past week or two Notre Dame has gotten a QB in Andrew Hendrix, a defensive end in Blake Leuders, and two defensive backs in Lo Wood and Chris Badger. There is little doubt that Charlie Weis and his staff are doing an excellent job of bringing in recruits despite a combined 10 wins in the last two seasons.
I've already gone on record as saying Notre Dame will beat USC on October 17th, 2009 due in large part by the type and quantity of elite football recruits that are now starters at Notre Dame. This isn't your bend over Notre Dame team with speed and strength anymore. These kids can play. Now it's just a matter of the coaches putting them in the right spot to execute.
After watching Tim "The Freak" Lincecum's throw yet another gem the other night I thought to myself who would I rather have starting a game right now. I came up with some names but right now the 2008 NL Cy Young Winner would be my pick to take the hill if I needed to win a crucial game. Here is my top 10 list and feel free to add or subtract guys in the comment section.
1. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants-He has a legitimate shot at the Triple Crown for starting pitchers (wins, ERA, and K's) and is only getting better. He may be small in stature but right now his hair is growing almost as fast as his legend. He leads the Majors in K's with 141, is second in ERA at 2.23 and is first in a lot of other categories such as complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, and batters faced in the National League. If I had to win a game 7 right now he would be my choice.
2. Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals-Greinke has a legitimate argument as the best pitcher in baseball right now. He leads the majors in ERA, wins and complete games. Despite a recent rough spot he has been clearly the best pitcher in the American League this year. Zack Attack has brought back some much needed electricity to Kaffmaun Stadium.
3. Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays-"Doc" Halladay is again putting up superb pitching numbers for the Blue Jays. He is top 5 in almost every important pitching category when it comes to starting pitchers. He is a warrior who pitches deep into games and you don't have to worry about pitch counts when it comes to Halladay.
4. Johan Santana, New York Mets-The best lefty in the game right now. Santana has lived up to his contract and expectations since signing his fat contract for the New York Mets in 2008. His change-up leaves hitters flailing and the 2-time Cy Young winner has a good shot of at least finishing in the top 5 for voting for another one for the 6th consecutive season.
5. Dan Haren, Arizona Diamondbacks-Haren is one of the few pitchers who I will stop doing everything at a moment and just watch him pitch. He hits both corners of the plate with varying speeds with pinpoint control. It amazes me that both the St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland A's, two franchises known to make good baseball business decisions in the past, have traded the young pitching ace. At 28 years old is coming into his own and should be a serious contender for his first Cy Young award this season.
6. Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox-This guy is a bull. His career numbers are not outstanding but if you want to win a game in the postseason there isn't many if any pitchers I would pick before him. He is old school in the way he carries himself. Seems arrogant and cocky but every team would love to have him manning the hill when the game is on the line. Reminds me of a young John Smoltz.
7. Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins-At 25 years old Johnson is establishing himself as an elite starting pitcher on the verge of a tremendous payday. He has never won more than 12 games in a season (rookie year by the way) but his 6'7 presence on the mound is intimidating and he has the stuff to win 20 games a season for a long time. His slider and change-up are very effective with his mid 90's fastball.
8. C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees-Big C.C. doesn't look like your prototypical pitcher. In fact you would think he would be playing offensive line for the Jets instead of throwing 3 plus pitches for strikes for the New York Yankees. He got the Milwaukee Brewers into the playoffs basically by himself last season and will be considered a big reason why the Yankees make it back to the postseason this year.
9. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners-King Felix has a fastball that reaches mid to upper 90's but what makes him so damn effective is his knee buckling curve. At only 23 years old he has amazing command and poise. He should establish himself as one of the elite pitchers in all of baseball by the end of this season and I am probably being short sided with him as low as 9 right now.
10. Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians-Lee has had his struggles this season but the 2008 Cy Young Award winner has the ability to bounce back in a big way. His slider is simply filthy and it has a tendency to run into right handed hitters thus inducing broken bats and grounders.
