Out of Left Field

Z-Pack is Back

2012-02-28T12:35:00.001-08:00

As I sit here on a beautiful day at Colgate I am trying to reorganize my life following a terribly executed power nap. Instead of the planned 30 minute nap to gain energy, I experienced something very different. I just awoke to a knock on my door (thank God or I would be asleep until 6 pm) that jolted me from the terror of my dreams. I had dreamed that I acquired a dinner date with a pretty lady and was in the midst of napping straight through it. Unlikely, but I was convinced it was real. In reality, that did not happen and I instead powered through a 2 hour nap in full clothing on top of the blankets with the lights on and my contacts still in. A productive start to my afternoon and the antithesis of a power nap.

I digress, and begin with this. Twitter has the power to create emotion and excitement-- among other things. The past few weeks have included pictures from the MLB account that show major leaguers back at Spring Training. Yes, spring Training is here. A smiling Derek Jeter fielding grounders against the late afternoon Tampa sun creates a feeling of simultaneous beauty and excitement that is unmatched in my life. The dawn of Spring Training provided another storyline for a team that is flying under the radar, The Washington Nationals. The perennial cellar-dwellers of the powerful NL East are in the midst of one of their most anticipated Spring Trainings to date. The camp includes first round pick Anthony Rendon, who is already impressing coaches, newly signed pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson who add to an already strong young rotation, and some guy in there named Bryce Harper, who has a legitimate shot to reach NatsTown this summer. Yeah, NatsTown exists, and its hoppin'. The only thing Nats camp is missing is Roger Bernadina as jacked as he was last year.

Despite the excitement building around camp, one large issue was looming over the proceedings. Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals cornerstone third baseman and face of the franchise was still unsigned. On Sunday night, the issue was resolved. The Nats and Zimmerman agreed to an additional 6 years on his current contract worth an extra $100 million and added a no-trade clause. Zimmerman said of the deal:

"It felt right to kind of give them something back and give them the rest of my career to produce and, ultimately, win a World Series.”

The deal assures that a key cog in the Nationals plans to build a winner through youth and talent is place. It is a testament to Zimmerman's belief in the Nats brass to fulfill their promise to slowly build a competitive team in Washinton. For an optimistic fan, the talent and youth in place gives the Nats a fantastic opportunity to be very good, very soon. The news received a small story on ESPN and the occasional scroll across the television and online message boards. Zimmerman has consistently been one of baseball's more underrated stars, and his decision to stay in D.C. intends to keep it that way--unless the Nationals win.

Zimmerman has been everything the Nationals could have dreamed of when they made him their first big draft pick as a D.C. franchise, choosing him 4th overall out of the University of Virginia. Since, Zim has been an all-star, won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger, and been 100 % controversy-free on and off the field. The face of the Nats over the past 7 years has provided ample superstar moments, including a boatload of walk-off hits and home runs in addition to dazzling bare-handers at third base. It is baseball blasphemy to compare a mere mortal to Derek Jeter, but Zim has many of the same attributes as the Yankee captain, minus enough rings for a room full of bachelors. Zimmerman is the only remaining player from the days of 2005 and has seen the surrounding cast of role players transform into a promising young core. The contract will keep Zim in D.C. for likely the remainder of his career, and the outfield gates may one day be an entrance to a shining statue of DC's mayor of baseball: Ryan Zimmerman.

The following is taken from the Washington Post 'Nationals Journal', written by Post beat writer Adam Kilgore. It is simply a list of who the Nats have locked up long-term in D.C. Kilgore describes it as the following:
"That’s an electric top three starters, a franchise third baseman, three back-end relievers, an athletic middle infield, a rock behind the plate and an outfielder who finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in 2010 trying to regain his form. Everyone but Werth is 27 or younger. And there is more young, controllable talent on the way, including Bryce Harper, thanks to expensive recent drafts regarded as some of the best in baseball."

Take a look for yourself:

3B Ryan Zimmerman, 2020

SP Gio Gonzalez, 2018

OF Jayson Werth, 2017

C Wilson Ramos, 2016

2B Danny Espinosa, 2016

SP Stephen Strasburg, 2016

CL Drew Storen, 2016

RP Henry Rodriguez, 2016

SS Ian Desmond, 2015

SP Jordan Zimmermann, 2015

RP Tyler Clippard, 2015

NatsTown is hot!

Humorous funnies

2012-02-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

Completely unrelated to sports in anyway, in fact it has to do with politics. Sort of...

.....

2012-02-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Not much needs to be said. A popular blog item today for my D.C. people, via LaRon Landry's twitter account. He has located a weight room!!!

Cold Blooded

2012-02-09T10:31:00.001-08:00

Austin Rivers caps a furious Duke comeback......

Eutaw and beyond

2012-02-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

For anyone who has ever been to Camden Yards, below is a link to a pretty cool collection of videos from home runs that landed on Eutaw Street and beyond. The 'beyond' is reserved for one man, Junior the kid.

Watch Here

A simple summary of the Wizards season in one play

2012-02-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

JaVale McGee takes a terrible shot, sprints back on defense while the Wizards still have the ball. Realizes this mistake, sprints back on offense, immediately gets tossed an absurdly off target alley-oop. Falls down.

Watch Here

Super Nothing

2012-02-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Super Bowl is the largest sporting event in the United States annually. The facts don't lie: "Super Bowl Sunday" has become an American holiday, registering the 2nd largest food consumption per year (Thanksgiving is first), and setting television records. Super Bowl XLV was the most watched television show in history, surpassing the previous year's Super Bowl, and the trend is likely to continue.

