Best on the Net

Scouring the interwebs to find the best stuff out there so you don't have to.

Apparently being at work for 60+ hours so far this week with 35 minutes to kill between changing samples gives you a ridiculous amount of time to fit data (and by fit data I mean surf the web).


Not sports but it compares someone to LeBron so close enough (Simon on Sports)


You are what you watch (Ghosts of Wayne Fontes)


Sweet Dunk (Fanhouse)


Funny for some (approximately 49% of the population) (Funny Hub)


SI Snowsuit Issue (Sports Pickle)


Remember Slamball? Well it is back (With Leather)


This one is for you political junkies: John McCain can't be President? (NY Times)


Tragic (NJ.com)



The Kelvin Sampson firing has sure gotten a lot of publicity for little Montana Tech and their Kelvin Sampson court. Here, here, here, and here. (Originally from the Missoulian, but linked to The Big Picture, Fanhouse, We are the Postmen, and Eleven Warriors)

The thing is Montana Tech is a little school that does not have a lot of boosters that are going to throw down $50k to help renovate the gym. It was awfully nice of Kelvin to do that to help out the school that gave him his first head coaching job. I think they should keep his name on the court, but it does not make him any less of a cheater and a liar.

On Tap

Due to me working far too much this week the On Tap feature may not show up until sometime Friday or not at all. In other words, check your local listings.

Beer of the Week

Week of Februrary 25th 2008 --- Beer of the Week


Beck's






This is going up way later than usual being that I am actually doing some work for a change. So no description, no (sorta) funny stories, no nothing. Beck's is your beer of the week.

Best on the Net

Scouring the interwebs to find the best stuff out there so you don't have to.

Just two links this week.

Trade day recap (We Suck at Sports)

The best tribe blog on the net is at it again, apparently I am going to link to the DiaTribe every week. Here is suggestions for personal entrance music. (The DiaTribe)

I am almost excited by the NBA

After all the trades (Gasol, Shaq, half of Seattle's team, Big Ben, etc. etc.) I can almost see myself being excited by the second half of the season. I even watched most (95%) of the Suns-Lakers game.

That is the most of an NBA game I have watched since I actually went to the Q two years ago with D Funk and watched him sneak in a giant roast beef sandwich from Arby's (in a giant aluminum wrapper) as I get stopped by security because I had some gum in my pocket and set off the metal detector.

Anyhow, as long as the NBA decides to toss the script away and let the games be truly contested in the second half of the season and the playoffs I might have to watch one or two games.

As far as a quick (probably totally wrong, since I never watch) analysis of the big trades:

Gasol to the Lakers makes them a very tough team, this will be even more true when Andrew Bynum comes back from injury.

Shaq to the Suns will turn out to be better than most experts think. Shaq is a veteran and will find a way to fit in with the team. The Suns looked good with him in the second half last night, the Lakers were just better.

Spurs pick up Kurt Thomas to help on the interior defense to let Tim Duncan concentrate on offense. It can never hurt to free up your best player to score more points.

Jason Kidd to the Mavs: I don't think this helps them keep up with the Suns, Lakers and Spurs.

Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak to the Cavs. I have no idea if this is a good trade or a trade that was made just for the sake of saying "Hey LeBron we made a trade to help you". I guess we will find out. (It seems like some people are a lot more excited about this trade than I am. Dan Shanoff thinks the 4 guys Cleveland picked up could be the other 4 starters with LeBron)

Countless other trades took place that I a) don't care about or b) don't know enough about to really comment on (not that a lack of information usually stops me).

On Tap

Helping you get your weekend viewing priorities straight since 2007

Thursday

7:00 (ESPN) Pittsburgh @ Notre Dame. Pitt is playing for NCAA tourney seeding. ND still has a shot the number 1 seed at the Big East tourney. They don’t have the easiest schedule left, but if they find a way to win out the #1 seed is theirs.

