How to Save a Life... and Then Kill a Career

Okay, that may be a bit over the top. Okay, so its a lot over the top.

Its almost never heard of. Babe Ruth was the only one who did it sucessfully. Go from Pitcher to Position Player. The story itself is just plain amazing. Major League Baseball's best pitching prospect. The world at his finger tips. Then suddenly, to the bewilderment of everyone, he loses it. And not only does he lose it, but he loses it in the playoffs, on national television, when his Cardinal teammates are counting on him the most. In one brutal series of events, he goes from King to Goat, including a major league record for wild pitches in one inning with 5. And these pitches aren't just wild, they would make Yao Ming duck for cover. Then he seemingly falls off the face of the earth, only to emerge again with one main difference, hes holding a bat instead of holding a ball. Hes become an outfielder, and a damn good one at that. He makes his way back through the Cardinals farm system, and because of a couple unfortunate injuries, lands on the big stage once again. That in itself has got to be the story of the year. But it gets better. First game back, he hits a home run in front of a ruckus home crowd. Now thats the stuff that dreams are made of.

Unless you have been living in a cave for the past 3 months, you know this is the story of Rick Ankiel, The St. Louis Cardinals newest right fielder. This guy has all the tools. A powerful bat. A rocket arm(he was a pitcher, for shit's sake). He can probably run well. And he could probably name all the capitol cities of the US. This guy is that good. Some people went so far as to call him, "The Natural", referencing the popular 1984 Robert Redford movie. And who could argue? Through his first 22 games in the Big Leagues(the 2nd time), Ankiel had been abusing opposing pitchers to the tune of a .358 average, 9 Home runs, 29 RBI, and 22 Runs. That is the definition of abuse. Not to mention that he had provided the Cardinals with the "pep" in their step that they had so desperately needed to propel them back into the race in the National League Central.

Storybook.

But, as we've learned before, all good things must come to an end. Some people cant just leave well enough alone. There will always be people out there, for whatever reason, that want to drudge up old things and try to bring people down. Especially with a story like this. I'm sure people were lining up from all over the country to rain on this parade. Well, someone finally did. The story broke sometime early last week. Sometime before 2005, when the league banned the drug, Ankiel had taken HGH, human growth hormone. Now, while not against the rules at the time, MLB can now suspend you based on evidence that you took it. Pretty weak rule if you ask me, but its how it is. Within the span of a couple days, this was all over the news. With names being thrown out left and right, it seemed that everybody who ever picked up a bat had cheated. The news reporters lined up to grill Ankiel with questions about his past. And unlike, Mark Mcgwire, he was here to talk about the past. Whether he had something to hide, or whether he was just shook up by everyone under the sun now calling him a CHEATER, this controversy has had a serious effect on his play. And its a pretty blatant effect too.

That "THUD" you hear is Rick Ankiel.

Since the day when he sliced and diced the Pirates for 2 Home runs, 7 Rbi, and 4 Runs scored, he has gone 2-22 with no Rbi and two runs scored. He also has 8 strikeouts in that span. Coincidence? I think its pretty damn obvious. Now the best story in baseball this year has become one of its worst. We haven't seen a collapse like this since the statue of Saddam fell. With Ankiel, so to went the Cardinals. From 1/2 game back a week ago, to where they stand now 4 1/2 games back.

Its kind of sad really. When you think about how much negative stuff is out there... Then you find a great feel good story for everyone to sink their teeth into... And boom. No mas. I, for one, am getting really sick of it. Memo to MLB, this steroids witch hunt needs to stop. What are they going to accomplish by digging up dirt from the past? All they would do is hurt their sport. Bring about more negative connotations about the nature of baseball in the Major Leagues. I've got news for ya... The fans, they don't give a shit! Its the media that is bringing down your sport. Baseball has drawn more fans this year than ever before, beating the record set last year, and the year before that. People love baseball. Your sport is great right now. Keep it that way. Yes, plenty of people took steroids in the past. We get it. We also get that people scuffed and vasolined balls. We get that people corked bats. We get that people used HGH. We Just DON'T CARE.
Just hit home runs, steal bases, throw some balls around a bit and Smile and things will be all good.

