Joe Cool and The Outfield

Kevin Blackistone Compares Big Baby to Obama

2009-05-12T17:51:00.004-04:00

Seriously.

On a related note, Kevin Blackistone is a moron.

Here's the gist of it. On ESPN's Around The Horn, Tony Reali posed the question of whether or not Big Baby needed to apologize for shoving a 12-year-old kid after scoring the game-winning shot in Game 4 of the Celtics-Magic series. The kid's dad referred to Big Baby as a "raging animal," which he seemingly was:

Blackistone preached the "Can't we all just get along" sentiment by saying that the kid's dad's comment reminded him of when President Obama was called a "gorilla" during last year's presidential campaign and that that kind of language was just ridiculous and needed to stop.

Here's the problem K.B. (besides the fact that you're a moron): calling someone an animal has no racial connotation to it. Calling someone a gorilla certainly does.

The only reason racial tensions flare up over situations like this are because idiots like you fan the flames.

Shut up.

Links From The 'Field

2009-05-09T08:52:00.001-04:00

An anonymous teammate on A-Rod's infatuation with Madonna. (@ the big lead)

The Brewers' manager has an interesting reaction to Trevor Hoffman's entrance music. (@ deadspin)

Just when you thought you'd heard the last from the infamous wardrobe malfunction. (@ moondog sports)

Romo's girlfriend in a Vanity Fair photo shoot... (@ epic carnival)

...and she prays for Tony's protection. (@ sportsbybrooks)

Good thing Stephen Curry is going pro in basketball and not rap. (@ deadspin)

Tom Izzo on Broadway. (@ sportsbybrooks)

Manny Pacquiao celebrating his victory with song. (@ sportsbybrooks)

The reason behind the Lance Armstrong-Sheryl Crow split comes to light. (@ deadspin)

Is Yanni determining the Caps-Pens TV scheduling? (@ sportsbybrooks)

Ben Utecht and Christian Rock. (@ sportsbybrooks)

John Tesh Wants You For An NBA Video Contest

2009-05-08T16:39:00.004-04:00

That's right. And he even made his own video to entice you to give it a shot:

Priceless.

I love this stuff.

(H/T deadspin)

Manny On 'Roids, Toledo Point-Shaving

2009-05-07T13:20:00.000-04:00

Is nothing pure anymore?

First, Manny Ramirez tests positive for PEDs. ManRam...did you not know there was a more stringent drug-testing policy in place now in Major League Baseball? Have you not watched TV in the last 12 months? Have you ever heard of a guy named Alex Rodriguez? You just can't chalk this up to "Manny being Manny"...this is just ignorant. It's not the late '90s-early 2000's anymore.

Then there's the University of Toledo basketball and football players involved in a point-shaving scandal that allegedly took place from 2004-2006. Here's the irony though: during those years, the Rockets were actually a decent program in both sports. The basketball team won 17 games in 2004, 21 in 2005, and 20 in 2006 (with an NIT invite). The football team went 9-4 in 2004, 9-3 in 2005, and 5-7 in 2006. You know what they did last year? 8-25 in basketball, 3-9 in football. How are you guys worse when you're actually trying to win?

Anyway, with all this negativity, I needed an escape to a better time. A time when "Rocket" was a great song...not a point-shaving punchline. Because sometimes, Manny, "we just got to fly":

Who Does Brett Favre Think He Is?

2009-05-06T15:06:00.001-04:00

Cher?

In case you forgot, Cher began her "Farewell Tour" (a.k.a. the "Never Can Say Goodbye Tour") in 2002. It lasted 3 years. Then, in 2008, she signed on for another 3-year, 200-show stint at the Colosseum in Las Vegas.

Favre "retired" at the end of the 2007 season, tried to come back as a Packer last year (except that they didn't want him to), was traded to the Jets for the 2008 season, "retired" at the end of last season, and now is apparently in talks with the Vikings for a 2009 comeback. And he'll probably get picked up for these reasons.

So how long will the Brett Favre Farewell Tour last?

And which of these pictures looks more ridiculous?

Ovechkin, Crosby, and Woodstock

2009-05-05T15:36:00.001-04:00

Rarely does the hype of a matchup between two individual players in a team sport live up to expectations. That seems to be true even more so in hockey, where the star players are on the ice for less than half of the entire game, and where goals are (usually) few and far between.

Not so last night. If you don't watch hockey, or missed last night's Capitals-Penguins game, you missed one of the greatest games (and perhaps the greatest individual battle between two superstars--Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby) in NHL playoff history. Here's a quick recap:

That's right. Both Ovechkin and Crosby scored hat tricks. Unprecedented. It just doesn't get much better than that. This was like Magic vs. Bird, Brady vs. Manning, Jordan vs. Dominique...only better.

The only music equivalent I could think of would be if The Beatles and Elvis Presley were able to somehow unite (each in their prime) and give a free concert in Central Park. And then they played for about 4 straight hours. And then partied with their fans.

