April 2007 Archives
Did you stay up to watch Dallas and Golden State on Sunday night on the TNT? Or were you watching The Tao of Steve on IFC? Or, like me, were you doing the "Last" channel button on your remote between the two and asking basically the same question:
" These are our leading men?"
I don't buy a 5'11", 215-pound, red-headed, bearded Donal Logue (which, apparently, is something between a monologue and dialogue) as a ladies' man...and I didn't think I'd buy a 6'3", 215-pound, reconstructed knee, bearded Baron Davis as the best player in a series that also involves the Dallas Mavericks. But it seems that Mr. Davis is poised to have his Smashmouth "Hey, now, you're an All-Star/get your game on, go play" moment this spring.
The eighth year guard out of UCLA has simply been the best player on the best team in the first round of the playoffs. It's not that Golden State, which finished the season just 42-40, has gone up 3-1 on Dallas (67-15) in this first-round series. It's that, watching these games, it's no fluke. The Warriors are all limbs and motion on defense, more aggressive than a frat boy at 1 a.m. on a weekend night, and they own the paint both on offense and defense, which is odd considering that the Mavs can put two seven-footers on the floor simultaneously.
And then there's the sweet shooting, symbolized by Davis' half-court buzzer-beating bank shot just before halftime this evening that tied the score.
This blog doesn't hide from its mistakes. It embraces them. Caresses them. Wines them and dines them. Which brings us to our mock draft.
Ahem.
Here's the players I NAILED
1. Jamarcus Russell, Raiders. Yep, I was the only one.
13. Adam Carriker, Rams. Hey, two for 13!
23. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs. Heating up!
I also got Reggie Nelson to Jacksonville, but not at No. 17. The Jags dealt down to get him. I'll take 80 percent credit.
How many first rounder did this blog get?
26 of 32.
Who did I have as first rounders that dropped out?
Paul Posluszny, Alan Branch, Chris Houston, Tony Ugoh, Dwayne Jarrett and David Harris.
How, for instance, did ESPN's Mel Kiper do?
Well, he nailed 10 guys to the right teams. How many guys did he ticket as first rounders that didn't go in the first?
Four.
But I can beat Mel in the 40. And the 3-cone. And I'm a natural knee-bender.
Circle it on your calendar (unless you keep your calendar on a Palm Pilot or Crackberry, then you really can't):
Sept. 23: Cleveland at Oakland, 4 p.m.
I'll watch.
Brady Quinn's long national nightmare is over. His father, Ty, was crying downstairs after the press conference. Brother-in-law A.J. Hawk was also there.
Brady's mother told me that Brady and his boxing trainer, Doug Owens, were working out every day before he had to fulfill his draft week commitments. One day they got kicked out of the gym and had to spar in his bedroom. Funny.
I thought Zibby was the only boxer on the team. Apparently not.
That's it. I'm off the clock. Enjoy your Saturday night.
Brady Quinn strode onto stage looking more than a little perturbed--as if Rhema McKnight had just run the wrong route-- but when he actually walked onstage he let out a huge breath and pointed a finger skyward. Then he unfurled the brown No. 1 Browns jersey and broke out into a slight smile.
Suit: You saw it. They've been showing it all afternoon.
Posse Count: Eight.
To get Quinn the Browns had to give up their second round pick as well as their first round pick in 2008.
When Quinn was selected, there was an eruption of applause inside the theater, the loudest of the afternoon. It was almost everyone was relieved that we wouldn't have to be mired in that suspense any longer. I was waiting for a camera shot of the green room that just showed a pair of legs dangling in the air.
So Brady Quinn will once again be playing football not far off Interstate 80, just a couple hundred miles east of where he did the past four years. He landed where he wanted to be, not just when he wanted to be.
But he should look on the bright side: He enters camp, and his professional career, knowing that he'll have the best offensive tackle in the draft protecting him. It could be that rare case of a rookie offensive tackle earning more than his rookie quarterback teammate, even though both are starters.
Deejay dude's playing Sinatra's "New York, New York", which means either that the Yankee game just ended (they lost again ?!?) or the Giants are on the clock.
I was thinking about Brady on the brain. BQQB is a little like the gridiron Britney, and I'm as guilty as anyone for helping that situation manifest itself. Basically, I've been spending most of the day talking about a quarterback who hasn't even been selected yet. That's part of the curse of Quinn. He just attracts attention, and perhaps that makes some teams shy away from him.
Quarterback's also a position in which you either need a player or you don't. You don't pick a QB in the first round unless you intend him to start, and soon, and the teams who fit that profile (Oakland, Cleveland, Minnesota, Miami) decided to go another way. Three went the safer route.
I do know that BQQB is going home tonight a lot less wealthy than he thought he'd be. And that his dropping so far in the draft will indirectly affect Notre Dame's recruiting in the coming months. Hey, if you're King Stud QB couldn't go in the top 20 picks, how good, really, is your overall talent?
I've just got one word for everyone who says that they are not surprised that Quinn has yet to be selected: Where were you yesterday? Did anyone see a mock draft--even one--in which Quinn was not a top ten pick? And now suddenly no one's shocked? Interesting.
