Who is this man?

1.Who is this man?
a. Oakland Raider coach Tom Cable
b. Mr. Creamy Vanilla "T"
c. Cholla, Fearless Leader of The Black Widows
d. One of our Founding Fathers
e. The same a-hole featured in the post below (scroll down for a-hole-douche-baggery)

Great Moments in Humanhood

What kind of draft analysis do you think this guy would provide. A great moment in fackin' Humanhood.

English sounds good on the radio (no pun)

I said that I would scream at the TV had we taken Knowshon Moreno or Beanie Wells with our first round pick last Saturday. Running back was not a need in 2009. We want to win a Super Bowl in 2009.....get us players that will be the means to that end, AJ.

Then we used the 16th pick to draft a pass rush specialist? Is something wrong with Merriman (aside from the fact that when his contract expires it is believed he will be allowed to walk to get his "Albert Haynesworth-type" compensation else where)? No shouting at the TV...bewilderment and betrayal, yes.

Why an OLB? Who's Larry English? What were people posting on the UT message boards? Most everyone was pissed as they continued to clamor for Rey Maualuga.....(incidentally Maualuga turned out to be the one of the most overrated things going into the draft as he plummeted to #38 where he was taken by the Criminality Bengals). Given time to think about the English pick however, I have surmised the following:

• This is Ron Rivera's unit now. If there is anyone who can utilize the skills of Larry English it is the man who cut his teeth under 46 Guru, Buddy Ryan. The 1985 Bears were the first team to truly bring the house....we'll bring so many athletes at the QB from so many different angles/directions/gaps that your QB will crap himself.....the result: sack/hurried pass/int.....pick your poison. Don't believe Larry English can strike fear into the opposition? Look at the fear in this Gopher's eyes:

The eyes say it all:.......awwwww fuuuuu-dge!

I have to believe that if they find ways to get English on the field our defense could return to being a devastating unit. We have the fastest corner in the league in Antonio Cromartie (although he might not actually be very good) and one of the better cover corners in Quentin Jammer......man up and bring the house!!!!

Of course if none of that happens and the English pick was solely for the purpose of replacing Merriman when his contract expires then I ........ well, I'll probably yell at the TV.

Anyways, I heard Larry English on with Scott & BR right after his coach from NIU, Larry Kill. I was impressed. It sounds like we've got a talented football player who is also a pretty quality guy. So at least we've got that going for us....

Here's some audio from the last two days:

NIU Head Coach Larry Kill on XX1090 [Scott & BR-Monday]
1st Round Pick-Larry English [Scott & BR-Monday]
4th Round Pick/Project-Gigantic Canadian/Jamaican Vaughn Martin [Darren Smith-Monday]

AJ Smith on XTRA Sports 1360 [Josh and Brian-Monday]
3rd round pick, G Luis Vazquez [Josh and Brian-Monday]

The English Debate and kool-aid drinking [619 Sports-Tuesday]
Looking at the Picks on day two of the draft [619 Sports-Tuesday]

Padres Week 3: Rough Weekend @ The $9 buck cup

Three weeks down and the Padres are sitting 2 above .500---2 1/2 behind LA. It could be worse. The disappointing news is in that we were swept by the Giants (only a 2 game set) and then dropped a series to the Pirates at home.....our pitcher's park....where Jake Peavy can't seem to....well, pitch! The Padres are over .500 and Jake is under .500 (2-3).

While the team is beginning to come back to earth they still exhibit elements of entertaining baseball whether it be the fundamentals (moving runners over, backing up positions), hustle (see David Eckstein), sound hitting (Adrian Gonzalez crushed one like no other ever hit at The Bark, yesterday) or the youth movement (Headley, Hundley,--insert bullpen pitcher here--, the injured Evereth Cabrera). Those are all positive things and when coupled with good prices they are reasons to stay on the bandwagon.