Super Bowl Champ, Eli "Elite" Manning

Rather than talking about a generally non-entertaining Super Bowl victory for the Giants on Sunday, I will take a shallow dive into another subject slightly related. What is that you say? The game was exciting? It was a close game and the Patriots almost won on a Hail Mary to Gronkowski!? Gronk! My entirely biased opinion will disagree with said hypothetical questioner and tell you that in fact it was close because the Giants just kicked field goals for an hour in the middle of the game, and that Brady did not almost come back to win. In fact, his receivers dropped every big pass on the final drive, leading to a desperation heave with no time remaining. I apologize for the dripping sarcasm, but it has a logical base. All throughout the week, including during my hair cut today (which went terribly), I was asked "who do you want to win the Super Bowl?". I answered the same way each time, responding with a short "neither team", however illogical that result may have been for everyone. How can I hope for either of those teams to win the biggest game in the world? I spend all year hating the Giants as a Redskins fan, and reveled in the glory of sweeping the hapless G-men during the regular season only to watch them march untouched to a championship. Not exactly something to get excited for, especially after a 2011 Washington victory over the Packers only to see them take a similar trek to Super Bowl glory. Even more so, a Rex Grossman goal line interception cost the Skins a win over this year's Pats in the regular season as well, a New England team that played poorer defense than many high school teams. The amount of bitterness that accompanied my Super Bowl-watching mind was truly legendary.

By far the best part of Super Bowl XLVI

By far the worst part of Super Bowl XLVI

I digress. My point is not to complain and moan about the pitiful Redskins coming no where near a Super Bowl in 20 years. My point is that Super Bowl "fans" tend to upset me. I feel that I embody the word "fanatic" a little too much sometimes, and have made a fool out of myself at numerous sporting events throughout my life, so I will try to avoid questioning the world's fanhood publicly and instead question it behind the veil of a computer screen and blog. I will share a story with you. It centers on a friend of mine, a supposedly die-hard Giants fan. Sunday, following the game, I trudged back to my house looking forward to the massive plate of ice cream cake that was visible on the horizon. I was passed by my friend 'Richard' (his identity is being protected to save his fanhood), who was driving a car, while honking and yelling F*&K YEAH GIANTS! to anyone in the vicinity. Due to the 20 degree temperatures, this largely fell on deaf ears. Case in point, Richard was the same die-hard fan who fell asleep for the final 3 quarters of the NFC Championship game 2 weeks prior, as he missed his Giants win their biggest game of the year to that point. When we woke him in the 4th quarter using the age-old adage of simultaneous fake clapping and cheering to simulate an important touchdown despite the score being out of reach, he bolted up with his hands in a touchdown signal. Soon, only to realize he was duped and to crawl off to bed, Richard had entered the halls of a classic "Super Bowl fan", a type of small vermin who crawls out of the woodwork and pops out of bushes around February 4th to cheer on their favorite team!

Long live the vermin, long live ice cream cake, and remember to always protect your fanhood. You never know who will be watching.

HTTR

Dunk of the year.. the century... ever?

2012-01-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

Blake Griffin versus Kendrick Perkins

The Prince's Haul

2012-01-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

25 days, 13 hours and 39 minutes. That is the time remaining until pitchers and catchers report to Major League Baseball training camp, a near eternity for baseball fans with thoughts of the Hollywood-esque finale to the 2011 season still fresh in their minds. A fast-paced offseason came to a royal ending today with the signing of former Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder by the Detroit Tigers. An offseason that saw the Miami Marlins nab Jose Reyes, the Angels cashing in on pitcher C.J. Wilson and mega-star Albert Pujols, the Yankees quietly improving by trading for 6'7'' 23 year-old fireballer Michael Pineda from Seattle, and the nation's capital getting better via Oakland lefty Gio Gonzalez; Fielder to Detroit may have trumped them all.

The signing has a few interesting stories to it.

1-- It gives the Tigers exceptional firepower in the heart of their lineup. Presumably, Fielder will bat behind reigning MLB batting champ Miguel Cabrera, providing protection for Cabrera and giving the Tigers a daunting 3-4 punch. With starting DH/Catcher Victor Martinez out for the year with a torn ACL, the move is a huge boost for the Tigers lineup. Don't forget about AL MVP Justin Verlander....Detroit could be a big-time contender.

2--Additionally, it creates a log-jam of two very similar superstars at first base. Quite bluntly, both Fielder and Cabrera are the typical MLB sluggers--overweight, poor defensively, but with enough power to carry a squad. The issue for Tiger's brass is who to play at first. Via advanced saber-metrics, Fielder was ranked 6th worst in the bigs, losing his team 15 runs a year. Cabrera was ranked 4th worst, costing his team 16 runs. Logically, Fielder will play every day at first and Cabrera will play third base (where he has played before) with stints at DH.

3--Big Money.... Fielder's contract was for an absurd 9 years, valued at $214 million dollars without an opt-out clause. I cannot imagine playing baseball for 9 years in relatively bad shape...and making $214 million. Then again, I also am not the youngest player in MLB history to hit 50 HRs in a season. Following the Rangers signing of Japanese sensation Yu Darvish, making him the highest paid right handed pitcher in baseball, the Washington Nationals were viewed as the front runner for Prince. However, they would not go over 7 years, and the Tigers jumped on it. Tigers President Dave Dombrowski was quoted last week on MLB Live saying that Fielder is "probably not a good fit", but apparently that was just blatantly not true. Good.

4--Fielder's town... Prince joins the Tigers, a team whom his father Cecil played for during the 80s and 90s as a notorious power hitter. He once hit a home run completely out of Milwaukee County Stadium, and later over the left field roof at Tiger Stadium. The strange part of the story is that despite the cute pictures of Prince taking batting practice with his pops as a youngster (below), the two men no longer have a working relationship. So, in some sense, the prodigal son returns to Detroit. It will be an interesting story line to follow.

Goodbye.

P.S. now 25 day 12 hours and 57 minutes till pitchers and catchers.

San Francisco Repeat

2012-01-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

Not much needs to be said........

"The Catch II"

"The Catch III"

complete with tears...

