The Sports Rant

Bounce Pass to The ChiliDonkey

2009-05-24T18:32:00.001-04:00

To be quite honest, I feel rather obligated as a professional writer to maintain a blog. Lame, I know, but I'm convinced it must be done (kinda like Charlie drowning in the Looking Glass) ...

Thus, I present The ChiliDonkey - News Fit For a Greasy Ass, a more robust and regularly-published (Hey!) blogging experience!

(I know no one reads this, but I felt obligated to post a redirect.)

Thoughts from Texas T-Roc

2007-07-24T23:29:00.000-04:00

From the man who once said, "Hitler ruined that mustache for everyone," I proudly present another Thomas 'Texas T-Roc, Billy, Billy bin Laden' March classic;

Thomas: Have you ever thought about what it would be like if cockroaches could build webs?

Hudson and I (laughing): No.

Thomas: It would suck.

For the record ...

2007-07-10T23:15:00.000-04:00

... the MLB All-Star game is bogus.

Quote of the Week

2007-07-05T23:12:00.000-04:00

I found a fantastic quote I must post to honor to its greatness. Also, I'd like to make this a weekly segment, but that desire requires I continue to update this blog regularly. We'll see how that goes. And after that banter, I present the Quote of the Week for the week of July 2, 2007:

"We could have had Jesus on the mound and they still would have gotten hits," said Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca, reflecting on the Rockies 20 hit, 17-7 drubbing of New York.

(Read the NYM v. COL game recap here.)

An American Returns the Glory

2007-07-05T12:42:00.000-04:00

In an amazing piece of symmetry, an American has reclaimed one of the most heralded prizes in international competition on Independence Day. (Cue patriotic music.)

In a display of ability, determination and indigestion, Joey Chestnut dethroned Takeru Kobayashi as the world's hot dog eating champion.

Is there anything more American than consuming 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes and being rewarded for it? Its glutenous, wasteful and downright patriotic.

And not only did Chestnut defeat the competitive eating master known as Kobayashi, they both broke the world record (previously 59.5) in a finish that required a video replay (I kid you not).

This is the equivalent of the Lakers playing the Lebrons and Kobe Bryant and King James each throwing down 120 points apiece! (Well, its not quite the same, but close, and you get the picture.)

Think about it. Sixty six hot dogs. Twelve minutes. That's about a hot dog every 10 seconds! Its simply amazing and disgusting at the same.

I was proud to be an American this July 4th.

(Read about Chestnut's Wilt Chamberlain like eating performance here.)

Golf Kartin'

2007-07-04T23:56:00.000-04:00

Two quick comments;

1) I played golf with Jess today. It didn't really go too terribly well or bad, just bleh enough to keep me going and wishing I would play better. As soon as I start playing well - just at or below bogey golf - I tend to blow up with a seven on a hole or two in a row. I hate this game.

2) I spent my first evening ever in the PTC (Peachtree City for you non-suburban folk) and the thousands of golf karts startled me. I've always heard about the immense number of karts in PTC, but damn! It was ridiculous! White folks rolling about every which way in golf karts decorated for the Fourth.

I think I'm golf-karted out for a minute.

whudafxup

2007-07-04T01:04:00.000-04:00

This shall remain brief.

As I am watching TV with Val and Jess just now, I see another truth ad and this may simply be the most offensive thing I have ever seen on television. The one linked into this blog is not the exact commercial, but the "whudafxup" displayed at the end of the commercial was the exact same.

whudafxup.

Anyone with any sense and knowledge of the word, "fuck," including most anyone older than 12, can make out what this says ... What the fuck's up?

Are you kidding me? This was allowed on television.

If this had been any semi-controversial show or promotion, it would be banned with the quickness. But, because this is an anti-smoking commercial, it flies.

I cry shenanigans.

People cried like hell when South Park used the word, "shit," and lampooned Steve Irwin's death, but when an anti-smoking group blatantly, yet somewhat cleverly, use the word, "fuck," it does unquestioned.

I have very few issues with the use of expletives in common conversation, even in television and film. But, it seems rather hypocritical to tolerate this oh-not-so-cryptic use of, "fuck," when this is the same culture that panicked like the Nipplegate wardrobe malfunction was the Black Tuesday stock market crash all over again.

Best Online Argument in Weeks ...

2007-07-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

My friend just gave me the AOL ‘hang up,’ as she signed off mid conversation. All I did was try to explain why some people choose not to align themselves with feminists, a word with a dirty connotation, yet can still support civil rights and equality.

