by rustedrobot | Feb 14, 2008 | Sports
I listened off-and-on yesterday to the three-ring circus that was going on in Washington with the baseball steroid hearings involving Roger Clemens, Brian McNamee and rotating cast of dirtbags and rats associated with the whole thing. What a zoo. It should give you great comfort to know that one of your representatives in Washington (supposedly some of the best and brightest, they say) asked Clemens this gem: “can you tell me a little more about your workout regime?”
Your workout regime? REGIME? For purposes of clarity, here’s the dictionary definition of the word regime:
“the period during which a particular government or ruling system is in power.”
Yep, this is your Congress, the best and brightest. Or how about one them ending their line of questioning with the statement to Clemens: “I know you’ll be going to heaven.”
Are you serious? Word is that Clemens did a goodwill tour through DC a few days before the hearings and it couldn’t have been any more obvious who he charmed…..and who he didn’t charm. Thankfully, some of these representatives were not googly-eyed about Clemens and rightfully asked him some tough questions. Of course, Clemens is lying. McNamee is probably lying as well in some form. It’s all so sad, really. Lots of our childhood heroes are just punks now. The good news is that I can learn from this for my own kids. But that’s another topic.
Clemens was bumbling, stumbling and mispronouncing words. His claim that Andy Pettite “must have mis-remembered” made me laugh out loud. No wonder he and George Bush get along well. OK, some of it can probably be attributed to nerves. I’ll give him that. After all, it is the reputation and status of a huge, pathetic narcissist on the line. McNamee came off as a rat. One of those guys who will throw his mother under the bus if he had to. But the guy has nothing to lose, really – and all accounts (Pettite, Knoblauch, etc) indicate he’s telling the truth. But there’s something stinky going on with him as well.
The whole thing is a joke now. I even love that Clemens didn’t know what a vegan was. Perhaps the funniest part of the whole sad day.
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Now playing: Old 97’s – Niteclub
via FoxyTunes
by rustedrobot | Jan 9, 2008 | Sports
For some strange reason, I am hoping that Roger Clemens finds a way to prove his innocence. With each passing day, however, it appears less and less likely, doesn’t it? For years and years, all we heard about and saw was his insanely rigorous workout program in the off-season, how hard he worked in the gym and what a role model he was for younger players. Broadcasters marveled at his conditioning and how he could still throw a baseball at ungodly speeds in his forties. Now, this.
Barry Bonds is a different story – everyone just knows he’s done it. Clemens was the guy who did it through good old hard work. Or so we thought. Do I feel bad for the guy? Not really. Although I do believe that many are quick to convict him and that the whole “innocent until proven guilty” adage has been unfairly thrown out the window, Clemens public actions keep convincing me that something nefarious is going on. He’s acting like he’s convinced himself that he never did it. We’ll see how it all shakes out, but I’m holding out hope he’s innocent. Something is nagging at me though, which indicates that he’s not. Sad.
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Now playing: The Byrds – Eight Miles High
via FoxyTunes
by rustedrobot | Jan 4, 2008 | Sports
This past weekend the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres hooked up for what most people probably thought was yet another game in a sea of relatively meaningless regular season National Hockey League games. But when they turned on their televisions and saw that the game was being played outside, in Buffalo, in snow and 20 MPH winds, well maybe it caught their attention? Who knows.
The NHL has become so watered down, so boring to watch, so irrelevant. It makes me so sad, given that when the league had between 16-21 teams, it was more or less electrifying to watch. It just isn’t anymore. With talk of the league further expanding soon, I’ll just become less interested. Oh, the “new” NHL is certainly a little better, but let’s be realistic. The NHL needs to realize it’s a niche and nothing more. The only way to truly enjoy it (unless your team is in the playoffs) is to attend a game.
So staging games outside, in the elements, is a great idea! 73,000 people showed up in Buffalo! The first period had swirling winds, heavy snowfall and the whole thing just felt festive and reminded me of skating on the ponds near my house as a wee boy. The game itself wasn’t terribly captivating, but shit, who cares? The game isn’t good indoors, either.
My idea: have like HALF the games during the season in football stadiums! Why the hell not? If not football stadiums, then somewhere where they can freeze some water and let them have at it. I told a friend how insane it would be to see the Bruins play on the Charles River, with fans sitting and watching along Storrow and Memorial Drive. Oh come on, they can do it, the technology is there. If they can’t make the game better, then make the venues the reason why people come!
By the way, the Penguins ought to scrap their horrible black-and-yellow for those powder-blue uniforms full time. WAY better!
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Now playing: Sufjan Stevens – Casimir Pulaski Day
via FoxyTunes
by rustedrobot | Dec 10, 2007 | Sports
I tell anyone who will listen to me babble that if you put aside all the crap about money and greed with regards to both owners and players, sports are still very fun to watch. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy this article, which highlights some of the more ridiculous contract demands in the history of baseball. Not surprisingly, most of them are from recent contracts, but I also took great enjoyment from the ’70s and ’80s ones, too.
by rustedrobot | Oct 29, 2007 | Sports
So exciting to see another Red Sox World Series victory. The question to the Red Sox organization which I kept hearing last night during the postgame was the one about comparing this one to the 2004 victory. To a man, each member who had been there for both flatly stated there was no comparison. This one wasn’t better, it was just different. It’s true.
That’s true for me, too. When I wrote about the 2004 victory, I was reflective, remembering all the people I loved who weren’t able to experience it. As I watched the 2007 team, I couldn’t help but think that this team is positioned for a run like no other in Red Sox history. We’re looking at a core of young players who didn’t appear to be even remotely fazed by the grand stage they were performing on. Other teams should be afraid. And yes, the Red Sox spend more than 28 other teams and I do hate that. Because like it or not, it sullies the victory. I so wish that there was a salary cap in baseball, because I think the Red Sox would still be contenders given the core of young players they have.
I watched these playoffs with much less invested, too. No matter what anyone says, I can’t imagine anything topping the 2004 run. The way they did it and the whole 86 years thing, that will just never be repeated. I had no problem shutting off a game midway through during these playoffs. In 2004, I was GLUED. I’m not sure if it was just the novelty of 2004 that kept me glued, but while I enjoyed the ride in 2007, I wasn’t as…….captivated. Just extremely satisfied. The Red Sox, idiots in 2004, were so methodically dominant during the World Series, it just took all the suspense out of it. The most exciting moment of the 2007 series was the very first at bat of game 1. After that, you just knew.
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Now playing: Anders Parker – Under Wide Unbroken Skies
via FoxyTunes
by rustedrobot | Jun 22, 2007 | Sarcasm, Sports
You know, I was really hoping for Mike Milbury all along, but the Bruins choice as George “The Animal” Steele for head coach is a stroke of genius. Just imagine all the marketing angles! He could, for example, eat one of the opposing players helmets before knocking him out cold with a skate. Or he could hit the referee with the skate sharpening machine. The opportunities are endless! Finally, the Bruins do something right!