Additionally

2012-01-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

A few must read Wiz kills:

The New John Wall Dance

Did the Wizards win last night? (Check Daily)

On another note, the Wizards scored 64 points tonight. 64. Did they win? Check above!

Sans Fans

2012-01-11T20:30:00.001-08:00

As the Washington Wizards continue to struggle every other night in the midst of their 1-9 start, the debut of 1st round pick Jan Vesely on Tuesday gave the crowds in DC something to be excited about. That is, if there were any crowds in D.C.

Following an embarrassing performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their previous home game (in which T-Wolves star rookie Ricky Rubio nearly had more assists than the entire Wizards team), DC fans avoided the Verizon Center for their game against the Toronto Raptors like the plague. Tickets were going for as little as .30 cents a piece online, with season-ticket holders begging for Wizards fans to experience their pain in person at the Phone booth in downtown Washington. This was the crowd that greeted "Air Jan" and the 0-8 Washington Wizards on Tuesday:

via Dan Steinberg and The Washington Post Sports Bog

After Vesely delivered an energetic performance that included 5 steals and apparently made him a "fan favorite" for all 10 fans in attendance, he answered a question on the lack of DC fanhood, saying:

“I played in Partizan, and that’s I think at Partizan they have the best fans and the loudest fans in Europe. I will do my best to get those fans in the gym and show them the team and that we can play good basketball.”

This innocent quote led to my search for who "Partizan" basketball is, leading to this, informing me that they are a dominant Euroleague powerhouse that competes against the likes of FC Barcelona and the aforementioned Ricky Rubio, which consequently led to re-discovering the absurdity that is Euroleague basketball fans. Jesely believes that the Partizan fans are the best in Europe, and although he may be a bit 'partisan' to their cause (sorry, too easy) I concur that he is very correct. See for yourself.

That is all.

John 3:16

2012-01-08T19:58:00.001-08:00

The Bible verse John 3:16 reads as follows: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

This verse is the favorite of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, famously emblazoned on his eye black during his college days at Florida. Tebow's religious beliefs have been equally loved and criticized by a nation both captivated by his determined run of success and frustrated with his public displays of religion, coined "Tebowing" by a public that seemingly cannot recognize a simple prayer. Following his thrilling, stunning, and perhaps more appropriately- miraculous- overtime victory over the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday the verse comes into more focus.

In an eery display of numeral significance, Tebow followed a hint by Broncos legend JOHN Elway to be more aggressive, posting the following stat line:

316 yards passing
31.6 average yards per completion.

As Timmy Tebow frequently tweets...

"GB squared"

God Bless and Go Broncos

2012-01-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Tim Howard, aka the USMNT goalkeeper scored an unlikely goal yesterday for Everton.... watch below:

A Gem from Wizards history

2011-12-29T17:06:00.001-08:00

Why is this not more popular?!!?

Russell Westbrook, Breaking ankles

2011-12-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

Hapless but Hopeful

2011-12-24T21:25:00.000-08:00

Flying down the sideline, Brandon Banks was heading straight at me. All 155 pounds of his 5'7'' frame were screaming into my sightline. Dreadlocks bouncing in the cold December air, the Washington Redskins most dynamic--and most diminutive-- playmaker was soaring into the end zone for a 4th quarter game-tying touchdown, and the 68,370 fans in FedEx Field were going ballistic. FINALLY! A clutch touchdown in a late December football game in D.C. Soon the masses were to surely be belting the greatest theme song that exists along with thousands of there suddenly closest friends, all hailing to the Redskins. I noticed it before many of those in attendance. My first game at FedEx in four years, I had grown accustomed to flash of yellow laundry across my t.v. screen. This time it was far more realistic. That's when it all came crashing back to earth.

No, the Redskins are not going to the playoffs. In fact, they are no where close. Instead, the yellow laundry was an official's flag, signaling "holding, on the offense", one of 8 Redskin penalties on the day. Back 'em up, a game-tying 62 yard end-around in the arms of Brandon Banks was negated. The following play was a horribly overthrown interception by Rex Grossman, sailing over the head of a horribly wide-open Santana Moss, and the masses began to file out before the halfway point of quarter number four. No one can blame them, heading home to their families for Christmas Eve and sparing themselves the pain of another Redskins loss until the morning paper. The Skins would go on to lose 33-26 to the dreadful 2-12 Vikings (now 3-12!). But who cares? The reality is a game that was simply two terrible teams playing for pride on Christmas Eve. The fans who were there witnessed both the Vikings starting quarterback and running back go down with injuries, only to see Joe Webb and Toby Gerhart run circles around the Washington defense, amassing over 200 yards of rushing offense. The teenager with dreadlocks who had previously attempted to fight three of DC's finest was already en route to spending his Christmas Eve in a jail cell. As was the fan who ran onto the field, apparently trying to escape the misery of Redskins football only to get tazered to the ground--to the delight of the Vikings bench.

The crowd that could've been a raucous bunch of my newest friends were in fact the 4th smallest crowd in Redskins history (3 of those 4 have been under Mike Shanahan). The loss, the Redskins 10th of the year marked the third straight year of double digit losses for the Skins and parked them firmly in the cellar of the NFC East yet again. Rex Grossman's interception added to his league-leading turnover total and marked the 17th straight game "Sexy Rexy" has turned the ball over at least one time. Even more frightening is that it marked the 29th straight game the Redskins committed at least one turnover, an NFL record. Hard to win a lot of games with that skeleton in your closet.

But here is the kicker. No not Graham Gano, who quietly had a solid game, going 4-4 on field goals and drilling a 53 yarder and a crucial late game 47 yard attempt. But the kicker, as in the phrase "here is the kicker", like I just said. It is a phrase that has always sent my imagination on a trip to find its origin. Did someone tell a story, only to have someone try to leave before the most important part and recieve a sharp kick to get him to listen? I would think yes. If not, then do not tell me.

