Month: September 2010

Stupid Is As Stupid Does ………… Another Dumb Ass Athlete Who Simply Has No Brains

Stupid Is As Stupid Does ……. Another Dumb Ass Athlete Who Simply Has No Brains

So at one point did it occur to the Los Angeles Lakers’ __ Andrew Bynum that’d it be better to forgo having surgery in the offseason and attend the World Cup in South Africa ? The player whose participation in the NBA Finals was somewhat limited albeit that the team ended up defeating the Boston Celtics in what turned out to be somewhat of a lackluster series. Finals’ MVP Kobe Bryant was ably abetted by Pau Gasol and able cast of teammates but the series itself could’ve been far more enthralling had Bynum been at full strength.

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As I stated earlier in the piece the Lakers’ center sought to visit to visit the African continent for the FIFA World Cup. The player rather than having surgery in the offseason now has chosen to undergo surgery on his right knee just as the preseason and opening training camp is set to get underway. Questions must abound as to why now would the player seek to have this surgery when he had the whole offseason to have the surgery and then fully recuperate and rehabilitate his knee ? Now in having the surgery it’s said that with rest and therapy he’d miss the greater part of the preseason and quite possibly miss the first dozen or so games of the Lakers’ regular season schedule. Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson and team GM Mitch Kupchak can’t be entirely happy with these set of circumstances but in all probability they may well have already voiced their displeasure with the player.

Now in the midst of this all, we know as defending champions the Lakers will want to be ready and firing on all cylinders as the season begins. They’re now for all sense and purpose the bulls-eye with all the other 29 teams in the NBA looking to take them down. Bynum for his part has yet to live up to the potential that many believe him to have and this is a player who after five years in the league has yet to play more than 50 games in of the quintet of seasons his career has been established. That in of-itself ought to be of no surprise to anyone who’s seen the player up close and personal. His raw talent is exceptional but his game has yet to be polished where he’d be viewed as one of the top centers in the game. That being said the talent within the NBA at the position isn’t that plentiful or particularly talented. Other than the histrionics of Dwight Howard whose talent is unquestioned we’ve yet to see any other player that could say match the work ethic and talent shown by the likes of Shaquille O’Neal , Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon at the height of their illustrious careers. In the case of Howard we’ve yet to see consistency and the leadership qualities that one would come to expect of a player looking to step into those illustrious shoes.

This upcoming season on the agenda is the triumvirate of Bosh, James and Wade as they seek to lead the Miami Heat back to the summit of the NBA world. Now while I’m under no illusion as to why this was engineered by Heat President Pat Riley and the now idiotic talk that the Heat will be able to surpass the 72-10 win tally of the Michael Jordan led championship winning Chicago Bulls. I do know this from a business standpoint Heat owner Micky Arison needed this type of infusion from an economic outlook if the franchise was to show any type of profit this season. Collectively this NBA lost in excess of $ 350 million and is fore-cast to lose close to $500 million collectively(half a billion dollars) for the 2010-11 season. And one would have thought that the owners around the league would be now crying poverty ? But they are , aren’t they ? I mean why else would Commissioner David Stern see fit to avail a number of teams in excess of b> $250 million in loans which have been made possible a number of retail consumer banks ? Then at the same time Stern and the league’s hierarchy would have us believe that it’s not to be viewed as a bailout. In the last decade alone teams within the NBA have borrowed in excess of $1.65 billion dollars either to facilitate major upheavals of their venues or for an assortment of deals that they’ve been reluctant to make public.

David Stern and the league hierarchy have got to be overly concerned over the league’s financial struggles albeit that their industry is a $ 6 billion a year plus industry. Now there has got to be something missing from the midst of this all when Stern now alleges that the current collective bargaining agreement is an inequitable one between the NBPA (union) and the league. If these teams and the hierarchy can’t find a way to split their revenues wherein they can survive and still eke out a moderate profit then clearly the template that the NBA operates under is askew and is need of some thoughtful consideration as to how best to proceed. Clearly the days where the owners , players and league hierarchy think that they can simply ignore the fans and in particular economic climate and operate in the same manner is now no longer possible.

Well with the Golden State Warriors now under new ownership it appears that the new incoming hierarchy was looking to bring in their own man. And for incumbent coach Don Nelson the writing was on the wall. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Nelson would be fired. The Warriors have been a lackluster franchise who under Nelson consistently underachieved and to my thinking he should have been fired long ago rather than kept on in order to surpass Lenny Wilkens’ wins record. Why keep a coach in place in order to attain a record that simply no one cares about when that franchise isn’t winning on a consistent basis much less in with a chance of winning an NBA title ? Pardon me for saying this but Chris Cohan, the team’s former owner is either an ass or he clearly has no idea how to run a professional sport’s franchise despite the millions in his bank account. I liken many of the owners of a professional sports franchise as simply egotistical maniacs who simply use these teams as mere baubles to entertain their peers and acquaintances. Doubt my word, then simply take into account owners such as Dr John York and his wife Denise DeBartolo York ( San Francisco 49ers), Frank and Jamie McCourt (Los Angeles Dodgers), Bob Nutting ( Pittsburgh Pirates), Al Davis (Oakland Raiders) and formerly Oren Koules and his partners (Tampa Bay Lightning). Here you had owners whose excesses simply haven’t amounted to much . OK one can say that amongst the owners listed Al Davis has won multiple Superbowls but since those wins , success has been rare even though the elderly owner is still admired around the league(NFL). If there’s a chance that we could have some semblance of common sense from these owners and their executives who are their subordinates then quite possibly some of these franchise would actually achieve some success.

Though I’ve come to love the NBA , I personally don’t get totally enamored with the season until the season gets over its Christmas schedule. By then the NFL season though it hasn’t yet reached its climax we’re almost pretty sure which teams will be in the midst of making it to the postseason. From thereon in the fans ought to be simply gearing themselves up for all of the intrigue of the NBA season. Well for me that’s most definitely the case and I have to admit while I’m not about to be watching the Miami Heat and the circus that’s about to be created as the noted trio’s showcase goes on the road. Now undoubtedly for teams scheduling the Heat this will be a boon for their gates and the homes games to be played at the AAArena in Miami will see a boost in attendance. And for Heat President Pat Riley and team owner Micky Arison this exactly what they wanted for the franchise. The franchise will reap a harvest but the biggest bonus would be if the team is able to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June of 2011. But much of that will be predicated on the form of Chris Bosh , LeBron James and Dywane Wade as that could well be the deciding factor as to how this team will fare throughout the season.

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Picture gallery for your perusal .