As for Rick Ankiel, who knows what will become of him.. He obviously has the talent to be a fixture in the league for a long time, but will this pass quietly or have we really seen the beginning of the end? What we do know, thanks to the media, is that he may not be so "Natural" anymore.

Terry Ryan was Right!... The Solution WAS from Within

Little did we know...


We all thought Terry Ryan was nuttier than squirrel turds. We thought that the Twins needed to make a deal before the deadline to try and win the division. All we had to do was look in our own backyard. All we had to do was go to 600 First Avenue. The Secret Weapon? The Ticket...

It only took a moment for the Boston Red Sox to capitalize on Minnesota's mistake. Funny, this sounds like an all too familiar story. Oh yeah, that Papi guy. Yeah, he turned out to be ok. The Boston Globe is reporting today that Kevin Garnett will take over Julian Taveras' rotation spot and become the Red Sox' fifth starter. If the Red Sox didn't have the best rotation in major league baseball before this, its a no-doubter now. Coupled with Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Curt Shilling, and feel good story Jon Lester, the Red Sox rotation now sports the fire power to win in October. Nomah Yastrzemski, a Red Sox fan since birth, had this to say after word of the news had spread, "Ya kno, now with the Gaarnett in the rotation, I don't think the Sox will give up another run all yeeh, not even to Steinbrennah and the damn Evil Empirah." While Garnett has never actually pitched before, he has watched many games on TV and a recent radar gun clocked him at 96. He hopes to get one minor league start at Pawtucket before joining the parent club for next week's series. He got his official welcoming at last night's game versus the Baltimore Orioles. Kevin threw out the first pitch in front of the sellout crowd. With the whole crowd waiting with baited breath, wondering if everything they have heard will be true, Kevin stepped up and threw the much-ballyhooed GyroBall for a resounding strike. Boston fans responded like they had seen the second coming of Christ walk through the turnstiles at Fenway Park.

Maybe if those in the Twins organization had reached out to Kevin the way the Red Sox have already done, he might have been "cool" staying here for some more rebuilding. We could have effectively killed two birds with one stone. We could have improved a very mediocre Twins rotation as well as giving Timberwolves' fans a reason to keep coming to Target Center. It also would have kept Johan Santana happy because apparently he's not down with rebuilding either. But alas, they couldn't see the talent that was right in front of their eyes.

Now, Kevin will have the opportunity to lead his two teams to the pinnacle of their respective sports, and I would obviously have to check with Tim Kurkjian, but I think it would be the first time that anyone has pitched in game 7 of the World Series and hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy on a Sunday in a non leap year with the Summer Olympics a year away. For the Red Sox, the Rich get richer. Getting Eric Gagne and KG in the same two day span, has to be a boon for Red Sox nation. For the Twins, its another missed opportunity to add to many others. I guess it's wait till next year after all. Thanks Terry. You're killing me smalls.

Fearless Fantasy Forecast: 7 Wins, 100 strikeouts, 15 walks, 2.64 ERA, 0.89 Whip

The Love We Lost.....

Well, I hope you all appreciated it while it lasted. The only true face of the Minnesota Timberwolves since their inception in 1989 is probably busy packing his bags and saying his good-byes. It appears what ADAMBEZ and many others reported earlier today has come true, as Kevin Garnett is apparently heading east to the Boston Celtics. The deal isn't official but I'm going out on a limb and saying its done. The Timberwolves would receive Al Jefferson, Sebastion Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, and two first round picks in return. Go figure it would be with the only team that McDouschbag seems to trade with, mainly because himself and Celtics GM Danny Ainge are buddies. As a Timberwolves die hard for many a year, I can't help but shed a tear at this news. Kevin Garnett is the reason the Wolves have any fans left, and with the exception of one year, the only reason fans came out to games on a frequent basis. Before I break down how great of a trade this is for us, I have no choice but to reflect on everything that Kevin Garnett is. I think he deserves that much.

