The "Free-Fall-To-My-Death" Dream Replaced By A Greater Horror : The Bleacher Bums Return to the Airwaves

Better Swayze: Bohdi in Point Break or Daulton in Road House?

It's alright. They're not back on the air.....I'm describing my personal nightmare. Every time I think that I may not have something to write about......up sprouts material (of course this was supposed to be finished on Friday). The inspiration; former Bleach Bum ATL Earl ranting and raving on the Scott & BR show.

ATL is a moron and I don't have to prove it because he does it on his own every time he opens his mouth. He cried that San Diego wasn't ready for the brand of radio he and Jordan provided; two fans who kept it real. He went on to say, "San Diego can't accept that the Padres suck and the Chargers can't admit that they kept the Wrong QB (Rivers instead of Brees) and let the wrong RB leave (should have kept Turner and cut LT after '07 season).

Here's why you're an idiot Earl:

1. The Padres are in last place so technically they do suck. But it is the uneducated fan who cannot see the great strides that have been made in recent months. The Hairston trade brought power arms but most importantly opened up playing time for both Venable and Blanks which has worked out nicely. The Peavy trade brought more power arms and opened up payroll flexibility.........the kind that would allow the FO to sign all of it's draft picks. The Padres are on the come.....you idiot!
2. When you have a young QB on the bench who has been paid 1st round money and your starter who is about to become a FA shreds his throwing shoulder in the season finale the decision for General Manager AJ Smith becomes pretty simple: let Brees walk and turn the keys over to Rivers. In fact I'm amazed that AJ even offered Brees a contract after a labrum tear to his throwing shoulder. I like Drew Brees A LOT.....but anyone who thinks he should have been retained with that sort of medical red flag is a MORON/IDIOT.
   

I cannot believe San Diego was subjected to such lunacy during the Bleacher Bum experiment. At the end of the day it was not their abrasive personas, combative positions, or anti San Diego biases that made The Bleacher Bums so intolerable. It was the simple fact that they were so uneducated as sports fans. Ignorant to San Diego's history as well as the general sports knowledge required of some one who would discuss it as a profession.

I have not plummeted to a free fall death and the Bleacher Bums are still off the air. Life is good.

Every Bleacher Bum Broadcast should have ended with the audio from this Billy Madison scene:

Jordan and Earl's contribution to talk radio in a nutshell.

Editor's Note:
See Scott Kaplan's Facebook page for listener comments.

Merriman on Brady's shoulder

What's Shawne Merriman's take on the "bruised shoulder" Tom Brady suffered last night at the hands of Albert Haynesworth and the Redskins?

YOU play TO HIT the QUARTERBACK (channeling my inner Herm Edwards).
Personally I like Merriman's modeling pictures better than Brady's.....

I hope Zoolander's shoulder is OK because I'd love to get to play these guys at full strength in the playoffs. I hate the New England Patriots (unnecessary clarification).

Friday Afternoon Link Delight 8/27

The DELIGHT
The guys at the Thigh never fail to unearth hot Australians. This week: Jessica Gomes [Sharapova's Thigh]
The Top Ten Things You Should Never Do At A Strip Club [The Bro Bible]
Katherine Heigl shows off her......[Don Chavez]
Last Sunday was a holiday; did you celebrate? [Gunaxin]
The Brett Favre All Stars: 10 Sexy Ladies Over 40 Who Still Got It. Our vote: #7 and #11 [Bleacher Report]

The COMEDIC RELIEF
"Whaaat's happening Peter?" It's Friday......look out for Lumbergh [Ice Ice Babies]
Seizing on the opportunity to stereotype Patriot fan [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

The LOCAL
Phillip Rivers gets his contract extension; celebrated with funny PR photos [Midwest Sports Fans]
Sports Illustrated's NFL writer Jim Trotter talks NFL news & notes with Josh & Jeff. [XTRA Sports 1360 The Drive]
MLB.com's Corey Brock talks all things Padres baseball with Josh & Jeff. [XTRA Sports 1360 The Drive]
3 Questions For Nick Hardwick [619 Sports]

The END
Enjoy your weekend and give thanks that we don't have to listen to Jordan and Earl on XX1090 anymore.

Black Friday Rule

It was either Black Friday Rule by Flogging Molly or Friday I'm in Love by The Cure. Now, I like The Cure but I'll be damned if I'm going to post that song on this website.

Get 'Em While They're Hot; Gartrell Johnson Ringer T's

I was directed to a thread in the forum at Glorify The Past regarding Charger rookie RB Gartrell Johnson out of Colorado State. The thread provided a link to Gartrell Johnson's own website, to which I eagerly clicked.....

A bold move I thought.

GJ's a rookie and from everything I've heard and seen it is Michael Bennett that has looked very solid in camp and games this summer. So that puts Gartrell Johnson in the 4th position on the depth chart behind LT, .43 cent, and Michael Bennett.....and he has a website? Ah, the hubris of youth.

The best part of the site? It has a merchandise Shop; schwag up the wazoo, all from a rookie NFL running back drafted in the 4th round. I looked at some of his t-shirts and I came across a solid ringer T---gold with blue hoops---and knew it would be a solid purchase for either of the following two reasons:

1. If Gartrell makes the team; hey, look at my cool gold ringer T......you got one of these? It'd be like the start of a cult following for the dread-locked RB .
   