Anyway, the kicker. One would ask about the Redskins, "why does anyone watch them, much less care about them?". Defeat after defeat after horrifyingly frustrating defeat would drive most fans insane. Although some fans are certainly insane, there is a reason why people care. It is not a complicated reason, and here it is: Repeated misery as group brings fans together. Cheering for the Redskins is more than rooting for a football team, or a fun family event on Sundays. My Dad asked me after the game why so many people in an obviously difficult financial state, i.e. much of D.C.'s black population, show up in force to an overpriced event for a terrible team. It's because they care; because their dad's and grandfathers did it at RFK, and they want their sons and daughters to do the same in the future. The death of Sean Taylor reverberated around a fan base like no other. 4 years after his death fans remember him and shed a tear, not only for the man but for what his life could have meant for the Redskins. There is a reason the Washington Post takes out 5 pages of color coverage after any Skins game, and 6 after a big win. There is a reason the nickname "Redskins" has stuck around while so politically incorrect. Because people in this city would FREAK OUT if that was taken from them. There is a reason why talk show personalities and nearly every fan, whether they admit it or not, begin each season with the creeping thought in the back of their mind: "damn, we could be really good this year. This could be the year". Maybe its just me, but I really don't think so. There is no way I can be the only one who has to watch YouTube videos of Sean Taylor after every Redskins loss to ease the pain. There is no way I am the only one who struggles to watch Skins games with other people in the room, because they just don't get it, they just cannot understand. There is no logical reason to be a fan of the Redskins. But somehow, it seems necessary. There is a reason this happened last year, and why people LOVED it. Maybe it is just human nature, but hey, ya gotta have hope.

Merry Christmas and Hail to the Redskins

Study Break (Must Watch)

2011-12-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nbnZiPI6W2I

Mashed Potatoes

2011-12-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

Due to the simple fact that I have far too much work, and that finals week is on the horizon, a longer post may have to wait for a little bit. In the mean time, I spent part of yesterday yelling and fist pumping at the t.v. as Tiger Woods drilled his final birdie putt on the 18th green to win his first tournament since 2009. Lost in the excitement was the reappearance of the greatest golf cheer in recent history. Someone--or more likely a lot of copycats--enjoy yelling "MASHED POTATOES" after a tee shot. Tiger has received the customary "GET IN THE HOLE" cheer for much of his career, but this one is far better. While refusing to write about the normal boring topics (Tim Tebow, the BCS continuing to be terrible, Aaron Rodgers continuing to be good), mashed potatoes will have to do. A bunch of videos below.

Eat Up.

Tiger, yesterday

Tiger, previously

Rickie Fowler

Rider Cup

4 Years, RIP

2011-11-27T17:54:00.001-08:00

Welcome Back Sidney Crosby

2011-11-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

This post comes to you from a new face, my roommate in fact, the one and only Steve Estep. Besides being "the man", Steve also recently walked on to the Colgate Hockey team as a goalie. He also knows significantly more about hockey than I do, so every once and a while he will bring his literary genius to this site helping to fill the gaping hole where hockey and NHL material should be posted. In a time where there is no NBA, one can only hope hockey can begin to catch on more in the United States. The return of the game's biggest star should only help. Take it away Big Steve......

STEVE!

The wait is over. Sidney Crosby has finally laced up the skate once again in the National Hockey League. Out since January with a concussion, Crosby made his debut last night when his Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the New York Islanders. The youngest captain to hoist the Stanley Cup did not take long to brush off the rust from his long absence. Just five minutes and twenty-four seconds into the game Crosby streaked through the center of the ice, received a pass from Pascal Dupuis at the redline, sped past the defense, and roofed a backhand past rookie goaltender, Anders Nilsson. As if that were not enough, Crosby added an assist ten minutes later, another helper three minutes into the second period, and a second goal in the third to cap off his 6^th career four point game against the Islanders.

As a semi-reluctant citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia I have to admit I am Team Ovechkin, but boy is it good to have Crosby back. There is simply no denying that having Sid the Kid on the ice is good for the sport. No player since Wayne Gretzky has consistently dominated the sport like Crosby does, and there has been no bigger anticipation for the return of a superstar to a sport since Michael Jordan hung up his baseball cleats. Watching him out on the ice last night was just special. He missed 61 regular season games. 61! And he didn’t just ease himself back into game time. He threw up 4 points in his first game!

Alright, enough of the mushy mushy. After all, it was just one game. I do not have a doubt in my mind that he will continue to play at an absurd level, but let’s not hand him the Art Ross Trophy just yet, he still has 25 points to make up to catch Phil Kessel of the Maple Leafs. Anyway, mark your calendars for December the first as Crosby and Ovechkin meet again.

Here’s an awesome video of some of the most outrageous goals scored by the two superstars

A Hodgepodge Post

2011-11-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

As the JoePa situation begrudgingly moves to the rear view mirror, the past week in the sports world provided the casual fan with very little excitement. For those who are excited by the smallest and sometimes quirkiest sports stories, such as myself, it has provided more than enough entertainment. So without further ado, the first of many hodgepodge posts: a hodgepodge of random teams and sports news from the past week. (Hodgepodge is a vastly under-used word, try it out sometimes. It feels good.)

Piece of 'podge #1

First on a national sports level, the U.S. Men's National Team finally scored some goals and got a solid win under new head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. 3 first half goals from Edson Buddle, Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey powered the Yanks to a win over Slovenia in their final match of 2011. A rematch of the thrilling (and controversial) World Cup draw versus the same Slovenians, the Americans held on for a 3-2 win on the road. Despite seeing the Slovenians hit several crossbars and miss open opportunities, a win is a win. Captain Carlos Bocanegra earned his 100th cap for the Americans, the 12th USMNT player to do so.

Edson Buddle is congratulated after his first half goal vs. Slovenia.