Now, I present to you, a conversation gone bad …

chilidonkey: you dirty feminazi
Anonymous: no
Anonymous: like
Anonymous: when people say they aren’t feminists
Anonymous: i am amazed
chilidonkey: why, dont play that game
Anonymous: i'm like "oh, so you dont think men and women are equal"
chilidonkey: thats not just it and you know it
Anonymous: and they're like "well, of course i do"
Anonymous: and i'm like "ok, you're a feminist."
Anonymous: i dont know why its a dirty word
Anonymous: its stupid
chilidonkey: there is a negative connotation that goes along with feminism, as well as a degree of political activeness and social consciousness
Anonymous: yeah and i dont know why
chilidonkey: you can agree with equality, but no be politically active
chilidonkey: *not
Anonymous: yeah
Anonymous: you can be a feminist and not be politically active
chilidonkey: and in that regard, youre not a feminist
chilidonkey: i disagree
Anonymous: but i am politically active
chilidonkey: and, feminists hold the bogus idea that idea of men and women being different is that of a social construction ... which is friggin retarded. there certainly are biological differences
chilidonkey: also, as a whole, feminists are pro-choice, but a woman can choose to believe in equality and pro-life, and would therefore not want to align herself with feminists
Anonymous: read this
Anonymous:
FEMINISM
We get so mad when some nitwit says she’s not a feminist. I guess if you’re cool with being raped all the time and having no options in life other than being a baby machine or a prostitute, then yeah, you’re probably not a feminist. But if you enjoy birth-control pills and not being beaten up by your owner—I mean, husband—then you pretty much are one so you may as well stop shaving your legs right now. Just kidding. Somewhere along the way feminism got a bad rep, but it doesn’t mean you have to be a sourpuss or that you can’t write tongue-in-cheek articles riddled with silly gender stereotypes. All it means is that you don’t hate yourself.
Anonymous: feminism is about choice
chilidonkey: that is not what feminism means
chilidonkey: lol
Anonymous: and if you choose to not have abortions
Anonymous: then you are a feminist
Anonymous: who are you to define it?
Anonymous: and yes that is what feminism is about
Anonymous: feminism is not a dirty word
chilidonkey: because i dont have a vagina i cant pass judgment? and not to mention, some radical feminists believe the world should have dramatically fewer men
chilidonkey: thats a swell, real equal notion
Anonymous: some libertarians think we should abolish UNICEF
chilidonkey: yeah, it wastes money
chilidonkey: lol
chilidonkey: but so does our government and countless other organizations
Anonymous:: i'm done
Anonymous: you're too closed minded
chilidonkey: unicef is low on my hate list
chilidonkey: im just saying
Anonymous: no i cant talk to you about feminism
chilidonkey: feminism is considered a dirty word for no good reason, but if you choose to not align yourself with the word because of the negative connotations and such, it doesnt mean you condone rape
Anonymous: yes it does
chilidonkey: thats being close minded
chilidonkey: omg
Anonymous: if you dont want to align yourself with feminism
Anonymous: then you are an anti-feminist
Anonymous: which is a movement
Anonymous: but those girls need to just own up to it
Anonymous: and say "i'm an anti-feminist"
Anonymous: not "i'm not a feminist because i dont want boys to think im' a lesbo"
Anonymous: what girl doesnt align herself with feminism? i'll talk some sense into her
chilidonkey: okay, im an anti-feminist, but i believe in civil liberties and equality, happy
Anonymous: no i'm not
Anonymous: that's disgusting
chilidonkey: why, i dont believe there should be less men in the world
Anonymous: 1) that comment makes you look really stupid
chilidonkey: so i cant align myself with radical fems
Anonymous: because civil liberties and equality is what the movement is based on
Anonymous: 2) it makes you look like a bigot
Anonymous: and 3) i'm not down with stupid bigots
Anonymous: peace
chilidonkey: i have no issue with liberal feminism, thats what i just said essentially
Anonymous signed off at 9:42:43 AM.

Damn (The Braves and ZB) ...

2007-07-01T23:50:00.000-04:00

... the Braves got dropped in ruthless fashion tonight. Miguel Olivo officially owns Braves’ closer Bob Wickman ... same pitch, same swing, same sour befuddled look on Wickman's face and the ball flew over the wall in the same place. Back-to-back two-night ownage by Olivo.

In unrelated news, ZB, a very cute young lady who lives down the street who I have hung out with a few times in recent days gave me a hard time earlier tonight for not finding a few lines written about her in this here blog. So, with not further delay, a quick rant on Elizabeth ...

We met a party a few months back; I thought she was cute, while she thought I was young. We bumped heads a few times thereafter, but we started hanging out recently after I ran into her in a most embarrassing manor, which I'm sure she doesn't want me tossing to the wind.

We hung out a few times recently, and with a some beverages consumed, acted like fools on a few occasions ... that is, until she played the, 'We're too different," card, like an over-zealous soccer ref. Then I told her it was no big deal, and she said, "See. This reinforces my point."

What? Was I supposed to do? Act hurt by a woman I barely knew and cry in the fetal position on why I so badly want a girl I barely know beyond sharing beers in classy joints like Mr. C’s; "Noooo. Please come back. Won't you have my babies!?!?!"

Oh, women. Can't live with 'em, can't ... blah, blah, blah whatever. They're retarded at times, but damn I love them and the chase. And when you're with a cool one you can have a good time with, life is spectacular ... but they still drive me crazy even in the best moments.

But, back on track, ZB is an incredibly intelligent, beautiful, talented and charming woman, when she isn't reinforcing the point that she is better than you. She's kind of the hipster/emo/'riot grrl' type (okay, I really still don't know what this means to the T, but my friend Ash from Jersey said it and I like it, and while I don't know if ZB is the feminist type, we're going to roll with it … and that was the worst description of her ever), which is awesome in my book. It's too bad she's bailing’ on me already, but, as stated before, no big deal, and also, her loss (cause I'm that awesome bia). Plus, I still have Caitlin to get to know, just started talking to Jess again and always have Melissa to drive me insane. (Read about ZB's awesome life, because it's better than yours and she is lame like me and has a blog. And notice, where is the entry about Mr. Simmons?)

