It’s now time to shoot for the Moon and the Stars ….
With the NCAA Tournament having now taken shape, the brackets have been busted wide open. The “Sweet Sixteen “ is now upon us and to say that a number of fans around the country are now either up in arms in angst , would be something of an understatement . Meanwhile, there will also be a large litany of fans simply elated that their brackets have remained intact.
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Slideshow.
Making it to the Sweet Sixteen are the little minnows of Florida Gulf Coast College , who along with their coach , Andy Enfield , have provided the biggest story in the NCAA Tournament by far . Now comes the hard part for the team , can they carry their “Cinderella Story” deeper into this postseason of surprises , crescendo and overwhelming hysteria ? For the team’s unlikely stars , Bernard Thompson , Chase Fieler and Brett Comer , to be able to display their skills in front of a national audience of millions , has to first of all ,come as a big surprise , never mind their rather shocking result, in defeating San Diego State University , in one the biggest upsets of this tournament , 81-71 .
Next up for Florida Gulf Coast , will be a prime-time match-up against Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators on Thursday evening , in what is sure to be a highly anticipated game , where the outcome grants the victors an appearance in the Elite Eight. No in state rivalry here , merely a contest, between two schools , looking to make some history of their own . None more so , than perhaps for the Gators’ head coach Billy Donovan , as he seeks to win his third national title , in seven years.
It’s not necessarily what you do , it’s the way and how you do it . The Miami Heat’s twenty-four game unbeaten streak carries on unabated , and for now , theirs is the story that the NBA is simply encapsulated by , none of this bull#hit as to woes of the ” overrated” New York Knicks or the under-achieving Brooklyn Nets .
It’s not necessarily what you do , it’s the way and how you do it . The Miami Heat’s twenty-four game unbeaten streak carries on unabated , and for now , theirs is the story that the NBA is simply encapsulated by , none of this bull#hit as to woes of the ” overrated” New York Knicks or the under-achieving Brooklyn Nets . Miami , in their most recent game , simply overwhelmed the hapless Charlotte Bobcats in a lopsided Eastern Conference match-up 109-77 . I am not so sure which Michael Jordan , is now relishing more , his possible upcoming nuptials or watching the franchise he now owns ,simply add more burden and further embarrassment to the his acumen as an a front office executive and team owner . The longer the Bobcats continue show their stunning mediocrity to the fans of the NBA , the less likely it is that the franchise can survive in its present form. A dwindling attendance at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte , North Carolina , along with declining revenues , and you simply have to question the mindset of Jordan and his fellow executives .
As to Miami’s own fortunes , well , let’s just say , a fortune cookie manufacturer could make several million dollars , simply placing in print “ Miami Heat wins another game “ , and then placing those messages inside several million fortune cookies. It is far too early to start to make comparisons between the Heat’s present run and NBA record run of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers , a team that was simply resplendent with many of the game’s biggest stars. With Heat streak, now standing at twenty-six games and counting , the question now becomes , who amongst the teams remaining on their schedule , will be able to derail their ambitions , as they seek to surpass the Lakers’ thirty-three game unbeaten streak ? And tonight, the team being asked to take down the might of South Beach , will be none other than the Orlando Magic , a franchise seeking to rebound after the abrupt departure of Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers during this past off-season.
For Magic head coach , Jacque Vaughn , in his rookie season , he has been encumbered with a team that is still finding its way , while still seeking not to place itself amongst the league’s least competitive franchises .And boy , how this team has suffered and played , as you simply never know what level of ineptitude to expect from a group , that is said to be lacking in leadership , both on and off the court !
I’ll say this for the NFL , but this off-season has proven to be one opportunities , incompetence and the ongoing and brazen stupidity that one has now come to expect from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodel ! While, much has been made, with regard to the numerous off-season acquisitions that have been made, it is clear that there that there has been more money misspent on marginal talent , simply because idiots would prescribe to the fact that this is what the market can bear. Should anyone have expected any different , when you consider the idiotic banter that takes place between erstwhile fans and the geeks out there , making claims as to cap space and what teams have available to spend ? The general managers within the NFL are far from, being the brightest , much less, the most insightful or business minded of individuals ! On the evolutionary scale , if Darwin were alive today , I would dare say , that he would be perplexed as to how to best describe these particular individuals !
Reigning Superbowl champions the Baltimore Ravens , in the aftermath of their triumph over the San Francisco 49ers , have simply sought to revamp the roster . The retirement of Ray Lewis notwithstanding , the departures of Anquan Boldin , Ed Reed and Paul Kruger , has me now questioning the wisdom of GM Ozzie Newsome , in rewarding Joe Flacco with such an exorbitant contract , while the core of the Ravens’ lineup was torn asunder . As good as Flacco , just happened to be , for the Ravens during the postseason , his body work prior to 2012 , was simply, not overwhelming or dare one say, that impressive .
With the NFL Draft , now a little more than a month away , it will be extremely interesting to see how John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome set about rebuilding the roster after the loss of such extraordinary players during the Ravens’ off-season . Newsome might well be one of the most astute front office executives in the NFL today , and his record in terms of the franchise’s personnel decisions with the Baltimore Ravens over the past decade , has simply been indicative of that.
Well, now that we have had the idiocy of the World Baseball Classic behind us ! OK, for once, the winner , the victor , on this occasion , was not from the Asian Pacific Basin , as it had been twice before , with Japan winning the inaugural event in 2008 and then making a successful defense in 2012 . This year’s event, failed to live up to, any of the perceived hype that MLB or IBAF may well have hoped for . And for the purists out there , who are of the belief that a tournament hastily put together , prior to the start of the MLB Spring Training Schedule is simply a worthwhile event . I would pose this question to you all, would you leave your home to make your way to work without being fully clothed ? Herein, lies the misnomer and idiocy placed upon this quadrennial event by Bud Selig’s … hierarchy . He simply believes that the WBC can now make up for Ibex’s World Cup as well as the loss of the event from the IOC (International Olympic Committee) Summer Games .
