BlueCarp

* Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) really went to town on Brian McNamee. At one point, Burton responded to one of McNamee's answers by asking "are you kidding me?" McNamee replied that he was not.

Burton made it clear that he thinks McNamee is lying. 

* Roger Clemens' wife is sitting behind him during the hearing. She is holding a yellow flower. What is that all about? 

* I wonder if the phrase "a palpable mass on his buttocks" has ever been spoken during a committee hearing prior to today.

* Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) has so far asked the toughest questions of Clemens. He brought up the mass on Clemens' buttocks with documentation of the mass.

* An outside doctor reviewed an MRI of a mass on Clemens' buttocks, and concluded that it was more compatible with an injection of winstrol (a steroid) than B12, as Clemens claims.

* Clemens' lawyers had another doctor report that gave another conclusion about the mass on hs buttocdks. As a lawyer, I know you can find an expert to say anything.  Or, I should say, pay an expert to say anything.

* I loved the moment when the questions got tough and one of Clemens' attorneys interrupted and asked if he could answer a question posed to his client. Henry Waxman said, "no."

* The Vice-chair of the committee kept asking stupid questions. He would state that person "A" said "X" and then ask McNamee why person "A" would say such a thing. There is no way a person can answer that.

I can not truly know why another person does anything. I can only know that they did it.

* There is a recurring problem with this hearing - the Committee keeps assuming that different accounts of something (a party at Jose Conseco's house) that occurred years and years ago necessarily means that someone is lying about that event.

It is very easy and happens often that someone is just wrong. Being wrong is not the same as being a liar.

* John L. Mica (R-FL) has HUGE hands. When he strokes his chin he almost covers his entire face. And he is wearing a pinky ring on his right hand that matches the wedding ring on his left hand. What's up with that?

Mica has not been listening, either, because he asked McNamee questions that he already answered.

* One guy in the front row behind Clemens and McNamee looks like Stephen A. Smith's brother. Another guy looks like Scott Bakula.

* Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) is wearing about two pounds of costume jewelry around her neck. She looks like a Junior League Mr. T.

* So, Clemens' nanny was at the Canseco party, and she told the Committee that Roger was there. Rep. Henry Waxman brought this out. Clemens contacted her in between the Committee asking for her name and giving her name to the Committee. 

One might question as to why he needed to talk to her before letting the Committee talk to her. 

Clemens' main attorney Rusty Hardin jumped up at this point and acted all disgusted with the questioning. He should tone it down.

* Oh sheesh. McNamee has a Ph.D. from an online diploma mill. Even worse, he actually called himself a "Dr."

* They are spending way too much time on the party at Jose Canseco's house. Whether or not Clemens was there is irrelevant to whether or not he took steriods. It's like arguing over what a bank robber had for breakfast on the morning he robbed the bank. Who cares? He still robbed the bank.

* Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is from North Carolina. Virginia is from Carolina. That is confusing. I wonder if she is related to Redd Foxx? She has that extra "X" in there. 

* So Chuck Knoblauch took the juice, too. Is the inability to make a throw to first base a side effect of HGH?

* The Vice Chair of the Committee is Tom Davis (R-VA). Didn't he used to coach the Iowa basketball team? 

* Roger had to be gavelled down when he interrupted Waxman's final statement. Waxman said "this is not your time to argue with me."

Cool. 

* Why were there IRS agents there? I can understand the FBI. They are investigating illegal drug activity. But the IRS? I do not see any allegations of unreported income in this matter. 

Posted by BlueCarp at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Bronco wide receiver David Kircus' status with the team is, once again, hunkydory.

Kircus still faces assault charges in a criminal court. Coach Mike Shanahan had said that if Kircus had not acted appropriately, he would not be on the team.

Kircus can breathe easy. Shanahan and thr Braoncos gave Kircus a lie detector test, and he passed. That's good enough for Shanahan, regardless of the criminal dispostion.

Word is, Kircus not only took the test voluntarily, he suggested it.

Lie detectors are not good science. I would not take one, even if I was only going to be asked about my potential involvement in the JFK assassination. And JFK died before I was born.

Kircus might as well placed his fate in the hands of the Magic 8 Ball or Tarot Cards.

Posted by BlueCarp at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Denver Bronco wide receiver and kick returner David Kircus came out of nowhere last year to make the team. After several years with the Detroit Lions, Kircus sat out a year because he could not make an NFL team.

