Archive for November 2nd, 2006
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2006
We have told you before about the noble quest of StopShuler.com, produced by a group of Redskins fans who want to keep their former quarterback — and current Congressional candidate — Heath Shuler from returning to Washington.
Well, with just five days until Election Day, the kids over there are realizing that they can only do much. Shuler is way ahead in the polls, and he has such a good sense of humor about himself that he actually sat down for an interview with the site.
(Sample excerpt: “Stop Shuler: Okay, November 26, 1995. RFK stadium — a 14-7 loss to the Eagles. Did you hear me boo?
Heath Shuler: What? Did I hear you boo? I mean, I obviously couldn’t pick one person out —
You know, was that you guys that got a beach ball taken away? I heard some boos when that happened, I’m sure it wasn’t because of an interception or anything…)
Anyway, once Norv Turner turned down an interview request, the site knew it didn’t have much steam left. So now, accepting a Shuler return to DC, they’re aiming lower: Simply requesting the media to stop referring to Shuler as a “former NFL quarterback.” That sounds completely reasonable to us.
Heath Shuler Speaks! [StopShuler]
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2006
So San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman has decided to accept his four-game suspension for steroids, while making it clear that it was an accidental positive test as a result of an over-the-counter supplement.
Pretty much anyone with even a cursory understanding of steroids has debunked Merriman’s excuse — as opposed to Guillermo Mota’s more stand-up of handling the matter — as complete bullocks, not least of which because Merriman tested positive for Nandrolone, which is an injectible steroid and has no effect when taken orally. Blog Bored At Life lays out the case against Merriman:
The idea that some company is intentionally spiking their products with Nandrolone is pretty far fetched (particularly since you have to INJECT it for it to work). There could be one further reason he tested positive for Nandrolone. Androstene (the stuff Mark McGwire kept in his locker) has variants that can convert to the same chemical compound as nandrolone, when ingested. However, andro and it’s derivatives are on the banned list and illegal.
Maybe Merriman truly didn’t use steroids and somehow ingested andro. Only he knows what he took. But the bottom line is: He is no victim. The rules are clear. And the responsibility rests solely on the athlete to KNOW what he is putting in his body. The only victim here is personal responsibility.
For the record, we’re constantly injecting over-the-counter supplements; it takes care of our rickets and scurvy.
Merriman: I Am No Cheater [Bored At Life]
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2006
If you were wondering what the Timberwolves’ Mike James went as for Halloween this year — and we know you were — then now you know. He went as … uh, this. Are we sure this isn’t that Deelishis lady?
(Getty Images Photo)
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2006
Paulo Filho, Murilo Bustamante, and David Bielkheden held a public workout session today at the PRIDE Dreamers Dojo in Tokyo. The trio were preparing for their bouts this weekend on PRIDE’s Bushido Welterweight Grand Prix Finals card. Murilo Bustamante will face Korea’s Yoon Dong Sik; David Bielkheden will collide with Shooto Pacific Rim Welterweight Champion Mitsuhiro Ishida; Paulo Filho will be participating in the semifinals of the Welterweight Grand Prix against Kazuo Misaki.
The three showed off their BTT-standard ground skills for spectators. A sense of relaxation and confidence was seen on the faces of the fighter, as was confirmed by Filho’s own account of his approach to his Sunday night battle: “My condition is really good, which has allowed me to concentrate on the fight. I’m really resting until Sunday so that there’s no pressure on my mind or my body.” Concerning his opponent, Filho found Misaki to be a good fighter, but no match for his takedown ability. Instead of a prediction for the finals, Filho simply stated “I just want to fight the best guy.”
Murilo Bustamante confirmed Filho’s confidence: “Everyone at Brazillian Top Team knows Paulo will win this. There’s no one in this tournament who doesn’t belong there, but Paulo is a level above them.”
An interesting note was made at the practice of Filho’s tattoo of Mike Tyson’s face on his left arm. A proud Tyson fan, a reported asked Filo if he’d consider fighting Tyson should he win the Grand Prix, to which Filho replied “If he wants to” with a smile.