This year, the Dominican Republic was triumphant in defeating Puerto Rico in the championship game 3-0 . As to how Team USA fared , well let’s just say , the “Emperor”, had no new clothes and his manhood was exposed , put on show , which in essence , was nothing more than a spec on this entire event . As to why, they even bothered to turn up with a “half assed “ roster , that could be best described puerile is simply beyond me ! But this is so atypical of an institutional body , that has ideas, so high above its competitive standing that you simply have to look at it all , as one big goddamn joke !
Now down to business , and yes the 31st March kicks off the regular season schedule within baseball this season. However, for the for the vast majority of teams their Opening Day will not come about Monday , 1st April , with a slew of games being lined up for that Opening Day schedule . Reigning World Series champions , the San Francisco Giants will begin the defense of their title , playing their NL West rivals , the Los Angeles Dodgers , who will have on parade their $214 million payroll roster . As to what this ultimately says about the state of the game from a financial aspect , when it is clear that a ball-club with a $60 million payroll, barely has a pot to piss in , much less a window to throw it out of . I will leave it all, for you all to be the judge of that ! Suffice to say, the commissioner and the rest of the itinerant assholes who continue to espouse the financial well-being of this game, when it is clearly a mess , you can all go fuck the horse you rode in on !
As to the aspirations for teams who are seen as the presumptive favorites . Well, it goes without saying that anyone who spends $2.156 billion to purchase a ball-club , surely isn’t doing that for a group of gloating admirers . Magic Johnson , Mark Walter , and the litany of multi-millionaires and billionaires who joined the syndicated partnership of Guggenheim Baseball Properties Inc , to make that bold purchase , are clearly seeking an even greater reward. A rumored $ 7 billion television contract, also has greased the wheels , but I somehow get the feeling that MLB CFO Jonathan Mariner and Bud Selig will find a way of being a thorn in the side and pain in the ass of the Dodgers , as to how that sum will be disbursed amongst the Los Angeles Dodgers and the other (small-market) teams within the league ! All of that hard work initiated by the ball club and now they have to share their spoils with teams who in many cases, choose not to be competitive . I’m calling you out , the Kansas City Royals , Pittsburgh Pirates , Houston Astros , Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies ! Anyone who witnessed the play of the aforementioned teams in 2012 , and their final divisional standings , will know how mediocre they just happened to be !
On the day that Tiger Woods finds himself back atop of the World Golf rankings having won the Arnold Palmer /Bay Hill Invitational , a PGA Tournament founded by PGA Tour great , Arnold Palmer . Having led the tournament , for the better part of the three continuous days, with Sunday being rained out because of inclement weather. . It was left to Woods to remind us why he has been the most dominant golfer over the past decade , in spite of the recent idiocy of the player’s detractors and commentators within this forum, stating that the player was on the decline. Pardon me for saying this , but the likes of Bubba Watson , Webb Simpson , Keegan Bradley , Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink are not the type of guys on the PGA Tour who are going to hold the public’s attention for more than a minute much less , thirty seconds ! Furthermore, the players in question, are far too robotic and without any real humor or character ! And if Woods is said to be on the decline , then I would like to know how one actually determines that specific detail ?
Tiger Woods’ only serious threat on the final day of the tournament was the player himself and a rather capricious Ricky Fowler , whose last round of 73 (1 over par for the final round , 8 under par for the tournament , 5 shots behind the winner ) literally blew up in his face , with his erratic and inconsistent play . Can we simply say overrated, once and for all ! The whole world knows that the PGA Tour and world golf in particular, cannot survive in its present guise , without a dominant Tiger Woods on the golfing landscape. Only an idiot would ever consider and think to the contrary ! It has been Woods, who has been the sole driving force that has seen the PGA Tour prize rise from just over $35 million in 1996 to $375 million in total prize money for the 2013 PGA Tour schedule . It seems that, hitting a tiny white ball around an eighteen hole course does have its rewards after-all . The question now remains, as the schedule now progresses , can Tiger Woods now win at least one of the four Major Grand Slam Tournaments on the PGA Tour , and inch closer towards Jack Nicklaus’ PGA Tour record total of eighteen Grand Slam title wins. With his victory at the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Invitational , Woods won for the seventy seventh time and is now five wins behind the all-time win total of 82 held by the late Sam Snead .
Any sport , whose most prestigious event just happens to be its opening day event of an almost year-long calendar , will have to grab my attention for about as long as I would desire to see full frontal photos of Rosie O’Donnell butt naked . And that is just not happening , just as in the same way , this heated idiocy that now seems to be fomented by NASCAR , as that sport seeks to enthrall a now apparent dwindling broadcast television audience . Anyone who witnessed the childlike fracas between three-time Sprint Cup championship winner Tony Stewart and Joey Logano , will know that both combatants , posses the physicality of an effeminate male ballet dancer . In the Sprint Cup season opener the Daytona 500 , we were all meant to be excited by Dania Patrick and the fact that she was the pole sitter for the sport’s most prestigious race. The only pole that Danica Patrick should be around , if it is her intent to attract my attention , then it had better be a stripper pole . Anything other than that , simply won’t cut it for me , much less garner my attention ! .
As to the season, and what it entails for the most ardent of fans of this multibillion dollar spectacle. I can only surmise that NASCAR will try to create as much drama as is humanly possible , while seeking to pique the viewers’ interest. Beyond that , I don’t believe that much else needs to be said !
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Picture gallery for your perusal.