Given what we’ve seen happen over the postseason within the NBA how do you see the upcoming season panning out ? And if anything can see this present Heat team matching the feat of the Chicago Bulls and their history making season of 72 wins ? And is Pat Riley justified in now criticizing those whom he sees as being vocal as to how he engineered the signings of both James and Bosh ? Chime on in with your thoughts on the topic and any other thoughts on this upcoming NBA season ?

Alan aka tophatal ………… 🙂

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Eye candy courtesy of XXL magazine Sasha Del Valle

My Horse My Horse My Kingdom For A Horse

My Horse My Horse My Kingdom For A Horse

Well the NBA ___ preseason will start within the next three weeks and all signs point to the fact that all of the power will return to the Eastern Conference. I could well be wrong in my interpretation but with the possible move of Carmelo Anthony moving from the Denver Nuggets to the New Jersey Nets . It would appear that the conference could see a re-emergence in terms of supremacy.

No doubt with the Miami Heat with its trio of stars corralled by Heat President Pat Riley , his three musketeers in the guise of LeBron James , Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will look to be the dominant team within the conference. However with such teams as the Orlando Magic , Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics all looking to make the Heat the pretenders to the crown that's still in the possession of the Los Angeles Lakers. And until the champions are knocked off their pedestal then all homage has to be paid to the Lakers.

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Courtesy of The New York Daily News

Donnie Walsh regrets using draft pick for Tracy McGrady, which may help Houston land Carmelo Anthony

By Frank Isola

Donnie Walsh admitted Wednesday that he second-guesses himself for including a first-round pick in last year’s Tracy McGrady deal.

In fact, the Houston Rockets are dangling that 2012 first-round pick in a potential deal for Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, a player the Knicks are also heavily pursuing.

“I’ll second-guess myself forever on that,” Walsh said of including a 2012 first-round pick in the McGrady trade. “I’ve always wondered about that. I didn’t like it when we did it.”

On Feb. 18, 2010, McGrady was traded to the Knicks as part of a three-team deal involving Houston and Sacramento. The Knicks and Rockets exchanged 2011 first-round picks in the deal, and because the Knicks added their 2012 first-round pick, they are prohibited by league rules to trade their 2013 first-round pick.

In fact, Walsh revealed that he is trying to acquire a first-round pick that he theoretically could include in a deal for Anthony.

Both Walsh and coach Mike D’Antoni believed the McGrady trade helped the Knicks because it created enough salary-cap space to sign free agents Amare’ Stoudemire and Raymond Felton over the summer.

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Now while it's yet to be confirmed that the trade will go down it's expected that Anthony could be looking to land with a team that has the potential to be considered a contender not just within the conference but quite possibly as a title contender . And while there's every belief that a trade will happen , I'm not entirely sure that the player will go to the lowly Nets spite of the team now being owned by Russian multi-billionaire entrepreneur Mikhail Prokhorov. This much we do know Prokhorov is an ambitious owner who wants to set his seal of approval within the NBA. I'm under no illusion about Prokhorov, that he is serious about making the Nets a contender but this team is at least two years of actually being considered a contender within its own division much less the rest of the Eastern Conference. And while there's burgeoning talent there in terms of Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez and Devin Harris beyond that there's very little there to suggest that with the addition of Carmelo this team would make a sizable gain in terms of wins when measured against last season's total of 12 wins.

And while no one might view this as significant I'm in agreement with ESPN's NBA analys and writer Chris Broussard that either Chicago Bulls or the Houston Rockets could very well make a play for Carmelo Anthony. They have the contracts that are coming to a close an end and a number of players that are surplus to their needs. Acquiring Anthony would be of benefit to the team and Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey being as insightful as he is , he knows that obtaining a player of this magnitude would be of benefit not only to the organization from a business standpoint as it would help the bottom line of a franchise that has struggled eke out a profit and being seen as the lesser light within the “Lone Star State” , as the rise in prominence of the Dallas Mavericks and the four time NBA champions the San Antonio Spurs. For the Rockets they've not been viewed as a perennial contender since the halcyon days of Hakeem Olajuwon and the coaching pedigree of Rudy Tomjanovich.

What we do know is that the Western Conference is still the weighted conference in terms of quality laden teams. The talent is there and with the emergence of the Oklahoma City Thunder and two truly rising stars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook we could well see the further dominance of the NBA by Western Conference teams. Now there are those fans within the Eastern Conference who view the Heat and their trio who are looking to bring back some prominence to South Beach. And while no one is under any illusion that the Heat are expected to have a dominant season it has to be said anything short of winning the title will be looked upon as a complete failure. There's a reason why Heat owner Micky Arison , team President Pat Riley, coach Erik Spoelstra and his coaching staff has set this all in motion. The franchise needed a boost and with declining revenues and the fact franchise's bottom line had shown a steady decline over the last four years something had to be done. And now with general ticket sales on the rise , that of the executive suites and memorabilia it could mean all or nothing for the club.

I'm under no illusion that the Heat are presumptive favorites I do feel that we ought not to overlook teams such as the Celtics , Lakers , Magic, Spurs and Thunder. The latter I've stated because to my mind I view them as contenders who could very well upset the apple cart. On the other hand I'll be looking to see whether or not the Dallas Mavericks can prove me wrong by showing that they can actually play with some heart. To my mind this team has always built on the premise that if they have a good regular season that's enough to satisfy their fans . Mark Cuban to my mind while he's demonstrative and highly opinionated his greatest problem is that the talent of the Mavericks isn't as good as he believes it to be. And unfortunately while Dirk Nowitzki is a year older the talent around him simply doesn't show that they can play with a passion and can be physical when needed to be. A closet full of "queens" (homosexuals) show more passion and physicality than the Mavericks have shown. Less we forget their sole appearance in the NBA Finals led to them having their asses handed to them on a silver platter. And at present there's nothing that'd lead me to believe that the same outcome isn't liable to happen again. Rick Carlisle as the team's coach hasn't the wherewithal to have the team batten down and the hatches when adversity stares them in the face. If anything as we've seen repeatedly over the years they've buckled under the weight of expectation. Is it liable to happen again this ? Well I think that will the case and there's not much that can dissuade me to think otherwise.

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Picture gallery for your perusal .

Are you as a fan looking forward to the upcoming season in the NBA and how do you see things panning out for the Miami Heat ? Are they capable of usurping the Lakers and bringing the championship back to the Eastern Conference and in particular to South Beach ? Chime on in with your thoughts and observations and as always thanks for the continued support .

🙂 _ 😦

Alan aka tophatal

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Russian model , actress and former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko .

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Less is more as they say and the more of Olga that we see the better off we are !

Deny Deny Deny It Wasn’t Me

Deny  Deny   Deny      It  Wasn’t  Me

So   Tennessee   Volunteers’   basketball   coach Bruce Pearl   has seen  fit  to   lie to  NCAA  investigators concerning   recruitment   violations   and   a  slew  of other  actions  that  may  garner the SEC  school  a number of  violations that   could   well  lead to  severe  actions  being   meted out  by  collegiate  athletics’   highest  governing  body. What  I  find   somewhat   strange  about  this all  is the mere  fact  that  the    conference  itself    doesn’t   monitor the  actions  of the   athletic programs   under  its   tenure.    You’d  have  thought that  would   be   something that  the  SEC would  seek to   monitor   judiciously  ?  But  instead   it  is  now  left  in  the  hands   of the   NCAA to deal  with  a  matter  that   at  the  end  of  the   day the  message  sent   will  either be  one,  where  they   will  punish  the   school  with   impunity  or  merely  give  them  a  slap  on  the  wrist.

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Furthermore   in  the  case  of   Pearl  it  is   highly   unlikely  that  he’ll  be    punished   unless  the  AD Mike Hamilton   chooses  to  either  suspend  the coach or   if  the   charges  are   deemed   to  serious   enough  that  they  will  choose to  fire  him. And given  what  we  tend  to  know  with  coaches that  have  brought  about  a  winning  program  and   esteem  to  a  school we  do  tend  to  find  that  the school will  more  often than  not  choose to take    a  soft   approach   to  the allegations   and any punishment  that  they might  seek  to mete out.

Courtesy of USA Today

Bruce Pearl: ‘I hope that the things we did don’t rise to the level of termination’

By Tim Gardner & Erick Smith

We knew Bruce Pearl was in hot water over the NCAA probe looking into his Tennessee basketball program.

It appears the coach is aware, too, that more fallout may lie ahead.

Pearl spoke with Luke Winn of SI.com after speaking at a coaching clinic this weekend in Brooklyn, N.Y., and his words offer a glimpse into his worries moving forward.

“We did what we felt like we needed to do, to take steps proactively to penalize ourselves. I think the penalties were unprecedented in some scope. But we made mistakes. We provided false and misleading information to the NCAA.

“I should be made an example of, and I am — I’m embarrassed. But I hope that the things we did don’t rise to the level of termination, because we run a clean program. We got investigated in a lot of areas.”

Pearl’s lies to the NCAA came back to bite him in more ways than one. For starters, it brought out this response from Jimmy Collins, a former assistant coach at Illinois whom Pearl turned in to the NCAA nearly 20 years ago.

After that episode, Pearl was knocked by many in the coaching community for his actions.

“As a result of what I went through before, I had a responsibility to run a clean program and do it the right way,” he said to SI.com. “I’ve been doing this for 28 years. And I wished I could’ve not run afoul of the rules my whole career. So obviously, I’m disappointed in myself.”

Tennessee expects to receive a letter of allegations from the NCAA by the end of the year — and Pearl’s future on the sidelines in Knoxville will strongly depend on the severity of the allegations levied.

So, yes, Pearl will be sweating it out for several months. Now the question is will it affect his current Vols team, which should be able to contend with Kentucky and Florida in the SEC East.

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Bruce   Pearl  for  his  part  has  yet  to  issue  a   public   statement  as  to what  the  the  allegations are   about   and  the impending   investigation.  Why is   it  that  more  often  than  not when  an  athlete  falls  afoul   of  a   transgression  they   tend  to  the   ones  who  become  a  pariah  and  then  the   school is    punished . But  rarely  is it that a   coach   whose   failings   are  questioned when they  come to the   fore. I mean  Pete  Carroll flees   like  a  thief  in  the  night   from   USC   when   under   his  watch the most   flagrant  of    violations  took  place  at  the  school. All of  which  took  place  under  the  alleged  watchful  eye  of  then  Athletic  Director  Mike  Garrett who  would then  step   down  from the  position  rather   than  being   pushed  out  the  door. Former  Trojans’ basketball coach  Tim Floyd  whose pleading of ignorance   when  handed  over  cash  to O J Mayo  and   his   subsequent  riposte that  his  actions were  above  board   is   was as ludicrous and  asinine  to  say  the  very  least. Clearly  there’s   something wrong with these   coaches  and  their   undoubted   self   righteous   actions.

University  of  Florida (Gators)  football  coach Urban Meyer  is   either  that   gullible  or   he  knows  exactly  how rife his team  is literally filled with  a bunch  of  violent   buffoons.    Players   on  this  team  have   now  been  arrested and  charged  with misdemeanors  to   far  more    serious   allegations  ranging     from   possession  of   narcotics,  DUI,  sexual  battery , theft   and also  in amongst  that ,  are  allegations  of  academic  fraud.  Meyer   chooses  to   placate    himself   from  all  of  this  by   stating  that he  runs  a clean   program and  that his responsibilities  is  simply  being a football  coach.  Perhaps  I’m  mistaken but his responsibilities go far beyond  that ? After all he goes  into  the  homes  of  these   players  to recruit   them  by  speaking to  a  parent  or parents   and   implores  them to send  their child the his school  , where   he  assures them that they’ll  be  able  to  get a   good   education.  Now we  know  that  much  of  this  is  all  hogwash  as  the   real  reason  this  is all being done to  intensify the  prestige  and   success  of  the   school. Rarely does a  coach show  any  real interest  in  that  of  the  students under  his  tenure.  I  personally would   like  to  know what  the   graduation  rate  is  amongst  the  student  athlete  body of  the  university?

Prior  to the 2010 NCAA   Basketball  Championships Education  Secretary   Arne  Duncan  stated  that  he’d like to  see  it  where  a criteria  is  set where  the  teams  qualifying   for  the   tournament  must  have  graduation  of   rate of   not less    than   48%   amongst  its    student  athlete  body.   Not   excessively   high  but  when   looked  at   and  measured  against   the   schools who  participated  in the  tournament   more than  75%  of  the   schools   involved  would  not  have  met  that  the  threshold called for  by the Education Secretary.  If  that’s  not  enough of  a shock to most  then  consider   the  production   line  that collegiate athletics  has  become  and   the   lengths that   schools are   now going  to, merely to  have    repeated  success   at  whatever cost  possible.  Collegiate athletics   is   no  longer  about  the  student  athlete  gaining  an   education  and  becoming  a   model   citizen.  In   essence it  is  now  a   multi-billion   dollar  business  where the  few  reap  the   rewards  and  those  at  the  lower  rungs  of  the   ladder  are  left to  fend   for  themselves  once  they’ve  been  of  service to  that   establishment.

