I've never tried my hand at betting on sports because I always think I'm right and I would probably end up losing my money. I remember my first big sports bet: I bet $15 that Kentucky would beat Michigan in the Final Four in 1993. I was wrong and remember how $15 seemed like so much money at the time. I felt like I had lost my life savings. I recall that Michigan won the game by 3 points and I was devastated. Michigan has since been put on probation and vacated the win. I should find Juan Albor and ask for my 15 bones back. With college football starting up, Boyd, me, and some of our friends (Hank Dawg, Rob, and Dyer) will be making our picks on what we think are the top 5 games each week. We will tally the records and someone will get bragging rights. If you think you can do it better, just bring it. You can't hang. The winner gets $15. Or a Coke Zero or something.
Hank: Alabama - because Clemson are choke artists and Bowden is the coach
Rob: Clemson - they come out big early only to falter later in the season
Dyer: Clemson
Taylor: Clemson - Bama has a good defense that may keep things close for a while, but Clemson wins it. This game might showcase two of the best true freshmen in the country in Bowers and Jones.
Boyd: Alabama
H: Illinois - Zook used to be a Gator
R: Missouri - easily
D: Missouri
T: Missouri - I'm with Rob - I don't think it's close.
B: Missouri
H: Cal - Best will put on a show
R: Cal - Cal always does well in non-conference home games under Tedford; Cal thrives on turnovers and MSU give up tons. MSU gives up too many big plays.
D: Michigan State
T: Michigan State - my gut tells me MSU for some reason. This was a tough one to pick. Javon Ringer will have a big game.
B: Michigan State
H: Utah - The Utes will then lose to Vegas or SDSU
R: Michigan - Utah is being overhyped
D: Michigan
T: Michigan - this one will be close, but Michigan will be out to prove that they didn't lose all their talent. Utah is a bit suspect up the middle on D. Wouldn't be shocked at all if the Utes won.
B: Michigan - Michigan has better overall talent.
H: UCLA - No self-respecting Gator fan can pick UT
R: UCLA - The Bruins because of the running game and Norm Chow's debut
D: UCLA
T: Tennesse - The Vols just have more talent and UCLA has been hit by big injuries.
B: Tennessee
Friday, August 29, 2008
Weekend football predictions
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Predictions and Thoughts for the 2008 College Football Season
College football starts this week and I can't tell you how geared up I am. I've been soaking up all the sports talk radio I can (most of which is pretty pathetic) and DVRing College Football Live each day (Jesse Palmer still sucks at his job). Here are some thoughts and predictions for this season.
Tim Tebow will not win the Heisman, even though he will be a better player this season. Florida will depend on other players to carry more of the rushing load and Tebow will be spelled some by Cam Newton if Urban thinks he can handle it. Tebow will be better, but will not repeat as the Heisman winner.
The Ohio State University will win at the Colesium on September 13. These teams have the two best defenses in the country, but the Buckeyes are a better team than the Trojans top to bottom. Ohio State is solid at every position and the Trojans lack playmakers in the passing game. Ohio State wins in L.A.
Notre Dame will not be as good as the guys on ESPN seem to think. They all seem to predict about 7-10 wins for ND. It won't happen. The schedule is a bit easier this season, but they will still lose to USC, Pittsburgh, Michigan, and Michigan State, and I'd wager they will lose two of the three games against Boston College, North Carolina, and Purdue. That will leave them 6-6, which probably puts them in position for a BCS bowl game because, hey, they're Notre Dame...
Florida and Auburn will meet in the SEC championship game.
Teams that will be better than people expect: Oklahoma State, Arizona, North Carolina, Oregon State, Northwestern, Ole Miss, Michigan.
Teams that are overrated going into the season (by most experts): Virginia Tech, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Fresno State, Pittsburgh.
Best player you might never have heard of: Dan Lefevour, Central Michigan. Last year he threw for over 3500 yards with 27 TDs and rushed for over 1100 yards with 19 TDs. Those numbers are insane.
BYU will be undefeated this year. Until November 22.
Clemson will lose to a team they should destroy. I'm not talking about losing to a team like Alabama or Wake Forest - the Tigers will lose to a team that they should crush.
Please get off the Fresno State bandwagon. They won't even sniff the BCS.
Michael Crabtree will solidify himself as the best player in college football.
