Friday Reading

Good morning internet fans, here are some links to check out while you're waiting to see if your bid wins the Gookie Dawkins jersey auction - or if you are too busy posing to find stuff yourself.

For Yankee fans out there, My Sports Rumors provides us with a break down on the broken down Yankee pitching staff and let's just say the news isn't so good. Over in the NBA, the Lakers closed out the Spurs, but the real interesting news was Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic making a meaningless late 3 at the buzzer, which meant the Lakers won by 8 - when the line was LA - 7.5 - adding another epic moment in sports gambling history.

Meanwhile, the Celtics and Pistons play game six tonight, and Celtic fans who watch this one in area bars should be good and lubricated, because Barstool Sports is holding a party celebrating the 75th anniversary of the end of prohibition - I guess not everything coming out of Boston is bad.

I've stolen a couple of great non-sports links from the sports site the Big Lead - 1) Clay Aiken apparently impregnated someone, and 2) I couldn't agree more - Lost was amazing last night.

For those Syracuse fans living in denial - or not reading the Syracuse papers or the many other Syracuse blogs (found conveniently to your right) - yes, Donte is gone, but much like anything else, there are people waiting to replace him - according to the Bevo Beat, the number 23 prospect in the class of 2009 is eyeing the cuse.

Don't shoot the dog

Patrick Hruby offers up a fun read on the best and worst of sports video games. All three idiots have wasted countless hours playing seasons of Madden, NHL, and College Football. I was even able to remotely follow hockey during my college years thanks to the wonderful world of Sega.

Some omissions from the article I feel worth mentioning:

NBA Jams: A great game that Friend of the Idiots, the Captain, and myself spent way too much time playing. It doesn't get any better than getting Nick Anderson "on-fire."

Bill Walsh College Football: EA Sports' fore-runner of the "NCAA" Franchise. This was before EA Sports had the official NCAA license to the game, so all teams were names of cities. It was a battle bringing State College in to play South Bend. And Pullman was unstoppable with Drew Bledsoe.....I mean QB #11. I replayed many Cuse-Miami blowouts from the early 90's on this one.

The "Start Playoffs Now" Feature: A must for any baseball game. Let's be honest, did anyone really make it through an entire 162 game season?

WWF Royal Rumble: I know it's not a sport, but this was another classic from my college Sega days. My buddies would fight over who would be Hulk Hogan and the Macho Man. Me....well I preferred a superstar with a little more "arrogance":

Ebay Item of the Week

Anyone named Gookie Dawkins scores points in our book. And for a starting bid of $75 you could own this beauty. This begs the question, does one have to actually play in a game for the Dodgers to have a "game worn" jersey? Screw it, where's my Visa card.....I really need to run around the house in my Dawkins jersey screaming "I AM GOOKIE!!!!"

Retirement? That and other Links

Here's some stuff to get you started this morning - Sammy Sosa says he wants to retire after the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and since Sammy isn't playing this year, it's sort of like Corey Haim "retiring" from acting. In other baseball news, the artist formerly known as Fernando Tatis returned from the dead to lead the Mets to a win, and the Yankees won - even with everyone obsessing over Joba's work load.

The Celtics took a 3-2 lead over the Pistons, due in part to the fact that Ray Allen decided to make some shots last night. When he wasn't busy making threes, Rasheed Wallace found time to pick up another technical. Arguing with the refs must take up a lot of energy, because at 7 feet tall, Sheed managed to snag a grand total of 4 rebounds last night. Tonight, the Lakers try and put the final nail in the Spurs coffin, the Lakers Blog LA Ball Talk breaks down what the Lakers have to do to win - and at this point, we hope they do whatever takes, everyone is sick of the Spurs.

Proving that it's never too early to start thinking about college basketball, the Card Chronicle does an excellent job highlighting 9 questions that will dominate the Big East off-season. They wisely point out that Syracuse could be dangerous next year. In other news, Wesley Johnson, a guy I've never heard of and am too lazy too Google, has been granted his release from the Iowa State basketball team - and Syracuse is on his list of schools. Former Orangeman Andre Hawkins' son AJ will play at Canisius next year. Hawkins was our type of guy - slightly undersized, a real hard worker, a little bit dirty and a guy you'd want on your side in a street fight.