It  is  easy  to   suggest  that   many  of  these   athletes  will   profit financially beyond   their wildest dreams once  they  enter  into the  professional  market place of  either  the  NBA,  NFL, MLB and NHL , it  all  becomes  about how much  money  that they will  be able  garner  that  first  initial  contract  for. But  that tends to  only happens to  those considered to  be  amongst  the  elite within  their chosen  athletic endeavor.  And   when  one  considers  the  tens  of  millions of dollars  that  the programs garner and  you  have to  wonder the  lengths  that the  coaches  and  schools  are   prepared to go  to  make  sure  that  there’s continued  success  and  the  money  keeps rolling  in. Unfortunately  for  the   student  athletes  the   resources  at their  disposal isn’t what  you  would  commonly  expect  especially when   compliance  officers ,  athletic directors  and   in  some cases faculty  members choose  to  turn  a  blind  eye.  And yes one could  opine  to  the fact that  the  student should  be  responsible  for  their own actions and  that  they  owe  it  to the educational   establishment  to make the best  possible  of  the   opportunities   made   available  to them.

The  coaches  for their  part bask  in  the  glory  and   acclaim  while they lead  their  respective teams  to  success. Now  when  I  hear the   likes  of  Nick  Saban   talk  about the agents   who  hover around  a  school’s  program  and  the  fact  that they  feast  off the  athletes as  if  it’s   vulture   eating  off   the   carcass of  a  dead   animal.  I’ve   got   to  ask  myself  who  the   hell is  Saban  kidding  and  is  he  actually  listening  to  what  he’s   saying ?  Here’s  a  guy  who  simply  doesn’t   know  how  to  be honest  if  it  were  his  last   day  on  earth  ! One simply  has  to   recall  his  actions  when  he was  a  coach of the Miami Dolphins .  When   asked   at  the   time whether  not it  was  his   intention to  remain  with  the   Dolphins  after it’d  been  speculated  that  he was about to abruptly leave the  organization.  Saban  simply  stated to  the  convened  press  that  he would  honor  his  contract but  as well  know  that  wasn’t  to  be,  as  he   walked  away  from the team  without  offering  statement  to  then  owner H D Wayne  Huizenga .

Jumping  back to his   old  stomping   ground   Saban  has   found  success  with  Alabama,having led  the team to their most  recent  national championship  and  where  they’re   now   heavily  favored  to  repeat  again  as   SEC  and   national  champions. Disingenuous  or not  clearly, some  of the   collegiate coaches think  that  they’re  above   reproach  but I find  it somewhat  superfluous  that  the NCAA  would  always  seek to punish  only  a   school  when a coach    knowingly   places  that   school  in  a   precarious   position, whereby  they  can   lose  not only   scholarships   but  also to an  extent the  esteem of  the  school.  If   you   don’t  believe  that  to be  the  case  then   simply  look  at  the  fall from  grace  of  USC  ?  If  honesty had  been  shown  by the  parties   there ,  who knew  full  what was  going  on , then  surely what  transpired  could have have  been  abated !   Obviously  not,  because no  one  there  thought  that  they  could  be  caught   and  the   asinine  notion  that  the   school  and   certain  principals were without  fault  clearly  shows  how  far that school  was prepared to go.

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What  thoughts  if  any  do  you have  concerning  the allegations  concerning  Bruce Pearl and  that statements   attributed  to  Urban  Meyer  that  he  runs  a  clean football  program  ?  Is  he simply  being    naive  or  is it because he’s  had undoubted   success and   feels   that  he can   get  a  free  pass ?   And   in  the case  of   Saban  are  his  actions that  of   a  person  whose  statements  are  valid ? If agents  as  he   puts it should  be   corralled   then  why   not  the  boosters   who surreptitiously do  a  number of   questionable  things  that  the coaches  and  faculties  would  tend  to turn  a  blind  eye  to ? Clearly there’s  an  argument  to be  made  where  their  actions   can  be   just  as  questionable as that  of an  out of control  athlete or agent ?  Chime  in with a  comment  as   you  see   fit  and  thanks   once  again  for  the  continued  support   as  it’s always  appreciated   !

Alan  aka    tophatal              ……….    🙂      * 🙂       *  😦

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Joie Chaves . A hot piece of Nubian a_s that any man would definitely want to tap !

I’m No One’s Bitch But My Own …… !

I’m No One’s Bitch But My Own !

OK so someone explain to me what was so noble about what was done by Reggie Bush ? Giving up his Heisman Trophy after the cheating that took place when from the outset as he lied as to the fact that he took nor did he licit any gifts from an agent or boosters from within the US Trojans’ organization. From start to finish this has been one complete charade and much of that may well have been done with the knowledge of his former coach Pete Carroll and no doubt former athletic director Mike Garrett. Pat Haden who as successor to Garrett has thanked the former Trojan for his actions and stated that…”it was a commendable thing to do”. Now as the Heisman Board of Trustees makes a decision as to whether or not to award the the trophy to runner up Vince Young or to completely vacate verdict of 2005 one has to ask what sort of a deterrent will this be seen as to other athletes ?

Clearly Bush has profited from the award financially not just from his draft status in 2006 but also from the commercial endorsements garnered by the player. The NCAA in their dealings with USC found that the program there was rife with numerous infractions stemming from 2005 and prior. In pronouncing their findings they sought punish the program with impunity. The loss of multiple scholarships and none appearances in BCS bowl games for two consecutive years. We may think that the punishment was too severe but when one considers that the program sought to hide behind this subterfuge without an admission of guilt. And the idiocy shown by former USC students in trying to negate the wrongdoing by saying that the cheating didn’t take place on the field of play was as asinine as it comes !

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The NCAA doesn’t stipulate as to how cheating is prescribed as it concerns on the field endeavors because they simply state infractions of any kind aren’t tolerated. If that’s not a clear enough definition for those individuals then the education that takes place on the campus of USC isn’t all it’s cracked up to be ! As to Young being the recipient of the award, well it may not viewed as the right thing to do but to my mind it would not settle a situation that the Heisman board members and the NCAA were in some ways fully aware as to ongoing inconsistencies going on within the Trojans’ athletic program. But the idiocy here was that they all chose to turn a blind eye to the actions that had been rumored to have taken place. ere it not for the investigative journalists who sought to seek out the truth then much of what came to light would’ve remained hidden.

