Archive for May, 2011
As the baseball world continues to mourn the passing of one of the true giants of the sport, I am sure more stories like this one will continue to surface regarding the kind, noble and giving soul that was Harmon Killebrew. Kansas City Royals legend George Brett, who considered Killebrew one of his favorite players while growing up in California, upon learning of Harmon’s death, said recently that “If Harmon had hit lefthanded, he would have been Babe Ruth.” And this story lends credence to that observation. A promise to hit not one, but two home runs…and actually doing it.
Above is a photo which appeared in the May 21, 1964 morning edition of the Minneapolis Tribune. It shows a moment during Killebrew’s visit to 8-year-old John Guiney in a New York hospital. Killebrew and the Twins were in town for a two-game series with the Yankees when he heard about how Guiney was badly burned when his altar robe caught fire while lighting candles at his parish in Brooklyn. The visit, arranged by the New York Daily News and little John’s father, included Harmon signing a baseball and a glove for Guiney and culminated in the following exchange (via the Star Tribune):
After a little baseball chatter — “I’m a shortstop,” the bandaged boy said — Killebrew made a deal with the lad: “If you hurry up and get well, the next time I’m in town, I’ll take you out to the ball park and you can meet all the fellows.”
With the afternoon game near, Killebrew said it was time he headed head to the stadium.
“I’ll watch you on television,” the blue-eyed, freckle-faced youngster said from his Manhattan hospital bed.
“Maybe I’ll hit you a couple,” Killebrew responded.
Guess what? Killer hit two homers, a two-run round tripper in the first inning and a solo shot in the eighth inning of Minnesota’s 7-4 win. Even better, Harmon made good on his promise: Guiney got better and Killebrew hosted him at Yankee Stadium four months later, giving Ryan one of his bats.
Obviously, when Guiney, now 55-years-old, heard that Killebrew was ill with esophageal cancer, it brought all those memories flooding back:
“[Last week] I was listening to the radio and heard he was sick,” Guiney said. “I said a little prayer when I heard that.”
Guiney said he took the news of Killebrew’s death Tuesday pretty hard and can attest to what “they said in the paper — that he was a great ballplayer but a greater human being.”
Indeed he was, sir. Indeed he was. And if that touching story doesn’t at the very least cause you to become somewhat emotional, I feel sorry for you.
Harmon to boy in hospital: ‘Maybe I’ll hit you a couple.’ And sure enough… [Star Tribune]
Forget about the Radford and High Point baseball teams and their jousting antics, the Clemon and Davidson college baseball squads really know how to pass the time during a long, drawn out rain delay. Bowling, hunting expeditions where two guys crawl around while other players use gloves as makeshift antlers, Revolutionary soldiers war games (including a drummer), piggyback races, a little seven-on-seven sandlot football, curling with one player taking the place of the stone, pseudo tag team wrestling with players joining arms to make the squared circle, tennis with players as the net, dance offs, power squatting teammates, tanning beds…
Jesus. How long was that rain delay anyway? But I can say this with absolute certainty, this was a helluva lot more entertaining than watching them play baseball. Not their fault, but it’s the truth.
[Thanks, @willtherebebeer]
Since I don’t follow the trends or pay any attention whatsoever to what the damn kids are up to these days, I only have a rudimentary knowledge of this whole newfangled “Planking” fad. But I do know that at least one kid has died while attempting it, and from where I’m from, foolish endeavors that can result in death or serious injury are usually the kind of activities one should avoid, no matter how hip and cool said act is considered.
Quick to join the ranks of the Plankers is NASCAR’s own Jimmie Johnson, who demonstrates above, in his words, “Plank NASCAR style.” He also added that his head hurts now. I suppose that’s better than complete paralysis or death, so it’s safe to say Johnson came out “a-head” with this stunt, pun intended. Just be careful, Jimmie, the world of auto racing needs you. And if you’re going to injure yourself, the least you can do is have it happen while entertaining your fans by driving a car 200 mph around a track making left turns. Not that anyone wants that, either, but you know.
[via]
I don’t care that about a gazillion sites have already documented, dissected and discussed how a Vancouver Canucks fan very comfortable with her body elected to let her boobs do the talking when she taunted San Jose Sharks winger Ben Eager while he spent time in the penalty box with 2:33 remaining in the third period during Vancouver’s 7-3 thrashing of San Jose last night. Yep. She flashed him. Awesome.
Really, there isn’t much to add to the video below (courteously censored by The Score – via Puck Daddy – SFW, and uncensored versions are incredibly easy to come by, by the way) other than the Vancouver Green Men ain’t got s**t on this gal.
Enjoy.
Wake N’ Blog is the Sportress of Blogitude’s morning link dump. Send tips, link submissions, etc. to weedagainstspeed@gmail.com.