I really need to pass out as I'm working 7 till 7 tomorrow. Holla!

I hate Billy Knight

2007-07-01T18:05:00.001-04:00

Well so much for brevity, because I have a feeling this is going to be a lengthy rant …

I hate Billy Knight.

At this point, I believe the hate I share with many fellow Hawks fans (yes, a few still survive) is akin to Detroit Lions’ fans loathing Matt Millen. And for good reason, as Knight and Millen seem to share a similar predisposed infatuation with rangy quick athletes. For Millen, he can’t resist a strong, quick wideout with height. In Knight’s case, the Hawks’ GM can’t say no to a 6’8’’/6’9’’ forward with length.

This year’s edition of, ‘Who Is The Hawks Latest Forward,’ brought us Al Horford, a 6’9’’ power forward who could barely score at the college level on a team so stacked, he was rarely double teamed. At least he can rebound, right? Or didn’t we say the same about 'The Slumlord' Sheldon Williams last year?

Frankly, I think this was a wasted pick.

Of course the Hawks needed a legitimate post presence to balance the team on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. However, in my opinion, Horford’s best-case-NBA projection is that of a 15 and nine guy at his best, with perhaps an All-Star appearance or two. And while the Hawks certainly can use this type of player, isn’t the third overall pick reserved for someone who’s upside is that of a numerous time All-Star? The type of upside very few prognosticators believe Horford has. But, he is ready to play in the NBA right now, some say. Some hear this and think, ‘instant production,’ while I hear, ‘Already reached his potential.’

Maybe I’m being too tough on the guy. Then again, I preferred Acie Law IV (thank god we at least got one pick right) to Mike Conley Jr., but would have preferred the Hawks selected Conley or Yi Jianlan, the 7-foot tall Chinese power forward, over Horford with the third pick because those players have greater potential to be superstars and still fit the Hawks’ needs. I would have rather given this year’s pick to Phoenix so that we could have next year’s first round pick instead of Horford’s Sheldon Williams-like game.

But this is not solely Billy’s fault. The Hawks’ ownership, including one Steve Belkin, is more to blame than anyone else. Had the collective group of owners not been so frugal (aka cheap asses) and placed a clause in their agreement calling for a collective vote on any trade or signing putting the team over the salary cap requiring only one nay to veto, the Hawks would likely have traded for 24-year old All-Star Amare Stoudamire in return for their 2007 third and 11th draft picks. Specifically, Belkin is most responsible for reportedly being the dickhole who vetoed the Amare deal. And honestly, I don’t think he vetoed it because he thought the trade would hurt the franchise. I think he did just to zing the other member’s of the ownership in the continuing slap fight over the rights to own the Hawks and Thrashers. (Read about the Hawks' ownership disfunction here!)

Yep. This is what it is like to be a Hawks fan these days.

And, off the subject, what should the over/under be on Big Macs consumed by Eddie Curry and the newly acquired Zach Randolph of the New York Knicks be for one season? 100 or 200? Because I really think 250 between the two of them in one year is a real possibility.

In my next post, look for brief thoughts on the Chris Benoit horror and for 2007 NBA Draft conspiracy theories.

Whoops!

2007-07-01T15:04:00.000-04:00

Well, it appears I have my second strike in reference to continuously updating this blog. I suppose I'll do my darnedest from here on out to keep the activity alive. Perhaps shorter, non-Bill Simmons-length blogs may be in order.

If I get a third strike I'm deleting this. Hopefully, I'll even update this mother tonight ... here's to me not being lame (yeah, right).

The "E" Word

2006-11-28T13:46:00.000-05:00

So, I'm currently in Constitutional Law class and I've just come to the understanding you must be an absolute retard to ever argue one could teach any sort of religious theory in opposition to evolution (there I said it, the "E" Word).

Science, by definition, is explicitly limited to observable phenomenon that can be tested by hypothesis and through repeatable means. Then, how the fudge could anyone ever argue religious theories should be taught in school? First, you're a retard if you make this argument, but I suppose one could say pastactions of Jesus and miracles are/were "observable," but all you have to counter with is, "repeat it."

How are our school boards dumb enough to have ever been doped into teaching religion? Do they very leaders of our education system not understand what science is? Yikes.

G-State Ballers - Five Games, Five Thoughts Good and Bad

2006-11-28T01:09:00.000-05:00

I just concluded a mammoth research paper, so I’m going to try to cover some ground briefly on G-State basketball (briefly.. ha!).

The G-State Ballers are 2-3 through five games. Already my Panthers have given me many reasons for optimism and concern. It’s early. I know. But, it’s never too early to evaluate (and poorly, with few correct predictions, if done by yours truly).

Through five games, here are five comments (in no particular order, cause I'm lazy like that) on the good and the bad;

Good:

1) Minus our two biggest players (scant minutes from 6’9’’ Devin Dickerson and an ineligible 6’8’’ Justin Billingslea, who could be State’s best player if he could manage to grab 7 boards a game like he should, if not more … he averages below 3 for his career I believe) we’ve rebounded well, which is a traditional State problem. Also, without DD and JB, State has shown flashes offensively with sparing post play.