A team that will make impressive strides this year and might be awesome in 2009: North Carolina. Watch out for them. They lost six games last year by a touchdown or less. They have 15 returning starters (which is an overrated statistic, so forgive me for using it) and have a bunch of young talent from Butch Davis's recruiting efforts. I wouldn't be surprised to see UNC in the ACC championship game against Clemson.
Kansas will again be good, but they will come back to earth a bit. The schedule is much tougher this year: they play South Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech. They didn't play any of these teams last year. Add to that the fact that they play Missouri, and KU could go from an 11-1 regular season to 7-5 this year.
Oklahoma will go undefeated. So will The Ohio State.
USC's passing offense will be down this year. Sanchez is a good quarterback, but USC has nowhere near the playmakers at receiver that they've had in the past. No Jarrett, Williams, or Smith means that the Trojans will have to rely on the running game, which will be pretty freaking good.
Chase Daniel will absolutely destroy Texas on October 18. Daniel is from Texas and the Longhorns didn't recruit him - and he remembers that. Missouri will beat Texas handily and Daniel will have a huge day.
Illinois will drop off this year. Juice Williams is one of the most overrated quarterbacks in college football, they lost Rashard Mendenhall, and the defense gave up too many yards last year in a conference not exactly known for offense. Plus, teams coached by Ron Zook can't seem to sustain good play from year to year. It's a shame too because the guy can really recruit.
A team outside of the top 15 that could play into the national title picture is Tennessee. They break in a new qb (who is super talented), but their offensive line is awesome and Foster is one of the best tailbacks in the country. The defense is young but talented. If the defense puts things together quickly, watch out for the Vols.
I don't know what to make of Penn State. Anyone else have a prediction?
If the old ball coach can get the South Carolina offense moving, watch out for the Cocks because the D is sick.
Beanie Wells will win the Heisman.
BCS matchups:
Sugar (SEC champ vs. at-large): Florida vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta (Big 12 champ vs. at-large): Missouri vs. Arizona State
Orange (ACC champ vs. at-large): Clemson vs. West Virginia
Rose (Big 11 champ vs. Pac 10 champ): Georgia vs. USC (they'll pass on the weaker Big 11 runner up to, for once, give us the USC-SEC matchup)
BCS Championship (BCS #1 vs. BCS #2): Oklahoma vs. The Ohio State
It is done.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The Ugliest Uniforms in College Football
This morning while I was running on the treadmill at the gym they had the television set on the Olympics on MSNBC, which was showing a women's semifinal 
basketball game. Australia was in the game and they were wearing some hideous uniforms that looked like some kind of leatard. It was strange to see on the basketball court. Maybe some of the NBA teams should look into the ultra-tight uni for next season. Who doesn't want to see Shaq doing his pimp run down the court in a leatard? I know I do... Anyhow, seeing the pitiful Australian uniforms led me to this: the ugliest uniforms in college football (this is college football that somewhat matters, not FCS or anyone from the Sun Belt). I remembered that Sports Illlustrated did a list of the ten ugliest uniforms in college football, so after I did this list I looked their list up for comparison. I've included it at the bottom. Simply put, my list is better. The general theme seems to be that orange is not good. If this doesn't get you geared up for the season, I don't know what will.
5. Wyoming - Brown and yellow are just beautiful together, as evidenced by the Pokes unis. The yellow stripes down the shoulders are pretty sick too. The combination just evokes thoughts of potty training.
4. Any team wearing all yellow - This doesn't apply to basketball obviously, because the yellow Lakers 
uniforms are the greatest 
NBA uniform of all time. They're beautiful. In football, however, yellow makes players look ridiculous. When I see teams in all yellow it makes me think back to the Mo' Money Mo' Problems music video with Puff Daddy and Ma$e sporting their shiny one-color bodysuits and shades while floating in that tunnel. On football teams it looks equally stupid.
3. Clemson - This is tough, because I like Clemson's helmets, and the purple j
erseys with the white pants are pretty cool, but the purple jersey with orange helmet and pants is just too much. I used to work with a girl who went to Clemson. Hey Rich - tell her that the Tigers make my ugliest gear list and that I said hello. And that they will probably lose to a team they should slaughter at some point this year. Probably at home. Anyway, purple and orange are a bad combo.