During his involuntary vacation, Kircus made sandwiches at a Subway in Michigan.

He may be asking for his old job back.

Kircus was arrested for assault this week.

Bronco coach Mike Shanahan said he will wait to hear all of the facts before deciding Kircus' fate with the team, but "if he didn't handle himself the right way, he won't be with us."

Can I have that sub toasted?

Posted by BlueCarp at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Dale Earnhardt, Jr., is leaving Dale Earnhardt, Inc., at the end of this Nextel Cup season.

His dad, the original Dale Earnhardt, formed DEI. By all accounts, the original Dale intended for his kids to be part of his company.

When he died, however, he left DEI to his wife, Teresa. Teresa was not Dale, Jr.'s mother. Teresa is Jr.'s step-mom.

Jr. and Teresa have never been exceptionally close.

Jr.'s contract with DEI ends this year. He wanted a controlling interest in the company to stay. Teresa said "no." Jr. is on his way out the door.

Many fans out there agree with ESPN.com poster sdelliott31:

I don't think Dale Sr. would have been happy with this split. Teresa should have done the right thing and gave majority ownership to Jr. and Kelley [Jr.'s sister and business partner]. I think Teresa let her own personal feelings and greed get in the way of family even though she claimed that she wouldn't.

All of the blame does not fall on Teresa. If Sr. wanted Jr. to take over the company, he should have said so in his will.

For example, he could have let Teresa run the company until Jr. turned 30 years old. Upon Jr.'s 30th birthday (or whenever Sr. wanted), control would transfer to Jr.

For whatever reason, the original Dale did not. He let Teresa have complete control forever. It is not fair to criticize her for exercising it.

Dale, Jr., and Teresa will both fare well.

Posted by BlueCarp at 08:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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From today's edition of the Rocky Mountain News:

"Former Nuggets dancer Kaui Beamer, from MTV's Taquita & Kaui, will perform the national anthem" at tonight's playoff game.

Little known fact, but she was named after a Hawaiian auto dealership.

I must say, however, I am not familiar with the television program. Does it concern those things on the spinning grill next to the hotdogs at 7-11?

Posted by BlueCarp at 01:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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"Barry better be unanimous. 100 percent, first ballot. If the Hall of Fame is what it stands for, how can the greatest player ever to play the game not be a unanimous selection?"

Jeff Borris, agent, on his client Barry Bonds.

1. Because he is a 'roided up jerk.

2. Because he is not the greatest player ever.

3. Because Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb and Bob Gibson were not unanimous, 100 percent, first ballot admittees.

4. Because the Baseball Hall of Fame is not the DuPont Hall of Fame. Cooperstown does not honor better living through chemistry.

Posted by BlueCarp at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Coors Field will no longer sell food cooked in trans fats. Good.

Aramark, which runs the concession stands at the Field, has decided it will no longer use cooking oils containing trans fats.

Why do I praise the ballpark concessionaires when I railed against the City of New York for outlawing trans fats?

The same reason I admire cliff divers but not people who push others off cliffs.

Posted by BlueCarp at 07:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The Broncos are recruiting free agent Ian Scott, a defensive tackle most recently with the Bears. Do not confuse him with the rhythm guitar player for Anthrax. The guitar player is much smaller and not much of a run-stopper.

Posted by BlueCarp at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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* The correct nickname for the University of North Carolina is Tar Heels, not Tarheels.

* The correct pronunciation of Appalachian State is “apple LATCH ‘n state” not “apple LAY shun state.” You can pronounce the east coast mountain range however you want, but the University in Boone, North Carolina, has only one correct pronunciation.

* While speaking on Westwood One Radio, John Thompson the Elder said that the tournament allows you to “determine your own destination.”

* On the same show, former Big East Commissioner Dave Gavitt said that the Florida Gators were lead by Yannick Noah. Yannick Noah won the French Open in 1983 and is probably out of eligibility. His son, Joakim, however, is an excellent player for the Gators.

Posted by BlueCarp at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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LSU women’s basketball coach Pokey Chatman has resigned. She had an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of her players.

I guess we know how she got her nickname.

How unfortunate. A lesbian named “Pokey.”

There has not been a more unfortunate name since Willie T. Ribbs was driving for NASCAR. (Contrary to legend, he did not drive the Afro-sheen Cadillac).

It is a good thing Coach Pokey’s last name was not “Munchausen.”

