We’re almost done with this dreaded month…
Personally, I can't wait for White History Eleven Months to start.
Tim Lincecum agrees to $650K deal for 2009
This is probably my favorite story of the week. In 2008, Tim Lincecum won the Cy Young Award in the National League with an 18-5 record, a 2.62 ERA and 265 strikeouts. Last season, he was roughly paid $405,000. According to MLB's collective bargaining agreement, Lincecum does not have enough major league experience for any potential arbitration hearings. This means the Giants can basically pay him as little as they want. For me and you, $650,000 is A LOT of money. But imagine your Tim Lincecum. You just won the 2008 Cy Young Award. You only 24 years old. Meanwhile, another player on the Giants' pitching staff got paid around 36 times as much as you last year for posting a 10-17 record, a 5.15 ERA and 120 strikeouts.
Prior to the 2007 season, Barry Zito signed a 7 year, $126 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. Since then, he has posted a 21-30. Talk about getting the least for your money. $100 million contracts for pitchers rarely seem to work out. Case in point, Kevin Brown. Another case in point, Mike Hampton. The jury is still out on Johan Santana and CC Sabathia.
A little Barry Zito Snapple Fact for you (via Wikipedia): His mother Roberta named him after her brother Barry, a beatnik “freethinker” and acolyte of Zen who mysteriously vanished in 1964 at the age of 22 near Big Sur, California.
That's funny because Zito vanished at the age of 29. Ohhhhh! Somebody stop me!
Spring Training is here.
Everyone relax. Last night I saw baseball scores scrolling along the bottom of ESPN. All is right with the world.
Arod booed at Dunedin, Florida for first spring training game, homers
I mean, he homered off a guy who'll be bagging groceries in a couple weeks. But still, it's progress. Plus, he decided to talk to the media after the game, which suprised me. I truly thought he was going to take the Bonds' road after the press conference last week and not answer any steroids questions. The one thing that continues to baffle me is that after the game, he was picked up in a truck by his cousin Yuri Sucart. The same cousin who he accused of convincing him of taking steroids and injecting him with them. There are two ways I can take that piece of information. Either he is sticking it to everyone by saying, "Look, that was part of my past. Yuri and I don't deal with that stuff anymore. He is still my cousin and I am not going to alienate him over some mistakes we've made". Or, he literally does not get it. He needs someone to pick him up and there is nothing odd with having the same cousin who dealt with steroids pick you up after a spring training game. From what we've seen of Arod over the past eight or nine years, I am guessing the latter is correct. There is something off about Rodriguez that is clear to the public but not clear to his public relations' handlers. Up until last week, he had never said or done the right thing. Madonna, opting out during the World Series, flip-flopping over the WBC, his divorce, being awful during the playoffs. I give him credit for coming half clean last week, but if he continues to deal with his cousin, he is going to have to answer some more questions.
Tiger returns to golf yesterday by winning first round in Accenture Match Play
Yes! I can watch golf again. I'm suprised that the golf going public isn't dead from holding their breath for eight months. Look, I enjoy golf. I even play it sometimes. When the weather gets good, my father and I go to the driving ranges or play a nine hole Par 3 golf course on Sundays. It's a lot of fun. But watching the damn sport when Tiger isn't involved is more boring than a leaky faucet. As soon as Tiger went down with that knee injury last summer, I forgot about the sport altogether. Sure, I saw the highlights on ESPN. For instance, I know that Irishman Padraig Harrington won two majors in Tiger's absense. However, I didn't see one of his putts, drives, approach shots, or even him holding up the trophy. In order for golf to truly have a constant television audience, more players need to reach Tiger's level of skill. Or he at least needs to have a worthy advisary. And you're not allowed to say that Phil Mickelson is one. Once a year he destroys the field, hitting every fifty-foot putt and stays on the fairway the entire tournament. But the other 361 days of the year, he's hacking away with a putter in the brush. There are a few young players who seem to be on the verge of being competitive with Woods, but until then, golf won't matter without Tiger.
