SportsKrib

Happy New Year

2011-01-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

It's very late, but Happy New Year. The New Year is a time for us to reflect on the old and move on to a fresh new beginning.

Here's a quick look at how I started http://thejersymikejrshow.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/hello-world/

It would be a short while later that I would team with Chad Potier and James King III whom I meant via twitter to form ThaSPORTSKRIB on blogtalkradio.com. The three of us would learn from each other and of course through trial and error. We built relationships with pretty important people and with aspiring up and comers like ourselves.

So what's in store for us now at ThaSPORTSKRIB? A new website, some sponsors and we have new partners. Joining us now are the guys from UrbanSportsScene. They have their own podcast http://waleo.podbean.com/ and can be found on twitter http://twitter.com/UrbanSportsScene. These focus on all things sports related pertaining to the DC/Maryland/VA area.

When I first partnered with James (WCSteelerfan) to begin ThaSPORTSKRIB we both had a vision of being different from mainstream sports talk radio shows. We wanted to talk about sports that didn't really get much time in the spotlight. Boxing was one of those sports. My "Thru The Ropes" segment was installed as soon as we became a 2 hour show. The guys at ATG Radio http://atgradio.com/ have also partnered with ThaSPORTSKRIB. Andrew Hartley and Frank Stea will be jumping off and on, but they will have a hand in obtaining most of the guests appearing on the segment.

The readers of this blog I thank you. The week in and week out listeners of the show I'd like to thank you as well. This wouldn't be possible without you.

Mainly the fellows that distill my favorite drink firefly vodka (http://fireflyvodka.com/). Jump on that website to get cocktail ideas, drinks of the week, prizes and other fun stuff.

Don't forget to check out official SPORTSKRIB HOT HONEY Victoria Hampton (http://twitter.com/VeeTheModel). She's gorgeous and working on a tour for models and has a book out that's a must read! For more info follow her on twitter or visit her site http://VeeTheModel.com

B.T.S

2010-12-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

We have a great show planned tonight! We will first start off with Shane our resident Fantasy Football expert. He will be letting you know who to start and who to sit as we enter the crucial part of the fantasy football playoffs or league championship games. As fantasy football comes to an end look for Shane here (@Fsportsguy on twitter) to help you with all fantasy sports. Numbers to the show are 718-506-1506.

Next we have new comer Wally from Urban Sports Scene also on Blogtalkradio (@UrbanSportsScene). Wally wil be joining us for the first time to talk current sports topics including but not limited to; who's hot in the world of NCAA basketball and the NBA, Urban Meyer stepping down and Will Muschamp's hiring, etc.

We were originally suppose to be joined by Charlene May for the Thru The Ropes segment, but now we will be joined by Rope-A-Dope co host Chris Carlson. Carlson's show is on Wednesdays from 9-11pm EST. Join them as they talk all things boxing. Carlson and myself will break down all the action from over the weekend and up and coming fights, plus the breaking news of the arrest warrant for Floyd Mayweather Jr.

This hasn't been done in a while but lets do it. This weeks unofficial HOT HONEY is Gail. Follow her on twitter (http://tiwtter.com/just_gail) or add her on facebook (http://facebook.com/Gail818). Don't forget to follow official HOT HONEYs Victoria Hampton (http://VeeTheModel.webs.com).

The JMJ S.O.T.W.

2010-12-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

Smack #2

Its been a while since I've done this so allow me to reintroduce it in case you forgot. This is the JersyMikeJr Smack of the Week where I tee up anyone and everyone who deserves a chop for a quote, action or possible nothing...I just can't stand 'em!

My 1st Smack of the Week went to Jim Rome for butchering South Carolinas geography and just being an overall jack wagon about them wanting to be known as USC. In the passing months, Rome has nothing to endear me and will therefore wind up here again soon.

However, tonight I have bigger fish to fry. This weeks' Smack goes to Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi. In case you missed it take a minute to view it here

Video clearly shows Alosi extending his knee just enough to trip up an unsuspecting Nolan Carroll. The action was cheap, careless, selfish and downright dirty! In a public apology a momments ago Alosi was remorseful, but the damage has been done. When you see a 200 pound man running past you in full pads the natural reaction is to step back or get out of the way.

There were many candidates for the Smack of the Week, but Alosi earns it hands down. You can view this or more on youtube under Jeff Darlington and follow him on twitter @Jeff_Darlington.

Playoffs??!!

2010-12-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Let the Fantasy Football playoffs begin! It has been a long season filled with unexpected injuries and more twist and turns then a Connecticut side road. We have seen Chris Johnson, the consensus number one pick, struggle this season. We have also witnessed undrafted players like Peyton Hillis and Brandon Lloyd turn into fantasy powerhouses. If you are still interested in your fantasy football team then congratulations, because it is playoff time. Whether you limped into the postseason or you’re a top seed, the chase is on for the league title. It doesn’t matter if you are playing for bragging rights or a cash prize; it’s always fun to win the title! Here are some things to keep in mind when setting your roster for the next couple of weeks.

Play the Matchups
As a rule, always play the players that you counted on all year long, regardless of who they are playing. When it comes to those positions that you are not sure who to start then you should play the match up. We all know who the good defenses are and who the good offenses are. Use this information to your advantage. Also, be sure to pay attention to the weather where the game is being played. The biggest enemy to a pass attack is high wind and if you start a QB or WR in that situation you will be in trouble. Finally, use your players to help counter an opposing QB or WR. There is nothing worse then watching an opposing owners QB throw to a WR on your bench. Like I said before, go with the guys that got you to this point, but use the ideas above to help filter through players to start in your Flex or second RB/WR positions.

Keep One Eye on the NFL and the Other on the Waiver Wires
There are so many teams still alive to make the NFL playoffs but as the games get played that picture becomes clearer and clearer. There will be a team or two that will clinch a spot in the postseason before there done playing regular season games. If this happens then the starters tend to play less to avoid injury. Don’t let this catch you off guard, make sure you have quality back ups at QB and RB just in case. The waiver wires are your only option to add players to your team, and as we are all painfully aware of, an injury can happen on any play. This is another reason to use the waivers to grab all the quality back ups you have room for.

Post Season Waiver Wire Sleepers

James Starks RB Green Bay
When Ryan Grant suffered an injury early in the season we all thought that Brandon Jackson would step in and be successful. After a couple of games we realized that Jackson was not the producer we thought he would be. The trade deadline came and passed and the Packers did not make a move for a RB and Starks was the reason they didn’t. The rookie RB started the season on the PUP list but was activated and saw his first action on Sunday. He played well; rushing for over 73 yards on a team high 17 carries. He does have a history of injury and is a rookie but this kid could be difference for the Packers and fantasy football owners. I have mentioned this kid before and after watching some film on him I am convinced that, if he can stay healthy, he will be the guy in GB for sometime. Other RB’s to add are Tashard Choice, Pierre Thomas, Javarris James, James Davis, Javarris James, and Michael Bush.

Jacoby Ford WR Oakland
Ford has really started to prove that he’s not a one game wonder. He has scored in two straight games and has totaled 13 catches for 287 yards since landing more playing time. This week he faces a Jaguars pass defense that's allowed 22 passing touchdowns on the season including 15 to wide receivers. He returns kicks so if your league rewards points to the player for returns, he is a great flex option. Other WR’s to add are Earl Bennant, Donald Driver, Danny Amendola, Hines Ward and Ben Obomanu.

Ed Dickson TE Ravens
The TE position has been a thorn in the side of all Fantasy Owners this year. Besides San Diego’s Antonio Gates, there haven’t been any reliable or consistent options. Baltimore’s long time starting TE, Todd Heap, suffered a hamstring injury last week and is out for the foreseeable future. Dickson was targeted seven times and had three catches for 21 yards once Heap went down. The Ravens like to use their TE and Dickson will see his share of passes. If you are going against Flacco this week and don’t have a reliable TE, Dickson is your guy. Other TE’s to add are, Rob Gronkowski, Joel Dresson and John Carlson.

As for QB, it will be hard to find anyone on waivers that you can trust to start. My advice is to go with your starter and add the best QB you can find on waivers just in case your starter goes down to injury. If your playing this week then congrats and good luck. Do what you can to get a win this week your season depends on it!

Show tonight

2010-12-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

ThaSPORTSKRIB would love to thank Charlene May for this wonderful promo on our show tonight. Charlene will be helping Jersy Mike Jr host the Thru The Ropes segement of ThaSPORTSKRIB. Please follow Charlene on twitter and facebook @CharleneMay.

SHOWTIME Sports is proving to be the Champion of Boxing by giving fans what they want, innovative boxing tournaments with the “best fighting the best.”
This Saturday, December 11, tune in and become addicted to tournament style boxing, as well as the bantamweight division, a division that is fast, powerful, and exciting to watch. It will be a night of entertainment that will leave you hungry for more as the tournament continues in early 2011.
The tournament consists of the fabulous four, Abner Mares, Yonnhy Perez, Joseph Agbeko and Vic Darchinyan. Four talented fast and powerful boxers fighting to be crowned the champion of the bantamweight division.
The tournament is a two- round, single-elimination tournament. Winner takes all. The first leg of the tournament kicks off Saturday in Tacoma, Washington, SHOWTIME Sports will televise the single-elimination bantamweight tournament at 9 PM, ET/PT with a match-up between Yonnhy Perez and Joseph Agbeko. The night will continue with more boxing entertainment as Vic Darchinyan and Abner Mares step in the square circle to face off in what is being dubbed the most anticipated bout of the evening.
This Thursday, December 9, 2010, I invite sports fans to join us as we go “Thru the Ropes” on Blog Talk Radio. I will co-host the show with Jersymike Jr. to kick off the explosive SHOWTIME Tournament “Fan Style” as we speak with special guests Frank Espinoza Jr., and Boxing Analyst, Corey Erdman.
Frank Espinoza Jr., of Espinoza Boxing Club, the management team for Abner Mares and Yonnhy Perez, two of the tournament’s fabulous four fighters is taking time from his busy schedule to join us remotely from Tacoma, as his team prepares for Saturday.
Espinoza is regarded as one of the top management teams in the boxing industry with a unique culture that has set the team apart from others.
You will not want to miss this special episode of “Thru the Ropes” as Espinoza shares details and the long journey of fighters, Mares and Perez, as they have arrived to face the biggest moment in their career, thus far.
Also joining us will be Special Guest, Corey Erdman, boxing analyst. Corey Erdman is the producer of the Morning Jones Show at The Score, a National television network based in Canada. He is also the co-host and producer of Pound 4-Pound Radio on SIRIUS 98. Pound 4-Pound Radio is the only weekly boxing program airing across North America on the XM Radio.
Erdman is also a freelance boxing journalist. He is often a special guest for televised boxing events. Erdman has worked with some of the biggest and best names in boxing. We are honored that he will be joining us from Canada to join in the discussion, as he speaks about the upcoming tournament, fighters, and the future of boxing. You will not want to miss this week’s “Thru the Ropes” kicking off the Bantamweight Tournament “Fan Style”
The Bantamweight Tournament is this Saturday night, December 11, 2010 on SHOWTIME Sports at
9 PM, ET/PT
Thru the Ropes begins at 10 PM, ET/7 PT. Boxing fans can call: 718-506-1506 the show will be live at www.blogtalkradio.com/wcsteelerfan
Here’s to hoping you’re picking up what I’m putting down!

http://goo.gl/fb/hyLoH

B.T.S

2010-11-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

What a show we have tonight! Chad Potier does his final In The Dugout segment for the year as the San Francisco Giants have won the World Series. You can keep up with Mr. Potier here http://HereWeGeaux.blogspot.com.

Following the In The Dugout segment, we will be joined by James Reid from http://startingfantasylineup.com the Fantasy Football player's guide to dominating your league. Big Jim will take all questions, breakdown Week 9 match ups and tell you who to drop and who to pick up. Don't forget to check out Jody Smith's site as well for further guidance (http://gridironexperts.com).

Lisa Horne and Kevin Paul from FoxSports will join us to break down the BCS and all things college football. We will also feature a surprise guest who will be making a case for a certain non-BCS school. You don't want to miss this as things could get a little ugly, controversial and out of hand. We wouldn't have any less at ThaSPORTSKRIB.

Finally we go Thru The Ropes with Charlene May, returning from an illness that sidelined her last week. We will break down the Judah-Matthysse, Lopez-Marquez and Pacquiao-Margarito fights. We will also interview Holly "Lil Bear" Lawson on the heels of her pro debut. There's plenty of controversy to go around here as well.

We also have a couple of special guests including Chicago Louie who breaks down all things sports related to the Windy City. Model and official Krib HOT HONEY Victoria Hampton (@VeeTheModel on twitter) joins us to give listeners a different outlook on the entertainment industry.

Yo definitely don't want to miss this. Tomorrow I will reinstall my Smack of the Week so be on the look out for that. ThaSPORTSKRIB would like to thank all our faithful listeners, callers and contributors. We wold also like to shoutout Shane our new Fantasy sports blogger.

Lost Romo?

2010-10-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

Week 8

Before the season started the Cowboys were a strong possibility to be the first team to play in the Super Bowl they are hosting. Any notion of a Cowboy Super Bowl home game faded on Monday night, when QB Tony Romo broke his collar bone. He will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks, and since the Cowboy’s record is 1-5, it’s difficult to see him playing again in 2010. This leaves Fantasy Football owners dealing with another disastrous injury to deal with!
Chances are you drafted Romo fairly early this summer and now you are scrambling to save your season. It’s obvious that the Romo owner has two options; make a trade or the waiver wire. If your plan is to find someone to trade you a QB, consider the market and your situation. I am sure as soon as Romo went down people were lining up at the door trying to sell you a QB, I know I would. If you are going to trade do not make the mistake of paying a high price for an elite QB. I know it’s difficult to see a top 10 player go down. I can understand your first reaction is to find a player with comparable production to replace him, but the truth of the matter is that to do so you will have to pay a high price. You do not want to take a player like Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson and trade them for an elite QB. If you do this you will be in the same position you are now, except RB will be your weakness instead of QB. Instead, find the owner who has some extra QB’s on his bench and make him a reasonable offer that would strengthen a weakness on his team.
I would encourage all Romo owners to explore the waiver wires to find a starter, or add depth at the QB position. When you explore your options look at recent performances and strength of the players upcoming schedule. A QB that is likely on waivers, that have a favorable schedule and has recently played well is Matt Cassel of the Chiefs. If the thought of Cassel starting as your QB for the rest of the year scares you, there are two other options I would recommend. One is Matt Stafford of the Lions. He is back after a week one shoulder injury and he has Calvin Johnson to throw to.
The other is a stud QB that has gone relatively unnoticed for the numbers he has been posting. That QB is Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Buffalo Bills. I know what you are thinking but do not let the team he plays for influence your decision to start him. Fitzpatrick has been on fire since taking over for the ineffective Trent Edwards, and he is not the reason the Bills are 0-6. My reasoning behind recommending him as a viable replacement is that if the Bills want to win a game or two this year then they have no choice but to throw the ball. If you think about it even if they are losing they have to throw the ball. As long as he can stay away from the interception it’s a win, win situation.