2. If Gartrell gets cut; hey, look at my cool gold ringer T.....you can't get one of these! In this event it would be me and a village of Guatemalan children spending their days alternating between the official Gartrell Johnson shirt and the New England Patriots 19-0 Super Bowl Champion T's.
   

Really, it's too cool not to own regardless of the reason.

Wow---hasn't made the team and he's already selling himself hard to the public. Hey Gartrell! I bought your T-shirt. Now go impress Norv.

Started-me-a-wonderin': The San Diego Padres and Yunel Escobar

After turning on the Padre game in the 8th inning, (EST start threw me) I saw Atlanta shortstop Yunel Escobar make a play and it started-me-a-wonderin'.

The Padres almost dealt Jake Peavy for Escobar and a few others back in November. I wasn't really in favor of the deal at the time for a couple of reasons:

1. I was delusional; not fully grasping the financial plight a divorce could bring on our club.
2. I didn't know too much about the players involved and really didn't want to do the research; laziness and a state of delusion conspiring together.

Today Yunel Escobar is hitting .303/.370/.452

The Wonderin':

1. Would the haul from the Jake to Atlanta trade in November of 2008 have been more beneficial than Jake to the Sox in July of 2009?
2. Would we have taken Everth Cabrera in the December, 2008 Rule V Draft had we traded for Escobar back in November (I think yes because ECab was a 2B)?
3. If we did take ECab would he have seen any playing time---being blocked by Escobar at SS and the Great Eckstein at 2B---may he have been returned to Colorado because he wasn't crackin' the line-up?
4. How would the Padres look with Escobar at SS and Cabrera at 2B?

Some of my wonderment is unknowable (2 & 3) but feel free to speculate and discuss, it may be fun.

The remainder of my reverie won't be revealed for a while (1 & 4) although if someone wants to look up the 2009 stat lines for the players and then draw some comparisons, I'd be stoked if you did.......by the way the Padres won in the 12th; Latos 7 shut out innings.

Chargers v Cardinals: It's only Pre-season Sucka

After watching the 1st half (I can only bear to watch the 1st 1/2 of pre-season games) of the Chargers @ Arizona, I found myself with many observations, but there were three things that hit me the most:

1. The Interception by Antonio Cromartie

Cro's Int. was fantastic. It happened at a critical moment (goal line) against one of the game's best (Fitzgerald) and it was an attacking play. He read it, jumped the route, and had one thing on his mind: pick-6. It very much reminded me of the San Diego Chargers' defense of 2007....you remember the one. The one that would bend but not break. The one that would give up yardage but always had someone ready to make a play. It reminded me of the AFCCG against the Patriots when Tom Brady was moving the ball at will but kept turning it over to a ball hawking Charger D.

2. The Interception by Clinton Hart

Hart's Int. was also fantastic. It too happened at a critical moment (goal line) and it was a very nice read. However the good ended there. Rather than taking a knee and sitting on the it......#42 decided to run the ball out, presumably because he felt he had an escort in Antonio Cromartie. I have news for you Mr. Hart; Antonio Cromartie is about as physical as a castrated collie so expecting him to make a momentous block of any kind is an exercise in futility. Hart proceeded to fumble the ball away. Personally I liked wear Cro's head was; ole to the block....pitch me the ball on the 2 yard line.....I'm open. Good thinkin'........

This pick did not remind me of the 2007 Chargers, but instead conjured images of the 2006 edition. The stellar defense followed by foolishness, akin to the Divisional playoff game against those same Patriots..........oh Marlon McCree, you haunt me.

3. Billy Ray Smith's Commentary During Replay Review Of Hart's Fumble

It was serendipity that a critical replay (as critical as pre-season can be) would involve both the Chargers and the one and only Ed Hochuli. As Hochuli reviewed the play Ron Pitts had this exchange with Billy Ray Smith:
Ron Pitts: "You know, Cromartie's waiting for the pitch, that's what he's waiting for."
Billy Ray Smith: "Well maybe he needs to throw a block or two (signature BR laughter)"

Ron Pitts: "First things first, they have to determine that he did retain possession after the interception ,took the steps, had possession ok, now next is the fumble"
Billy Ray Smith: "Well, actually, first and foremost is 'Hey Ed Hochuli, you owe us. You owe us one sucka.' Let's not forget that. That's what Charger fans are saying to themselves. C'mon Hochuli."

You owe us one sucka!

The most classic line ever uttered during a football telecast? I think so.

Contrary to points #1 and #2 I am not a fatalist.

• Legedu Naanee looked fantastic. I hope they can get him involved in the O because he makes things happen.
  
• The sure fire tackling of Kevin Burnett. One of the highest complements that can be given to an open side flanker in the game of rugby is that he has a high work rate or that he looks for work. Kevin Burnett looks for work.
• LT looked pretty good in space when he caught that screen and the little route out of the backfield.
• Phillip Rivers is still alive despite the early beating he took. That's a win.

No worries. It's only pre-season sucka!