81st Academy Awards Live Blog
I am live-blogging the Oscars for a few reasons:
1. It gives me an excuse to stop studying. Plus, the class is Sport Management, I should ace that test with my eyes close and hands tied behind my back and no writing utensils. Flash to tomorrow: Me weeping in front of a test I didn't study for and I have no pen.
2. As discussed in this post, my friend (this kid) and I have a little wager going on. We both chose a winner in each category and whoever has the most right, gets a free meal at probably the best restaurant in the county we live in. I'm doing this wager because I like to gamble, he's doing it because he's looking for a free meal. Poor kid.
3. And I enjoy movies. However, probably 95% of the movies that are nominated for something tonight, I haven't seen. I just don't have the time. Now if you'll excuse me, the Oscars are not going to live blog themselves.
_________________________________________________
8:00-What the hell is going on? It doesn't start until 8:30? I hate Hollywood. I pay attention to you one time a year and you try to take every possible minute from me. Well too bad. I'll be watching the final 2:46 in the Heat/Magic game. And by the way, I know he hasn't even finished one season, but can we officially label Michael Beasley a "bust". I mean, relatively speaking he is. And besides, Rose clearly is better. I'll be back at 8:30.
8:31-Hugh Jackman's hosting. Never liked him. I guess that's because he beat me by a slim margin for People's Sexiest Man Alive last year.
8:33-Ugh, he's singing. Hey! Where did his accent go?
8:34-It's only 8:34 and I think Jackman has already realized he's made a huge mistake. Where's Chris Rock when you need him?
8:41-Someones is going to get fired for that curtain mishap. The recession continues to take jobs.
8:43-Look at all the talent on that stage: Tilda Swinton, Anjelica Houston, Goldie Hawn, Eva Marie Saint and a Leopard.
8:47-I think I picked Amy Adams because she is the hottest. But Penelope was a close second. Shit! My SAP button isn't working! By the way, I won't be live-blogging the entire show. It's just too damn long and my bed needs to be slept in.
8:53-Steve Martin probably is one of the funniest men of the planet yet he continues to sell out in movies like The Pink Panther. Peter Sellers is probably rolling in his grave. Wait, he's not dead? Well, I'm not deleting it.
8:58-If I were gay, I think I'd be moved. And I'd probably say his hair is FABULOUS!
9:00-Adapted screenplay for The Reader: She removes her clothes. They're still off. She's naked. She's still naked. She has no clothes on. She's naked.
9:01-Slumdog Millionaire wins for Adapted Screenplay. So far me and Luigi are tied 1-1 after three awards. This will come down to the wire, I can feel it.
9:04-Can we just skip this shit and give the award to WALL-E? Wait, Space Chimps is nominated? I rescind my previous statement.
9:08-Cue obligatory French short film. Can they do anything right?
9:10-Not only did that Asian guy win the award for his short film, he wins the award for person of the evening. And we're only 40 minutes in.
9:17-Some categories are immediately pigeon-holed when the "Academy" decides. Art Direction=Period Piece. Like clockwork. Score Update: 3-3. Still tied up. By the way, when I win, I think I'm going to order Chicken Parmigiana. I know it's predictable, but I'm guaranteed a good meal. Besides, it's going to taste even better considering it's being paid by Luigi.
9:21-The Duchess wins for Costume Design. Which means I'm down 4-3. I'm not worried though. This was one of those tossup categories. It's not like Luigi knows about costume design. Unless he does and has something to tell his parents.
9:23-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button wins for Makeup. I'm down 5-3. What the heck was I thinking? I picked Hellboy II: The Golden Army. I have got to stop being such a maverick.
9:29-It's we're how Mel Gibson has practically disappeared from these awards, he used to be a staple. Wait, no, it's not weird. He hates Jews and the people who decide these awards all had a Mitzvah at some point in their lives.
9:35-Ugh. Slumdog Millionaire again! These are the categories where I have to make up ground. Still 5-3. Frustrating.