A couple weeks ago I wrotethat now was the time to sell high on Broncos QB Kyle Orton, I got a ton of negative feedback for that call. I think his days of posting 20+ point games are over, I thought that two weeks ago and if I owned Orton then I would contact who ever owns Romo. Are we ready to give up on Chargers RB Ryan Mathews? Sounds like San Diego is losing patience with the rookie and Tolbert owners are inline for an increase in production if Mathews can not get the job done. Anyone else afraid of the emergence of Ravens RB Willis McGahee? If you own Ray Rice then the answer is YES, and you should be concerned. Rice does not look like the same back we fell in love with in 2009. He looks like he is not hitting the hole as hard or fast as last year, and McGahee is taking advantage of Rice’s tepidness.
Lineup decisions can mean the difference between a win and loss. Take last week for example; if you own Darren McFadden, did you start him? If you did a round of applause is in order, because you are one of a selected few who did. McFadden himself stated that if he did play he was only going to be around 70% effective. In the world of fantasy sports 70% effective equals a week on the bench. He proceeded to explode for a 40 point fantasy day!
The Chiefs scored some points this weekend, granted it was against Jacksonville but it is nice to see Cassel, Bowe and company take care of business. Sleeper alert: the Chiefs seem to be opening up the playbook running some plays for RB/WR Dexter McCluster, something to keep an eye on.

JersyMikeJr's Blurbs

2010-10-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's funny that our new Fantasy sports blogger Shane pointed something out about Run DMC. he had the highest score in a fantasy game this year and there he sat on my bench. If the NY Gmen didn't knock Romo out of the game I might have lost my match up. We will do a short Fantasy Football segment so make sure you follow Shane @Fsportsguy on twitter.

Last week on the show we didn't really get to touch on the NFL's crackdown on "devastating" hits. It's probably a good thing. While I still think the fine on Atlanta's Robinson for his helmet to helmet collision with DeSean Jackson was a little excessive, it seems that if you lead with the shoulder you won't be punished in all likelihood. The jury is still out upon further discussion. What I was concerned about was the league cracking down on hits like Ray Lewis on Dustin Keller, but that doesn't seem like it's going to be the case. However, the days of Jack Tatum and Ronnie Lott becoming a thing of the past saddens me.

More to come

Week 7 Observations

2010-10-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Run DMC baby!! Did you start him? Probably not, only 16% of people in CBSsports.com leagues did. McFadden himself said that he was about 70%; so why would you start him? It was a wild, wild, unpredictable weekend in the NFL, let alone in Fantasy Football. Pending tonight’s game, it looks like Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the high score for QB for week 7 and Kenny Britt owns that honor at the WR position. I wonder who started that lineup. If you did, message me on Twitter because you should be writing this column!

News and Notes from Week 7

How bad is the Bears offense, specifically Jay Cutler? I heard on Twitter that after the game Cutler was at the bar, saw a pretty girl, made a pass at her, and that pass was promptly intercepted by DeAngelo Hall. I think from this point forward I am going to start a Defense that is playing the Bears, their offense is that bad.
I thought Brock Lesner got his head handed to him quickly on Saturday night, and the Broncos did their best Lesner impersonation on Sunday. A couple weeks ago I wrote in my weekly column that now was the time to sell high on Broncos QB Kyle Orton, I got a ton of negative feedback for that call. I think his days of posting 20+ point games are over, I thought that two weeks ago. Take it for what it is worth. Are we ready to give up on Chargers RB Ryan Mathews? Sounds like San Diego did, and Tolbert owners are inline for an increase in production. Besides Brett Favre broken ankle, the injury bug did not bite anyone of fantasy value. Anyone else afraid of the emergence of Ravens RB Willis McGahee? If you own Ray Rice then the answer is YES, and you should be concerned. Rice does not look like the same back we fell in love with in 2009. He looks like he is not hitting the hole as hard or fast as last year, and McGahee is taking advantage of Rice’s tepidness.
Above mentioned QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is on fire and unlike Orton I think this will continue for the rest of the season. My reasoning behind this is that if the Bills want to win a game or two this year then they have no choice but to throw the ball. If you think about it even if they are down they have to throw the ball so it is a win, win situation. The Chiefs scored some points this weekend, granted it was against Jacksonville but it is nice to see Cassel, Bowe and company take care of business. Sleeper alert: the Chiefs seem to be opening up the playbook running some plays for RB/WR Dexter McCluster, something to keep an eye on.
Any questions or comments, feel free to leave them or follow me on Twitter @fsportsguy

Backups for your Backups?

2010-10-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

I feel like I am watching an episode of the Twilight Zone! Every Monday, for the last 6 weeks, I find myself wondering through the aftermath of injuries from another day in the NFL. It doesn’t matter how you feel about the violence of the sport, or if you agree with the new rules the Commissioner put in place to help protect the players. The truth of the matter is that at any given time there is a good chance you could lose a productive player for an extended period of time. How do you replace someone like DeSean Jackson, Jermichael Finley, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie or Antonio Gates? Obviously you can not, but you can be prepared in the event if one of your starters goes down for an extended period of time. As a Fantasy Owner, you need to be proactive and plan for an injury to happen. How do you plan for an injury? The short answer is you need to add depth, at all positions, to your roster. The downside to this is that you will be forced to make some tough decisions on whom to drop/trade to add that depth. You will also have to take a chance on players that may or may not make an impact from this point forward. Anyone can give you their opinion on what players to add, but what players to get rid of? Only you can make that decision.
What I mean by being proactive is you need to take a chance on a player before anyone else in your league realizes their potential. I would rather claim a player, and stash him on my bench; then wait for him to have a good game and get into a bidding war to sign him. If he does not progress into the player you thought he would, just cut him loose for another sleeper. To do this you need roster space, and this is where you have to make some decisions. The first order of business is to cut any extra D/ST and Kickers off your roster. If you are saving them to fill in for a starter on a bye week, cut them loose anyways. You can always mix and match these positions when the time comes.
You drafted what you thought was a great team this summer but things have changed! First round selections such as MJD and Michael Turner are not even in the top fifty of the list of top scorers so far this season. Who would have thought that Ryan Torrain would have roughly the same amount of points as those guys?! Is now the time to trade away your first or second round pick? If you can add some depth to your roster in exchange for an underachiever then you should do so.
What can we expect from the helmet to helmet rule change that was instituted this week? Some think that nothing will change; I on the other hand see defenses playing less aggressively. If defenses become less physical then that would be a good thing for Fantasy Football. More catches will be made for more yards and more points will be scored. The NFL is thinking about adding two games to the regular season. At the rate players are getting injured, if they do extend the regular season then I need to get in shape. There might be an open tryout for the Patriots next year!

With injuries so frequent and severe this season, I developed a list of some deep sleepers that have a possibility of having a good second half of the season. These guys will not have an immediate impact for you team but give them time. They can pay huge dividends for the stretch run

V. Jackson-
I know I sound like a broken record about Jackson, but he is that good. Recent reports have Jackson signing his tender and reporting to the Chargers by Oct. 29th. This would make him eligible to play by wk 12. He is one of the best WR's in the game and he should be added for the stretch run if you have the space.

S. Rice-
If his recovery from hip surgery continues to go well, Minnesota's WR is scheduled be activated of the PUP list by wk 10. He had a great year last year and with the addition if Moss he should be able to find space for Favre to throw him the ball.

J. Starks-
The RB from Buffalo was considered a first round pick before an injury sidelined him for his senior season at the University of Buffalo. This year he pulled his hamstring in the preseason and was placed on the PUP list. He has been activated and should be in uniform on Sunday. There has to be a reason why the Packers did not trade for an RB. Most people, myself included, believe that Starks was the reason they did not. If he can stay healthy he could be a difference maker for fantasy owners.

A.Gonzalez(WR), B. White(WR), J. Tamme(TE) , M. Hart(RB) and Javarris James(RB)
The Colts are dealing with a rash of injuries to all of their receivers and both their starting RB’s. Collie had wrist surgery on Thursday and there are reports that Dallas Clark suffered a season ending wrist injury this past Sunday. Addai has nerve damage in his shoulder and his backup, Donald Brown, has been injured since his career began two years ago. The above mentioned players are backups but all have the potential to succeed when Peyton Manning throwing the ball.

Time to Make a Move Part 2

2010-10-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

With 6 weeks in the books let's look at some buy low/sell high canidates. Below I compiled a short list of players that of players that may help you with any trade negotiations. For any suggestion or questions you may have, follow me on Twitter @fsportsguy.

Buy Now
Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals has been a complete disappointment so far this season(based on where you drafted him), but his talent is undeniable. The Cardinals have turned to rookie QB Max Hall and he played pretty well last week. Hall targeted Fitzgerald 9 times and completed 7 passes for 93 yards. More importantly, the Cardinals are getting Steve Breaston back from injury when they resume play during week 7 and this will take some coverage away from him.

Other Buy Now Candidates
Jamal Charles, Shonn Greene, Matt Schaub, Steven Jackson, Vernon Davis, Brandon Marshall, Knoshown Moreno, DeSean Jackson, MJD

Sell Now
Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton has been on fire so far this season, completing 140 passes for over 1700 yards. If you own him take the time to look at how he plays when the weather gets colder. Also, the Broncos are throwing the ball more this year, because the have been playing without RB Knoshown Moreno. Moreno is expected back within a couple of weeks and when he does, they will be passing less.

Other Sell Now Candidates
Brandon Lloyd, L.T., Matt Forte, Marcedes Lewis, Braylon Edwards

Time to Make a Move! Part 1

2010-10-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

With the NFL trade deadline today we figured that it was time to talk about Fantasy Football Trades. Making a fantasy football trade is a delicate process, and like any business deal, the more you understand the more success you will have. Before you test the trade market, make sure you understand the type of your league you play in. If you are in a keeper or dynasty league then look to get players and/or future draft picks that can help you now and in the future. The following steps are geared for standard scoring leagues were your final standings have no bearing on where you draft the following year.

Step 1 Identify Position Need
Your team has depth at the HB position but you need a more reliable WR. First, look over every owner’s rosters and find someone that needs a HB. Don’t go to the owner who’s starting Foster and Johnson and offer another HB, its a pointless endeavour. Once you find a possible trade partner, identify and rank the players you would like to trade for.

Step 2 Know Your Team
In my experience, the casual owner focuses on the big name player and draft position. So if you have a player on your bench that you feel comfortable starting then you can offer a player you drafted in the first 2-3 rounds. Regardless of the statistics, you will get more in return if the best person you are trading is Chris Johnson then you would if the centrepiece was LeSean McCoy.

Step 3 Buy Low But Dont Be Cheap
The initial offer will let the other owner know how serious you are. Do not make a ridiculous, one sided opening offer, because this is the easiest way to stall trade talks before they even begin and ruin your creditability. Know what you want and what you are willing to give to acquire those players. Again, if you are trading the best player in the transaction then expect more, the same is true the roles are reversed. When making the initial offer request a counter, because your offer may be denied based on name recognition. You do not know what the other owner is thinking so make sure you keep the lines of communication open.

Step 4 Negotiations
Unless you have someone that accepts on the first thing offered you will have to negotiate. Use this time to sell your guys, point out all the good things about them and why it would make sense for the other owner to trade for them. Use any information you can to complete your trade. For instance, if the owner is a Patriots fan then use those players as trade bait. This is the most important stage of any trade and will determine who gets the best and worst of the deal. Being prepared and knowing player tendencies will give you the advantage. It is important to consider the potential of the players involved, not just past performance. Over the years I have noticed that 50% of a players’ production is achieved during 25% of the season. This is where your preparation will give you the advantage. You want to buy low and trade high this is the key to success in Fantasy Sports. If you can get a player who is not performing up to expectation, but has a history of performance, and you can trade a player who you think has peaked, then do so. Make sure you do your research because if you are wrong in your assumption then you could be throwing your season away. On a side note, do not send trade proposals that can be accepted while you are negotiating. To avoid a problem all negotiations should be done by email or phone only.

Step 5 Trade Acceptance
After you have a framework completed and you are ready to make a trade, take some time to review the trade and it’s implications on your team. Are you filling a team need? Are you giving too much for what you are receiving? These are all questions you should ask yourself before completing any trade. To be on the safe side, review your original rankings from Step 1, your team need, and the players involved one last time. Always go with your gut feeling, it may make sense on paper but if you do not feel right about the deal then walk away.

Working on Part 2 of this article and we will talk about Buy Low and Sell High candidates. Any player suggestions contact me on Twitter @fsportsguy

Behind The Scenes

2010-10-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy couple of weeks for us at Tha SportsKrib. The posts will become more frequent now as we have bloggers together to help out JersyMikeJr.

We would 1st like to welcome back Chad Potier. Chad is our baseball consigliere and LSU enthusiast. You can follow him on twitter https://twitter.com/LSUChadP. He's an intergral part to wht we do on the show and it's not the same without him.

The "Thru the Ropes" segment has some spice added to it with Charlene May from www.officialscorecard.com. Boxing enthusiasts and fans alike go here to find out the latest on the sport of boxing. Help us restore the luster to the Sweet Science!

May will help us interview Raul Martinez and also give us her insight to the exciting fights that headline the end of the 2010 boxing year. May invites all "boxingheads" to join us Thursday night from 9:30-10:30pm EST (6:30-7:30 PST). You follow may on twitter https://twitter.com/charlenemay

The return of Chad Potier and the special hour long "Thru the Ropes" will not allow us to have our Fantasy Football segment. However, if you still have questions that want answered you can e-mail us at ThaSPORTSKRIB@gmail.com. You can also visit our Fantasy Football gurus Big Jim Reid http://startingfantasylineup.com or Jody Smith at http://gridironexperts.com. Don't forget about Joe Fortenbaugh at http://nationalfootballpost.com. We are working on having a Fantasy Football page here soon. Stay tuned for details.

Depending on what happens, we have a surprise guest for those who view the site and listen to show. This is your sneak peek warning!!!!

This weeks unofficial HOT HONEY goes to up and coming artist and model Prada Swag. Follow her on twitter https://twitter.com/PradaSwag or https://twitter.com/ModelPrada. Hit her websites http://REVERBNATION.com/PRADASWAG or http://modelmayhem.com/PradaSwag.

We're still looking for bloggers so hit us up please!

Tailgating Tiger Style

2010-10-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

Written by Matthew Smith
October 10,2010

The date is October 6, 2007; the time is 7:02 p.m., and Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge is standing room only as 92,910 fans get ready for No. 1 LSU to take on No. 9 Florida. The story of the night, however, is happening outside of stadium. As the capacity crowd inside the stadium gets set for kickoff, approximately 110,000 LSU fans are grabbing another beer, or plate of food and sitting down in front of a TV to watch the game. They never had a ticket, but these fans were not about to miss one of the biggest games to come to Baton Rouge since Les Miles had become the head coach of the Tigers.

It is a day I will never forget, not only did I have a ticket to the eventual 28-24 victory, but I also spent the entire day enjoying the company of friends and family doing something that no school or team does better than LSU, tailgating. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, purple and gold dominated the scene, and you couldn’t go more than a few feet without hear chants of “Geaux Tigers” or “Tiger Bait.”

LSU is certainly well known for its tailgating and partying, but if you haven’t been down to Baton Rouge for a game you need to add it to your bucket list. Tailgating at LSU is nearly as important as the game itself, and the food is better than you would get at some restaurants, and varies from standard hamburgers and hot dogs, to southern favorites like jambalaya and gumbo, to the exotic like grilled and/or fried gator (very popular when Florida visits) and roasted whole hog (popular for Arkansas). The food is always delicious and there is never a shortage so enjoy it.

While food is nice, the real reason to tailgate is the alcohol, and if you think you have seen a lot of alcohol I promise, it pales in comparison to tailgates at LSU. The only way I can properly describe the amount of alcohol present on campus is a quote my tailgate founder had in his message to everyone prior to LSU’s 2010 home opener, “Trust me, you won’t go sober.” Even the smell is different on campus, but I have never smelt anything so pleasing. The smell is somewhere between barbeque smoke, oak trees and a bar, but trust me I cannot possibly describe the smell properly. That smell much like everything about LSU tailgating is something that you just have to experience for yourself because descriptions just simply do not do it justice.