More interesting Padre bits and pieces:

• Geoff Young looking at the last week and the overuse of a certain pitch by a certain pitcher, in his column Eight Sliders Sliding [Ducksnorts]

• Padre Unis....after all, a Friar does wear a brown robe not Blue [The Sacrifice Bunt]

• A struggling Peavy and yesterday's debacle against the Pirates [San Diego UT]

• A podcast by Craig Elsten and Chris Ello regarding the Padres "surging" (tongue-in-cheek) to a power ranking of #10 in MLB [619 Sports]

Three game set against the Rockies gets going at 5;40 pm today.....Chris Young must right the ship.

More English

Larry English Info:

"The Chargers' selection of OLB Larry English is legitimately shocking for a variety of reasons."
Read more at:[San Diego Bolt Report]

Larry English @ #16

Was OLB a need (Merriman and Phillips)? Looks good on video...

Twitter...it's all down hill from here

Teamwork on the Savanna

These Oxpeckers need this Zebra......and it needs them. They make excellent use of each other. As the Oxpecker eats ticks and parasites off of the Zebra, the beast thanks them for the pest control. These birds also serve as a warning signal for any potential threats on the savanna. Hmmm......

By a landslide...

Charger Fans just say, "Rey!"

Conjure up the 1999 Draft? Let's not, Charger Fans

Remember the 1999 NFL Draft? Donovan McNabb booed mercilessly by an unrelenting Philadelphia Eagle fan base. That 1st round pick worked out all right, didn't it?

Because I don't get the opportunity to watch college football I can't speak with too much authority on players that will be picked early on Saturday.....my draft expertise is a derivative of the alleged "experts". The only times I've paid real close attention to the draft was '98, '01 and '04....

We know how 1998 turned out.....

Back in 2001 as I read the papers leading up to the draft there was one Mantra I preached: "Trade out of the #1 slot! DO NOT pick Michael Vick!" That worked.

The Elisha Manning Incident of '04.......so we got Rivers, Merriman, and Kaeding: All Good!

Which brings us to April 25th, 2009.......with talk of the proverbial "window of opportunity" closing the Chargers have a grip of holes that need filling: OL, DL, MLB, SS. Could a Superbowl even be won without shoring up the Line on each side of the ball? So who do we continue to hear about from the "experts", as likely selections with the 16th pick?......RBs, Beanie Wells and Knowshon Moreno. If AJ Smith opts for one of these tail-backs then:

I
Will
Booooooooooooooooooo
My Father's
Brand New
"72 Television

....as though it were a 3-Dimensional representation of human life! I will boo like a a little cry baby toolbox! I will do my best impersonation of Eagle Fan c.1999 and scream bloody murder at Roger Goodell and any RUNNING BACK WHO SHAKES HIS HAND on that God Forsaken stage!

I don't know who the answer is except who it is not. We restructured LT's contract and franchised Darren Sproles and 1st round money to a RB spells DOOM in 2009. Don't do it AJ!

• If they take Rey Maualuga.... I'll clap my hands together hard two times.
• If AJ trades down in the 1st to acquire a 2nd round pick I'll pump my fist once and in a moderately enthusiastic timbre, articulate "Yes!!".
• If it's Moreno or Wells then Dad and guests get "Ridiculous Eagle Fan" impersonation......of course I could change my tune.....10 tears later.

Ahhh....what do I know, anyways?

Who (or which position) is going to make you scold the TV?

Gone-zalez.....sorry, had to do it

Big #88 has moved on and since we have pretty poor Safety play we'll go ahead and kneel, bow our heads, give the sign of the cross, and say.........thank God !!!!

Typical Quentin Jammer 'form tackle'......Typical Clinton Hart?

Chargers win in Gonzalez trade [UT-Bolts Blog]

Tranquil Teamwork

These Clown fish need this anemone......and it needs them. They make excellent use of each other. Hmmm......