Don't put too much credence in draft day expertise. I remember a year ago when dolts such as you and I were verklempt at how Houston could fail to select either Reggie Bush or Vince Young, but all the experts assured us that real NFL minds understand the importance of a great defensive end. Hey, so do we. But is Mario Williams a GREAT defensive end? No.
So I'm not too concerned when the draftniks say that Quinn isn't a high first-rounder. I saw what he did in actual games (someone wanna pop in the tape of the fourth quarter at Michigan State) under far more pressure than anyone except Russell could appreciate at the college level. And he seemed to do okay.
Two great contributions from Billy. First,
Dolphins War room:
Guy 1: "Why isn't his girlfriend hotter?"
Guy 2: "Man, I was just thinking the exact same thing!"
Guy 1: "Lack of confidence?"
Guy 2: "Has to be. I mean Shark probably has a hotter chick than that and he looks like Howard Stern"
Guy 1: "That's all we need is to match Culpepper's fragile psyche with this guy's lack of confidence"
Second, Billy notes that three of the top ten picks admitted to smoking weed and two others suffered serious injuries last season during endzone celebrations (we all know AD's dive wasn't necessary). So, yeah, act like Iggy Pop and don't sweat it. You're still gonna be rich.
The deejay is today's MVP. The Titans are on the clock and he's playing "All My Exes Live In Texas". Inspired!
The J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! just traded up to get the 14th pick from Carolina....severely pissing off the DJ, who had to swipe out James Taylor's "Carolina On My Mind" and quickly replace it with Ace Frehley's "Back in the New York Groove" (great tune; bold choice!).
The feeling here is that the JETS! JETS! JETS! are either going after their own version of Giant tight end Jeremy Shockey, fellow Miami Hurricane Greg Olsen , or they're going to shake the earth by choosing Brady Quinn whom they now, at No. 14, consider a bargain.
Ryan Adams' "New York" is now playing. Big kudos to the DJ for not relying on the old stand-bys, such as Sinatra. I do hope he has time to play Simon & Garfunkel's "Only Living Boy In New York".
JetsJetsJets waited until the finla minute before choosing. This is GREAT suspense as we wait for the dreaded podium to be approached.
That's the tune currently playing....so you know who's on the clock. As if they were going to play Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance". A great and too-soon-forgotten tune by the way, but then again 1989 was an extremely crappy year in music.
Meanwhile, Roger Goodell just "approached the podium" (which is my newest euphemism, by the way) to announce, "Um, that Miami pick? I read that wrong. It was 'Quinn', not 'Ginn'. My bad. No hard feelings, capisce?"
My friend Billy says that Lindy Slinger is seriously "over-duded". I must concur. But what's Brady supposed to do? Date his sister? She's married.
Someone up there likes me....they just put "Buffalo Stance" on the old sound system. Worth the price of the free admission.
Hey, Bruce Smith is announcing Buffalo's selection (seriously)...and they've selected Marshawn Lynch of Cal.
I'm looking at Lynch's head shot (that's head shot, not "head shop") and I am at least 49% positive that Lynch has never smoked pot. At least 49%. God, I'm trying to imagine when it came out that Calvin Johnson had "experimented" with marijuana and Lynch hadn't if Calvin just wanted to scream, "Look at that dude! He's got "Up In Smoke" and "Nice Dreams" on DVD. C'mon!"
St. Louis is "on the clock" (2nd-favorite new euphemism). They're playing some kind of tune out of a Betty Grable movie...and I don't even know who Betty Grable is....I think she was Barney's wife.
Peter Tom Willis!
Wow. The old Florida State quarterback? Hey, gutsy pick, Niners. I'm down with it.
What?
Hunh?
Never mind.
I love Patrick "Whachutalkinbout" Willis . As the kids say, "He has a high motor." Definitely the best player on the Mississippi football club last year. I predict: he'll be a better pro, at linebacker, than former Reb Eli Manning is at QB.
The Houston Texans (or the Texas Houstons) just selected 14 year-old Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye , or as he's destined to be known by me, Non-Christian Okoye .
Neither he nor Ted Ginn, Jr., ever came out on stage, leading me to wonder just how many people Joe Thomas's boat could hold...wait, this just in....Joe Thomas's boat has capsized in rough seas on Lake Winnebago....this just in...the Cleveland Browns announce they were just kidding, that they wanted BQQB all along.
By popular demand, here is a photo (aged) of Laura Quinn-Medicine-Woman-Hawk:
http://www.nbcsports.com/2006/0822/29991_225X300.jpg
Trust me, people. It doesn't do her justice. Just like this blog.
The Houston Texans, by the way, have spent their last two first-round picks on defensive linemen. They'd better be special, cuz defensive linemen who do not put quarterbacks on their fannies (Mario Williams had just 4 1/2 sacks last season) do not put fannies in seats.
San Francisco is on the clock and the tune they're playing is the 60s classic "If You're Going to San Francisco" (sorry, Chris Isaak and sorry, Village People).
From my editor, Barry: "Brady Quinn just signed with the Toronto Argonauts."
Brady Quinn could go to Buffalo, Carolina or Jacksonville at this point. Expect the Chiefs to try and get in position to make a move for Quinn as well, coming up from No. 23. Or Baltimore.
