Tiger’s Disturbing New Nike Commercial

 

In what has to be one of the oddest ads in the history of television, Nike debuted Wednesday night a creepy, 30-second Tiger Woods commercial that features the fallen sports star solemnly staring at the camera while listening to a grim voiceover of his dead dad, the New York Post reported Thursday.

In a telling sign of how badly bruised the golf great’s image remains, Tiger keeps mute throughout the commercial.  Instead, the voice of Earl Woods — who died in 2006 — is summoned from beyond the grave to quiz his skirt-chasing son.

“Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive,” his father begins the commercial, which is shot in black and white. “I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are.”

The golfer seems on the verge of tears, blinking his famously wandering eyes several times. The ad ends with the camera silently fading to a Nike emblem. It was not clear how Nike produced the audio.

The commercial aired on ESPN and the Golf Channel on the eve of Woods’ return to competitive golf in Thursday’s opening round of the Masters.

In response to queries regarding the ad, Nike issued a brief statement saying, “We support Tiger and his family. As he returns to competitive golf, the ad addresses his time away from the game using the powerful words of his father.”

Woods, who had been the No. 1 moneymaker in sports, lost big-bucks endorsement deals with major firms, such as Gatorade, Accenture and AT&T.  Analysts said the sex scandal cost him $35 million in endorsements.

We are all witnessing the demise of the greatest golfer to ever live.  It is happening right here, right now folks.  It’s hard to believe that I had MORE respect for you Tiger before I saw this commercial.  I can look the other way when it comes to affairs with cocktail waitresses, pornstars and Waffle House hostesses.  But the fact that you chose to exploit your dead father in order to try and repair your public image so you can make more money in endorsements is just downright despicable.  I will now officially have to go back to following Shooter’s Tour instead of the PGA your pathetic ass.

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Obama “Throws” First Pitch

 WASHINGTON–President Obama, a diehard White Sox fan, wore a Nationals windbreaker when he walked out on the field on Monday, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the home opener. When he put on a White Sox cap, the crowd booed. 

Obama threw the pitch–he deemed it a “little high and outside” and motorcaded back to the White House, making the trip from Nationals Park–about a mile south of the Capitol– in a remarkable seven minutes. 

We need to stop the tradition of having our fearless leaders embarrass themselves on a yearly basis.  Why is it that every time I see a President throw out a first pitch like an 8 year old with cerebral palsy, I picture our countries greatest enemies all sitting around together chowing on a bowl of monkey brains, while they watch this video and laugh hysterically yelling “he throw like little girl!!!”.  But maybe thats just me. 

    

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2010 MLB Season Preview

  

The Yankees are revamped and ready to defend their World Series title.

 

American League Predictions:      

AL East:  The AL East features 3 of the best teams in all of baseball.          

(1)New York Yankees   (101-61):  Instead of spending money just to spend money, the Yankees spent it where they needed to this past off-season, acquiring key players such as Javier Vazquez and Curtis Granderson.  The addition of Vazquez vastly improves the starting rotation and Granderson keeps the lineup very strong while also bolstering the defense.   They’re an extremely confident group of players that are built for the ballpark they play in.  With the best lineup in baseball, one of the best starting rotations and what should be a stellar bullpen, the Yankees have everything in place to repeat as World Champions.          

(2)Boston Red Sox  (97-65):  Compared to the 2009 opening day roster, the Red Sox have improved offensively at catcher (Victor Martinez) and third base (Adrian Beltre), and defensively at shortstop (Marco Scutaro) and center field (Mike Cameron).  The offense no longer has the punch that it did in the Ortiz/Ramirez years, but it’s still stacked from top to bottom. The addition of John Lackey gives this team possibly the best starting rotation in all of baseball and once again it will be a battle down to the last weeks of the season with the Yankees for AL East supremacy.          

(3)Tampa Bay Rays  (90-72):  Quite possibly the most talented team in baseball, and it wouldn’t surprise me that much if they could sneak in and finish ahead of Boston or New York.  But if mid-summer rolls around and they’re not in contention, the Rays will look to deal some of there big time players with expiring contracts (i.e. Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano).  More than any other team in baseball, the first few months of the season are crucial for this franchise and will determine whether they’ll be contenders in the stacked AL East.          

(4)Baltimore Orioles  (74-88):  This team has a lot of young talent, most of which will be on display in 2010.  The outfield of Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold is up there with the best the American League has to offer.  And while you have to expect such a young rotation to be inconsistent throughout the year, Orioles fans have to be excited for what the future holds, especially with young left handed phenom, Brian Matusz.  Unfortunately, they’ve got a very minimal chance of competing in this division in 2010.          