Just missed the cut: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers; Edwin Jackson, Detroit Tigers; Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants; Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers; Javier Vasquez, Atlanta Braves
The holiday weekend technically started for me last night. The Atlanta Braves swept the Philadelphia Phillies for their 4th win in a row and are now just 2 games back in the division. Hell yeah! My adult men's rec baseball team destroyed the Tigers last night thus improving our record to 5-2. I missed my first homerun of the season by about 3 feet off the left centerfield wall. Yeah, I think it's time to start juicing old school like Brady Anderson so we don't have to worry about those stupid doubles anymore...I want dingers plus chicks dig the longball. I hope you and everyone around you have a spanktacular 4th of July weekend.
Image HT: Kardashian picture would be hotter if she had sausages on the grill but you get the picture. I think those are Bubba Burgers on the grill...can you say trailer trash? WWTDD via Startracs
Lou Gehrig, whom I consider to be the greatest first baseman of all-time, gave his famous speech on Lou Gehrig's Day at Yankees Stadum two years before he would pass due to ALS...
Gehrig was one of my heroes growing up even though he died nearly 40 years before I was born. I did a book report on him in elementary school and was amazed how much of a pure athlete he was and yet how he managed to play in relative obscurity in New York due to the overwhelming shadow of Babe Ruth. The Babe was bigger than baseball and Gehrig accepted it. Gehrig was a great teammate who played every game, 2130 consecutively till ALS took him out. He would have hit well over 700 career homeruns and driven in 2500 plus runs if he didn't go down with the disease. Gehrig is a legend who was born and bred in New York and eventually passed there. I'm no Yankees fan but I am a huge Lou Gehrig fan and just wanted to recognize him on this 4th of July weekend when he gave his famous speech in front of a packed New York crowd, fighting back tears. Much like when I hear Martin Luther King's speech I get the chills just hearing Gehrig speak. Gehrig is an icon too who will live forever.
This idea was sent in to us from a Notre Dame grad student. These are the kind of ideas you get when you go 10-15 in two seasons under Charlie Weis. Touchdown Jesus has become a lush who won't get off his cheetos flavored couch unless he is getting a beer but we all know 2009 is when Notre Dame football returns to glory. Show your love for tailgating with this classic t-shirt which costs only $17. We are talking cheaper than a 30 pack here my friends. Plus a portion of all sales goes to a great cause known as the American Cancer Society. Be sure to spread the word. Don't disappoint Touchdown Jesus.
Last night started off with scoring some free seats to the Atlanta Braves game. These weren't just normal seats. They were a few rows behind the Philadelphia Phillies dugout. We were so close to the action you could actually smell Cole Hamel's lower labia. Don't ask me how the upper one smells because it is way too long of a story. The first great sight was to see neither of Yunel Escobar or Kelly Johnson in the starting lineup. As you know both have contributed mightily to bringing down the Braves with their bonehead decisions of late and both needed to ride the pine and feel what it is like to watch the game next to Bobby Cox.
My dad sent me a text message right after the first pitch. "Prado is starting...finally." I replied to him to not worry, Bobby would find someway to bring in Johnson before his first AB. See I have major issues when it comes to Escobar and my dad has the same inner demons when it comes to Johnson. We are on the same wavelength that both of these guys bring down the Braves worst than Jeff Francoeur swinging at pitches at his eyes. At least Frenchy appears to be trying at all times. We are old school and that is really all you can ask for.
But anyways, on to starting second baseman Martin Prado. Prado finally got the start and showed he belonged. 4 hits and 4 RBI's including a homerun and the walk-off RBI single in the 10th frame. The Ted was rocking and Braves fans were going nuts. I high fived my wife and everybody around me as soon as Matt Diaz crossed home plate with the game winning run. It was a much needed victory over the rival Phillies and moved them within 4 games of the division leader. I looked back to my buddy Doug who was sitting behind us and gave him the thumbs up. We both were happy yet exhausted. The Braves haven't had many easy games this season and after Mike Gonzalez came in the 8th and gave up two solo homeruns it looked like the Braves were again going to be on the wrong side. It's been their story for 2009. Good to great starting pitching was provided once again by Derek Lowe only to see 3 runs put on the board before the 8th inning. Come to think of it 3 runs is about all the Braves scored in the series against the Red Sox. But enough of the negatives. They won and Prado's teammates came rushing out on the field to congratulate him. Great win for the Bravos.