This game was so good that, as pucksandbooks notes in a great On Frozen Blog article today, fans who weren't there will soon start to claim that they were.

Think about that. How good does an event have to be for people to lie about having been in attendance? I immediately thought of Woodstock. Estimates of Woodstock attendees have it around 500,000, but I'm sure if you took a poll of individuals from that generation, you'd get about 3 times as many that said they were there.

I'm interested to see what you think about this question. What events (music or sports) were so good or so historic that you've heard everyone claim they were there? Post your answers to comments.

T.I. And Sports Suspensions

2009-05-04T18:06:00.002-04:00

Grammy winner T.I. was in attendance at Game 7 of the dreadfully bad Hawks-Heat series over the weekend. In case you're not familiar with T.I. (real name Clifford Harris, a.k.a. T.I.P.), don't feel bad. I'm not either. Apparently he makes music. The point is that, on March 27 (about a month and a half ago), T.I. was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for felony weapons charges. Yet thanks to our wacky judicial system, he gets to hang out at NBA playoff games, spend time with his family, continue working on his album, and decide when he wants to start his prison sentence (some time this month).

While this sounds ridiculous, such a situation is not uncommon in professional sports either. Take Matt Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver, for example. Last year, Jones violated the league's substance abuse policy when, in July, he was arrested for possession of cocaine and marijuana. Yet he appealed the suspension and, T.I.-style, was able to play almost the entire season, leading the Jags in receptions and receiving yards. The year before, Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry did the same thing, appealing a drug suspension while playing an entire football season.

But there are other occasions where a league issues immediate and final suspensions without the appeals process. Remember the debacle that was the NBA's suspension of Phoenix Suns players Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for "leaving the bench" following Robert Horry's hip check of Steve Nash in the 2007 playoffs? None of the suspended players were allowed to appeal the suspension until the end of the season.

And just this year, the NHL did the same thing. In the first round of the playoffs, Washington Capitals left winger Donald Brashear was suspended 6 games for this hit on New York Rangers center Blair Betts:

Brashear is unable to appeal the suspension.

So which method is the right one? I'm not sure. Probably something in between the two extremes, and probably something with a bit more consistency than currently exists. It's ridiculous to have a season-long appeals process, but it's similarly ridiculous to be unable to appeal at all...especially in the playoffs.

But I'm certainly biased...I'm hoping the Caps can Unleash the Fury on the Penguins again tonight.

Links From The 'Field

2009-05-02T08:52:00.004-04:00

A few of the best sports/music related links from the blogosphere:

Everything you did or did not want to know about Mark Sanchez and his music tastes. (@ mtv newsroom)

A great mashup of Ricky Bobby and Carl Edwards accompanied by Pat Benatar. (@ nesw sports)

So it looks like Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson are still together. (@ epic carnival)

And so are Hilary Duff and New York Islanders' center Mike Comrie. (@ epic carnival)

Apparently Mandy Moore has a new video out. And Chuck Liddell's in it. (@ on 205th)

Check out Paramore's hoops skills (or lack thereof). (@ mtv newsroom)

The Boss's tribute to Harry Kalas. (@ hugging harold reynolds)

Check out this CD review of baseball songs. (@ baseball reflections)

The Matthew Stafford song is hilarous. (@ epic carnival)

Jay Cutler singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame at Wrigley. (@ docksquad sports)

And Denise Richards attempting to sing as well. (@ sharapova's thigh)

Does this mean the Dolphins will sell cheeseburgers in paradise this year? (@ sportsbybrooks)

Picking Kentucky Derby Winners

2009-05-01T14:36:00.000-04:00

Here's how I know my 2009 Kentucky Derby picks are sure things: I did a little research, and every horse that has won the Derby in the last 5 years has had some sort of a musical connection. Sometimes that connection is obvious, sometimes you have to dig a little deeper. But it's always there. Here are the past 5 winners and the musical connections that led them to the winner's circle:

2008 Winner - Big Brown. Big Brown was sired by Boundary, son of Danzig. Danzig is an American rock band from New Jersey best known for their hit "Mother." If that's not enough, Danzig was the son of Northern Dancer.

2007 Winner - Street Sense. Street Sense's damsire was Dixieland Band. His dam was Bedazzle, granddaughter of Northern Dancer. Also in Street Sense's pedigree--Gold Digger. Tell me that's not what inspired Kanye West.

2006 Winner - Barbaro. Barbaro also counts Gold Digger as a member of his pedigree, as well as On The Trail. If that doesn't sound immediately familiar to you, shame on you. Watch this video for a reminder (complete with singing horses, no less):

2005 Winner - Giacomo. Giacomo had some of the most blatant music connections. First, he was named after the son of Sting. Second, his breeder, Jerry Moss, co-founded A&M Records (for whom Sting and The Police recorded songs). Third, his dam was Set Them Free (another Sting/Police connection) and his damsire was Stop The Music (I'll admit...it seems a little out of place). And then throw in a few names from his pedigree like Bebop and Miss Disco. This was a no-brainer.

