What to Watch: Monday
By Robbie Gillies1pm - ESPN2 - Wimbledon, round of 16 - Now it gets interesting (Andy Roddick vs. Tomas Berdych).
7pm - ESPN – MLB: Mets @ Brewers - The Mets are .500 for the first time since May 6th after the Yankees swept them this weekend. But they do have Fernando Nieves pitching, who is 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA.
Internet Video of the Day:
The Week in Sports Columns, Vol. XXV
By Ryan HudsonA look back at the week that was in sports, through the voices that tell the stories. Did we miss a column? Let us know in the comments.
Top Columns of the Week, June 22-28, 2009
1. NBA Should Impose ‘Two-and-Done’ Limit – Marc Stein, ESPN
2. US Open Champ Glover is a New Kind Of Guy – Mark Herrmann, Newsday
3. US Pulls Off Miracle On Grass – George Vescey, New York Times
4. Slain Coach Gave All to Small Town – Mark Kiszla, Denver Post
5. LSU’s Back Atop College Baseball – Tom Shatel, Omaha World Leader
6. Good Deal For Cavs? No, Great Deal – Terry Pluto, Cleveland Plain Dealer
7. Who Does Ricky Rubio Think He Is? – Jay Mariotti, FanHouse
8. Manny’s 42* Game Suspension – Ron Borges, Boston Herald
9. Michael Jackson’s Music Has Touched Us All – Jason Whitlock, Kansas City Star
10. Donald Fehr Owed Debt of Gratitude – Bill Madden, New York Daily News
AL East Dominates MLB Power Ranking Averages
By Jeff Briggs
The RCS MLB Power Ranking Averages combine seven* other sites' power rankings to make the most balanced and unbiased grade possible, and to offer the most accurate look at the state of the MLB on a weekly basis.
The Dodgers continue to dominate the RCS MLB Power Ranking Averages, ranked #1 for the 6th consecutive week. Jumping into the top 10 for the first time this season are Dodgers rival, the Giants, who rose from 13th into a tie for 8th. The Brewers fall out of the top ten, dropping from 6th to 12th.
The Giants are the hottest team in the power rankings along with the Cardinals, who also moved up 5 spots, from 10th to 5th. The Brewers and the Phillies (dropping from 4th to 10th) are the coldest teams in this week's rankings, each dropping 6 spots.
The AL East is far and away the highest ranked division in baseball, with teams ranked 2nd, 4th, 7th, 11th, and 22nd respectively.
*FanHouse did not have MLB Power Rankings this week so only 6 sites were used to determine the RCS Averages.
What to Watch: Weekend Edition
By Robbie GilliesFRIDAY
7am ET - ESPN2 - Wimbledon, early rounds - You can also watch it live online.
5pm - ESPN2 - Wegmans LPGA, second round - I'm supposed to put something about the LPGA here...instead I just want to say how awesome Wegmans is. If you haven't been, I feel sorry for you. You're probably saying "But it's just a grocery store." And I say to you, clearly you've never been.
7pm - Versus - NHL Draft - Is the NHL Draft the least covered event, or is that still the MLB draft?
8pm - ESPN - Track: US Outdoor Championships - Read all about it.
Non-sports pick - 12am - ABC - Jimmy Kimmel Live - No, I'm not recommending it for Megan Fox (though that's an added bonus). David Cross will be on.
Continue reading "What to Watch: Weekend Edition" »
They Can Play and They Try to Write: Athlete Blog Wrap-Up
By Jeff BriggsSome athletes, not satisfied with being better at a specific skill-set than 99% of the world, choose to blog as well. This is a look at their latest efforts.
The final video chapter of Chris Cooley's road trip to Wyoming.
Dwight Howard is already getting fired up for next season.
Brendon Haywood likes the Wizards recent trade.
Cubs OF Reed Johnson doesn't plan on being on the DL for more than 15 days.
Tommy Lasorda congratulates LSU coach Paul Mainieri.
Top 10 NBA-Talent Producing Colleges
By Jeff Briggs
The NBA Draft is tonight, and while the number of international players drafted has increased recently, the same college programs that have been churning out pro products for years will again be prominently represented. North Carolina will most likely have four players drafted (Lawson, Hansbrough, Green, and Ellington), Connecticut should have three (Thabeet, Adrien, and Price), UCLA two (Holiday and Collison), and Arizona also with two (Budinger and Hill). What might be more surprising is Duke only having one potential pick in Gerald Henderson and Kansas expected not to have anyone drafted (though that does explain why many have Kansas ranked as their preseason number one).
Of the top 10 schools that have the most current NBA players, only Kansas definitely won’t have a player drafted. Texas, Florida, and Kentucky could join the Jayhawks as also not being represented in this year’s draft, with each of those teams having potential second-rounders.