As I was leaving the field I managed to look up at the out of town scoreboard. Red Sox 10, Orioles 1 in the 7th inning. FUCK! The Boston Bandwagoners have had the Orioles number for some time now. In fact the Orioles had yet to beat the Red Sox in 2009 thanks to blowing a 7 run lead earlier this year in what became known as the Mother's Day massacre. My hope as I walked out of The Ted was that the Orioles would manage to score some runs to at least make the final outcome look respectable. I wasn't going to let the Orioles ruin my happiness that the Braves just provided. But of course being the degenerate I am I followed the game on my wife's iphone as we drove back home on the SportsTap application. Soon enough it was 10-5 as Oscar freaking Salazar hits a 3 run homerun as soon as we pull in the drive way. I'm telling myself we got a chance and yet still I don't want to set myself up for the disappointment of another loss. Fuck it, I run upstairs and turn on the game. It's now 10-9 Red Sox and Camden Yards is rocking with leaches of Red Sox fans and Orioles die hards hoping to pull off the miracle. Nick the Stick Markakis comes up against Jonathan Papelbon. Markakis is 0-7 against Papelbon. Doesn't matter. Nick rocks a fastball to left centerfield for a game winning 2 RBI double.
The greatest comeback victory in Orioles history. 9 runs down in the 7th only to comeback and have George Sherrill aka Flat Breezy close it out by striking out Jason Bay in the 9th. HELL YEAH! Papelblown looks confused. The Orioles look ecstatic. I'm bouncing off the fucking walls.
A great night to be a baseball fan for this guy. Can't wait to do it all over again today.
If you don't recognize the movie then just get the hell off of this damn blog I tell ya. I think Urban Meyer has had enough of Lane Kiffin already and the little blondie kid has yet to even coach an actual game in Knoxville. Now Kiffin is recruiting 13 year olds to come join him. Who does he think he is...Michael Jackson?
Last week we profiled Bruce Manley and his ability to hit ridiculous behind the back shots from anywhere on or off the basketball court. This week we take a look at Josh Womack, an independent league baseball player for the Long Beach Armada, and his wacky ability to make a bat do things that don't seem possible. The 25 year old outfielder's career is pretty much in the shitter these days. It doesn't appear he will ever make it to the Big Leagues as a player but that doesn't mean he can't be on the field someday. This guy would make a hell of a bat boy. Could you imagine him doing these tricks before handing the bat to Ichiro? Hell, I would pay to see it. If that doesn't work I'm sure the porn industry could find a long lasting career filled with broken dreams and lost self worth.
I've gotten a few emails from Atlanta Braves fans saying I've been over reacting to shortstop Yunel Escobar's play and how he carries himself on the field. As I have said before I think Escobar is a good shortstop. The problem is he comes off like a spoiled brat when things don't go his way. He pouts, he doesn't hustle, and he sure as hell hasn't made a great impression to his teammates and/or opponents. Escobar isn't mature enough and doesn't possess superstar talent for Bobby Cox to put up with his shit. He zones out and makes bone head plays much in the same way Kelly Johnson did yesterday against the Red Sox. Both Escobar and Johnson are extremely lucky they play in Atlanta. If this kind of play occurred in New York, Philly, Boston, or Chicago they would be booed off the field for the lackadaisical mental errors. It's too bad for Atlanta because the Braves have a championship-caliber pitching staff but they got a bunch of guys who seem to be going throw the motions. The heart isn't there. Or brains for that matter.
Forget about a flu-stricken Tommy Hanson extending his scoreless innings streak to 20 yesterday at The Ted, if you were at the Braves-Red Sox game yesterday this was the highlight of the game you couldn't see on television...
It appears Jeff Francoeur's older, fatter brother had a few too many in Hotlanta and decided charging the field with two outs in the 9th was a fantastic idea. Decent take down by security. I give it a 7. With only 9 combined runs in the entire series between the two teams this got the crowd the loudest.
