When you’re a rookie heading into the cauldron that is the NFL, particularly when you might be replacing a future Hall of Famer, it’s important to make as strong an impression as possible.
As pointed out by PopJocks, Jets running back Leon Washington appears to have chosen the “flip off the camera on your rookie card” technique of standing out. Intriguing way to go about it; rather Billy Ripken-esque.
(We’re not crazy, are we? That is what he’s doing, right? Or is that a cool sign we’re too lame to know about? It has certainly happened.)
Sometimes we like to look at the games on a given night’s schedule, and then go down the list of games, and then look at each game, and then analyze each game in our head, and then make a list of our own about the various games, and then pick one to watch.
Tonight’s game that resulted from that process is the Dancing With the Stars finale.
If that falls through somehow, we’re gonna step-kick-step Isiah style over to Chicago at Dallas.
Couple reasons for this. First, there’s only one reason. Secondly, these are two hgh-profile, allegedly contending teams trying to find their groove in the new season.
The Mavs seem to be having that post-Finals malaise thing happening. Nobody doubts they’ll pull out of it - just a matter of when.
The Bulls, on the other hand, are exactly what we said they’d be - all hard-working defense and no offense.
Somehow, the addition of All-Star big man Ben Wallace didn’t magically transform them into a team that doesn’t completely depend on whether Ben Gordon is hot from outside or not.
Head coach Scott Skiles knows it, and is considering a change in the line-up tonight - most likely in the form of ben Gordon going back to the sixth man role he made his name in.
‘’We might change the lineup,'’ Skiles said. ‘’I don’t really want to comment on it and give you guys a heads-up on what it is.'’
‘’In Ben’s specific situation, he’s a very talented guy, and the last step for all young players is consistency — having it every night or close to every night,'’ Skiles said. ‘’We all have a responsibility to help him get to that stage where he can play [consistently] because he is such a good player.'’
All of that is to say this: Ben’s getting benched because one night he scores 37 and the next he scores 2.
You see, if Coach Skiles says that in those exact words, then all the reporters (the mentioned “you guys”) will write a bunch of articles and columns ripping Ben Gordon up and suggesting he get traded.
Those would be the articles and columns that are getting written anyway, including (the linked) 425th time Sam Smith has suggested a Kevin Garnett trade in the past 243 days.
As for us, we feel kinda bad, being that Ben is our myspace friend and all. If you’re not yet our myspace friend, now might be the time to do it - we’re going to start handing out the crowns, vacation prizes, and membership cards next week.
The final addition to Pancrase’s 2006 SPECIAL NIGHT Card will be Masakazu Kuramochi fighting Artur Oumakhanov of SK Absolute Russia.
Kuramochi’s career of ten years will bring him an immense advantage in experience to the ring, but going 0-2 in 2005 with two TKO losses may not bode well for the veteran against a fighter who recently bought home a TKO victory over Takahito Iida in D.O.G. in September. Iida, of course, isn’t the best medium for assessment, since his ability to withstand strikes has been proven unexceptional before care of Naoki Matsushita in another D.O.G. event last December.
Oumakhanov, however, will bring an accomplished background in Combat Sambo and kickboxing to the ring. Kuramochi will need to utilize his expirience to overcome Oumakhanov in hopes of setting a mostly unsuccessful career aright, while Oumakhanov will seek to destroy the veteran with his multi-faceted arsenal to build his name in Japan.
Also featured on the card is the Middleweight King of Pancrase bout between Izuru Takeuchi and Yuichi Nakanishi.
PANCRASEism Presents “PANCRASE 2006 Special Night” December 2nd, 2006 Differ Ariake Tokyo, Japan Doors Open: 17:00 Fights Start: 18:00
The Real Rhythm Secretariat has added the final bout to to their November 18 card. Brazilian Top Team’s Milton Viera, fresh from his final round appearance in the SUPER CHALLENGE 73KG tournament in Octomber which saw him lose to Jean Silva, will face Yukinari Tamura of MMA Angura, the winner of DEEP’s 2005 76KG Future King tourney. The bout will serve as the ’semi-final’ to the main event of Masataka Chunishi versus Xavier Foupa-Pokam.