But just sheer number of players shouldn’t determine which school has produced the best current NBA players. Clearly Paul Pierce (Kansas) and Shavlik Randolph (Duke) are not created equal. So to determine which school has produced the best active pros we devised a 5-point scale with someone like Pierce on one end of the spectrum, and Randolph on the other:
5 points – All-Star in half seasons played or more
4 points – All-Star
3 points – consistent starter (started in 2/3 of games played)
2 points – 20 mpg for career
1 point – on an NBA roster
With any metric like this there are going to be problems. It hurts the younger players who have yet to prove that they can be starters (Kevin Love didn’t even start half the games this past season). There is an emphasis on starts where there are some players that thrive coming off the bench. It can hurt older players whose minutes and starts have declined with age. Just one All-Star appearance vaults you to 4 points (looking at you, Jamaal Magloire!). But probably the biggest problem is it rewards players on bad teams. An average player on a bad team is obviously going to play a lot more than an average player on a good team. But all in all, the problems come close to evening out. Here is the list for the Top 10 NBA Talent-Producing Colleges.
Don't Mess With (Old Men in) Texas
By Jeff Briggs
It sure can be frustrating when people in front of you are golfing too slowly. Feels like they are holding up your whole day. Especially if you are old and the group in front of you is a foursome of twenty-something’s. Eventually, you might work up the nerve to go say something to the group, but if they don’t comply, there is clearly only one option left: start being crazy.
This is just what 73-year-old Edwin Daily did in Austin, TX. He approached the group in front of him at the 9th hole, argued with them for 4 holes and then on the 13th, told one of the men that he would go get his gun and “make them both equal” (in his defense, I’m sure they were being jerks, but still). This was just a precursor to what Daily did after they had finished golfing in the parking lot.
After a verbal exchange, Dailey pulled out a .25-caliber Browning handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets and pointed it at Nader, the affidavit said.Daily then put the gun away and went into the clubhouse, at which point the threatened men called 911. Daily’s response is pure, classic crazy-Texas-old-man: "If I feel threatened, I am morally obligated to destroy you."
The moral of the story here is don’t golf slow in Texas, because it makes old men feel threatened, at which point they are clearly morally obligated to destroy you.
Man, 73, Accused of Aiming Pistol at Slower Golfers - Austin American-Statesman
Man Pulls Gun on Group for Slow Play - FanHouse
What to Watch: Thursday
By Robbie Gillies7am ET - ESPN2 - Wimbledon, Early Rounds - The upsets have already started with Sharapova getting eliminated yesterday. Who's next?
2:25pm - ESPN - Confederations Cup: South Africa vs. Brazil - The winner plays...the US?? That can't be right. In soccer? They beat Spain???
7pm - ESPN2 - Major League Lacrosse - Toronto Nationals @ Boston Cannons - The Cannons have crushed their last two opponents by an average of 10.5 goals.
7:30pm - ESPN - NBA Draft - The big deal already went down last night with the Cavs landing Shaq, but there's still the potential for many major trades to happen tonight.
Non-sports pick - 11:35pm - NBC - Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien - Sasha Baron Cohen is on as Bruno.
What to Watch: Wednesday
By Robbie Gillies7am ET - ESPN2 - Wimbledon, Early Rounds - Here's today's schedule.
2:25pm - ESPN - Confederations Cup, USA vs. Spain - Spain hasn't been beat in 35 matches, and the US are just lucky to be in this semifinals match-up. This has slaughter written all over it...OR one of the biggest upsets in soccer history! Yeah, probably a massacre.
7pm - ESPN - College World Series Final, Game 3: LSU vs. Texas - Texas should've won Game 1, and dominated Game 2, but all of that means nothing when you're facing a winner-take-all scenario in Game 3.
7pm - ESPN2 – MLB: Yankees @ Braves - This will be the eighth straight game the Yankees will be playing against a pitcher they've never faced before. The rookie Kenshin Kawakami is looking to win consecutive games for the first time this year.
Non-sports pick - 10:30pm - TCM - Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb - Whenever there's crazy international things going on (Iran and North Korea) you can watch this and think, it could be worse.
They Can Play and They Try to Write: Athlete Blog Wrap-Up
By Jeff BriggsSome athletes, not satisfied with being better at a specific skill-set than 99% of the world, choose to blog as well. This is a look at their latest efforts.
Curt Schilling thanks Donald Fehr for his years of work.
SF Giants C Bengie Molina talks about the Giants coming together.
Ohio St. benchwarmer Mark Titus writes about his short summer vacation and his hometown of Brownsburg.
Chris Cooley has the second video installment of his cross country drive to Wyoming.
Donovan McNabb expresses his sympathy for recently deceased Philly sports broadcaster Gary Papa.
Don't Draft White Big Men in the First Round
By Jeff BriggsIt’s a given that a white big man will be drafted in the first round of Thursday night’s NBA Draft who will be terrible. It happens almost every year. In fact, everyone who knows anything will say, ‘Hey, that guy sucks, why’d they draft him?’
