NBA Playoffs: It’s The Spurs … Again

Continue Reading May 30th, 2007

We congratulate the Spurs on their trip to the NBA Finals. We’re gonna try really hard to like them. Honest. We are. Hey, Tim Duncan! He’s good. That’s something. See you tomorrow.

NBA Playoffs: It’s The Spurs … Again

Continue Reading May 30th, 2007

We congratulate the Spurs on their trip to the NBA Finals. We’re gonna try really hard to like them. Honest. We are. Hey, Tim Duncan! He’s good. That’s something. See you tomorrow.

Another fighter off Dynamite USA card

Continue Reading May 30th, 2007

Antonio “Big Foot” Silva is the latest fighter to be taken off the K-1 Dynamite USA card. No official reason is given. His scheduled opponent, Jonathan Wiezorek, is now slated to take on Tim “Big Perm” Persey in a bout that will be televised on Showtime cable.

If I haven’t made it clear by now, I’m really disgusted at the whole Dynamite USA debacle. I like EliteXC and hope their portion of the card goes well but I will not be ordering the PPV because I can’t bring myself to support FEG and their irresponsible business practices. It’s hard for me to say that considering I’ve been looking forward to Brock Lesnar’s MMA debut for quite some time. I would just rather save my money at this point and watch the WEC on Versus instead.

It’s considered very unprofessional when a fighter is unable to make weight. However, I think it’s equally unprofessional for fighters not to have their medicals submitted to the athletic commission well in advance of their fight.

I really don’t understand the Japanese MMA business landscape. There is a tremendous fanbase for MMA in Japan yet Pride was run into the ground and K-1 Hero’s doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation. A lot of people say how tough it’s going to be for the Fertittas to succeed in Japan because an American-owned and operated business wouldn’t be well received by the Japanese. However, isn’t some MMA better than no MMA? Clearly there is a void in Japan when it comes to a well run mixed martial arts promotion and it seems like there’s a golden opportunity for a new entry to go in there and become successful, if everything is done right.

Sakuraba cleared to fight Gracie

Continue Reading May 30th, 2007

According to the Wrestling Observer, Kazushi Sakuraba has been cleared for this Saturday’s co-main event against Royce Gracie at K-1’s Dynamite USA in Los Angeles. However, in a strange twist, it’s Gracie who now doesn’t have all of his neccessary paperwork submitted to the commission. He’ll probably get it in and get cleared but this card is just so haphazard in how it’s been put together that words cannot describe it. The in-house Smokers I participate at in my school are ten times more organized and better put together than this card. You’d think with so much money at stake that FEG would have had their stuff together and with so many fighters in line for big pay days you think they would have been on the ball when it comes to working with the California State Athletic Commission.

NBA Playoffs: Could Be The Last Night For Your Jazz

Continue Reading May 30th, 2007

Now that the Eastern Conference Finals are heating up — as much as anything post-Golden State in this playoffs has been able to “heat up” — the Western Conference can wrap up tonight, with San Antonio finishing up the Manu-ization of the NBA. There won’t be as many Jazz fans to throw Blistex at Bruce Bowen this time, and that’s for the best: That shit is addictive.

We are doing the best we can to agree with what Bill Simmons said in his chat yesterday: The Spurs are more enjoyable to watch than they have been given credit for. We guess. We’re still spoiled by the Warriors, it’s true.

We’ll just take a moment, as Illini, to salute Deron Williams, who has become a superstar in this series; he’s still feeling a little gimpy, but we suspect he’ll be able to make it out. MJD at The Fanhouse argues that he might be better than John Stockton someday, and we’ll be happy to say we knew him back when.

Pounding The Rock
The Debriefing [The Fanhouse]

NBA Playoffs: Could Be The Last Night For Your Jazz

Continue Reading May 30th, 2007

Now that the Eastern Conference Finals are heating up — as much as anything post-Golden State in this playoffs has been able to “heat up” — the Western Conference can wrap up tonight, with San Antonio finishing up the Manu-ization of the NBA. There won’t be as many Jazz fans to throw Blistex at Bruce Bowen this time, and that’s for the best: That shit is addictive.

We are doing the best we can to agree with what Bill Simmons said in his chat yesterday: The Spurs are more enjoyable to watch than they have been given credit for. We guess. We’re still spoiled by the Warriors, it’s true.

We’ll just take a moment, as Illini, to salute Deron Williams, who has become a superstar in this series; he’s still feeling a little gimpy, but we suspect he’ll be able to make it out. MJD at The Fanhouse argues that he might be better than John Stockton someday, and we’ll be happy to say we knew him back when.

Pounding The Rock
The Debriefing [The Fanhouse]

Ichiro Suzuki: Ichiro Can Move Fly Balls With His Mind

Continue Reading May 30th, 2007

We can never quite tell if Ichiro Suzuki has an imaginative translator, or if he’s even battier than we thought he was. Either way, it’s entertaining. This, from after he missed a fly ball the other day:

“The ball became the same color as the sky,'’ he said, through interpreter Ken Barron. “So, I wasn’t able to see it … I was sending mental signals for the ball not to come my way, because during that time of day it’s impossible for me to see the ball so I lacked mental signals. I lacked in that area.’



“Usually, I don’t send mental signals,” Ichiro replied. “So, because this is the first time, I thought, please don’t come my way.”

It doesn’t quite measure up to our favorite, from when he was discussing why the Mariners were struggling: “If there is a problem, we need to notice what creates the problem. The problem usually isn’t just on the cover. You need to look much deeper. For example, if we’re talking about a tree and the tree has a problem, you need to look at the root. But you cannot see the root. The mistake is to keep watering the fruit. That’s not going to solve anything.” Again, we’d love to know his interpreter a little better.

Ichiro And Mental Signals [Enjoy The Enjoyment]
Ichiro Continues To Lose It A Bit [Deadspin]

Ichiro Suzuki: Ichiro Can Move Fly Balls With His Mind

Continue Reading May 30th, 2007

We can never quite tell if Ichiro Suzuki has an imaginative translator, or if he’s even battier than we thought he was. Either way, it’s entertaining. This, from after he missed a fly ball the other day:

“The ball became the same color as the sky,'’ he said, through interpreter Ken Barron. “So, I wasn’t able to see it … I was sending mental signals for the ball not to come my way, because during that time of day it’s impossible for me to see the ball so I lacked mental signals. I lacked in that area.’



“Usually, I don’t send mental signals,” Ichiro replied. “So, because this is the first time, I thought, please don’t come my way.”

It doesn’t quite measure up to our favorite, from when he was discussing why the Mariners were struggling: “If there is a problem, we need to notice what creates the problem. The problem usually isn’t just on the cover. You need to look much deeper. For example, if we’re talking about a tree and the tree has a problem, you need to look at the root. But you cannot see the root. The mistake is to keep watering the fruit. That’s not going to solve anything.” Again, we’d love to know his interpreter a little better.

Ichiro And Mental Signals [Enjoy The Enjoyment]
Ichiro Continues To Lose It A Bit [Deadspin]