J.M.S.O.W

2010-10-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Last night on tha Krib I tried to install a new segment at the end. I have entitled it the J.M.S.O.W or the Jersy.Mike.Smack.Of the Week. It's during this time that I vent, lash out, or tee up anyone who's pissed me off in sports.

This week, it's Jim Rome on his daily radio show. It's very well known the beef that the South Carolina Gamecocks have with the Southern Cal Trojans. What peeved me is that Rome continually refered to the Gamecocks as Southern Carolina instead of South Carolina. He suggested to prevent confusion Southern Cal be recognized as the real SC and "Southern" Carolina be recognized as SCU or "Southern Carolina University."

Now I generally have a lot of respect for Jim Rome as I do all sports anchors who are sitting where I would like to be. However I can't look past the ignorance or the arrogance of these statements. So let's examine this very carefully.

The ignorance. Obviously if you've even made past the 3rd grade you know all 50 states. So for all the education, pomp and ceremony Rome should know it's South Carolina! Not Southern Carolina. Secondly, the University opf Southern Cal was established in 1916. The University of South Carolina was established in 1801 a full century before the Trojans.

The arrogance. With these facts in mind, the west coast USC wants to be known as the "real" USC just because of a few titles and Rose bowls. While these maybe very valid points, respect your elders beach boys!

Thats all I got for you. Jim Rome I got two words for you; Shad dup!!!

2010-10-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another edition of ThaSPORTSKRIB! We are getting alot of traffic here so we are excited. Always check here to catch up on the latest or to click on the "Listen Live" button.

Tonight a past guest returns. Former Clemson DT/DE Jacquez McKissic (@JayFifty) will rejoin us with a HUGE announcement! You don't want to miss this! As always we will be joined by Fantasy Football gurus Jody Smith (http://www.gridironexperts.com/) and James Reid (http://www.startingfantasylineup.com/). Make sure you email your FF questions to ThaSPORTSKRIB@gmail.com or call in every Thursday at 10PM EST.

Quick announcements. We are looking for bloggers to help keep this site jumping with sports news. All walks of life. Email ThaSPORTSKRIB@gmail.com for more details. Also we are still looking for sponsors. Contact us if you have any information.

Tonights unofficial HOT HONEY is Vella H (@NVMYdollface on twitter). Check her out!

Welcome back

2010-09-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time since we posted. Technical and communicative difficulties have kept me from posting but I am back.

What a month we have been having on ThaSPORTSKRIB. On Sept. 16th former Tampa Bay Buccaneer's DT Stephen White joined us for an interview on the show. He had a lot of knowledge and foresight into this CBA and if there will be NFL football next year. He was also very candid about his former team. We would like to have him back soon. If you would like to catch up with Stephen White, especially you Vols fans then follow him on twitter @sgw94 or on his blog http://passingonthegame.blogspot.com

Last week former Carolina Panthers DE Mike Rucker joined us. You can catch the replay here if you missed it. Rucker, who also won two titles with Nebraska also defended my claim that the Cornhuskers can make it to the BCS Bowl game and compete for the National Title. He was also candid in talking about is former team. Rucker is now the founder of a realty company and you can learn more about him at www.mikerucker.com

Football season in full swing. As we struggle to keep up with College Football and the NFL, we also have to talk Fantasy Football. Here at ThaSPORTSKRIB we have access to Fantasy Football experts. James Reid from http://startingfantasylineup.com (@BigJim_SFL on twitter) and Jody Smith from http://gridironexperts.com (@JodySmith_ on twitter) will join us hopefully weekly. Email your questions to ThaSPORTSKRIB@gmail.com or call in during the show this week at 10PM EST. Don't forget about our buddy Joe Fortenbaugh (@JoeFortenbaugh on twitter) from http://NationalFootballPost.com If you join NFP you will access to all things NFL, College Football and Fantasy Football.

A new thing we may try on the site is a model of the week to provide something better than these words and sports images to look at. While we work out the kinks check out our buddy Victoria Hampton (@VeeTheModel on twitter) here http://VeeTheModel.webs.com.

We are still looking for sponsors so if you have info please email us at ThaSPORTSKRIB@gmail.com. That is all for now. Tune in!

UFC on Versus: After Thoughts

2010-08-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Last night at the San Diego Sports Arena fans were treated to a great night of UFC action. From the top to the bottom of this card it packed awesome submission victories, TKOs and hard fought battles. Last night also gave birth to new possible contenders and furture great match-ups. To start off the night we seen an explosive knock out by the "Fire Ball Kid" Takanori Gomi as he was able to catch Tyson Griffin with a spectacular right hand on Tyson's chin. It was a little surprising to see someone take Griffin out in that way as I believe that was the first time he has been put to sleep like that. Going into this fight Gomi might of been fighting for his chance to stay in the UFC after losing that battle with Kenny Florian but he came out and finished in awesome fashion. Now that Gomi has shaken off the UFC jitters and has put a win up he can now go back to training hard and look forward to his next fight. I don't see Gomi getting into the title mix right away after this win but the way he ended the fight, it tells me he is well on his way. If he can continue putting wins behind him. For Gomi's next opponent I would like to see him in with the likes of Efrain Escudero, Melvin Guillard or possibly Clay Guida. I think those would be exciting match-ups for him and really see if he is ready to move on up to title contention.
In the next bout we saw John "DoomsDay" Howard step into challenge the hard punching Jake Ellenberger who just came off a TKO victory over Mike Pyle. Both these guys are power punchers and could end a fight at any time. I was really looking forward to this bout as John Howard is one of my favorite fighters. This guy always talks to his fans on twitter and is a wonderful father so I look up to him. During the fight it went back and forth from Ellenberger getting rocked to Howard getting taken down. When Ellenberger was on top he rained down devastating ground and pound which started to show on Howard's face. When the fight was on the feet Howard was landing good shots that were getting Jake a little dizzy but when Howard went in for the kill Ellenberger would take him down. Gong into the 3rd round the mouse that was developing on John's left eye was looking pretty grotesque. Herb Dean stopped the fight to have the doctor take a look and shortly after that the fight was called declaring Jake the winner by TKO. It was a hard fought battle between these two men and John Howard showed a lot of heart as he kept working to somehow get the win but unfortunately he took to much damage. Jake is ready for his next bout but he did state that he would be interested in a rematch with Howard, so lets see what the UFC has in-store for these two warriors in the furture.
In the fight before the main we got to see two fighters with agendas. Both Yushin Okami & Mark Munoz were looking to make their way into title contention. Munoz was riding a 3 fight winning streak going into last nights fight. After watching Chael Sonnen have his way with Okami I was thinking that Munoz would have success in the take-down department but Okami showed that he learned from his last fight that would not happen again. Okami was very impressive in stopping the take-downs of Munoz and displaying great stand-up striking. Every time Munoz attempted a take-down Okami sprawled like a mongoose moving from a snake strike. When Munoz did get Okami down he got right to his feet. After the 3rd round the scores were read and Munoz did win on one of the judges cards. Now Okami looks forward to another fight and a possible match-up with another top contender. I think it would be interesting to see him in the cage with the likes of a Chris Leben or a Michael Bisping. Those would both be great fights to see.
In the main event we had Jon "Bones Jones vs Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko. Leading up to this fight everyone was excited to see how Jones would handle a top fighter like Valdimir. I think that we were not expecting the fight to end so quickly but it did. Jones should off his skills right away with a great take-down and then some signature elbows from the top that eventually ended the fight. Jones worked very quickly to get out of Matushenko's half guard to side control were he was able to lock in a crucifix. Once Jones had Vlady in that position it was just a matter of time before the ref stepped in and stopped the fight. Jones was able to rain down elbows with explosive power and speed to the side of Vladimir's head. I don't think Matyushenko was expecting Jones to take it to the ground right away which might of threw off the game plan. Jones is defiantly showing the world that he is ready for a fight against the top 8 light heavy weights in the UFC. He is still very young at the age of 23 but his skill set is way above most other fighters. To see him in the cage with the likes of a Machida or a Rampage will be a sure test for the young phenom. There is one question that still needs to be answered. How does Jones react to getting caught with a big shot? That is the question everyone is asking. Can Jones come back from adversity after a big shot and can he stay composed in a pressure situation? We shall see. As for his next opponent I would like to see him step in against a Ryan Bader, Forest Griffin or possibly Vitor Belfort. All of these fighters would test his chin and his fortitude. So lets all set back and see what the UFC has for Jones in the future. I know one thing this guy has title shot written all over him.
Follow me on twitter @chingon3

UFC on Versus Jones vs. Matyushenko

2010-07-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend the UFC and the Versus channel join forces once again to bring a stacked card of MMA action. In the main event we have Jon "Bones" Jones vs Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko. Jones is coming off a strong performance against Brandon Vera were he blasted Vera with a devastating elbow that caused three facial fractures. Vladimir is also coming of a win were he was able to win a split decision against Eliot Marshall. Both these fighters last fights were part of the first ever UFC on Versus fight card in Broomfield Colorado . Valdimir is coming into this fight with lots of MMA experiance. He was the first and only IFL light heavy weight champion. He also has fought in Affliction were he lost to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via TKO. He did get a win at Call to Arms 1 defeating Jason Lambert via unanimous decision. The Janitor has a great wrestling background and comes with power punching in the right hand. The Janitor has a lot more experience than Jones but that has not stopped Jones from being the next big thing. The way I see this fight going is Vladimir trying to take big shots at Jones while trying to move in to get the take down. Now if he decides to do that there is a problem. When Vladimir throws his punches he kind of leaves himself open for a counter blow. Jones is very capable of sneaking in a quit shot that will rock the Janitor's closet. Vladimir does have top shelf Olympic caliber wrestling so if he can get his arms on Jones it could make a long night for the young gun. With that being said Jones does take his opponents down with great Judo reversals and he typically ends up on top were he rains down devastating elbows and punches to end his opponents night. So this fight can go any way but the technical superiority and quickness of Jones I think will be to much for the Janitor. I see Jones winning in the 2nd round by TKO. In the Co-Main Event you have the Filipino Wrecking Machine Mark Munoz against always dangerous Yushin Okami. I am looking forward to this fight. It will be interesting to see if Okami can stop Munoz from taking over this fight. Okami is no joke and he will be looking to finish the fight. On this night we also get a chance to see if the Fire Ball Kid Takanori Gomi can bounce back from his loss to Kenny Florian and get back to winning as he faces the always exciting Tyson Griffin. This card is packed with great fights and match-ups so don't forget to tune in.
Below our my fight picks for UFC on Versus 2:

Main Event:
Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
Winner: Jon Jones via TKO in the 2nd

Co-Main Event:
Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami
Winner: Mark Munoz via Unanimous Decision

John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger
Winner: John Howard via TKO in the 3rd

Tyson Griffin vs Takanori Gomi
Winner: Tyson Griffin via Unanimous Decision

Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann
Winner: Paul Kelly via TKO in the 1st

DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle
Winner: Matthew Riddle via Split Decision

James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac
Winner: Igor Pokrajac via TKO in the 3rd

Worlds Collide Fight Results

2010-07-28T07:52:00.001-07:00

On the evening of the 2010 International Mixed Martial Arts Expo I had the pleasure to go to the Worlds Collide King of Champions fight card. It was being promoted as the best fight card ever to grace the state of Colorado. This card did not disappoint. As I was waiting in line to get inside the area I could feel the energy of the people. We were all very excited to get in our seats and see the start of the MMA action. Below are the results of the bouts.

Worlds Collide 145lb title match.
Main Event: Alvin Robinson vs Jesse Henley
Winner: Alvin Robinson via Submission

Worlds Collide Pro HW Title match.
Co-Main Event: Ryan Martinez vs Derek Lewis
Winner: Derek Lewis via TKO

Worlds Collide 155lb title match.
Matt Simms vs Justin Salas
Winner: Justin Salas via TKO

Angelo Duarte vs Josiah Callis
Winner: Angelo Duarte via Unanimous Decision

Ian Berg vs Kenneth Seegrist
Winner: Berg via TKO

Chad Klingensmith vs Jeremy Kimball
Winner: Chad Klingensmith

Nick Buschman vs Travis Hollis
Winner: Travis Hollis via TKO

Vinny Palone vs Nick Castano
Winner: Vinny Palone via TKO

*The below bouts were in the elimination division*

185lb Elimination Title
Jason Lee vs Jason Clayton
Winner: Jason Lee via Unanimous Decision

Miguel Martinez vs Eric Moya
Winner: Eric Moya via Submission

Matt Mazurek vs Josh Ford
Winner: Josh Ford via Submission

Lorant-T Nelson vs Jon Leal
Winner: Lorant-T Nelson via Submission

Joe Gutierrez vs James Strater-Smith
Winner: James Strater-Smith via Submission

Alonso Garcia vs Garrett Culpepper
Winner: Garrett Culpepper via TKO

Alvin Robinson vs Jesse Henley
Alvin Robinson vs Jesse Henley
Alvin Robinson vs Jesse Henley

IMMAE 2010 End Result

2010-07-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

It was a great experience for me to attend this years IMMAE expo in Denver Colorado. I spent all day Saturday at the event and enjoyed a smorgasbord of MMA action, from the vendors to the fighters and the Fight to Win National grapple tournament. When I first got there the vendors were still setting up and the grapple tourney was in full swing. I took the opportunity to look around and get a taste of my first MMA expo. All the vendors were nice and all the products were great. You had people from all over the world there selling their product and competing in the tournament. The morning started off slow but the arena slowly filled up with more and more people. About noon the expo was in full effect. I took in some of the grapple tournament were I was subject to some of the best Jujitsu in the country. You had people of all ages and all walks of life. There were little kids to young athletes to grand parents all competing to be the best. It was amazing seeing them all working hard and displaying their passion for the art. It was also a pleasure to finally meet some of the people I talk to on twitter. I met Kelly from Performance MMA and the HDNetFights folks were also there. Everyone was very nice. Early that afternoon I got a chance to meet Chris Camozzi who was a member of the Ultimate Fighter Show season 11. He did not get a chance to continue the show due to a broken jaw. He is a great guy and it was a pleasure to meet him. As I looked down at the tournament going on I saw one of the greats. Thomas "WildMan" Denny. Wild Man has been in the sport for years and was a King of the Cage Champion in the welter weight division. He was working with some of his fighters. He has recently moved to Colorado to start up a school and help bring up the local fighters. He is an awesome guy and great to meet in person. Later that afternoon Brendan Schaub showed up and was taking pictures and signing autographs. He is a very large man and has a test coming up at UFC 121 as he faces Gabriel Gonzaga. He was a very cool guy to talk to and I hope he does very well at UFC 121. My whole experience at the expo was phenomenal and I hope that it returns next year as I will be there.

Unsung Sunday: Alexis Arguello

2010-07-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

When you hear the name Alexis Arguello, how do you remember the late champion?
Do you remember him as El Flaco Explosivo (The explosive skinny man) or as El Caballero del Ring (The gentleman of the ring)? You may remember him for his explosive punching power and speed. Or for his meekness and generosity in and out of the ring.
You cannot separate either from him. He personified both sides.

Sometimes it's hard imagining a ferocious fighter with a soft heart; a bomb throwing power-puncher with a sincere smile. Arguello would destroy an opponent and then embrace him afterward, apologizing for inflicting so much punishment.
At the start of his professional career, Arguello was no stranger to determination. He suffered a first round TKO in his debut in 1968.

Bent on continuing and not giving up, he triumphed by winning 36 of his next 38 fights. Such an impressive winning streak put him in line to face Featherweight champion Ernesto Marcel.
This was his first title bout. He lost the decision to Marcel in an impressive performance. Despite his loss, he continued and later got another shot against Marcel's successor, Ruben Olivares.
Olivares was ahead on the judges' scorecards in round thirteen when both fighters threw left hooks simultaneously.
Both hooks were packed with power, but Arguello's hook sent Olivares to the canvas. Then, after a few moments, Arguello was the new Featherweight champion of the world.
Out of respect, he went to Olivares' dressing room after the bout and got down on his knees and said, “I will defend this title with every drop of my blood.”