9:00 (ESPN2) Michigan @ Minnesota. Neither of these teams are going to be going to the big dance (unless they pull of some real shockers and win the Big 10 tourney), but Minnesota is probably playing for a NIT berth.

Saturday

10:00 AM (FSC) West Ham @ Fulham. Battle of the hams.

12:00 (FSC) Manchester United @ Newcastle United. Man U looks to keep their Premiership title hopes afloat and Newcastle would like nothing more than to sink them (as well as find some owner(s) who aren’t constantly trying to sell the team).

12:00 (ESPN) Connecticut @ Villanova. Saturday Big East noon game. Villanova needs to pick up a couple of wins to secure their spot in the tournament, the Big East tournament that is. UConn has a real shot of picking up the #1 at Madison Square Garden.

3:00 (ESPN2) Creighton @ Oral Roberts. A solid bracket buster game. Creighton has not been quite as good as in the last couple of years, but Oral Roberts has been solid at 19-6 with two losses to top 20 teams.

4:00 (CBS) St. John’s @ Duke. An annual tradition renewed. Also, note a Duke game not on the ESPN family of networks, this equals no Dickie V meaning eminently more watchable.

5:00 (ESPN2) Drake @ Butler. A bracket buster game that you should definitely check out. Drake has been a surprise in the Missouri Valley this season (having already clinched the regular season championship) and Butler has been a mid major on the rise for the last couple of years. Both of the teams are good enough to get past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. This should be a great game, as well as most peoples first chance to get a look at Drake.

9:00 (ESPN) Tennessee @ Memphis. #1 vs. #2 in the coaches poll meet up during the regular season for the first time since… last year.

Sunday

2:00 (CBS) Syracuse @ Notre Dame. Notre Dame’s second showing this week.

2:00 (NBC) Accenture Match Play. This could possibly be interesting if a Tiger vs. Phil or Tiger vs. some other high profile player match up takes place. Then again it could really suck if we get Bradley Dredge vs. Rod Pampling.

4:00 (CBS) Wisconsin @ Ohio State. OSU is sure getting a lot of national exposure on Sunday afternoons, a lot of losing exposure that is.

ESPN 360 Is Killing My Productivity

Not that I had that much to begin with. Finding out that the Ohio State network supports ESPN360.com was probably the worst thing I could learn, but being able to follow the UEFA Champions league matches while I am sitting in the basement at work is a pretty exciting development. Also my college basketball watching is going to increase as I will be able to watch the early week night games while I am finishing up work for the day. Even better anything you miss you can watch later using the DVR like capabilities of ESPN360.






The only problem so far is the same 5 commercials over and over and over.

So hopefully where ever you are your network allows you to tap into the amazing potential that is ESPN360.com

Just Though You Should Know

Selection Sunday is 4 weeks from yesterday.







That means it is time to start thinking about identifying some teams that you like to pull a 12-5 or 13-4 upset during the big dance, unless you are just going to pick your team based on which university has a warmer climate and thus winning the pool back to back years (I am not bitter or anything).

Beer of the Week

Week of Februrary 18th 2008 --- Beer of the Week



Harp





With less than one month to go until St. Patrick's Day it is time to start preparing for that all day drunken debacle. To get things started the beer of the week is Harp, the lighter half of the half & half. I honestly can not say if I have ever had a Harp without some Guinness floating on top of it, but I guess there is a first time for everything.

Fantasy Baseball

Now that pitchers and catchers are reporting I am starting to get baseball fever. I know there are like a whopping three readers of this blog, but I was thinking about starting up a fantasy baseball league. Let me know if you would be interested in joining.

Update: Just send me an email if you are interested.

Best on the Net

Scouring the interwebs to find the best stuff out there so you don't have to.