Posted by BlueCarp at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The New York Knicks have rewarded mediocrity.

They gave coach and team president Isiah Thomas a contract extension.

Posted by BlueCarp at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Newly acquired Bronco running back Travis Henry has worn number 20 since college.

His new Denver teammate, Mike Bell, has that number for the Broncos. Henry, fresh off signing a multi-million dollar contract, told reporters he would offer Bell $10,000 for the number.

When asked if that was the top dollar, Henry said he would offer “whatever it takes.”

Thus, Travis Henry demonstrated why pro athletes need agents to negotiate their contracts.

Posted by BlueCarp at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Dave Kreiger must be afflicted with Spring Fever. The Rocky Mountain News sports columnist predicts that the Rockies will win 85 games this year.

He points out, rightfully, that the middle of the lineup could be quite effective. Garrett Atkins, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe might put up big numbers.

But then Krieger loses his mind: "And we haven't even talked about Javy Lopez, or Troy Tulowitzki or Willy Taveras or Steve Finley."

There is a reason we have not talked about them.

Lopez is almost 100 years old.

Tulowitzki is still a prospect. A damn good one, no doubt, but still a prospect.

Taveras is a leadoff hitter with an on-base percentage of just over .300.  That is not good.

Finley is even older than Lopez. He could not get a job with any team until after spring training had started. He is a non-roster invitee that is competing to be the third string centerfielder. Why would we talk about him? He might be a great coach on the bench if he makes the team, but his days of big offensive numbers are over.

Spring fever? More like malaria.

Hey, I love the Rockies. I love Coors Field. I love day games in the Rocky Mountain air. I hope the Rockies win the World Series. But to expect any kind of impressive numbers from that group is custard in the clouds.

Posted by BlueCarp at 08:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Darrell Waltrip, during the Daytona 500 pre-race show, was discussing the debut of Toyota into the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.

He said the introduction of a foreign model into the Great American Race "carried a certain stigmatism with it."

Despite the stigmatism, DW likes Toyota's involvement. He mentioned that a plant in Kentucky makes most of the Camry's in the United States.

He did not have to mention that his brother, Michael, is driving a Toyota this year.

***

DW continued with his Yogi-isms: While discussing the difference between Formula 1 cars and Nextel Cup cars, he was trying to say that the F-1 cars were much more high tech than Nextel Cup cars. He said F-1 cars were "computer generated."

Posted by BlueCarp at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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"Conventional Wisdom" says you need to have a great quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

This is why the Indianapolis Colts are a 7 point favorite to beat the Chicago Bears Sunday in Super Bowl XLI in Miami. No one would argue that Rex Grossman is a better quarterback than Peyton Manning, not even Rex's mom.

Rex's mom, however, might point out that the Bears have a better running game and a better defense than the Colts. Rex's mom would be correct.

Of course, having a great quarterback helps in any given game, but it is not a necessity.

I give you Mr. Bob Greise. Mr. Greise won two Super Bowls. He passed for a total of 161 yards in those two games.

I give you Joe Theisman. He passed for 143 yards, although he managed to do it in only one game.

I give you Jim McMahon, a better rapper than he was a quarterback. His Bears team always had the superior running game and the superior defense whenever they played. How often did they have the superior quarterback? Not a lot.

I give you Doug Williams. Granted, Doug had a great Super Bowl game. He was not a great quarterback. He is in no danger of getting into Canton without a ticket.

I give you Jeff Hostettler. 'Nuff said. (Although Jeff made the porn star mustache popular well before Jeff Kent ever washed a truck.)

Take, for example, Mark Rypien. Please. 

And while you are at it, take Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson, too. 

Despite an inexplicable love fest with young Ben Roethlisberger, he earned his Super Bowl ring by completing nine of 21 passes for 123 yards and two interceptions.

I will not sully the waters by suggesting that neither Bart Starr nor Len Dawson nor Ken Stabler nor Jim Plunkett nor Phil Simms were outstanding quarterbacks. I do not have to. Messers Hostettler, et al. make the point sufficiently.

Of course, a team can rely on Joe Montana or Brett Favre to win the Super Bowl, but it is only one way to do so.

A superior defense and running game is another.

The Bears will so demonstrate on Sunday. 

Chicago 27, Indianapolis 24.

And about that conventional wisdom? Nobody ever went broke betting against the public.