He was known and respected as a true sportsman. He went to the ring, did what he needed to do, then thanked his opponents for the great opportunity.

There are not many boxers I can think of who showed as much sportsmanship and humility as Arguello. Thus, when the name Arguello is mentioned, I have to dub him “The Iron Fist With The Velvet Glove.”

After a few successful title defenses, Arguello moved up to the Junior Lightweight division to challenge title holder Alfredo Escalera. This fight took place in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and was later nicknamed "The Bloody Battle of Bayamon." At the end, Arguello walked away holding Escalara's title and Escalara walked away with a damaged eye, busted mouth, and a broken nose.
Escalara later challenged Arguello to a rematch. Arguello obliged him and defeated him again. Although he was the victor, Arguello suffered many cuts in his face.

The cuts were so bad that an on-site doctor insisted he have plastic surgery after the fight. However, because Arguello had a flight to catch, the doctor decided to travel with him to perform plastic surgery while he was awake.

He also defended his title against Bobby Chacon, Rafael "Bazooka" Limón, Ruben Castillo, Rolando Navarrete, and Diego Alcala.

Arguello then decided to move up again to challenge Jim Watt for his Lightweight title.
This fight lasted the entire fifteen rounds, but Arguello took the decision and became the Lightweight champion of the world. With this victory, Areguello became the sixth boxer and the second Latin American to ever win titles in three divisions.

After facing other, less known opponents in the Lightweight division, Arguello met and defeated Ray Mancini in one of the most memorable bouts in history.

After the bout, Mancini was being interviewed and Arguello walked over and held Ray’s hand and embraced him, saying, “I love your father. That’s the most beautiful thing you have…I promise if I can do something for you, let me know, please...”

Arguello knew that Ray Mancini's father, Lenny was sitting at ringside. He knew that Lenny once had a dream of capturing the title himself years ago. Lenny did not fulfill this dream because of his injuries subsequent to World War II. All Lenny wanted was for his son Ray to fulfill what he never had the opportunity to fulfill. On the way out of the ring, he took Lenny’s hand and embraced Ray's mother, and said “I’m sorry, it’s my job...I love your son. He will be a world champion.”

Arguello then moved on to James "Bubba" Busceme.

He packed punishment onto Busceme, which led to a sixth round stoppage.
After the bout, he took Busceme’s head in his gloves and told him he wanted him to feel strong again. He wanted to "give him his pride back." The day after their fight, Busceme was celebrating his 30th birthday when Arguello showed up with a cake. Although he had just gave this man one of the harshest beatings of his career, he still took the time to bring him cake.

In an attempt to become the world champion in four different weight classes, Arguello moved up to challenge Aaron Pryor for his title.

This bout, called "The Battle of the Champions," was one of the most action-packed bouts in history. Although Arguello put up a good fight against Pryor, he was stopped in the fourteenth round.

Much controversy arose from that bout due to a mysterious water bottle Pryor's trainer, Panama Lewis asked for between rounds. At certain times during the bout, Pryor seemed to gain bursts of energy out of nowhere although he was throwing several shots back to back.
Since the Florida State Boxing Commission never administered a post-fight urinalysis, it was never officially determined if there was any substance that contributed to Pryor's energy and victory.

Years later, in an interview on HBO's "Legendary Nights," Pryor said Arguello came to him and asked if there was something in his bottle. He said that this was what made him take the second fight. He wanted to prove to Arguello that he could beat him with his own strength.

In their second fight, Pryor issued the same type of punishment to Arguello and knocked him out in the tenth round.

At that point, Arguello decided to retire. He said, “I'm not going to fight anymore, I quit."

But like many other fighters, Arguello returned to the ring.
He achieved a notable fourth round stoppage of former World Junior Welterweight Champion Billy Costello in 1986. He was elected to the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1992 and retired for good in 1995 with an impressive record of 82 wins, eight losses, and 65 KO's. He died on July 1, 2009, after allegedly shooting himself through the heart in Managua, according to a police reports.

He will always be remembered for his gallant wars in the ring and he will always be respected for his kind heart.

2010-07-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

B.T.S

This is another Behind the Scenes with co host JersyMikeJr.

Tonight on Tha SportsKrib football talk resumes with Lisa Horne and Joe Fortenbaugh. Lisa Horne is a personality wit FoxSports where she talks College Football and NASCAR panels. You can follow here on twitter @LisaHorne. Joe Fortenbaugh is a senior writer and analyst for the National Football Post. He is a fantasy football guru which will be the topic of discussion tonight.

We have a HUGE "Thru The Ropes" segment planned tonight. Zab Judah will be in the house along with David Martin, Lonnie Smith and Gabriel Montoya.

See you there!

Why Boxing? The Testament for Life

2010-07-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 23 years ago when I witnessed my first boxing match. The fighters were Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago.

As a young child, I understood what perseverance and fortitude meant; Rocky Balboa was the epitome of those things. Even when afraid, Rocky drove head first into his seeming invincible opponent. No matter how many hard shots Rocky took, he continued to attack his opposition. No matter how many times he was knocked down, he rapidly jumped to his feet to continue in the assault. Bloodied, beaten, and bruised, he emerged the victor with immense pride.

I was astonished not only that he won the fight but that he was able to come back from getting hit so hard. He showed a true champion's heart. By the time this fictional fight was over, I was drawn to boxing. This sport had gained my attention. I then immediately began watching as much boxing as I could.I started watching so many great fights which eventually made me a boxing fan. I had then determined that boxing was the sport for me; that this sport would be my favorite. In the fictional fight and the real fights, I found a sport that stands apart from all other sports. Boxing stands alone as my favorite sport because of the heart of the fighters, the one-punch factor, and the unpredictability of the fights.

Many battles in the ring have been won simply because of the "heart" of the fighter.

Some people say that "heart" is the courage a fighter displays, despite his lack of skill, who continues to give it his all. Others consider "heart" a fighter who will continue to fight with a broken hand, a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs, or any other injury regardless of the pain. Still, others will contest that "heart" begins in the gym where the fighter gives his all in preparation for the fight, then it carries over to the ring. Regardless of how one chooses to define heart, we can all agree that heart is responsible for some of the greatest boxing battles.

Some of those great battles include Graziano vs. Zale, Louis vs. Conn, Ali vs. Frazier, Ross vs. McLarnin, Foreman vs. Lyle, Chavez vs. Taylor, Benn vs. McClellan, Corrales vs. Castillo, Gatti vs. Ward, Pryor vs. Arguello, Holyfield vs. Bowe, and Morales vs. Barrera.

All of the above mentioned fights were action-packed fights fought in close corners. These fights were beyond exciting. At some points it was nearly impossible to guess who would win. Each fighter gave and took powerful, clean shots to the body and the head. However, those shots did not stop them from coming forward and fighting with all the heart they could muster.

These boxers had me hooked to boxing. I had not seen such determination in any other sport up to this point.

Although all of these fights impressed me, the most memorable fight I can recall is Ring Magazines' 2003 "fight of the year:" Gatti vs. Ward III. In this rubber match, both fighters displayed so much heart and determination. This was a fight of constant action. First, Gatti broke his right hand on an uppercut to Ward's hip in round four. Then, after fighting nearly one-handed for several rounds, (using his right from time to time) Gatti got caught with an overhand right to the head in the sixth and went down. Later, Gatti recovered from this assault and avoided getting into any more trouble after that round. The fight went the distance and Gatti won the unanimous decision. And that decision was won with a BROKEN HAND. If that isn't heart, I don't know what heart is.

Although a boxer with heart was what first thing that drew me to boxing, the one-punch factor is what kept me there.

I was so amazed at how one punch could quickly change the outcome of a fight. A fighter can be winning a fight convincingly but in a split second, his opponent can surprise him with one power shot and send him to the canvas. After the Referee counts to ten, the fight is over.

I witnessed this firsthand on November 5, 1994 when Heavyweight champion Michael Moorer defended his title against 45 year old George Foreman. In this fight, Foreman was the substantial underdog.Michael Moorer tattooed Foreman round after round. Foreman landed a few good shots on Moorer but not enough to win rounds. However, Teddy Atlas continued to warn the confident Moorer not to stay in front of Foreman. Nonetheless, Moorer refused to listen and kept pounding on Foreman with every punch in his arsenal.

Going into the tenth round, Foreman was behind on all scorecards. Then, out of nowhere, Foreman threw a few long-range jabs followed by a right hand to the point of Moorer's chin that sent the champion plummeting to his back onto the canvas. Moorer attempted to raise his head but to no avail. The referee then counted to ten, and the fight was over. The new heavyweight champion was a 45 year old power punching warrior who won the fight simply with one punch.

In a split second Foreman had regained the title he had lost 20 years ago. He went back to his corner and kneeled in supplication. He realized he had done the impossible; the unthinkable.

With this victory, he had broken three records: he became the oldest fighter ever to win the world heavyweight title; he broke the record for the fighter with the longest time between his first and second world championships; and he also broke the record of having the largest age difference between two fighters in any heavyweight championship fight. And Foreman had done this all with one punch.

There is no other sport I could think of in which a person or team can be behind in all aspects and all of a sudden do something miraculous that would cause them to win. In any other sport, one would need much more time to complete such a feat. However, in boxing, all one needs is a few seconds and an opportunity for one punch.

Apart from the heart and the one-punch factor of boxing, it stands apart from all other sports also because of its unpredictability.

There are so many things that can happen during a boxing match that can either make the difference between a fight stoppage, a disqualification, win, or a loss.When watching a boxing match, one is never certain of what can or will take place. At one point in a fight, boxer A can be winning convincingly over boxer B but then a referee can call an unintentional foul an intentional foul and stop the bout, causing a disqualification. In this case, boxer B wins the fight due to a disqualification. As unfair as the fans, the corner men, the ringside spectators, or even the commentators may believe the referee's call is, it is irrelevant. Once the referee stops the fight, the fight is over. And then comes the controversy.

One particular fight I recall in which a referee made a controversial call is the first bout between Julio Cesar Chavez and Meldrick Taylor in 1990.

Taylor was winning most of the early rounds with his speed and combinations However, Chavez's power began wearing Taylor down as the later rounds approached. Going into and final round, Taylor was ahead on the scorecards. Chavez was aware of this and began fighting harder as though he wanted to knock Taylor out. With his famous right hook, Chavez sent Taylor to the canvas with only 13 seconds left in the fight. Taylor got back to his feet before referee Richard Steele finished the 10-count. Steele asked Taylor if he was okay twice, but instead of answering he looked over to his corner. Steele waved the fight off with just two seconds left, giving Chavez the TKO victory.

That moment in boxing was one of the most controversial calls ever made by a referee. Many people believed Steele should not have stopped the fight with only two seconds left. Also, others along with Taylor felt he was robbed of his victory. That decision changed Taylor for the rest of his life.

So, in boxing, you can witness a great athlete facing a seeming invincible opponent with all courage, never backing down. You can also witness a warrior fighting with a broken hand or dislocated shoulder regardless of the pain. Furthermore, you can share in the awe of a fighter taking on an opponent who is beating him convincingly but wins the bout eventually with one punch. You can also rejoice with a 45 year old fighter as he regains the title he lost when he was in his 20's. And sadly, you can witness referees make controversial decisions that determine the outcomes of boxing matches and that negatively impact fighters for the rest of their lives.

As you take it all in, the good, the satisfying, the inspirational, the gratifying, and the dismal and morbid aspects of boxing, you cant deny its purity. You cannot deny its excitement and wonder.
I firmly attest that boxing is my favorite sport because of the negative and positive aspects. On one hand, it inspires, encourages, and excites me. On the other hand, it sadness, and sometimes anger's me. Nonetheless, at the end of the day, I remember that boxing, like life, is imperfect. But despite its imperfections, there is nothing more perfect than watching two warriors battle with all determination, with all heart, with every fiber of their being, unaware of the outcome of their battle.

And as all the smoke clears, boxing becomes more than just a sport but a testament for life. And the message which boxing preaches is this: "No matter the battle you encounter in life, face each one head on with all heart and determination. Some battles you will lose, some battles you will win. In the end, what will matter is not how many battles you won but how many you faced without backing down. For the true victor is the one who does not run from the battle."

Unsung Sunday-Meldrick Taylor

2010-07-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Meldrick Taylor was born in the famous boxing town of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began boxing at a very Young age and eventually achieved a 99-4 record as an amateur fighter. At the age of 17 he became the youngest boxer to earn the Olympic gold medal, which he claimed in the lightweight division. Shortly after his medal, he turned pro.

Taylor fought several journeymen in '84 but in October 1985, he won the decision against Harold Brazier. This fight gave him a spot in the World Rankings. On September 3, 1988, Taylor TKO'd "Buddy" McGirt for the IBF light-welterweight title.

Taylor beat his next five opponents, which led him to the unification fight with Julio Cesar Chavez, the light welterweight champion. Taylor (24-0-1) and Chavez(68-0) were regarded as two of the best boxers in the world. The end of their fight became one of the most controversial moments in boxing history.

Taylor was winning most of the early rounds with his speed and combinations However, Chávez's power began wearing Taylor down as the later rounds approached. Going into and final round, Taylor was ahead on the scorecards. Chavez was aware of this and began fighting harder as though he wanted to knock Taylor out. With his famous right hook, Chavez sent Taylor to the canvas with only 13 seconds left in the fight. Taylor got back to his feet before referee Richard Steele finished the 10-count. Steele asked Taylor if he was okay twice, but instead of answering he looked over to his corner. Steele waved the fight off with just two seconds left, giving Chavez the TKO victory.

The controversy at the end of that bout discouraged Taylor immensely but he continued to fight. Because he felt that making 140-pound weight had drained him against Chavez, he moved up to full welterweight and fought and beat undefeated Aaron Davis for the WBA welterweight title on January 19, 1991.

After winning three more bouts, Taylor moved up again to light-middleweight and faced champion Terry Norris for Norris' WBC title. Norris being naturally bigger and stronger at this weight class, knocked Taylor out in the fourth round.

After his loss to Norris, Taylor began to diminish. He lost his next fight and Title to Crisanto Espana in 1992 and lost his second title fight to Chavez in 1994.

He continued to fight over the next 8 years passed his prime winning some of his fights but not against top contenders. He retired in 2002. In 2009, he wrote his Autobiography entitled "Two Seconds From Glory" in which he recalls the memories of the night he lost his first fight to Chavez. He also shares accounts of his professional career, other bouts, and Olympic experience.