Drafted in 1995 straight out of Farragut Academy in Chicago, Garnett came into the NBA as the first High Schooler since Moses Malone to be drafted. The decision was not a popular one with many people. Too young, too skinny, too raw. Whether he used that for motivation was not clear, but ever since then he has been everything that Wolves fans had hoped for and more. For 12 wonderful years, Minnesota got to experience not only one of the best players in the NBA but also one of its hardest working as well. It was a joy to watch this lanky 6'11" man exude such raw joy playing the game of basketball. Some people who play the game treat it more like a job than anything else. Kevin treated it like it was the game he grew up loving, and acted like he was truly happy to be getting paid to play. Now, some people might say that he was vastly overpaid, but if you stepped back and thought about what Kevin brought to the table, that point loses a lot of its luster. Not only was good for 22 and 12 almost every game of his career, but he also averaged around 5 assists for most of it as well. He may have not hit as many big shots as everyone would have liked, but he made his teammates better in every way. He never got himself in any trouble and treated the people of Minnesota with respect, always saying that he loved to play here. To me, he was worth every penny of the 20+ million a year he got from the club.


Sadly though, that 20+ million dollar salary, coupled with many horrendous other contracts, completely handicapped the team into mediocrity. Even though many of us did not want to see it end this way, something had to be done. The team had to part ways and start this Biotch over. It appears they have done so.

They couldn't have asked for much more. If all is true and they receive who they are said to be receiving, the trade is the first one in a long time that you can say that we actually came out on top. Sure we give up Garnett, but we get a budding "star" in Al Jefferson and lots of yummy cap room. The other actual players aren't that great, with the exception of Gerald Green, who could bring some excitement to the Target Center. I'm not sure that Sebastion Telfair will be with us, or anyone else, for very much longer. The part of this deal that makes it so appealing is those two first round picks that we acquire. Sure, one of them would be our pick that we owe the Celtics already, but it helps undue some of the mess McHorrible GM made down his leg a couple years ago.





If, for some reason, you happen to be optimistic for this upcoming year, let me be the first one to burst your bubble. This team will be very, very bad next year. And by bad, I'm talking 20-25 wins at most. I'm hoping for 15-18 actually, which would probably guarantee ourselves a top 3 pick, if not (GASP!) the first overall pick. This might be the only way we get to keep our pick that belongs to the Clippers. If you couple that fact with all the yummy cap room I mentioned earlier, this could be a shorter rebuilding process then usually is the case. Taking a quick look at the notable free agents for next years class, names like Elton Brand, Dwight Howard, Ben Gordon, Shawn Marion, and Agent Zero quickly jump off the page. Those are some of the names that could make this pill a lot easier to swallow.

As the Kevin Garnett era nears its end, I want to be one of hopefully many to look back at his time here, not with disdain, but with fondness. I know that we didn't get to where most fans wanted to get, but we truly saw one of the good ones play for 12 years. He did his best to take Wolves fans to the promised land. It wasn't his fault that a couple idiots were driving the bus. I'm gonna keep cheering for Kevin in Bean Town, and I hope that he can finally find his way to more success. He deserves it as much as any player in the NBA. Maybe the people in Boston will embrace him the way Wolves fans have.



Good Luck, Ticket.





On a lighter note, I am currently watching the Twins-Royals game,(and no, I don't know why) and Dick Bremer just uttered the words "Lew Ford absolutely owns Jimmy Gobble."(Royals relief pitcher) Man, has it really gotten this bad?? If they are clinging to statements that absurd, then the answer just may be yes.

So.. THIS Crumb is the Reason I Haven't Won a Bet in the Last 3 Months??

All those hours of watching games. All the time spent on the Internet checking out stats and the latest trends. All those years gaining the common sense needed to make good decisions. Down the shitter.

The average sports better has always been disadvantaged. Its the nature of the beast. That's why the sports books stay open. With the "juice" that comes along with every bet or the fact that people much smarter than you and I set the lines with the help of more information than any of us with ever care to look at. Most people are sheep when it comes to betting, choosing to pick YOUR team, when they clearly have no chance of staying in the game. Or picking the Yankees or Cowboys because that's only teams you ever hear about on Sportscenter. But the few of us who actually pay attention to going on of things outside 100 miles of our homes are still behind the eight ball. The only reason we might have a better time of wagering is that we can use the information collected to make informed decisions.