Venable Makes Contact With Pujols' Man Purse carrying Arm

When I was watching the Padres play the Cardinals on Saturday night I took note of a particular play involving Albert Pujols and the Padres' Will Venable. Venable had hit a hard grounder to 1B and Pujols fielded it cleanly, decided to make the play on his own, and ran towards first.....but he did not run that fast. As he crossed over the bag a blazing Venable burst threw the picture nearly beating Pujols for an infield single. Two things struck me about this play:

1. How hard Venable had run out what seemed to be a routine grounder which in my opinion is a good thing. With all due respect to the best player on our team (Adrian Gonzalez), he rarely runs hard on ground-balls. Effort is good.
   
2. The second thing was how I really felt that had Pujols been just a split second slower in getting to the bag he genuinely would have deserved to get knocked into next week. You can't lolly-gag through the baseline when your opponent is playing for a job next year. Whatever.....there was no harm so there was no foul....I went to bed.

Now on Sunday afternoon I abandoned the game after Caesar Carillo loaded the bases a second time but upon checking in on the final I saw that there was a bit of an altercation that had taken place. Low and behold.........Pujols and Venable. Will Venable running out a grounder, ducking his shoulder a bit to absorb the tag and then getting the stare-down from King Albert. I watched the video and it's one of the most innocuous bits of contact I've seen between players. I saw Everth Cabrera destroy Cardinal SS Brendan Ryan in trying to break up a double play, and in my opinion, Cabrera had slid too far out of the baseline. Ryan said nothing about it.

Here is an excerpt from padres.com regarding the Pujols/Venable incident:

About the only fireworks came in the sixth inning when Venable topped a ball down the first-base line that St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols picked up and tagged Venable as he ran by. After the play, Venable turned around and saw Pujols staring at him.

"I asked him what his problem was. Anytime that someone stops to stare at you ... you're wondering what his problem is," Venable said. "I certainly don't care enough about Albert Pujols to continue with anything that might cause friction. It's not that big of a deal, just a lot of nothing."

Pujols, apparently, saw it differently, claiming Venable more or less threw an elbow into him as he passed.

"He did. Last night he tried to run me over like he was playing freaking football. A play like that, you don't try to run people over. Next time, if I would have known, I would probably hit him in the face with the glove, tag him right there," said Pujols, who earlier in the game hit his 40th home run of the season.

"He did it last night, and today again, he threw an elbow. And he was out by a lot. It wasn't necessary, even to avoid a tag. The ground ball that I had, what is he going to do? Try to knock the ball out of my glove? Last night he jammed my wrist a little bit and tonight he tried to throw an elbow. That's pretty stupid."

Venable denied trying to throw an elbow to disrupt the play.

Are you seriously crying about this Albert?

I generally like Albert Pujols. The only thing I've really heard bad about him (I think it was him) is that he tends to eyeball umpires a bit when he gets a strike call against him; kind of a "Do you know who I am? If I didn't swing it's not a strike!", air about him. His above quotes make him sound like a crybaby. Grow a pair and go after Venable if you think he was trying to hurt you. Don't give a man the ol' "Do you know who I am?", stare. You're asking for a fight then.

Good on ya Will Venable. Keep playing hard. Don't take sh*t from anyone especially Albert Pujols

"Fu*k Albert Pujols and his man purse!", said Will Venable (or something to that effect)

Video of Sunday afternoon incident [Padres.com]

Donate: Park View Little League

Our little group of Mashers and Bashers from Chula Vista dismantled the Great Lakes representative 15-0 tonight.....it was impressive. Before the game started ESPN asked each little leaguer who his favorite player was and it was refreshing to hear the vast majority say Adrian Gonzalez. It was very cool to see these young kids taking pride in someone from San Diego and currently representing the San Diego Padres.

Anyways.....it's a fairly expensive trip for the families to take and the longer Park View stays alive (they'll win it.....that's not like jinxing a no-no is it?) the more costly the trip becomes.

Fortunately we San Diegans are in a position to help these families by making a donation, an amount of your choosing via this link: Realizing a Dream

Park View Little League [Home page]

A Call To All Rubberneckers At This Site: yes, this is the fourth or fifth Quentin Tarantino reference of the week....for good reason!

Alright here's the deal: by the middle of the week we had inadvertently referenced Pulp Fiction or something else, Tarantino film related, in each one of our posts. At that point we lauded ourselves for being extraordinarily clever. A clever blogger would continue to make a reference each day for the remainder of the week, which we then vowed to do....because we're clever!

Perhaps we forgot yesterday; not sure. We forgot today too; until we checked in at one of our favorite blogs, I Hate Movie Reviews, written by fellow Avenger, The Ex-Buckeye Quarterback Punk. At his site he had a clip of the new Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds which opens today and voila*....another Tarantino reference for the week.

A perfect segue really because I Hate Movie Reviews and Avenging Jack Murphy are teaming up for a fruity little venture we like to call: Sports Movie Review!

The clever never sleeps.

Look we've all seen Major League, Slap Shot and Hoosiers.......or haven't you???? For those that haven't seen the best sports movies we're going to steer you in the right direction. For those that have seen them this is your chance to go rent it and come back for a discussion a week later (kind of like a book club--I'm Oprah). Quotable lines; precise minutes of 'Rated R' moments; soundtrack; impact on pop culture; and more of those Rated R moments.