The Miami Dolphins just selected Ted Ginn, Jr. , a dude who was knocked out of the BCS title game by an end-zone celebration. Then again, he did return the opening kickoff for a TD, which is what they "paid" him to do at Ohio State.
The story of this afternoon is "As Brady Slides"....
Before the last pick ESPN showed a graphic of the comely blonde woman seated next to Brady that read "Lindy Slinger, Brady Quinn's girlfriend". If BQQB doesn't get selected in the next hour, it's going to say "Brady Quinn's Ex-Girlfriend".
In related news, "Guest List" Markazi informs me that highly prized USC Song Girl Natalie Nelson , a friend of this site, recently got engaged to Trojan offensive lineman Ryan Kalil . Natalie used to date 'SC linebacker Dallas Sartz , who's prettier, but he doesn't have Kalil's potential first-round talent.
Guest List and I are thrilled that they're serving foot-long hot dogs in the media dining room downstairs. I've asked him how much he'll pay me if I eat my height in wieners this afternoon. "Some amount less than Mitch Cozad's signing bonus," he replies.
Ahhh, Cozad. Who knew he'd be good for so many yuks?
A Dolphins official told me the other day that if Brady Quinn is sitting there at No. 9, it will be very hard to pass on him. He's there. But so are Alan Branch, Amobi Okoye, Leon Hall and Darrelle Revis.
HMMMMMMMMMMM
Is it possible that the Falcons' pick, and BQQB's fate, may come down to Ron Mexico's penchant for pitting pit bulls against one another?
A story surfaced earlier this week that Mexico, better-known as Michael Vick, may be staging dogfights. To the death. Between Michael and Marcus, I don't know why Vicks-burg hasn't been turned into a hit reality TV show.
Anyway, if this allegations are true, the consequences for Vick could be severe in an NFL that is looking for a few Goodell men. That could leave Hotlanta short-handed at QB.
Here it is: Jamaal Anderson , defensive end, Arkansas. He's 6-6, 279 (not 280, mind you, 279).
The first chorus of "Brady Sucks!" just erupted from the rafters.
This is beginning to become a story. Are teams curious about how big BQQB has become? Or are they just not impressed with his big-game win percentage? Or is it just a matter of need at the position?
I'm concerned because I promised myself I'd take a potty break as soon as BQQB was chosen. That was back when the Browns were picking. My bladder is aching almost as much as BQQB's psyche.
....a Notre Dame quarterback, but surprise:
It's JOE FREAKING THEISMANN!
What a bummer for Joe. He spends all those years attending NFL drafts and finally, finally, his Irish have a quarterback who's first-round material (the first since Rick Mirer) and Theismann's nowhere to be found.
You wanna know the bizarre stat: There are two Notre Dame quarterbacks currently playing in the NFL, but both are playing wide receiver: Carlyle Holliday and Jarious Jackson.
On TV Sal Paolantonio said a few minutes ago that the Bucs have Phil Simms on the roster. That's gonna be big news to Greg Gumbel.
Vikes pick.... ADRIAN PETERSON!!!!!!!
Wow. Wow. Wow.
I love AD...don't get me wrong. I saw AD in person as a true frosh against Oregon in 2004 and I was blowed away. Completely blowed away. if he's healthy, this is a fantastic pick.
AD in the TC! What's not to love?
Do you get the feeling, like me, that somewhere in South Bend right now there is a not insignifcantly sized human being who is anxiously shoveling pretzels down his gob.
AD's Suit: Classy. Gray with hints of powder blue and a blue tie. Dude has a sharp build.
Posse Count: Big, big posse. Ox-Bow Incident-sized posse. Nine.
Now I've go to go and comfort Laura Quinn-Medicine-Woman-Hawk.
are nowinextricably linked as the Vikings pass on Brady Quinn and leave Tavaris Jackson as the Minnesota quarterback for the future. Adrian Peterson is the man on the way to Minnesota
With all the great musicians that have come from this state (Dylan, Prince, The Replacements, even The Hold Steady), I wonder what music they'll play.
My buddy Billy, a Minneapolis native, warns that if the Vikes don't take Quinn or Adrian Peterson he may kick in his TV set. If they choose Jamaal Anderson, he says ominously, "they're dead to me."
I think it's going to be Quinn. He's in the green room now in a pinstriped three-piece suit, trying not to look as pissed off as Matt Leinart was last year.
that NFL Network's Mike Mayock can yell for two days straight. But he has a tremendous motor. The Redskins are about to make their move, Adam Schefter of NFL Network has them taking LaRon Landry....that puts Adrian Peterson and Brady Quinn as likelies for the Vikes.
The Cardinals look like they're going to go away from the BPA (best player available) and draft for need and take Levi Brown. Brown is underrated so it's not as bad as it sounds but it'd be interesting to know if he's the highest rated player left on the board.
Gaines Adams is off the board and Adrian Peterson is sitting there for the Arizona Cardinals to select and usher the calcifying Edgerrin James into that good night.
Will it be Peterson or Alan Branch, Amobi Okoye or Levi Brown?
That is the song that's playing as we wait for Tampa Bay to pick. "We'd like to dedicate this next tune to Brady Quinn."