Now, saying all that, it means nothing if you have some slappy on the inside working against you. You are pretty much giving your money away to anyone or anything that will take it. The thing is that through out the years, there has been an understanding that sports were sacred. That no one would dare ruin sports. Over the years though, certain people have tested that notion in order to make a quick buck. The Chicago Black Sox, the kid from the Arizona State Basketball team that shaved points, the recent gambling ring run by ex-professional hockey player Rick Tocchet, and of course Charlie Hustle, Pete Rose. The NBA and NFL have never experienced anything like this this related to gambling though.

Until now.

As everyone has heard by now, Tim Donaghy, a long time NBA official has been accused of betting on games in which he was officiating and giving information about the outcome of games that would possibly benefit potential betters. Basically, the douschbag was fixing games. David Stern confirmed yesterday in a press conference that the news story was indeed true and that there was an investigation ongoing.

Probably the thing that stuck out the most from the news conference, and probably one of the funnier things I've seen in a while, was the look on David Stern's face throughout the entire hour. He honestly looked like someone just ran over his golden retriever. I know that's not the funniest thing to think about, but when you think David Stern, you think stoic and firm. You think hard case. Running his league more like a dictatorship than anything else. But to see him stand there limply, looking like a strong breeze would blow him over, it seemed like his baby was being taken away from him. He looked the warden in Shaw shank Redemption, when he realized that Andy Dufrain had single handily just ruined him.



Stern better hope that this was, as he put it, one rouge criminal and nothing more. If this guy squeals and starts naming names, the NBA is ruined. And yes, I mean ruined. For years, people have been wondering out loud if the NBA was rigged, fixed, plotted out like the WWE. And David Stern acted like it was preposterous to think about such things. The league he helped build to prominence could never be taken down like that. Or could it??

Such things make you wonder about happenings in the past and say hmmmmm... Now, as you may or may not know, I am the biggest Michael Jordan fan I know. But even I could see that while he was playing, he got, should I say, the benefit of, oh, a thousand or so calls. Was it that he was just that great of a player? Maybe. Hopefully. But you have to wonder if the most popular player to ever step foot on a basketball court was given the red carpet treatment once or twice. No one will really ever know for sure I guess.

All I know, is that, right now, in the Land of the Major Sports Commissioners, Gary Bettman is king.

I had been wondering for months now how those games that were locks in every way could go so wrong. How with 22 seconds left and the Spurs up 9 in a meaningless game against the Hawks, Jacque Vaughan can proceed to turn the ball over instead of running out the clock as he should. And how the Hawks can then come down and score a meaningless basket, thus making the deficit 7 and ruining my beautiful $30 dollar Parlay. Now, I know the answer. If you need me, I'll be hunting down Tim Donaghy. My new 9 Iron needs to be broken in. I just hope someone else doesn't get to him first.

Does Anyone See What This Guy is Doing??

I know, I know. Everyone in Minnesota is automatically supposed to hate the Yankees. The Evil Empire. Everything the Twins aren't, basically. I also get the everyone is supposed to hate Alex Rodriguez as well. Being the highest paid player in the league, it just comes with the territory. So why am I writing something about a player so loathed that he gets booed regularly at his home ballpark?? Well, while everyone in baseball has been captivated on the Barry Bonds home run chase or (yawn) the steroids investigation, I don't think people have really come to appreciate exactly whats been going on in the Bronx. Now, you might say... What the hell is this kid talking about? Everyone knows that ESPN pimps the Yankees everyday of every week. Whether its the Clemens travesty or them being 3 games under .500, etc,etc, etc.. Trust me, I've almost had enough too..