Effects of "The HBE"

After many page views and a bit of bickering in the "Comments" section here's where we stand in the aftermath of the Heath Bell Effect:

The Good Reader was encouraged to arbitrarily take out their frustrations on Scott & BR regular Sid Rosenberg. Rosenberg being an East Coast based radio personality and Mets fan would serve as THEE symbol of bias for the following email:

Dear Sid:

We ruined your opening night and took the series from you....we know, we know...we listened to your interview with Scott & BR---"The Mets didn't take the series seriously"---"The Padres are an awful baseball team"---"We only have two players, and some guy named Headly who gets lucky every once in a while"---"And when the season's over the Padres will be where they belong...in last place".



Well let's look at last year: The (last place) Padres took 5 of 7 from the Mets and the Phillies won the East by 3 games....do the math and chew on that Mighty New York Fan. Your overpriced team will likely cave again and we'll just keep on battling....see you on August 8th!



Sidney Arthur Rosenberg responded as follows:

Love the enthusiasm. Good email. Factual and well written. But your team still sucks. Take care!

Nice! A good fella, that Sid. Hope we didn't crash your e-mail box (Suppose that 4 e-mails probably couldn't do it anyway...)



After Sid responded a heated discussion began to take place by one East Coast representative, one West-Coast apologist and of course yours truly. While attempts were made to actually have a debate the parties involved were so entrenched in their own viewpoints that an old quote came to mind:



"Arguing with a teenager is like mud wrestling with a pig — you both end up dirty but only the pig is happy!"



In either one of the above cases you fail to get anywhere substantive and it began to feel that way in regards to our media bias discussion......so I gracefully (as possible) bowed out. As the conversation became more spirited it eventually ended with the West Coast representative declaring that....I speak my mind and don't want to argue with idiots like you that have no common SENSE. But I sure would like to know where you live.



Ahh, the spirit of debate......so I got to thinking.....



It seems to be so intuitive that when you hear baseball news there are the Haves and Have Nots.....there are those teams that ESPN leads with (NYY, NYM, BOS, CHC) and then everybody else. Let's also be realistic in saying that EVERY team receives coverage but that it is doled out in lesser degrees relative to the big spending franchises. It should also be mentioned that it is ESPN's prerogative to continue with the inequity as long as they feel it is the most profitable course for them to continue on (although we disagree......if Baseball Tonight gave the Padres adequate coverage then I would watch it.....and then I would learn about some of the other "have-not" MLB teams thus leading me to be intrigued by some of the nightly ESPN broadcasts, which I might then watch. Clearly ESPN disagrees with us...).



.....back to what I was thinking. I needed to turn on ESPN radio and then check Baseball Tonight when I got home on Monday night....just to confirm that I was not crazy. What did I hear/see:



ON ESPN RADIO (4:15pm Monday)

• Josh Beckett of the Red Sox and his suspension.
• The high rate of balls flying out of Yankee Stadium.

Baseball Tonight on the radio would eventually discuss the Dodgers in detail (but who really cares about them?). At home I would turn on ESPN to find out that the game that was supposed to be on was Oakland at the new Yankee Stadium but it was postponed due to rain.....bonus coverage of the Braves....first highlight on Baseball Tonight: Red Sox winning for 6th consecutive time on Patriot Day. Tuesday morning I turned on Dan Patrick. He was talking about the HR balls flying out to right at Yankee Stadium and the prospects of bringing in an expert of some sort to analyze angles and slopes, blah, blah.



Is it really very far fetched to suggest that there are certain teams that receive more coverage than others? It's not even wrong that ESPN chooses to cover baseball this way....but it's intellectually dishonest not to acknowledge the facts.



What were other's saying? Geoff Young's Padre blog, Duck Snorts, said the following in his weekly column:

I love that Bell called out ESPN for covering three teams and ignoring the other 27. Everyone knew that already, but it’s cool to hear a big-league player acknowledge it. As I’ve said before, San Diego is not ESPN’s market. That’s not a complaint, it’s a fact. We have no use for each other. I would rather invest my time in “Millionaire Matchmaker” or “Cash Cab.” If I’m going to watch crap, it should be entertaining.

Do What You Cannot Do [Ducksnorts]

I agree...... Crap does need to be entertaining (hope this blog is doing the trick).

What about Craig Elsten and Chris Ello over at 619 Sports?