1. Tim Tebow, Florida-One Heisman Trophy and two National Championships later while playing in the toughest conference in college football it's hard to argue that Tebow isn't the best quarterback of his generation. Everyone knows he can run the ball (673 yards rushing with 12 TD) but his arm was deadly too with an accuracy rate over 64% while throwing for 30 TDs and only 4 INTs. He should have another great season with an experienced offensive line back in Gainesville and plenty of weapons around him.
2. Colt McCoy, Texas-Hard to believe but it seems like Colt McCoy is a forgotten man when it comes to QB talk in college football. Last season he led the Longhorns in rushing with 561 yards and scoring 11 TDs. Very Tebow-like. Passing he surpassed Tebow with an incredible 77% completion percentage while throwing for 34 TDs and only 8 INTs. Texas returns a ton of experience so expect huge numbers again from The Real McCoy.
3. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma-It's almost insane to think that the reigning Heisman Trophy winner is only the third best QB on my list. It's not a knock on Bradford by any means it's just that Tebow and McCoy faced a lot more pressure last season than Bradford. Bradford threw for 50 TDs while amassing a Dan Marino-esque 4700 yards passing in helping the Sooners reach the BCS National Title game. It was very rare last season to see Bradford get hit but this year they replace 4 starters on the line so it could be a difficult season for him. And by difficult I mean don't expect him to throw for 40 or more TDs. But then again he does play in the Big 12 where defenses go to die.
4. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss-Snead grew into his own last year as he helped lead the Rebels to a 9-4 record including very impressive wins over Florida and Texas Tech. The Texas transfer will have the full spotlight on him this season in Oxford as the Rebels are expected to compete for a SEC Championship. With an out of conference schedule consisting of Memphis, SE Louisiana, UAB, and Northern Arizona he should have plenty of opportunities to pad his stats against inferior competition. Ole Miss will only go as far as Snead leads them this season. 30 plus TD passes will be a given but he needs to improve his accuracy and cut down on the INTs like he showed the last quarter of the season in 2008.
5. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame-Thunderlips as I like to call him is expected to have a huge junior campaign on par with Brady Quinn's 2005. Clausen spent most of his first two seasons in South Bend running away from defenses and getting picked up off the ground after being hit numerous times. Largely this was due to an inexperienced team taking their licks. 2009 there will be no excuses. Clausen throws a tight spiral and is deadly accurate from 20 yards and in. With the best set of receivers in the country (Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, Duval Kamara, Kyle Rudolph, etc.) returning along with a stable of quality backs and the most experienced offensive line in the country it should be an incredible season for the youngest Clausen. Expect Clausen to put up over 3500 yards passing and 32 TDs. He will be judged on how he performs against USC on October 17th. If he performs well along with the rest of his teammates and leads the Irish to victory then he will be a legitimate Heisman frontrunner.
6. Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State-A lot of people have ignored Mr. Robinson, myself included, the past two seasons and I'm not sure why. Zac has 24 starts under his Cowboys belt and has been very impressive with a 62% completion rate while throwing for 51 TDs and only 19 INTs. He has also managed to rush for over 1500 yards. He gets overshadowed in the Big 12 conference because of McCoy and Bradford but with WR Dez Bryant returning along with 1st Team AA RB Kendall Hunter he should have plenty of weapons at his disposal. The Cowboys have won 13 straight season openers and to make it 14th Robinson is going to have to have the game of his life against the Georgia Bulldogs in Stillwater. If Robinson can lead them to victory then the next 3 opponents are Houston, Rice, and Grambling State before they start conference play.
7. Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan-The 2-time 1st team All-MAC quarterback is back and ready to go for the Chippewas in 2009. The 6'3 senior QB is a highly touted NFL prospect and is only the second QB all-time to throw for over 3000 yards while rushing for 1000 (Vince Young the other). He will have his 3 leading receivers back but the O-line is questionable with a lack of experience returning. Playing in the MAC conference he should put up some huge numbers and don't be surprised if he rushes for over 800 yards this season.