Boston ruins everyone's fun. (The Cleveland Sports Animal)


It's (sorta) Tribe Time Now. Spring training starts! (The Diatribe)


Shaq and the big man pecking order. (With Leather)


Roger Clemens trial in pictures. (Simon on Sports)


More Shaq. He is terrified of being a Sun. (The Onion)


Solid Prank. (Gadling)

On Tap (Too sick to make up facts edition)

Helping you get your weekend viewing priorities straight since 2007

Thursday

7:00 (ESPN) NC State @ Boston College

9:00 (ESPN2) Fordham @ UMass.

Friday

9:00 (ESPN) Pitt @ Marquette. Great Big East game, in a rare ESPN Friday night college hoops broadcast.

Saturday

10:00 AM (FSC) Barnsley @ Liverpool

12:00 (ESPN) Georgetown @ Syracuse

1:00 (CBS) Virginia Tech @ North Carolina

2:00 (ESPN) Louisville @ Providence

6:00 (ESPN) Texas @ Baylor

9:00 (ESPN) Michigan State @ Our coach is a cheat, you knew it, we knew it, we hired him anyhow U*

Sunday

11:00 AM (FSC) Portsmouth @ Preston North End

1:00 (CBS) Ohio State @ Michigan

* That would be Indiana

Beer of the Week

Week of Februrary 11th 2008 --- Beer of the Week



Yuengling






Yuengling imported all the way from Pennsylvania. I told a friend Yuengling could not be the beer of the week until she brought me some, and since it arrived last week, here it is. People from PA will tell you that this is gold in a bottle. I will tell you that it is a solid beer, but I would not make a special trip to PA for it. I will also tell you that after writing that I can count on never receiving another Yuengling delivery.

Best on the Net

Scouring the interwebs to find the best stuff out there so you don't have to.

Short list this week.


A breakdown of who reads what. (The Wizard of Odds)


Ummmmmmmmmmm? (The Land Salmon)



Objective recruiting breakdown. (Every Day Should Be Saturday)

On Tap

Helping you get your weekend viewing priorities straight since 2007

Thursday

7:00 (ESPN) WVU @ Pitt. Pitt has had a crazy season thus far, beating teams they shouldn’t losing to teams they should handle easy, losing two starters and then beating teams that have them out manned. Hopefully Bob Huggins will continue to dress like a pimp.

9:00 (ESPN2) Xavier @ St. Louis. Xavier has been complaining this year about not being a “mid-major” but they better make sure they put away a team that only scored 20 points once this year. Key Fact: Rumor has it that Rick Majerus accepted the St. Louis job because pictures of the Billiken reminded him of his childhood self.

Saturday

10:00 AM (FSC) Reading @ Everton. Everton is currently sitting in a Champions League spot and needs to continue to beat teams that are below them to ensure that losing to the Big 4 will not kick them out of that spot. A lose could put Reading back into the relegation zone.

12:00 (ESPN) Marquette @ Notre Dame. Two Big East teams that I know nothing about and if I am not working on Saturday (boo!) I will check this game out and be able to comment on the teams abilities after the fact.

1:00 (CBS) Boston College @ Duke. I did not get a chance to watch Duke knock off UNC (I was too busy at a free Will Ferrell show), but I think that they may have surprised more than a few people by winning in the Dean Dome.

2:00 (ESPN) Iowa @ Minnesota. How good is Tubby Smith at coaching other coach’s recruites?

9:00 (ESPN) Georgetown @ Louisville. Rick Petino, John Thompson (not that one, his son) Big East Hoops, ESPN, what else can you ask for, besides free beer?

Sunday

11:00 AM (FSC) Liverpool @ Chelsea. A battle of the aforementioned Big 4. Right now Liverpool is sitting on the outside looking in at a Champions League spot and Chelsea is holding to Premier League title hopes, a lose for either will considerably hurt their table aspirations.

1:00 (CBS) Indiana @ Ohio State. The best team in the Big Ten (sometimes) Indiana travels to OSU to try and knock off the defending Big Ten champs. A win for OSU helps their tournament position, but a loss is going to make it a little harder to get in especially playing in a weaker than normal Big Ten.