What about the bad sports movies, you ask? Oh, those are actually the best, (except Any Given Sunday) so we'll look at those too.

Now we NEED some contributions. There's a consistent group of rubberneckers who make their daily viewing appearance, to gawk at the car wreck that is this website. Give a little first aid to the crash victims here.....need another metaphor.....take off your skirt and stop being such a chick (sorry ladies).

Make some suggestions; make some comments; waste some time with us. What movie do you want to see first?

* a little French since the film takes place in Nazi occupied France during WWII.....otherwise we would never think it.

Friday Afternoon Link Delight 8/21

The DELIGHT
I like Gina Carano's face, but she got beat up last weekend, so.....50 reasons Gina Carano should stay out of the cage (the pictures are the tiny clear squares-click 'em) [Gunaxin]
Female Free Agent: Remember this Aussie from the 2009 Thignal Four? [Sharapova's Thigh]
Top 10 Most Underrated Babes Definitely Not Named Megan Fox [The Bro Bible]
This Was My Goddess in 1998--she's still pretty hot [Don Chavez]

The VIDEO
Tweet Box: Making fun of Celebrity tweets [Break Media]
Will the Vikings Suck This Year? Music Video [YouTube]

The PADRES
Padres' COO Tom Garfinkel talks about the future...and breakfast [XX1090-BP Show]
Donavan Tate: This is your (new) life (article w/audio) [619 Sports]
Kevin Towers talks after the draft deadline [XX1090-Darren Smith]
Hmmm...San Diego Padres to Implement the Wildcat Formation [Gaslamp Ball]

The CHARGERS
Kevin Acee talks Chargers after Seattle game [XX1090-Darren Smith]
Phillip Rivers talks Favre and other junk [XX1090-Darren Smith]
Matthew Berry of ESPN talks Fantasy Football [XX1090-Darren Smith]
Keeping an eye on the Chargers' rookies [Bolts From The Blue]

The ELSEWHERE
The story of each NFL team...told through classic rock anthems [Bleacher Report]
Hilarious satire. Law and Order investigates a 'violation' of Vikings' coach Brad Childress [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

The END
Nice work Darren Smith--good interviews this week.

Flava Favre

We've yet to have a 'Flavor Flav specific' reference at this site....Public Enemy, yes.......Flava Flav, no. Thank Jason Whitlock for the parallel:

'Flava' Favre is king of new reality TV sports culture [Fox Sports]

Plaxico Burress: an excuse to use a great photoshop

The hammer came down on Plaxico Burress this morning. From the New York Times:

Plaxico Burress, the former Giants receiver, pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, in a deal with Manhattan prosecutors that will send him to prison for two years.

If the case were to go to trial and Mr. Burress were convicted of all charges — two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment — he could face 3½ to 15 years in prison. The plea agreement still needs the approval of a State Supreme Court justice.

Mr. Burress, who caught the winning touchdown pass in the Giants’ 2008 Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots, had a license to carry the gun in Florida, but it had expired nearly seven months before the shooting. Even if it were still valid, prosecutors said, Mr. Burress would not have been allowed to carry the weapon in New York.

Too harsh of a penalty for a self-inflicted injury? Let's see what the masses think...

Ochenta y Cinco says a lot of stupid things. This may be one of his better ideas.

Lights-out makes a valid point. When your gat slides down your pants you may be a douche.

This comment came from a reader at the NY Times. While I may agree that a deprivation of liberty for two years seems a bit steep let's not go throwing the "it's unconstitutional" banner over this issue. You see, there are certain people who are deemed menaces to society and as such it would be best not to have them carrying firearms. So states go about setting up laws that create barriers to owning weapons if you fall into this "menace" category; all the while trying to adhere to your constitutional protections.

I like these barriers....they make me feel safe when I choose to cruise out to clubs at 1:30 AM on a work night while leaving my little baby and wife at home. I want to know that responsible citizens and non-felons are the ones carrying weapons, so I don't get shot which would make it increasingly more difficult to make it home on a work night and to my little baby and wife I left at home.

While Plaxico was not a felon he was anything but responsible. The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States requires stipulations because of morons like Plaxico Burress. He didn't have his Glock registered in the state of NY. It's registration in the state of Florida had been expired for months, not that it would have mattered, because HE WAS IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK!!!! He didn't have the safety on his Glock set. He didn't have his Glock secured to ensure that it wouldn't fall down his pants. He is not very responsible and that's why there are restrictions on our right to bear arms. To protect us from egregious violators of the law and common place morons. Sorry Plax, but you've proven yourself a moron.

Giving up even a bit of your personal Liberty is a slippery slope, a slope that I'd prefer not to traverse. I don't own a hand gun but I may buy one in the future. If that day comes I really don't like the idea that the federal government will be aware of my activity but such is the price one pays. I'd much rather know that if there's anyone actually packin' out on the streets, that they are non-criminals who've exhibited some semblance of responsibility by getting a license for their weapon. History tells us that even those who handle guns regularly are subject to catastrophic accidents so I'll concede a little liberty in this instance.

It should also be noted that New York City had a lot of crime in the early '80s and now they don't, relatively speaking. I read a book called the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and he discusses some of the ways that New York cleaned itself up; I highly recommend it. In addition to Gladwell's study, I also have to think that strict gun laws have contributed to this decrease in crime. Call me crazy....