(5)Toronto Blue Jays  (65-97):  The Blue Jays are a much different team than the one that took the field on opening day in 2009.  They dealt their ace, Roy Halladay, to Philadelphia in the off-season and also lost right fielder, Alex Rios, to the White Sox at last year’s trade deadline.  Most of the players they added in the off-season will begin the season in the minors and with no other notable additions, the Blue Jays will likely finish as one of the worst teams in the entire American League.          

            

AL Central:  The AL Central will once again be decided in the late days of September.          

(1)Chicago White Sox  (89-74):  The White Sox have more than enough pitching to lead them to the AL Central title.  Jake Peavy is healthy and will return to his 2007 form and the rest of the rotation (John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Mark Buehrle) also offer plenty to be excited about.  The question is how will the offense fare?  2nd year player, Gordon Beckham, is a prime breakout candidate, but the White Sox will need players like Alex Rios and Paul Konerko to step up if they’re to win this division.          

(2)Minnesota Twins  (88-75):  I think this team could struggle to find itself for the first month or so of the season as they adjust to their new open air stadium (Target Field).  Playing all those years at the Metrodome will undoubtedly lead to a period of adjustment for the hitters and pitchers alike.  But this is still a very balanced ball club with one of the best players in baseball behind the dish in Joe Mauer.  They have a much better offense than the White Sox and the pitching is arguably better as well.  If it weren’t for the loss of Joe Nathan for the entire 2010 season, the Twins would’ve been my pick to win the AL Central.          

(3)Detroit Tigers  (82-80):  Another AL Central team that is loaded with pitching, but lacking in offense.  The addition of Max Scherzer to the starting rotation gives the Tigers a great 1-2 punch to go along with Justin Verlander.  And while I like Rick Porcello a lot, you have to worry about the amount of innings he pitched last year.  It will be interesting to see if he can improve on his 2009 success.  The addition of Johnny Damon helps the offense, but will really hurt their outfield defense playing their home games in spacious Comerica Park.          

(4)Kansas City Royals  (71-91):  Once again, there’s not much to be excited about for Royals fans heading into the 2010 season.  Reigning AL Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke, figured things out last year and should be in line for another stellar season, despite the lack of offense to back him.  Young first basemen, Billy Butler, led the AL in doubles last season and even bigger things are expected for him in 2010.  All in all, this team doesn’t have enough talent to compete in a competitive AL Central, but at least I don’t have them finishing last!          

(5)Cleveland Indians  (68-94):  New manager, Manny Acta, has his work cut out for him in Cleveland this year.  They lack talent in every facet of the game, including offense, defense and pitching.  But at least their star player, Grady Sizemore, is healthy to begin the season.  Also outfielder, Shin Soo-Choo, will step up even more this year and improve on his 20-20 season with a 25-25 season…..mark it down.          

           

AL West:  Despite a revamped roster, the Angels are still the class of the AL West.          

(1)L.A. Angels  (91-71):  The Angels did not have a very good off-season.  They lost Chone Figgins to Seattle and Vlad Guerrero and Darren Oliver to Texas, two teams within their own division.  They also lost their ace John Lackey to the Red Sox and Kelvim Escobar went to the New York Mets.  They did manage to add Hideki Matsui, Joel Pineiro and Fernando Rodney, but it will be interesting to see how this team fares after losing so many key pieces to a team that made it to the 2009 ALCS.  Mike Scioscia is one of the best managers in the game and his “small ball” style of baseball still fits this roster.          

(2)Seattle Mariners  (89-73): In contrast to the Angels, the Seattle Mariners had an excellent off-season.  They stole Figgins away from the Angels, acquired Cliff Lee in the 3 team trade that saw Roy Halladay land with the Phillies, and also took a chance on the talented yet controversial outfielder Milton Bradley.  The acquisitions of Figgins, along with Casey Kotchman and Jack Wilson, should sure up a defense that struggled at times last season.  Led by a talented duo of pitchers at the top of the rotation in Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, the Mariners have all the makings of a team that can win the AL West.  But it’s the rest of the starting rotation that could hold them back.          

(3)Texas Rangers  (88-74):  The Rangers finished 1st in the majors in runs scored in 2008, but slumped to 10th in the league in 2009.  The addition of Vladimir Guerrero to the lineup, as well as a healthy Josh Hamilton (fingers crossed Rangers fans), will only help them get back to their 2008 form.  Add a solid starting rotation to that mix and the Rangers could make some serious noise in 2010.  Flame thrower Neftali Feliz will work out of the bullpen to start the year and very well could be the team’s most valuable player when all things are considered.          