They had a great podcast on the topic with each taking a very different viewpoint on the matter. It was sensible and passionate and we encourage you to have a listen (they have a bunch of other good podcasts as well at their new site):

New Closer, New Song, New Attitude [619 Sports]

Going back to the email that I encouraged people to send out.....The email was meant to be a protest of unbalanced coverage of the "Big Dogs" on ESPN.....Heath Bell complained about the Padres getting very little run on Baseball Tonight but in reality this is not an issue solely related to the Padres. At the core it is more a matter of a vast majority of teams getting inequitable coverage from ESPN.

In the process of spreading the Gospel we were banned from our local Padre blog, Gaslamp Ball, because our enthusiasm runneth-ed over until it was technically classified as "Spamming"....ooops. We grovelled our way back into good graces.[Gaslamp Ball]

We were also unexpectedly approved for posting by the Executive Vice President of the Padres. Paul De Podesta let us sneak in at his blog:[It might be dangerous...you go first]

An interesting week it's been......and the Padres have dropped three in a row. Jake got banged yesterday and a 10 inning affair this afternoon in SF.

The Heath Bell Effect

Below you'll find the Heath Bell Effect. What's that you say? It's what happens when he pitches and then opens his mouth: Padres win, people start talking.

After Bell saved game #1 in Citi Field's history he proceeded to bash ESPN's Baseball Tonight for never featuring the Padres and never even mentioning SD in the build-up to the Mets' opening night. Fair enough....we know that on the West Coast we play second fiddle. So I shall propose two things to you, San Diego Sports fan:

1. Check out the time-line below.....it is the chronology of The Heath Bell Effect.
2. After reading the chronology (and listening if you have the time) follow Heath Bell's lead and make a little noise....I have a suggestion.
   

April 14th: Heath Bell dogged ESPN in an interview with Scott & BR on Tuesday morning:
[XX1090-Audio]

April 16th: HB then went on Baseball Tonight and spoke with Karl Ravech:

Click:[ESPN Video Link]

April 17th: The following afternoon Baseball Tonight's Tim Kurkjian spoke with Darren Smith:

[XX1090-Audio]

April 17th: Miami radio personality Sid Rosenberg (a native New Yorker and Met Fan) and Scott & BR regular hooked up to talk about a few things...the last of which was a brief commentary on the Padres where he bashed them mercilessly!
[XX1090-Audio]

April 19th: Bell's remarks ring true about almighty ESPN
[Union Tribune-Nick Canepa]

That folks, is the Heath Bell Effect:

1. Heath Saves Games:
2. Heath Drops Mad Quotes:
3. People Start Talking About Heath....And The Padres.
   

This folks, is my proposal:

1. Let's E-mail Scott & BR's regular Radio Active guest: Sidney Arthur Rosenberg
   

Listening to that guy Rosenberg reminded me of Bleacher Bum Jordan (if you added a brain). Brash, loud, opinionated and completely New York-East Coast-Centric. He came off as an extension of the ESPN bias that Heath Bell justly attacked earlier in the week....so let us join Heath Bell in appealing to Common Sense......here's Sid Rosenberg's email address:

sidsback2001@yahoo.com

Dear Sid:
We ruined your opening night and took the series from you....we know, we know...we listened to your interview with Scott & BR---"The Mets didn't take the series seriously"---"The Padres are an awful baseball team"---"We only have two players, and some guy named Headly who gets lucky every once in a while"---"And when the season's over the Padres will be where they belong...in last place".

Well let's look at last year: The (last place) Padres took 5 of 7 from the Mets and the Phillies won the East by 3 games....do the math and chew on that Mighty New York Fan. Your overpriced team will likely cave again and we'll just keep on battling....see you on August 8th!

For those of you who are the regular rebel-rousing-Thomas Paine-types but lack the time required of a full-time insurrectionist: feel free to copy & paste the above gibberish. Or get creative as you keep in mind that the national information outlets think San Diego and its fans are a joke....so you don't have to be nice.