Of the weekend’s sporting schedule , what if anything , raised your interest as to the events that took place ? Simply chime in with a comment , as you see fit ,and as always, thanks for the continued support of this site , as it is greatly appreciated !
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Picture and slideshow gallery details below .
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(1) Florida Gulf Coast’s Dajuan Graf, from left,Eddie Murray and Brett Comer celebrate after winning a third-round game against San Diego State in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2013, in Philadelphia. Florida Gulf Coast won 81-71. AP Photo/Michael Perez …
(2)Mar 22, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Florida Gulf Coast Eagles guard Sherwood Brown (25) and guard Brett Comer (0) celebrate a 78-68 win over the Georgetown Hoyas in the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Wells Fargo Center . Eileen Blass-USA TODAY Sports…
(3) Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) drives around Charlotte Bobcats’ Jeff Adrien (4) looking for a shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Sunday March 24, 2013. AP Photo/J Pat Carter …
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant, left, shoots over the Orlando Magic’s Tobias Harris (12) and Jameer Nelson (14) during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Friday, March 22, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. The Thunder won 97-89 . AP Photo/Willie J. Allen Jr …..
(5) FILE – In this Dec. 16, 2012, file photo, Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil watches the action from the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. Dumervil has spurred the Broncos for Baltimore, agreeing to a five-year deal, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome announced Sunday, March 24, 2013. AP Photo/Gail Burton …
(6) SAN FRANCISCO, CA – MARCH 19: Robinson Cano(24) and Jose Reyes and to Reyes’ left , Hanley Ramirez of the Dominican Republic celebrate after defeating Puerto Rico to win the Championship Round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic by a score of 3-0 at AT&T Park on March 19, 2013 in San Francisco, California. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images ….
(7) Los Angeles Dodgers’ Carl Crawford is high-fived in the dugout after being driven in with a two-run home run from Andre Ethier against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of an exhibition spring training baseball game , Sunday, March 24, 2013 in ,Phoenix. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez …
(8) Los Angeles Dodgers’ front office executives and co-owners , from left to right , Hollywood media mogul, Peter Guber, team President Stan Kasten , Chairman , Mark L Walter and senior partner Magic Johnson . Walter , CEO of the venture capital firm Guggenheim Partners (assets $125 billion) , through their associate company Guggenheim Baseball Properties paid a record $2.156 billion to purchase the beleaguered Los Angeles Dodgers’ franchise which had been placed into bankruptcy proceedings by now disgraced former owner Frank McCourt . Suggestions of collusion were made , by several franchise owners , because it was widely believed and held notion , that the MLB commissioner favored the bid by the Johnson and Walter led consortium, much to the disdain of those who felt that Bud Selig failed to show any impartiality throughout the entire process having kept in close contact with the bankruptcy judge and consultants who handled the litigant proceedings . AP/ Photo / Marcus Hughes …..
(9) ….Tiger Woods, left, and Arnold Palmer share a laugh during the trophy presentation after Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando, Fla., Monday, March 25, 2013. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack …
(10) Rickie Fowler lines up a shot on the sixth green during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack …..
(11) Joey Logano has to be led away by his pit crew after an altercation with fellow Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart at the Auto Club 400 at Fontana Motor Speedway , in Fontana , California , this past Sunday . The race was won by Kyle Busch for his first victory of the Sprint Cup season . AP/ Photo/Keith Larson ……
(12) Danica Patrick walks to her car to qualify for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race in Fontana, Calif., Friday, March 22, 2013. AP Photo/Reed Saxon …
(13) Patrick certainly making sure that beyond her abilities on the track, her best assets, are indeed her looks . Bertelsmann Print AEG , GmBH …
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By Tophatal
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NCAA Tournament results 24th March 2013
NCAA Tournament schedule 25th March 2013
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament brackets
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NBA results 24th March 2013 and scheduled games 25th March
NBA standings (division) and by conference
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2013 NFL Draft and NFL Combine news
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Hot chic pics of the day are below , Ines Cudna and Ewa Sonnet .
Ines Cudna . A hot piece of @ss by any stretch of the imagination , wouldn’t you say ?
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Ewa Sonnet
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Tophatal's Blog 
The survey says eight out ten people didn’t even know that Florida Gulf Coast University had a basketball team , much less that they were part of the NCAA Tournament . Here’s a look at the team’s schedule over the course of the season and their standing within their conference (Atlantic Sun Conference ) .
The team’s match-up against Florida for the privilege of an appearance in the Elite Eight should prove to be very intriguing . A loss for the Gators would be quite an embarrassment for Billy Donovan and his team .
“Don’t worry, I’ll have Joey Logano sucking my d#ck before this season is over , and I’ll be f##king his mother as well , while I am it ” ! Tony Stewart three time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and Darian Grubb
Twenty seven and counting , that’s the current Miami Heat’s consecutive game winning streak and only two games , now , could provide a stumbling block for LeBron and his teammates , the games that pits them against the Bulls and Spurs .
With Tony Parker now back with Popovich’s band of gladiators , this might be the likely place where a possible defeat could quite possibly take place .
“I know my team can’t play an upbeat style , nor are they good in transition , but at least they allow other teams deep penetration . Screw this , I’m quitting to become a movie director in porn ” ! Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn
I am not saying that the Magic were bad , but a porn movie director would have been proud with the amount of penetration that the Magic’s defense allowed throughout that entire game on Monday night . Magic , head coach , Jacque Vaughn must rue the day he accepted the task of succeeding Stan Van Gundy .
Guys , you know Jenna Jameson , and how much she loved to be penetrated ? . Are the Magic any different ?
There are no goddamn positives to be seen on that team , in spite of the idiocy of some protagonists in support of some of the Magic players . That team is hopelessly outmatched and simply mediocre on both ends of the floor , on offense as well as defense !