2) Sophomore Rashad Chase is rounding into a stud, as he current leads the CAA in rebounding (8 per game) and gets to the free throw line seemingly at will. He’s scoring 15 per game and is shooting a smoking .57 percent from the field.

3) Lance is legit. Perique, like Chase, seems to get to the line any time he elevates towards the hope. And, although he has been rightfully dubbed, Lance “No Pass” Perique, he puts the ball in the iron. The 6’7’’ small forward is averaging 18 points per game.

4) Larris and Goldston are on point, as the two new guards are ballin’. While neither has really impressed me with their passing skills, each can score adequately and Trae looks like an intriguing talent with speed and a quick, accurate trigger. Coach Perry has already experimented with two points simultaneously, as he often ran with Copeland and Favors. I just like em’ both.

5) The Panthers played right alongside two quality mid-major programs, but fell to both in close decisions, Charlotte (reamed by refs) and Charleston (inconsistent offense, gave up crucial boards). But, it was apparent State could possibly beat either on any night.

Bad

1) The Panthers should have beat Charlotte and Charleston. Either would have been a resounding roar of, “We’re climbing back,” after sinking to pre-Lefty like performances in the past two years. If only we could have scored a few more, either would have been a rallying win for a team with little chemistry.

2) We should be scoring more. We always win when we have high-scoring affairs (80+) and it fits Perry’s run-‘n’-gun (pass the ball around until someone feels like jacking up a three – open or not – or driving and fast break off steals). We should have dumped Winston-Salem by 20, crushed Alabama State by 30 (but, we still have one more chance, Dec. 16) and played more aggressive against the two C schools.

3) Brandon Cartwright won’t shoot. Everyone disagrees with me on him, but I love the kid. I think he could be a good bench option at the 2 for Mendez, but everyone seems to think he’s a 3. You don’t have to be a three-point shooter to be a 2, and this kid has an offensive game and hits his shots. But, he always defers to someone else, EVEN WHEN HE IS OPEN!!! It drives me crazy because he makes those shots. Score more Cartwright. Six per game is unacceptable.

4) No assists (44 in five games). Sign of a motionless offense. I want some screens, pick-n-roll, back-door cuts. Give me motion and get me assists.

5) Devin Dickerson is breaking my heart. DD is nice, smart kid with a bright smile and come game time he’ll dominate … when he plays and that’s not often. After being told he would be ready to play this season, Devin is playing sparingly, but more of late. When he’s in he’s awesome. He needs to brush off some rust. But he’s struggling with some asthma. I’m just hoping he can get healthy because the kid can alter a game on both ends of the floor.

That said, this team, with the addition of Justin Billingslea can be competitive in the CAA. A healthy DD would only help more. And under those circumstances, fifth place or even forth is a lofty, yet possible goal.

So, assuming we get JB back and he plays well and DD contributes 10+ minutes through Jan. and upwards of 20+ mins after, here are some predictions for the next ten games;

Previous Games (2-3):

Chrls – L, 66-72 -- could have won it, inconsistent offense and gave up crucial offensive rebounds

@GT – L, 74-103 -- we got smoked, not many positives, but Chase and Perique banged down low

Wins-Sal – W, 94-87 -- we won after being down by 10 late to a team we should have smoked yikes!

Ala St – W, 70-59 – we should have smoked them, but we played poor D at times

@Char – 63-72 – the refs killed us, just go look at the free throw numbers

Predictions (6-4):

Sav St – W, 90-70 – somewhat of a statement spanking against an improved team

@Hofstra – L, 70-61 – good team on the road, too early in season for inexperience State

Fla St – L, 72-69 – I really just want an upset, and I don’t want to jinx it by picking it since I’m always wrong (did this just jinx it?)

@Ala St – W, 76 – 60 – strong road performance against team with less talent

@Iowa – W, 76-74 – I’m not afraid to pick this upset, because I’m really liking the matchup. Iowa lost big talent and isn’t big or athletic. State may be more athletic and quicker. Could be best chance for a big upset. JB could be back.

@Clem – L, 65-61 – JB definitely is back and we hopefully play well, but this is a seasoned ACC team.

Drexel – L, 70-67 – Coin flip if we’re playing well, but no fans because of bad scheduling give me a bad feeling.

Towson – W, 80-74 – Another coin flip, still bad schedule, but you lose one you win one, right?

Bill & Mary – W, 82-73 – They suck. Offense rolling by this point. Win. Perhaps some flare.

@NE – W, 78-76 – They suck this year (no Barea). I’m feeling good about the offense.

So there you have it. Through 15 we're 8-7. I’m feeling kinda sexy like Miss Cleo now after al those predicitions (CALL ME NOW!!! and that was in my best hearty female island accent). Let’s see if they players can make me look good, because in hindsight, those are some lofty predictions.

Alright, I’m posting this and passing out. No fancy conclusion. Bite me. CALL NOW, THE CARDS DON'T LIE!!!

Georgia State Blows Out Clark Atlanta (kind of), The Hawks are Rollin’ (sort of) and Voting Matters (just not in my district)

2006-11-08T23:08:00.000-05:00

Last evening I had a sensation exploration into my two favorite subjects, sports and politics.