Little has been made though of exactly what A-Rod is accomplishing. If you take a look at his stats, I dont see how you can't like this guy, even with everything I stated earlier. One of the most dependable players over the span of his 13 year major league career, Rodriguez has been the model of consistency over that span. This year has been no different. In April, he only hit .360 and only a 6 game drought at the end of the month prevented him from breaking the record for the most home runs in April, ever, with 14. This year he has by far been the best player in the Majors, compiling 28 home runs and 77 RBI, not to mention hitting .333. A serious Triple Crown threat. He is as locked in as Barry Bonds was during the 2001 season, and thats scary. All this while also playing Gold Glove defense at Third base.

Aside from this year, though, the historical perspective that A-Rod is approaching needs to be touched on also. Before the age of 32, he has amassed 492 home runs. 492 Home runs! Frank Thomas can barely walk and is just now getting to 500 homers. Rafael Palmero apparently juice up for years, and just made it to 500. Before he turns 32 on July 27th, Arod will have hit his 500th, making him the youngest player to accomplish that milestone, beating Jimmie Foxx by 10 months, or more than a full season sooner. I feel like no one is even taking notice to how unbelievable this is.
While people have been consumed lately with all the negativity surrounding baseball and the "steroid Era", they may have overlooked that we may be witnessing the best baseball player ever... And yes, Im not crazy when I say, EVER. How can you not like a player like that?

Thinking long term, if Alex plays until he is 40 years old and taking into account his average number of 41 home runs hit per full major league season, he will have hit more than 850 home runs in his career! That will obviously shatter the current home run mark soon to be Barry Bonds'. Thats assuming, too, that he only plays until hes 40. I think he could actually go longer considering that over his entire career hes been so durable that he hasn't played in less than 129 games in any season... and that was only one year. The rest of the years have hovered around 150 or so... Maybe around age 40 he moves to DH to save his body.

And forget about any steroids bullshit to cop out on.. Since coming into the majors, he has done almost anything to help his team win. His first year in the league, he hit .360. One year, along with hitting 42 home runs, he also stole 46 bases. Not to mention that he has now hit 35+ homers for 10.. wait, 11 straight years. There has been no spike in production like you have seen with others. Just a natural progression of a great ball player.


I know that he might have his slight drawbacks from time to time that might make it easy for some people to dislike him. His shenanigans in Toronto a month ago were a little bush league. And, I meant his shenanigans ON the baseball field.



There was that incident with the very boob-a-licious stripper while in Toronto too. Lets be honest though, who hasn't wanted to bang a hot stripper at one point or another in their life??

But aside from all that, one has to appreciate what we get to watch. The best offensive player in the game is also one of its better defensive players too. ARod can opt out of his contract at the end of this year and become a free agent. Even though hes making 22 million this year and more next year, I do believe he will opt out and test the market. The people in New York have never appreciated him and never will. There will be so many teams salivating at the chance to sign him, and if this year is any preview of things to come, he will make comparable money as well. A Rod is already a two-time MVP and will add another one by the time this year is done. Its time for people to weed through all the somewhat negative, and start to really appreciate just how good this guy is..

What to do?.... What to do??

I think that's what a lot of us Minnesota Twins fans are wondering as the season nears its midway point. With Cleveland showing no signs of slowing down and the Tigers having the most talent in the Central, it doesn't look any brighter for the Twins as they cling to a .500 record that still sees them 6 1/2 games behind the division leader.
Now, I know what you will say. Its the same thing everybody says around Minnesota. "Well, we have a better record this year then at the same time last year and look what happened??" I get that. But that is a very ignorant statement. If you actually believe that the Tigers and Indians are gonna lay down again and let us walk all over them like we did last year, you are just plain crazy. For one, the Tigers are a year more experienced and they had one of the best free agent signings of this past off season in Gary Sheffield. That just wont happen again. That was a once in a decade comeback. Lets move on.
So, instead of waiting for that miracle comeback, why not be proactive for once??
I know, its a pretty aggressive, earth-shattering concept. Definitely something the Twins are not known for, thats for sure. Why not go out for once and get one of the players that could be had for the right price, maybe even less. Why not get the fans excited again and give them hope for this year, not the next or the next after that.
Make a splash like the Yankees do every year. Sure, it hasn't worked for them recently, but I'd take that lineup against any pitching staff in the league and I'd like my chances.
Twins fans need to come to realization that Torii Hunter is not going to be a Twin next year. Sadly, the way free agency has ballooned out of control, we have as much of a chance of re-signing him as we do of trading for A-Rod. Torii has been the heart and soul of this Twins team since I can remember but shit, if you think about it, if Gil Meche can get 55 Million dollars and Barry Zito can get 126 Million for being average pitchers, the best defensive Centerfielder in the league will command somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 million or more from the likes of the Red Sox or Rangers.