Real Rhythm Secretariat Presents “Real Rhythm 5th Stage in Zepp Osaka” November 18, 2006 Doors Open: 16:00 Fights Start: 17:00
There are no misconceptions about what this does. It’s not about 2006 or making this team better, it’s about ‘07 and beyond. This season is over and done and the organization needs to know if Jason Campbell can be the man he was drafted to be or not. If not, well, then maybe they’ll continue losing games at a rapid rate and enter the Brady Quinn sweeps thanks to complete and utter ineptitude.
Now, let’s backtrack a moment to the nightmare that was the Skins game in Philly. Watch this video, which succinctly sums up the 27-3 loss, and then rant with me…
This is what it feels like to be the fan of a team that loses to a division rival by 24 in the driving rain because of a horizontal offense that can’t get in the endzone and a 30th-ranked defense that’s given up 17 pass TD vs. 2 INT and the starting RB (and my first-round fantasy pick) goes down with a broken hand and the punter can’t punt and the kicker can’t kick, and now I’ve got to hear from Eagles fans all damn week. On top of all that, Redskins FanHouse notes:
“The only thing worse than learning that Clinton Portis broke his hand is having to hear it from the chortled mouth of Tony Siragusa.”
Truer words have never been written. Being a Skins fan is just not a good thing right now, and maybe not for a long time. I really hope Campbell can play. Of course, I hoped the same thing about Patrick Ramsey and Heath Shuler.
So this is entertaining: Official MLB Auctions have discovered a sense of humor.
Currently up for bid on MLB’s site: an hat actually worn by famously injured Yankees “pitcher” Carl Pavano that was used in, like, a real game. Last year even! Seriously: Carl Pavano wore a hat during a game last year, and it didn’t squeeze his skull so much that his headaches made it too difficult to lift his right arm.
We appreciate the cap’s seller pointing out that “Pavano wore this hat during at least one live Major League Baseball game durnig (sic) the 2006 season.” Because we didn’t believe it either.
The hat is currently $100 on the auction, or $39.95 million for four years.
So this is entertaining: Official MLB Auctions have discovered a sense of humor.
Currently up for bid on MLB’s site: an hat actually worn by famously injured Yankees “pitcher” Carl Pavano that was used in, like, a real game. Last year even! Seriously: Carl Pavano wore a hat during a game last year, and it didn’t squeeze his skull so much that his headaches made it too difficult to lift his right arm.
We appreciate the cap’s seller pointing out that “Pavano wore this hat during at least one live Major League Baseball game durnig (sic) the 2006 season.” Because we didn’t believe it either.
The hat is currently $100 on the auction, or $39.95 million for four years.
So this is entertaining: Official MLB Auctions have discovered a sense of humor.
Currently up for bid on MLB’s site: an hat actually worn by famously injured Yankees “pitcher” Carl Pavano that was used in, like, a real game. Last year even! Seriously: Carl Pavano wore a hat during a game last year, and it didn’t squeeze his skull so much that his headaches made it too difficult to lift his right arm.
We appreciate the cap’s seller pointing out that “Pavano wore this hat during at least one live Major League Baseball game durnig (sic) the 2006 season.” Because we didn’t believe it either.
The hat is currently $100 on the auction, or $39.95 million for four years.
When you’re a rookie heading into the cauldron that is the NFL, particularly when you might be replacing a future Hall of Famer, it’s important to make as strong an impression as possible.
Sometimes we like to look at the games on a given night’s schedule, and then go down the list of games, and then look at each game, and then analyze each game in our head, and then make a list of our own about the various games, and then pick one to watch.
So this is entertaining: Official MLB Auctions have discovered a sense of humor.