Taylor's Boxing Record- 1984-2002:
1984 Nov. 15-Luke Lecce TKO1
1985 Jan. 20-Dwight Pratchett W6 Atlantic City
Mar. 13-Darren Curtis TKO3 Norfolk, VA

Apr. 6-Elias Martinez TKO5 San Angelo, TX
May 17-Nery Reyes KO2 Stateline, NV

Jun. 29-Hugo Carrizo TKO3 Bellaria, Italy

Jul. 20-Roberto Medina W6 Norfolk, VA

Oct. 16-Carlos Santana TKO4 Atlantic City
Dec. 21-Victor Acosta W8 Virginia Beach 1986

Feb. 3-Robin Blake W10 Lake Charles, LA
Apr. 3-Jose Rivera TKO6 New York
May 11-Harold Brazier W10 Corpus Christi
Aug. 16-Howard Davis, Jr. D10 Atlantic City
Dec. 11-Danny Vargas KO2 New York 1987

Feb. 6-Roque Montoya W10 Atlantic City
Apr. 19-Primo Ramos W10 Phoenix
Jul. 11-Cubanito Perez W10 Atlantic City

Nov. 4-Richard Fowler TKO2 Corpus Christi
1988 Apr. 9-Ivan Gonzalez KO5 Las Vegas
Jun. 12- Martin Quiroz W10 Villa Park, IL

Sep. 3-James Buddy McGirt TKO12 Atlantic City-Won IBF 140 Title
1989 Jan. 21-John Meekins TKO7 Atlantic City-IBF 140 Title Defense

Sep. 11-Courtney Hooper W12 Atlantic City-IBF 140 Title Defense
Nov. 20-Jaime Balboa TKO5 Philadelphia 1990

Jan. 27-Ramon Flores TKO1 Atlantic City

Mar. 17-Julio Cesar Chavez TKO'd 12 Las Vegas-Lost IBF 140 Title

Aug. 11-Primo Ramos W10 Tahoe, NV 1991

Jan. 19-Aaron Davis W12 Atlantic City-Won WBA 147 Title
Jun. 1-Luis Garcia W12 Palm Springs, CA WBA 147 Title Defense
Sep. 13-Ernie Chavez TKO6 Sacramento 1992

Jan. 18-Glenwood Brown W12 Philadelphia-WBA 147 Title Defense

May 9-Terry Norris TKO'd 4 Las Vegas For WBC 154 Title
Oct. 31-Crisanto Espana TKO'd 8 London Lost WBA 147 Title
1993 May 8-Henry Hughes TKO2 Las Vegas
1994 Jan. 29-Craig Houk KO3 Las Vegas

May 7-Chad Broussard KO2 Las Vegas

Sep. 17-Julio Cesar Chavez TKO'd 8 Las Vegas-For WBC 140 Title
1996 Aug.16-Kenneth Kidd TKO1 Altoona, PA
Oct. 10-Tommy Small W10 Washington

Nov. 26-Darren Maciunski L10
1998 Aug. 6-Rafael Salas W6 Chicago

Aug. 28-Hasan Al L10 Aarhus, Denmark 1999

Feb. 26-Kirino Garcia L12 Juarez, Mexico
Aug. 26-Tim Scott TKO3 Atlanta
Sep. 10-Manuel DeLeon W8 Ocala, FL 2002

May 31 Dillon Carew W8 Birmingham, AL
Jul. 20-Wayne Martell L10 Mahnomen, MN

Sources:
http://www.wikipedia.com/,
http://www.phillyboxingrecord.com/

http://www.sportslore.com/

UFC 116 Aftermath

2010-07-07T09:49:00.001-07:00

So now that the dust has settled we can now take a look at what's in store for the heavy weight division. Brock Lesner battled for his life prior to this fight with Shane Carwin, as he suffered from mononucleosis and was not able to fight on the scheduled UFC106 fight card. He took his time to heal his body and started to train for Carwin. Throughout the weeks leading up to the fight Brock was very confident that he would be the superior athlete. Shane Carwin was also confident that Brock would not be able to withstand the punching power that he brings to the table. I was very excited for this fight with high hopes of a spectacular finish by either of the competitors. I was not disappointed. The first round was a nail biter as Carwin looked to finish the fight in the first round. Carwin rained down a barrage of punches and elbows hoping for a stoppage by Josh Rosenthal. Rosenthal kept a close eye on Brock making sure that he was still defending himself and was not about to go out. Lesner kept moving and seemed to be okay underneath all of Carwin's damage. Brock did a great job weathering the storm and making it to the second. It has been said by Carwin that at the end of the first round his body had seized up on him and he could not feel his legs going into the second round(Fan page blog post http://bit.ly/c8fvdC) . It was in this round that Lesner was able to secure a take-down and get on top of Carwin and work towards a finish. It looked like to me that Carwin was doing fine and defending the submission attempt very well. As Lesner was able to change position he locked in the triangle choke and got the win. I'm not going to lie, i was rooting for Carwin being from Colorado and all. Brock took a different route with this win and seemed humbled by his recent experiance and his MMA career. He did not show any disrespect nor any other harsh WWE flashbacks. I have a new found respect for the man. He fought like a true champion that was not going to be denied his day nor his belt. Carwin is also a highly respected fighter and always shows class in the cage. Now that this fight is over we now need to look at the rest of the UFC heavy weight division and whats in store for the fans and the contenders.
It has been said by Dana White that Cain Velasquez will be getting the next title shot against Brock Lesner. Now this is very intriguing to me as both fighters have a wrestling background. Now during the lead up to the Carwin fight, Lesner stated that his Division 1 wrestling was superior to Carwin's Division 2, well Cain wrestled for Arizona State where he earned All-American honors. So now we ask the question, can Cain out wrestle Brock and take his title away from him? Cain has racked up some impressive wins since coming to the UFC from the likes of Jake O'Brian, Check Kongo, Ben Rothwell and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He uses his top shelf wrestling and tremendous tenacity to out work his opponents. His last 2 fights have ended by TKO and KO so he has power to take fighters out. When him and Brock step into the cage it will be very interesting to see of Cain can take out the Freak of nature Brock Lesner.
The UFC Heavy Weight Divison is stacked with possible contenders and big fights. Shane Carwin may have lost to Brock but we cannot count him out of the title contention in the future. We also have big puncher Junior Dos Santos who has been smashing through all his opponents, and is scheduled to meet Roy Nelson next month. The winner of this fight most likely will be getting a title shot against the winner of Brock and Cain. Do not forget about Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub, a crafty veteran and a young gun waiting in the wings for their chance. The UFC Heavy Weight Division is definitely one to watch this summer and leading into the fall. I am very excited.
Now we look forward to August where we have some great up coming events and awesome fights. August 1st we have UFC on Versus 2 with Jon "Bones" Jones vs "The Janitor" Vladimir Matyushenko. This card has some great fights on it and I look forward to seeing John "DoomsDay" Howard fight again. Then on August 7th we shall see if Chael Sonnen can walk the walk as he goes up against Anderson "The Spider" Silva for the Middle Weight Title. Nearing the end of the month we get to be treated again to a Light Weight battle of champions as Frankie "The Answer" Edgar defends his title against the "Prodigy" BJ Penn. This will be the chance for Edgar to silence the critics and become the true champion. BJ on the other hand gets the opportunity to get his title back. So as you can see August is the most awesome month of UFC action with 2 titles going on the line, so sit tight and get ready for action packed throw downs!

NBAPrimetime.com: My Guest Blogger!!

2010-07-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

I Hate LeBron James

July 3rd, 2010 Nick Gelso

Dwyane Wade is likable and respectable to the sport that has made him a very rich man. He respects the city of Miami and his boss, Pat Riley. Although, he can be cocky at time. We all remember, “This is my house…” while perched on top of the scorers table. Even I thought that moment was cool.

Essentially, Wade has not done much differently than LeBron– except prove he can win on the big stage.

LeBron praises Akron and the city of Cleveland. LeBron throws powder in the air and riles up his home crowd. No question James is fun to watch. He is a phenomenon– a physical specimen. LeBron leaves it all on the court. He works hard to win. He racks up a lot of dimes. He can rebound and he can score. He has won 60+ games the last two seasons. The Cavs have decimated opponents in the regular season and LeBron led the entire circus.

Wade, though garnering a finals MVP and an NBA title, has been injured frequently. Yet, despite Wade’s early accomplishments, he was injured in 2009 and his team failed miserably in 2010.

Yes, he won a title. For all intense and purposes however, Wade has not had the over-all success nor media praise that the sports world has given to LeBron James.

So… they are similar. They are both commiserating and posturing to play together during this summer’s free agency. The media attention has honed it’s bright light on these two stars. They are very much sailing in the same boat.

Then why do I loath LeBron James and respect Dwyane Wade?

It’s really quite simple.

LeBron James is the self proclaimed “chosen one.” He has crowned himself the king and yet behaves like a jester. He snaps fictitious photo’s and dances to the tune of Cavs (regular season) blowouts. He encourages his teammates to clown around. He is a silly, loose guy when things are going well for his team and, ultimately, for him.

Yet, when the going gets tough, LeBron sticks his nose up to the world and, unfortunately, the fans that have made him a multi millionaire. He claims to have billionaire aspirations. Has anyone advised the king that you should not bite the hand that feeds you?

Let’s face it, LeBron is for no one but LeBron. He proves it in his behavior off the court. He has teased and taunted the Cavs, and their fans, with free agency for nearly three seasons. The man could have dispelled the growing free agency tornado when it began. Style aside, you do not wear a New York Yankees hat in public when the world is speculating that New York may be your next home.

I know. I know. The Yankees hat is overplayed. It’s still relevant though.

Nothing confirmed it more than during his semifinal loss to the Celtics. As his team was nearing complete elimination, we were all witnesses to the chants of “New York Knicks” in TD Garden. As I, a self declared LeBron-Hater, heard those chants raining down on LeBron while he bricked up free throws under the pressure, I couldn’t help but feel the pain of his teammates. I honestly believe that LeBron basked in the attention that moment brought him while the final buzzer was about to sound on another early playoff exit for the Cavaliers.

His teammates, the guys who went out and busted their asses to help the Cavs accumulate 60+ wins in the regular season, had to realize that all along they were just pawns on the Kings chess board. Yep, I felt bad for Mo Williams. I felt pain for Antawn Jameson. I was almost hating the fact that Shaq may have played his final NBA season as a losing piece of a puzzle, smeared by the distraction LeBron’s circus had created. I can even say that I (unbelievably) felt sorry for Anderson Varejao. Anderson may be on the leagues most annoying list but their can be no doubt that he is a hard working man, with the hustle reminiscent of Dennis Rodman (before he started wearing a dress).

The sports world loves to blame LeBron’s failure on his teammates (lack of) support. LeBron is perpetrated as a martyr having to do it all alone. Saddest part is, I have never heard LeBron defend his teammates– not once.

Team’s do not win 60+ games playing 1 on 5. What changes in the playoffs? Do his teammates disappear or does LeBron overwhelm them with his distracting aura? Does the “LeBron traveling circus” overwhelm the rest of the Cavaliers, leaving them ineffective– hiding in the shadow of the king?

During the sixth game of the semifinals, as the Cavs were nearing vacation time, the chosen one essentially looked composed in loss. Almost too composed. He never discouraged the media from distracting his teammates with the “LeBron’s last game as a Cavalier” nonsense. The series was never about the Cavs struggles or the Celtics’ successes. To the media, the series was about LeBron, and the King found nothing offensive about that.

LeBron James is the most self centered player I have ever witnessed. I am sure their have been worse but, since the dawn of the ESPN era, no player has captivated the public spotlight (nor embraced it) more than the chosen one. For that reason, and none other, LeBron has ended up a loser season after season.

Don’t give me the bull shit about LeBron lacking a supporting cast either– I know it’s coming. Championship team’s are just that– a cohesive unit. Led by a dominant superstar, not dominated by that star. LeBron James wanted every player Danny Ferry brought to Cleveland. They were the perfect compliments on the king’s court throughout 60+ seasons. Perfect in success, yet the reason for failure. That makes no sense.

Now, Danny Ferry has given up as Cavs GM and Mike Brown is in the unemployment line– two more casualties left to eat the pain of loss while LeBron dances around the NBA teasing and taunting everyone to become the next team to claim him.

Folks, we are fools in LeBron’s hype machine. We have all bought into the hype that LeBron so adores. I have read, on this site, more often than I would care to, that LeBron is going to New York. No, wait! LeBron is going to Miami! Oh.. correction! LeBron is headed to Chicago to try and follow in his air-ness’ footsteps. Aw Shit! We were all “summit-suckers” again, LeBron is staying put in Cleveland!

Ladies and gentlemen, give it up!

When is the world going to ask themselves, maybe it’s not the players surrounding the superstar, possibly it’s the superstar himself that cannot get the job done.

How is LeBron James going to share the stage with such high power ego’s as D-Wade and Chris Bosh? It’s not going to happen. LeBron says he will wrap up free agency as soon as Monday and not a moment too soon for me. Than we can all get back to talking about basketball and not the one man who thinks he is bigger than the game.

LeBron, you were right. You should not wear Michael Jordan’s number. You shouldn’t wear it because you don’t deserve to have it placed upon your chest. You couldn’t fill his Nikes.

Stay in Cleveland LeBron. Appease your subjects. They enjoy being witnesses. As for me, I have witnessed quite enough of this nonsense.

Free agency could not end sooner. The “summer of LeBron” has, thus far, been enough to make me switch the tube on the game I love and that is why I am proud to say that I am a LeBron hater to the bitter end.

Introduction: Squared Circle and Sweet Science

2010-07-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

There is so much to offer in the world of sports. In Golf, you can bask in the serene surroundings of a golf course as your favorite player steps to the teeing ground to advance the ball with the least amount of strokes. If that isn't your cup of "tee" you may be one who prefers the chill of the hockey rink as you hear the ice skates scrape against the ice and a slap shot pummels the puck 90 miles per hour into the goal. Then again, if your goal is not to see the use of stick to puck, but foot to ball, soccer is your game. You anticipate the players moving the ball and maneuvering with picturesque athleticism to drive the ball into the enemy's territory.
Or if you like seeing balls driven but prefer them being smashed with
netted aluminum bats, your sport is tennis. It invigorates you as your head moves from side to side following the fast-paced hypnotic rhythm of racket to ball to racket. But then again, you may prefer the racket of helmets and shoulder pads clashing on the field as the titans collide to protect their quarterback from the blitz as the oblong pigskin swirls into the air to meet the hands of the wide receiver. Maybe your ball is not oblong but spherical; and from the moment of the tip-off you watch your favorite players score 3 pointers, hook shots, lay ups and dunks. And you cringe at the sight of the opposing team's baskets since your team has the home court advantage. But speaking of home,you might prefer when the batter assumes the position at home-base, awaiting the pitch with all bases loaded. And you sit patiently as the pitcher and the catcher communicate in a language unknown to the batter. Then as the
ball escapes the pitcher's hand, the bat connects and sends the ball
darting through the air and out of the stadium to score the big Grand Slam.

Now I must admit, I do find pleasure in all of these. I enjoy the craze on
the court, the calm on the course, the fervor on the field, the raucous in the rink.

However, there is one place that lights that passionate fire in my soul.
There is one place that no matter the season, I can catch a glimpse of its grander, a view of its valor. There is a place where the Sweet Science
resides; and that place is the squared circle of illuminated canvas. This is the place which holds my passion.

I am a Football and Basketball fan. I have two favorite football teams
and one favorite basketball team. When my teams play, I watch calmly.
Whether they win or lose doesn't usually have much of an affect on me.

However, when the gladiators grace the canvas, all anxiety and nervousness surface. All of my attention hones in on the squared circle.
For this is where the warriors meet to participate in the Sweet Science.
And when they collide I am there with them absorbing every punch,
throwing the perfect jab and counter punch. I become lost and drown out
all surrounding noise. For now I am in my niche. I am here as a scientist.
I am here to analyze, dissect, and put back together again.

This is my purpose: to talk, to hear, to live and to share the Sweet
Science of Boxing.

I hope you enjoy my contribution to this blog. I ask that you comment
after you read each post. Thank you for allowing me to share with you.

2010-07-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

@SUPERJUDAH calls-in to "Tha SPORTSKRIB"!!

Imagine my surprise, when I introduce myself, as the host, and the caller tells me, "This is Zab Judah, and I'm calling into to support my man, Lonnie Love!!". First, the wave of disbelief, then the 'shock', of actually talking to one of the BEST fighters, in the world today. Zab is scheduled to fight again, on 16 July, and has promised, to give us a post fight interview.