2. Syracuse - If all yellow is bad, all orange is horrible. This is what 
crossing guards should wear. How awesom
e would that have been in elementary if your crossing guard showed up sporting all orange gear with some sick blue shoulder stripes intead of the weak little strap they used to wear? I would have loved it. I also included a picture of their blue unis because they are pretty freaking bad too. I would be embarrassed to be a 'Cuse fan right now as much for the gear as for the product on the field. Goodness.
1. Any school from the state of Oregon - Oregon's experiment with the
tennis ball helmet has been a miserable failure and they should never do it again - ever. The green helmets are pretty sweet actually, so why break out the puke yellow/green? Plus they have tire treads on their legs and shoulders - tire treads! What is that symbolic of? Getting run over? Running over someone else? Whoever thought that was a good idea... Oregon State on the other hand has uniforms that look like they're sporting a high-riding bra. Nice work. It looks like they have all tried to stretch a sports bra over their shoulder pads and it 
keeps riding up to reveal their uniform numbers. Plus, it's orange. The Oregon - Oregon State game is the ugliest of the season in college football. And here's a prediction - OSU will win it again this year.
Well, there is the list. I must admit, my wife critiqued this and told me that Wyoming should be at 5, not 4, so she deserves a citation here. Here is the SI list:
10. Utah
9. Notre Dame (the green jersey)
8. Iowa State
7. Clemson (orange jerseys)
6. Air Force
5. Delaware (FCS - who cares?)
4. Syracuse
3. Rhode Island
2. Wyoming
1. Oregon
How is Oregon State not on this list? That alone proves my list superior.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Ultimate Matchup - Dream Team vs. Redeem Team
"Get me on the court and I’m trouble
Last week messed around and got a triple double"
Those immortal words from Ice Cube, aka O’Shea Jackson, inspired this column.
To preface, my wife is obsessed with the Olympics. Because she is currently recovering from surgery and isn’t supposed to get up and around much, the Olympics have been on about 24/7 at our house. It is tough for me to sit down and write this with the fascinating match for the gold medal in team table tennis currently
taking place, but I think I can muster up enough strength to talk about an argument that has been gaining steam recently: Is the Redeem Team as good as the Dream Team?
With the first glance at this fantasy matchup the answer seems obvious - no. The Dream Team was so star-studded that it seems a bit ridiculous to even suggest that the Redeem Team would have a chance. Ten of the twelve players on the Dream Team roster were named among the 50 greatest players of all time by the NBA. Three members of this year’s version are sure-fire hall of famers in Kobe, Kidd, and LeBron, and several others could well be on their way to the same. Even so, the Dream Team clearly has more star power. But how would these teams actually match up? This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive analysis because, frankly, I don’t have the time, but here is what I would expect out of these two teams.
Here are the rosters and the starting lineups used in most games:
Dream Team
Guards - Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan
Forwards - Charles Barkley and Karl Malone
Center - Patrick Ewing
Bench - John Stockton, Clyde Drexeler, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird, Christian Laettner, David Robinson
Redeem Team
Guards - Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant
Forwards - Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James
Center - Dwight Howard
Bench - Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh
Some of these matchups would be awesome to see. Imagine seeing Kobe and Jordan (while in their primes) going at it all game long. Would Scottie Pippen be able to defend LeBron or Dwyane Wade? Would Dwight Howard’s athleticism stand up against Ewing and Robinson? This is how I break it down -
Point Guards: I’ve got to give a slight edge to the Redeem Team here. Seriously. Magic was on his way down (and hadn't played in the league for over a year) and Kidd is currently on the downside of his career, so they are sort of in similar circumstances, so I’d take Magic there. That leaves the combination of Chris Paul and Deron Williams vs. John Stockton. Based on what I saw out of Paul and Deron last season, I’d take them over Stockton. I like the 2 for 1. Now, if this were the Magic Johnson of the 80s I would take him over any and all of the other guys, Stockton included.
Wings: This one is close enough that I’ll call it even. It’s hard not to give the
advantage to the originals just because of Jordan, but the combination of Wade, Anthony, LeBron, and Kobe is pretty ridiculous. Both teams have good defenders in MJ, Pippen, Kobe, and Prince (LeBron doesn’t get enough credit for his improving D), and both have scorers in Jordan, Clyde, Wade, Kobe, and James. Even though Jordan is the best of the bunch and was in his prime, I have to call it even because of the overall talent and depth on the Redeem Team.