How many e-mails can we inundate ol' Sidney Arthur Rosenberg with?

Editor's Note: It appears that there is another component to The Heath Bell Effect......when someone else tries to close a game......it's kind of ugly. Well, you can't win 'em all. A great week had by both the Padres and....Dodgers.

It makes perfect sense

Doesn't it make perfect season? When it comes time for a streak of 54 consecutive saves to end just call the 2009 edition of the San Diego Padres. Close to handing a lead to Heath Bell the pen coughs up the lead forcing the Padres to face Brad Lidge down a run.....the Brad Lidge who was PERFECT last year! No Problem.....



.....they faced him on Friday Night and did all right. Enter Jody Gerut and his lead-off double....

The final score will read Padres 8 Phillies 5.......people will note that Lidge blew his first save as a Phillie when Kevin Kouzmanoff touched him up for a 3-run bomb in the Citizen's Bank Bandbox....and then Heath Bell came on for his seventh save in 12 games. But make no mistake about when the defining moment of the game occurred: with Gerut at 2B and zero out in the 9th, David Eckstein came to the plate, and did what winners do.....put the ball in play....hit it hard.....and hit it to the right side of the diamond to advance the runner. Gerut would tie the game one hitter later when Brian Giles grounded to Ryan Howard.

Do you remember Opening Day against the Dodgers? Everyone was overjoyed with the Eckstein bunt in the 1st which would help cut the Dodger lead in half. Now we have the 9th inning ground out against Brad Lidge. Jody Gerut would have died at 2B in '08.....ya gotta love the little things!

Padres pound Lidge, top Phils [philly.com]

What a blast! Padres rally again to sink Phillies 8-5 [San Diego UT]

(Just saw the ESPN highlights.....showed the Gerut Double and the Giles ground out but nothing in between. It's alright Eck! We got your back!)

Playoff Basketball: Celtics v Bulls

The Celtics lost game 1 to the Bulls....that's what matters.....we don't care what the score was.

Harry Kalas and a game 1 win in Philly

Make that all "Phans" everywhere, Eric

We were curious whether or not the Philadelphia papers would be chastising their team for losing to the "lowly" team from San Diego.....they weren't.....the night in Philadelphia was more about the passing of announcer Harry Kalas. Whether it was hearing Kalas' voice on NFL Films or This Week In Baseball it was always a treat....what a great voice. Sounds like he was a pretty great guy too.

-Phils honor Kalas but lose game [philly.com]
-Harry Kalas Dies [philly.com].....linked stories
-Phillies fans honor broadcaster Kalas [San Diego UT]

In searching for disparaging remarks about "our Boys" we did find a funny headline regarding a Phillies prospect:

Prospect Bastardo adds to Phillies' bounty of left handers

...and how do you call someone a bastard in Spanish? We believe this is a prime example of a Spanish cognate........well he's made it this far so continued good luck Antonio.

Editor's note:
What a great win tonight! Down 7-1 to a powerful Phillies line-up only to battle back and TAKE the victory. Awesome! We love the emotion exhibited......the fist pumping and chest bumping after the Headly assist at home in the 8th......the Heath Bell fire on the mound after his 6th save. Good stuff guys...keep at it!

All We Need To Know About The NBA

Kevin Garnett seems like a genuinely good guy in addition to being a hard nosed competitor so in that sense it's disappointing to see that he may have to miss the playoffs.

Boston Celtic's Kevin Garnett could miss post season
[Si.com]

However his injury does provide this blog, and the world, with some ancillary benefits:

-Of primary importance: Boston fans in misery....going on and on how they don't care anyway because the "Sawks" are playin' anyways. Front runners...

-Increased odds of getting a Kobe V. LeBron NBA Final.....we don't care too much about the NBA but we'd tune in to that series.

-Lastly but by no means least: Celtic girl photos to accompany frivolous story about professional league we just don't care too much about...Enjoy!