UFC 116 LESNER vs. CARWIN: Picks

2010-07-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday July 3rd is the day that we find out who the true Heavy Weight Champion of the UFC is. Ex-WWE Super Star and current champ goes up against the KO artist Shane Carwin in a 5 round battle. Is it going to go all 5 rounds? I don't think it will. Saturday is sure to bring in some early fireworks. Below are my picks for the fights.
Fight Picks:
Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
Winner: Shane Carwin by TKO in the 1st.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs, Chris Leben
Winner: YoshihiroAkiyama by Submission in the 3rd

Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown
Winner: Chris Lytle by TKO in the 3rd

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Stephan Bonnar
Winner: Stephan Bonnar by Decision

George Sotiropoulos vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Winner: Kurt Pellegrino by Decision

Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Winner: Brendan Schaub by TKO in the 1st

Seth Petruzelli vs. Ricardo Romero
Winner: Seth Petruzelli by Decision

Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic
Winner: Goran Reljic by Submission in the 2nd

Gerald Harris vs. Dave Branch
Winner: Garald Harris by TKO in the 2nd

Daniel Roberts vs. Forrest Petz

Winner: Forrest Petz by KO in the 1st

Jon Madsen vs. Karlos Vemola
Winner: Karlos Vernola by TKO in the 2nd

A GUEST Blog: Louie@chicitysportsfan

2010-06-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

The $91.5 Million Dollar Douche Bag!!

I've had enough of Carlos Zambrano's childish antics. The Cubs will never win anything of importance let alone a World Series with him on their squad.

If you bet it would be before July when the Cubs $91.5 million dollar asshole would blow up and make a fool of himself, congrats. You’ve won 3 more months of god awful baseball on the north side. It’s been a few days since Zambrano went postal on Derrick Lee, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to waste time writing about the mental midget. Z has been suspended by the Cubs and has been placed on the restricted list. He won’t return to the Flubbies until July 15, if at all. FYI- I’d love to be a fly on the wall during Carlos’ “evaluation” with doctors. They may need more time than until July 15th to figure out what’s wrong him. Just to be clear, I’ve never been a Zambrano guy. I was at Wrigley in June of ‘07 when he went after Michael Barrett like a crazed lunatic. The spin back then was that the Cubs were fueled by the fight and Lou Pineilla’s subsequent tirade that weekend. All I thought at the time was what I think now, “Carlos Zambrano is a Chris Brown sized piece of shit.” Fast forward to last Friday and there was Zambrano at it again. He has always to felt the pressure of big games, in my eyes. Not one time have I ever had confidence that Little Z would come up big when his team needed him to. Once again, Z didn’t let me down. Cubs broadcaster Bob Brenly said it was nice to see a little fire because the Cubs have been “A dead ass team.” Sorry Bob, but Zambrano wasn’t trying to fire up his team. You’ll hear comparison to the Rays Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton getting into it. The difference is Longoria is a respected leader. Zambrano isn’t a leader, he’s a unstable mental patient who can’t control his emotions. After his latest tantrum I have to ask, “Is it finally time to sever ties with the petulant child?” If Tom Ricketts is back from his African safari, someone please ask him.

Zambrano should only point the finger at himself. It wasn't Derrick lee's fault that he served up this meatball to Carlos Quentin. Yes, the home run came on an 0-2 pitch.

His antics towards one of the best teammates in baseball (Derrick Lee) just goes to show he doesn’t respect anyone he comes across. Thanks for your 1 inning of work Carlos. I wonder how much of his $18 million dollar salary he earned Friday? I wrote earlier this season that the Cubs created a monster with Zambrano because Jim Hendry has babied him since Z got to the Cubs. I wrote that when you create a monster who feels he can get away with anything, that monster grows into an uncontrollable beast. Cubs fans can thank Jim Hendry for creating this nut job’s massive ego.

I sound cynical when I talk about the Cubs, but I truly feel that they needed to suck in 2010 so that new owner Tom Ricketts had no choice but to clean house of his baseball atrocity. Here’s hoping that the Zambrano blowup will be the last straw. I understand why Ricketts didn’t fire Hendry and Lou Piniella’s corpses before the season. When you pay close to $1 billion dollars for a team and have a $25 million dollar note it’s hard to eat any more money. The time has come, however, for Ricketts to rid himself of Zambrano. Trading Zambrano will be difficult, but what other choice does he have? Find some stiff with an equally horrendous contract, and make a deal happen. Piniella’s corpse will be gone after the season. Hendry, too, will likely be fork lifted out the door. Those moves will be a step in the right direction, but Zambrano can’t return to this team. The players talked about the atmosphere in the clubhouse on Saturday and Sunday at The Cell and how different it was. When you remove a cancer from the clubhouse, the attitude and moral improves. And, you thought the Cubs’ chemistry would improve with Milton Bradley gone. If the Cubs welcome Zambrano back, the countdown starts to another meltdown.

Random Tangent: Firing Hendry has to be done, but the Cubs feel the wrath of Lord Fatso for years to come. The back loaded deals and no-trade clauses will be the death of the Cubs for the next 4-5 years. It doesn’t matter who the Cubs bring in to replace Hendry, his stench will be felt for a long time. That being said, the move still has to be made. The guy gave Jeff Samardzija a no-trade for Christ’s sake. I mean, anytime you can give a scrub pitcher who should be playing the flanker in the NFL, you have to do it, right? Ugh. Excuse me while I throw up on my keyboard. On the Zambrano deal, Hendry didn’t have to sign Zambrano to that extension. Teams don’t sign pitchers to big money extensions who aren’t headcases and actually take care of their bodies. However, there was Hendry with the $91.5 million deal. Smart teams (not the Cubs) pay for future production and what they think a player WILL be. You don’t pay for past production–especially not for a guy who refuses to do his required rehab work. Thanks again, Jim.

I’m not the guy who gets off on calling for managers and coaches to be fired. I’m not a guy who wants a guy to be cut or traded at the drop of a hat. This Zambrano situation is at the point of no return. There is no other choice but for Ricketts to pry Hendry away from the buffet table and make him trade his boy at any reasonable cost. I don’t care what the Cubs get in return. I’d be happy with a bucket of balls. I don’t care if Tommy Boy Ricketts has to take back an equally bad contract in return. Zambrano is finished in Chicago. How many times have we heard him in his monotone spring training voice say he’s a changed guy? It’s the same routine every year. People are tired of it. Cubs fans are already staying away from Wrigley. An estimated 1,500 less seats per game so far this season. That number will dip even lower as this dog and pony show of a season continues. It’s become obvious by their indefinite suspension that the Cubs don’t want the big headache anymore. Put down the Italian Beef and get on the horn Jim.

I always laugh at Cubs fans who say that Zambrano is different, and this is the year he fully reaches his potential. By the time you’re a certain age (Zambrano is 29), you are the person you are. This is who he is and the way he’ll always act. Bringing him back and putting him in the bullpen won’t solve anything. Teams know what he is as a pitcher–starter, reliever, Gatorade jug thrower, raging penis, they know. He’s a 29 year old pain in the ass who’s had shoulder issues, drinks Red Bull like water, never hits 93 mph on his fastball anymore, can’t keep his emotions in check in a big game, is no better than a 5th starter, cares more about dinner plans with Ozzie Guillen, and is HATED by teammates. This is known. His stock is lower than the self esteem of girls who hook up with Patrick Kane. The Cubs need to be proactive and, basically, give him away. He’ll wave his no-trade clause if he’s not welcome back to the team. If he is, then the monster is that much closer to another blowup. Ricketts has a lot on his agenda, but the $91.5 million dollar douche bag just moved himself to the top of the list. Your move, Tommy Boy.

Post Published: 28 June 2010
Author: LKR

UFC 115 Thoughts and Picks

2010-06-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

This weekends UFC events is packed full of exciting match-ups and possible new beginnings. In the main event we have 2 ex-champions looking to get back on track for a run at the title. Chuck the "ICE MAN" Liddell & Rich "ACE" Franklin will be sharing each others company in the octagon as they both come into the night with hopes of restarting their careers and another crack at a belt. Chuck Liddell is coming off a loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97 where he was stopped via KO in the second. It has been 14 months since Chuck has been in the cage and with that comes the question of ring rust and how will it play into this fight. Chuck has back to back losses since 2008 and was questioning retirement but now has found a new interest in making a run for the title. Rich Franklin has not strapped on the gloves for about 9 months were in his last fight he lost to Vitor Belfort via 1st round KO. So will the time away from the cage come into play in this battle of greats? Like always, I take the opportunity to watch their last fights and see what both will bring to the cage. In Chuck's last fight he looked in shape and ready to take the fight to Shogun. What I did notice is that Chuck seems to be losing some of his speed. His power is there but his punches just don't find there target like they used to. He was getting good shots in and there were times when he gave Shogun a good smack. What I also noticed was the leg kicks that Shogun was landing seemed to bother Chuck early in the round. They both worked some take-downs during the fight that I believed took a little out of Chuck. When you watch the punch that knocked him down, he was moving backwards and it seemed like he could not move quick enough to get out of the way. The good things I saw is that Chuck can still put those combinations together and if he lands most of them it usually means good night. I believe that in order for Chuck to come out with a win he will need to pace himself and pick his moments. Try not to rush in that much and to check those leg kicks. Chuck is also a great wrestler and knows how to win rounds when he needs to. If Chuck can keep his legs fresh, pace himself and keep landing combinations its going to be a long night for the Jim Carrey look-a-like. The other thing is that if Chuck hurts Rich he needs to pounce and put the ACE on ICE. There are lots of things that Chuck does right but it is the things that he might do wrong that will determine if he walks out a winner.
Rich Franklin is coming of a loss to Vitor Belfort where he was knocked out in the round. Watching that fight Rich was moving forward a lot and was working to find his range. Unfortunately he was tagged with a punch on the side of the head making him dazed. Belfort went in for the kill as he always does and finished the fight. Rich does have great footwork and head movement and awesome leg kicks. I don't believe this fight will be going to the ground that much but if it does it will be interesting to see how Franklin will do on his back. When he fights he always uses good angles and movement to find the range to land one of those devastating punches. I think that he will need to use those leg kicks to stop Chuck from planting that power foot and use lots of movement to keep Chuck guessing. I know that Chuck will not let Rich him keep up against the cage so he needs to watch out when they separate or Chuck will sneak in a KO blow. This fight is a must win for both fighters so it is sure to be a great fight with lots of action. It is possible that this fight will go all 3 rounds with both fighters not really taking big risks or chances but just trying to get the win. With both fighters coming off knock out losses I see this as being the outcome.
The other fight that is going to be a definition of wreckage and carnage is Mirko Cro Cop vs Pat "HD" Barry. These 2 fighters are all about bringing the pain. They both have devastating leg kicks and power in the hands. The one thing that I see may be a problem is Pat going into this fight with to much excitement and blowing all his energy early in the fight. As soon as the ref says fight Cop is going to rush towards Pat and keep the pressure on him from start to finish. I hope that Pat doesn't take to long to get started. If he does it may be a short night. I think this won't be the case since Pat is really looking forward to start his run at the top of the heap. I think Pat will be focused and ready to take on the challenge of meeting one of his idols in the cage. He will then ask for a autograph, so he said. I see one of these fighters getting knock-out of the night.
For all that tune into watch UFC 115 i don't see any one walking away disappointed. The other fights of interest are: Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann, Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel (another possible KO of the night), Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald (possible sub of the night in this one).
Below are my picks for UFC 115:
Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
Winner: Rich Franklin via Split Decision
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry
Winner: Pat HD Barry via KO in the 1st rd
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Winner: Martin Kampmann via Split Decision
Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
Winner: Ben Rothwell via TKO in the 1st
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Winner: Carlos Condit via Submission in the 2nd
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Winner: Tyson Giffin via Choke in the 1st
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
Winner: Matt Wiman via Split Decision
Don't forget to catch the prelims on Spike TV before the PPV

2010-06-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

B.T.S for June 10th show

Tomorrow night Tha Sports Krib will feature two Charlotte based comedians who are huge on the local scene. Jeremy "Burpie" Alsop and Darren Brand. You don't want to miss these future kings of comedy as they aim to tickle your funny bone. Sports and comedy collide in what's sure to be an unforgettable show.

Next week VP of My Life Keys LLC Tavaughn "Montster" Monts will join us for our first Motivate Your Motivation segment. The concept is Inspiration + Sports=Success! Monts played DB for Clemson University from from 2000-2004. He also has a very powerful story.

Also Bill Cody from the BleacherReport joins co host JersyMikeJr for a discussion on the recent Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman fight and the future of both. Join us Thursday night from 9pm-11pm EST!

JersyMikeJr Interviewed

2010-06-01T04:03:00.000-07:00

Over the Memorial Day holiday, we took the time to pause and reflect on those who sacrificed their lives to perserve our freedom. We remember them fondly as our brothers, sisters, fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins and various loved ones. Our hearts went out to those who went down in the line of duty.

It was also on this day that JersyMikeJr recieved his first exclusive interview with Randy Inman of AssosciatedContent.com and FootballDogz.com. Here is the transcript

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5440562/exclusive_interview_with_justin_davis_pg2.html?cat=49