How 'bout one more tweet before we put the Plaxico story to rest:

Ehh........I too have a difficult time reconciling the Stallworth sentence and the case of Plaxico Burress.

Donte Stallworth killed another human being and he did it with marijuana in his system as well as a blood-alcohol-level that was above the legal limit. That's gross negligence and it cost someone their life.

Plaxico Burress could have killed someone and had he done so, it would have been gross negligence on his part.....but he didn't.....he's a moron who shot himself. Being punished for what you might do kind of sounds like life imitating art, a la the Minority Report. I don't know that I agree with that methodology.

Anyways...

Let's not forget how this country formed. Thirteen colonies existed as separate entities before they ever united. They thought of themselves as their own distinct nations with their own laws and customs. Their union developed as a means to an end; to defeat a seemingly invincible British Empire. Once this task was accomplished they returned to their old mindset of individual and distinct nations.

When the Constitution was eventually ratified, it was noted that the Union was entered into voluntarily by each State, and that this document would preserve the rights' of each of these States. Well now there are 50 States and they all have their own unique laws, Plax and fellow citizens......so, you better recognize!

Avenging Jack Murphy Meets 619 Sports: part deux

Less goat cheese; more of my voice. I discuss, with Craig and Chris, the Fate of Koooz, the Tao of Eckstein and the young players who are making us tune-in to watch a team that is 20-odd games out of 1st place.....the three youngsters mentioned have all had nice performances in the two games since taping, especially the 8 Train.

Avenging Jack Murphy meets 619 Sports: part deux [Podcast]

Brett Favre: Rational Viking Fan View

This is an excerpt from Big Daddy Drew's post over at Kissing Suzy Kolber. He is a Viking Fan.....guess what kind?

"......That was fun. And I’m crazy excited for the press conference later today, when he explains that he changed his mind when really, he didn’t want to bother to do things like get into shape or learn the playbook. BUT THAT’S BRETT FAVRE FOR YOU. HE JUST LOVES THE GAME TOO DAMN MUCH.

YOU MASSIVE SHITBURGLAR. NOW I HAVE TO SPEND A WHOLE GODDAMN YEAR PRETENDING TO WISH YOU WELL WHEN, IN FACT, I HOPE YOU FALL OFF YOUR PORCH AND HAVE YOUR THROAT SLASHED BY A BEER BOTTLE. I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU FUCK." [Read More]

I encourage you to click the link.....it get's better.

Brett Favre: The Packer Nativist View

DJ NAKED: Straight outta Wisconsin

Stop the press......

All of the negative Favre news stems from the hick media in WI, which took the Ted
Thompson side of the story. I don't view this as Favre vs Packers, I view this as Favre vs
Ted Thompson. You have to look deeper into the problem to find out the truth. Hating Favre
because of how he's portrayed in the news is the same exact thing as loving Katy Perry or
Justin Timberlake because MTV and the radio tells us to.

At the surface, Favre looks like a wishy washy lil' bitch. I have to admit, I think it's pathetic
how he's handled the situation. Would I be a Vikings fan???---we'll get to that in a bit.

First, let's talk about the real problem, Ted Thompson. His ego gets in the way of his
judgment. Favre is not the first player to clash with him. Mike McKenzie, Javon Walker,
and a few others couldn't get along with him. So what happened??? They were on the next
flight out of town. Thompson puts personal feelings ahead of common sense when making
business decisions. His strategy for building a team is idiotic.

Look at any playoff team that suddenly wins the championship the following year.... Lakers
last season, Bulls the year after Jordan's comeback, Patriots, Packers 1996, Yankees, Miami
Heat with Shaq, and so on and so forth.....

How do they do it??? They built the best team possible for their situation at that time, they
did not build for the future. Building for the future only makes you a really good playoff
team, it won't make you a championship team. Ted Thompson doesn't get that. He doesn't
actively search out the best players for the team.... he plays it safe, too safe.

Let's think back three and a half years. Packers came off a bad season. They needed some-
thing. Randy Moss was in the market for a trade from the Raiders. Packers could have got
him for a 3rd round pick, true story. What happens????? Thompson passed on the
opportunity. The result??? Favre has one of the best seasons of his career, and single-
handedly gets the team to the NFC championship where they lose in overtime. Randy Moss
goes to the Patriots, and all kinds of records were broken up until their loss in the
SuperBowl. If Thompson would have followed though on the Moss deal, the Packers would
have been unstoppable that season. They would have beat the Giants in the NFC
championship, and the Patriots wouldn't have even made it to the SuperBowl.

Within a couple weeks of the loss, Thompson was pressuring Favre for a decision about
retirement. Favre didn't know, and made the wrong decision. When he wanted to come back,
they said he could, but he'd be a back up. Favre said he was willing to compete for the job.
They wouldn't let him. Favre said release or trade me. They said only to an AFC team,
"to protect your legacy." Come ON!!! They were protecting themselves, not his legacy.... He
is still better than Aaron Rodgers, Rodgers is good, but he's not the same. Thompson told
the only 3 time NFL MVP in history and most likely the greatest quarterback ever to f... off.
What an idiot!!!

