COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY - MIKE IN DA - DECEMBER 23, 2010

COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY

Written by: Mike in DA
Date posted: 12/23/2010

 SPORTS DEATHS: JULY - SEPTEMBER 2010

JULY:

1 - Don Coryell, 85, American football coach (San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Cardinals).

8 - Melvin Turpin, 49, American basketball player, suicide by gunshot.

9 - Daryl Hunt, 53, American football player (Houston Oilers), heart attack. 

10 - Bob Sheppard, 99, American public address announcer (New York Yankees, New York Giants).

13 - George Steinbrenner, 80, American baseball team owner (New York Yankees), heart attack.

15 - Billy Loes, 80, American baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers), complications from diabetes.

21 - Ralph Houk, 90, American baseball player (New York Yankees) and manager (New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox), natural causes.

27 - Jack Tatum, 61, American football player (Oakland Raiders), heart attack.

28 - Lorenzen Wright, 34, American basketball player (Memphis Grizzlies), shot (body found on this day).

AUGUST:

16 - Bobby Thomson, 86, Scottish-born American baseball player (Shot Heard 'Round the World), after long illness. 

26 - Cal McLish, 84, American baseball player.

SEPTEMBER:

20 - Al Pilarcik, 80, American baseball player (Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox).

23 - Bob Shaw, 77, American baseball player (Chicago White Sox), liver cancer.

27 - George Blanda, 83, American Hall of Fame football player (Chicago Bears, Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders).

KOBE INVOLVED IN ANOTHER CONTROVERSY?

There was a report in the LA Times that Kobe Bryant had signed an endorsement deal with Turkish Airlines; the company said he will be a “global brand ambassador” whatever that might mean. Evidently, Turkish Airlines is about to begin non-stop service from Los Angeles to Istanbul early next year.

When I read that, I thought it was no big deal. But it is to some folks of Armenian descent who now threaten to boycott the Lakers and Kobe Bryant unless he pulls out of this deal.

The Armenians want the Turkish government to admit that there was genocide involved in a clash between the Turks and the Armenians about a hundred years ago. The Turkish government rejects that idea. Somehow, Kobe Bryant’s endorsement of Turkish Airlines’ non-stop flights between LA and Istanbul becomes tightly linked to claims of genocide and the rejection of those claims by the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Just thought you might like to know.

STEVIE FRANCIS PLAYS BASKETBALL IN CHINA WITH AN ICE PACK ON HIS ANKLE!






“SUE ME, SUE ME, WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO ME?”

Every so often we hear of some fuckin’ ridiculous lawsuits in our country, so here’s another one that you may have already heard of:

A season ticket holder of the Seattle Seahawks, Robert Larsen, is suing Shaun Ellis, a NY Jets defensive lineman who Larsen claims caused him all kinds of physical and emotional pain because of a tossed snowball. The now infamous snowball incident took place on December 21, 2008, two years ago after the Jets lost to the Seahawks, and were subsequently eliminated from the playoffs. The NFL fined Ellis 15 grand at the time for throwing a big chunk of packed snow into the crowd.

In the lawsuit, Larsen said Ellis grabbed a large block or chunk of packed snow and heaved it into the crowd. As luck would have it, this heavy flying bundle of snow hit Larsen, leaving him ''seriously messed up.'' Larsen claims he suffered physical injury, humiliation, mental distress, pain, and wage loss. I can't imagine the humiliation Larsen received because of the snowball will be any greater than the humiliation he'll receive from this lawsuit.

In looking at video of the event (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3-aUA8Owyo&feature=player_embedded), you'll notice Larsen managed to not only shake off the snowball attack; he caught it and picked up the evidence and held it over his head as if he were Rocky Balboa showing off his championship belt. There's no word on how much cash Larsen is looking to shovel in, but he probably has a snowball's chance in hell of getting any money from Ellis.

THIS "BIG BABY" LOOKALIKE IS THE UGLIEST THING IN CELTICS' GEAR SINCE LARRY BIRD!

ODDS AND ENDS:

1. When George Steinbenner was not elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame recently by the Veterans' Committee, Johnny Bench who is a member of the Committee said that maybe it was too early to enshrine “The Boss”. Johnny, WTF - too early! He’s dead, are you going to wait until the worms have finished their job before you enshrine him?

2. Florida International will play in the Little Caesars Bowl this Sunday, December 26, in Detroit, but as of Monday (12/20) has sold less than 900 tickets to the game. Are you surprised? What Florida-based person in his right mind would spend Christmas weekend in Detroit if given a choice? 