2004 Winner - Smarty Jones. Smarty Jones's grandsire was Gone West, a name that was (probably not) inspired by the 80s pop duo Go West. The duo formed in 1982 (Gone West was born in 1984) and had the hit single "King of Wishful Thinking" on the Pretty Woman soundtrack. Smarty also counts Northern Dancer, Gold Digger, and Native Dancer among his pedigree.

I'm telling you. To win in the Kentucky Derby, all you have to do is follow the music.

(If only it were that easy.)

Kentucky Derby Picks

2009-04-30T12:06:00.002-04:00

The odds are in...you can get them here.

The only two picks that make sense to me are Mr. Hot Stuff at 30-1 (contrary to some reports, disco is apparently alive and well):

And Nowhere to Hide at 50-1 (don't the three blocks in the video mean 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place?):

The only other horse I would consider as a long shot would be Summer Bird (also at 50-1), trained by Tim "Don't Call Me Vanilla" Ice.

How about a 3-18-17 trifecta? That flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says the 1-4 posts and the 17-20 posts are the worst places to be.

But I like it. And the payout would be huge.

You heard it here first.

What say you?

Roger Clemens And The Pet Shop Boys

2009-04-29T12:06:00.001-04:00

What do they have in common?

Well, on this day in 1986, Clemens became the first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to strike out 20 batters in one nine-inning game. Check out this local news intro to the story, and remember how great TV used to be:

In fact, this wouldn't be the last time he would strike out 20 in a game. 10 years later, on September 18, 1996, he did it again, this time against the Detroit Tigers. The only other pitchers to have struck out 20 in one game are Kerry Wood (May 6, 1998 against the Houston Astros) and Randy Johnson (May 8, 2001 against the Cincinnati Reds).

Also this week in 1986, The Pet Shop Boys had the number 1 song on the pop singles chart with "West End Girls" (while "Your Love" by The Outfield moved up one spot from 8 to 7):

But that's not where the connection ends. The Pet Shop Boys' "What Have I Done To Deserve This" was featured on a proposed (but likely never released) Boston Red Sox mix tape attempting to get Clemens to return to Boston in 2006. And both have had their run-ins with animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Early in 2008, in the aftermath of the Mitchell Report, the group urged Clemens to show his commitment to being drug-free by becoming a vegetarian. And just this year, PETA made a similarly bizarre request of The Pet Shop Boys--that they change their name to The Rescue Shelter Boys to highlight the benefits of shelters over pet stores. In a common occurrence for PETA, both requests were ignored.

Today, both Clemens and the Pet Shop Boys are fighting to hold onto the glory days of the 80s and 90s. Clemens continues to deny using performance-enhancing drugs and continues his attempts to clear his name. And The Pet Shop Boys just released a new album.

Clemens' attempts have thus far been unsuccessful. I'll keep you posted on The Pet Shop Boys.

The Greatest Music Scene In Sports Movie History

2009-04-28T11:53:00.003-04:00

Because on this day, when the Capitals are trying to erase a 3-1 series deficit against the Rangers, and do it without Donald Brashear, what else can you say?

Except maybe Unleash the Fury!

NFL Draft Recap

2009-04-26T16:19:00.022-04:00

So what did we find out this weekend?

We found out that the "experts" are hardly prophetic. If you take a look at my NFL Draft Preview, which was based on ESPN's Mock Draft, you'll see that the mock draft accurately predicted only 2 of the top 10 picks. (You can go here for the actual draft results.)

In my mind, draft prediction is an exercise in futility. Because you're never going to get it right, no matter how much analysis you do, how many teams you talk to, or how much highlight tape you watch. Here's a musical comparison: I think draft predictions are kind of like having the American Idol judges predict who the final 5 contestants will be after the first round of auditions. That may even be easier than predicting draft picks, but the predictions would vary wildly between the three (or four) judges, and I'm fairly sure none of them would get it exactly right. Different singers (and players) perform differently under pressure, American Idol voters (and NFL teams) have different needs, wants, and preferences. It's just nearly impossible to get exactly right.

[On a side note, I would actually like to see this American Idol prediction implemented...what say you Fox? And what say you readers? It would be infinitely more entertaining than some of the other gimmicks they've tried.]

Anyway, in fairness to the mockers, they got 8 of the top 10 players correct...they were just wrong about who would select them. The two they got wrong were Tyson Jackson, who was projected at #12, but went 3rd overall, and Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was projected to be a late first-rounder, but went to the Raiders at #7.

Which brings me to my next point.