Now they're playing some country song that I do not recognize, because the only country song I do recognize is "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" by David Allen Coe. And it ain't that song. Maybe it has something to do with Tampa. Hell, I don't know. This ain't CMT.com, know what I'm sayin'?
Hey, I just went on CMT.com. Did you know that there's a show on that network entitled Trick My Truck ? I love it.
Tampa Bay just used the fourth pick to select Gaines Adams , a defensive end from Clemson. "Gaines stops him for no gains."
As Adrian Peterson seethes and slides.
This is a safe pick. A good pick. Not a sexy pick.
Suit: Navy blue pants and slacks, blue shirt/white collar, pink striped tie.
Posse Count: Nine! We have a new leader. And the smallest posse member looks to e about two years old and is napping in his mother's arms.
So, Arizona picks next and the two linemen they wanted are gone. Do they take Okoye, the DT from Louisville? Levi Brown, whom many have as the next-best OL in the draft? Or Quinn, just to have Leinart and Quinn on the same sideline. Don't put anything past the Buzzsaw that is the Arizona Cardinals. You don't complete six decades of utter incompetence without a few moves like that.
Rex Grossman is being interviewed onstage right now. HEe's wearing a suit, but he's got tow days of growth on his face and he looks completely, COMPLETELY hung over. You know that look. I know that look. Rex looks Recked. And he hasn't tied his tie yet.
Another bad sign? He's shorter than the dude who's interviewing him.
By the way, the dude just asked him if he'd rather play for Lovie Smith or Urban Meyer. Rex shot him a, What kind of tool are you, anyway? look, and reminded him of something we all knew: Urban Meyer wasn't in Gainesville when Rex was there.
AZ picks bad, bad Levi Brown, who is not here. He's in San Francisco inking an endorsement deal with Levi Strauss for their new "Levi's Brown Denim" collection. It'll be a hit with the kids.
Washington Redskins take LSU safety LaRon Landry with the sixth overall pick, the NFL's most acclaimed Landry since Tom. LaRon started four years at LSU, and he's big and fast. Great selection. Landry and Sean Taylor in the same DB unit? That's a great set of safeties.
Markazi and I are trying to anticipate which song each city will get before their pick. I guessed "Cleveland Rocks" for the Browns....not much of a stretch....and hit that one. The two of us have no clue what they'll choose for Tampa Bay. Help. Anyone?
On the big screen right now they're showing footage of Bernie Kosar and Tim Couch, in case you're wondering whom the Browns are about to take....
The big suspense on this selection is whether Laura Quinn-Medicine-Woman-Hawk will come out onstage as part of the posse. And will she get the first interview?
Brady's babe is with him, by the way. She seems nice.
Hey, Brady's not on the cellphone. It may be Joe Thomas.
It is! It is!
Wow. Lots of boos from the crowd. Huge "Cleveland Sucks!" cheer erupts from the crowd as somewhere on a lake in Wisconsin, a boat is creating a huge wake. Poor Brady. He so wanted to play for his favorite team growing up. Plus he'll probably drop at least four spots now, which is going to cost him now.
And the Arizona Cardinals, picking 5th, are not very happy about this, either.
Joe Thomas's suit: T-shirt, floppy hat, cargo shorts, Crocs.
Posse: Two dudes with worms in their hands as we speak.
I do wish they had a camera on Brady in the green room this minute. He cannot be pleased. This is like losing to USC a fifth time.
JaMarcus Russell goes No. 1 to the Raiders; Calvin Johnson goes to the Lions. So the player with the most potential is gone and the player with the most production AND potential follows on his heels.
We had the Russell pick. We had Jungle Joe Thomas going to the Lions, however. So now what?
We have the Brownies on the clock and it's got to be between Brady Quinn, Adrian Peterson and Thomas. And maybe a little Gaines Adams coming up on the outside.
This blog likes the draft.
...but maintaining the organization's stand of all-clandestine, all-the-time, they've decided not to tell anybody.
Nice.
That will make this draft much more interesting.
No: JaMarcus Russell.
He's wearing a black suit, black shirt and black tie. Very slimming. (At the end of the round we'll pay tribute to the top three suits....my guess is that Brady Quinn's won't be one of them...nor will Joe Thomas's).
JaMarcus arrived onstage with a seven-person posse. We'll keep track of this for you. Largest posse.
I just spotted Marcus Vick in the green room watching Must Love Dogs on HBO. Crazy, crazy stuff.
JaMarcus's acceptance speech: "I'd like to thank my parents, God, and the Notre Dame defense for making this possible."
Before the Detroit Lion pick, they're actually (no lie) playing "Detroit Rock City". They did a "Sweet Home, California" song before Oakland picked.
If the Lions pick a wide receiver, I fully expect to see a red flag tossed onstage and an official go under a hood.
"Listen, Matt, you've still got a few minutes to change your mind. Are you sure about that?"
Get out your red flag, people: The Lions selected Calvin Johnson . Honestly, I love the pick. He's the best player in the draft. How are you going to do better than him? You trade away another receiver if you need more help.
Calvin's suit: charcoal, pinstriped. White shirt. Pocket-pen protector (Tech student, you know).