Post: This is where it gets ugly. The Dream Team absolutely slaughters the 2008 team. Ewing, Malone, Barkley, Robinson, Bird. Wow. Oh, and Laettner. Can't forget Laettner (I would also like to point out that they chose him over Shaquille O'Neal - not that it mattered). All five of the guys mentioned before the Dukie are better than any post player on version 2008. Dwight Howard is a physical freak, but he doesn’t have the skills that the guys on the Dream Team did. Also, can you imagine Carlos Boozer trying to guard Malone or Barkley in the post? What a joke.
Defense: I’ll give this to the Dream Team in spite of Bird, Magic, Mullin, and Laettner, none of whom were defensive stoppers. The rest of the team makes up for them with the Admiral, MJ, Pippen, and Malone, each among the best defenders ever at their positions. The rest of the guys on the team were at least adequate.
Athleticism: The Redeem Team takes this one easily. Magic, Bird, Laettner, Mullin, and Stockton all solidify this one. Kobe, LeBron, Wade, and Howard are all ridiculously athletic.
Intangibles: This one goes to the Dream Team easily. Kobe (3), Prince (1), and Wade (1) are the only players on this year’s team with NBA championship rings. Magic has 5. Bird has 3. Scottie and MJ each have 6. For those of you wondering, Scottie and Mike each have 6 more than Stockton, Malone, Ewing, and Sir Charles combined. I just needed to make that point for all my friends who are Jazz fans. The Dream Team takes this category easily.
The analysis seems to point to the Dream Team winning this matchup. It really wouldn’t be fair just to look at the statistics to make the call.
Due to the evolution of international basketball the Redeem Team has to play harder and be more focused to win games whereas the Dream Team could just show up and go through the motions and destroy teams (messed around and got a triple double...). The Dream Team won games by an average of 43.8 points per game! The closest margin of victory was 32. Larry Bird had retired before the Dream Team played and Magic Johnson hadn’t played an NBA game in over a year, but Jordan and Barkley were both coming into their primes. Version 2008 is younger, more athletic, and hungry. The team was assembled in a systematic fashion to be able to win games while playing an “international style.” These guys want to win and they seem to enjoy the recent comparisons to the originals. So, who would win in a 7 game series? I would be shocked if the Redeem Team could win more than one game in a seven game series. In a single elimination game? I would bet on the 1992 team, but I wouldn’t completely put it past the new guys.
Friday, August 15, 2008
My response
My only real excuses are that my wife just had eye surgery (and when I say eye surgery, I mean she had it removed and an implant put in, so this isn't your run-of-the-mill procedure, not to mention that our insurance wouldn't cover it...) and has been laid up for a while, which means that I have been the primary mom and dad; I have also been working two jobs and completing finals week. That said, your challenge has been accepted and I am prepared to bring the business. And the site doesn't normally suck. It's normally awesome.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Greatest Franchise in Sports
Which franchise is the greatest in all of sports? Some teams come to mind off the top: Lakers, Celtics, Packers, 49ers, Cowboys, Patriots, Yankees, Cardinals, etc. If you include college sports, you have Kentucky, UCLA, Duke, and North Carolina basketball or Notre Dame, Alabama, USC or Michigan football. Don't forget about the Utah Jazz. Just playin'...
In thinking about the best franchises in sports, what is the criteria? Championships? Hall of famers? Winning percentage? Consistency? I figure that all of these should be considered when calling a team the best franchise of all time. In keeping only with professional sports, it seems to me that you can narrow it down to the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Yankees. I'll make a quick case for each franchise and let you decide. Also, if you think I'm missing someone, you're wrong, but tell me anyway.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics have won more NBA championships than any other team (17), including one in 2008.
Boston has won 17 championships in 62 years, a rate of 27%! The Celtics won 8 straight titles between 1959-1966, also an NBA record (and an American professional sports record, if I'm not mistaken). Red Auerbach coached 9 NBA championship teams, a record he shares with Philip Jackson (who won 3 with the Lakers). The Celtics have won at least one NBA championship in every decade since their existence other than the 1990s. The Celtics have won 17 of the 20 NBA Finals they've been a part of, an insane .850 winning percentage. Ridiculous. There are 33 members of the Celtics organization in the hall of fame, 15 of them players, including Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Bill Russell. Ten times a member of the Celtics has been named league MVP.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have the most wins of any team in NBA history (2,905), the highest winning percentage of any NBA franchise(61.5%), the most NBA Finals appearances (29), and the
second most NBA championships (14). The Lakers have won 14 championships in 64 years, a rate of 22%. The Lakers have the longest win-streak in NBA history with 33 straight wins in 1971-1972. Since their existence, the Lakers have missed the playoffs only five times. The Lakers have 14 players in the hall of fame, including Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA logo and Wilt Chamberlain. They also have 4 coaches in the hall of fame. When the NBA named the top 50 players of all time, 8 of them played most of their careers for the Lakers. Eight times the league MVP played for the Lakers. The Lakers have been coached by two of the supposed greatest coaches of all-time: Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.