For more excellent NBA dance photos: [Extra Mustard]

My Irish Eyes are Smilin'

An Odyssey Yields Riches

We haven't properly hated on the New England Patriots in a while so enjoy the following, courtesy of Sports Illustrated.com:

It's the Grinch's birthday. Happy B-Day you s.o.b.!
Editor's Note: (Friday 7:00AM)
Don't know EXACTLY how Twitter Works but apparently our site is on the Twitter page for "Patriot News".....which is fairly funny.....we thinks:

Yes Patriot Fans....Click the link to find that it's Belichick's Birthday.....and that we hate you!

Oh, the things you come across when you're searching for a picture of the idiot Mets fan who interfered with a ball in play and cost his team a run...we thank you on multiple levels....a Padre win and an opportunity to see what an NFL Draft for Cheerleaders would look like....

Cheerleader Draft 2009
[Jock and Balls]

....and then, one link beget another link, and just like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon we were directed to the happiest place on earth.

Eckstein's Poll and the Ubiquitous #42

I'm not sure if this UT poll speaks to Padre indifference (only 956 votes cast) or spiking illiteracy rates amongst Americans......but boy I couldn't agree more with the consensus choice for most impressive FNG. David Eckstein brings his lunch pail to work each day and as a fan that's something I can hang my hat on (hopefully the mix of metaphors does not obscure my Eckstein endorsement).

Editor's Note:
That #42 sure was everywhere on Wednesday night. Here's something I get but don't get.....the Mets exist because the Brooklyn Dodgers opted to relocate to LA rather than move to Flushing NY.....but why are the Mets honoring Jackie Robinson with a Rotunda named after him? He was never a part of the Met organization? Shouldn't the Dodgers have exclusive rights to using his name......awww......screw the Dodgers!

Did you notice the funny hat worn by Adrian Gonzalez while in NY? Yes, the ear warmer piece! You're not the only one to take note...
Adrian Gonzalez's Inexcusably Ridiculous Cap Accessory
[The Legend of Cecilio Guante]

The good AIC served as content editor for Cecilio's Scribe on this little Citi Field report......Keep bloggin' Scribe....just don't dismiss Adrian, he's about all we got!

Charger Fan Polling and KT on Donald Trump's Hair

Kevin Towers was on XX1090 today with Darren Smith discussing Monday night's opener at Citi Field......and the discussion began with an assessment of Trump's rug.....KT was up close and personal and his take on it was pretty funny. You should listen to it. They also talk baseball.
Kevin Towers on with Darren Smith
[XX1090-Audio 4/15]

Also catch Jody Gerut comparing Citi Field to playing a game on the Strip in Vegas.....a reference to garish billboards, not the Girls of Glitter Gulch.
Jody Gerut on with Darren Smith
[XX1090-Audio 4/15]

San Diego Union Tribune readers have been polled and here's what they say:

C'mon......6-10? That's moronic.....64 morons feverishly clicking away.
What say you, San Diego Sports Fans?

Editor's Note:
Check out the new 619 Sports website including Craig Elsten and Chris Ello podcasts.
[619Sports.net]

One Last Observation on Citi Field

My final rumination on the opening of Citi Field. The first three things I caught prior to the start of Monday afternoon's game, in quick rapid fire succession, were: Mike Piazza, Donald Trump's wife, and Mayor Bloomberg.

Read Caption Like A Robot, Please
I...am...ridiculously...good....looking...and.... love....comb....overs....

Now I saw Bloomberg catch a foul ball behind the plate and magnanimously pass it off to a nearby youth commoner (although if the kid was sitting in those seats on Opening Night his parents probably could have coughed up more than enough dough to secure for him an audience with David Wright directly after he had hit his game tying 3-run bomb.....social commentary digression, my apologies) but throughout the game I kept going back to Piazza.....and how he just looked.... creepy. Was he wearing make-up? Was he wearing more than Trump's wife?

Hey I like Piazza--he had a good season with us (or was it 2?). I also happened to be at the game where he hit some HR of importance (300th maybe?). I'm just saying that he had an odd sheen to his forehead and face and had it not been for the jolt of Gerut's HR I may have given it even more thought (no I'm not gay like Mike Piazza might be).

