Monday, March 20, 2006

Soriano refuses to play outfield in exhibition game

So ex-Yankee Alfonso Soriano struck again, actually refusing to go into the field at the start of the Washington Nationals' exhibition game against the Dodgers. The game's actually about to start, and the Nats have only eight players in the field. Now DC is threatening to petition the commissioner's office to put Jackass, I mean Soriano, on the disqualified list. If successful in this move, Soriano doesn't get paid and doesn't get credit any credit time. This means at the end of the season, he's still the Nats' property.

I loved Jackass, I mean Soriano, when he was on the Yankees. He had the big home run off Schilling in Game 7. While he was in Texas, there was talk about bringing him back to New York, and I was excited. But now... I never want to see Jackass, I mean Soriano, besmirch the pinstripes ever again. What an asshole (and a jackass, in case you didn't get it the first three times). Unless he gets his head out of his ass (by the way, he's a lousy fielder), he deserves to spend the rest of his career on the DQ list.


Teacher sorry for watching baseball in class

Why is this teacher apologizing! Hell, he's a hero! I bow down to you, unnamed Japanese teacher!


Taglia-boo!!!

NFL grand poobah Paul Tagliabue is retiring after 16 years in the top job, and everyone is saying his legacy is secured after negotiating labor peace. Yet his predecessor, Pete Rozelle, ended two strikes, fought off the USFL, oversaw the NFL-AFL merger and spend his Valentine's Day in 1978 getting the Giants a general manager. By comparison, Tagliabue has done nothing.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Monmouth pushes No. 1 Villanova to the limit

A great game. For a moment there, I was envisioning the first-ever upset of a No. 16 seed over a No. 1 seed. Monmouth got within 7 with 6:20 left in the game, and missed two subsequent 3-pointers than would have cut the deficit to just four. But in the end, they fell 58-45 to Villanova in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

A few observations:

The game was played in Philly, Villanova's backyard. Everyone called the game a home contest for the Wildcats. But after Delic's 3 made the game 47-40 with six minutes left, the place erupted. Apparently the locals decided midgame to switch allegiances. In that case, it's a tragedy that Monmouth didn't pull off the upset. We would have seen 7-foot-2, 320 lb. Monmouth center John Bunch standing at midcourt after the game, saying (and channeling Rocky Balboa) "During the game, I've seen a lot of changing, in the way I feel about you, and the way you feel about me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I can change, and you can change, EVERYBODY CAN CHANGE!"

After Monmouth beat Hampton in the opening round game, coach Dave Calloway said in an interview with ESPN, "We've held our last two opponents to under 50. The next time we do that (*implying against Villanova*), the whole country is going to be talking about our defense." They cut back to the studio, and one of the analysts thought that was pretty funny. Well, Monmouth didn't hold Villanova to under 50. The Wildcats scored eight more points. just eight.

It's amazing the difference in the way the different sides perceive this game. Read the Asbury Park Press story or the AP story, and you read about how Monmouth played a good game and gave Villanova some trouble. Read the game coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and they refer to Monmouth as "awful" and "never got much better." They give Monmouth no credit for Villanova shooting just 30.8 perecent and committing 12 turnovers. Which is further proof that Philadelphia sucks.


Got $2.95?

The Asbury Park Press now has a story archive dating back to 1999, and you can access all my stories online. Individual stories cost $2.95 to view, or you can get a discount by buying in bulk.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Monmouth's Kenny talks brash about Eagles' (huh?) chances against Villanova

Chris Kenny has earned the right to talk. He hit the game-winning layup in the NEC Championship Game against Fairly Ridiculous (also known as Fairleigh Dickinson) University, then hit on 6-of-9 3-pointers in the Hawks' 71-49 NCAA Opening Round victory against Hampton. Plus, his comments are hilarous, especially when he's talking about Central Jersey associating with the tough New York mentality.

On a related note, I somehow managed to encounter a Hampton University alum at the elementary school I teach at. What are the odds of a Monmouth fan getting to stare at a Hampton fan in the middle of Maryland and say, "We beat you last night!"

By the way, ESPN, it's the Hawks, not the Eagles.


Stephon Cries Foul

Little makes me giddier than to see the New York Knicks in the state that they are in. It's easily the best drama in the NBA right now, and I'm wondering how far away we are from seeing Marbury and Brown recreating the finale of War of the Roses, with Brown as Michael Douglas and Marbury as Kathleen Turner.

Play-IN???

Hawks are playing-in the Tournament

So Monmouth, my proud alma mater, is playing Hampton in the play-in game on Tuesday night. They say that Monmouth is in the NCAA Tournament, but then why is this a play-IN game? That would suggest that you need to win to get IN the tournament. Good to see progress has brought us back where we were in the late 80s, when the NEC champion played the Patriot League champion for a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

On the other hand, the annual NEC/Patriot League battle was never televised on national television. Maybe being on ESPN will give Monmouth a recruiting boost. If they win, that is.


Penn State selected to NIT, will host opener

You might think it's hard to get excited about the NIT when I have a team in the Big Dance, but this is Penn State's first postseason appearance since a Sweet 16 run in 2000. Penn State was pretty tough in the NIT years ago. Probably not this year (although a Penn State-Maryland matchup would be fun), but it shows progression in the program.

America bombs Japan!

Good to see a Yankee come through clutch, especially A-Rod. Japan is pissed about the umpiring on a tag-up call at home, but it was the home plate guy's call (spoken like a true umpire!). I wonder what went down in the umpire conference, though. The response should not have been "It was my call to make, not his." It should have been "This was the right call." Although I'm happy about the USA win (and contrary to most opinions, I like the WBC), I hope the umps didn't screw up a game because of seniority.

What? Were you raised in a barn? Shut the door! (Probably was raised in a barn, along with the other primitives...)

It happened. I've become part of the blog community. I'm still not sure what (or if) my focus will be in this blog, but hopefully it will present itself as I work on this.

In case you're wondering about the title, here's a history lesson for you. In the late 1990s, fellow blogger William F. Yurasko went to Long Beach Island, a beach community island about 30 miles north of Atlantic City, and stayed at Stanwick House. On two occasions, I visited Will at Stanwick House, hung at the beach, drank Gin and Tonics, and checked out the nightlife.

Nearby Will's place was the ice cream establishment known as Dairy King. One night, we went to Dairy King for ice cream. I ordered an ice cream cone with colored sprinkles. Within 90 seconds of getting the completed cone in my hands, the ice cream was melting. And not just the normal melting. No, this was melted ice cream pouring down your hand and arm while youn desperately try to eat what little is remaining. After the cone was gone and the ice cream was all over my hand, on the floor and in my stomach, I peeked into the ice cream stand and saw the sprinkles dispenser sitting about 2-3 inches away from the hot sauce machine. The sprinkles were unintentionally (I hope, they might have just been sadistic SOBs) being heated from sitting next to the hot machine.