Despite massive personal disappoint (see; car accident, voting in a uncompetitive district, recent traffic ticket, all below), I spent my Tuesday night thrilled by the victories of the Georgia State’s men’s basketball team and the suddenly-surging Atlanta Hawks, and afterwards enthralled by the modern-democratic extravaganza that is the United States’ election process and the media circus that surrounds it.

I spent Tuesday morning feeling disillusioned by the current voting system and how a majority party can redistrict to suit their electoral needs, essentially guaranteeing their reelection and continued power. I was certain “Sonny-Do” was set to retain the governorship and Democrats would sweep Fulton County (not to mention, I have no clue how any candidates really feel about any issue as they spent all their commercial time bashing each other).

I was intent on skipping the election until a friend badgered me into voting after work (and then my guilt-tripping amiga skipped the process herself, citing yesterday’s veritable monsoon as a deterrent).

At this point I’m feeling pretty chipper about myself. I’m doing the right thing. The American thing. I’m going to share my voice and vote. And in the rain at that!

I get to the electronic ballot and start poking the screen. All is well and then I get to the first near full page of unopposed Democrats running in Fulton. And then a second. And later a third page of unopposed judges.

You have to love the Democratic process and all the choice we really have.

So I leave the Antioch Baptist Church and it’s ballot o’ choices behind and head to the Georgia Dome, when only moments later a jack hole has second thoughts on running a red light, slams on their brakes in the rain and causes eight damn cars to rear end each other in the monsoon … and I’ll give you one guess who the eighth was. (And this comes only two days after getting a ticket for not having a current insurance card in my car at police “bake sale,” a.k.a. traffic stop. I produced three different old cards for the bastard, but he refused to look up my policy in his computer, thus sending me to court in two weeks.)

Anyways, I made it to the Dome for the Georgia State game against Clark Atlanta and the Panthers won easily, 68-49. Although I’m pleased with a 19-point victory, we should have won handily by 40. We’re an inexperienced team and it just seemed we lacked the killer instinct to put Clark Atlanta away. (Read about the kinda almost beat down here.)

Positives in the game included; 1) senior forward Lance Perique, who was dubbed Lance “I Ain’t Passing” Perique (although one must admit, he really didn't need to as hard as he was balling, but he did take some tough shots), had 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 2) senior guard/forward Brandon Cartwright made the most of his shots by scoring 14 points on eight field goal attempts and showed his defensive prowess with three blocks, and 3) freshman point guard Trae Goldston is a baller, a whirling dervish of a player (see; three nasty spin moves in the game) who can push the break and has no hesitation to pull the trigger himself (see; 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, of which many were beautiful high-arching runners in the lane).

There were certainly disappointments as well, including defensive lapses, inconsistent offensive spurts and no Justin Billingslea (ineligible) or Devin Dickerson (recovering from injury, but he's limited by pain much too often), but the team looked better than I had expected (but expectations were quite low).

Already pleased by State’s result, I was quite enamored to return home to see my Hawks successfully battling the LeBrons. Down two points with seconds left, T-Lue pushed the ball up court, gave a hesitation step at the three-point line and dropped in a floater (a la Goldston) to force overtime. In OT the Hawks beat down the Brons to the tune of 14-5, including back-to-back Joe Johnson treys to seal the deal.

Am I in weirdo world, or are the Hawks really 3-1? (Read about weirdo world here.)

(The Hawks out of nowhere are already way over hyped, see; former-NBA player on ESPN’s NBA Shootaround saying, “The Hawks are for real,” and Chris Dimino claiming Johnson is better than Shaq.)

After being shocked by my Hawks (you have to love the rhyme), my roommates and I flipped the channel to weirdo world number two, the land of politics. After watching CNN and the angry-Republican channel (Fox News) for hours I had a few thoughts; 1) I wish I could vote in a state where politics are actually competitive, 2) the face Brit Hume made when it was obvious the Dems had won back the House was classic, like someone dumped on the hood of his Mercedes, and 3) the Senate-a-Tron 3000 (the flat-panel touch screen CNN had where you could press the Senate seat on the screen to see the respective candidates from a state and their vote totals) was the coolest must-have invention of recent time, can you imagine playing Keno or Bingo on a HD flat-screen Senate-a-Tron, or watching your favorite movie after checking last year’s vote totals from Virginia (after the recount)? “Fun,” says I.

(To top the Senate-a-Tron 3000, before the next election CNN or Fox will release the Poli-Scent-o-Vision television set in cooperation with Philips. The scent sensation will broadcast the pungent scent of zoo elephants and donkeys for the respective party’s representatives while on screen.)

I’m currently watching the Sacramento Kings play the Detroit Pistons and noticed Shareef Abdur-Rahim is still playing well in the NBA. Has everyone forgotten the Hawks traded one 7-foot baller Pau Gasol for Abdur-Rahim. How’d that work out for you Hawks? Only set the franchise back about five years. Well done.

Well, despite all the excitement I had last night, I’m depressed after thinking about my pathetic Hawks. I’m going to go sulk in NBA action.