We found out that Al Davis is on speed. Is there any other explanation? From now on, the worst pick of the NFL Draft should be known as the "You Can Call Me Al" pick. I've never understood the lyrics to that song and I'll never understand the Raiders taking Darrius Heyward-Bey with the 7th overall pick. I'm no expert, but here's what I know about Heyward-Bey. He was on my college fantasy football team...and I didn't start him once. And the league I was in started 3 wide receivers per team. And had 10 teams. And I won the league. (Disclaimer - I started Graham Harrell at QB, who averaged about 60 fantasy points a game...but the point remains that Heyward-Bey never got any burn for me).

I know he's fast. He's just not nearly as good a receiver as Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin. At least not right now. And if his scouting report includes (which it does) "inconsistent hands" and "poor route running" I'd be a little worried. And I certainly wouldn't take him at #7. Maybe around #15 or #20, or maybe even at #7 if Crabtree and Maclin were gone, but not the way Al Davis did it. I don't know. Maybe he'll prove me wrong.

In any case, here's what I picture going through Al Davis's head as his staff is trying to convince him not to take Heyward-Bey--a constant stream of Mike and the Mechanics "All I Need Is A Miracle" with these lyrics:

"All I need is his 40 time, all I need is speed (x3)

Verse 2:
Just give me his 40 time
And then I will make the call
Yeah I'll go out of my way just to draft him
At number seven overall
I don't care if he can't catch
I don't care if he ain't that strong
Yeah 'cause all that really matters to me
Is that he knows how to go really long

If I ever get to draftin' him
I'm gonna love him for the rest of his life

All I need is his 40 time, all I need is speed (x3)

(Fade out)"

Well that was fun. Thanks Al.

Links From The 'Field

2009-04-25T09:23:00.002-04:00

A few of the best sports/music related links from the blogosphere:

I wonder what the musical requirements are to become a USC Song Girl? Ahh, who cares? (@ sportscracklepop)

Joe Smith doing his best to re-enact the magic of the Super Bowl Shuffle. (@ sportsbybrooks)

Then there's this semi-music related embarrassment from Rock 107's broadcast of the Southern Miss spring football game. (@ deadspin)

The infallible Jeff Van Gundy. (@ awfulannouncing)

At least the Montreal Canadiens won't have to search for national anthem singers... (@ deadspin)

It seems that Snoop Dogg is shorter on TV... (@ sports hernia)

Somehow, this Jay-Z comment does not surprise me. (@ deadspin)

So apparently there are American Idol trading cards now? Seriously? (@ bestweekever)

A few more examples of NBA/rapper lookalikes. (@ west coast bias)

What is with Justin Timberlake's new glasses? (@ awfulannouncing)

Kevin Love is upset that his Beach Boys connection didn't help him with the Rookie of the Year voting. (@ thebiglead)

NFL Draft Preview JCATO Style

2009-04-23T20:47:00.020-04:00

I love the NFL Draft. The surprises, the live coverage, the 3500 picks, the Minnesota Vikings mishaps. I'm just waiting for them to add a musical element to it. You know, like when they say, "With the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select (insert Matt Stafford's name here)" there should be an entrance song like in baseball or boxing or MMA.

Sadly, there's not. At least not yet.

So instead, I decided to do it myself. Based on ESPN's mock draft, I looked at the top 10 selections and picked a song for each one of them. In some cases, the song describes the athlete, in others it describes the needs of the team, in still others it describes the situation the athlete will be drafted into.

Here's what I came up with:

1) Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia. Timbuk 3 - Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades). Given that the Lions finished last season winless, any future is brighter than their past. They clearly need a franchise quarterback, but they also need a lot of other pieces as well. But hey, they already took a step in the right direction by changing their logo. Well, sort of.

2) St. Louis Rams - Jason Smith, OT, Baylor. Ashford & Simpson - Solid As A Rock. The Rams had a dreadful season last year and are looking to replace all-pro tackle Orlando Pace. Scouts seem to agree that Smith will be a premier starting left tackle, which will help keep quarterback Marc Bulger upright and healthy.

3) Kansas City Chiefs - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest. Joe Esposito - You're the Best Around. The consensus seems to be that Aaron Curry is the best all-around football player in this draft. Logically (?) therefore, he's projected to be taken 3rd by the Chiefs. And he's not only the best player in the draft, he also may be the best person, too.

4) Seattle Seahawks - Mark Sanchez, QB, USC. Eagles - New Kid in Town. The Seahawks are hoping that Sanchez will be the heir apparent to current and aging quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. But I'm not sure any quarterback can be successful with shoddy protection and receivers that drop balls like they're point-shaving.

5) Cleveland Browns - BJ Raji, DT, Boston College. The Beatles - Help! The Browns took two huge steps backward last year after a 10-win season two years ago. They have offensive weapons, but need a lot of help on defense. BJ Raji seems to have the ability to stop the run and rush the passer...which would certainly help.