The NFL season is but a week old but already injuries could well become the culprit that waylays the year for several teams . It could play a great deal as to what transpires for numerous teams. So far the New York Jets , New England Patriots , Indianapolis Colts and are but a slew of teams that has lost players to season ending injuries. And it will become a test of wills for their coaches to see if the players plugged in to fill those gaps will prove to be sufficient to keep their seasons intact .

Did I miss something concerning the San Diego Chargers’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs ? I’m no great admirer of Norv Turner as a coach as I don’t view him as someone who knows how to handle real adversity within the NFL well. The Chargers’ defense was about as resolute as the passengers on the Titanic as they sought to save themselves. In the case of the Chargers there was nothing to be saved here other than the reputation of several veterans. The upheaval that there has been within the team where we’ve since seen the departure of future Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinsion and the discord between wide receiver Vincent Jackson </a? and the organization . GM A J Smith and team President & CEO Dean Spanos while looking towards the future seem to be unsure as to the what direction that they want the team to be heading in.

The AFC West long seen as the Chargers’ own personal backyard but this season could turn out to be somewhat different as the Chiefs now seem to be more resolute with the addition of Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel as the offensive and defensive coordinators for the team . The two experienced veteran coaches will provide a great deal of assistance to head coach Todd Haley . We may well also get to see how much growth there will be quarterback Matt Cassel’s game as he seeks to more cohesiveness with his team and in particular with the offense. The defense showed depth and signs of maturity in their season opener but it was special teams that brought about the victory for the success starved Chiefs.

Say what you may about the Oakland Raiders but I now get the impression that many of their fans aren’t always willing to deal with reality. And if they are, they’ll tend to wax on lyrically about past achievements rather than the reality of what’s happening at present. Can a Raiders’ fan simply explain to me how from one moment to the next this team simply plays as if they’ve no sense of acceptance or responsibility to their fans ? And from a coaching standpoint Tom Cable just hasn’t instigated any sort of discipline into this team. If there’s a Raiders fan out there who believes that he has then I’d like to hear your ideas as to where there’s evidence of that ? Two years on and it could well be that should Cable and the team not have a winning season then we could see the organization part with the coach and the ever revolving door of coaches departing from the team once again commences. It’s strange to see how far this organization has fallen from grace all under the tenure of owner Al Davis . And as storied as Davis’ legacy as been there comes a time when the keys to the kingdom has to be turned over to someone who actually knows the hell what they’re doing.

As week two approaches a number of things may well fall into place as a number of teams will actually begin to find their footing as the season progresses. My biggest concern is how realistic the league will be in the declining attendances across the NFL. Granted the cavernous edifices of Cowboys Stadium and Meadowlands Stadium may not initially reflect that given that both venues are still in their infancy but it remains to be seen whether or not the teams who call it their home can fill the venues without the anticipated success. Overall revenues are now on the decline for the NFL and so too has been game attendance although television viewership appears to be on the rise. The economic recession has played its part in this all but now with the uncertainty of a possible labor stoppage and the mere fact that there’s an impasse between the league and players’ union. And one could ask whether or not Commissioner Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith of the NFLPA are actually making a concerted effort to reach an amicable agreement that would curtail a lockout ? What we’ve heard from either side would indicate that the chasm between the two sides appears to be wider than first thought . And neither side it appears wants to be seen as the villain of the piece but clearly neither side wants to be seen as the culprit that brings about a strike within the NFL. The good faith and will built between the league and its patrons , the fans , will suffer should the league shutdown for the entire upcoming season. Chances are if that scenario were to arise then we all might as well take up needlepoint as a replacement for watching or attending NFL games.

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Picture gallery for your perusal

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What thoughts if any do you have with regard to the points raised in this piece and how do you view things panning out specifically with regard to the league ?

Alan aka tophatal 🙂 * 😦

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Bria Myles’ 22’s but I’m sure headlights and rims are far bigger than that ! And who wouldn’t want to polish Bria’s headlights ?

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Cassidy … feat’g Swizz Beatz ……..“My Drink-N-2 Step”

Kick Ass The NFL …………….

Kick Ass The NFL !

I’m in the hole at present as my girlfriend thought it appropriate to place me in the midst of a domestic situation that I thought I’d never be in the midst of after being divorced. For some inexplicable reason she felt that it was OK for her best friend to stay at my home while she’s in the midst of a separation from her boyfriend. Now in Britain we have a saying that ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’ . And my house is my castle where my labrador (dog) Buster and I reside. The girlfriend normally visits over the weekend and that’s usually when we spend our time together. On the other hand I’ll spend one or two days out of the week at her home in Orlando which is an amicable agreement for us both. It makes it easier for myself as I work in the city itself. That being said I’m not entirely enamored with the present situation and the fact my girlfriend’s best friend will now live in my home . I made it abundantly clear that by the end of this month she has to be out of my home. My main reason behind this comes from the fact that I do not want a raving lunatic, this female’s boyfriend acting belligerent outside my home and creating the impression amongst my neighbors that the ghetto has come to this rather rural community in Central Florida. God knows I’m not looking to kick anyone’s ass but should it come to that then I guess his ass will have to kicked.

Speaking of ass kickings the NFL season having kicked off this past Thursday with a rather lackluster game between the two finalists from last year’s NFC championship game. The New Orleans Saints readily dispatched of the Brett Favre led Minnesota Vikings. All of the hype over this team merely points to the fact that all the talent in the world doesn’t make up for the lack of cohesiveness between Favre and his teammates. And for those arrogant idiot analysts who believe that because Favre merely has to turn up just prior to the off-season , having not participated in the team’s OTA’s and that makes the Vikings relevant to the postseason. It leads to the fact that those who tend to blow smoke up your ass tend to actually be the ones who are actually dealing in the acts of flatulence.

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Slide-show for your perusal .

Sunday’s games were somewhat littered with one or two surprises as the Oakland Raiders effectively seem to be carrying on a tradition of looking mediocre. Raiders’ faithful have now got to extremely disappointed with the lack of commitment shown by this team . I was once told by a patron as to how stout their defense was and that they were going to make great strides . Well the strides that they’re said to be showing are those where this Tom Cable coached team seems to be regressing. That defense is nowhere near as good as my colleague anticipated and it showed in the Raiders’ first game of the season. The 38-13 defeat suffered at the hands of the Tennessee Titans was enough to suggest that the team faces an uphill battle for the remainder of the season . Jeff Fisher’s team duly dispatched the Raiders with the utmost of ease but at the same time it augurs well for the Titans and their season .