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Ines Cudna . Damn !
I was never served Ben & Jerry’s Ice cream like this ! Were you ?
So with the moves made by the Ravens , is anyone of the belief that the team will be able to parlay and replicate their success of last season , from within their division , regular season , but most of all , as it relates to the postseason ?
As good as the team might now look on paper , I believe that they will regress this upcoming season while there will be an improvement with both the Browns and Bengals within the AFC North . Flacco has the weapons on offense , but the Ravens’ defense will now suffer because of the losses entailed to their secondary .
The World Baseball Classic . Was there ever, a more ill-conceived banal piece of bull$hit ever served up for public consumption as a professional team sporting event ? Team USA shows up managed by Joe Torre , and they (Team USA ) were absolute crap throughout their entire time in the tournament . What a ##king waste of time , all round ! No one watching on national television , and once Japan was knocked out in the latter stages , I truly doubt that there was much interest shown beyond the Latino and Caribbean community as the DR and Puerto Rico “duked it out” to be called de-facto world champions .
Bud Selig couldn’t organize an orgy with a room full of whores without having to pay for the privilege . Yet his dumb ass and that of IBAF are completely behind this nonsense ! Is it any wonder the sport was kicked out of the Summer Olympics ?
Tophatal ……….
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Interesting note on Florida Gulf Coast: Since their loss to Florida the other night, I haven’t heard a word about the Eagles. Seems like once the clock strikes midnight, Cinderella is no longer even the topic of conversation…
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Sam’s Sports Brief
That’s why it’s called as such a ” Cinderella Story” , because for the brief moment these stories are in the spotlight , the public becomes enamored , but once they fall from grace , they are then easily forgotten . And so it has been with the Florida Gulf Coast season within the NCAA Tournament this season .
Tophatal ……………
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The Opening Day payroll for MLB’s thirty teams combined will for the first time ever exceed $ 3 billion in total .
“I don’t care ! I say, we get Bud Selig to grant us a waiver , so that we can up the ante and get Stanton , Jose Bautista and who the ##ck else can hit a home run and get strikeouts , you dumb sons of ##tches ! Who gives a $hit if the team payroll gets as high as $275 million ” ? Stan Kasten
From left to right , Dodgers’ executives Peter Guber , Stan Kasten , Mark Walter and Magic Johnson .
Can someone with an ounce of intelligence explain to me how someone with $50 million to $60 million in commitment to their player personnel will be able to compete with the so called big guns within the game ? The makeup for the postseason going back over the last decade has always had at least two or three teams with a top five payroll .
Bull#hit about there being parity in baseball ! The game has nothing to do with parity , but more to do with prudent spending and knowing how to assess talent . In reality there are very few teams within baseball with the acumen to do that successfully , year in , and year out .
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Who gives a flying flip about WBC- How about La Salle making to the sweet sixteen. Florida Gulf Coast another great story- they have some really good players. Wichita State is a surprise as well. There are some classic match ups in the sweet sixteen- MSU-Duke, Michigan-Kansas, Arizona-OSU, Indiana- Syacruse, Miami-Marquette, Louisville-Oregon are great match ups. For me many of the games were unwatchable. The hoops sucked. These games should be a lot better
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bobby gee
The WBC (World Baseball Classic) is simply an idiotic farce , ill conceived , a logistical nightmare , that simply favors the teams who seek to make something out of nothing from a far fetched , and rather dumb premise ! MLB and the game’s international governing body (IBAF- International Baseball Federation) , have done little to try and find common ground on so many issues that affect the sport domestically , as well as internationally . Yet , somehow , they came up with this utter bull$hit competition !
The Sweet Sixteen and the rancor that will now follow the best college sporting event that the NCAA presides over . In football , the BCS national title game , much less the idiocy of some thirty plus dumb Bowl Games , comes nowhere close in creating the same type of thrill and excitement , as college basketball , and its exciting national title game . And can we call it, as we see it , when it comes to college hockey , the poor man’s stepping stone to the lame ass NHL !
Tophatal …………
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This is why College hoops is king
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bobby gee
College Basketball far supersedes the bulls#it , we see happening with any of the other major college sports . The way in which a national champion is determined isn’t built on the premise of the goddamn deepest pocket in terms of a program or its reputation. You simply turn up and play the games . Not the case when it comes to the lame ass Bowl System for football at the D 1 level . And to the fallacy , that it’s the best system that there is or how to decide a national champion is simply asinine , especially by the idiots who espouse the current idea ! It simply shows their naivete’ and complete lack of intelligence or being able to think for themselves .
Tophatal ……….
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The Dodgers will have … by far the largest Opening Day … payroll ($214.5 million) of any team in MLB history . On the bottom rung of the ladder , well , that distinction will be the privilege of one of the surprise teams of last season , the Oakland A’s and their $60 million payroll commitments . Need I say anymore on the matter ? I guess not !
Tophatal …………..
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One thing for sure is the Gators won’t be taking the Eagles lightly. The game should be a good one.
Is it just me or is the W.B.C. just a gigantic waste of time?
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aero
The Gators would be absolute fools to take the FCGU (Eagles) lightly . That is exactly what both San Diego St and Georgetown found out , to their very dear cost .
The Eagles’ progress to this stage of the tournament will empower the school and quite possibly raise their visibility to further national prominence . Which has me wondering , are they a party school , and how often do the female co-eds there willing to ” put out ” ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!! Which is more preferable ? Girls Gone Wild ? Or College Female Co-eds Gone Wild ?
Amanda Marcum-Enfield
Andy Enfield’s wife , Amanda Marcum-Enfield , in her modeling years . Damn !
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Holla back yo !