6) Cincinnati Bengals - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia. Bruce Springsteen - Protection. The Bengals have been on a steady decline since their playoff berth (and Carson Palmer injury) in 2005. They are looking for someone to anchor their offensive line and provide Palmer with some protection. Of course, Chad Ochocinco will probably request (or demand) a trade any time now meaning that wide receiver would be a need as well...wait, what? The trade rumors have started already? Really? This close to the draft? Shocking!

7) Oakland Raiders - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car. There is actually a double meaning to this song. First, scouts seem to agree that Michael Crabtree is the best wide receiver in the draft, but they also agree that Al Davis is old, scary-looking, and senile. And that he loves speed. Therefore, they give the edge to Maclin in this spot. Second, Al Davis represents the deadbeat dad in "Fast Car," singlehandedly running the Raiders organization into the ground. Kind of disappointing to me, because I happen to like Maclin (disclaimer - he was on my U-Sports college fantasy football team) and would hate to see him go into Oakland's Black Hole.

8) Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech. LL Cool J - Phenomenon. As I said, Crabtree gets the scouts' nod as the best receiver. I agree with them. He's a physical specimen and probably had the highlight of the year last year in Texas Tech's upset of then-#1 Texas. Granted, Texas Tech throws the ball 600 times a game which probably inflated his numbers a bit, and he had a nagging ankle injury, but he's still going to be a great pro receiver.

9) Green Bay Packers - Andre Smith, OT, Alabama. ABBA - Take a Chance on Me. Don't do it, Packers. It's really kind of hard to believe how far Smith has fallen in the last few months. By the end of the college football season, he seemed to be a lock as a top 5 pick. Then he got fat and lazy, and left the NFL combine early and unannounced. Either he thinks he's already been drafted and signed or he's getting really bad advice. Big gamble.

10) San Francisco 49ers - Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi. Destiny's Child - Survivor. Oher may be one of the best stories in the draft. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it here. Or you can probably watch it during ESPN's 15 hours of pre-draft coverage. Oher has a reputation as being a great run blocker, which would help Frank Gore. And it seems that head coach Mike Singletary wants to run the ball, which should be easier now that Mike Martz is gone.

As with any mock draft, there is zero chance that the picks fall into place this way. So check back next week for my draft recap.

Top 5 Athlete-Musician Romances

2009-04-23T10:43:00.000-04:00

The reason for this post is twofold. First, I'd like to get my mind off of what happened last night at Madison Square Garden. (Will anything ever go right for the Capitals?). Second, I've seen 3 stories in the past few days that have romantically linked athletes with high profile celebrities. There's this one that claims Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Derrick Ward is now dating a Kardashian, this one about Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum and Rihanna, and this one about Andy Roddick and his ex-girlfriend Mandy Moore.

So today I'm going to rank the top 5 athlete-musician romances. Here are the conditions. The couple must be a recently linked (like within the last 5 years) couple, so sorry old schoolers who were looking for a Joe DiMaggio-Marilyn Monroe shout out. The couple also must (obviously) contain an athlete and a musician (so the example of Derrick Ward above would not count because as far as I know, Khloe Kardashian is not in the biz). That's it. Here we go.

Hottest: Carrie Underwood-Mike Fisher. Just because Carrie Underwood is so hot. I mean really. She could be dating Willie McGee and I'd still consider putting them in the hottest couple category. In case you don't know who Mike Fisher is, he's a center on the Ottawa Senators. And apparently a very lucky guy at the moment.

Oddest: A-Rod and Madonna. Who would have ever matched these two? First off, there's the fact that A-Rod was married (and his wife was hot). Second, Madonna's 50, A-Rod's 33. Third, she's into this weird, cultish Kabbalah thing, which I'm sure doesn't condone the use of performance-enhancing drugs during a 3-year period beginning in 2001. Sorry, low blow.

Most Overpaid: David Beckham-Posh Spice. In almost 3 years with the LA Galaxy, the supposed savior of American soccer has "produced" 5 goals and 12 assists. I know all the die-hard soccer fans would say, "Well he's never been a huge goal scorer...he's just really good at setting up his teammates." OK, well then I would expect his assist totals to be higher or his +/- to be higher (if they even keep that statistic in soccer) or the Galaxy's win totals to be higher. At least give me something. Especially given that he makes $6.5 million a year, which is about 50 times more than the average MLS player makes. Seriously, it is. And what about Posh? In my opinion, any amount of money given to the Spice Girls for what they did was overpayment.

Most Disruptive: Tony Romo-Jessica Simpson. As a Redskins fan, this one also happens to be my personal favorite, as it contributed to the implosion of the Dallas Cowboys two seasons ago, and led to the extreme hilarity of this T.O. press conference. And as detailed in one of my previous posts, Jessica Simpson's career has gone downhill as well since she decided to try out a career in country music.