UFC 114 Recap & Thoughts

2010-05-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Last night at UFC 114 two bitter rivals stepped into the octagon to settle their differences and to gain bragging rights. The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas was packed full of MMA fans waiting for these two athletes to step into the cage and take care of business. Rashad Evans was the first to make his way down to the cage. He was welcomed by boo's as he made his way to the cage. Evans did his patent entrance into the cage with that spider like crawl into the cage with lots of energy and focus. He stood in his corner with a face of determination and calmness. Then it was Jackson's turn to make his way to the cage. The crowd exploded in cheers for the Memphis born fighter as he made his way down the aisle. Jackson made his way towards the cage with the snarl look on his face and that famous howl to the sky. As Jackson made his way into the cage he stared down his opponent with a look of bad intentions and anger. Both athletes looked calm, focused and determined to be the better man in this night. Herb Dean brought both fighters to the center of the octagon to give the final instructions. Both fighters not giving an inch in the stare down. No touching of gloves for these to rivals. They both backed up as Herb Dean was making his last check with the judges. The order to fight was given.
1st round: When the fight started Jackson right away made his way towards Evans. Jackson looked very determined to close the gap between him and Evans very quickly. Evans was bouncing around, changing levels making those quick in and out movements that we've come accustomed to seeing from him. At about the 4:45 minute mark Evans caught Jackson with a right hand to the cheek that staggered Jackson and made him stumble to the cage. The crowd jumped up to see if this was going to be the end. Evans quickly rushed towards Jackson, pinning him up against the cage. Their they stood battling it out for position. Evans started to go after Jackson's legs with hammer fists and knees. At the 2:51 mark Herb Dean separated them as no fighter was making progress to gain a dominant position. The fighters then gain their composure and once again start to measure their distance. Around the 2:17 mark Evans lands a great take-down and works to better his position and he delivers strikes to Jackson's head and face. Eventually Rampage works himself up to his feet, taking shots to the face as he tries. The crowd starts to boo the fighters as they both jock for position in the clinch. At this point it looks like Evans game plan is to wear Jackson out by keeping him pressed up against the cage and to lean on him. Wear the bigger fighter out. This is also the time we start to question Jackson's weight cut. With only :28 seconds left Herb Dean separates the fighters again to the delight of the fans and roars fell the arena. The round ends with a good exchange between both fighters. Round looks like it will go to Evans. Between rounds Evans corner reminds him that Jackson is still dangerous.
2nd Round: The second round starts with both fighter in the middle of the cage. The crowd begins to chant for Rampage. Jackson moving in closer to Evans looking to land one of his bombs. Evans starts to move in and out with level changing quickness. Both fighters looking to exchange blows, when Evans rushes Jackson and puts his back right up against the cage again. Evans once again starts to punish Jackson's legs with knees and hammer strikes. As they get separated Evans works right back to the clinch and attempts his take-downs. Most of round 2 is worked in the clinch and Jackson defending the take-down. Round 2 also belongs to Evans. During the break Jackson's corner tells him that he needs a KO to win. With Evans taking the first 2 rounds this is defiantly what its going to take to win. Evans corner reminds him that even if Jackson is tired he is still dangerous.
Round 3: The 3rd round starts with both fighters in the center of the octagon. Evans making quick movements, keeping his level low. Both fighters are trying to figure out their range as they slap hands trying to gauge the distance. At about the 3:53 mark Jackson catches Evans with a right hand staggering the former champion sending him to his back. The crowd exploded and every one in the MGM Grand Arena was up on their feet. Jackson started to rain down punches as Evans was trying to defend. When I was watching, it seemed like a lot of the punches Jackson was throwing were not finding their mark. Jackson was on top with half guard trying to keep Evans down. Evans eventually made it to his feet, but looked hurt. The fighters separated and Evans looked like there was not much left. Now its about this time in the fight were things went weird. Evans was obviously hurt and his legs were not all there, yet Jackson did not press to finish. There was about a minute or two were Evans looked like he was still dizzy. During this time Jackson did not press or attack the vulnerable Evans. Evans was able to recover and get the bounce back in this legs. About the 1:49 minute mark Evans landed another take-down and followed up with some damaging punches to Jackson's dome. As Evans was bringing down the fist, Jackson worked his way to his feet. It would not be long after getting to his feet that Jackson would end up back to the ground due to a wonderful take-down by Evans. Jackson would make it back to his feet again. Both fighters worked the clinch up until they separated and finished the round with a brief exchange at the end. The 3rd round also belonged to Evans. Everyone in the MGM Grand know who the winner was going to be and so did I. Rashad Evans hand was raised in victory.
Was this the ending that everyone wanted? Who's to say, but I had a pretty good idea that this is how it was going to go. I knew that Evans would stick to his game plan and work the take-downs and avoid to much exchanges. Evans worked his skills and was the better man on this night. It was Evans speed that I think was really a problem for Jackson. I was surprised that Jackson let Evans press him up against the cage for so long. I was thinking that Jackson would of been okay with taking a few to work his clinch game. It seemed that Evans quick in and out movement kept Jackson guessing. This now leaves us thinking, whats next for Rampage? Is there a possible rematch in the making for these two? I would like to see one. Overall it was a good fight. Both fighters had their chances to finish the other fighter. I take my hat off to both of these athletes. This now sets up a confrontation between Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans. Now that will be a fun fight to break down. .
Here is the way the rest of the nights fights went:
Rashad Evans defeats Rampage Jackson via Unanimous Decision
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeats Jason Brilz via Split Decision
This one was very close. A little controversy on this one.
Michael Bisping defeats Dan Miller via Unanimous Decision
Was not very impressed with Bisping's performance in this one. He landed a lot of shots on Miller's face but could not take him out. I was expecting a more agressive Bisping.
John Hathaway defeats Diego Sanchez via Unanimous Decision
I was very surprised by this outcome. Diego really needs to work on his stand-up.
Mike Russow defeats Todd Duffee via TKO (Strikes) Round 3
The most incredale finish in UFC history.
Dong Hyun Kim def. Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision
Efrain Escudero def. Dan Lauzon via unanimous decision
Melvin Guillard def. Waylon Lowe via TKO (strikes) - R1 | 3:28.
Aaron Riley def. Joe Brammer via unanimous decision
Cyrille Diabate def. Luiz Cane via TKO (punches) - R1 | 2:13
Ryan Jensen def. Jesse Forbes via submission (guillotine choke) - R1 | 1:06

UFC 114 Main Event Break Down and Picks

2010-05-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

May 29th, 2010 is the day of reckoning for two of the biggest stars in MMA today; Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans. These two superstars are scheduled to step into the octagon and settle their differences like the MMA athletes they are and should be. In the locked cage. These two individuals cannot be more different in their lifestyles and paths it took them to get where they are today. On one end you have the Memphis Tennessee born Jackson that grew up, well lets just say he didn't always have a full stomach and new pair of shoes all the time as a kid or adolescent. On the other, you have a bright smiling 2 time all-state wrestler from Sanborn, NY who had a total of 8 siblings including himself. Both these athletes have their similarities such as the wrestling background. Both wrestled in high school and both graduated with All-State honors, but I think the similarities pretty much stop there. Their paths to the MMA world are very different. Jackson originally wanted to break into professional wrestling, but instead he saw the success that fighters in a new type of sport called MMA, were having. Jackson was able to start off his MMA career with a 11-1 record with smaller organizations such as King of the Cage and others. It was when Jackson left the states and went to Japan to fight for Pride in 2001 when his popularity grew. In Pride he was able to showcase his skills to a large MMA audience, and get his first taste of being a star. The Rampage slams were my favorite! I know we all cannot forget those battles Jackson had with Wanderlei Silva in those Pride days. Jackson did very well in Japan and was able to grow his popularity in the sport of MMA. On February 3, 2007 Jackson made his UFC debut as he battled against Marvin Eastman, and Jackson knocked him out. Jackson was able to grab the UFC lightweight title from Chuck Liddell on May 26th, 2007 via TKO. Jackson's title reign was short lived after he lost a decision to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86. Rampage Jackson has a multitude of experience in this game called MMA.

Rashad Evans path to greatness started out around the time MMA was trying to make its splash into mainstream. Evans started his MMA career like most. He fought in the smaller organizations and built up an impressive 5-0 record in his first 5 fights. This was enough to get him a shot at being a contestant on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter. Evans went in as a heavy weight and was much smaller than the rest of the contestants. That size difference did not matter, because at the end of the show Evans was to be in the final fight against Brad Imes. It was a long hard fight but Evans eventually won by split decision, taking the UFC contract and trophy with him . After the show Evans went on winning and winning and winning. Evans soon got a chance at the lightweight title. He beat Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to take the title. His title reign was also short lived as he lost it to Lyoto Machida who was tearing up all opponents that he faced.

These fighters were then chosen to be coaches on The Ultimate Fighter season 10. If you did not get a chance to watch this season then you missed out! In this season both of these fighters really got under each others skin, there was a lot of trash-talk throughout the whole season. I really think that the hate for each other started after Jackson defeated Evans team mate Keith Jardine at UFC 96. After Jackson won by unanimous decision Evans stepped into the cage and both fighters met face to face and a verbal assault began. Both fighters took shots at each other and the heated rivalry ensued. Now that we have a little background of each fighter, lets take a look at how I think the fight will go and what both fighters bring to the cage.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson: Jackson brings a highly emotional and aggressive style. He brings with him power in both hands and a solid wrestling base and crazy slams. Jackson typically stalks his opponents down and looks to land one of those devastating right or left hooks to the head. If he does land one of those bombs, its lights out!

Rashad Evans: Evans is quick and has great wrestling. We have not seen Evans use his wrestling much in the past but when he faced Thiago Silva we did. Silva is a devastating puncher with power in both hands. Evans was able to frustrate Silva by staying close and taking him down. Evans made sure to stay away from Silva's power and kept the fight on the ground. I think that Evans will come into the fight looking to stay away from Jackson's power and keep his back to the mat. Evans will look to play it safe and take Jackson down. Evans has stated that if he is winning the exchanges he will continue to stand. I don't believe he will do that, because the moment he feels the power of Jackson, Evans will want to stay close and attempt take downs. The longer Evans keeps it on the feet the better chance Jackson has to land that Bomb.

I know there is a lot of hype behind this fight and we're all looking forward to an all out war. I also would like to see them both just stand and trade punches, but I don't think that will happen. My opinion is that Evans will do whatever it takes not to get knocked out. Evans will play it safe, stick to his game plan and use a lot of movement. Evans will use his wrestling and try to keep Jackson on his back. I think Jackson can win if he can stuff those take downs and give Evans a taste of his power, and put Evans back up against the cage. If Jackson can get that done then I don't see this fight lasting that long. I see this fight going all rounds with Rashad Evans declared the winner.

Below are my picks for UFC 114:

Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans

Winner: Rashad Evans by Split Decision

Dan Miller vs. Michael Bisping

Winner: Michael Bisping by TKO in the 3rd

Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow

Winner: Todd Duffee by TKO in the 1st

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Jason Brilz

Winner: Antonio Nogueira by Sub in the 2nd

Diego Sanchez vs. John Hathaway

Winner: Diego Sanchez by TKO in the 1st

Dong Hyun Kim vs. Amir Sadollah

Winner: Amir Sadollah by Unanimous Decision

Dan Lauzon vs. Efrain Escudero

Winner: Efrain Escudero by Sub in the 2nd

Woodson and Brown: Fired For Cause

2010-05-25T16:50:00.001-07:00

Written by Chad Potier
May 25, 2010

Well, we are still in the NBA Conference Finals, and 2 head coaches, who were both eliminated from the playoffs in the 2nd round, have been fired. Coach Mike Woodson, of The Atlanta Hawks and Coach Mike Brown, of The Cleveland Cavaliers. Woodson went 206-286 since taking over the Hawks in 2004-05, but has not made it past the 2nd round of the playoffs in 3 straight attempts. Brown has a 272-138 record with the Cavs since taking over in 2005-06, including unsuccessful trips to the NBA and Eastern Conference Finals. And therein lies the problem. Neither coach seems to have what it takes to reach the ultimate goal of a NBA Championship.

No doubt, the predicaments of the two teams, when the coaches took over, were very different from one another. The Hawks were 28-54 the season before Woodson took over. In his first season they went 13-69, but the organization was behind him and the rebuilding of the team. In 2007-08 the Hawks began a 3-consecutive season playoff run that consistently stalled out in the 2nd round. Despite the team having made such huge strides, The Hawks parted ways with Woodson.

Brown on the other hand, took over a Cavs' team that had gone 42-40 the previous season and had a player by the name of Lebron James. While Brown was coach, they had a 5 year run that included a trip to the NBA Finals in 2006-07, which ended by being swept by the Spurs in 4 games. This season, after adding Shaq in an attempt to help the team go all the way to an NBA title, they were dismantled in the conference semifinals by The Celtics, due to what appeared to be "GIVING UP" by the team, and Brown was let go, as well. There was also rumblings of a mutiny by some of the team leaders as well, and that I would chalk that up to frustration.

The bottom line is, both men were hired to win NBA titles, not lose in the playoffs. Both teams appeared to be at an impasse that these two coaches couldn't seem to get them through. So, while I do applaud the effort they have given and the success they had, these moves had to be made. I would like to say to whomever takes over these two teams, "good luck and be careful, because these organization want to win, and they want to win NOW!"

*Special thanks to Justin Davis for inspiring my to write this.

Introduction "Guest Blogger" MMA

2010-05-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

I have been given a great opportunity to work with James King III & Justin Davis on this blog to bring you the world of MMA. I am a hard working father of 3 boys who are all active in sports and academics. I have a wonderful fiance who puts up with my hours of following the sport I so love. I have been watching and keeping up with MMA since 1994. Around a year ago I signed up for my twitter account and found a whole world of people who are as in love with MMA as I am. It was the catalyst to my blogging and listening to MMA sports radio, in turn it has given me the opportunity to network about the sport with other fans and fighters. I have watched the Sport of MMA grow from its infancy in the early 90s into the huge phenomenon it has become today. I remember when Senator John McCain called it "Human Cock Fighting" and tried to bring the sport of MMA down. He made many attempts to strike a blow to the UFC and the brutal combat fighting sport of MMA but I personally believe he helped it. In 1996-97 the UFC made huge changes to its rules of fighting to make it safer for the fighters and to help its image. They did away with hair pulling, groin strikes, headbutts and kicking an opponent while he was down and a few others. The UFC also jumped on board with this new Reality craze sweeping the country and launched "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 on Spike TV, with its coaches, Chuck Liddell & Randy Couture. It debuted on January 17, 2005. It was loaded with 8 light heavy weights & 8 middle weights. This essential partnership between Spike TV and the UFC is what brought MMA to the world. It was genius to put this show on a channel like Spike. It gave the UFC the opportunity to showcase new talent and great fights, all for free. The first season finale was broad-casted Live for free on April 9, 2005 on Spike TV. It was able to punch a 1.9 overall rating which was impressive. On this night the public was exposed to the world of MMA and what it was all about. In the finale fight of the evening you had Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar. It is in this 3 round war that I think people got an idea what kind of sport MMA truly is. This fight had such an impact people were talking about it way after it happened. Griffin & Bonnar became celebrities, and so did the coaches. From that moment MMA had a new platform to showcase the sport and the ability to give the fans fights for free and a show of their own.
I will be blogging about all the major organizations from UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, Bellator, Dream and local MMA organizations. This sport is my passion and my life. I hope that you all enjoy, and feedback is welcome. Follow me on twitter (@Chingon3).

B.T.S

2010-05-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

Behind The Scenes of ThaSPORTSKRIB courtesy of JersmyMikeJr

Thursday's show was awesome! We gained a MMA correspondent to go with our baseball correspondent. Also we have another sports personality in Dwayne Dunham Jr. Hopefully all will result in great lifelong partnerships!

This Thursday Jacquez McKissic will be on the show live. Jacquez aka Big Jock who played DT/DE for the Clemson Tigers now plays Arena Football for the Harrisburg Stampede. Thats just the tip of the iceberg. For more about him follow him on twitter @Jayfifty. He will be sharing his story and hopefully we will have a new friend of the show!

In the months of June and July we will be starting our Inspiration Station segment of the show. We encourage listeners/readers who have a such story to e-mail it at ThaSPORTSKRIB@gmail.com. T. Monts will be on the show on June 17th, but there will be more about that soon. If you have a better name for our inspirational segment, please send an e-mail.

We will also have a comedy segment on the show as well. Our first guest on June 3rd will be Jeremy "Burpiee" Alsop and his partner Darren Brand. Both of these young comedians are tearing up their respective local scenes. You can follow then on twitter @Burpiee and @DarrenBrand.

That is all for now.

ThaSPORTSKRIB show notes

2010-05-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

This is yet another Behind the Scenes look into the show ThaSPORTSKRIB courtesy of JersyMikeJr.

This is late and wasn't talked about much. The show is now a 2 hr show. Based on the amount of guest and demand we upped the anty stretched the show. Now airing 6-8pm PST (9-11pm EST) we hope to gain more listeners and "friends of the show."

This coming weeks show will feature Jason a sports nutritionist who will answer questions and give insight into healthy side of things. I personally have some questions so can't wait for that. Next we will have Michael Felder from InTheBleachers. Mike will provide insight into Tarheel football and the state of ACC football.

As usual Chad's In The Dugout segment will be featured and is brought to you by FireflyVodka (www.fireflyvodka.com). Chad will discuss the state of baseball right now and the All Star break rules. We can't wait.

We have more features coming soon.

Do We Need More Wacky Rules In The MLB All Star Game?

2010-05-09T14:39:00.001-07:00

Lost in the shuffle of all of the emails that were sent to me last week from MLB about All Star voting and MLBtv, was the one about the changes to the rules of the All Star Game (ASG) itself. In an effort to make the event more watchable, 4 new rule have been introduced:

1. The DH rule will be used EVERY year.

Let's face it, the DH is used in every level of baseball and should probably just be used in MLB all of the time anyway. No one expects a pitcher to be making a run at any records involving hitting anyway. I know people are very passionate about both sides of the DH debate, and I admit for a long time I was opposed to it, but seeing the futility of pitchers at the plate has moved me to this side of the fence.

I like this rule.