Dream Stage Entertainment Presents PRIDE Bushido: Welterweight Grand Prix 2006 Final
November 5th, 2006
Yokohama Arena
Yokohama, Japan
Doors Open: 15:00
Fights Start: 16:00
Tentative Fight Card (Card Subject To Change)
83KG, 2R 10M/5M
Gegard Moussasi (Jurojin) vs. Hector Lombard (Freelance)
83KG, 2R 10M/5M
Sanae Kikuta (GRABAKA) vs. Jean-Francois Lenogue (Freelance)
73 KG, 2R 10M/5M
Nobuhiro Obiya (Team Rascal) vs. Luiz Firmino (Brazilian Top Team)
73 KG, 2R 10M/5M
Shinya Aoki (Paraestra Tokyo) vs. Gilbert Melendez (Jake Shields Fighting Team)
83 KG, 2R 10M/5M
Murilo Bustamente (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Yoon Dong Sik (Takada Dojo)
Open, 2R 10M/5M
Ikuhisa Minowa (Freelance) vs. Mike Burton (Freelance)
2006 PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix Semifinal
83 KG, 2R 10M/5M
Denis Kang (American Top Team) vs Akihiro Gono (GRABAKA)
2006 PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix Semifinal
83 KG, 2R 10M/5M
Kazuo Misaki (GRABAKA) vs Paulo Filho (Brazilian Top Team)
For The PRIDE Lightweight Championship
73 KG, 2R 10M/5M
Marcus Aurelio (American Top Team) vs. Takanori Gomi (Team Rascal)
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2006
You might have missed it with all the business of watching parades of sexy nurses/witches/superheroes/hockey players pass by, but on Halloween, the new album from Ron Artest “dropped,” as they say. It’s called “My World,” and it is apparently not inspired by the weird song Axl Rose put on the end of “Use Your Illusion I” without telling Izzy Stradlin, ultimately causing him to quit the band and just screw everything up. (Side note: A friend of ours is seeing Guns ‘N’ Roses in concert on Sunday; we remain far from convinced the show will actually happen.)
Anyway, Artest’s album gets the SLAM review treatment, and they recount some of the great moments. HIghlights include:
• He talks about how he used to hit the liquor store at halftime of games. Which we totally understand.
• He says Matt Lauer “talks like a girl.”
• There’s a skit where Artest hosts a conference at the United Nations.
• Actual line: “I don’t think I’m insane / I think the world is crazy.”
Damn straight, Ron. DAMN STRAIGHT.
Music Review: Ron Artest’s “My World” [SLAM Online]
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2006
The wisdom of sending more of our troops to Iraq is making less and less sense to us, mostly because there are bitter, liquored-up Bills fans wandering around with nothing to do. Meet Patriots’ fan Barry Donaghey, who was simply trying to enjoy a tailgate celebration with his pregnant wife following visiting New England’s 28-6 win over the Bills on Sunday.
About 5 p.m., Barry Donaghey — who was wearing a Red Sox cap and Pats jacket — went to use a nearby porta-potty. While Donaghey was inside, he said, Bills fans began hurling anti-Patriots insults and pelting the portable restroom with rocks and other objects. “I thought if I kept my head down, I would be fine,” recalled the software salesman.
When he finally came out, Donaghey was pummeled like a University of Miami placekick holder, breaking certain small bones.
The sad part is that the mob also tried to kick him, but missed wide right.
Insults, Injuries: Mass. Man Beaten at N.Y. Stadium [Boston Herald]
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2006
The ZST Secretariat have announced their full ZST 11 Card scheduled for November 23. The card so far is highlighted by bouts between Kentaro Imaizumi and Shuichiro Katsumura, Takumi Yano and Rueben Charles, and Nobutatsu Suzuki and Petras Morkevicius.
This will be the third dance between Imaizumi and Katsumura. The two first clashed early in 2002 on a Shooto card where the bout could not be decided after exshausting the full time limit and was declared a draw. Imaizumi and Katsumura matched their respective ground games again a year later in Shooto, only to see Imaizumi be decided the winner in a unanimous decision. Katsumura should be thoroughly motivated to finally defeat Imaizumi, but his record against the best may be a negative indicator how he’ll fare.