(4)Oakland Athletics  (71-91):  The clear favorite to finish last in the AL West, the Oakland A’s are a young team lacking in offensive talent.  They’re not a bad team, in fact if they were in the AL Central, I think they’d have a chance to compete.  But the other 3 teams in this division are clearly better top to bottom.  The pitching is good, led by up and coming phenom, Brett Anderson, but the A’s are more likely to play the role of spoiler rather than contender in 2010.          

           

National League Predictions:          

NL East: In a division marked by an influx of future stars, the Phillies will prevail once again.          

(1)Philadelphia Phillies  (98-64):  The two-time defending NL champions have added a new ace in former Cy Young winner, Roy Halladay.  He will bolster an already solid starting rotation and all but assure the Phillies earn their 3rd consecutive NL East crown.  The lineup is nothing short of scary, resembling what you would see on an American League roster.  The trio of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins is about as good as it gets and the addition of Placido Polanco in the “2-hole” can not be underestimated.  The Phillies are the best team in the National League.          

(2)Atlanta Braves  (90-72):  The Braves have a very balanced team.  The rotation, with right handers Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens leading the way, was tops in the NL in ERA last year and figures to be even better this year with a healthy Tim Hudson added to the mix.  The bullpen is somewhat of a question mark, but if 38 year old Billy Wagner can return to form, it will go a long way toward solidifying that area of the team.  Rookie phenom, Jason Heyward, has earned the starting RF job after a solid spring and while it may take time for him to grow accustomed to the pro game, he’ll be productive and provide a much needed bat to the Braves lineup.  The Braves will be determined to send Bobby Cox out in style and I predict they’ll earn their first playoff berth since 2005.          

(3)Florida Marlins  (83-79):  With the amount of up and coming talent they’ve got on the horizon, the Marlins are once again heading in the right direction.  Unfortunately, 2010 will not be the year they get back into the playoffs.  Pitchers Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco form one of the best 1-2 punches in the entire National League.  Chris Coghlan and Cameron Maybin are two young, talented players who will sit atop the batting order in front of superstar Hanley Ramirez, and the types of seasons they have will go a long way in determining what kind of team the Marlins will be this season.          

(4)New York Mets  (78-84):  Let’s start with the good news.  Third basemen, David Wright, will return to form this year and rediscover the power that he undoubtedly still has.  Jose Reyes appears to be on track to return in early April, despite a thyroid condition that kept him sidelined for much of the spring.  And the addition of Jason Bay gives the Mets a much needed bat in the middle of the lineup.  The bad news is that Carlos Beltran is not healthy and may not return until at least mid to late May.  The rotation behind Johan Santana is suspect to say the least and the bridge to closer, Francisco Rodriguez, is nothing short of awful.  I do believe the Mets will improve on their 2009 record, but it still won’t be enough to compete with Philadelphia or Atlanta in the NL East.          

(5)Washington Nationals  (68-94):  The Nationals are most definitely a team on the rise.  The farm system is finally shaping up and Nationals fans have a lot to be excited about in the next few years.  In all my years following baseball, I have never seen a pitching prospect as good as Stephen Strasburg.  This kid IS the next generation when it comes to pitchers and he will make an immediate impact when he gets promoted on or around June 1st.  Ryan Zimmerman produces year after year, despite being surrounded by a mediocre lineup, and 2010 will be no different.  This team will take a small step forward in 2010, but a big step forward is not out of the question for 2011.          

            

NL Central: With too many questions surrounding the Brewers and Cubs, the Cardinals look primed for a 2nd consecutive NL Central title.          

(1)St. Louis Cardinals (88-74):  The Cardinals didn’t add much of anything in the off-season, but they will get a full year’s worth of work out of All-Star leftfielder, Matt Holliday.  They’ve got the best player in baseball on their team in Albert Pujols and two of the best pitchers in the NL in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.  Young centerfielder, Colby Rasmus, will improve greatly in his sophomore season and if veterans Brad Penny and Ryan Franklin can stave off the aging process, they’ll be even better than they were last year.           