2. Pitchers who pitch on the Sunday before the ASG Can Not participate.
This was done to take the pressure off of managers. Nothing like putting the "arm" of the franchise in the hands of your competition.
I like this rule, also.

3. Roster expanded to 34.
It is already rare to see starters play past the 6th inning - last year's ASG had only 3. Fans vote for the players they want to see PLAY, and we are going to get a lot less of that now.
I don't like this rule.

4. Each Manager can designate one position player re-entry into the game if necessitated by injury.
A rule already allows a catcher to re-enter the game if the team's other catcher is injured. I am not sure how I feel about this one so I am going to hold my judgment and take a "wait and see" attitude about it.
I'm 50/50 on this rule.

So it seems like MLB is trying to add a bit more flaver to what has become a watered down version of what used to be a fun and entertaing game. For me, this year will be like years past; I'll be watching and thinking "boy, that Home Run Derby last night sure was good."

My Interview with John P Wise from OneGreatSeason.com

2010-05-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

John P Wise OneGreatSeason.com

John P Wise, of OneGreatSeason.com, joined me to talk about his OGS tour. John just spent the entire college football season on the road, at some of the best spots in the nation. Now back in Brooklyn, writing a book about the adventure and blogging about other sports, mixing in an occasional non-sports riff here and there. Check him out at:

http://onegreatseason.com/

So Games In April Are Not AsImportant As Games In September... Says Who?

2010-05-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Written by Chad Potier
May 1, 2010

So we have now finished April, and I keep hearing people say "It's only the beginning of the season; it's not like it's August or September." Really? Every game lost in April and May is a MUST win for August and September. It's that simple. How many time do we get to the end of the season and hear,"well team x" has to win 15 of the next 20 to make the playoffs"? Every year, and from the same people who said April and May are not as important as September.

Let's look at the 2 teams from last season, in each league who finished just out of the playoffs. In the AL we have, Texas and Detroit. From the NL we have San Francisco and Florida.

Records at the End of May, 2009

TEXAS - 30-20

DETROIT - 28-21

SAN FRANCISCO - 25-24

FLORIDA - 23-28

Any of these four teams, if they would have won 10 more games in April and May, would have made the playoffs. Factor in a few wins against teams that did make the playoffs and you could cut that number in half.

My point is simple; ALL 162 games count as either a win or as a loss. So be it in April or September, the teams with the most wins go to the post season. So, win in April, then thank me in September.

BTS IV

2010-04-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

Last nights show while chaotic was a one of the most enjoyable shows I've ever done. We had so much participation and so much feedback we're teasing a segement tantamount to Pardon The Interuption!

We have yet to discuss the NFL schedule that was released before the draft. It kicks off on a Thursday night Sept. 9 with Minnesota traveling to the home of the Superbowl winning Saints, a rematch of the NFC Title game. Then theres a double header for Monday Night Football . 1st up is Baltimore hosting the on fire NY Jets followed by San Diego traveling to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs.

2010-04-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Tide looking good at QB

By Justin Davis

Spring football practice has come and gone. The intra-squad spring scrimmages in front of thousands of fans has also come and gone. The NFL Draft has come and gone. The point is that from now until summer camps and summer practice, we enter the dead period in sports known as the "dog days of summer." During this period writers and bloggers alike will fantasize, fathom and depict every possible scenario until it all plays out. It with this in mind a look at the Alabama quarterback position is looked at.

The quarterback position is probably the most important one on the field. Alabama is at no loss for talented QB's both on the team and coming. With Greg McElroy at the helm for now, the Tide is poised to repeat as Nation Champions (another topic to be discussed). Greg McElroy has behind him AJ McCarron, Star Jackson and Philip Sims. In the world of recruiting, there are some top QB's with the Tide high on their list.

Greg McElroy has never lost a game, but he also make few mistakes. He's completed over 70% of his passes and thrown very few INT's. The leadership and grit that he plays with almost guarantee the Tide will win the close gut check games. AJ McCarron and Star Jackson showed more than their share of talent and poise in the A-Day game. The consensus seems to be that the hot, strong armed McCarron has overtaken Jackson for the starting job behind McElroy. Jackson has worked hard the past two seasons to learn the offense, after previously being recruited to run Applewright's spread.

Once McElroy is gone, Jackson and McCarron will compete with Under Armour All American Philip Sims from the Tidewater area of Virginia. The Tidewater area produced QB's such as David Giraud and the Vicks. Sims was a very highly touted QB who committed to Alabama very early and stuck with it. He also won the QB skills challenge during the All American game. While he didn't produce eye popping stats during the spring game, his ceiling and potential are limitless.

In addition to the QB's currently on the roster, there are QB recruits with the Tide pretty high on their list as well. Charlotte, NC's Christian LeMay and Ohio's Braxton Miller are perhaps the highest rated. LeMay is coming off a great season where he capped an undefeated record with a State Title. Braxton Miller has the measurables and athleticism to become a very productive college QB.

Assuming that everything holds, the Tide are set at QB for the next 5 years. Things change with the season, which is why all we can do is fathom, fantasize and predict.

2010-04-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Written by Chad Potier
April 27, 2010

It's week 4 in the Big Leagues; Ryan Howard just signed a $125 million, five-year contract extension, The Yankees went to The White House, and The Nats are at .500. So, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the current trends. Remember it's a 162 game season and just like the stock market, will change on a daily basis.

*All stats are as of 4-27-2010*

Attendance always seems to be higher at the start of the season, most likely due to the "this will be our year" thinking of most fans. But the teams at the top of the list haven't changed much over the past few seasons.

Top Home Attendance 2010:


RK	TEAM	GMS	TOTAL	AVG	PCT
1	LA Dodgers	6	284,804	47,467	84.8
2	Philadelphia	6	270,341	45,056	103.6
3	NY Yankees	6	267,616	44,602	85.2
4	LA Angels	15	597,542	39,836	88.4
5	St. Louis	7	277,246	39,606	84.5
6	Chicago	7	274,015	39,145	95.2

Home Runs make the game fun to watch. No doubt, "Chicks Dig The Longball". Here is your Home Run leaders so far:

NL HOME RUN LEADERS		HR	PROJ	AB/HR	PA/HR
Albert Pujols
	1. Albert Pujols, STL	7	60	11.00	12.43
	1. Kelly Johnson, ARI	7	60	9.00	10.71
	1. Matt Kemp, LAD	7	63	10.86	12.43
	1. Mark Reynolds, ARI	7	60	9.57	11.29
	5. Chase Utley, PHI	6	51	11.67	14.83
AL HOME RUN LEADERS		HR	PROJ	AB/HR	PA/HR
Paul Konerko
	1. Paul Konerko, CWS	8	68	7.75	9.37
	2. Jose Guillen, KC	7	60	11.14	11.71
	2. Vernon Wells, TOR	7	57	11.00	12.29
	2. Nelson Cruz, TEX	7	60	8.86	10.57
	5. Andruw Jones, CWS	6	51	8.00	9.50

The question comes up every year; will someone make a run at Joe DiMaggio's record 56 game hitting streak, that lasted from May 15 to July 17, 1941? For me, this is one of my favorite things to watch. I don't know if we will ever see the record broken, but these guys are giving it a run:

National League
PLAYER	TEAM	STREAK
Jorge Cantu	Florida Marlins	17 games
Matt Kemp	Los Angeles Dodgers	11 games
Casey Mcgehee	Milwaukee Brewers	11 games
Ryan Braun	Milwaukee Brewers	10 games
Rickie Weeks	Milwaukee Brewers	10 games
Jeff Francoeur	New York Mets	10 games
Cameron Maybin	Florida Marlins	9 games

American League
PLAYER	TEAM	STREAK
Jason Kendall	Kansas City Royals	14 games
Ryan Sweeney	Oakland Athletics	13 games
Johnny Damon	Detroit Tigers	13 games
Jose Guillen	Kansas City Royals	11 games
Derek Jeter	New York Yankees	11 games
Robinson Cano	New York Yankees	10 games
Jeff Mathis	Los Angeles Angels	10 games

That is a quick look at things. Don't forget to get out to the ballpark and enjoy a cold $8 beer, a Decker Dog, and some baseball.

*Thanks to ESPN.com for the numbers*

The Battle for the Cellar

2010-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Written by Chad Potier
April 24, 2010

The Houston Astros and The Pittsburgh Pirates began the first of five 3-game series they will play this season. The Stros came into the game at 5-10, while the Pirates came in at 7-8. Roy Oswalt, was on the mound for Houston and pitched 6 scoreless innings, before giving up 3 in the 7th. (If not for a great play by Bourn he would have given up 4). Pittsburgh put Paul Maholm on the hill. Maholm, also, pitched well into the 6th when Carlos Lee and Pedro Feliz turned on the run-scoring. In the end, Houston held on to win 4-3. They improved to 6-10, while Pittsburgh fell to 7-9. That, folks, is the basis for this article. With the Stros 4 games out and the Pirates 3 games out, by the end of this weekend's series, we could very well be watching the 2 cellar dwellers of the NL.

Last season, both teams were at the bottom of the NL Central, and appear to be on track to do the same this year. But does that mean we aren't going to see good baseball? The two teams are pretty evenly matched. Houston has a team batting average of.228, Pittsburgh .225. Houston has a slight edge in team ERA at 4.18 vs 7.07 for Pittsburgh. It's not just this season either. Over the last two season,s Houston is 18-13 against Pittsburgh. So let the records and standings be damned; get out to the park and enjoy some baseball. Besides, it's not all bad down here in the cellar.

BTS III

2010-04-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Another Behind the Scenes look courtesy of JersyMikeJr.

Wow what a great show last night! We had alot to cover as far as the NFL scheduling goes and as far as the Draft. Thanks to Chad we had had Baseball Tonight! We have other guests lined up soon.

Well still on deck in the draft you have Sergio Kindle, Brian Price, Jimmy Clausen and Arrelious Benn. The funny thing about Benn the WR from Illinois is that last week Joe Fortenbaugh said he might be available for the Panthers and he was right. We didn't really get to discuss to why teams chose players over others but we will soon know and it will be discussed on next week's show. Also not discussed was the Ben Rothelisberger situation. We're wanting female prospectives on that so for now tabled. We all know he's suspended without pay for the 1st 6 games and upon satisfactory completion of his behavior evaluation could be reduced to 4 games. Is this too stiff? Insert comments please.

Back on the draft there are some darkhorses that I didn't get to bring up. 3 guys to watch where they fall are OT Jared Veldheer of Hillsdale College in Michigan, DE Alex Carrington from Arkansas St, and WR Andre Roberts from The Citadel.

Veldheer is a 6-8 315lb mauler. He hs benched as much as 415lbs, produced 4 1000 yard rushers and has never allowed a sack in a 46 game career! Michael Oher meet your new brother!

Alex Carrington is a 6-5 285lb sack machine. At the Senior Bowl he was a monster during 1-on-1 drills with combination of speed nd athleticism. Standing tall during the run was a weakness, but totalled 19.5 sacks in his lst two seasons and becoming the second highest leader in Arkansas St history.

Last but not least is WR Andre Roberts fro The Citadel. The 5-10 195 may not wow you with blazing speed, but he has an elusiveness in the punt return game that 1160 career yards attests to. In addition to elusiveness he's a precise route runner as he led the Southern Conference in receptions (285) and recieving yards (3743). He'll need to bulk up in the gym to get off press coverages at the line.

BASEBALL

Thanks to Chad Potier once again being our baseball guru at this time. Spring has sprung and summer looms around the corner. It is at this time that the swish of a basketball net will cease, the gridiron will be waiting for preseason practice and the hockey horn will die. The only sounds will be of a golf club and the crack of the bat.

The leader for my services as a baseball fan right now is my childhood team of the Braves. I too was bombarded by images of Chipper Jones, the Crime Dog, David Justice and John Smoltz. With thepick up of red hot Jason Hayward, the Braves are in the drivers seat for another NL title. Not to far behind the Braves are the Twins, White Sox and Astros. If you are a fan of either time now is your chance to get at me.

This concludeds BTS. Tune in for more features!

Farewell to Bobby Cox

2010-04-23T04:35:00.000-07:00

Written by Chad Potier

4/3/2010

I have so many memories form my childhood: my first LP, my first .45, my first cassette tape, my first CD, but the one that really stands out, is when cable TV first came into my life. I am not saying I remember the day the cable guy came and installed it, but I remember having choices, more choices than I could have ever imagined. My favorite of those choices was TBS, The Superstation. Anybody who grew up in the 80's and 90's can tell you about coming home from school and watching Leave it to Beaver, The Brady Bunch, I Dream of Jeannie, and of course, The Flintstones.

What does this have to do with Bobby Cox, you may ask? Simple, during the spring and summer, my cartoon bliss was overtaken by Atlanta Braves' baseball. Growing up in southwest Louisiana, the Houston Astros were the closest MLB team, and I love the 'Stros, but it was hard to ignore the Braves. Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Chris Chambliss, Phil Niekro, and Bobby Cox were names I heard everyday. Skip Caray's voice became as familiar as Milo Hamilton's. Seeing Leo Mazzone, rocking back and forth while sitting on the bench next to Cox, became an all to familiar sight.

The teams of the 80's were not that good, but boy did something happen in the 90's. When Cox returned in the 1990 season (replacing Russ Nixon mid-season) something magical happened. Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, and John Smoltz became one of the best pitching rotations EVER. Add Chipper Jones, Dave Justice, Ron Gant, and league MVP and batting champion Terry Pendleton and it was like the stars had aligned. From 1991–2005 the Braves won an unprecedented 14 consecutive division titles. This also began my disdain for them; as I said before, I am a Astros fan. Cox's Braves gave the 'Stros everything they had, every time they played; including the epic 18 inning battle on October 9, 2005, in game 4 of the NLDS at Minute Maid Park. (The 'Stros would go on to the World Series and be swept by the Chi-Sox.)

Cox has the longest current tenure in Major League Baseball, as well as the all-time record for ejections (154). He played with Mickey Mantle, in '68 and Thurman Munson, in '69. He is as much a part of baseball's landscape as the 7th inning stretch and, for this fan, will surely be missed. So thank you and farewell, Bobby; my memories of baseball will for ever be linked to you and the Braves. Now, maybe, the Astros can be contenders.

BTS II

2010-04-22T14:38:00.001-07:00

We have a great night planned for tonights show. We hope to get a females prospective on the Rothlisberger situation. We will breakdown the NFL Draft, the NFL schedule, NBA Playoffs, talk to Chad Potier of the HereWeGeaux podcast and hopefully not lose any of you in the process. Chad will be bringing some baseball heat!

The NBA playoffs will come to close sometime in early June and there will be a hush in the sports world. Then we hear a crack of a baseball bat. Therefore it is this that prompts co host JersyMikeJr to search for a baseball team to root for during what we call "the dog days of summer." To participate simply tell Jersy why you follow which team you follow and why and tell him about the farm system. Let it be noted the two teams in the lead are San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves with Chicago White Sox not too far behind.

That's all folks see ya tonight!

BTS I (Behind The Scenes)

2010-04-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

This is an exclusive Behind The Scenes look at ThaSPORTSKRIB courtesy of JersyMikeJr

Bobcats just got hammered 92-77 by the Magic. Now with the 'Cats down 2-0 coming back to Charlotte, things don't look very promising at all. It's bad enough I have to take the gloat from wcsteelerfan, but the 'Cats have no answer for the weapons that are the Orlando Magic.

On an interesting note is it me or did the Magic get all of the calls? I wonder how much that organization paid those zebras. At one point Stephen Jackson walked over to an official with a sweatband over his eyes as if saying, "Here's the evidence dummy!" That was my lone momment of comic relief.

Considering the fact I guranteed a win in a private conversation with wcsteelerfan, tommorrow night will be interesting.

Thanks for reading look out for the show!