The continued asinine hype about the Dallas Cowboys being a talented team counts for diddly squat merely because they finally were able to win their first playoff game in over a decade. Having done so I still find it ridiculous that the feeling is the Cowboys still remain the team to beat within the NFC . In quarterback , Tony Romo they have a good signal caller but he’s no team leader. This team is also ill disciplined and the so called coaching talents of Wade Phillips and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has now come into question after a rather ridiculous congruence of events during their game (13-7) against the Washington Redskins at Fedex Field in Landover , Maryland. Donovan McNabb is now the Redskins’ signal caller with Mike Shanahan now succeeding Jim Zorn as the team’s coach. Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder now has to see whether or not his team has finally turned the corner after their recent years in the doldrums.

Now as glamorous lavish as the NFC East has become the quality of the football being played there at times can be inconsistent . But much of the glamor has been due to the fact of the legacy of the teams within the division. But in the league where it’s about “the here and now and what have you done for me lately”. The truth is all of the hype and brouhaha counts for nothing when you’re simply dealing with all the hyperbole and there’s nothing of substance to show for it at all. The Cowboys have become the laughing stock of the league and for the crack addict analysts who are besotted with this team. Wake the fu_k up and try to make sense of what you’re witnessing in front of your eyes . Cowboys’ Stadium may well be playing host to Superbowl 45 (SB XLV) but I seriously doubt that the Cowboys will be NFC representatives for the NFL’s showcase event !

The AFC South has been the Indianapolis Colts’ fiefdom of choice for several years and this season it was thought to be no different. If there are to be challenged then it was felt that the challenge would be coming from the Tennessee Titans and the outside possibility that the Houston Texans might aspire to be worthy challengers to the Peyton Manning led Colts. Well on Sunday we saw that the Colts are susceptible when you throw the kitchen sink along with the baby and bath water at them.And the Texans’ Arian Foster showed why it is that the Colts aren’t always comfortable when that scenario is thrown up at them . I’ve read a number of posts written by discerning Colts’ fans and all that they tend to do is to wax on lyrically about this team where Manning is their vocal leader. And while no one is under any illusion that they have a great offense and receiving corps my question for these Colts’ fans is where the hell is their running game and that of a defense that actually comes to defend ? The Texans literally ripped though that team and its defense as if were the siege of Saigon ! Now I know that the Colts’ fans will make light of the game and simply say that it’s merely the first game of the season but when you’re blown out like that there’s got to be cause for concern for not Jim Caldwell but also his coaching staff . This team was outplayed in every facet of the game and it was very telling how lackluster the team’s performance was from start to finish. Don’t be fooled by 34-24 result as it the margin of victory could have been wider had the Texans taken advantage of all the chances that came their way.

The TO and Ochocinco roadshow hit the road in the Bengals’ first regular season game and low and behold the Cincinnati Bengals found out to their cost that the NFL’s answer to Laurel & Hardy were simply no match for a New England Patriots’ team that to many are flying under the radar as a presumptive favorite in the postseason. Tom Brady and his teammates literally laid waste to the coming out party for the duo. By the end of the third quarter the Patriots had what would prove to be an insurmountable margin with a 31-17 lead. The Bengals were anemic throughout much of the game and although Chad Ochocinco statistically contributed well to the team’s performance. The rest of the offense was mediocre and lethargic and it was very telling for Marvin Lewis and his coaching staff in-front of 68,000 fans at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. For the Bengals’ fans in attendance this can’t have been what they envisaged witnessing from their team . Not one to throw more kindling unto the fire but should the performances of the Bengals become even more mediocre and it could very well lead to Marvin Lewis becoming the first coaching casualty of the season before it reaches its midway point.

Well the season as it progress will still be under a cloud as it relates to the ongoing divergence of issues and the discord between the league and the players over the collective bargaining agreement. Commissioner Roger Goodell seems to be taking a wait and see approach as to how to deal with the players’ wish to be given a bigger slice of what appears to be an ever decreasing slice of a multi-billion dollar pie. NFL revenues overall has slipped 2% over this past season and with the uncertainty of the economy bring about a fall in league attendance all-round. It has to be said that the game of cat and mouse between the two parties seems to be a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. And the very fact that the players are prepared for what could be an unprecedented work stoppage leading to an owner and league initiated lockout for the 2011-12 season. It has to be said the calmer heads that one thought to be amongst the hierarchy of the league and that of the NFLPA led by DeMaurice Smith and union President Kevin Mawae seems to be nowhere to be seen. This is like looking for intelligent life amongst two parties and that of the Congress . And as we know within Congress common sense and intelligence has never been the norm on any level but yet you have a number of individuals calling for change. Change is good if it is said to be happening but that hasn’t been the case in terms of the merry go round we’ve had to undergo with each election cycle.

Whatever resolution that comes about should there be one between the NFL and NFLPA could be one where the fans will be the one who end up ultimately having to pay the price one way or another. If you don’t believe that to be the case then simply look for what transpires and the communiques that are forthcoming from either side ? It seems to that for image sake the two sides would rather have a pissing contest on display for public consumption. If that happens then it’s going to cost the league and the players all of the goodwill that they’ve built up over the years. It has been bad enough to see the idiocy that has taken place within baseball over the last decade and a half under the auspices of Bud Selig and Donald Fehr the former union (MLBPA) Executive Director. Now as Fehr is about to assume a similar position within the NHL it begs the question how much more irrelevant the sport now wishes to become ? Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that Fehr and Selig were complicit with the subterfuge that was perpetrated upon the fans. And it’s not as if the financial well being of the NHL is now back in a healthy state to begin with. We’re now seeing situations arise where teams are now looking to circumvent the league’s mandated salary cap. And to an extent this was the same idiocy that brought about the labor dispute that led to the NHL lockout between the league and the players’ union (NHLPA).

The NFL season we all hope will be an entertaining one but at the same time I can’t help but feel that the tumult and turmoil that seems to be brewing between the league and the players could very well lead to us witnessing the idiocy and indecision we’ve now come to expect from the Congress and the political leadership in the country.

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Picture gallery for your perusal. By clicking on each frame you can see each picture in its original format.

With the first week of the NFL season having ended what if any was a big surprise in terms of the performances of the teams playing ? And how do you envisage the ongoing labor dispute between the league and the union ? Chime on in with a comment as to your thoughts .

NB: NFL results from week one . Click on the links provided to view.
Week 1 results .

Top performers .

Weekly leaders .

Alan aka tophata 🙂 _ 🙂 _ 😦

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Esther Baxter

Esther Baxter

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Janelle Stein

Video vixen and aspiring model Janelle Stein

Fanning The Flames Of Ignorance And Liberty Or Just Being Stupid ?

Fanning The Flames Of Ignorance And Liberty Or Just Being Stupid ?