8. Max Hall, BYU-The Cougars senior QB returns in what could become a storybook season. Last season Hall was impressive, completing nearly 70% of his passes for close to 4000 yards and 35 TDs. This season they are the leading preseason favorite to win the Mountain West Conference and perhaps play in a BCS Bowl game with TCU and Utah both coming to Provo. Hall and the Cougars open up with Oklahoma in Arlington in what should be a very entertaining battle between two high scoring offenses.
9. Robert Griffin, Baylor-"Track Guy" as his teammates call him earned All-American honors in the 400 meters last year as a true freshman but what was even more impressive was his stats as the starting QB. He ran for 843 yards and 13 TDs while throwing for over 2000 yards, 15 TDs and only 3 INTs all season. Griffin took a ton of hits last season but always bounced right back up despite playing for the worst team in Big 12 history. With his two leading receivers back along with him and RB Jay Finley in the backfield we could be looking at Baylor making their first bowl appearance since 1994. If you like to watch fast guys, or "Track Guy" play QB then watch Griffin tear it up this year. You won't be disappointed.
10. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State-The true freshman held his own last year leading a senior laden Buckeyes team to their 4th Fiesta Bowl trip in the past 7 seasons. He was the second leading rusher on the team behind Beanie Wells with 631 yards and 6 TDs. His passing stats were also impressive as he threw for 12 TDs with only 4 INTs and completed over 60% of his throws. This season he will be the lone focal point of the offense as Beanie is gone along with their top receivers. Many people compare him to Vince Young and for good reason. He is tall, black, fast, and throws like a girl and perhaps like Vince has never kissed one. He will get his chance to destroy some Trojans on the football field in Columbus on September 12th. Win that game and the kid will already be a legend.
Honorable mentions-Ryan Mallett, Arkansas; Jake Locker, Washington; Todd Reesing, Kansas; Joe Cox, Georgia; Daryl Clark, Penn State
Wayne Ellington starred for 3 years in Chapel Hill as a guard who could take it to the hoop, penetrate and score with the best of them. Ellington is from Philly and was hoping his hometown Sixers would take him so he could stay close to home and his girlfriend Amanda Altschuler who attends Drexel.
Of being passed on by the 76ers, Ellington said: "My girlfriend [19-year-old Amanda Altschuler] goes to Drexel, so she wanted me to stay local, as did my family. I'm not upset at all, though. This is a blessing."
Usually I'm the first to say why would a guy who is about to make millions want to hang on to his girlfriend at such a young age. You should be going out and experiencing the world (brunettes, blonds, redheads, Asians, midgets, etc) till you see what you like and want to stick with. Hell the NBA is full of crazy sex parties offering up the latest and greatest. But after taking a look at Ellington's girl Amanda I can now see why getting drafted by the T Wolves and leaving Philly is going to be really tough...
I got this email today from one of our blog readers. You be the judge, is this real?
Hey Matt, I'm a long time reader of the blog I just wanted to give you a heads up on an interesting recent Internet occurrence. About a year ago Bruce Manley submitted a video into the Gillette Search for the next contest, Bruce was awarded the second best prize which was given by Gillette, the Grand Prize winner was voted on by the fans and some guy won for his beer pong shots, which I'm sure Gillette wasn't too please about. Here is Bruce's entry video:
As you can see Bruce is incredibly accurate at shooting balls behind his back.
Bruce then released a high quality production video:
Bruce also hooked up with a great slam dunker to film an alley oop session:
Ok, so for all that back story but I wanted to get it all in there, so the real story starts with this video:
This video was seen by Shaquille O'Neal, Shaq then proceeded to Twitter a challenge, calling out to Bruce, to a game of horse for $1000
Bruce is now planning on going down to Florida early next week to accept this challenge, the horse game will be filmed and put online, this has viral video popularity written all over it.
Just wanted to give you the FYI if you feel this is news worthy of Sportscrack, I guess it's time to add that Bruce is a personal friend of mine that I have known since we were about 10.
Thanks Matt
Well there you go, you got your wish, it is Sportscrack material. I'm a pretty big cynic when it comes to shit like this especially after seeing how David Blaine and others full the public with video tricks and CG. So I will let the Sportscrack readers chime in. Do you guys think it is real? I'm going on record as saying yes.