Posse Count: Six. So JaMarcus remains ins first place.
Do they go wide receiver and draft Calvin Johnson and stay away from the quarterback position?
That would leave them with Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walter to throw to Calvin Johnson. That ain't quite hell but it's not heaven either.
FOXBORO - The Raiders are still smoking butts and telling stories about the glory days while the time tick, tick, ticks....meanwhile, the Raiders are chatting up the chance to move Randy Moss.
Every preface to Moss going to either New England or Green Bay comes with a ..."don't be surprised..." which is the red flag that there is no fresh information and the speaker - in this case NFL Network's Adam Schefter - doesn't have fresh info. It's cover your ass time.
This blog's got nothing on Moss coming to New England. Put the likelihood under 10 percent. To Green Bay? Better than that.
12:10 p.m. Roger Goodell just announced that the draft is now open. So, I was wondering if they begin with the national anthem....after all, we do have an organist on call. But no. We just begin with a chant of Raiders Suck!"
By the way, I'm downstairs in the media food area about half an hour earlier and there's this absolutely, shall we say, attractive woman there. She's got light brown hair, almost blonde, and I do not recognize her. Who is that, I wonder?
Then my good friend, SI's Arash "I'm on the Guest List" Markazi , gives me a look. "That's Brady Quinn's sister." I look again. What do you know? It is. She's dyed her hair and lost the half-and-half Fiesta Bowl jersey. She's all cleans'd up. If I'm Suzy Kolber, I'm worried.
Hear me now and listen to me later: Laura Quinn-Medicine-Woman-Hawk will be a TV star and soon. Very soon. She's not gorgeous, she's Phyllis Georgeous!
FOXBORO - This blog is in the house at Gillette Stadium tracking the New England Patriots the team with two first-round picks that's already compiled the best offseason - on paper - poised to make it even better.
The Raiders are on the clock. Let's see if they embrace mediocrity and JaMarcus Russell or go with the guy that produced, Brady Quinn...
You think I'm kidding?
http://www.filmforum.org/films/lloyd/safetylast.jpg
11:54 a.m. Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer is onstage along with former Hokie players Bruce Smith, DeAngele Hll and Ron Mexico (Marcus Vick). It was a very classy gesture by the NFL to have Beamer speak and to take a moment to honor the 32 victims.
And I doubt Vick is going to be available to speak with the media about hsi canine contretemps. Here's all I have to say about that if he IS in fact guilty: What an A-hole.
It's my first NFL Draft in person. I don't think the organist will play music to accompany a team's pick, but it would be cool if when the Raiders had the pick, the organist played "Crazy" again. Listen, everything you've read about the Silver & Black? It's all true. That's a franchise in lockdown. There's nothing like it in professional sports, in terms of how they deal with the media and everyone else in general.
It's funny when you consider that one of the most personable dudes in NFL history, and one of its most successful broadcasters, is John Madden, their former coach.
First Overall Pick, my odds:
JaMarcus Russell: 2 to 1
Brady Quinn (whom Al Davis may just think is Daryl Lamonica all over again...he was a big Notre Dame tosser who was the Raider QB in their AFL days): 3 to 1
Calvin Johnson: 3 to 1
Ned, the crutch-wielding Florida International player from last fall's Miami-FIU brawl: 9 to 1
Mitch Cozad (Northern Colorado punter): 110,000 to 1
William H. Macy (I don't know; why not?): 3 million to 1
It's daytime, I'm inside Radio City Music Hall and there are no camels or Santas much stage. Much less Rockettes. Why no Rockettes?
Is it just me or do I feel an NFL-FREAKIN' DRAFT in here?
Yes, that's what it must be. You know how I know? Because the organist is playing NFL Films theme music. I kid you not. But he's also mixing it in with Gnarls Barkley and Outkast. Hey Now! (Honestly, who knew that Hank Kingsley's go-to phrase would become the greatest tune of 2005?). What's next? "Is 'e 'avin' a laugh?"
I'm about to hit the hay, but I just noticed that David Letterman's guests this evening were Andy Dick and Jarvis Cocker . Where was Yankee pitcher Chien-Ming Wang ?
The David Halberstam post. It was inevitable.
I'm no authority on the author. I've read three of his books:
1. "Summer of '49"
2. "The Amateurs"
3. "The Best and The Brightest"
Some background: In March 1985 I was a college freshman headed out to Austin, Texas, for spring break. Two months earlier I'd joined my college crew team, but we'd been confined to winter workouts indoors due to South Bend's less than touristy climes. In Austin I was finally going to sit in a shell and row.
Yankees, trailing 4-0 in the top of the 7th, are about to fall further behind. The Blue Jays, thanks to a pair of no-out walks, have runners on first and second with the heart of their order coming to bat. Can I type "six-game losing streak?" (I guess I can...that's about the limit of my talents, by the way).
The last time New York lost six in a row was two years ago this spring, and that was after they'd started the season 11-19. The nineteenth loss was a 6-3 defeat at home in ten innings against Oakland. Mariano Rivera took the loss (no, Mario (sic) Scutaro did not get the game-winning hit, though he was in the lineup).