So it goes: while Tom Seaver was pitching and Mike Piazza was catching (certainly no pun intended) a woman on the other side of the country prepared to Dance with the Stars....

For one proud Met fan's reaction to Citi's opening.....
Opening night at Citi pretty much par for the course
[The Legend of Cecilio Guante]

2009 Schedule Is In

Charger Girls say: "Decide which game you're going to!"

Citi Field: Padres get all the 'firsts'

Some quick observations on the Padres 6-5 victory at new Citi Field:

• Jody Gerut: Good on ya Mate! Let us count the FIRSTS: Hit:Run:HR:RBI. Way to take the crowd out of it early!

• Wait a minute! Why are these JAGS so happy and High-Fivey!? That ball should have been fired right back on to the field....shouldn't it have been?
• The Friars have only played 8 games so let's not carried away with the accolades....but there's something going on here....and regardless of where we are at the 24/48/96 game marks, I think it's good.
• David Eckstein...he reached base four times on three hits and called a balk before even the umpire but that's not what stood out to me. It was his ten pitch AB where his walk was followed by a .......dead sprint to 1B! You just don't see that too often and when it comes from a two time World Series winner I think it brings two things to the table:
• Fire and inspiration.
• A much needed professional example.
  
• Walter Silva will continue to struggle to make it to the 6th...that may be OK though with Correia and Hill looking good. Here's to Jake and CY staying healthy!
• Jody Gerut/Scott Hairston monster could be powerful. I think Gerut needs to get the majority of the starts though. Situations permitting, Hairston can make a nice impact. Way to Christen Citi Field JG!
• Heath Bell got his wish: The 1st save in the new ball yard. Hoffy brought leadership and professionalism to pens past but HB is bringing fire and brimstone! I like it....what about you?
• The Mets arm patch is really bad and Channel 4's Mark Grant astutely noted, "....looks like a Domino's Pizza logo. You want bread sticks with that?" Could Mudcat Grant and I have been the only ones with the same thought? Research finds:
  

• Stephen Colbert thought the same thing back in January during his Tip 'o the hat/Wag of the finger Segment. Enjoy premium satire here: Click
  

For More Met Logo Bashing:
Mets inaugural Citi Field patch getting ripped on the web
[NJ.com]

Who's watching, watching....?

…The 2009 Padres?
(Editor's Note: As reported to the AIC by one member of the Collective)
With much fan-fare but low expectations, the Pads took the field for opening week led by hometown hero Adrian Gonzales and returning ace Jake Peavy (but for how long?). Following an opening day loss, the fellas rallied to a series push against our division rival: the LA Cholos…err, Dodgers. The boys then followed it up with a sweep of the San Francisco baseball Giants to finish opening week not only with a winning record, but atop the competitive NL West (Editor's Note: competitive??? Competitive=euphemism for mediocre?).

I had the opportunity and the pleasure to attend Saturday night’s game, and what a game it was. (actually I had the opportunity to go to 4 games this week, but even with the 5 dollar meal-deal, 4 games is too much for this rank-and-file avenger to handle…waiting for Uncle Sam to subsidize my entertainment needs! Baseball’s too big to Fail!...but I digress…). Needless to say, it was definitely in the top 4 Padres games I’ve ever been to, which read as follows, in descending order:

• 4- 1999 “Meet the Mrs.... get kicked out” (falling from 1 to 4 due to the course of history)
• 3- 2006 “JD Drew eviscerated by the AIC” (he’s much better than Doug Mirabelli you know)
• 2- 2009 “Read the Blog to find out why” (check out my balls)
• 1- 2006 “Seats on the 1st base wall/Irish fan heckles the Ump”
  

(Editor's Note: Who the fuck does things in a "Top 4" format? JD Drew and Doug Mirabelli are useless cunts and deserved the lashing they received. I'm glad that I factor in to two of your top 4 life experiences......it could have been 3/4 if you had invited me on Saturday.....thanks Dick!)