I hate how Favre has handled this situation though. Basically he isn't 100% sure if he wants
to play, he is trying to get back at Thompson. He also doesn't like training camp much, so if
he does come back still, then that's why he's doing it like this. I'm not saying I agree with that
or like him doing that, but whatever. You should hate Thompson, not Favre.

Now let's talk about being a Vikings fan. I kind of started liking the Vikings 2 years back how
I kind of like the Chargers. Why? They have an exciting game changing player in Peterson, like
the Chargers have LT. How can you not like Peterson??? If you add the fact that I hate
Thompson and how the Packers never make any moves to better themselves outside of the
draft, I find it hard to support the Pack. Why support a team that won't support itself!? It
would be easy to be a Vikings fan if Favre was there, not out of spite, but because they would
be exciting to watch and they'd have two of my favorite players on the team.

SO......Please don't write about how Favre is some kind of giant d-bag.... even if he handled the
situation that way, there is more to it than that. Everyone has already covered that. You'll be
just like the radio saying how Britney Spears is good .....when the rest of us know better. I
challenge you to write an anti-Thompson story, but not a pro-Favre story or anti-Packer
story.

As for your friend who wants a Favre jersey.... who wears jerseys if they aren't in a rap video???

FYI: most people here DO believe everything they hear in the news..... so most Pack fans hate
Favre. On the other hand, I think most people in WI are f...ing wierdos.
~DJ NAKED

Brett Favre: The "My Dad Indoctrinated Me To Root For Green Bay While Living in California" View

The FAV-RUH-POLOGIST

Once a year now for the last few years, historians and FAITHful followers from all over, anxiously await the announcement from the enclave in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Believers and non-believers gather in hopes of witnessing the white smoke rising from the chimney of our new Messiah. Will BRETT FAVRE return to football? Is HE really going to lead the crusade back to the Holy Lands of Green Bay? Could the believers be right again?

GOD, The SON, The HOLY SPIRIT and BRETT FAVRE.

Is HE about to rise up once again, this time from HIS yearlong crucifixion and complete death in the AFC East. After being sacrificed so the Pack could move on. After being betrayed by Ted Thompson (Pontius Pilate) and Mike McCarthy (Judas). It was business. I get it. Time to be done with HIM and move forward. But Judgment day is coming. A reckoning if you will. It is time to pass judgment on those who have sinned... If HIS resurrection is true, then HE will be having HIS "Last Supper" with his disciples in the NFC North.

At this time He will reveal himself to not only the believers this time, but to ALL non-believers as well. I have always believed in HIM. This story has to be true. Disney nor the Apostles of old could write a better script. Admit it. Now is your chance to take that "leap of faith" everyone. Get on the bus to the clouds while you can, because once it is written...it will be too late.

McCarthy and Thompson will burn at the stake for sure. Don't be left out. There is still time. The Vikings ARE a great football team with or without FAVRE. That is fact. They are not going to ask him to do what Green Bay and the Jets asked him to do. They are not asking HIM to perform miracles and carry entire teams on HIS back, to throw balls 150 yards 50 times a game. "Prove you are the Messiah", they said. "Show us the miracles first", they said. They did not truly have faith.

The Vikings, however, truly believe in HIM. This type of "blind faith" WILL lead to salvation.

If the story is true, "BRETT FAVRE and VIKINGS WIN SUPERBOWL", then our faith in HIM will be seen as Truth. Brett Favre being known as the ONE, true "Greatest Quarterback of All Time" will be historical fact.

BRETT FAVRE'S concern for HIS own "legacy" has never been an issue for HIM. People question HIS faith and loyalty to the almighty Pack. He always believed in them. Had "faith" in them. He always wanted to be with them. HE, will eventually be worshipped by all in Green Bay as well. No offense, [----REDACTED----]. BRETT FAVRE had no choice but to find another team and then another. They called HIM a heretic for what HE was saying and what HE was doing. But HE was just trying to have faith in himself. Faith in Truth. What HE has a chance to do now is to truly be the "The Greatest".

Maybe one day people will stop speaking HIS great name in such blasphemy, and just sit long enough to think for a minute about what they are accusing HIM of; and instead begin to appreciate and SEE what HE truly brings to football. GO VIKINGS and GOD BLESS BRETT FAVRE! LONG LIVE #4.
~The FAV-RUH-POLOGIST

A NORDIC PROVERB: Revenge is a dish best served cold

This is where we surprise you by saying that an opinion is forthcoming. Enjoy the stellar phavre-shop that somebody created and shared with the web.

Avenging Jack Murphy Meets 619 Sports

The two things in this world that I would classify as effed-up repugnant sh*t, are goat cheese and the recording of my voice. I'd like you to experience both, however it's too arduous a task to transmit goat cheese through the internet. You instead get my voice over @ 619 Sports.

Go there and listen to me overuse the type of adjective (silly) that no adult male should ever even use once. I try to give one fan's viewpoint on Padre baseball. One which was first inspired here (The Sacrifice Bunt) and then extrapolated on over here (Gaslamp Ball-but that link is down so try this redirection).

It was fun. It was cool. Then I thought of a bunch of things I should have said after I listened to the podcast. Maybe I'll write about them. Thanks Craig and Chris.....hope the loose association with me doesn't hurt your business.