On 9/18/1979 I was not even 8 months old when Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett made guest appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, which was co-hosted by Ed McMahon. All 3 of them of course have passed away this week. They say death comes in 3's. Who they are I have no clue. But maybe this is some weird Final Destination shit going on. Death got Johnny Carson first five years ago but then managed a long vacation of knocking out people at God's on deck circle, otherwise known as Florida till taking out McMahon this week. He then said fuck it and knocked out Farrah and then hit a staggering left with the King of Pop. Come to think of it the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series over my Baltimore Orioles a month after Michael and Farrah appeared on The Tonight Show. The Pirates have been pretty much dead ever since. See, I tied yesterday's sad news about the passing of a Hollywood sex goddess and an icon who "touched" so many young people's lives into a sports analogy. Bob Costas could only dream of such a seamless transition. Anyways I hope the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ed McMahon, and Farrah Fawcett rest in peace. Feel free to insert inappropriate and insanely humorous jokes below.
Subway foot longs to be exact. Here is a video of Griffin playing S-U-B-W-A-Y, known as HORSE to everyone else, against pitchman Jared Fogle in the mean streets of New York City. I say mean because Jared is a mean mofo and I see more black people than white people in this video...
Tonight as you probably know is the NBA Draft. There should be plenty of trades and speculation leading up to it. Apparently Shaq is going to Cleveland to play with Lebron which would be significant if it was the Shaq from a decade ago. The Atlanta Hawks are getting Jamal Crawford from Golden State and quite possibly, fingers crossed, they could pick up UNC guard Ty Lawson with the #19 pick. Lawson is by far my favorite player in this draft and I don't even like the Tarheels. I hope the Hawks get Lawson so they don't have to resign Mike Bibby. Knowing the Hawks luck Lawson will be picked at #18 and they will go with Tyler Hansbrough who will have a career on par with Adam Morrison. Wait a second, Morrison just won a ring playing the bench for the Lakers. I could dig that.
My main man MacG has this entertaining video of Triumph the Insult Dog paying a little visit to the hippie music fest that is Bonnarroo. On a completely unrelated note I got the chance to see Eddie Vedder play live last night. He played some old classics like "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" while also playing more recent tunes such as "Rise" and closing it out with "Hard Sun." It was a fantastic experience and it was actually the first time I got to see Vedder live. Yep, I have never seen Pearl Jam play live. Should be criminal to admit this. Any way the show was awesome except for the two smelly shitbags sitting to the right of me. I call them shitbags because they smelled like a mixture of fresh baby pooh, stale cigarettes, and the Chattahoochee River in a hot August summer night. They smelled like hippies. Triumph would have had a field day with those two. They couldn't ruin it for me and my wife though. Hearing Vedder jam the mandolin was on par with seeing the Sistine Chapel for the first time. Pure genius.
Coming back to The Flats this fall is Georgia Tech junior runningback Jonathan Dwyer. The returning ACC Player of the Year is only the third Yellow Jacket to accomplish the honor, joining Calvin Johnson and Josh Hamilton whom were both serious Heisman Trophy candidates. Dwyer should be one too this season. Last season he rushed for 1395 yards while averaging 7 yards a carry. Expect huge numbers from him this season as Paul Johnson puts in more plays utilizing Dwyer's speed and power.
Check out these highlights from 2008:
Absolutely running over the Miami Hurricanes...
Running past their hated rival Georgia Bulldogs...
Showing off his strength, determination and power against Duke...
And here is another one against Miami showing off his Barry Sanders-like jukes...
So keep an eye out this fall for Dwyer of Georgia Tech. He most certainly deserves the attention and the pub. I'm having a hard time finding a more complete back in the college game right now. I guess most could say Cal's Jahvid Best has more speed which can't be argued but I think if I had to pick a back in college right now to give the ball 20-30 times a game and help carry my team to win it would be Dwyer. Who would you want toting the rock this season?
Tommy Hanson extended his scoreless innings streak to 14 as the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Yankees 4-0. It was the Braves second consecutive shutout and kept them within 4 games of the division leading Phillies. What else can you say about the kid Hanson? He is already dominating major league hitters and yet he still hasn't pitched like he is capable of according to himself.