People will say that since we cant re-sign him, we should try and trade him so we don't let him go without getting compensation back in return. I agree with this whole heartedly, but if the Twins are unwilling to do so because they are still in the race, I sympathize.
What would be the alternative, you say? Well, Ive thought long and hard about what we could do. First, I was thinking of trading for Florida's Miguel Cabrera. A young power-hitting superstar third baseman would fit beautifully on this squad. One problem, Cabrera would be so much harder to re-sign than Torii would be. It would be the same problem we would have had if we would have traded for Alfonso Soriano last year. No matter how much I drool over the possibilities, it's just not feasible.
Secondly, I thought, why not not trade Torii and scrap this year completely. Wait until next year with a healthy Francisco Liriano, and more mature lineup, and a healthy **gulp** Joe Mauer. We could use the money we save from Torii's contract to try and sign Johan to a longer term deal so we don't lose him too. Then I thought, no, we are too good to just give up on this year so soon. Ya know, with a good tweak here and there, we could be good enough to win the whole damn thing....

Then, it came to me. Finally, an idea that fits all around. Carl Crawford.

Tampa Bay isn't going anywhere without pitching. Even a team thats as talented as they are on offense, just isn't going to be competitive if they cant get anyone out, especially in the AL East. They need pitching. We have pitching. We need speed and power. They have speed and power in the form of one guy. Crawford is young and still getting better. And the best thing is.... He's affordable, if not downright cheap for a player of his quality. He already signed a deal with the Devil Rays for the next two years with club options for two more years. Crawford is a bargain at $4 million this season and $5.25 million next season. His contract also includes an $8.25 million club option for 2009 and a $10 million option for '10. If we do indeed lose Torii for nothing in free agency, the blow will be much easier to absorb with our future stud in the outfield. He has the speed to play center if need be, but as of right now is a left fielder. He could immediately take over for a once again vastly underachieving Jason Kubel. We could use him for situational hitting like he should be anyways. Sure, we might have to give up quite a bit to get him, but its worth it. We could package either a combination of one of the three pitchers that will rotate between the majors and AAA this year in Kevin Slowey, Matt Garza, and Scott Baker. Might seem pricey, but this can be one of the cornerstones of our franchise for years to come.
If you disagree, just take a minute to imagine our lineup with Crawford in it...
Castillo and Crawford at the 1 and 2 spots, getting on base and causing havoc on the base paths with their speed and aggressiveness. Mauer, Cuddyer, Morneau, and Torii waiting to drive them in. And the piranhas at the end of the order to start the madness all over again. That is music to my ears.
So, I implore our favorite squad, please don't drop the ball yet again. Don't let another very attainable talent get away and into the hands of one of your rivals.
Stop waiting for these pitchers to hit their stride, and trade them while you still can get something for them. Don't try and develop EVERYBODY from within... Go out and get Crawford and lets Win this damn thing.

It Was Fun While It Lasted....

The NBA playoffs provide all sorts of intriguing story lines for us to follow. Whether its D-Wade's coming out party last year, Robert Horry being in every single playoffs(ever!), and even Raja Bell clotheslining Kobe's Ass last year. This year has been no different so far.

The most intriguing storyline this year has been the Golden State Warriors. A team barely alive at the All Star Break, making a second half charge and making the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. Their reward for such a strong push, the 67 win Dallas Mavericks, a team that ran ruck shaw through the rest of the NBA during the season, amassing three 12+ game winning streaks including a stretch where they won 34 of 36 games. THANKS! The Warriors didn't seem to mind though, as the laid the wood to the Mavericks in a 4-1 dominating series win.