Pep rally my @ss ! Every female co-ed on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University was willing ” to share their virtue with a player on the team “ . Even coach Andy Enfield had to have been pleased with that sort of response .
Enfield’s missus has aged , but not to the point , where one would refuse to give her a piece of the ” meat ” !
Now we know why Enfield always has a smile on his face , as he gets to come home to this, and he gets to ” nail her “ frequently . Nothing wrong in that is there ? Not only that , but he’s also very wealthy in his own right , being a self made millionaire and entrepreneur .
Tophatal …………
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aero
Your thoughts on the Yankees … trading for Vernon Wells and do you believe that he will be able to help the team in any way , given his inconsistent productivity in recent years ?
The Yankees will only have to pay $13 million of the $42 million owed to the player over the remaining three years of his contract , with the Angels paying the the bulk of that original deal .
Tophatal ….
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Can someone please put Florida Gulf Coast out of there misery already?
Billy, are you listening?
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Chris Humpherys (@SportsChump)
Are you sure that Billy Donovan and that Gators’ roster will be up to the task ? The Florida Gulf Coast (Eagles) have proven that they are no ordinary team , by brushing aside both Georgetown and San Diego State with a great deal of ease along the way.
Billy is listening but I think it’s time to start praying to the basketball gods as that Eagles’ team now appears to be on a mission .
Tophatal ………..
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The fact that the Yankees have no confidence in any of the prospects in their farm system tells me they will continue to be an old team held together by spit and bailing wire. The Angels must be laughing their asses off. Signing Vernon Wells was the act of a desparate organization trying to stay relevant. Unless they introduce Wells to A-Roid cousin he’ll have little if any impact on their season.
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aero
It has been years since the Yankees brought anyone up through their farm system that has been of a major impact to their team and organization overall . I’m of the belief that they simply have drafted kids over the past four to five years , paid them handsomely , only for them to be about as competitive or productive as a damn member of the US Congress ! Take your pick as to whom you believe to be more productive from either legislative chamber .
As for the signing of Vernon Wells , it was an act of desperation on the part of the front office of the Bronx Bombers , and further proof that Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner , on a cold or warm day , couldn’t spot talent in a whorehouse , even if they had to pay for it .
There is this continued idiocy being written in the papers that the team’s pitching will be great this season . Based on last season the pitching was in fact woefully inept . The fact is , Pineda spent more time last season on the DL and Kuroda was only marginally effective . In the case of Pettite and Mariano Rivera , I seriously doubt that you will see either bring their best stuff with them on the mound for the team this season . Father Time and injuries have caught up to both of those veteran pitchers .
Tophatal ………
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It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Baltimore Ravens are right back in the hunt for the Super Bowl next season. They have a great GM in Ozzie Newsome, a great coach in John Harbaugh, and an oustanding QB in Joe Flacco. When you have a foundation like that, it makes it easier to build the rest of the house.
And even though they lost a lot of talent, they still have Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata to lead the defense, and they just signed Elvis Dumervil as well. Ray Rice and Torrey Smith are still great weapons to help Flacco on offense. Yes, I think the Ravens will be just fine next season.
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Maurice Barksdale
Don’t get me wrong I am an admirer of Ozzie Newsome and all that he’s achieved since he became the general manager of the Ravens . However, let’s put everything into perspective , with the losses in terms of the player personnel beyond the retirement of Ray Lewis ,. there is no way in hell they can overcome that all , and still make a successful defense of their Superbowl title .
And with regard to Flacco , he’s now being paid a King’s ransom to lead the team . Now let’s see if he possesses the leadership skills to actually lead , rather than the perception that last season could be perceived as an aberration .
Tophatal ………………..
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I’m not saying they will repeat as champions, I’m saying that even with the losses, they should still be a playoff contender.
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Maurice
That may well be the case, but I think that we will see marked improvements with the Browns and Bengals , wherein they will give the Ravens a run for their money this upcoming season within the AFC North !
The Ravens were stretched in several of their divisional games last season .
Tophatal ………..
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Maurice
I don’t believe that the acquisitions made by the Ravens can make up for the losses suffered by the franchise , in terms of the personnel ! The only advantage that they may well still have in all of this season , will be dependent upon the progress made by the Browns and Bengals , in terms of the their draft decisions made .
A case can and will be made that the Steelers are now heading in the wrong direction , as that roster has aged fast in the past two years .
Roethlisberger statistically , had one of his better years in 2012 , but beyond that , the Steelers were simply listless and that was reflected in their results and standing within the AFC North and the conference overall .
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Good point. But some of the players the Ravens lost were old players, except for Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe. And Kruger has been replaced by Elvis Dumervil, which might be an upgrade. So the Ravens are getting younger while they still have some youth at their core.
The AFC North will continue to be a tough division. But the Browns have a new coaching staff, and they still have no proven QB. So, while anything is possible as we saw with the Giants not making the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl, I think the Ravens will still be a playoff contender.
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Maurice
I was never “sold ” on Brandon Weeden as an NFL quarterback ! At his age having been in the Yankees minor league system and then making a foray into the NFL . If he couldn’t cut it in baseball , then what now makes him think he can now cut it in the NFL ?
Tophatal ………
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Maurice Barksdale
Thankfully , the Ravens will not and have not shown the sort of ineptitude we have become accustomed to seeing from Oakland Raiders in terms of their draft and free agent acquisitions over the past few years . Now the Raiders have become a financial boondoggle having lost money and are continuing to lose money .
The Raiders are gullible enough to overpay for marginal …. talent , yet all their fans can ever remember are the good ol’ days and the damn ” Tuck Rule ” .
Tophatal ………..
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The Raiders haven’t been a very well run organization for a long time. What ever happened to the commitment to excellence?