Where Are They Now: Anna Kournikova-Enrique Iglesias. I'll be the first to admit I'm not a regular reader of Us Weekly or any of the gossip magazines, but it seems to me that these two have dropped off the radar. Kournikova is apparently retired (after a stellar career that included a win-loss record of 186-124, with no major victories), which means that there is absolutely no reason to ever watch women's tennis anymore. And I tried to remember the last time I'd heard anything from Iglesias, and this hilarious Jimmy Fallon introduction to the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards was the first thing that came to me.

Well, there you have it. This will likely be something of a recurring story on this blog, so stay tuned...

Hurricane Heartbeat

2009-04-22T14:18:00.008-04:00

The average active heart rate for a fit, 30-year-old male is around 150 beats per minute. That works out to a heartbeat every 0.4 seconds.

Last night, the Carolina Hurricanes scored the game-winning goal on the New Jersey Devils with half that amount of time left on the scoreboard...0.2 seconds. If you haven't seen it yet, it is absolutely amazing and worth a look. The goal kept the 'Canes playoff hopes alive by knotting the series at 2-2, and made history by being the latest game-winning goal in Stanley Cup Playoff history.

That goal gives new meaning to this Versus NHL Playoffs commercial slogan "Don't miss a single second."

Speaking of heartbeats, this Don Johnson video is anything but average:

Here's hoping the Capitals keep their playoff heartbeats alive tonight.

House and Rondo

2009-04-21T08:27:00.014-04:00

Or, as Will Smith used to say, "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper." Except that Eddie House isn't even the DJ...he's like the backup rapper. More on him in a second.

First, though, let's talk Rajon Rondo. As Ice Cube would say, Rondo "messed" around and got a triple double last night in Game 2 of the Bulls-Celtics series. But Rondo didn't do it (as Ice Cube claims to have done it) in a pick-up game in South Central L.A. (and who keeps statistics in pick-up games anyway?). He did it when his 2nd seeded Celtics had their backs against the wall and were staring down an 0-2 series deficit. I'm well aware of the Ben Gordon-Ray Allen duel: Gordon was monstrous with 42 and Allen had a huge second half and a clutch 3 with just over 2 seconds left. But I think they overshadowed one of the gutsiest performances I've ever seen. Rondo stuffed the stat sheet (to the tune of 19 points, 16 assists, and 12 rebounds) with a bum ankle. Believe me, I'm no fan of Boston, but that was a great showing.

Now for Eddie House. I don't understand Boston's fascination with this guy. And I just don't understand how he's in the league. To me, he is the sports equivalent of the backup rapper. You know, the guy that comes on stage with the rap star and continuously says "yeah, uh, come on, get ya hands up" and whatever else. If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch this live Eminem performance. I mean, what do the guys in the background add to that performance? Everyone in the crowd is probably like, "Who are those guys? We were expecting Eminem!"

That's what I think of when I see Eddie House. Everyone goes to the Garden wanting to see great athletes and they see this guy. I think of the backup rapper when I see him on the court throwing up off-balance 3's with no follow through, but I think it even more when I see him on the sidelines. Giving "advice" to the coaching staff, wearing his black cut off sleeved t-shirt (when the rest of the bench is in their green warmup jerseys), shouting, pointing, holding back his celebratory teammates, thinking he's in control, and generally just acting like a backup rapper. He doesn't belong there, has very little talent, thinks he's a lot more important than he really is, and if it weren't for this role he'd either be in jail or working at McDonald's.

But hey, he's in the NBA. And I'm not. So I guess I'll be his backup rapper. "Yeah, uh, come on, get ya hands up."

Philadelphia Freedom And Look-a-likes

2009-04-20T11:44:00.001-04:00

The 76ers shocked the Magic last night, overcoming an 18-point 3rd quarter deficit. I wonder what Elton John would have to say about that (and how did that song make it onto Soul Train?)...

Oddly enough, Elton John and Bernie Taupin did in fact write that song for a sports team...it just so happens that that sports team was not the 76ers, but the Philadelphia Freedoms tennis team, a team that touted none other than Billie Jean King. You didn't really think Elton was a basketball fan did you?

And speaking of the aforementioned Donyell Marshall-Ludacris resemblance, something else struck me as I watched the Heat-Hawks game. Can you tell the difference between these two men?

[Yes, that's a man in the middle of the second picture.]

Here's a hint...one "led" the Miami Heat to an absolute drubbing last night at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks (90-64). The other led Journey on tour last summer with Cheap Trick and Heart (which, by the way, was an amazing concert in which Heart blew everyone away).

Give up? The first is Erik Spoelstra, the youngest head coach in the NBA (38) and the league's first Filipino head coach. The second is Arnel Pineda, another Filipino and a Steve Perry soundalike who was hired by Journey to sing lead vocals in December 2007. So how did the members of Journey discover this unknown talent? How else...Youtube. Here's Arnel with his group The Zoo covering "Open Arms" before he was "discovered":

If you close your eyes while listening to that video, you can hardly tell the difference between Perry and Pineda.

I wonder how often college and pro scouts use Youtube to discover otherwise unknown talent?