And this year is no different, with two prospects looking to join this group.
UNC PF Tyler Hansbrough is one such guy, but he is not the highest rated big white guy destined to disappoint. No, that title goes to Ohio State’s B.J. Mullens, who supposedly has athleticism as his upside, but somehow was unable to appear more athletic than most players in the Big Ten last year as a freshman. Yet he still decided it was best to go pro now, and capitalize on a season of being amazingly mediocre in college (8.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg).
Sounds like a horrible guy to waste a first round pick on, yet Mullens is projected to go somewhere in the 15-20 range on Thursday.
What other white guys drafted too high in the first round will he be joining? And are white big men as bad in the NBA as everyone thinks they are? I decided to take a look at every white big man who attended college and was drafted in the first round since 1999 to see if they are as big of disappointments as I always assume they will be.
So of the 23 players on this list (and Rafael Araujo may or may not count, as he is Brazilian) there are zero all-stars, a few promising young guys, some solid role players, and a whole lot of disappointment. Particularly when you look at the 15-20 range, where Mullens is projected to join such great names as Cal Bowdler and Kirk Haston.
Of course this isn't to say that just because Mullens and Hansbrough are white they are destined for mediocrity or worse, but fair warning has been given to interested teams.
What to Watch: Tuesday
By Robbie Gillies7am ET - ESPN2 - Wimbledon, Early Round - Maybe there will be an upset worthy of making this list.
7pm - ESPN - College World Series Final, Game 2: LSU vs. Texas - LSU can close out the series with a win tonight. Texas must win to force a deciding Game 3.
7:30pm - ESPN2 - WNBA: Mercury @ Silver Stars - The Mercury look for their first road win of the season.
Non-sports pick - 11pm - Daily Show - They will continue their segments of Jason Jones in Iran and Larry David is the guest.
Bowling Anyone?
By Tanner Munroe
This past weekend, I did something I can honestly say I’ve never done before in my life: I watched an entire bowling match from start to finish. Many everyday sports fans might ask, why would you watch bowling? Honestly, I was getting bored of watching a bunch of unknowns dominate at the US Open. That and the constant rain had chased away any weekend plans I may have had.
So I was stuck inside with nothing to watch, and I happened to go to ESPN2, where a re-run of a Lumber Liquidators PBA King of Bowling match was just getting underway. I normally would have clicked off immediately, but I was intrigued for a few reasons. To start, I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the chair they had the apparent reigning “King” Wes Malott sitting in. It was actually a throne. Instead of the uncomfortable looking stackable chair his opponent Walter Ray Williams Jr. was occupying, Malott was literally kicking back on a padded velvet and gold throne fit for the likes of royalty.
Then right before the event started, Williams Jr. proceeded to kneel at the foot of Malott’s throne, and bow his head in what I assume was a sign of respect for the reigning King of the bowling kingdom. Needless to say, I was hooked.
Continue reading "Bowling Anyone?" »
The Week in Sports Columns, Vol. XXIV
By Ryan HudsonA look back at the week that was in sports, through the voices that tell the stories. Did we miss a column? Let us know in the comments.
Top Columns of the Week, June 15-21, 2009
1. Favre Admits He Wants to Be a Viking – Judd Zulgad, Star Tribune
2. Welcome To The Hall of Shame, Sammy – Rick Telander, Chicago Sun-Times
3. Idolatry of Lakers Is Ridiculous – TJ Simers, Los Angeles Times
4. No More Vouching For Athletes – Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News
5. Florida Goes Easy on Stallworth, But Not Goodell – Jay Mariotti, FanHouse
6. Accountability is Needed at FSU and UF – George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel
7. Loss Will Haunt Wings, but Make them Hungrier – Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press
8. Future Still Bright for Magic – Israel Gutierrez, Miami Herald
9. Broncos’ Marshall Not Worth The Trouble – Woody Paige, Denver Post
10. The Battle of the NFL vs. Gambling – Hannah Karp, Wall Street Journal
What to Watch: Monday
By Robbie Gillies7am ET - ESPN2 - Wimbledon, early round - Here's the schedule.
9am - ESPN - US Open, final round - Coverage starts on ESPN but then moves to NBC at 11:30am.
7pm - ESPN2 – MLB: Cardinals @ Mets - Pujols has already hit well against the Mets this season and now he's facing Tim Redding, who he has a career .407 average against.
7pm - College World Series Final, Game 1: LSU vs. Texas - Can Texas' magic continue? They've already won a 25-inning game and came back from six runs down against one of the best pitchers in college baseball in this College World Series.
Non-sports pick - 9pm - TLC - Jon & Kate Plus 8 - "After much discussion, Jon and Kate are ready to make an announcement about the future". Oh snap! I hope they decide to have eight more kids and then they have a reality show between their current eight kids to see which one of them will raise the NEW eight kids. That would be awesome.