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Maurice Barksdale
To me, the incompetency , I see with the Raiders is simply no different we see exhibited on a daily basis from the US Congress and the Presidential administration of Barack Obama ! They’re simply clueless and their idea of trying something new is akin to throwing s#it up against a wall and going with what sticks .
Look at the playoff record of the Raiders over the past decade and let me know what you think is impressive ?
Tophatal …………….
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When I was a kid, I used to fear the Raiders when they played the Redskins. Any time your time played the Raiders you knew it was going to be a hard hitting smash mouth game, and you’d be lucky if your team got the victory.
But now a days, that pirate logo may as well be a clown. The Raiders of today are a far cry from the feared, “commitment to excellence” type of franchise they used to be. They’ve clearly lost their identity and in today’s NFL they may never find it again.
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I certainly don’t believe that anyone within the front office of the Raiders knows what they are doing or how to get the job done competently !
They need a fresh influx of talent by way of the front office executives with a record of accomplishment and experience . What the hell do either Mark Davis or GM Reggie McKenzie possess at present by way of intellect , intelligence , much less a real football IQ ? The duo combined make Paris Hilton and Megan Fox Simpson seem like a Yale or Harvard graduate .
“I’m so hot and you’re so ,,,,, not hot ” !
Paris Hilton
Will she be coming back for Transformers IIII , V & VI ? Megan Fox
Tophatal ……
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Reggie McKenzie was groomed in the Green Bay Packers organization, and was their director of player personnel. So judging by the amount of success he enjoyed with the Packers, I think he’s more than qualified to be an NFL GM.
But again, personnel decisions become much easier when you have a franchise QB in place. Building around Bret Favre and Aaron Rodgers is paradise compared to what the Raiders had. And the stability of the Packers organization must seem like heaven compared to the disfunction of the Oakland Raiders.
So McKenzie has a monumental task in front of him, and so far he’s off to a rocky start, but time will only tell if he can turn things around.
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Maurice Barksdale
Reggie McKenzie could have been groomed for stardom at MIT , simply look at his list of accomplishments while at Oakland and the Raiders’ lack of success during that time frame ? That’s how he will be adjudged and besides , I seriously doubt that he had that much input, as it relates to the overall success of the Green Bay Packers while Aaron Rodgers has become a success with that Packers’ franchise .
Oakland Raiders’ transactions and the team’s draft history since 2010
Existing contracts , team payroll and 2014 free agents .
Specific needs in this draft
NFL Draft and draft order
Raiders’ roster 2012 , Team statistics in 2012 , 2012 schedule
AFC West standings (2012)
Oakland Raiders’ schedule 2013
Oakland Raiders news and archived stories
Tophatal ………………
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The ultimate road rage occurs in NASCAR. It’s been proven that a good way to win races is to run the driver in front of you off the track or into the wall. Dale Earnhardt Sr. won dozens of races like that. But it looks like Tony Stewart and Lagano are trying to get a rivalry started. That may help NASCAR, because it seems to work better when there are heroes and villains for fans to root for or against.
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Maurice Barksdale
There have been rivalries ongoing within NASCAR for years . What the sport lacks are drivers with charisma and broad based appeal .
Jeff Gordon , Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr , come across as predisposed robotic morons , inclined to give and feed the public with answers , they believe the public want to hear , rather than being insightful and proffering up something within their own thought process . It’s the same thing within F1 and IRL /Izod Indy Car Racing . The drivers there are also completely lacking in charisma and appeal , in spite of what the advertisers would try and have us believe . Simply look at the lame ass print and television ads featuring many of these drivers and tell me what you see that is meant to be so appealing about them ?
Tophatal ……..
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I think the corporate sponsorships pretty much dictates the way the drivers behave. If they embarass their sponsors it might endanger them of losing it. So this is why most come off as vanilla as possible, for fear that being too controversial could cost them money. It’s the direction the sport has gone towards. I’m not saying I like it, but it’s the nature of that business.
Jeff Gordon is probably primarily responsible for this, as I think most NASCAR drivers still try to emulate his clean cut, good guy image. But NASCAR used to filled with mullets and scraggly mustaches, and many drivers used to embrace a good ole’ country boy image, but those days are over. Now it’s cardboard cut out time.
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Maurice Barksdale
If Gordon is meant to be clean cut , then Kim Kardashian should join a devout order Catholic nuns . It’s all for show with Jeff Gordon .
He was bangin’ cocktail waitresses by the score prior to and in between his first and second marriages . It’s just that the press chose to ignore it all , as the France family covered it all up , to try and aid NASCAR’s pristine image .
Tophatal ………….
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Maurice Barksdale
Your thoughts on the Raiders’ continued mess both on and off the field ? Financially they’re in a mess , having lost $15.2 million on revenues of $268 million and now they have a continued declining attendance at the O Coliseum in Oakland, California .
GM Reggie McKenzie and head coach , Dennis Allen have asked Carson Palmer to take a pay cut , as he’s due $13 million this upcoming season . The quarterback has refused their request to restructure his contract , now leaving them at an impasse , as whether or not, to retain the player , or simply look to cut him , or use him as trade bait .
Tophatal ………..
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Hue Jackson’s trade for Carson Palmer for a first and a second round pick is what got him fired, and put the Raiders in even more a mess than they were in previously.
I’m still not sure about Dennis Allen as the head coach, but I guess they’ll see if he can grow into the position, because it doesn’t appear he was ready to be a head coach when he got the job.
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Maurice Barksdale
The firing of Jackson was idiotic and asinine , and this all comes down to the sheer incompetence of Mark Davis and Reggie McKenzie , two absolutely clueless individuals , with regard to their currently held positions !