Tsk Tsk

2006-11-06T17:48:00.000-05:00

Oh what a punk I am for not updating ye' here blog.

Tsk Tsk to me.

We'll see what I can do about this.

...

Misc. Rant

2006-05-08T11:18:00.000-04:00

I don't really have any one subject I possess a dying urge to discuss, but since I am currently playing the role of secretary extrodinare for Georgia State Athletics, while our lovely secretary Beverly is in a meeting, I figured, "Why not rant?"

Let's start jumping subjects ...

Last night Mr. Barry Bonds crushed his 713th home nearly into the upper deck in Philadelphia. After reading "Game of Shadows," I have no respect for Bonds and could care less about his "heroic" home-run feats - the book completly nails his backside to the wall leaving me with no doubt he is a steriod using, lying cheater. The best moment of the game came when the entire front row in left field lifted a banner made of four bed sheets reading, "Ruth did it on hot dogs and beer."

The Braves seemingly popped out of their slump by shellacking the Mets 13-3 at Shea, but I'm not convinced we're through the worst. The Braves have no bullpen and I cannot understand why they didn't go after any relievers this offseason. They could have resigned Kyle Farnesworth, kept Kolb (who is still better than Chris Reitsma) or chased after a number of quality free-agent relievers - including, but not limited to Tom Gordon and Billy Wagner! Now, with Andruw Jones injured and no late-inning pitching, the next month could be rough for the Braves unless they trade for help.

The NBA and NHL Playoffs are in progress. I haven't watched one NHL game (my NHL television allotment for the year is only 100 minutes considering how terrible the game translates to the small screen, and all 100 are reserved for the Stanley Cup Finals) and have seen equal parts good and horrendous NBA playoff action. For every Lebron James or Kobe Bryant game-winning shot I've seen, I've witnessed a JV-like game with scores like 120 to 75. (And by the way, for my finals pick I'm going out on a limb ... a big sturdy one and taking the Spurs and Pistons).

Georgia State, as a whole, has been quite succesful in the Colonial Athletic Association in their first year. We know basketball had their stuggles year one, but some of our other teams are doing great. First, both the men's and women's Panther cross country teams finished third in the CAA Championship meet. Then, both men's and women's golf won their respective CAA Championships by over 20 strokes. Now, softball just clinched the CAA regular-season title and baseball still has a fighting chance to make the CAA tourny.

Well, I believe the quick rant is over as the staff meeting has come to a conlusion. More to follow soon, hopefully on the Hawks and the NBA draft.

Time Lost

2006-05-06T10:53:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a wee bit more than a few minutes since I've updated the blog. That said, I have a lot I want to rant about and so little time to do it.

Music
First, before sports, a recurring discussion theme amongst friends and I lately is the best line you've heard from a hip-hop song. While there are many I like, and many I certainly will contribute to this page, I recently heard an old-school tune for the first time in years and took a liking to;

"I kicked the bass like an NFL punter and scoped the booty like a big-game hunter." - LL Cool J, Big Ole' Butt, circa way back when.

Now that I've dropped a rhyme, let's stew on some sports.

Farve
Let's address Favre first (at the pressure of one of my five readers). The oft-outspoken gunslinger has decided to return to Green Bay, to the delight of Wisconsinites everywhere, and ending the longest anti-drama in sports.

I have no problem with him coming back, he certainly still has the physical abilities. But, I'm still absolutely convinced he wanted a trade due to the lack of aquisitions by Green Bay this offseason. As of today, their roster is not good enough to compete for a Super Bowl Championship, even in today's parody-riddled NFL. Favre knows this

I'm just glad its over. No longer will I have five minutes of each night's SportsCenter reserved for a Where's Waldo-like search for any nugget of information on what Favre's thinking.

The Falcons' Draft
I'm very content with the Atlanta Falcons' draft, although my close friend and hater-extrodinare Texas T-Roc would galdly proclaim his displeasure with their draft, and the Falcons' free-agent additions.

The Falcons didn't have many picks after the considerable trades made in the off-season, but through those trades and free agency the Falcons where able to address all their key positonal needs pre-draft - offensive line, defensive line and safety - with John Abraham, Lawyer Milloy, Chris Crocker and Wayne Gandy. With the remaining draft picks the Falcons added two players who I believe will contribute immediately, two talents who will contribute in the future and one insurance policy.

Jimmy Williams, the Falcons' first pick in the second round, is a big ahtletic corner, with the skills to play safety as well. Considering the additions of Milloy and Crocker, Williams will play corner opposite his Hookie teammate DeAngelo Hall. Many considered him first-round talent, perhaps the best corner in the draft, early in the scoouting process, but Mel Kipper and other prognosticators had his stock falling before the draft.

Be that good or bad in your mind, Rick McKay, claims he targeted Williams as a first-round pick from day one until the draft, but figured he had little chance to draft him after trading the 15th-overall pick. After he fell to the second round, McKay gladly scooped the corner, who I figure will start from pre-season on next year.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the Jerious Norwood pick, who was selected in the third round. While the kid did seem talented in the one Mississipi State game I (think I) watched last year and in those rare SportsCenter highlights. He'll contribute in the future, but they Falcons could, and should, have addressed another position here or traded up a few spots to select Brian Calhoun, whom they rated very highly.