Posted by BlueCarp at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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University of Colorado head football coach Dan Hawkins just finished his first year in Boulder.

Whenever a new coach takes over a college program, player turnover is expected. It is going to happen. Some of the players fit in well under the former coach's scheme. They do not fit in as well under the new coach's plans.

Several football players have decided they do not wish to suit up this year for the Buffs.

So they move on. It is not as if the college kids were getting paid. The coach, whom is getting paid and getting paid well, should expect it as part of the process and send the kids off with best wishes.

Unfortunately, Hawkins failed to do that. According to the B.G. Brooks' article in today's Rocky Mountain News,

Hawkins said off season work with new strength and conditioning coach Jeff Pitman has been difficult.

"For those who want to succeed, want a better season, they welcome it," he said. "For those who are not into it, it's been harder, I'll put it like that."

He should not have put it like that at all. He called the kids that left his football team losers. He said they did not want to succeed, otherwise they would have welcomed the changes he implemented.

The kids may well be losers, I do not know. They may well not wish to succeed, I do not know.

I do know that Hawkins should have just shut up about why the kids left the football team. He did not need to kick 'em in the ass on the way out of the field house. 

Posted by BlueCarp at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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It may not be Todd Helton for much longer, at least not in Denver. The Colorado Rockies are in trade talks with the Boston Red Sox that would send Helton to Massachusettes.

The two competing daily newspapers in Denver are currently in a dispute over who broke the story.

Both papers claim they did.

As first reported by The Denver Post on Saturday, the Rockies have discussed sending Helton to Boston, targeting young relievers Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen. 

The Denver Post, January 28, 2007.

The Rockies and Boston Red Sox have been discussing trade possibilities involving Helton since November, as reported originally by the Rocky [Mountain News] . . .

The Rocky Mountain News, January 27, 2007

Posted by BlueCarp at 09:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The Dook University men's basketball team benefited from officials deciding the Blue Devils needed additional time at the end of its recent game against Clemson.

The Devils used the extra time to win on a last second shot. The ACC has admitted the officials screwed up.

As a University of North Carolina alumnus, this is nothing new  to me. Dook, like evil itself, must be stopped.

Posted by BlueCarp at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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Nike's new commercial is called "The Second Coming." You can see it here on YouTube.

Since those of the Jewish persuasion do not believe in the first coming, Nike is systemically and purposefully disregarding their beliefs in this advertising campaign.

They might as well be saying "Jews - Don't Buy Our Shoes."

Which NBA players do they use? Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Rasheed Wallace, LeBron James.

What do these gentlemen have in common? Not a single Jew among them!

Boycott Nike. L'Chaim.

Posted by BlueCarp at 07:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Virginia Tech basketball coach Seth Greenberg was on the Jim Rome radio show today.

Seth likes New Mexico coach Richie McKay and said that McKay is so competitive that "he would literally rip your heart out."

Has McKay actually done this? Has Greenberg witnessed this? Has law enforcement been notified? I do not think this is acceptable behavior, even for a competitive basketball coach.

Posted by BlueCarp at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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The college football bowl game formerly known as the Sun Bowl has acquired a title sponsor. The game is known as the Brut Sun Bowl.

Brut narrowly outbid Hai Karate for the sponsorship.

Posted by BlueCarp at 03:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Bronco quarterback Jay Cutler explained to ESPN's John Clayton why he and fellow rookie Tony Sheffler get along so well:

"I roomed with Tony during the preseason and he has great hands," Cutler said.

Posted by BlueCarp at 06:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Altitude is the name of the local sports network that carries the Nuggets games. And I am watching from my couch as the Allen Iverson era begins for the Nuggets as they host the Kings.

AI joining the Nuggets is major sporting news in Denver, but did we really need coverage of Iverson getting off the plane?  A cameraman was told by his boss to go to the airport and wait until Iverson’s plane landed and to get footage of him deplaning. It has been said that there are no such things as small jobs. I think that has now been disproved.

Continue reading "The AI Debut: Running Diary" »

Posted by BlueCarp at 07:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The blizzard hitting Colorado right now has helped the Nuggets.

Tonight's game with the streaking Suns has been postponed.  The Suns are on a 15 game winning streak and the Nuggets have a depleted roster.

Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith are still serving suspensions for participating in the Mayhem at Madison Square Garden Saturday night. While Nene has served his one game suspension, Andre Miller and Joe Smith have been traded to Philadelphia and have left town. The 76ers that will replace them, Allen Iverson and Ivan McFarlin, are not in Denver.