Some quick thoughts on the game. Experts, players and coaches alike have discounted the recent lack of results from the U.S. in their friendlies under Klinsmann, brushing off the fact they had only 1 victory and scored a total of 2 goals before Tuesday's game in Slovenia. While their point is valid, the endgame is to get results, namely wins, against inferior opponents. With World Cup qualifying beginning in July, the U.S. needs to find their offensive presence and begin grabbing consistent victories. The return of Landon Donovan to National team duty will certainly help the offense as the Americans begin the long journey towards Rio de Janeiro.

Piece of 'podge #2

On a less exciting USMNT note, their 2012-2014 away jerseys have been linked on the internet. As so often recent Nike jersey experiments have shown, the kits are too far over the top. Straying from the simple unis the Americans have sported this year, Nike went with a red and white striped look, a horrendous mix between Waldo and FC Dallas. See below.

Piece of 'podge #3

Tim Tebow is God. This is pretty simple. All Tim Tebow does is win. I could not care less if he throws for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, or throws for 60 yards and no touchdowns as long as he wins the game. It does not matter if he has an obscure throwing motion, or is not very accurate, because he wins. All the experts who sit on T.V. or hide behind their computer (like me!) and try to tell everyone that Tim Tebow will never be a good NFL quarterback are people who did not possess near the amount of courage and effort that Tebow has. Furthermore, Tim Tebow is currently a good NFL quarterback. Football is a physical and emotional game and Tebow provides the Broncos with the epitome of physicality and emotion at the game's most vital position. Every player on the Broncos plays that much harder and better because Tim Tebow is leading them. If you disagree with that, I frankly do not care. The numbers don't lie, and in the end there is only one stat that truly matters. Since Tebow became the starter in 2011, the Broncos are 4-1. He wins. Last night his Broncos drove 95 yards for his game-winning 20 yard touchdown run, and sent the Denver crowd into a another tizzy for Timmy.

Piece of 'podge #4

Long Beach State upset #9 ranked Pittsburgh in the steel city on Wednesday night by a score of 86-76 behind 28 points from guard Casper Ware. They became only the 2nd non-Big East team to win at the Peterson Events Center in its history. Yes, Long Beach State. Good start for the Panthers...

Piece of 'podge #5

From the blogosphere, specifically the Washington Post Sports "bog" written by Dan Steinberg, comes a humorous piece on DC sports. Redskins tight end Chris Cooley has always been a colorful blogger himself, and a generally entertaining member of the Redskins. Apparently he not only plays fantasy football but he has also experienced subsequent pain from the inability of Mike Shanahan to make any consistent decisions with the starting lineup. Read Here.

Piece of 'podge #6

Completely unrelated to sports, throw in some headphones, grab a beer and listen to this song. It will make you feel better if you are feeling down or provide backup good vibes to your already splendid Friday mood.

Great pic

2011-11-11T18:16:00.001-08:00

Carrier classic UNC vs MICHIGAN ST.

Via espn

Must Read

2011-11-10T17:55:00.001-08:00

The last thing on the Penn State and Joe Pa situation.... I promise. A must read by Joe Posnanski (Sports Illustrated), seemingly one of the most level-headed pieces on the situation, by someone who is as close to the story as a reporter can get.

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2011/11/10/the-end-of-paterno/

Misguided Attention

2011-11-10T07:46:00.001-08:00

I am getting so frustrated with this whole Penn State situation that I am actually posting from my phone for the first time ever. Don't worry, it will be short and sweet. As seemingly the entire nation knows, the PSU Board of Trustees fired longtime football coach, Joe Paterno late last night instead of allowing him to finish the season as he wished. Here is what I have an issue with.

Dear Penn State students,
Congratulations, you have made fools of yourself on national tv. Flipping cars, rioting, chanting "we are penn state" because a coach that at the most blatant level covered up sexual abuse was fired. Stop acting like Joe Pa is the victim, or your football program is the victim. Instead, pray for the actual victims, the 40+ kids who were allegedly molested. Because in the end, their lives will never be the same. Tomorrow you will wake up and go to class with very little of your life changed. Joe Paterno should have been fired, he stood by and did the bare minimum as atrocities were committed in his building. In the end, Jerry Sandusky is the ultimate culprit, but defending Joe Pa like he was a saint is simple wrong.

Furthermore, Nationals starting catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped in front of his family yesterday in his native Venezuela. A story that is receiving far too little attention is a dangerously scary one. The car used to kidnap Ramos was found early this morning, but the kidnappers still have not contacted the Ramos family. One of the best young catchers in the league, one would hope he is returned safe and sound as soon as possible. So, everyone, stop chanting for Joe Pa and pray for the victims and the safe return of Wilson Ramos in Venezuela. Priorities people, priorities.

A Fallen King

2011-11-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

As the news spread across message boards, websites, and finally television, the public outcry was predictable. Joe Paterno, the beloved Penn State head football coach of 46 years is set to retire at the season's end. Joe Pa will not walk off into the sunset as the man whom we had grown to adore. Once viewed as the ultimate molder of young men and the preeminent leader for all who dream to play on Saturdays in Happy Valley, Joe Pa will leave Penn State with a tarnished legacy. Battered and beaten, Joe Pa leaves the only job he has known because he failed to do enough about an allegation of child sex abuse against a former defensive assistant.