Anyway, nervous Yankee fans should remember, New York then went on a ten-game win streak. Order was restored, or so it seemed....until the six-game losing streak. After 58 games New York's record was 28-30. The Yankees did not permanently climb above .500 until the season's 79th game in 2005.
It's not that the Yankees are supposed to win the A.L. East every year...it's just that they spend as if they think they do, and as a matter of fact, they've done so nine years in a row. But as poorly as they've played (or, pitched) this month, it's far too early to be concerned.
Unless you just checked the scoreboard and saw that Boston came back from a 2-1 deficit in the 8th thanks to a Willy Mo Pena grand slam. New York is about to fall 5 1/2 games behind in the A. L. East. On the bright side, Tampa Bay lost earlier this afternoon in Anaheim, providing New York about a three-hour reprieve from the A.L. East basement by falling to 9-13 (New York's Ratt moment....out of the cellar). But after the Yanks lose this game, they'll be back in the cellar.
They're playing "Rapper's Delight" on the P.A. system between innings right now. I just got my Rolling Stone 40th Anniversary issue this afternoon and the The Sugarhill Gang's 1979 classic is listed at one of the 40 songs that changed music.
Agreed.
But here's my question. What was the first "rap" in the rock era? I'm asking because there's another song on Rolling Stone's list, by the Rolling Stones in fact, that came out fourteen years prior. Yes, "Satisfaction". The chorus is a typical melody, but what about the verses? What about...
When I'm ridin' round the world
and I'm doin' this and I'm signing that
and I'm tryin' to make some girl
who tells me baby better come back later next week
'cause you see I'm on losing streak.
Sounds like a rap to me. What do you think?
Looking ahead, the hottest ticket in baseball this summer has to be for a June 22-24 weekend series in San Francisco. The Yankees will visit the Giants and, if Barry Bonds keeps stroking them as he has been, it could very well coincide with 756.
Bonds has seven already through 21 games, so why couldn't he hit 15 more between now and the fourth week of June? Can you imagine that? Bonds within two or three HRs of the record, A-Rod still on a homer tear, and the Zodiac case still not officially solved?
The Phil Hughes debut is over. Hughes lasts 4 1/3 innings and leaves trailing 3-0 with a pair of runners on base. Hughes pitched very well for a 20 year-old making his major league debut, striking out five (equaling the high of any Yankee hurler this season) and walking just one. He threw 90 pitches and did not allow a home run.
Meanwhile, Brian Bruney enters the game with one out, runners on the corner, and Frank Thomas staring back at him ("Thanks a lot, Joe"). Bruney just got Big Hurt to hit into a sacrifice fly. It's 4-0, Blue jays. The best Hughes can hope for is no decision.
The Mystery of the Red Sox' red socks. Speaking of hoaxes, as we were a few posts ago. Gary Thorne will wake up tomorrow thinking, I know how Imus feels.
A-Rod just smacked a rocket to deep center, but the little wind that there is this evening is blowing in and it was just a warning track fly-out. A 400-foot blast, but a fly out.
Phil Hughes failed to record a strikeout in the 4th inning, but he didn't allow a hit, either (just a walk to Lyle Overbay, who was stranded on third). Through four, then, in his Major League debut, Hughes has allowed two runs and right now his pitch count is at about 73 or 74. I'm guessing Torre will leave him in long enough to be the pitcher of record.
Giambi just sliced a weak liner past third base that, because of the shift, was a base hit. But then the "Giambino", as Regis calls him, tried to stretch it for a double. I think he's still running.
Through four it's Blue Jays 2, Yankees 0.
No, the "HUGHES!" cheers have yet to descend upon THTRB (The House That....you know), but here's something you may find interesting. Hughes recorded another strikeout in the 3rd inning (Adam Lind again), which gives him four for the game thus far. The most strikeouts any Yankee pitcher has recorded in a game this season so far is five, by Kei Igawa a week ago Wednesday.
Roger Clemens, as his agent reads that note to him, leans farther back in the Barcalounger and grins.
Hughes actually retired seven consecutive Blue Jays before Vernon Wells singled to center field with two outs. Then he retired Frank Thomas on a fly out to Johnny Damon.
Bizarro Nugget that Peter King may not even be interested in: Mike Mussina, who has more wins than any Yankee pitcher this decade/century/millennium, made his big-league debut 16 years ago...and Frank Thomas was in the opposing lineup that day, as well. In fact, Big Hurt (I wrote this the other day, but I'm sure we have tens of thousands of new readers to the blog this evening) was responsible for the game's lone run, a solo shot in Moose's 1-0 loss.
Tonight Thomas also has one RBI so far. Cool, hunh?
Hughes just threw a much more effective second inning, coming within one strike of striking out the side. One inning he's Chase Wright, the next he's Jake Peavy.
Hughes struck out the first hitter he faced, Jason Hill, on three pitches.
He struck out the second hitter he faced, Jason Phillips, on five pitches.
(We interrupt this chronicle to have the ghost of Peter King hijack this post and provide a "Bizarre Stat That Only I May Be Interested In": Phillip Hughes has struck out every Jason he's ever faced in his Major League career...and he won't have to face Giambi).