• During a suspected DUI stop of an ice cream truck – this story is already encouraging – in suburban Philadelphia, police discovered water bottles filled with urine, including one in the freezer where the treats were kept. From the AP report: “Police say 46-year-old Yassir Hassan was visibly drunk when he was pulled over Friday in Middletown Township, Bucks County. When police searched the Trenton, N.J., man’s truck, they say they found boxes of wine along with the bottles of urine.” Much like the story from yesterday’s Wake N’ Blog about the drunk lady who dropped trou and urinated in front of a middle school car wash fundraiser, I guess the same holds true in this disturbing story: when you gotta go, I guess you gotta go. [msnbc]
• There is such a thing as “High Stakes” RBI Baseball? Why wasn’t I told about this? [With Leather]
• Atlanta’s own Ted Turner supports the Thrashers. Too bad he did so awkwardly. [Puck Daddy]
• Could Cleveland’s tide be finally turning? [Rumors & Rants]
• Great Preakness Drunken Moments of the 21st Century: A Photo Gallery. [Busted Coverage]
• The best miniature golf hole you’ll see all day. [Bob's Blitz]
• Tony Kornheiser and Colts owner Jim Irsay are engaging in a good old fashioned pissing match. [Awful Announcing]
• In case you missed it, here’s Manny Pacquaio punching Daniel Tosh in the face. [Sharapova's Thigh]
• The 8 biggest sports conspiracy theories. [Sports Pickle]
• Taking a humorous and animated look at the NFL Lockout Workouts. [TAUNTR]
• The Onion Headline of the Day: Scott Erickson Attempts To Sell 1994 No-Hitter On eBay
Honestly, I have no idea whether Steve Nash’s Twitter avatar pictured above is new or whether he has been using it for months, but I can tell you this: it’s far better than any avatar Serena Williams has used recently. He looks like a character from the “Sabotage” video.
This just in: Steve Nash is awesome. That’s all there is to it. Shine on, you crazy diamond.
[H/T SB Nation]
It’s 4:19, You Gotta Minute?
Posted by:
• Jack Nicklaus likes the idea of 12-hole golf. Wait. What? [Devil Ball Golf]
• If he wasn’t coaching football, Andy Reid would like to be a brain surgeon. Wait. What (again)? [The700Level]
• Is Kimbo Slice going to fight the Vikings’ Ray Edwards? [Off the Bench]
• LeBron James is sick, yo. [The Basketball Jones]
• Check out the newest whacked-out sport out of Japan: Bo-Taoshi. [Deuce of Davenport]
• A minor league baseball team is hosting a Facebook Fans Night. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]
• Would you look at that? Michael Jordan “surprised” Oprah at her final show. [Ball Don't Lie]
• Tony Kornheiser is baffled by HAM. To be honest, so am I. [Awful Announcing]
• A D.C. United rookie ate raw jellyfish for $40. [D.C. Sports Bog]
• Today’s edition of The Dugout: Coco Crisp and the Crooked Hair Club. [With Leather]
• The Onion Headline of the Day, Part II: Everyone But You Attending Some Important Meeting In Other Room
Send tips, link submissions, etc. to weedagainstspeed@gmail.com.
Well, at least that’s how he probably interprets it, but then again, Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn is kind of a woodhead, so I guess we shouldn’t really take how he interprets anything as having any semblance of a hold on reality.
Obviously, we have all heard about David Kahn’s free flowing commentary after last night’s NBA Draft Lottery where the Wolves did not get the number one overall pick despite the team being the most likely to do so, which many took as Kahn insinuating that the whole damn thing is fixed. A scam. A fake. A setup. As they day wore on though, the tide seemed to be shifting to the opinion that Kahn was merely joking, albeit in horrible fashion. You see, some people shouldn’t riff and freestyle during attempts at comedy. David Kahn is one of these people.
Anyway, from the horse’s (ass’) mouth, here’s Kahn’s super serious, official statement in which he attempts to clarify what’s at heart of the controversy (via On The Wolves):
“The first question I was asked last night after the lottery, by reporters, was whether the Timberwolves were jinxed for our lottery record though the years. I don’t believe in jinxes, curses, hocus pocus and I certainly don’t think we were wronged. But I do believe in the power of story, and it’s a heck of a lot better story for a 14-year-old kid to beat out a couple of middle-aged executives standing together on a national stage. And our league tends to have its own share of luck in being a part of those stories.”
So there you go. That should put this entire mess behind Kahn, right? That is, until Stern fines him anyway. And then there’s always the next time Kahn opens his mouth and says something stupid when trying to be funny. Or simply honest. Let’s face it: the bar ain’t set too high for this guy. He will fail again, one way or another.