It should come as no surprise to anyone that with the upcoming ninth anniversary of the September attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon Building the nation has yet to heal from the most heinous of attacks perpetrated on US soil. And while we're seeing a rise in anti-Islamic resentment and a full scale attack on Muslims not just verbally but also physically with a number of what we're told are now random acts of violence. I've got to ask myself is this country actually now reverting back to the sixties and earlier wherein the seeds of resentment were actually aimed at African Americans and other minorities of color ? Clearly an argument could be made that this seems to be journey now being taken . Call it what you will xenophobia , racism or just plain ignorance and the unwillingness to accept the differences between the races that makes us so different.

This all seems to be coming from a rallying cry of what appears to zealous bigots who are stating that this is simply their way of reacting to the actions of the radical Islamists and jihadists out there whose call for death to imperialistic Zionists has to be heard. And while I condone those atrocities carried out by Al Qaeda and the Taliban I’ve got to say that should the proposed action of the Florida pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida ________ who calls for the burning of the Quran this Saturday to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and also to act as a deterrent to the Islamists of the country’s will. I see it as a rather futile and idiotic act that will not only place the lives of US military men and women in harm’s way as well as that of the coalition forces still waging on an ongoing war for the survival of Afghanistan and Iraq. Somehow this seems to have been lost on this pastor and the members of his congregation who seem intent on joining him in this exercise .

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Slide-show for your perusal

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Having served in the military courtesy of Her Majesty’s (UK) armed forces in the Royal Marines where my own experiences on the front line was to witness what full blown atrocities were all about with the actions of the IRA in Ireland as well as on mainland Britain. I can say to you that any life lost on the field of battle is a needless one, unless there’s a certainty that one knows what exactly it is that you’re fighting for. I’ve taken lives in the service of my country and I’ve also tried to assist in the rebuilding of lives as it concerns that of the returning servicemen from active duty from both fronts in the current war being waged on terror. The law firm for which I work does a great deal of pro-bono work in order to aid military veterans gain the services denied to them by the VA and government due to the bureaucracy that tends to be thrown up in their path repeatedly. And for those of you who currently believe that the US government does all it can to assist these men and women then think again as nothing could be further from the truth. There have been horror stories out there that’ve gone reported and unreported that shows that this country tends to do a horrendous job in really honoring its men and women in the military. The lip service that’s paid by the politicians and on air political pundits alike is merely being done to solicit favoritism and little else beyond that.

Courtesy of The San Francisco Chronicle

9/11 Burn a Quran day motivated by Terry Jones’ greed, money & avarice ?

By Yobie Benjamin

Terry Jones, zealot pastor of a Florida church called the Dove World Outreach Center of Gainesville and author of “Islam is of the Devil” claims to be motivated and inspired by God as he toys with the world’s leaders, media and lives of American soldiers and civilians.

Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Pope Benedict, Hillary Clinton, NATO, Interpol, every country in the European Union, every religious group in Gainesville, Florida and perhaps the entire civilized world has implored and pleaded with the zealot so-called pastor Terry Jones to cease and desist from burning Korans on September 11, 2010. The foreign ministries of Pakistan and Bahrain issued official denunciations with Bahrain calling it a “shameful act which is incompatible with the principles of tolerance and coexistence.” The president of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has also sent a letter to President Obama asking him to stop the bonfire.In Pakistan, about 200 lawyers and civil society members marched and burned a U.S. flag in the central Pakistani city of Multan, demanding that Washington halt the burning of the Muslim holy book.

Jones’ answer? He feigns religious persecution. He says his bank wants his church to pay what it is owed. He also says he has 200 Korans and he wants buy more to burn. There is no subtext or code for what this pastor wants. He wants you to send him and his 50 followers money and lots of it. Yes, please send money by joining as a “member” of the church. He also needs money because Florida authorities discovered that he was running a for-profit eBay enterprise and the state wants to get paid for sales taxes.

God has no part of Jones’ plan. Jones’ plan is the Terry Jones plan and it was the reason why his old church in Cologne Germany fired him. His motive is as earthly, worldly and as old as humanity itself – greed and avarice. Terry Jones has figured out the magic formula to get every self loathing zealot nut job in the world to send him money — Get on every TV, radio, newspaper and web site and plead for like minded idiots to send money. There is no doubt that several hundreds of new “members” have sent in their tithes to pastor fake doctor of theology.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects Jones’ right to say and do what he wants. Jones has the right to burn Korans even in the face of Gen. David Petraeus’s dire warnings. To emphasize his intention to burn Korans, Jones wrote a screed on his blog.

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Click on the above link to read this article in its entirety.
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Now you may consciously ask why can’t this pastor carry out his wish to burn the Quran as it is his wish , given his First Amendment Rights ? But I’d ask what en if the repercussions should be the loss of US military lives or that of US civilians abroad as an act of retaliation ? Does that comfort those who think this ought to be an appropriate act by the pastor ? Regardless of what your beliefs might be, this all could create a tremendous amount of blow-back for all of the wrong reasons of which we will have to ask ourselves was it all worth it at the end of the day ? Clearly there’s food and room for thought here on all sides of this equation no matter what one’s beliefs might be.

For many of us the devastation and emotional horror of that momentous day is still something of a traumatic shock to the system and it may well have felt surreal. I can only speak for myself when I say that I was aghast sad and horrified when the reality began to set in as to what had taken place on 11th September 2001. For many of my friends and relatives whom I knew lived in the New York my immediate concern was for their safety but also the needless loss of lives all for the purpose to send a message of hate was one that simply reviled me. Now in the same essence I view the actions of this pastor as simply playing into the hands of the radical Islamists (Muslims) who’ll merely use this as another way of showing that they can simply show us that the disdain they have for all things Westernized and that should they choose to unleash a new reign of terror then we will simply have no real reply for it all. It’s not as if this pastor himself will take to the field of battle but he’ll simply revert to the fact that it was his calling and God’s will ? Well I was under the impression that the Christian teachings taught us to be compassionate and tolerant of others ?

Islam itself is being perverted by fundamentalist clerics (imams) but unfortunately there are very few Muslims who are actually prepared to step forward and make their own thoughts be heard as a passionate call to show that they don’t believe in the perversion of their religion. And it’s the same here with this pastor and the very fact that there has been little or no call to state their disdain for what is being proposed by Terry Jones . On the right of the political aisle there’s little opposition and to the left of the argument you have those stating that it is within the pastor’s rights no matter how abhorrent it might appear to be. That may well be the case but what about common sense and decency ? Clearly this pastor and the members of his congregation think that they’re above that and that whatever transpires out of this all won’t be any concern of theirs even if it means the loss military lives.