Quinn Ojinnaka, our fifth-round selection, has the potential to develope into a starter in the future, according to scouts . He is agile and should fit well into the Falcons' (cut) blocking scheme.

Adam Jennings, from the sixth round, will make an impact on special teams from day one. While Reggie Bush had most the highlights from the USC v. Fresno St. game, you might remember a red blur tearing two 70+ yard kick returns on USC. That was Jennings.

And, DJ Shockley, he Georgia boy selected in the seventh round, who will be the backup backup for Michael Vick. He is a quick, strong armed quarterback who scrambles. He fits well in the system and is familiar with holding the notes on the sidlines. Good pick.

I need to dip off to work, but I have more draft comments. To be continued ...

Recruitin'

2006-04-21T17:49:00.001-04:00

My boy Texas T-Roc is about to drop by, but before he does I wanted to contribute a few nuggets on Georgia State's recruiting.

First, Antonio Odom will not be coming to State, it turns out. Charlie couldn't say why, but that's the word.

Second, in the same conversation, it was absolutely confirmed that Ron Larris, Odom's JUCO teammate, will be coming to State. Charlie knows absolutely nothing about the kid, but from what I've found online, I'm convinced the kid is at least decent.

Third, I noticed a kid in a white-t shooting opposite the team today as they were practicing and coach Cheeks was talking with him. I watched for a few moments, physically he looked impressive - 6'2''-ish and stout with broad shoulders - but I must say, for looking like a shooting guard, he went only 1-of-4 from range and 2-of-5 overall when I was looking on. (He did appear to have a great handle on the ball.)

Coach Cheeks said his name was "Duke," a JUCO player and a recruit. I asked Charlie
about him, and I got little information again - the kid's name was "Duke," he was indeed 6'2'' and hails from the Alabama Community College Conference, where he was the MVP this past year.

After a bit of research I found little else. His name is Reaynundo "Duke" Sturdivant, he is the reigning MVP, he's a sophomore and apparently he was dominant in high school, averaging 22 points, 9 rebounds (as a 6'2'' guard) and 6 assists.

He seems like he must be somewhat talented, but Charlie brought up a good point. For a reigning MVP to available this late in the recruiting game, there must be some baggage; "Can he spell C-A-T?"

T-Roc just arrived. Holla!

Brett Farve - He Might Be The Best Ever, But He's Starting To Annoy The Hell Out Of Me

2006-04-20T23:40:00.000-04:00

This Farve situation is ridiculous. I have a feeling he wants to be traded, thinking he has only one or two years left and the Packers don't have the talent to win one more Super Bowl, and I don't blame him for feeling that way. Over the past two seasons, the Packers, who aren't short of cash, let all three of Favre's starting interior lineman walk to take more money elsewhere.

So Packers, do us all a favor and trade Farve, or if Farve is really pondering retirement, just do that. Somebody do something. But, either way ...

Farves on his way out soon. The Packers need a quarterback for the future (and according to scouts, Aaron Rodgers isn't ready for that role, and may never be).

ESPN draft whore Mel Kiper, who possesses one of the sleaziest hair-dos imaginable, has the Packers drafting AJ Hawk, a middle linebacker from The Ohio State University with the fifth pick. His latest mock draft's top-five goes;

1. Houston Texans - Reggis Bush, RB, USC
2. N.O. Saints - Mario Williams, DE, NCST
3. Tenn. Titans - Matt Leinart, QB, USC
4. New York Jets - D'Brickashaw Fergeson, T, Virg.
5. G.B. Packers - AJ Hawk, MLB, Ohio St

... news flash, Vince Young is missing from that board. The Vince Young who single-handedly defeated the unstoppable jugernaut that was USC. The amazing athlete and leader Vince Young who won Texas' first Red-River Shootout in seemingly hundreds of years. The Vince Young who might be the best player in this entire draft class.

Packers, please mix it up and draft Young over Hawk. You'd be fools not to draft Young when you'll need a quarterback sooner or later. He possesses ridiculous talent, similar to one Michael Vick (see, blur of a quarterback that ended Green Bay's streak of playoff wins at Lambeau).

I'm cranky and tired. If the Packers pass on Young, they'll be forced to watch him dominate the entire NFL for 10 years. Have fun with that.

Inside Information

2006-04-19T16:05:00.000-04:00

If you’re a Georgia State basketball fan, it’s about impossible to find information on your team's recruiting on the web. No need to worry, just make The Sports Rant your new home for all things Georgia State Basketball.

I’ve read a few things online in recent weeks about Georgia State recruiting and went seeking confirmation (by harassing anyone inside the Georgia State Sports Arena I can) for what I had read; those readings being, 1) Delano Howard, the spark plug point guard from South Gwinnett High School, may not actually make it to Geoorgia State's campus, and 2) the Panthers have signed two JUCO guards, Antonio Odom and Ron Larris, sophomores from Kilgore Community College (read the article on the Kilgore boys).