That leaves the Nuggets with seven players to take on the hottest team in the league. When the game is rescheduled, the Nuggets will have a full roster, including the two highest scorers in league - Melo and AI - and the Nuggets second leading scorer right now - J.R. Smith.

They'll have a much better chance then than they would have had tonight.

One game might not seem like a lot, but it could be the difference between having the home court advantage in any given playoff series or not.

If the Nuggets eventually win the game, they can thank Old Man Winter. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. (That is, as long as the airport opens in time to get AI to town by Friday night when the Nuggets take on the Kings.)

Posted by BlueCarp at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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Today is an exciting day to be a Denver sports fan.

The Denver Nuggets have acquired Allen Iverson from the Philadelphia 76ers. They gave up Andre Miller, Joe Smith (not the Mormon prophet – the former # 1 overall pick) and two first round draft picks.

Miller, the best player the Nuggets gave up, plays the same position as AI, so losing him is no big deal. Joe Smith rarely plays. The draft picks are birds in a bush. AI is a point guard in hand.

And what a point guard he is. At 31, he’s in his prime. He is under contract for this year and two more. He is also the second leading scorer in the entire league.

Some have raised the question of whether or not AI and Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets’ current star and the leading scorer in the league, can successfully co-exist on one team. I think they can.

No team has two great defenders. For instance, San Antonio's Bruce Bowen has to decide if he is going to guard AI or Melo. The other will score. A lot.

AI wants to win a championship. He has all the individual awards he needs. He has no championship ring. He can win one in Denver with Melo.

Shaquille O’Neal deferred to Dwyane Wade in Miami and won another ring.

Earl Monroe was dealt to the Knicks in the '70's and people said the flamboyant, high scoring guard would not get along with the Knicks' equally flamboyant and high scoring guard Walt Frazier. They got along. They won the 1973 championship.

Two alpha dog scorers can get along, as long as winning is a higher priority than scoring. If both AI and Melo make that commitment, they will succeed.

There are no guarantees it will work. The move is a gamble. But it is a great gamble.

I have never really been sure what the question was, but I know The Answer is in Denver.

Posted by BlueCarp at 07:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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I changed my mind on Carmelo Anthony’s punch. He did not sucker punch anybody. He was face to face with his victim who was looking right at him.

However, he still ran away like a little girl after he threw the punch.

==

I’ve heard some commentators defend Melo’s punch by saying, in effect, a man has to be a man, and if he is disrespected, he should throw down.

Even assuming we are dealing with Neanderthals, this argument makes no sense. Melo is a professional basketball player. By “protecting his manhood” or “defending his teammate” by throwing a punch, Melo knew he would be suspended.

As it turns out, he will miss 15 games.

What is more important, whipping out your unit and showing how big it is, or winning basketball games?

If you chose the former, congratulations. Everyone will know you have a big penis and swinging balls. You are also a loser as you sit out games in which you could be participating.

If you chose the latter, you are a winner. You keep the size of your unit private, as it should be, and you continue to help your team win games.

To quote The Geto Boys, “Real gangsta ass niggas don’t flex nuts, ‘cause real gangsta ass niggas know they got ‘em.”

=====

I do not understand three aspects of David Stern’s suspensions.

First, what did Nugget J.R. Smith do to warrant a ten game suspension? He was the victim. He was fouled hard and knocked to the ground on a layup my Mardy Collins. Smith instinctively jumped up and approached Collins. Yes, he was mad, but he did not throw a punch or otherwise touch Collins. Then Knick Nate Robinsons tackled him and they ended up in the front row of seats.

Second, why were both teams fined the same amount? The Knicks started it on orders of their coach.

Third, why was Isiah Thomas not punished at all? He can be seen on tape warning Melo not to go in the paint just before the fight started. He inserted Mardy Collins, the last guy on the bench, who then committed assault on J.R. Smith going up for a dunk.

David Stern is not stupid, so I have no idea what his motivation is for letting Thomas off the hook.

===

Some have asked why basketball fights are such a big deal when fights occur almost every game in the NHL.

The difference is that hockey fights are always one on one. This hockey tradition is deeply ingrained. The “third man in” a fight is almost non-existent in the NHL. When it happens, the third man is always severely punished by the league.

In every other league, a two man fight almost always denigrates into a bench clearing brawl.