(2)Milwaukee Brewers (85-77):  I think the Brewers will take a big step forward this year, but I don’t think they’ve got enough pitching to beat out the Cardinals in the race for a division title.  Superstars, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, will lead a potent offensive attack and the defense should be above-average as well.  Yovani Gallardo will step up in his third full-season and enter the realm of elite pitcher status in the National League.  The additions of veterans Randy Wolf and Doug Davis gives them a much better starting rotation than last year’s team, but the bullpen leaves a lot to be desired.  With the addition of another left handed bat with power, this team would soar.  They’ll still be a very good team in 2010, but I expect them to come up just short of making the NL playoffs.          

(3)Chicago Cubs  (83-79):  This team is a bit of an enigma to me.  It wouldn’t surprise me if they finished 1st in this division, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if they finished last.  If players such as Geovany Soto, Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano can return to form, they’ll be in contention.  But if not, a 3rd place finish will be about as best as they can do.  Cubs fans would also like to see pitchers Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano improve on their 2009 seasons, and they’ll need Ted Lilly to bounce back strong after having off-season shoulder surgery.  One thing is for sure, the departure of Milton Bradley can only be seen as a good thing for this club.          

(4)Cincinnati Reds  (81-81):  The Reds are definitely a team on the rise, with an influx of young talent leading the way.  This will be the year that Jay Bruce shows why he’s been so highly touted in year’s past, but I’m not sure I can say the same for the once “can’t miss” prospect Homer Bailey.  First basemen, Joey Votto and second basemen, Brandon Phillips, are the offensive leaders and both should enjoy productive seasons, especially playing at home in the hitter’s haven that is Great American Ballpark.  Cuban defector and top prospect, Aroldis Chapman, could arrive sooner rather than later, but the Reds would be smart not to rush him.          

(5)Houston Astros  (70-92):  There’s really not much to be excited about in Houston these days.  And to think, they’re just a few years removed from a World Series appearance.  Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt can all still play, but they aren’t getting any younger. Berkman will actually begin the season on the DL with a knee injury which has got to be a cause for concern.  Hunter Pence should have a breakout season and look for Wandy Rodriguez to build on last year’s success.  But that’s about it.  They’ve all but ignored their farm system for years and it’s starting to catch up with them.          

(6)Pittsburgh Pirates  (59-103):  It pains me to even write about this sorry franchise.  They do have an exciting and ultra-talented young player in Andrew McCutchen and this could be the year that catcher, Ryan Doumit, stays healthy and produces.  But they’ve got virtually no chance of finishing anywhere even in the neighborhood of .500 in the standings.  Newly acquired, Jeff Clement, who will move to first base after spending several years as a catcher with the Mariners (mostly in the minors), will be out to prove that he can play and I suspect that he can.          

            

NL West: In a highly competitive NL West, the Rockies will prove to all that they’re no fluke.          

(1)Colorado Rockies (92-70):  Respect.  If the Rockies have yet to earn yours, this will be the year that changes.  This team is one of the deepest in baseball, with as balanced a lineup as any team in the National League.  Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki hit .302 with 27 HR’s and 76 RBI in just 102 games in 2009 and at the tender age of 25, he’s primed to step up his game even more in 2010.  The rotation is solid, led by a true bonafide ace in Ubaldo Jimenez, who should also improve on his success from last year.  Huston Street will begin the season on the DL, but the closing duties are in good hands with power lefthander Franklin Morales, who thrived in the role when Street was injured last season.  There’s really a lot to like with this team and that’s why they’re my pick to win the NL West in 2010.          

(2)Los Angeles Dodgers (88-74):  It wasn’t that difficult picking the Rockies to finish ahead of the Dodgers this season, but it was hard leaving Los Angeles out of the NL playoff picture entirely.  The reason it was so hard is because I actually like this team a lot.  They’ve got two rising star outfielders in Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, a future Hall of Famer in Manny Ramirez who will be playing for a new contract this season, a high ceiling ace in Clayton Kershaw who is on the verge of greatness and one of the best closers in the game in strikeout machine Jonathan Broxton.  They’ve basically got everything the Rockies have got except the depth.  An injury to a key bat, or even worse a key arm in their rotation, spells doom for this team.  With two injury riddled and aging starters (Vincente Padilla and Hiroki Kuroda), the chances of that happening aren’t so slim.          

(3)San Francisco Giants (86-76):  Other than rising star, Pablo Sandoval, the Giants offense is not very good.  The addition of Aubrey Huff should help, but they’re still lacking true impact bats in their lineup.  The pitching, on the other hand, is nothing short of phenomenal.  Led by 2-time Cy Young Winner, Tim Lincecum, the Giants rotation is one of the best the National League has to offer.  Matt Cain had a great year in 2009 and is due for even bigger things this year.  Barry Zito is still a serviceable #3 starter and if lefthander Jonathan Sanchez can put it all together, the sky is the limit for this rotation.  The bullpen is stacked as well, led by closer Brian Wilson.          