First, I found out from a source close to the Howard family that Georgia State’s point guard of the future will not be coming to Atlanta, for he will not be able to qualify academically. Instead of ripping the kid for struggling in school (as I know nothing about his personal life and still hope he can find his way to the concrete campus), I will comment on the academic standards of Georgia State, which certainly have improved greatly since the introduction of the HOPE program years ago. While researching basketball recruiting, I stumbled upon an article on law schools. Georgia State's is currently marked in the second-tier (in the top 100, tied at 97th) in the latest rankings, ahead of many prestigious programs, one being Marquette, and apparently they're not happy about it (read it here). I’m pretty certain it’s not as easy as it used to be to get accepted into State.

Second, a source familiar with the situation believes Larris will be a Panther next year. From my (limited) research, Larris (5’10’’ 180 lbs.) appears to be a decent shooter, hence averaging 80 percent from the charity stripe, but is not a scorer. From some game logs and notes on his high school team, he seems to possess leadership qualities and his greatest strength may be facilitating an offense – he led his high school team to a 12-0 start his senior year, the best opening run in school history, breaking a record from 1922. Also, he was the class 4-AAAA State Player of the Year runner up in Florida in 2003-2004 and was ranked the fifth best point guard in the state.

Odom’s signing was announced in November, in a press release by Charlie Taylor, the human sports almanac for Georgia State Athletics, also announcing the signing of two other JUCO guards (read it here).

That’s all for now. But my rant on the NBA and upcoming NFL draft is coming soon. (One more thing, the Braves thwarted the Mets again today, only days after the fickle New York media passed us off as dead. Count home run number eight for Andruw Jones and note that Timmy Hudson was dealing today.)

The First Rant

2006-04-18T20:43:00.000-04:00

Kyle Davies is embarrassing Carlos Delgado by painting the corners as the Braves lead the Mets, 5-1, yet I find myself repeatedly flipping back to the final Hawks home game of the year. (They’re losing 52-53 to the Miami Heat’s third line, if anyone actually cares besides myself.)

Why, you might ask? Because I love basketball, and while I would say I prefer the gridiron or diamond to hardwood, I think I want nothing more than for the Hawks to become a legitimate title contender.

I would love for the Thrashers to make the playoffs. I would dance in the streets if the Braves won another title, much like I would riot like a caveman (and I’d have to imagine a caveman could riot well) if the Falcons posted consecutive winning seasons and won a Super Bowl.

(Ah, snap. Andruw Jones just smashed his second long ball of the game and seventh of the year. Bravos 7, Mets 1.)

All that said, Philips Arena would be the crunkest place in Georgia if the Hawks were competitive, and I want to be there when it is.

And the good news is the team isn’t that far off.

With the Hawks' current core of players you can create a lineup featuring incredible talent, speed and strength at shooting guard, small forward and power forward with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Harrington respectively. From there you’re only missing two starting positions, albeit the two most important in the NBA, and most important at any level of basketball – the point guard and center. The rest of the Hawks players would make for a more than serviceable bench and Zaza Pachulia would be a potential sixth-man-of-the-year candidate if he was relegated to the role of backup.

BUT, point guard wouldn’t be a current need, and I firmly believe the Hawks would be in the playoffs this year, had Billy Knight and his cronies made the correct draft choice last year.

Recently I was reading Bill Simmons’ column on ESPN.com and the subject was NBA MVP candidates. Towards the end he listed the eight most deserving players and Chris Paul, the rookie point guard phenom for the Hornets, was listed at seven. (Read Simmons's column here)

Paul, the lightning-quick game-changer that should have been a Hawk, is actually in the MVP discussion.

Simmons’ summed up my feelings adequately with his final lines on Paul; “And yes, that screaming is the sound of everyone from Atlanta. Just give them a few seconds.”

Would the Hawks have made the playoffs with Paul? Most certainly.

The Hawks struggled their way to 25 wins playing one-on-one nearly every possession; Paul, who is averaging almost eight assists a game, would surely have made the offensive game easier for everyone around him. (Can you imagine the jaw-dropping alley-opps to Josh Smith?)

The Hawks are only a single tier below the lower-seeded Eastern Conference playoff teams that backed their way in (see the Milwaukee Bucks). The Hawks, with Paul, would easily have been better than Bogut's Bucks.

But we can’t dwell on the past can we? We can, and will, because I don’t feel like discussing the Hawks draft prospects at the moment. So, in the mean time, dwell on what could have been with Paul.

Although, I will say this on the draft currently, if the Hawks draft a small forward in this draft, I’m going to buy a Bobcats jersey.

Update at 12:18 AM:

The Braves defeated the Mets, 7-1, after a complete game, three hitter by 22-year-old Kyle Davies. In his first career complete game, the right-handed hurler stifled Mets hitters and struck out a frustrated Carlos Delgado three times in four at bats.

The Hawks defeated the Heat - more correctly a squad of third-string wannabes rocking Heat jerseys - by a score of 103-101 after Tyronn Lue hit a trey to win the game with 8 seconds remaining.

But the most intersting Atlanta sports moment of the night, on ESPN's NBA Fastbreak's "3-Ds-of-the-Year" segment there was a reel of ten or more Josh Smith highlights in a row with the Hawks logo glowing in the background. They showed the Hawks' youthful star throwing down jams from every angle and swiftly swating balls left and right. The notable part, two years ago such a segment would have featured no Hawks highlights. Josh Smith is an incredible talent.

The Big Bang

2006-04-18T18:09:00.000-04:00

... and it begins.