This upcoming season for the Raiders , will be one of sheer desperation on the part of this team , as Dennis Allen is further plummeted into even more uncertainty and a degree of difficulty , that he has never really had to deal with as a head coach . The Raiders will be hard pressed to deal with the Broncos much less the rest of the AFC West .
Tophatal ………..
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Maurice Barksdale
NASCAR has now reached its zenith and saturation point, in terms of its appeal in North America . It’s struggle now , will come about in how the France family seeks out new revenue streams for the sport beyond their overcharging for attending the races at all levels for their race schedules and rights they control in terms of content . Television ratings have steadily been on the decline for the past five years and it only peaks when the Daytona 500 takes place .
Granted , this year , much of the hype concerning that event had more to do with Danica Patrick , more than anything else . And the race itself , ended up being something of an uneventful and monstrous bore !
🙂
Wouldn’t you like to have Danica “pop” your ” gear stick ” and ” clutch ” ?
Tophatal ………….
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I still think the backwards premise of NASCAR hurts it more than anything. It’s Super Bowl (The Daytona 500) happens at the start of the season and not the end. Tradition probably dictates that it stays this way, but if they could find a way to make the climax to the season come at the end, I think the product will be better off for it.
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Maurice Barksdale
Not only is it backwards , it’s asinine and ridiculous ! It’s next most prestigious event on the schedule the Coca Cola 600 then becomes a preamble leading up to the “Race for the Chase ” (officially the final twelve races on the Sprint Cup calendar) . Another nocturnal turn-off , that is about as riveting as a political debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden .
The NASCAR executives simply no longer, know how to market their sport to the masses .
Tophatal …………..
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“As good as Flacco , just happened to be , for the Ravens during the postseason , his body work prior to 2012 , was simply, not overwhelming or dare one say, that impressive . ”
Alan, are you mistaken JFlacco for Trent Dilfer?? You’re way off base here.
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Ronbets
Let’s go down the list of quarterbacks to have won the Superbowl . Dilfer is by no means the worst of the bunch . In reality however, Flacco’s body of work , prior to 2012 , was simply marginal at best . Let’s see now what he’s really made of , when he can no longer rely on a defense , and he has to either lead or take the Ravens from behind and lead them to a victory .
You’re far too impressed , simply by the immediacy of the “here and now” , rather than the body of work of a player , which effectively can be the correct way to adjudge a body work .
Do you by any chance remember Jeff Hostetler , hardly a guy anyone would remember , but somehow he led the Giants to a Superbowl victory and even then his stats in the game were not that impressive .
Actress Tricia Helfer
Denise Milani
I do believe that you’ll need a daily dose of Tricia Helfer or Denise Milani to help the medicine go down . Just what the doctor ordered wouldn’t you say ?
Tophatal ……………
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Ronbets
😉
Joe broke the bank and now it’s time to ” put up or shut up .
Dana Flacco likes the fact her husband is amongst the highest paid players in the NFL and one of the highest at his position . Now bearing that in mind , would you as a fan , say Flacco is on par , with Brees , Eli , Peyton , Brady or Aaron Rodgers ? Come on man , even you know when it’s time to call a shovel a shovel , and a hack, a hack .
Tiger Woods now has options . He has a ‘9 iron , putting wedge , putter , sand-wedge, eat a sandwich or he can eat Lindsay Vonn . LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
Tophatal …………….
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Ronbets
You questioned my initial thoughts on Joe Flacco . So here’s something that might interest you . See link provided below as well this transcript from ProFootballTalk.com .
Only a dumb ass , such as Jerry Jones , could be foolish enough to reward the under-achieving Tony Romo in such way ! Is it any wonder the Cowboys continue to be the laughing stock of the NFL ? In all honesty what the ##ck has Romo done in the NFL for the Cowboys since joining the franchise as an unrestricted free agent ?
Tony Romo will now get more guaranteed money than Joe Flacco , and the Cowboys’ quarterback has yet to win a meaningful game for the Cowboys regular or postseason . What the ##ck is that all about ?
Tophatal ………..
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Ladies and gentlemen , a round of applause for the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes for bowing out with such puerility from the NCAA Tournament . I thank you !
Tophatal ………..
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Flacco and Tiger can do much better than above. Mrs Flacco needs enhancements and Lindsay Vonn couldn’t carry Elin’s negligee. Can you imagine the competition between Tiger and Vonn? Not gonna workie.
The QB issue? At a later date. Currently researching MLB and Milani.
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Ronbets
Here’s my take on Lindsay Vonn, she is this country’s most successful Alpine skier male or female . She knows how to handle a pole , as evidenced by her skills on the slopes and the disciplines that are her specialties . Slalom , downhill and giant slalom . Now imagine her , working on Tiger’s pole (manhood) ? Need I say anymore on the matter ?
Lindsay Vonn
Denise Milani
Wendy Fiore
Ines Cudna
🙂
Granted , if her “rack ” were more like Milani’s or Wendy Fiore’s or Ines Cudna’s , we’d all want to be sucking on those puppies ! But I doubt , that you’ll hear Tiger complaining, while he’s trimming her “bush ” .
Tophatal ……………
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Ronbets
What is there to research when it comes to baseball this season ? We all know that the moment things start to go awry for both the Dodgers and Yankees , they will spend their way out of trouble .
Los Angeles Dodgers’ payroll for 2013 , will approx $213.5 million , whereas for the Yankees it is roughly $3 million less .
Dodgers’ schedule for April and May .
Yankees’ schedule for April and May .
Ewa Sonnet
Stats you could research , Ewa Sonnet’s cleavage size ? I think that’d pique your interest more than anything else ?