Posted by BlueCarp at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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I hate to say it, but Carmelo Anthony acted like a punk Saturday night against the Knicks.

He sucker punched a Knick, then he ran away.  I sincerely hope he apologizes for his behavior. Team leaders do not act like Melo did in this game. The fight was all but over, and Melo hits a guy to make a bad situation worse.

UPDATE: Melo has issued a statement apologizing for his role in the fight.

Posted by BlueCarp at 08:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The NFL's Arizona Cardinals play in the University of Phoenix Stadium.

I did not know the University of Phoenix even had a football team.

Posted by BlueCarp at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The Air Force Academy Athletic Director, Hans Mueh, is looking to fill the Academy's recently vacated head coaching position.

Who is on his "shortlist?" Mueh said that ""My shortlist is every coach in the NCAA."

Mueh does not want to dally in making a decision: "In my perfect world, I would love to have this done before the holidays."

Since Christmas is in nine days, he might want to whittle that shortlist down to an even shorter one.

Posted by BlueCarp at 05:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The Colorado Rockies traded their best starting pitcher, Jason Jennings, to the Houston Astros for centerfielder Willy Taveras and pitchers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Hirsh.

Jennings will be a free agent after this year. He has earned, and will get, a big contract. Neither Taveras, Buchholz nor Hirsh will be free agents any time soon. They are young players with potential. Most importantly, they are cheap.

Rockies General Manager Dan O'Dowd says this is just a coincidence. O'Dowd claims, "This is a trade we would've made whether Jennings was a free agent at the end of the year or signed for two more years."

There is a technical, legal term for statements like that: Bullcrap.

The Rockies pay lip service to developing young talent for the long term. In reality, they have become the Montreal Expos of the new millenium. They groom young players, let them play for a few years, then let them ago when they become eligible for market value. The Expos, of course, are now defunct.

The Rockies are just irrelevant.

Posted by BlueCarp at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Gregg Easterbrook, ESPN.com's Tuesday Morning Quarterback, on Bronco coach Mike Shanahan's official team biography:

... the 3,795-word gag-me-with-a-spoon official team bio of Denver's "executive vice president of football operations and head coach," Mike Shanahan. According to the official bio, Shanahan is a "key leader" of "elite status" who is "ultra-impressive" and possesses an "exceptional talent" leading to a "stunning record" that puts him in an "exclusive club" plus has "dynamic drive" and has achieved "an almost unparalleled level of success" in "an atmosphere of great pressure and expectations" during "magnificent seasons" that made the Broncos the "perfect symbol" and is "arguably the finest head coach" with "one of the most brilliant minds in football" and has "one of the most dynamic minds" and is a "brilliant coach" who is the "most fertile football mind" who has "almost completely revitalized" his team while achieving "dramatic achievement" and is "dynamic" and "renowned" and gives "superb guidance" and stands "among the game's sideline greats" and is "universally regarded at the highest level" as "an ultimate leader." Move over Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, Joan of Arc, Nelson Mandela -- you are flyspecks on the windshield of history compared to Mike Shanahan. Don't you get the feeling Shanahan personally supervised his bio? Hey, coach, people of genuine achievement don't have to boast.

That's why my official bio is short. Well, one of the reasons.

Posted by BlueCarp at 07:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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ESPN.com writer John Hollinger on Charlotte Bobcat rookie Adam Morrison:

Look, we knew he'd be fairly one-dimensional, but lordy. This guy makes Lara Flynn Boyle seem well-rounded.

Mr. Hollinger also has something to say about Denver Nugget Rookie Yakhouba Diawara:

The French swingman was advertised as a defensive specialist, which is a good thing because he's surely no offensive specialist.

Posted by BlueCarp at 08:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The Nuggets blew a 17 point fourth quarter lead to the Atlanta Hawks last night at Pepsi Center and lost 98-96.

How did team leader Carmelo Anthony take it? According to Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News:

After the game, a frustrated Anthony took his jersey off and threw it into the stands. While in the hallway, he took off his rib protector and then his shorts, kicking his shorts down the corridor as he walked wearing just his Under Armor. Anthony did not make himself available to the media afterward.

Melo has to grow up. Leaders of professional athletes do not act like little kids. They act like men, leave there shorts on, and address the media. They do not throw a tantrum and hide from the mean people with tape recorders and notebooks.

Posted by BlueCarp at 09:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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