Imaizumi was a force to be reckoned with in Shooto’s 60KG division, until a wild goose chase in the form of a bout, and loss, to then Shooto World Featherweight Champion Ryota Matsune deflated his success. Instead of bouncing back, Imaizumi never even got to apply his strengths against the wily DJ Taiki in Pancrase, and has since drawn with methodical wrestler Takumi Murata and an underwhelming Wataru Inatsu. Imaizumi, once a name to be feared, must re-establish himself with a win over Katsumura, though the path that led him to his #1 contendership status against Matsune is a long and hard one.
Takumi Yano continues his crusade against some of the world’s best BJJ players in fighting Brazil’s Rueben Charles in a grappling match. Yano’s crusade has yielded an 0-2 record this year, losing to Rickson Gracie student Rani Yahira and South Korean BJJ Champion Song Un Sik, both in MARS in MMA rules bouts. Rueben “Cobrinha” Charles is a black belt under Fernando Tererre. In 2006, he’s won the featherweight division in the Pro Jiu-Jitsu X tourney as well as the World Championship, defeating Marcio Feitosa in the finals. Attention is gathering surrounding the bout as to how Yano will fare against a reigning BJJ World Champion.
Finally, break-out ZST rookie superstar Nobutatsu Suzuki, 2-0 in his career with 2 knockouts, will tangle with Petras Morkevicius. Lithuanians being known as strong strikers, this will be Suzuki’s biggest test.
ZST Secretariat Presents “ZST11″
November 23, 2006
DIFFER Ariake, Tokyo
Doors Open: 16:30
Fights Start: 17:30
Tentative Fight Card (Card Subject To Change):
65KG, 2R 5M
Kenichi Ito (A-Square) vs. Emerson Azuma (Jungle Junction Akimoto Dojo)
85KG, 2R 5M
Kenji Nagai (U-FILE CAMP Akabane) vs. Hiroshi Oyaizu (Harajuku Dojo)
75KG, 2R 5M
Masayuki Okude (Gold Gym South Tokyo) vs. Hiroyuki Ito (Team Alliance)
85KG, 2R 5M
Nobutatsu Suzuki (Harajuku Dojo) vs. Petras Morkevicius (Freenlance)
ZST Grappling GT-F Rules
70KG, 2R 5M
Takumi Yano (Wild Phoenix Yano Dojo) vs. Rueben Charles (Alliance Jiu-Jitsu)
65KG, 2R 5M
Kentaro Imaizumi (SK Absolute) vs. Shuichiro Katsumura (Katsumura Dojo)
Scheduled To Participate:
Hideo Tokoro (REVERSAL)
Naoyuki Kotani (Rodeo Style)
Remigijus Morkevicius (RINGS Lithuania)
Baret Yoshida (Freelance)
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2006
Okay, so we talked about the Ben-less Pistons’ struggles last night (much to Boney’s dismay), so how did the Ben-full Bulls do in their second game with the 4-time Defensive Player of the Year?
They done got all beat up by the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard, who we’re sure FD is describing in eloquent verbiage, but who we’re stuck labelling things like “big, strong, and fast”.
Check the highlights at NBA.com if you can - dude was all over the place last night.
“Is Big Ben the reigning defensive player of the year?” [Magic forward Tony] Battie asked. “OK . . . They got him to guard Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal]. If the young fella [Howard] keeps continuing like this, he’s going to be unstoppable.
“No disrespect to Shaq or Tim Duncan, but in the old-school standards of building a team, you have to start with Dwight Howard,'’ Battie said. “This is his year.”
We’d debate that you have to start with Dwight, but after seeing what this guy did to the alleged best defense in the NBA last night, one pretty much has to say you take him if you’re looking at big men.
He’s like Amare Stoudemire, but bigger and less disgruntled. He’s like Andrew Bynum, but thinner and more religious. He’s like Shaq, but younger, a little smaller, not as funny, and on a different team.
He’s like Tracy McGrady, but at a different position, with a different skill set, a different personality, with different potential, and a completely different player.
Hell, he’s like Emeka Okafor, but totally way better, which reminds us that was an actual debate a couple years ago.
(NOTE: We need it understood that just because we’re not going to type out “we know it’s only one game, but…” doesn’t mean we’re not saying it on the inside.)
(NOTE 2: Three out of five people missed the truth about that Photoshop job.)
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