(4)Arizona Diamondbacks (79-83):  I’ve got the D-Backs improving their record this season by 9 wins.  If Brandon Webb were fully healthy and back to form, I could even see them finishing 2nd in this division.  Dan Haren will have another solid year and I think the same will be true for the newly acquired Edwin Jackson as well.  Rising superstar Justin Upton will be even better this year and could compete for MVP honors if his supporting cast comes along for the ride and the D-Backs contend for the playoffs. Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson and Kelly Johnson will need to step up if this lineup is to be formidable.          

(5)San Diego Padres  (63-99):  Quite possibly the worst team in baseball.  The Padres won’t be able to compete in this division in any facet of the game.  They will deal Adrian Gonzalez at the trade deadline to stock up their farm system, which is a move they have to make.  They do got a few young players who should be fun to watch, including pitcher Mat Latos and slugger Kyle Blanks.  Chase Headley had a fantastic spring and could be in line for a breakout season.           

***2010 MLB Playoff Predictions***          

 ALDS:           

New York Yankees defeat Chicago White Sox  3-1          

Boston Red Sox defeat L.A. Angels  3-2          

NLDS:          

Philadelphia Phillies defeat St Louis Cardinals  3-1          

Colorado Rockies defeat Atlanta Braves  3-2          

ALCS:          

New York Yankees defeat Boston Red Sox  4-3          

NLCS:          

Philadelphia Phillies defeat Colorado Rockies  4-2          

*****WORLD SERIES*****          

New York Yankees defeat Philadelphia Phillies  4-2          

            

**2010 MLB AWARDS PREDICTIONS**          

AL MVP:  Mark Teixeira (NYY)          

NL MVP:  Albert Pujols (STL) (…surprise, surprise)          

            

AL CY YOUNG:  Felix Hernandez (SEA)          

NL CY YOUNG:  Roy Halladay (PHI)          

            

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (AL):  Brian Matusz (BAL)          

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (NL):  Jason Heyward (ATL)          

            

MANAGER OF THE YEAR (AL):  Mike Scioscia (LAA)         

MANAGER OF THE YEAR (NL):  Bobby Cox (ATL)          

            

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR (AL):  Francisco Liriano (MIN)         

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR (NL):  Conor Jackson (ARI)      

 

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Lohan Looking Good Again

Lindsay Lohan was leaving a friends house in Los Angeles on Saturday when a generous amount of unidentified white powder started shooting out of her shoes. In some angles, it appeared there was smoke puffing out of her feet, and upon closer inspection, you can see her shoes and ankles are covered in the substance.

I think Lindsay may have taken the idea of “skiing” to a whole new level.  Despite the fact she is a complete train wreck, she could walk around with crack in her armpits and still pull off looking good.

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Ricky Martin States the Obvious

The Puerto Rican pop star, Ricky Martin, has publicly announced that he is gay, ending years of speculation over his sexuality.  He posted a message on his website in which he said he was proud to be gay.  However, he said he had so far kept it hidden because advisers he trusted had told him that coming out could damage his music career.  In a statement posted on his official website, as well as his Twitter page, Martin said, “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

And some more breaking new just in….   Britney Spears will be announcing publicly today that she is pure white trash.  There are also rumors early this morning that Samuel L. Jackson will finally end years of speculation, and declare that he is in fact very, very black.

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That’s a huge bitch!

Octomom Nadya Suleman has dodged a bullet. The man who sold her dad her La Habra house will not begin foreclosure proceedings, provided Octo becomes a little more responsible in the financial department.

As we first reported, Octo’s dad — who holds title to the house — was required to make a $450,000 balloon payment on March 10 but didn’t do it. Daddy and Octo are also behind $4,139 for March.

Wait a minute.  Are you telling me that a woman who had a litter of children with no job, no home and no prospects isn’t responsible?  Next you’ll try to tell me that Super Bowl winning quarterback and all around swell guy Ben Roethlisberger is a serial rapist.