Avenging Jack Murphy meets 619 Sports [The Podcast]

Donavan Tate Wears Brown and I'm Playin' Ice Cube

This is 1st round draft pick Donavan Tate who signed for millions upon millions of dollars and shrewdly negotiated into his contract that the Padres return to BROWN!!!!

Knowing that the Padres must stock their farm system to compete in the future and hearing today that the Friar FO spent the big bucks to get their 1st, 2nd, and 4th round picks signed makes me think of.........well, Ice Cube of course: "Today was a good day."

The Video [YouTube]
Padres Sign Tate, Williams and Sampson [Padres Rundown]

This Week In: "Jay Cutler just bein' a freakin' jag!" 8/17

"It's 38-13. Time to be a mope"

Jay Cutler works extremely hard to build rapport with his teammates. To wit:

Lost in the aftermath of Jay Cutler having the audacity to imply Devin Hester didn't do all he could to break up a poorly thrown interception Saturday night against the Bills was this:

Cutler had a valid point.

Hester acknowledged he should have done more to increase the degree of difficulty for Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin, even if Hester's momentum was taking him the opposite direction. Hester agreed with Cutler that he could "learn from it," as Cutler put it.

But it was one of those things probably better left unsaid at the podium by a new quarterback whom teammates still are getting to know, the kind of veiled criticism coach Lovie Smith surely would prefer come at a team meeting rather than a news conference. The explanation sounded more like an excuse.

Off his back leg, Cutler made a terrible throw and floated the ball 40 yards downfield -- and it would have been nice to hear him say that too. Forget fans and media; it would have been good for Bears players to see their new leader take sole responsibility for his mistake, even if Hester, in part, had erred too.

Had Cutler done that, few people around Chicago still would be discussing his interception now.

My favorite "Jay Cutler just bein' a freakin' jag-off" comment came after the Chargers demolished the Broncos 38-13 in the final week when he had the audacity to throw his defense under the bus for the loss. Sure the defense wasn't too solid but I seem to recall a collapse against Buffalo in Mile High the previous week.....that was pretty much on you, ya mope.

Enjoy him Chicago.

Jay Cutler's candor may come back to bite Bears QB someday [Chicago Tribune]

Donavan Tate Signing: Better Not Be Pulp Fiction

Back in June when Padres vice president of player development, Grady Fuson, made the below statement, the nature of it took me by surprise. Since it was included in an article by Corey Brock yesterday (August 16th) it needed to be revisited:

"We've kind of said, worst-case scenario, maybe a Mike Cameron ... somebody that hits .240, .250, a lot of punch-outs maybe, but big bombs and plays as good a defense as you get. Durable, athletic, steals a lot of bases," Fuson said in June of Tate.

"Best-case scenario, you got the whole ball of wax. You got an Andruw Jones or something in his best years."

Wow! Worst case: Donavan Tate=Mike Cameron.....

In the words of John Travolta's Vincent Vega (when discussing Lance's "product" surpassing the quality of that Amsterdam sh*t): "That's a bold statement."

If Mike Cameron is the basement for young Donavan Tate we better be hearing good news today. A $6 million dollar signing bonus, with the ability to control him for 6 years, would be a bargain for talent like that.

Vick: Notable Eagle Games in 2009

In discussing the "Vick to the Eagles" story this graphic was shown by ESPN. What is wrong with said picture (aside from it being a crappy cell phone photo)?

Where Eagles Dare: Michael Vick

This post is really just an excuse to post more punk rock on a Friday.
Daring move by the Eagles or no?
I think they paid him a lot in any case. (Vick's contract calls for him to make $1.6 million for the first year, with a team option of $5.2 million for the second.)

Friday Afternoon Link Delight 8/14

The DELIGHT
This is Megan Abrigo the new co-host of a poker show on NBC called Face the Ace. Thank you Hot Clicks and for more pictures [Model Mayhem]

"I cannot wait to get my hands on Jennie Finch's Pro-Mounds"....it's not what you think...or is it? [Sportress of Blogitude]

THE VIDEO
You must go and watch the Padres/Braves brawl of 1984. 29 minutes of pandemonium. [Gaslamp Ball]

More Brawling. Watch Kevin Youkillis charge; throw helmet like a sissy; then get tossed to ground by thin framed pitcher. Not too many places you can still see this footage per MLB's rules [Fack Youk]

Astute analysis of Jessica Simpson's purpose via Tweet Boxx [Break Media]

The LOCAL
"The Padres would like your attention"-Youngsters starting to step it up. An article with sound. [619 Sports]
Kevin Towers talks with Darren Smith about 1st round draft pick Donavan Tate and other stuff [XX1090]

The NATIONAL
Bill Simmons writes about being a fan in the steroid era in Living in the Shadow of Steroids. [ESPN]
Eagles, Vick a near-perfect match [Peter King-SI.com]
Snap Judgement: McNabb and Vick in Philly can't be a long marriage [Don Banks-SI.com]
Vick Press Conference [ESPN]

Did you know that in studies done regarding similar traits found in serial killers that nearly across the board they all had histories of killing animals? I'm not so much drawing a correlation as I am showing you that I can remember obscure facts.....