Links From The 'Field

2009-04-18T08:39:00.003-04:00

A few of the best sports/music related links from the blogosphere:

Kanye West using the NBA to promote his music...from the article: "All music stars want to be NBA stars and all NBA players want to be music stars." (@ alanag)

Charles Barkley and Nirvana...you have got to love Barkley. And if you're not TiVoing The Haney Project on The Golf Channel, you should be. It's amazing. (@ soup)

Kid Rock and the Detroit Tigers. (@ awfulannouncing)

Is there anything Bruce Pearl won't do? (@ awfulannouncing)

The heaviest heavy metal band. (@ ESPN)

2 Legit 2 Quit. (@ ingamenow) The most disappointing of these has to be Isaiah. He just signed on to coach Florida International and will donate his first year's salary to the school.

Kobe Bryant on Sesame Street. (@ awfulannouncing)

At the risk of calling WWE a "sport"...there's this from John Cena and this from MTV's Wrestlemania review. (@ MTV Newsroom)

Opening day at the new Yankee Stadium. (@ baseballmusings)

The latest Gillette commercial. (@ awfulannouncing)

And the 2Pac legend lives on in Boston. (@ sportscracklepop)

Snoop Dogg as ESPN commentator. (@ soup)

The Music Equivalent of Greg Paulus

2009-04-17T14:35:00.001-04:00

This Greg Paulus as Michigan quarterback thing is just plain bizarre to me. In case you haven't heard about this yet, you can read the story here. The bottom line is that Paulus, basically a four-year starter on the Duke basketball team, was a high school All-American football player, still has one year of athletic eligibility left (in a sport other than basketball), and does not have to sit out a year as long as he enrolls as a graduate student at whatever school he decides to play football at. He has said that Michigan has offered to be that school.

Dont' get me wrong. Though I'm no Paulus lover, I can't fault him for wanting to continue his collegiate athletic career, and potentially setting himself up for a career in the NFL. If I had the chance to do that, I'd jump at it.

I just find the prospect of it extremely puzzling and far-fetched.

First off, there's Duke's head football coach, David Cutcliffe, saying there was "no way" he could compete for Duke's starting quarterback position after such a long layoff. So how is he not even in the mix at Duke, but is going to start at Michigan?

Second, he hasn't played for four years! And this isn't a minor transition like, say, moving from point guard to shooting guard. This is moving from playing against "guys who are trying to stop you" to "guys who are trying to kill you." Big step.

Third, he doesn't strike me as a great athlete. And I don't want to hear about how hard he plays or how well he moves or how deceptively quick he is. Or that this type of thing has happened before because I don't think it has, at least not on this scale. Woody Paige made a comment on Around the Horn the other day about how Chris Weinke played minor league baseball for six years before winning the Heisman Trophy at Florida State. Two huge differences: 1) No one had ever heard of Weinke before Florida State, and 2) Weinke had 3 years of experience before he won the Heisman. His freshman year, he played in 2 games and went 7-13 for 82 yards and 2 TDs.

And Paulus is no Pat White. If that's what RichRod is thinking, he should submit his resignation now. Pat White was 10 pounds heavier (and didn't he always look so small on the field?), lightning fast, and had a good arm that got better every year.

But for the sake of argument, let's assume Paulus will be as good as Pat White was as a freshman. That year, 2005, White was 65 for 114 (57%) for 828 yards, 8 TDs, and 5 INTs. He also ran for 952 yards and 7 TDs. And the team went 11-1 and beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. I'd be willing to give Paulus the passing stats (which are not bad, but certainly aren't amazing), but there's no way he matches White's ground gains. And let's not forget that (aside from the supremely athletic White) West Virginia had a few other playmakers too, like Steve Slaton and Darius Reynaud...playmakers that I don't think Michigan has.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Paulus will be just as good as White. I just don't see it.

Anyway, it got me thinking...what is the music equivalent of a move like this? A situation where an established artist makes a huge switch to another genre. Here are a few I came up with:

Everlast - original front man for the group House of Pain. Smash hit in 1992 with "Jump Around," now immortalized by the University of Wisconsin student section during home football games:

House of Pain disbanded in 1996, and Everlast went solo. Released the hit "What It's Like" and follow-up top 10 song "Ends." Got into a lyrical feud with Eminem (not smart) and has not had any recent success. Advantage: House of Pain.

Jessica Simpson - came to prominence with the bubblegum pop style of the late 90s, along with (although not as popular as) Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Had a number of hits on the Billboard Hot 100 ("I Wanna Love You Forever," "I Think I'm In Love With You," "Irresistible," "With You"), married Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees, and starred in the movie remake of The Dukes of Hazzard, which inspired one of the greatest videos of all time. In 2008, she attempted a move to country music, had a hit with "Come On Over" (but hasn't had one since), was openly booed at the Country Music Festival in Wisconsin, and contributed to the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl hopes after becoming romantically involved with Tony Romo:

Advantage: This is a tough one. That Dukes of Hazzard video is so strong...but as a Redskins fan, I have to go with her post-pop career. Advantage country music Jessica.