Here also you have right wing Christian conservatives who come out and openly with disdain in their protests outside of military funerals and have called stated the fallen men of women of the US military who’ve died so valiantly and with honor in the service of their country. They have in effect stated that their deaths have been because this country has sought to embrace homosexuality,socialistic ideals and other things that they deem to be perverted and un-American . Which begs the question what is now meant to be American in terms of an ideology ? Unfortunately these idiots aren’t as enlightened or as educated as they believe themselves to be.

As the ninth anniversary 9/11 approaches this ought to be a time of reflection and conciliation but instead we’re seeing a divergence of not only of cultural beliefs but morals and integrity on both sides of the diaspora with each faction trying to lay claim that they’re right. The sadness in the midst of this all is that while this idiocy carries on the lessons there to be learned and taught are falling on deaf ears. And it’s an indictment of how far man has fallen of his path as a human being .

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Picture gallery for your perusal .

What are your own thoughts on the actions being proposed by this pastor and if there’s retaliatory actions taken by the terrorists how would you feel about it ? By all means simply chime in with your thoughts on the matter and as always thanks for the continued support !

Alan aka tophatal 🙂

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Depeche Mode ” Personal Jesus ”

What In The Wild World of Sports ?

What In The Wild World of Sports ?

It’s been such a misnomer to see the start of the college football season and the thinking in the first few games we’ll see the major programs that are part of the BCS simply come out and dominate. Considering that before they undertake their divisional schedules they’re essentially playing a number of powder puff teams merely to get of the curve in the rankings. Personally I find the whole college makeup a complete farce to begin with ! Essentially it comes down to the fact that the major BCS conferences and the criteria set by those who set the rules have made it nigh on impossible for none BCS schools to be considered for a shot of playing for the national championship.

And considering the asinine notion that this ultimately is the best step forward in determining a national champion is such a farce ! The only way to have a national champion, is to make the whole championship makeup all inclusive to BCS programs as well as none inclusive programs and the divisions thereof.

OK so the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres are having a meltdown that could end up being so cataclysmic that it could prove to be scary for their fans and for those who are now witnessing the fallout from this all. Both teams had sizable leads within their respective divisions. And it says a great deal that both Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants are now making the divisional races within NL East and NL West so exciting. Who’d have thought that we would be now seeing the two teams who have in essence have been two of the biggest surprises of the baseball season ? Should both the Braves and Padres fall out of contention for a postseason berth then we can say that much of his came about from their own inconsistencies down the stretch runs of their respective seasons.

And for Bobby Cox of the Braves and Bud Black of the Padres they can rest assured that with this season having been filled with surprises.It has to be said that for the raves and Padres should their season fall apart the window of opportunity will most certainly haven’t left either organization. Both teams seem to be building for the future and that has to be a refreshing theme for both ballclubs.

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Slide-show gallery for your perusal .


Before the NFL season has even began it’d appear that the silly season has started. Matt Leinart has been cut by the Arizona Cardinals. And for the former first round draft pick his fall from grace has been truly amazing. But then again for a player who’d set out to show his worth he’s been a failure in the NFL. Now Leinart having been cut he has signed a one year contract with the Houston Texans where he’ll be a backup to the incumbent number one quarterback Matt Schaub . And for Leinart this just might the last chance for the player to actually prove himself . And if you thought Leinart’s situation was bad well consider the situation concerning the Seattle Seahawks’ T J Houshmanzadeh ? The player having signed a five year $45 million contract contract with the team in 2008 Houshmanzadeh now finds himself without a team having been cut by Seattle’s coach Pete Carroll .

The Seahawks are now looking for a new direction as Carroll seeks to give this team an identity.And for a team that has seen its window of opportunity slowly close over the past few years from inconsistent play and the lack of a real coaching pedigree since the departure of Mike Holmgren from the organization. The departure of Houshmanzadeh from this team may not be the only thing that’s needed to resurrect its fortune as Carroll has certainly got to prove himself upon his return to the NFL where lack of success left him beaten and a lost soul within the NFL ranks. His sojourn within the collegiate ranks has proven to be cathartic and an unprecedented success with the USC Trojans . But now we’re finding out that the real truth as to what was taking place inside of the program and to an extent the part ultimately played in it all by Carroll. His departure from the program was akin to a thief fleeing in the night from the scene of his most recent crime. And for those Trojans’ fans still smarting out there and who’ve blinded by the successes , merely look at what has transpired under his regime and ask yourself has it all been worth it ? And one has to ask what was the part of the athletics department in all of this ? Surely a number of those there were aware as to what was going on ? Or are we to believe that this all was solely down to the behavior of the athletes involved in the subterfuge ? Somehow those within the athletics department and the faculty new about this but would rather turn a blind eye to it all essentially because of the money that there was to be made. And made money they did ……..millions if not tens of millions of dollars.

What to make of the constant whining within the NFL at present and the mere fact that both Commissioner Roger Goodell and his union representative counterpart DeMaurice Smith seem intent on wrecking any chance of coming to an agreement with regard to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement. Allegedly this has all become about who ought to have the biggest slice of the pie and how each side seems to be pleading poverty ? Nothing says bullshit than that of a bunch of multi-millionaire owners and players acting like a bunch of primadonas ! But to make things even appear all so much worse is the mere fact that neither side seems to be taking into account that goodwill that has now been lost with the fans. If both Goodell and Smith think that they can now win back the fans after all the idiocy that has been taking place between both parties. Then these two now make the partisanship between the Democrats and Republicans seem like the congregation of a church gathering where everyone seems to be enamored with everyone. In the case of both the NFL and NFLPA we’re seeing both parties act like the ongoing feuding between the Israelis and Palestinians. And as we now all know there’s been no love lost between the feuding groups over the decades. Similarly here, there has been little trust between the league (NFL) and the union(NFLPA). And while there has been no major labor unrest in over a decade this all could all very well change within the next few months should things not change and an impasse remain.

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Picture gallery for your perusal .

What if anything has you wondering about the situation within the NFL as well as that of the two races mention within the NL East and NL West as they now proceed down to the closing stretch of the season ? Chime on in with a comment as you deem fit and as always thanks for the continued support as it’s appreciated !

NB: Having been cut T J Houshmanzadeh signed a one year $850,000 contract to play in Baltimore this upcoming season with the Baltimore Ravens .

🙂

Alan aka tophatal ………………… 🙂

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UB 40 …… “Rat In My Kitchen “

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Kelly Brook

Lingerie model Kelly Brook