Saturday’s game was a fast-paced one, taking only a little over 2 hours to complete, but it had a little bit of everything:

• Great pitching (8 2/3 from Jake)
• Clutch hitting (a rarity in San Diego)
• Some great defensive plays by Hairston and Giles-aka Jake the Mus…(keep yer hands in yer pockets Brian) (Editor's note: An excellent reference to Once Were Warriors: Go to You Tube)
  
• Three home runs including 2 by Senor Blanco
• A Win...most important of all.
  

The overriding factor that made this my all-time #2 Padres game though was not any of the above aspects of the game, nor was it the fact that the tickets were a gift from a friend, not even finding free parking on the street.....it was this ‘lil guy....

From having no balls to one.....you gotta start somewhere

.....who somehow found his way from Jake’s hand, rifled off the bat of third basemen Pablo Sandoval, rocketed over our heads, caromed off of a railing and into my outstretched hand. What a thrill! I felt like I was 12 again! Not even finding the free parking was a better feeling! Baseball’s back, and I’ll be back to see it live to be sure, let’s hope the Pads can keep on exceeding expectations. See ya at the park!

The Mad Italian (aka: The Ghost of Sid Going)
“Taller than Joe Morris, Dirtier than McConkey’s Mustache”

With Lincicum defeated...the world is next!

Yea, we're in 1st place. True, seven games is not much of a sample size.....but we're in 1st place!
Let's enjoy the fellas having played some pretty good ball this week and having knocked off the NL's 2008 Cy Young winner.
Padres weak? Not during the season's opening week
[San Diego UT-Chris Jenkins]

Next stop Citi Field: New home of the Mets. An interesting test will be provided with this being the 1st road series and our 3rd, 4th, and 5th starters (still working on names) getting the nod against a pricey Mets squad. Need some Citi Field info? Click Here for some of the Park's features as well as the naming rights controversy.

With Citigroup Inc. paying $20 million a year for naming rights and having received in excess of $45 million in federal bailout money (your tax dollars) this new ballpark truly does belong to all of us......does that make it a home game?

Heath Bell is also excited to be visiting his former team in NY.....he wants the 1st save at Citi Field....Heath has big balls. Let's see him back it up.
Citi Field's debut has Bell buzzing
[San Diego UT-Chris Jenkins]

A message brought to you from Charger Girl: Don't forget the 2009 NFL schedule is released on Tuesday......Cleveland, Tennessee, or Pitt, Fellas?
To quote the dude from Snatch with the giant spectacles:

"Goody fuckin' gum drops!". Be sure to read that with a Limey accent.

This is the End of the week. Good Night, now.

NFL Schedule Release

The newly selected 2009 Charger girls urge you to consider a fall visit to one of the below locales (except Oak-town...let's be serious). We know the 2009 away opponents and on Tuesday we'll find out the dates. Each location provides positive attributes based on the time of year the game is played. The one thing that doesn't change.....the food. I was watching the travel channel this morning and Memphis, Tennessee looks tasty! Fried chicken and ribs anyone?

2009 NFL Schedule Release on Tuesday
[Chargers Blog]

I dare you to extrapolate...

81-81....I did the extrapolation for you...read & listen on Friar Faithful (do I sound hypocritical?)


Gonzalez sparks rally in 8th, Bell shuts door in 9th
[SD Union-Tribune]


Dodgers falter at the finish against Padres
[LA Times]
Enjoy both SD & LA perspectives on the Padres' get-away-day victory thus earning the four game split. It never hurts to Beat LA...

Jeff Moorad is soliciting your advice on moving in the fences at The Bark Park.....maybe he'll consider a park renaming ceremony as well.
[XX1090 with Scott & BR]

I don't buy Heath Bell's closing song: Blow me away by Breaking Benjamin

Perhaps it was too obvious to go with: For whom the bell tolls by Metallica.....but it's obvious for a reason: IT'S PERFECT!!!

I suppose as long as Heath "Wii" Bell keeps saving games it really doesn't matter does it? But it would have been cool to hear those bells and Cliff Burton's bass, no?