9:39-"Ms. Biel would you like to host the Oscars?....No, the other Oscars... No, they aren't televised... No, no stars will be there...You're desperate? Perfect."
9:45-Looks at watch. "Well that killed eight minutes, back to the awards."
9:48-This is the time on Sprockets when we dance!
9:52-Jesus, more singing. Just hand out the list of winners at the beginning of the night and we wouldn't have to watch this terrible crap.
9:57-"The musical is back!" has now officially been uttered by a human. First time ever. Fantastic.
9:59-I never thought "I Now Pronouce You Chuck and Larry" would be imitated, but The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds aims to change that.
10:08-At the risk of sounding insensitive, they really should have given out a second place award for supporting actor.
10:14-Oh Bill Maher, you're so politically incorrect!
10:15-Man on Wire! I'm back in it. I knew I would win this. This film got 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And I want to be that French guy who the movie is based on. He's got gigantic balls.
10:23-I just realized that I see really shitty movies in the theatres. Especially this year. Zohan. Hulk. Indiana Jones. Infinite Playlist. I paid money for these films. I paid Michael Cera's hourly wage. I suddenly feel so dirty.
10:29-It's about time that "Boom goes the Dynamite" got a mention at the Oscars.
10:35-Slumdog, you son of a bitch. I'm back to being down by two again. This isn't good. I don't want to pay for his meal. I mean, I really should. Back in middle school because I was fat, after I would finish the lunch my mom would pack for me, he would give me either half of his food or five dollars, like everyday. Still, I don't want to.
10:46-Alright this show has officially gone on too long. I don't care what time it is in California. It's 10:46 here in New York. A place where people need to get their rest so they can run the rest of the country.
10:57-I wonder whats in the gift bags for the presenters. Probably Clippers tickets, a Mach-3, The Secret, things of that nature.
11:02-Jai-ho won?! What a suprise, considering they just performed it.
11:06-Neeson should've been nominated for Taken. He was a rich man's Jason Bourne.
11:16-Brooks passed away?! Real name: James Whitmore. Born: 1921 in White Plains. Go figure.
11:20-Danny Boyle (basically seated on stage) wins for Best Director.
11:27-Meryl Streep is like Tom Brady or Joe Montana. Been there, done that. She probably feels nothing right now. Meanwhile, Kate Winslet is Jim Kelly. Been there, never done that. She's probably shitting her pants.
11:30-Sophia Loren. I think.
11:32-Wait, Jim Kelly never won one. This is not how the script goes. Anyway, now we can hear her babble on about how much she is in love with Leonardo DiCaprio while her husband smiles like an idiot.
11:37-Mickey Rourke better win. This night has been too cookie cutter. We need some honesty. We need someone to thank their dogs; the real inspiration.
11:41-These are professional actors. But when you ask them to improvise for 30 seconds, they fumble over their words like third graders.
11:43-Sean Penn sucks. He continues to suck. He's terrible. We have got to stop encouraging him. He needs to be stopped.
11:53-Best Picture: Slummy Dog
Okay, so I'm probably going to have to pay for Luigi's meal. I didn't exactly tally the votes, but I am pretty sure I lost. He won because of those BS categories. I still think I know more about movies than he does. His favorite movie is Weekend at Bernie's for Christ's sake.
See you in the morning.
So long Conan…see you in June.
It’s about time…
Currently, I am in the process of consolidating my "Friend's List" on Facebook. Consolidating is just a fancy word for cutting down significantly. According to Facebook, I have 232 "friends", when in reality, I really consider myself to have four maybe five friends. Anyway, when I first got Facebook, I "friended" every person I ever met. Every classmate from my graduating class regardless of whether I ever spoke with them, some people who were in the grades below me or above me, people I worked with, hot girls that my friends were friends with and even hot girls in my college classes that I was too much of a wimp to actually talk to.