With the crowd beginning to get into it, he worked a 2-2 count on John McDonald before the Blue Jay shortstop grounded out to Robinson Cano. I believe Hughes threw 13 pitches in the second inning, half as many as he did in the first.
Just that Hughes was able to retire the side in order is cause for celebration if you're a Yankee fan. That only happened once in sixteen innings in Tampa Bay earlier this week. He has also already, in two innings, struck out as many batters (3) as any Yankee pitcher has in New York's last six ballgames (five of which were losses and the last, a miraculous win).
A-Rod singled in his first at-bat and just stole second.
For the sake of history, Phil Hughes first stepped out of the dugout tonight at 6:37 p.m. He walked out to the centerfield bullpen accompanied by two other Yankees (I assume the bullpen catcher and pitching coach Ron Guidry) and was greeted by a loud cheer.
His first major league pitch, delivered to Blue Jay leadoff hitter Alex Rios, came at 7:08 p.m. It was a ball. The next pitch was hit hard to left field for a single.
It was a rocky first inning in the bigs for the phenom hurler who wears his height (6-5) on his jersey back, if not his heart on his sleeve. Hughes allowed three base hits--to left, to the wall in dead center, and to right--, a stolen base and two runs. He also incurred his first big-league error, a wild pitch to Lyle Overbay.
He recorded one strikeout, a five-pitch at-bat against the second hitter he faced, Adam Lind.
2-0, Blue Jays, bottom of the first. Derek Jeter is not starting tonight. He was a late scratch due to the thigh contusion. Miguel Cairo is starting in his place and Doug Mientkiewicz is batting second.
Greetings from Yankee Stadium... I seem to have stowed away on the Pinstripe Express and, as was the case with the Iona men's basketball team three months ago, am not allowed to leave until they win.
Came across two stories today. One appeared in The Los Angeles Times and the other in GQ . You tell me which story is less plausible:
1) L.A. Times: Sportswriter Mike Penner , in a first-person piece, announces that he is taking a few weeks' vacation and that upon his return he will be Christine Daniels . (Which, when you think about it, is an unbeatable strategy for a white male if layoffs are imminent).
2. GQ: Jason Gay profiles Jonathan "Jake" Nettles Floyd , the 13 year-old general manager of the independent minor league Ash Fork Miners.
Transsexual sportswriter? Pubescent baseball GM? Which one sounds more ludicrous? Cross-dressing sportswriter, sure. But transsexual?
Both pieces are very funny. Penner, who has worked at the Times for 23 years and is married to a fellow female staffer (who will soon be both a fellow staffer as well as a fellow female), relates how he broke the news to one colleague by announcing that he's just like the star of TransAmerica. The colleague seemed concerned, then confused as Penner related the details. Finally, the colleague said, "I thought you said 'Trainspotting'. I thought you were a heroin addict."
Here's the piece in its entirety:
The GQ piece is absolutely hilarious. Floyd, 13, sabermetrics wunderkind who has come up with new-fangled stats such as ISH (Infield Stolen Hits) and OSH (Outfield Stolen Hits) and has an intern, Tyler, who's nine. The Miners have the typical zany minor-league promotional stunts, such as "Wear Your Underwear Outside Your Pants" night and Klingon Night. Floyd, Gay reports, got his start by scouting his own Little League teammates, chastising some for only having "warning-track power".
And, it turns out, even though he's already the GM of a professional baseball team at age 13, he's not overly impressed with himself. "It's like what Theo Epstein's dad said when Theo got the Red Sox job," Floyd tells Gay. " 'At Theo's age, Alexander the Great was already general manager of the world.' "
(To which Tyler, listening in on the anecdote, comments, "His dad said that? What a d___!"
The GQ piece is a must-read (plus there's a cool profile on Ivanka Trump with PICS! in this issue, so what's not to love?). Now, if you have any desire to follow that advice, then don't read what I'm about to post beyond the jump here. But if it doesn't matter to you either way, then go ahead and hit ye ol' "Continue Reading" link:
Normally I associate the word PHENOMENAL with Vince Vaughn and my friend Brendan (Who says it twenty times a day. I'm sure because of Vaughn).
But it wasn't a movie star who dropped it in a sentence this time.
So exactly who is Barry Bonds talking about? Go here.
Pop quiz: What do Barclay Tagg, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Jim Breuer have in common?
An interview with yours truly this week. Yup, its a random mix of what's coming up on Breakfast with Tiffany. 
Yesterday morning I went out to Belmont Park to hang out with Nobiz Like Showbiz, a favorite entering the Kentucky Derby. He's beautiful!! Just a few stalls over, the 2003 Derby winner Funny Cide was just chilling, eating some food. He says "Heyyy." (bad joke). The Barclay Tagg piece will be up next Friday right before the Derby goes down that Saturday.
Today I'm meeting with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Confession: His new movie is something that I'd never go and watch. That is until I checked out the trailer. While I'm not an action movie type of a gal (think more Little Miss Sunshine, Wedding Crashers, perhaps a little Borat) I will confess this movie looks awesome. The concept is unlike any other movie I've ever heard of. And Mr. Austin will be telling you all about it .. on Friday.
Now while that interview goes up on Friday, that morning I'll be kicking it with Jim Breuer. I can't wait to hang out and hopefully get a few good laughs in as well.