"I was pretty pumped up," Hanson said. "I felt like I made some good pitches, and I felt like I made some not-so-good pitches. I definitely battled the whole game. It just feels good to come out of here with a win."
Hanson is going to be nasty. If only the Braves could find some offensive pieces not named Chipper and McCann then this team could go deep in the playoffs with their pitching.
I can't stop laughing at this kid's face. The little pudge monster has the same exact look as myself whenever I see a hooker reading Phil Steele's College Football Preview.
The game is still 5 months away but I thought this gif image from EDSBS was too funny not to post. I will go ahead and take the Gaytors over the chunky melons of Criminoles any day. Dam gum it!
This is what happened when the Yankees visited the Florida Marlins this past weekend on Father's Day nonetheless. You would think an interleague game between two teams with zero history would have less fisticuffs and spitting than a divisional game. I guess not. The Yankees and their fans(insert joke here) come to The Ted tomorrow. The place will surely be rocking with plenty of wannabe Italians rocking their Jeter jerseys and cursing at everything in sight. It's in their nature, god blessed them this way. After seeing this fight I'm not so sure I want to be going down to Atlanta on Wednesday for the game. They already have enough inbreds working as ushers and security down there that I would get innocently thrown into the slammer just for being in the general vicinity of a fight while wearing my A-Roids shirt. I want to go just to sit there and laugh at the Yankees fans but they always manage to get under my skin. Actually a lot of team's fans get on my nerves but Yankees fans top it all off with their holier than thou attitude. I got a lot of friends who are Yankees fans who are great guys so don't get me wrong, they are not all scumbags. But the ones who go to games and get in fights right in front of their children and then laugh it off like it's no big deal scare me. General rule in life: don't get in fights with wild animals, retards, and Yankees fans from New Jersey. All possess superhuman strength with an inability to be reasoned with.
Little round around the edges are we? Too much flab? Haven't seen your manpiece without the assistance of a mirror in years? Well then you need Vinnie Jones...
You got to hand it to my Alma Mater Georgia State. They don't even have a football program but in 2010 they will start one and have an agreement with the Alabama Crimson Tide to play Nov. 20, 2010, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Holy shit! This is going to be a bloodbath. The Panthers program will get $400,000 and the notoriety of getting their asses humiliated by a SEC powerhouse. Actually it's kind of humiliating on the Bama side that they scheduled a football team that doesn't even exist. And I was giving Notre Dame shit for thinking about scheduling Army! Bama and Nick Saban upped the anti on all-time cupcake games with this agreement.
As a Georgia State grad I'm actually excited to see how the Panthers football program develops. Their head coach Bill Curry coached at Georgia Tech and Kentucky and was known to be an effective recruiter so I'm sure he can sell the programs benefits which are...uhhh...let me think...immediate playing time and a chance to play in the Georgia Dome. All of Georgia State's home games will be played in the Dome so that could be an effective recruiting tool. They also might be able to get in the kids who couldn't qualify for UGA or Tech. Before you know it they will be joining the Big East.
Matt Wieters aka switch-hitting Jesus hit his first major league home run last night. In doing so he also collected his first RBIs and got the old shaving cream pie to the face from Adam Jones. Wieters has finally arrived. Look out.
It's great to see that Kobe Bryant is the ultimate teammate and doesn't think of himself as any bigger than the actual Lakers team itself. See how he even wears the same shirt as his teammates at the parade today to celebrate his 4th, I mean the Lakers 15th NBA Championship?
Don't worry, we all know what the four finger shirt means. It's the amount of fingers he got into that poor Colorado gi......oh nevermind.
I'm sorry but where the fuck is the Grey Poupon? Hookers and blow? They want to call this a first-rate college football facility but I don't see those essentials anywhere in the video. I'm very disappointed in T. Boone Pickens. The billionaire donated $282 million for these facilities upgrades for the Oklahoma State Cowboys and I don't see one "escort" for the players. You would think they would have consulted with Pete Carroll or Mack Brown in how to impress their players with those extra "perks." But yeah, the place looks nice and should look great when Georgia comes in September 5th and beats the shit out of them. By the way UGA just finalized a media rights deal with ISP Sports for $92.8 million. The hookers and blow in Athens should be outstanding now.