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Your Sweet 16 announcng schedule

Thursday, March 25th

#5 Butler vs. #1 Syracuse (Salt Lake City, 7:07pm)- Gus Johnson, Len Elmore
#11 Washington vs. #2 West Virginia (Syracuse, 7:27pm)- Dick Enberg, Jay Bilas
#6 Xavier vs #2 Kansas State (Salt Lake City, 9:37pm)- Gus Johnson, Len Elmore
#12 Cornell vs. #1 Kentucky (Syracuse, 9:57pm)- Dick Enberg, Jay Bilas

Friday, March 26th

#6 Tennessee vs. #2 Ohio State (St. Louis, 7:07pm)- Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery
#10 St. Mary’s vs. #3 Baylor (Houston, 7:27pm)- Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg
9:37 pm
#9 Northern Iowa vs. #5 Michigan State (St. Louis, 9:37pm)- Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery
#4 Purdue vs. #1 Duke (Houston, 9:57pm)- Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg

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NY Jets to be featured on HBO’s Hardknocks

ESPN – Get ready for Rex: Unplugged.

The chatty New York Jets and their brash coach, Rex Ryan, will be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” training camp series this summer.

The team has announced Thursday that it has been chosen by the cable channel and NFL Films for the five-episode documentary.

This will be the sixth installment of the series which follows teams through camp. The Cincinnati Bengals were featured last summer.

The Jets seem perfect subjects, starting with the loquacious Ryan, a Baltimore assistant during the show’s first season in 2001, and trash-talking linebacker Bart Scott. Quarterback Mark Sanchez, cornerback Darrelle Revis and newly signed LaDainian Tomlinson are also sure to get plenty of camera time.

The Jets are likely to return to SUNY Cortland in upstate New York for camp, which begins in late July.

Scott expressed reservations about the show to The New York Times.

“I want training camp to remain pure and original,” Scott told the newspaper. “I want people to behave the way they normally behave. We all have our part in expanding the game, and I understand that. But I don’t like environments that are forced.”

“Hard Knocks” debuted with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, when Ryan was on their defensive staff. The show highlighted the Dallas Cowboys in 2002, then vanished until it resumed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007. The Cowboys were featured in 2008 and the Bengals last year.

I’m not even a Jets fan and I still have to say well done HBO.  This one should be great.

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The old one punch knockout



That was possibly the worst fight ever. Lots of shit talking and only one punch thrown. Was that even a punch though? Looked more like a bitch slap combined with a karate chop to the throat. Like I said, shitty fight, but it was fun to watch that guy go down like your mom on prom night.

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Hot new Yankees reporter Meredith Marakovits

There was a small nugget of New York Yankees news that seemed toslip through the cracks with little to no fanfare at all.

Ahh, but yourmothersmustache would never let you get all the way to baseball season without notice of the new hot chick that ESPN 1050 AM has hired to cover the New York Yankees in 2010.

Meredith Marakovits is her name and she has been busy covering AAA baseball for Lehigh Valley and also for the Philadelphia Fox affiliate.

Someone at ESPN must be humping this broad because this 2005 La Salle grad is about to be handed the keys to the most important franchise in sports history.

We have a feeling this could be a move by ESPN with implications at the mother ship. Erin Andrews isn’t getting any younger and could be looking for a change of career that would move her away from baseball coverage. Meredith gets thrown to the wolves by covering the Yankees and a year later she ends up working Wednesday night games.

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Light that Shit, Pass That Shit, Draft That Shit

ORLANDO — There’s a widespread belief within the NFL that the 2010 draft represents one of the deepest and most promising pools of collegiate talent in years. But in addition to the vast potential of this year’s draft class, numerous NFL personnel evaluators told SI.com they are concerned about the increased number of prospects who have a history of marijuana use in their background, with players often acknowledging a failed drug test for pot in college in interviews with team executives.

SI.com interviewed four NFL head coaches, four general managers and two other high-level club personnel executives for this story. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, all requested anonymity in order to speak candidly about the issue.

According to one veteran club personnel man, 10 or 11 players who carry first-round draft grades on their board this year have been red-flagged for marijuana use in college, an estimate echoed by two clubs’ head coaches. Another NFL head coach estimated that “one-third” of the players on his club’s draft board had some sort of history with marijuana use and would thus require an extra level of evaluation as part of the pre-draft scouting process.

“Marijuana use is almost epidemic, with more guys having tested positive for marijuana at some point in their college background than I can ever remember,” said a longtime team personnel man. “It’s almost as if we are having to figure out a new way to evaluate it as part of the character and background report, because it’s so prevalent. There’re enough instances of it that it’s hard to know how to set your board. You can’t throw out that many guys. You have to go case-by-case and do your homework on them.”