Top of the 9th, Yankees trail 6-4.
A-Rod bats sixth this inning, in case you were wondering.
As G.A. noted in a previous comment, this would be only the second Devil Rays' sweep of the Yanks in 52 series. Although it is only a two-game series.
Cano just struck out to lead off the inning.
The stingers are ON!
Cabrera just grounded out...two away.
Mientkiewicz has an 0-2 count on him. If/when the Yankees lose, they will be in LAST PLACE in the A.L. East.
Struck him out.
New York is 8-12, Tampa Bay 9-11. Yanks are in last. And they'd be 6-14 right now, facing much more heat, were it not for A-Rod's two game-ending blasts.
A-Rod's hitting streak of 24(?) games is also history.
Devil Ray pitcher Scott Kazmir was pitching a fantastic ballgame with one out in the seventh inning. Up to that point Kaz had allowed just two hits and at one point retired eleven consecutive Yankee batters. Then Hideki Matsui hit a comebacker to him. Kaz took a step back and, throwing toward first from the rubber, fired one in the dirt that first baseman Carlos Pena could not handle.
Matsui was on. The next batter, Jorge Posada, smashed a double to the right-center power alley to score Matsui. Then, after Robinson Cano made an out, Josh Phelps hit the go-ahead single. I know, this is all boring play-by-play, but the point is that Kaz's seemingly simple throw to first got him in trouble. Not that we can truly glean any profound life lessons from this other than Every Little Thing Counts.
Posada, by the way, is having a terrific April, if not quite an A-Rod tonight. "Georgie", as Jeter and Torre call him, is 2-3 tonight and now has his batting average up to .350 for the year.
Sinkerball specialist Chien-Ming Wang is pitching for the Yankees, and were we not playing in a dome, I'd say the difference between him and Kei Igawa is like night and day. Last night Igawa surrendered 15 hits and ten runs to Tampa Bay. Tonight, even though it's only two innings in, Wang has allowed two hits, no runs, and no runner past first base.
Again, it's early, but Wang has fantastic command. He's induced four groundouts, struck out two and walked none. Last night Igawa threw 34 pitches in the second inning. I wonder if Wang will have thrown 34 pitches through the first three.
Wang just retired the side in order on two groundouts and a fly out (nice catch by Bobby Abreu). It's the first time in these two games that New York delivered a 1-2-3 inning. I'm not sure how many innings the streak reached. At least eleven, but I cannot remember what happened Sunday night in Boston.
Derek Jeter just got plunked in the thigh with a Scott Kazmir fastball. Ooh, that's gotta sting. He stayed on the ground for a minute. You knew nothing was broken, but whenever someone gets struck in the vastus lateralis muscle it's gonna hurt. The ol' V.L. is very fleshy. Prime charley horse region.
Anyway, back to the clubhouse confidential.
4:48 p.m. Moose informs us that during his throwing session he may have broken the middle finger of bullpen catcher Mike Borzone. Moose threw a change-up, and as he explained, he's had the same routine with Borzone for five or six years now, so Borzone should have expected it.
"So," asks Newark Star-Ledger beat writer Ed Price, "you broke his finger with a change-up? You must be ready to come back."
5 p.m. Inside the Devil Ray locker room, which is empty save for Akinoro "Aki" Iwamura and his "Cultural Assimilation Liaison". And us, the groveling sportswriters. I look around the spacious digs (it's as big as an NFL locker room) and notice three signs on which are posted wisdom-providing sayings. They are:
"Integrity has no need of rules"--Albert Camus
"Discipline yourself so no one else has to"--John Wooden
"Rules cannot take the place of character" -- Alan Greenspan
Pointing to the last one, I say to Greg Auman, "Look! Andrea Mitchell's husband is being quoted."
"It's always about promoting NBC with you, isn't it?" he replies.
Here we are back in St. Petersburg, my return engagement at the Tropicana. I feel just like Ricky Ricardo. This weekend I'll be playing at the Club Babaloo. One other note before we begin: frequent blogstalker Greg Auman is in the press box tonight as well, so the comments may have a more direct feel...and include more personal (and accurate) attacks upon my hair, wardrobe and overall state of disrepair.
Greg (G.A.) notes that this is how they did it in the "good ol' days of bloggin'", when you'd have to approach the blogger in person to give him your comments.
Anyway, it's fun to come to the ballpark four hours early, especially when you have locker room access. You notice funny things, such as the serious looks on the faces of the Devil Rays grounds crew as they maintain the artificial grass and keep one eye on the roof for threatening clouds.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, profiled by acclaimed author David Halberstam in the book "Education of a Coach", released a statement on the death of Halbertstam today in a car accident in California.
"It was a privilege and honor to watch David practice his craft and an even greater one to call him a friend," said Belichick. "David was as warm, considerate, intelligent, interesting and accomplished a person as I have ever met and his loss is heartbreaking."
The book, released in 2005, detailed the development of Belichick as a coach and focused a lot of attention on Belichick's father, Steve, a respected collegiate coach and scout who died in 2005 soon after the book came out.
Not surprisingly given Halberstam's track record, the book was very well done