The Memphis Grizzlies have the #2 pick in the NBA Draft this year and mock draft boards everywhere have them selecting UCONN's Hasheem Thabeet. Excuse but can I ask "Why?" I get he is 7'2 and centers are hard to find but the guy blows. Have any of these scouts actually watched this guy play? He gets pushed around like Tony Romo on a Jessica Simpson tour. And please don't even try to compare his game to Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo had skills and knew how to rebound, block shots, and score when needed when he wasn't waging his finger at the opposition. Sorry for the NBA post but I think it needs to be stated: Thabeet blows balls and the Grizzlies are retards if they draft him.
I think TLC should look into getting Thabeet a show. He is carnie material for sure.
Hitting is sports related right guys? Don't act like you don't know who this mom is either. I got pulled in as soon as my wife said there was a show about this couple involving sextuplets. I thought sextuplet was some weird, freaky sex position I never heard of before. Low and behold I find out it's not some crazy sex practice and instead focuses on these little kids who are obviously Nike shoe makers living right here in America. The world is a fucked up place I tell you and if you don't agree then try watching TLC for a night. It's like an open audition for carnies on there.
Anywho, I thought the headline was pretty funny "CAUGHT HITTING HER DAUGHTER!" Well yeah, everybody gets hit as a kid. It's part of growing up. The kid probably fucked up the stitching on the Air Jordans and had to be reprimanded. It's called learing a lesson where I come from. Plus I hate it when my Nike's stitching starts coming undone when I'm trying to dunk on a 8 foot goal. This is a lesson that little Gosselin girl will learn quickly. But seriously, who the hell calls the cops? It must have been Phil Knight. He always calls the cops when one of his "little" workers isn't sweating in some warehouse to the sweet sounds of R. Kelly's "I believe I can fly!"
A couple of weeks ago I trashed Notre Dame pretty hard for thinking about scheduling Army to play at the new Yankees Stadium. Basically I thought it was a bullshit idea and it had no recruiting or fan viewing advantage for Notre Dame and their followers. I still hate the idea by the way and hope Notre Dame continues to play only one service academy every year in Navy. But with all the shit ideas Notre Dame comes up with (playing Washington State in San Antonio this year, WTF?) it's refreshing to read that their athletic director Jack Swarbrick is waking up to the possibility of scheduling the Texas fucking Longhorns in 2013!!!
QUESTION: As we understand it, there are potentially some financial issues that could hinder you in making the Army game happen in Yankee Stadium. But can you talk about the prospects of a game between Notre Dame and Texas in 2013 — and we’re assuming that would be at one of the two campuses?
I’m not really in a position to talk about the prospects of that game in any particular year. What I can say is that we would love to play Texas. We love playing the schools that have had a comparable history. But also that share our values.
I think Texas is one of the great athletic programs in the country. Not just now, but for many years. I’m a huge fan of the program, their coaches, and (athletic director) DeLoss (Dodds) is one of the giants of our industry. So, if we can figure out how to play Texas at some point, we would love to do it.
Now this idea makes my balls tingle. Notre Dame already has the Oklahoma Sooners on a home and away meeting in 2012 and 2013 as well as adding Brigham Young, Arizona State, and Rutgers. Adding Texas would be great because it shows to their students, alumni and the nation that they will play anybody, anywhere. This is what Notre Dame was built on, playing the big boys all around the country. A matchup with the Longhorns would also get high school football recruits from the great state of Texas interested in Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have a 14-5 record in the state of Texas and are 4-0 playing in Austin.
This is a win-win proposition for both Notre Dame and Texas. Texas passed Notre Dame into 2nd for most wins in college football (Michigan is 1st) in 2008 so there is some sort of bragging rights rivalry that could be made between these two programs. These games need to happen because if Swarbrick is as concerned as he makes it out to be about college football tradition being important in their future football schedules than he needs to know that the nation and Notre Dame people want to see them play Texas, not Army. Make it happen.