It’s important to note that NFL club officials in this case are only referencing failed drug tests administered by the prospect’s college that wind up on his background report, not the drug tests the league conducts as part of the scouting process at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Players with drug test failures in college are not automatically enrolled in the NFL’s drug-testing program upon being drafted, but those players can be added at the league’s discretion, depending on the type of drug used, how recent the failed test occurred and if there were multiple failures.

“It’s something that’s concerning to all coaches and general managers in this league,” one veteran NFL head coach said at the league’s annual meeting in Orlando. “It has been trending the wrong way in recent years. But it’s something that has to be dealt with from on high, at the league level, and not just dealt with on a club by club basis. It’s partly a societal issue, but it’s something we’re having to deal with more and more.”

In many cases these days, club officials say, players are much more open to admitting to past marijuana use or experimentation in college as part of their pre-draft interviews with NFL teams.

“The kids are admitting it much more now, and part of that is what they’ve been coached to do [by their agents or handlers],” one club general manager said. “They want to get the truth out and give you an explanation for their use. That’s seen as better than letting someone else put it out there for you and making you look like you were being evasive.

“But we’ve had that same conversation internally on our club: ‘Wow, there’s a lot of kids this year.’ It seems much more common now, across the draft.”

One NFL head coach told me this week that in this era of some states decriminalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, he has interviewed potential draft picks who didn’t even seem to recognize their marijuana smoking constituted drug use in the eyes of the NFL.

“It’s pretty significant as a trend,” the head coach said. “But if you knocked everyone off your board who has experimented with weed, you’d lose about 20 percent of your board, not to mention disqualify a few recent presidents. A third sounds a little high to me, but it’s not a rare occurrence to have a player with some pot use in his background. You have to make a judgment on each individual guy.”

That same head coach said that earlier in his NFL coaching career, if a player had failed a drug test for pot in college, his name would be quickly removed from the draft boards of most teams. But times have changed. Clubs are doing more work to try and identify whether a prospect’s pot use falls under the experimentation heading, or is done with regularity.

“It’s a matter of figuring out which ones smoke, and which ones have to smoke, because they really [are addicted],” another head coach said. “It’s like the drinking issue. You want to know if a guy drinks, or if he has a drinking problem. You’re trying to find out and make that distinction with some guys.”

The reaction to a prospect’s collegiate marijuana use varies from club to club, team executives and coaches said. The mentality of personnel evaluators and coaches making case-by-case decisions on players with marijuana use in their background has grown more prevalent with the league’s infusion of younger coaches and general managers in recent years.

“Overall in the league there’s a bit of a different generation of decision-makers and people doing the evaluating,” one team’s general manager said. “Even among those of us who didn’t [smoke pot], we had some friends who did and we didn’t judge them that harshly. So for some, it’s a less damaging red flag for a player to have that on his record. Now, maybe [longtime Colts president] Bill Polian’s perception of that is different. Maybe those players are still completely off his board. But it can be generational in that sense, yes. Definitely.”

Even among the club officials who expressed the most concern about the prevalence of prospects in this draft who have failed at least one test for marijuana in college, none said they would automatically remove any such player from their draft board.

“There are probably different shades of red to the red flag you give that player these days, different degrees of how it impacts their grade,” one head coach said. “I know of one guy who told me he smoked with his mom. It was just something they did together. You have to find out something about the specifics and see if it was a habit, and or if it was experimenting in college. For one thing, it could be a case of colleges testing more, and having better tests. It may not be that use is up, but detection is up.”

Some players suspected of marijuana use in college in recent years, Philadelphia receiver DeSean Jackson and Minnesota receiver-return man Percy Harvin most notably, have been two of the top offensive players in the draft the past two years. Their early success in the NFL has possibly led some teams to take a more lenient approach to drafting talented players who are suspected of collegiate marijuana use, one team front office executive said.

“If you passed on Jackson and you passed on Harvin the past two years, maybe you can’t afford to just completely write off that kind of prospect every time, or you won’t have a job at some point because you won’t win any games,” one team front office executive said. “But you don’t want to take guys and see them be in the [league's drug] program the whole time, because they may never get out of it. You want to determine if it’s in their environment and if they’re bringing that environment with them [to the NFL]?”

One team’s head coach said organizations are doing more and more extensive background checks on draft prospects every year to find out as much information as possible about the practices of their potential employees.

“You have to, because some guys aren’t telling you the whole truth about their habits and things that have happened while they’re in college,” the head coach said. “It depends on the team’s individual approach, but you can get in trouble if you’re just overlooking everything when it comes to that kind of history in their background.”