The Warriors became the best feel good story in sports overnight. But alas, as we have heard before, all good things must come to an end. This story is no different.
After a third loss in four games against the Utah Jazz, the Warriors are brought to the brink of elimination. Although they are, along with the Phoenix Suns, by far the most fun squad to watch, they have several faults which have been brutally exposed in this series. They have learned the hard way the you can't win in the NBA playoffs when you can't rebound and you can barely defend, aside from a couple steals every now and then. They've learned the harsh reality that you can't shoot 30+ threes in four straight games and expect to win. They've learned that this isn't open gym at Hastings High.
In watching every game of this wildly entertaining series, I've seen bad shot after bad shot after bad shot go up, some going in, but mostly not. Baron Davis, when healthy, is probably the third best point guard in the NBA and extremely exciting to watch. Jason Richardson is a great #2 scorer and again, very fun to watch. They just don't have inside help. Carlos Boozer has torn them a new asshole in this series. It seems now, that all these, flaws have finally caught up to them. And it looks like there will be no fairy tale ending.


So, now we have to come to the conclusion that we will not get to see the Mother of all playoff series', the Suns V. Warriors, and its becoming very evident that instead we are gonna be stuck with a snoozer like Spurs and Jazz. I know, personally, I will not watch a single game of this series. Its clear, that the NBA will have to deal with another Pistons/Spurs Finals and another series that will have ratings below re-runs of Fresh Prince.
Yay.. I think the Royals and Nationals are playing on Direct TV Extra Innings for interleague play... So peace..

Tidbits...

Hello everybody. My name is Adam and I am the latest addition to the Some People's kids blog. Thats three, count em' , three Adams now contributing. I promise we are not the same person. These are my first, but definitely not last, couple posts. Its a pleasure to be here and I'll try to give my own twist on things I find amusing or shocking, and some in between stuff as well. I'll do my best to follow the lead set by my predecessors. I hope you enjoy...





Oh Joey....

Bye bye Joey Crawford. The long time NBA referee was suspended for the rest of the season by commisioner David Stern on Tuesday. The suspension came about after Crawford apparently challenged the San Antonio Spurs resident gerbil, Tim Duncan, to a fight after ejecting Duncan in Sundays loss to the Mavericks. Duncan was earlier called for an offensive foul and a technical foul. Later, while on the bench, Duncan was seen laughing with some of his teammates. Taking exception, Crawford booted him with a second technical and subsequent ejection. The suspension came after numerous warnings by Stern to tone down his attitude and make sure he wasnt the focus of the NBA games. And as much as I love to see Tim Duncan get the boot, this ejection was truly rediculous. Ya gotta love referees wanting to throw down with players. First you have Charles Barkley challenging Dick Bavetta to a race and now you have Joey Crawford wanting to fight Tim Duncan. Who says the NBA isnt fun anymore!! Stay tuned for the pay-per-view wrestling match this summer. I hear the old man is a 5/3 favorite already, which makes sense to me.

Also, on Monday, this weekends PGA tournament finished in playoff fashion with something called Boo Weekely coming out on top. Aside from having by far the coolest name on the PGA tour, there is a story going around that this guy wrestled an Orangutang. What a weekend for my man... First he wins a PGA event then becomes a bad ass when this story hits the media. Impressive. Anybody who busts up an Orangutang has my respect. This guy is my new idol.

Lastly, a side note that you all should be aware of... Ricky Davis will now be known as Ricky Avis, as there is clearly no "D" anywhere in sight when it comes to him.

F*@#in Crazies....

Just when you think that the world could'nt get any more messed up, we are slapped back to the harsh reality of the way things really are. Just when we think that we have seen the last of major massacres on innocent people, another kid goes postal. It just doesnt seem to be getting any better anytime soon.

Of course, by now, this particular situation isnt news to anyone. The brutal killings of 32 innocent students at Virginia Tech the other day have rocked the country. Once again some random kid decides he's had enough and instead of just killing himself, he takes out his aggresion on 32 other students and ends their lives as well.