David Kahn getting some heat over lottery remark [On the Wolves]
Buck up, NFL fans. I know the lockout has been a real pain in the rear, not to mention an incredibly frustrating ordeal, what with having to watch millionaires and billionaires fight like children over a ginormous pile of money. But do not fret any longer, ye woeful souls: Double-J has got your back. That’s right, according to Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones, there will be football again. Some time. He doesn’t want to put a date on it. But it’s coming. Eventually. Probably. You can count on that. It’s very likely going to happen, albeit at some point in time in the future. Could be tomorrow. Could be next month. Could be a couple months. Crap, it may have happened yesterday but no one know about it yet. But it will happen. Most certainly. Jerry Jones gives you his word, and if you can’t trust Jerry Jones, who can you put your faith in anymore, right?
Via ESPN Dallas:
“I don’t have that point in time as to a date that this doesn’t call for that,” Jones said regarding a possible deadline for when NFL teams should start to worry about the 2011 season. “You play this on a week-by-week, month-by-month, day-by-day basis. There is no point in having deadlines because you have to think what happens if you don’t make the deadline. But you get up the next morning and go forward. We are going to have football. We are going to have a great league.
“The train will get there,” Jones said Wednesday. “That is the attitude everybody should have. Whether or not, or how and when. We want to do it in a way that doesn’t impact our fans negatively if we can.”
Well, aw shucks. Is he telling us that the NFL owners, whom I gather Jerry Jones is referring to when he uses the word “we,” don’t want to do anything concerning the lockout that impacts the fans negatively?
Too late, man. Stop feeding us the same old line of bulls**t we’ve been hearing over and over from both sides and get back to us when you, your fellow owners and the players get this whole mess straightened out. Until then, zip it. It’s annoying, and we’re not a bunch of saps willing to be spoon-fed a bunch of ambiguous NFL propaganda and vague doublespeak, despite what you may have been led to believe.
Jerry Jones confident CBA gets done [ESPN Dallas]
Ha. Awesome. Above is a video of PGA golfer Jerry Kelly teeing off during the Pro-Am event earlier today as part of the festivities leading up to the Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial tournament. What makes this video infinitely more interesting is Kelly is wearing the TCU Horned Frog’s mascot costume. Kelly, who looks like this when not dressed up as some kind of mutant SuperFrog, was forced to suffer the above indignity to settle a bet between him and fellow PGA Tour golfer and TCU graduate J.J. Henry.
Via an AP report in The Seattle Times:
Henry and Kelly, from Madison, Wis., had a wager on the Rose Bowl. TCU beat Wisconsin 21-19 on New Year’s Day. If Wisconsin won, Henry would have had to don the full Bucky Badger costume.
After posing for pictures on the practice green, including a few without the costume’s oversized head to prove it was actually him inside, Kelly hit a shot on the first tee with Henry’s group that included TCU coach Gary Patterson.
No word on how Kelly fared on his tee shot, but his form was impeccable. But as it is often said, despite any obstacles in your way, sometimes you just got to grip it and ribbit.
Kelly pays off Rose Bowl bet as TCU SuperFrog [The Seattle Times]
Magic Johnson. Jerry West. Chick Hearn. Wayne Gretzky. Oscar De La Hoya. Do you know what those names have in common? Besides that they are five people who have never been in my kitchen, they are also five larger-than-life greats who have statues erected in their honor outside the Staples Center to pay tribute to their respective contributions to the Los Angeles sports scene. And because of that, Kareem Abdul Jabbar feels slighted. And perhaps rightfully so.
Despite being a key cog in five Lakers NBA championships as well as being part of three national championship teams while at UCLA, Kareem does not have his own statue, honoring his impressive legacy. Speaking to the Sporting News, here’s what Abdul-Jabbar had to say while articulating his unhappiness with the situation:
“I don’t understand (it). It’s either an oversight or they’re taking me for granted. I’m not going to try to read people’s minds, but it doesn’t make me happy. It’s definitely a slight. I feel slighted.”
In a subsequent statement passed along by his business manager, Abdul-Jabbar said: “I am highly offended by the total lack of acknowledgement of my contribution to Laker success. I guess being the lynchpin for five world championships is not considered significant enough in terms of being part of Laker history.”
He then added in an unreported message sent exclusively to the Sportress of Blogitude: “The hell I don’t! Listen kid, I’ve been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I’m out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.” But I should point out that I asked him for his favorite quote from Airplane!, not for his thoughts regarding the statue issue. Also, said e-mail correspondence never happened.