Jerry Sandusky is the real culprit, accused of 40 counts of sexual abuse, and one count of sexual intercourse with someone under the age of 16. As is so often true, public opinion has already convicted Sandusky of his alleged crimes--40 counts of abuse is hard to wriggle out of. The outrage against a man who has seemingly single-handedly destroyed the legacy of the beloved Joe Pa is as it should be, but not without its missteps. To his defense, Joe Pa reported the initial case of sexual abuse inside the Nittany Lions locker room to the athletic director, and had many other things to worry about, including fighting for his own job following a dismal 2002 season. The response in Happy Valley was predictable. Students gathered on Paterno's lawn singing the chorus to the White Stripes "Seven Nation Army" late last night, a tradition at Penn State football games. There are already near 3,000 RSVP notifications on Facebook to an event titled "Storm Beaver after the win", created by a "hamster", in reference to Saturday's final home game. Unfortunately, it is not 3rd and long versus Ohio State, or an upset victory over Alabama in State College. Instead, it is a serious case of child abuse, something that we see far too often covered up in the public eye. And unfortunately for supporters of Joe Pa, he is certainly not devoid of blame. With great power comes great responsibility, and Joe Paterno owns Penn State. He was the king of kings, and could seemingly do no wrong. Despite whatever distractions he had to deal with, an allegation of sexual abuse within his coaching staff should not have been passed on and left behind. It is unlikely that a head coach could not have been suspicious about the doings of his assistant, especially when it was so blatantly obvious in his own building.

Sandusky (left) and Paterno (right)

The story has a television mystery feel to it. Allegations of sexual abuse against Sandusky in 1998 were passed on to the Centre County, PA district attorney, Ray Gricar. In April 2005, Gricar disappeared, his car found 50 miles from his home with only a few belongings inside. His laptop and destroyed hard drive were found at the bottom of a river, and his home computer showed recent searches of "how to wreck a hard drive". The body has not been found to this day, and the investigation into the death has reached a dead end. The chilling background to Sandusky's perverted lifestyle breaths a strange sense into the story as a whole.

Nevertheless, the issue centers on the tragic resignation of the most beloved coach in the land. A New York Times article compared Joe Pa to the Pope, and Penn State as the Catholic Church. A fitting metaphor indeed, as Paterno is Catholic himself, and the Church has recently been rocked by sexual abuse scandals. Although not carried out by Happy Valley's Pope, the responsibility of the disgusting actions of those beneath him rest strongly on Joe Pa's wearied shoulders. An unfortunate situation comes to a fitting end on Saturday, as there is still football to play. The eyes of the nation will turn towards Happy Valley where the #12 Nittany Lions (8-1), winners of 7 straight games, take on the #19 Nebraska Cornhuskers in what is suddenly the final home game for Joe Pa. The football program's motto is "success with honor", a maxim that suddenly has lost its swagger.

Greece and Basketball

2011-11-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Following the previous theme, the below video is a little European Basketball fanhood. The crowd is similar to a soccer crowd (Or better), and puts U.S. fan sections to shame..... the video is old but still just as amazing.

Toilet Paper and Basketball

2011-11-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Because that first basket is oh so important.......

Echoes of the past, visions of the future

2011-10-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

There have been 15 walk-off home runs in World Series history. October 26th, 199, Minneapolis, Minnesota was the stage for one of the most famous World Series walk-offs in history. A game winning blast that just cleared the plexiglass in left field ensured a game 7 the following night. A broadcaster with a sir name of "Buck" was elegantly and calmly telling his viewers that "we will see you tomorrow night." It is a scene any avid baseball fan will accurately place in game 6 of the 1991 World Series, and identify the hero as Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett. The "Buck" in the background was none other than revered broadcaster Jack Buck, and his call of the home run that shook the plexiglass in the Metrodome is one that will not soon be forgotten.

However, baseball moves on-- and precisely 20 years and 1 day after the historic moment, history repeated itself in arguably the best World Series game ever. The St. Louis Cardinals hometown hero was in the form of David Freese, whose walk-off 11th inning homer sent the Cards to game 7, and came full circle with the television call of Joe Buck, paying homage to his father with his own version of "we will see you tomorrow night". Freese had tied the game in the bottom of the 9th with a 2-out 2-strike 2-run triple of Rangers closer Neftali Feliz that sent to masses into pandemonium. After Lance Berkman thwarted another two run deficit in the bottom of the 10th (thanks to a Josh Hamilton 2 run HR) and denied a second opportunity for the Rangers to win their first World Series with only one strike to go, Freese had his moment. Crushing a change-up into the night sky, and halfway up the center field hill, Freese became the latest folk hero in the storied history of the Fall Classic.

Chinese Brawling

2011-10-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Another brawl in Chinese basketball leagues. Following the massive fight involving Georgetown University on a goodwill tour in China, another chair-throwing brawl involving the Melbourne Tigers of Australia, and a small Chinese team happened yesterday. Watch for yourself...

Overtime at 'Gate

2011-10-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

First off I apologize for not posting in a week or so, school has been more than enough to handle but the sports world has continued at its frenzied pace. The NBA canceled the first two weeks of their season (nobody seems to care), the Rangers returned to the World Series, the Brewers and Cardinals are finishing up their series and a slew of unbeatens fell in college football. More importantly, I have yet to write about Colgate Athletics and as the Rowdiest Raider in a school of non-Rowdy Raiders today will be the day!

Homecoming weekend brought Colgate the normal lineup of events: Streams of alumni both young and old extremely intoxicated downtown, home games from fall sports teams, and terrible weather. Saturday offered a football game versus "rival" Cornell, a soccer match versus Patriot League foe Army, and a hockey game versus #4/5 Miami of Ohio. Rain and 55 degree temperatures greeted the homecoming crowds in typical Hamilton style, but the teams in play provided a thrilling day of overtime victory.