Im sure when it all gets broken down, from every angle, we will find out that this fool felt that the world was shitting on him. Im sure it will come out that the kids in Gym class snapped him with towels every day for two months. Im sure it will come out that his girlfriend just cheated on him with his best friend. Im sure it will come out that Burger King refused employment to him, even with an impending college graduation on the horizon. People will look at society and at Virginia Tech and at music he was listening to, and ask why? The answer? Maybe hes just nuttier than squirrel turds! Maybe he's bleepin crazy!
Everyone has been through some bad times in their lives, but 99.9 % of the population doesnt go kill people because of it. That .1 % screws it up for the rest of us and makes us all feel unsafe. I dont mean unsafe like when I go outside, Im looking over my shoulder every minute. I mean knowing that despite living a good, productive, normal life, some dude could come out the wood work and decide that you've lived long enough. And that's scary.

More details have come out about this horrible tragedy, including the identity of the shooter and that he left a "long and disturbing" note in his dorm room. In the note, Sueng-Hui Cho, a senior student, claimed "YOU caused me to do this." I got news for ya, though it wont matter cause your brains are splattered all over the floor in some classroom, no one did this to you. No one caused you to do what you did. Your messed up little mind caused you to do this. No matter what anyone did to you, it never warrented killing a bunch of kids, minding their own business, on their way to class. Why is it always someone elses fault? You never hear someone say, man, Im just really screwed up and I decided to some other people should suffer for me being that way.

Im not ashamed to say that I've been picked on more than a few times in my life. Everyone who went to any kind of school did. The difference is, I never felt the need to go find a gun and start blasting. I went home and beat up pillows, listened to music, and even cried sometimes. Kids need to stop thinking that the world is their playground and they can cop out and take out their frustration by killing a bunch of people. For the love of God and the sake of that 99.9% of us, Get OVER IT! Take a walk. Get a role model. Collect coins. Start doing drugs. I dont care.

Just dont kill people.

Ladies and Gentlemen.... We've got him

There are certain things that I've been taught throughout my life. Things that have been beaten into my brain over the years by numerous teachers, parents, and the even by the media. Some of these things are the things that I've come to believe. Some of these things have gone in one ear and out the other. Some things Im still waiting to pass judgement on. But one thing that I know for sure is that when, and if, the oppurtunity presents itself, you should be always take the BBD. The Bigger, Better Deal.
A while back, my contract at Random Thoughts through Blogger ran out. My 3 months there were amazing. Those were the times I've only dreamed of. I put my heart and soul into this "project." I've sacrificied numorous things for this "project." I thought I would be working with Random Thoughts for many many wonderful years until I would gracefully ride off into the sunset. Alas, my fine bosses at Random Thoughts didnt feel the same way. They thought that hiring some big shot who actually went to college was better for the company. Who knew?? So alas, my contract was not renewed. I thought the world was truly shitting on me.
After months and months of wallowing in my own sorrows, drowning myself in twinkies and cheap, imitation Wild Turkey and reading self-help books, I came to the realization that things would not get better. That there would not be that bigger better deal that I had always dreamed of.
Then, one rainy afternoon, wedged in between re-runs of Maury and TRL, I recieved a phone call from the fine people at Some People's Kids. Apparently, one of their contributors scours the internet for 8 hours a day and came across a long lost Blog called Neubiedamus. Thought to have been lost forever, this blog caught a certain person's eye (for conversation's sake, we'll just call him "Bez") and he brought his idea before the board of directors. After confirmation that I still exsisted, I recieved said phone call from "Bez." He asked me to contribute the "Some People's Kids" blog. After asking if it was really my uncle Morty, calling to razz me for the amusement of his children once again, I gleefully accepted.
I had found my Bigger Better Deal. The terms of the contract are disclosed but lets just say I've got enough coin for a couple lap dances at Augies.

So this will be my last contribution to the blog formerally known as "Neubiedamus." If you liked this blog, and would like to see more, or even to laugh at how big of an idiot I am, please go to Adam Bezdicek's blog, Some Peoples Kids on the same website. Its been fun to let you into my mind for a while, giving you a glimpse of what happens in here from time to time. But I will be checking in from there now. Until then....