Now, I have begun the process of removing people from this list. This is just Step One of many steps that will inevitably end up with me deleting my account altogether. I really do not need it to be honest. I really have never NEEDED it. I do not do any actual social networking on it. I just use it to see if the people I once knew are doing anything interesting with their lives (Hint: They are not). I am sure I will be deleting it within the next few months.
I've read in more than one place that many employers will not even consider you for a position if they see you have a Facebook account. Which kind of sounds ridiculous, but makes sense at the same time. A company does not want to associate themselves with a potential employee who has pictures of themselves highly intoxicated while grinding with someone who may or may not be a woman (Lucky for me, those photos haven't surfaced). Understandable. That's why I find it fascinating when I peruse through the pictures of some girl I know, I see pictures of them on the toilet after a long night of drinking. Lovely. Are they trying to avoid ever having a steady boyfriend, steady job, steady income, or steady respect from others? And it's not just girls, everyone seems to do it. I've seen pictures of people I know doing keg stands, smoking weed, or vomiting. I do not believe these people read the "Terms of Service" when they checked the "I Agree" box to activate their account. According to those terms, as soon as you put those pictures on Facebook, they belong to Facebook. They are no longer your property. So if you think you'll be safe as soon as you deactivate your account, your wrong. That picture of you face down in a urinal will always be in the hands of someone you don't even know.
It's really unnerving what we can find about each other by a simple Google search. I think it is in our best interests to limit what we put about ourselves out on the internet. Which is why I set up a blog with my name as the URL that expresses my thoughts and feelings about sports and the world. But hey, I'm just taking the bullet for all of us.
Technical Difficulties
Actually no, there aren't any technical difficulties. I've just been really lazy couple with the fact that I have had a few tests lately. But don't worry, I'll be back either tonight or tomorrow with an amazing post about sports or life or something.
A player who probably should be under suspicion for steroid use: Part 1
Now that Alex Rodriguez has officially come out of the closet (so to speak) in regards to taking performance enhancing drugs, I believe it's safe to say that we should and will suspect EVERY player when their stats look a little "iffy". In no way am I accusing any player of taking PEDs, but I think we should take a closer look at a players performance when suspicion is warranted. Whether it be because of spikes in their numbers or an unexplained resurgence late in their career. That being said, here's the player:
Greg Vaughn. You remember him right? He played in the majors between the years of 1989 and 2003 for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, and Colorado Rockies. In that time he amassed 355 homeruns, 1475 hits, and 1072 RBI's. I bring up Greg's name because of his phenomenal 1998 season in which he hit 50 homeruns and 119 RBI's. Prior to 1998, Vaughn had been playing in the majors for nine seasons and his career high in homeruns and RBIs were 31 and 98, respectively. In 1998, in increased his career high in total bases by 68 (342).
Obviously, you can credit his resurgence simply by having a terrific year where the winds were with him, the balls rolled his way, and he honestly worked out more effectively and efficiently. But we are at a crossroads as fans. Are we to believe these players to be honest, hardworking, righteous individuals who shouldn't be under our suspicion if they never tested positive for a banned substance? Or should we suspect every player who performs at an abnormal level now that we know that no one is beyond temptation. Personally, I don't believe Greg Vaughn took PEDs at any time during his career. I think he was a terrific player who outperformed his own abilities in 1998 to lead his team to the World Series against the Yankees. But what Alex Rodriguez did last week was take away our innocence as fans. Now, no one is beyond suspicion.
Next up: Jeff Franceour
Waking Ned Devine
You may be wondering why I have a screen cap of two old men on the banner for this blog. Well, the screen cap is from the movie Waking Ned Devine. I have dozens of movies that I enjoy, but Waking Ned Devine is by far, my favorite. When I first started this new layout for the blog, my friend Luigi was working on the banner. I had no idea what it was going to be like and assumed it was going to be a standard one. Nothing special. However, he texts me saying "Just finished. Take a look. I'm not sure if you'll like it". Oh, do I like it. I like it a lot. He said it took him an hour to put together and make. Luigi may not do anything all day, but I'm glad he took the time anyway.
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