Colgate 35 Cornell 28

The Raiders were playing without All-American running back Nate Eachus and starting quarterback Gavin McCarney and blew an 11 point lead with just over 2:00 minutes remaining yet found a way to pull out the win in overtime. Colgate held a 28-17 lead with 2:11 remaining in the contest until they promptly fumbled, gave up a 52 yard touchdown pass and the subsequent two point conversion. Following an onside kick recovery, the Raiders failed to record a first down and promptly gave up another long pass and field goal for a tie game. The Raiders would regain momentum however, using the legs of junior running back Jordan McCord (21 carries, 84 yds, 2 TD) to punch in an overtime touchdown. The defense held the Big Red on fourth down on their overtime possession and Colgate won their second overtime game of the season to move to 4-3 on the season. Highlights and post game interviews below:

Colgate 3 Army 2

Following the Raider theme of the day, Colgate blew a 2-1 lead with just over 4 minutes in the game yet pulled out a crucial Patriot League victory over Army. Freshman Jimmy Mclaughlin threaded a brilliant through ball to forward Shane Conlin who blasted home the game winner in OT. Captain Stephen Miller provided the scoring during regulation, putting 2 balls in the net. Picked to finish first in the Patriot League, the victory provided a crucial step towards the 4 team playoffs for 'Gate.

Colgate 3 Miami (Ohio) 2

In one of the coolest games of the homecoming weekend, Colgate hockey continued their impressive start to the season by upsetting #4/5 Miami of Ohio in front of a good crowd at Starr Rink. The second game of a 2 game set (the raiders lost 4-3 on Friday night) featured an overtime game-winner by senior forward Austin Mayer. The win comes off of a tournament victory in the Mutual of Omaha Stampede, which featured a win over #13/14 Nebraska-Omaha. Colgate moved to 3-1-0 on the season and should be a far improved team than last year's version.

Plushdamentally Sound

2011-10-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Tony Plush. No, he is not the drug dealer from your favorite TV show, or even the celebrity-gone-bad from the latest tabloid. Tony Plush is a baseball player, the self-procaimed "gentleman's name" of Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Nyjer Morgan. He is a Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates castoff, a result of the frayed patience of general managers who grew tired of waiting for his on-field performance to catch up to his antics. Suddenly, among the raucous confines of Miller Park in Milwaukee, T. Plush has turned into T. Clutch--delivering key hit after key hit for the ALCS bound Brewers who are almost unbeatable at home.

His latest act of plushness was a game 5 walk off single scoring Carlos Gomez in the bottom of the 10th to send Milwaukee to its first ALCS since 1982. Suddenly the Tony Plush act has support, complete with an appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a .304 batting average, and an over the top attitude that fits in seamlessly with the "Beast Mode" Brewers. Every hit is accompanied with an equally absurd act, be it an interview, a celebration, a tweet, a quote, or a brawl. On a day where Nyjer Morgan rules, a look back at the best moments of Mr. Tony Plush:

The Inside the Park Mix-up

A 2-2 game in the 4th inning versus the Orioles quickly turned into a 4-2 Orioles lead after Adam Jones sent a fly ball toward Morgan in center field. Morgan lept for the ball at the warning track only to see it bounce off his glove and into center field. However, Morgan thought the ball bounced over the fence and stormed away in anger, allowing Jones to cross the plate for an inside the park home run.

Watch Here.

Plushdamentals

An August 1st, 2011 interview after a Brewers win with a FSN Milwaukee reporter. Nyjer explains the details of his "plushdamentals".

The Brawl

A late-season game versus the Marlins in Florida set the stage for an epic Nyjer Morgan moment. Following a night where Morgan stole two bases with the Nationals down 14-3, apparently against "baseball unwritten law", Morgan was hit in the 4th inning. In his next at bat during the 6th inning, Marlins starter Chris Volstad threw behind Morgan, sending Mr. Plush in a raging sprint to the mound. Morgan threw a flying punch and was immediately clotheslined to the ground by Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez. Picture and Video below.

Ridiculous Interview #2
Another Brew Crew win, another ridiculous postgame interview. Not much more can be said.

T. Plush and the F-bomb walk-off

Just hours ago, Morgans walk-off single sent the Brewers to the NLCS and Morgan on his way to another TV moment. This one involved his repeated "F%$K Yeah!"'s on national TV, creating one of the most awkwardly helpless postgame interviews Sam Ryan may have ever been a part of. T. Plush, take it away.

Watch Here.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2011 MLB postseason entertainer: Tony Plush.

Live Yankees-Tigers

2011-09-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Live thoughts/comments/ predictions throughout tonight's ALDS game 1 in the Bronx. Sabathia vs. Verlander, Friday night playoff baseball. Nothin' better.

Warmups- Verlander is easily the most important player in this game. Big Yankee crowd, potent lineup. Yet if he puts it all together, Yankees could be in trouble. New York may need to get lucky early...

8:41- Delmon Young takes a 93 mph fastball for a quick homer to right field. Huge early blast for the Tigers, quiets a massive Yankee Stadium crowd, slows down Sabathia after a back-to-back strikeout start. 1-0 Tigers.

8:49- Jeter leads off with a strikeout-wildpitch-hustle play. Runner on, crowd back in it. Maybe the early break for the Yankees? And Granderson walks, two on nobody out, modern day "murderer's row" coming up with Robinson Cano as the new 3-hole hitter.

8:54- A-Rod returns with a ground ball to third, Jeter goes on contact better than anyone in the game and scores easily. Tie game. And here comes the rain....

9:04- Three TBS useless weather comments in a row...
Tom Verducci (as sideline reporter)- "I am down on the field and it is really raining a lot"
Ron Darling- "It must be like playing baseball in a washing machine"
Play-by-Play- "You see that shine on the field, that's the rain"
Good.

9:05- Sabathia dominating in the rain, strikes out final two of the inning. Bottom second coming up and here comes the tarp, and a rain delay. It will be a shame if both teams lose their aces.

9:15- A BRADY BUNCH COMMERCIAL!!!

9:25- raining

9:37- raining

9:57- raining harder

10:09- raining

10:10- Eating cereal

successful post.

Images and sounds from last night

2011-09-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

There is no possible way to put into words what happened in the baseball world last night, so instead I will let some sights and sounds tell the story. If you must, here is a great recap from Grantland.

Best Photo

Best Video

Longoria's Walk-off

Maybe even better Video

Best Newspaper Headlines
Tampa Bay
Boston

Best Tweet

From Orioles outfielder Adam Jones after eliminating the Red Sox. Maybe a little delicious sarcasm?