3. Last Thursday night on the NFL Network’s game between San Francisco and San Diego, in the first quarter, twice in slo-motion, NFLN chose to feature Chargers’ WR Vincent Jackson demonstrating his great self-regard after scoring.Yet, the NFL claims it wants to eliminate excessive TD celebrations, which are primarily performed for TV.

4. The Atlanta Falcons have the best record in the NFC at 12-2. They are undefeated at home. They are also undefeated at any venue outside of the state of Pennsylvania. Their two losses came on the road this year in Philly and in Pittsburgh. Everywhere else, they are undefeated. With that in mind, since their chances of playing in Pennsylvania during the playoffs are pretty slim, their prospects for going to the Super Bowl are not so bad.

5. I mentioned in previous blogs that the Big 10 Conference was taking more than a small measure of ridicule for naming its two new divisions “Legends” and “Leaders”. Most folks commenting on it focus on the pomposity, presumptuousness, and silliness of the names. I just find them confusing. I will have great difficulty remembering if Nebraska teams are a “Legend” or a “Leader”. The Conference has taken so much grief on this that they are thinking of changing the division names. Why not just call them East and West or North and South, since “Cheech” and “Chong” have already been taken. K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid).

6. After the NY Giants’ lost to the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday, 38-31, Giants’ coach Tom Coughlin scolded punter Matt Dodge on the field for not punting the ball out of bounds, so that DeSean Jackson would never touch the ball and the game would likely have gone to overtime. I can understand Coughlin being pissed off at the time, but Dodge was not the real villain on Sunday. In seven and a half minutes, the Giants’ defense surrendered three TDs; the Giants’ kickoff return team gave away an onside kick; the Giants’ offense could not hold the ball – let alone drive the field to produce a field goal – and it was the offense that created the need to have Dodge on the field to punt the ball in the first place after a three-and-out. Coaches love to say that they won a game “as a team”; well, the Giants lost on Sunday “as a team”.

Matt Dodge lays flattened on the ground as DeSean Jackson runs by him.



CRIER’S CORNER (for reading purposes only)

BOWL GAME:


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23

POINSETTIA BOWL
Qualcomm Stadium – San Diego, CA


SAN DIEGO STATE vs. NAVY

Yes, SDSU is playing on their home turf, but don’t forget that San Diego is home to the largest Navy population in North America.


The Middies will try to neutralize their defense’s athletic disadvantage by controlling the clock via the triple option attack. This won’t be so easy, for a few reasons: (1) The Aztecs have had extra time to prep, which typically helps against the option; (2) SDSU saw the option earlier this year vs. Air Force; (3) head coach Brady Hoke beat Navy twice while at Ball State and, as he put it last week, will “stop the fullback” in an attempt to stop the option; and (4) State defensive coordinator Rocky Long had better-than-average success defending the option during his tenure as boss at New Mexico.


Mix all that in a bowl and you get a recipe for SDSU getting the ball back, meaning that QB Ryan Lindley and his band of play-making athletes will have a chance to put up big numbers against an over-matched defense. This game is also huge for Hoke’s recruiting strategy, which puts a premium on keeping local kids local. When asked about bowl games last week, Hoke quipped “It’s no fun if you lose.” Point taken. SAN DIEGO STATE, 31-24.


MILLIONAIRE GAME:


FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24


HAWAII BOWL
Aloha Stadium – Honolulu, HI


TULSA (+10) over HAWAII*


The Islanders are getting the island love from Vegas, but this isn’t “just a vacation” for the Oklahomans. The visitors are led by a solid QB in G.J. Kinne and that is key when facing the hostile Warriors crowd.

The Golden Hurricane averaged 78 offensive snaps per game during the regular season – that’s just one behind national title contender and offensive juggernaut Oregon. Unlike many teams that live in that offensive ‘hood, Tulsa does it with the run and pass – averaging 42 runs and 36 passes per contest.

Why is that important? Well – Hawaii is an aggressive, ball-hawking defense that feasted on one-dimensional teams en route to an FBS-high 23 interceptions this year. Why else? Because the Tulsa secondary gave up over 300 yards per game. Their mark was good for 119th nationally out of 120 teams and now they are facing the nation’s top-rated passing team, so holding onto the ball will be a good plan.

Tulsa does have a few neutralizing cards to play. That same porous secondary did nab 19 interceptions this year plus the Golden Hurricane has the special teams edge with return specialist Damaris Johnson who led the nation in all-purpose yards. The kid takes one to the house or puts his team in short fields each and every game. Bottom line is that Tulsa has the ability to possess the ball, score, and generate turnovers. Getting double-digits is a good deal. HAWAII, 38-37.




MIKE IN DA

HMW


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