The END

It's Jay Cutler Jersey Burn Month!!!

This whole week has been fairly negative with the posts so let us pause to heap praise.....

~The Padres are competing their rear ends off! Down 9-0 today in Milwaukee they battled back for a respectable 12-9 loss. Never give up!~

......and now back to hating on Jay Cutler. We here at the blog hated the guy so much, we created a voodoo doll in his dishonor. A kid in Denver however takes it to another level in response to Cutler's comments regarding Denver fans lacking passion. Young Donk fan calls for August 2009 to be recognized as:

Jay Cutler Jersey Burn Month

Good healthy passion kid. Especially liked how you urinated on the jersey at the end (or was it lighter fluid?).

What's with the Phillip Rivers hate though? If anything, Cutler's actions over the last 6 months show that he was the likely culprit in the Christmas Eve shouting match of 2007. Whatever. Good on ya for burning that clown's #6.

Thanks to hot clicks. Enjoy.

Dear Patriot Tears: Zoolander, Ace Ventura, and Tom Brady

Came across this Tweet, saw that it was in regards to the QB known as Zoolander and decided a little research was in order. I had heard that Tom Brady was on the cover of Details so I figured this quote was from that feature and I could probably get the context as well as some images showcasing Blue Steel, Ferrari, and Le Tigre. I was right.

Back to the quote...

There's nothing wrong with not being artistic but where does the ability to read factor into right brain functioning? The act of reading itself does not constitute the act of creating, Tom. Additionally, how does a graduate of the University of Michigan not describe himself as a reader of some sort? Well I guess he's a reader he's just not a "great" reader. Surely the fine publication of Details will shed some light......uh-oh.....Le Tigre alert....

I don't think it's an act of jealousy or a case of hating on Tom Brady to suggest that these pictures are synonymous with the festive nature of Christmas (think about it). Where is this guy's head?

So the pictures are bad but what about the context of the original quote? Oh it's soooooo much worse! The author of the Boston Globe article describes Brady as being "downright philosophical" in the Detail's interview and I couldn't agree more. Brady's words and ideas were cloaked in existential reflection so much so that it brought Jean Paul Sartre's Being & Nothingness to mind. Taste for yourself: from the September issue of Details:

“Maybe my creativity comes out a little when I dress,’’ he says. “I’m not a very creative person, you know? I’m not really an art person. I’m not a great reader or writer or artist or musician. Hopefully I encourage my teammates, a little bit, to get their wives and girlfriends excited when they walk through the door.’’

You've got to be kidding me. Encouraging your teammates to get their wives excited when they walk through the door.....by inspiring style and fashion?

Not only do Brady's words conjure the ideas of Sartre and Kant but even more so the words of Ace Ventura:

Finkle&Einhorn, Finkle&Einhorne, Finkle&Einhorn,

Finkle is Einhorne, Einhorne is a Man!...
Oh my god...Einhorn is a man!!!!

Now say that real fast but substitute the names Brady/Zoolander/Woman.

(Go ahead and fast forward to 1:10----Knowledge of The Crying Game makes this scene infinitely more funny).

I think this scene, in some ways, encapsulates how I feel about Tom Brady. I suppose if he was winning San Diego Super Bowls I could live with his radical metro-sexuality but in the meantime I'll take Phillip Rivers and his conservative Alabama tendencies.

Go to the below article at the Boston Globe and read the comments, very entertaining.
Tom Brady's got a lot on his mind [Boston Globe]

Editor's Note:
If you want to berate me for being "jealous of Tom Brady's life" and for Actin' like a Hatin' Fool, I'll be the guy at the bar wearing a t-shirt, jeans, flip-flops and drinking a beer. I am not inspired by Tom's innate fashion sense.

Tainted Cycles: Thanks Be To Troy Tulowitzki

Last night Troy Tulowitzki came to bat late in the game needing a triple the most difficult of the required four hits for The Cycle.

TT was gifted The Cycle when Alfonso Soriano bobbled the ball and then the relay, which had TT dead to rites, was dropped.

An excerpt from "Troy Tulowitzki's Cycle A Mockery Of Baseball's Hallowed Record", by Johnny Lawrence of the Bleacher Report:

How fair is it that Tulowitzki receives credit for accomplishing something only 246 players have in over one hundred years of baseball, despite the glaring no-calls?

Plati hand-wrapped and delivered Tulowitzki this historically significant feat, and I'm not so sure it should not be taken away from him for the sake of integrity.

The mistake was made in the scorer's box, not on the field, so do not blame Tulowitzki for his top-flight performance.

A far too generous scoring of the play cheapened the magnitude of this historically uncommon event.

There are two significant points here for San Diego Padre fans:

1. The Padres have yet to hit a cycle in their 40 year history. I'd love to see a cycle even if it were tainted by a homer score keeper! Actually I don't care, I'm more interested in the anomaly that our franchise has failed with 40seasons X 162 games....you do the math.
   
2. We should be praising Tulo's excellence, without which, we may not have been able to get Everth Cabrera in last winter's Rule V draft.

Cheers Cycle-laden Colorado!!!! It's their 5th one in a mere 16 seasons.

While a type of false choice, I'll take Everth Cabrera over The Cycle any day of the week.