Tophatal ……………
Tophatal ……………
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Alan,
Betting mlb daily is a full-time job. Which btw, is my only job(sportsbetting) for the past 40 years. No entitlements other than VA co-pay health insurance. I just finished up a successful spring training season. Capitalizing on young studs pitchers like Maurer(Sea), King Felix and Harvey(NYM). Checking lineups, umpires and wind conditions. That’s why I live here in Sin City. All legal including the neighboring cathouses for amusement only.LOL
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Ronbets
I wasn’t aware that you were an avid gambler . As a youngster , I wasn’t a heavy gambler but I learned the nuances of gambling especially when it comes to handicapping when it comes to horse racing . My forte’ however, was in the sport of boxing and soccer , when it came to sports’ betting .
Your thoughts on Verlander’s and Buster Posey’s new contracts with the Tigers and San Francisco Giants ?
Tophatal ……….
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Well, with the Heat going down to the Bulls in a game where they defended poorly and their rebounding was simply abysmal . They will now have to stare down the Spurs in what could be looked at as a precursor to the NBA Finals .
Tophatal …………………………
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Verlander was a necessity. They had to pay ’cause he wudda walked after next year. Guy is amazing. He starts a game throwing in mid 90’s and finishes upper 90’s. He tells Leyland when he needs to be relieved. Regardless of the closers stats(Valverde), they did the right thing by letting him walk. His smoke and mirror gig was catching up.
Posey? I have mixed feeling about. Sabean called the shot and winning 2 outta last 3 WSeries kinda gives them the green light.
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Ronbets
You’re right concerning Verlander , as he’s been the best pitcher in baseball over the last five years and not this damn idiocy concerning Felix Hernandez .
The latter has never played in the postseason and he’s done is merely put up numbers and that is it . Then you have what the Mariners have done , in giving him this bloated contract , knowing full well they have never been competitive enough in the last eight years to have done anything significant . Yet , you have idiots , hyping up the player as being one of the best . I know that they say ” beauty is in the eye of the beholder “ but this insidious belief that average is acceptable indicates to me that these individuals are simply clueless .
Having won two World Series in the past five seasons , I can understand why Brian Sabean and Larry Baer believed in paying …. Buster Posey . The kid is good and if he is able to carry on at his current pace , he should be able to put up numbers that guarantees his enshrinement in Cooperstown , New York and the Hall of Fame .
For me, the Giants will be the team to beat in the NL this upcoming season , as they are by far in a way the best team within the senior league of baseball .
Tophatal ………..
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Maurice Barksdale
Reggie McKenzie could have been groomed for stardom at MIT , simply look at his list of accomplishments while at Oakland and the Raiders’ lack of success during that time frame ? That’s how he will be adjudged and besides , I seriously doubt that he had that much input, as it relates to the overall success of the Green Bay Packers while Aaron Rodgers has become a success with that Packers’ franchise .
Oakland Raiders’ transactions and the team’s draft history since 2010
Existing contracts , team payroll and 2014 free agents .
Specific needs in this draft
NFL Draft and draft order
Raiders’ roster 2012 , Team statistics in 2012 , 2012 schedule
AFC West standings (2012)
AFC conference standings
Oakland Raiders’ schedule 2013
Oakland Raiders’ depth chart
Dennis Allen and coaching staff
—————
Oakland Raiders news and archived stories
Tophatal ………………
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Kobe Bryant needs to shut the hell up with his idiocy, and stick to what he knows . His comments to Jim Rome about smacking Rutgers’ former head basketball coach Mike Rice , were he the recipient of the now disgraced coach’s abuse is a goddam joke . Kobe isn’t smacking or throwin’ down fists ..with anyone . He’s as soft as butter and when has anyone ever seen Bryant being physical with anyone in terms of an altercation during a game ? Kobe would get the s#it slapped out of him were he in the ‘hood . He’s a kid from Lower Merion , Pa , and the only thing he’d be known to be doing there is ” jackin’ off ” for self gratification . This being the same guy who cried when placed under arrest , after the rape allegations that surfaced in Eagle , Colorado , several years ago.
Bryant may not have gone to college for whatever reason and be that as it may , but he is going to be critical of Rice , then he should’ve done so in a constructive way and not come across as a guy who can and is prepared ” to throw down ” . Anyone who’s seen Kobe on court trying to be tough , would know that both Ru Paul and Carson Kressley would kick Kobe’s ass while being dressed in drag .
“What you say ’bout my mama ” ? ” I said your mama loves to suck di#k ” !
Bryant would then go on to air his teammates’ dirty laundry by making the claims that he wasn’t the only Lakers’ player dropping trou’ and laying the wood to skanks on the Lakers’ travels during the season .
Is it any wonder that the relationship between Bryant , Shaquille O’Neal and Rick Fox still remains strained to this day ? They may well appear to be cordial on some level , but Shaq has never truly forgiven Kobe for making the claims that he and Fox were laying the wood to Lakers’ groupies on the team’s travels around the league . No more bro’ code ? It’s always been about bro’s before ho’s , only in this case Kobe Bryant showed himself to be a conniving and sniveling little bi#ch .
Kobe Bryant dropped 47 on the Blazers last night , but this Lakers’ team are not out of the woods as of yet , as they have to win out to be sure of guaranteeing themselves that eighth seed berth within the Eastern Conference and thereby making the playoffs . A first round match-up against the Spurs seems likely and that series could very well become intriguing , given the fact that the Spurs are likely to be without Ginobli for quite possibly the entire postseason .
A match-up between the Lakers and the Thunder on the other hand could also signal the end of Bryant’s career , because I believe that, should the Lakers fall in the first round , then at the culmination of the season , he will announce his formal retirement during the off-season. This Lakers’ roster at its core is very old and uncompetitive in so … many areas , where they need to be effective and competitive enough . They rarely defend with any consistency and their transition game is simply average .
NBA results 10th April 2013
Tophatal ……………….. 2013/04/11 10:52 am EST
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