Vanilla Ice - born Robert Matthew Van Winkle, Vanilla hit it huge with "Ice Ice Baby" (even if he did steal the beat from Queen's "Under Pressure"), briefly dated Madonna, and starred in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II. Then it all went south. Vanilla attempted suicide, became grunge/punk, made a rap-metal album, and had this infamous appearance on MTV:

[By the way, how about that MTV cast: Chris Kattan, Jon Stewart, Janeane Garofalo, and Denis Leary...wow.] Anyway, advantage definitely goes to Vanilla over "Rob."

And lastly, there's Mark Wahlberg. He goes from not acting here [and methinks the backup singer is lip-syncing]:

to acting here:

Definite advantage to acting Mark.

So I guess it can work out after all...good luck, Greg.

Unleash The Fury

2009-04-16T14:05:00.007-04:00

The NHL playoffs got off to a disappointing (for me) start last night, as the 2nd seeded Caps lost to the 7th seeded Rangers in Game 1.

Oh well, at least there's this, sent to me by my best friend and Caps fanatic...hopefully Saturday will be better.

Here's a little background on this video.

And what is it about "Welcome to the Jungle" that always gets sports fans on their feet?

Adios And Gracias, Golden Boy

2009-04-15T08:44:00.010-04:00

News broke yesterday that Oscar De La Hoya was announcing his retirement from boxing after a stellar professional career of nearly 17 years. This prompted me to look into some of his best (and worst) ring entrance music.

The worst was probably "We Will Rock You," used against Fernando Vargas in 2002. Though it was a great fight and a huge win for DLH, the song is a little too overplayed and a little too cheesy.

The most controversial was DLH's use of a mariachi band in his fight against Pernell Whitaker in 1997, though most of the controversy stemmed from comments made by HBO's Larry Merchant rather than Whitaker himself.

The song DLH used to enter one of the biggest fights of his career (against Floyd "Money" Mayweather in 2007) was "Sangre Caliente":

But maybe the best entrance song was one used by DLH's opponent. When Bernard Hopkins entered the ring for their fight in 2004, he used Frank Sinatra's "My Way." Original, poignant, meaningful, and unexpected.

De La Hoya was good for the sport. He was pretty, popular, and marketable. And he was a promotional mastermind. I was a fan. Boxing will miss him.

Perhaps his retirement will give him time to revisit his music career...

Cy Young vs. Wang Chung

2009-04-13T13:17:00.008-04:00

In case you didn't know, Timothy LeRoy Lincecum, starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, won the National League Cy Young Award last season at the tender age of 24. These days, success like that means that you're guaranteed a spot on the cover of a video game. For Lincecum, that meant Major League Baseball 2K9. The following is Lincecum's debut commercial for the game:

My favorite part of this commercial (as you might expect) is the scene where video game Tim is singing along with the radio until real-life Tim says, "...and we don't listen to that."

In case you missed it, the song real-life Tim turns off is Wang Chung's Dance Hall Days, an 80s classic (although not as popular as their hits Everybody Have Fun Tonight and Let's Go). Seeing as how Lincecum was born in '84, it's understandable that he doesn't love 80s music, even a song that was released during his birth year.

Perhaps Wang Chung is having the last laugh, though. After his first two starts of 2009, Lincecum is 0-1 with a 7.56 ERA.

Or maybe this is the start of a Madden-like jinx.

Either way, the commercial is a good one.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!

2009-04-10T13:00:00.010-04:00

Allow my blog to introduce...my blog.

Certainly Michael Buffer's prelude to any boxing/wrestling/main event is one of the most recognizable introductions in the world. (And by the way, I'd love to get paid millions of dollars to say 5 words). But what are some others?

Maybe Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll Part II (even without music as Terps fans do it), The Rolling Stones' Start Me Up (as evidenced by its making it onto EA Sports NCAA Football), and even The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again (a Redskins tribute to the return of Joe Gibbs...you know, "meet the new boss, same as the old boss").

But the only one that rivals Buffer, in my opinion, is The Alan Parsons Project. What you say? Is this guy serious? Weren't they the 80s synthesizer group? Yes. But they also produced the song "Sirius" for which the sports world owes them a huge debt of gratitude.

Unless you're a Cavaliers, Knicks, Blazers, Suns, Jazz, or Lakers fan, or just happen to be a Jordan hater, the following scene has to give you the chills:

But when you watch that video, what you also notice is that the song the Bulls used to introduce the greatest player to ever play the game was The Alan Parsons Project's "Sirius," a sort of musical prelude that led into their hit "Eye in the Sky." Hard to believe that these guys got Jordan ready to play.

I wonder if Jordan knew about this?

Welcome to Joe Cool and The Outfield...the intersection of sports and music.