Gotta love baseball.

Bumbling, stumbling, Beantown

2011-09-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

10 a.m. eastern time on December 10th: Red Sox Nation was giddy. Their beloved Sox were in the midst of an introductory news conference for free agency's biggest prize, the multi-talented former Rays left fielder Carl Crawford. With Adrian Gonzalez already on-board from San Diego, and an already existent core of veterans, the Sox seemed prepared for a dominating season. ESPN said they seem "set for the next decade", and virtually every sporting outlet placed the Bostonians atop their pre-season AL East rankings. The Red Sox had pulled off a Yankee-esque off season and left their foes in the Bronx with essentially a team that was just one year older. The Yanks were struggling to fill holes in their pitching staff with the likes of Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, and Ivan Nova.

One 7-year 142 million dollar contract later, Carl Crawford's batting average sits at .259, and his famous speed has provided Boston only 18 stolen bases on the year. Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently told a reporter that he faked interest in Crawford during the offseason to drive up his price for Theo Epstein and the Boston front office. More frightening for Red Sox Nation is the prospect of possibly missing the playoffs. Losers of 16 out of 21 September games, the AL East already clinched in the Bronx, and their wild card lead whittled down to just 2 games over Tampa Bay--the team that was booed out of Fenway Park on Wednesday after a series loss to the lowly Orioles has officially reached panic mode. After a day off on Thursday, the road to the postseason does not get any easier. Boston begins a 3 game set in the Bronx tonight versus a Yankees team and fan base that smells blood. Yanks catcher Russell Martin says he "hate(s) the Red Sox" and that "anything to get the Red Sox out would be awesome for me." Even David Ortiz seems to have hit the panic button saying he has "never seen a team collapse like this." The September struggles bring memories of the Sox 2-10 start to the season, a streak that quickly disappeared during the middle months of the summer when the boys in Boston were the best team in baseball. Despite everything, the Red Sox still control their own destiny. In a game where numbers reign, Boston has numbers on their side. A two game lead with six games to play is certainly enough for even the stumbling Sox to crawl into the playoffs.

However, the reality for the Fenway faithful is soberingly dire. Even if the Sox make the playoffs, they will be back home before Boston is able to take a deep breath. For a team so talented, they simply are not built for the playoffs. The pitching staff has turned into a disaster. Lester remains steady at the top, but Josh Beckett failed in his most recent clutch start, losing to the O's. After that... it is anyone's game. Default #3 starter is Tim Wakefield, all 45 years old of him. Sunday's game against the Yankees had a projected starter as "TBA" until a few hours ago when John Lackey was plugged in, which may actually be a downgrade from "TBA". Lackey has been horrific, with equally despondent facial expressions as hits allowed. The bullpen is worse, with Alfredo Aceves counted on for every big out, Daniel Bard counted on for no outs, and a completely unrecognizable Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th. The offense has become the only hope in Boston-- the Red Sox are now 1-16 in September when they don't score at least 12 runs-- a stunning stat that speaks for itself. Yes, the Red Sox still have an above average chance of making the postseason, but it will be a quick exit for the baseballers of "America's Most Dominant Sports City".

More Logos...

2011-09-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

As I anxiously wait for the Red Sox to complete their epic end-of-year collapse and actually miss the playoffs so I can write about it, I will waste time with more new uniform leaks. Yesterday we saw the new Miami Marlins creation (below), something that looks as if its creator ate a bunch of skittles and threw up on the page. Thankfully we have a better leak today. The Toronto Blue Jays changed their logo for the 2012 season from one that is already pretty decent to a work that pays homage to the old school Jays days. Pretty solid work... yay Canada?

New "Miami Marlins" logo leaked

2011-09-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

The 2012 "Miami Marlins" logo has been leaked (via Uni Watchers and subsequently ESPN), and it is horrendous. The team will basically be rebranded from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins, still finish last in the NL East, and put all 300 fans in attendance through another season of pain. Unfortunately they will be doing so wearing some combination of this......

Post Fight Interview

2011-09-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

After a highly controversial finish to the Floyd Mayweather v Victor Ortiz HBO PPV fight last night, Mayweather cursed out Larry Merchant, leading the elderly interviewer to tell Mayweather "I wish I was 50 years younger and I would kick your A#@" Try to catch it before Youtube takes it down..... a fantastic video.

College Beginnings

2011-09-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful Saturday at Colgate brings another lineup of college football match-ups perfect for putting off homework until Sunday night, and a chance to introduce myself to the Colgate community. On Thursday night at a raucous Davis Wade Stadium on the campus of Mississippi State, LSU continued their impressive early season performance and validated their #3 ranking with a 19-6 victory over the Bulldogs. Senior quarterback Jarrett Lee filled in for the suspended Jordan Jefferson in admirable fashion, completing 21-27 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown. The Thursday night showcase served as a precursor to the big game under the lights tonight in Tallahasee as #1 Oklahoma travels to #5 Florida State for the first time ever in what is easily the premiere game of the weekend.

Anyway, back to myself. My name is Michael Barber and I am a sophomore at 'gate. I hail from Washington, D.C. and consequently also hail to the Redskins. As much as I try to stay away from the DC sports scene in my writing, there will undoubtedly be a tendency to post the occasional video or story about Sexy Rexy and the Skins or an overly excited article about the Nationals mediocrity turning into good baseball in the nation's capital. This past summer I wrote a similar sports blog by the same name ("Out of Left Field") at this link, covering DC sports and national news--including the U.S. Women's exhilarating World Cup run and U.S. men's national team struggles. I will try to post at least once a week, usually on the weekends, and toss up any neat videos, pictures, or tweets I come across as well. In addition, I follow Colgate athletics closely and will post anything I deem necessary from across the 'gate sports world.

Until next time,
Michael