New York Yankees
The Yankees have 26 World Series titles and 39 American League pennants. The Yankees have won at least one title in every decade but the 1980s since 1923. The Yankees have won 26 World Series' of t
he 101 played, a rate of 26%. Between 1927 and 1953 the Yankees won 18 world championships. The Yankees are the only team in baseball history to win 5 World Series titles in a row (1949-1953). In 1998 the Yankees went 125-50 (including playoffs), a major league record for wins and winning percentage in a season. The Yankees are the only team in Major League Baseball to have a player in the hall of fame at every position. The Yankees have 22 players in the hall of fame, including Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Whitey Ford. A Yankee has won the AL MVP 22 times along with 5 Cy Young award winners.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Who will win this year's Heisman Trophy?
2007 Stats: 1609 rush. yds, 15 TD, 5.9 ypc.
Wells could be the best player in college football. As you can see, he put up some seriously impressive numbers last year while playing with a nagging ankle injury. He is healthy and will likely carry more of the load this season, so his numbers should jump. Wells is powerful and very decisive. He hits the hole quickly and has the power to make people miss. The important thing about Wells (and this hurt Darren McFadden last year) is that he plays big in big games. Look at his stats from The Ohio State's biggest games last year: vs. Wisconsin (173 yds, 3 TDs), Michigan (230 yds, 2 TDs), and vs. LSU (149 yds, 1 TD). It may hurt Wells that he doesn't really do much other than run the ball - he won't put up all-purpose yards like Maclin or Harvin, but he also doesn't have an offensive teammate to take some of the spotlight. That said, Beanie Wells will put up monstrous numbers this year and bring The Ohio State University another Heisman.
2007 Stats: 3286 pass. yds, 32 TD, 6 Int, 66.9 comp%; 895 rush. yds, 23 TD.
Anyone who says Tebow is underrated should be diagnosed with DSM-IV-TR code 318.1 for having severe mental retardation. I've actually heard people say that Tebow is overhyped and isn't a great passer. How does a 66.9 completion percentage sound to you? How about 3,286 yards and 32 passing TDs? Tebow was #2 in the country in passing efficiency last season. He's not just a running QB. Tebow is a stud, but he won't win back-to-back Heisman's for a few reasons: Wells will have a huge year, Tebow will not run the ball as much this year, Percy Harvin will get some of Tebow's votes, and Urban Meyer plans to platoon Tebow with another quarterback at times in order to keep Tebow fresh. Tebow will be just as good this year, but his stats won't be. (I know, please use the word Tebow less. Thank you.)
2007 Stats: 5705 pass. yds, 48 TD, 14 Int, 71.8 comp%.
Harrell is a stud quarterback. He averaged 438 yards passing per game. Texas Tech always has quarterbacks who put up huge numbers, and yes, it is the system, but Harrell is really good. His stat line last year is probably better than I could do on NCAA 09. Harrell has a similar problem/benefit to that of Daniel and Tebow - Michael Crabtree is the best player on the Texas Tech team and he will certainly get some of the votes that would otherwise go to Harrell. Crabtree is ridiculous, and if Harrell is smart, which he is, he'll look his way constantly. Harrell will put up huge numbers this year with most of his offense returning and an o-line that is underrated. Harrell will lose votes because of Crabtree and the perception that he is a system quarterback, a la Colt Brennan.
2007 Stats: 1334 rush. yds, 14 TD, 5.4 ypc; 253 rec. yds.
Moreno seems to be the sexy pick this year. I like Moreno, but I don't see him winning the Heisman. Georgia goes up against some awesome defenses this year and Mike Bobo has said that he plans to open up the offense and allow Matthew Stafford to throw the ball more this season. Bobo has also installed some new packages for Caleb King, Moreno's backup, so that Moreno will not have to carry too heavy a load. All these factors lead me to believe that Moreno will not win the Heisman, but will finish near the top. Moreno put up impressive numbers last year, and he didn't start until game four (but he did get plenty of carries in the first three games). Moreno will put up big numbers and get some Heisman love, but it won't help that Chris Wells will put up huge numbers for another high-profile team.
5. Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri
2007 Stats: 4306 pass yds, 33 TD, 11 Int, 68.2 comp%; 218 rush. yds, 4 TD.
It still feels weird to see Missouri football as relevant. Daniel is a stud. He is similar to Wells in that he usually plays big in big games. Look at these numbers: vs. Illinois (359 yds, 3 TD), vs. Oklahoma (361 yds 1TD), and vs. Kansas (361 yds, 3 TD). Daniel plays in an offense that will allow him to put up huge numbers, but his running-mate Jeremy Maclin might take some of his votes. Daniel is impressive, but I'm even questioning putting him here over Crabtree.
Five who could end up in New York City
2007 Stats: 858 rec. yds, 4 TD; 764 rush yds, 6 TD.
If Florida gets Harvin the ball more, he'll put up bigger numbers. Urban Meyer uses Harvin in a lot of ways, but he should be getting more touches in the passing game. I don't know that there is a more dynamic receiver in college football.
Maclin is amazingly fast and has great all-purpose numbers, but now teams know who he is and will be keying on him. He will still put up big numbers and could creep up this list.
9. Pat White, QB, West Virginia -
2007 Stats: 1724 pass. yds, 14 TD, 4 Int, 66.7 comp%; 1335 rush. yds, 14 TD.
If it weren't for Tebow, White would get more hype as a dual-threat QB. White needs to improve a lot as a passer (or at least throw the ball more) to end up higher on this list.
Six guys who could make some noise but probably won't finish in the top 5:
Friday, August 1, 2008
Manny Ramirez is a Dodger!!
First off, if you haven’t read PlayBoyd’s thoughts on Ron Artest, you should—it’s a great read. I had a great day yesterday. I don’t know if any news could have g
otten me more frisky than when my boy Dyer called me. I answered and he said, “Are you excited that Manny is a Dodger?” I hadn’t heard and I almost ran my car into the cow pasture I happened to be driving by. This was the best sports news I’ve had in a while. Even though they might be the most frustrating team in baseball, I have always been a Dodgers fan. They have the money to spend big, but they don’t. And if they ever do spend big they do it on players who aren’t worth the money or who get injured within a month of coming to the team (i.e., Jason Schmidt). But now a ray of hope has shown upon Dodger nation in the form of a dreadlocked Man-Ram.
I love Manny. Love him. He can probably compete with Artest in
the crazy as hell department, but I love that too. Finally the Dodgers are interesting again. Manny slaps teammates (just wait until he gets with Jeff Kent), plays as cutoff man even though he’s in left field, rolls over the ball to get in better position to make a throw, talks on his cell during pitching changes, knocks down 62-year-old men, holds up the game to go into the green monster to take a leak, and high fives fans while he’s making a play. Manny has been known to wear sunglasses with a built in MP3 player while playing left. Some of Manny’s antics are heartwarming in a Bad News Bears kind of way - and now he’s a Dodger. Terrell Owens once said, “I love me some me.” Well, I love me some Manny.
During a rehab stint a few years ago Manny lost his $15,000 diamond
earring while sliding into third base. The grounds crew had to comb the infield looking for it. Man-Ram put a “Manny Ramirez autographed BBQ grill” up for sale on ebay. And just recently, during a game with the
I don’t know that Manny will be a savior or if the Dodgers will have Manny for more than this year, but they aren’t paying his contract and Man-Ram will be a free agent after
this season, so he’ll be looking to put up huge numbers to earn a fat new deal. The best part about this is the Dodgers can now stop parading Andruw Jones out to the plate when he’s hitting .163 with 2 homers (another bad $ spending move by LA). Manny will have a big finish this year, help LA make the playoffs and become relevant, only to sign a fat contract with the Yankees or Mets or somebody else. The Dodgers can then put down big money on a player who will get hurt or never live up to the hype. Things will go back to normal soon enough, but for now I’m going to enjoy Manny disappearing from left field at Dodger stadium during pitching changes so he can pee. Manny was quoted on ESPN recently as saying “The Red Sox don’t deserve a player like me.” Amen, Man-Ram. Amen.