Another NFL general manager interviewed this week said he has a discussion with his team’s owner every time the club is even considering a player who has a red flag on their record for marijuana use in college. And you can’t have too many of those talks on a year-in, year-out basis, he said.

“That’s a topic of conversation for a lot of GMs with their owners,” the general manager said. “You have a number of prospects who are quality people, but who might have [screwed] up early on in college. As long as it’s not a habitual thing, there’s more of a discussion about those players, rather than just jettisoning them off your board. Which is what a lot of teams have done in the past. But I think we’re all a little more realistic these days.

“I’ve gone and scouted players at colleges and their coaches really talk them up, but then they add that ‘He has this in his background.’ It’s definitely something we’re going to have to get to the bottom of, but what are you going to do? If the kid has one thing in his past, are you going to throw away a third of your board? That’s the reality of the situation we face.”

Q: If you played football in college, had six months left to do shit before getting drafted and making millions…what would you do?
A: Drinking, Smoking and all types of ill Shit

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Lady Gaga Sued

It's the pleat in the pants. It's an optical illusion.

NEW YORK – A songwriter and music producer who claims he helped launch pop star Lady Gaga says she squeezed him out of her lucrative career after he co-wrote some of her songs, came up with her stage name and helped get her record deal.

Rob Fusari filed a $30.5 million lawsuit against the Grammy Award-winning performer, saying his protege and former girlfriend ditched him as her career soared.

Fusari had credits on such hits as Will Smith’s “Wild, Wild West” and Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious” when a friend steered the piano-playing singer — then known by her real name, Stefani Germanotta — to him in March 2006, according to his lawsuit.

Though he initially dismissed her, he realized she had star potential after hearing her play in his Parsippany, N.J., studio, the suit said. He spent the next several months working with her every day and “radically reshaping her approach,” persuading her to drop rock riffs for dance beats, it said.

As they co-wrote songs such as “Paparazzi” and “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich,” which would appear on her debut album, “The Fame,” he transformed Germanotta into Lady Gaga, a name adapted from Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga,” the lawsuit said.

In a 2009 interview with the AP, Lady Gaga said her “realization of Gaga was five years ago, but Gaga’s always been who I am.”

“I was Gaga from the time that I was 19 through my first record deal,” the 23-year-old said of her over-the-top, avant-garde style, which has captured the imaginations of millions of fans. “I always dressed like that before people knew me as Lady Gaga. I was always that way … I stuck out like a sore thumb.”

Don’t feel bad, Rob.  My ex-girlfriend was derranged as well, and I still haven’t seen a dime of that crazy broad money.

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Rangers Manager Admits Cocaine Use

ESPN – Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington apologized Wednesday for using cocaine during the 2009 season and will voluntarily submit to additional testing by Major League Baseball in the future.

Washington told the club he used cocaine and offered to resign as soon as he was randomly selected for a drug test by MLB. Club president Nolan Ryan, general manager Jon Daniels and other officials decided not to accept the offer after they were convinced that Washington had used cocaine just once.

“I apologize for a huge mistake I made,” Washington said in a prepared statement at a news conference Wednesday. “I’m not here to make excuses. I’m not here for sympathy. That would be asking too much. I’m truly sorry for my careless, dangerous and, frankly, stupid behavior last year.”

Washington immediately entered into the MLB’s drug program, which included testing three times a week. He completed that program a few weeks ago, but said he will ask the league to continue to test him in the future.

I personally have always been a fan of Ron Washington.  Maybe its because he seems like a decent man and a good manager, or maybe its because he always reminded me of Dave Chapelle’s crackhead character Tyrone Biggums at the age of 60.  Either way, this is definitely not something you want to put on your resume as a baseball manager.  Hell, Kieth Hernandez would probably be managing somewhere in major league baseball right now if the taboo of blowing lines off a dead hookers vagina didn’t stick with him throughout his career.  And is this really the role model that you want for your young superstud (and recovered crack smoking alcoholic) Josh Hamilton?  Probably not.  But we here at YMM will give you the benefit of the doubt Ron, so keep up the good work. 

 

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Random Piano player guy on Chat Roulette

With Chat Roulette sweeping the Internet, this guy had the brilliant idea to play the piano and improvise songs about the people he came across. The results are tremendous.  And you thought Chat Roulette was only for showing your dick to strangers….

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day

What says St. paddy’s Day more than drinking until you black out and then getting into a bar fight over which Golden Girl was the most bangable.  So in honor of the greatest holiday ever we bring you the all-time greatest Saint Patrick’s Day fight ever posted on the internet…..enjoy

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