Now, I can certainly see his point and it shouldn’t be surprising that Abdul-Jabbar would make his feelings known, as he has never been a person afraid of being outspoken regarding issues that have significant meaning to him. But Abdul-Jabbar should be more cautious with his vitriolic comments towards the Lakers organization. He doesn’t want to come across as having a debilitating case of sour grapes. Lakers spokesman John Black, when asked by Sporting News for comment, insisted that the Lakers do plan on erecting a statue of Abdul-Jabbar in the future – it will likely be the next one commissioned – they just do not know when it will be. But they better hurry up: the Lakers obviously haven’t seen Kareem’s star-turning role in The Game of Death with Bruce Lee. That was wicked awesome.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar feels ‘slighted’ without statue at Staples Center [Sporting News]
Dear God no. Goodness gracious, the horror…the horror. When these two get together, nothing good can come of it. The Four Horsemen ain’t got s**t on this foreboding image. I can only imagine what they talked about during their Oddball Narcissist Bizarro Version of the Algonquin Round Table. I dunno. Maybe riding bulls, I guess.
[via]
In an interesting and enlightening, yet underwhelming, interview with The New York Times‘ Greg Bishop – not his fault, but it’s not as enjoyable to read Gus Johnson quotes as it is to listen to him emphatically articulate his excitement – the new man at FOX Sports discussed a variety of issues, including how he feels now that he has moved on from CBS Sports after sixteen years (16?) and is starting a new chapter in his professional life.
Love him, hate him or just tolerate him, Johnson is without a doubt one of the most compelling and talked about sports broadcasters in the business and as he embarks upon his career with FOX Sports, it is interesting to read his take on the whole process went down.
Via The New York Times:
Over lunch Tuesday in New York’s Little Italy, Johnson said: “I’m tired of thinking. Weighing. Grappling with my thoughts. You’re giving up something to gain something. But you’re still giving up something. I’m leaving something that I love. And I love that thing. That was my thing. Sometimes, you’ve just got to walk away.”
Further, while he thoroughly enjoyed covering the NCAA Tournament and will miss covering the games, to Gus, it doesn’t matter what sport he is broadcasting, just as long as he’s behind the mic:
“I believe in myself,” Johnson said. “I believe in my ability to do my job, whether it be the N.C.A.A. tournament or the world tiddlywinks championship.”
And now the interview’s pièce de résistance: a “Boom Goes the Dynamite” reference. It came when Johnson was discussing how the news came out prematurely that he was leaving CBS Sports:
The news broke as Pacquiao entered a production meeting, and Johnson’s cellphone buzzed with some 75 messages over the next hour. It was, Johnson said, “like, boom goes the dynamite.”
Ah yes, a well-executed “boom goes the dynamite” from the guy whose trademark passion likely inspired Brian Collins’ infamous performance which still lives on in memefamy.
RISE AND FIRE, GUS JOHNSON! HA HA! Speaking of which, do you know what would help this interview? The Gus Johnson Soundboard, of course. Every article, interview and column about Gus Johnson on the internet really should have it embedded right in it. It would provide the text some much needed excitement and personality, exactly what we have come to expect from the great Gus Johnson.
But here is where the story takes a tragic turn. When I went to the Gus Johnson Soundboard site, I devastatingly learned that it is no more. NO!!!! How could this have happened? Why wasn’t this prevented? What a travesty!
Gus Johnson Is Eager to Expand His Horizons at Fox [The New York Times]
Hoo boy. That’s gold. And a bit awkward, in a 7-foot German basketball player getting a piggyback ride from a billionaire owner of an NBA franchise sort of way. There’s just enough homoerotic interplay going on between Dirk and Mark in this photo to make it amusing without it going over the top. Any way you look at it, as far as today is concerned, everything’s coming up Nowitzki.
Love the hat. And the look on Cuban’s face.You can tell he’s enjoying it. In a completely platonic, horseplay kind of way, of course. Actually, do me a favor: play the video for the German techno song “His Name Is Dirk” while looking at this photo. It really ties everything together quite nicely.
[via @si_vault]
GameStop employee probably woke up yesterday Michael Myeers figuring his shift at the video game/software retailer would be another ho-hum affair: punch the clock, hang out behind the counter and pass the hours. Not a bad way to earn a paycheck, but Mr. Myeers’ day was infinitely brightened when Randy Moss walked into his store and perhaps but for only a moment, into his life. And fortunately for us, he tweeted about his encounter with the mercurial Moss.
Now this is why, despite all the naysayers and perhaps being a bit misunderstood, Randy Moss remains beloved by fans the world over, including myself, who as a Minnesota Vikings fan, watched his return to the purple last season explode in a shameful display of rudeness and lackluster play, still can’t help but love the guy. He didn’t have to take a moment to snap a photo with Myeers, but he did, and that makes him alright in my book.
We might have no idea what he was purchasing on his shopping excursion to GameStop, but I can guarantee you we sure as hell know how he paid for it: straight cash, homey. Yeah, that was an easy reference, but you take ‘em where you can get ‘em.
[via BuzzFeed]