In slightly odd news, Calvin Schmidtke - a guy with a name that makes it sound like he should be on the chess team - has been released from his commitment to play football at Washington State next year, due to 11 citiations from law enforcement in the last year and half. Way to go Calvin, Ryan Perrilloux is proud of you. And for those of you still basking in the glow of the lacrosse championship, A.EM. at the Orange Squeeze has the complete run down of the Major League Lacrosse draft here.

Is the Big East Doomed?

The Big East - ACC split left the Big East in a ton of trouble - trouble that quickly evaporated as the league has quickly acquitted itself quite well since the raid. Unfortunately Syracuse hasn't exactly been helping the cause as our beloved Orangemen have won 7 football games over the last 3 years. While the league has recovered, there are still many issues that need to be resolved, including the need to add an additional football member to balance the schedule.

Conversely, the SEC has consistently been one of the - who are we kidding - THE best football league in the land for quite some time. They take their football seriously in the South, hell, Alabama drew 78,000 to their Spring game - which is about 75,000 more than SU drew.....then again, at Alabama they ran more than 37 plays.

Anyway, with news that the SEC is looking into forming its own TV network, The Orlando Sentinel's On Campus blog has sketched out how the league can launch a hostile takeover of the college football landscape - and that takeover includes Syracuse (see number 5). Under their scenario 4 to 6 Super conferences would be created. The item assumes that the Big East will split, and what's left of the league will be purged and folded into existing conferences, with SU heading to either the ACC or Big 10.

While a change this big is doubtful, change is definitely coming - Champ did a great job spelling this out a few weeks ago. While the plan described above is one of the more speculative I've seen, it is on the web site of a major news outlet, so that does give it some legitimacy. It also illustrates the fact - loudly and clearly - that SU needs to fix the football program and fix it fast, because the thought of a Greg Robinson coaching the Orange team in a super conference is a truly frightening thought. The match up would be like Paris Hilton squaring off against Ken Jennings in a game of Jeopardy. The landscape of college football is shifting, and right now the Orange are not ready to compete - but they better get ready - and fast.

Hump Day Attendance Links

Here's a quick look at what's going on in the world of sports today - besides dopey NBA officiating controversies. The Syracuse men's basketball team finished 3rd in the nation in average attendance, Kentucky was once again number one.

Ian Kennedy may go on the DL - which means approximately 10 million more blog posts about how insane the Yanks were to keep him and Phil Hughes instead of trading them for Johan Santana.......speaking of the Mets, Bloomberg News has compiled Willie Randolph's summer reading list - of course with Bloomberg News giving sports advice, it would be only fair if they let Willie analyze current market data.

Busted Coverage comes up with a list of the top 10 craziest sports wives/exes and Jason Giambi has gone with the totally sweet porn-stache look.

If you can't get enough lacrosse coverage, or are just trying to soak in as much winning as possible before the SU football team takes the field, Brian Harrison at Orange 44 has some great photo galleries up, plus first hand coverage of the lacrosse team's 10th National title.

And make your room reservations in Waterloo now, July 12th is Tom Coughlin Day - just think, a year ago at this time he was almost out of a job and we still thought Greg Robinson could coach....

Phil Jackson is Right

The Lakers defeated the Spurs last night, and what's an NBA playoff game without a little controversy? Derrick Fischer bumped Brent Barry before Barry attempted a 3 pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game for the Spurs, but no foul was called.

After the game, when asked about the call, Lakers coach Phil Jackson noted that on the previous possession, Fischer took a shot that appeared to glance off the rim, meaning the shot clock should have reset, and if it had, the Spurs would never have been in that position in the first place. I watched it last night, and from the excellent view my couch afforded me, I agree with Phil.

Perspective is everything in situations like this, which means the LA Daily News categorized it as a "close call" and Bill Plaschke in the LA Times said it was a foul, but it "didn't matter" whereas over at the San Antonio Express News, they were focused a little more on Joey Crawford. The entire highlight package is here, you be the judge.

National Champs

Photo: Dick Blume, P-S

The Russianator offered up T3I's official congratulations to the Syracuse lax team which brought home a record 10th NCAA Championship. As he pointed out, none of the idiots follow lacrosse, so we're not going to even pretend to offer you any analysis. For some real coverage of the lacrosse title, check out Nunes and the Axeman. Those guys know their lacrosse. Us? We're just a bunch of idiots.

I spent my formative sports years playing basketball with the Russianaor. As a result, my knowledge of lacrosse is basically limited to the two week unit in high school gym class using some really bad plastic sticks. In fact, my working knowledge of the sport includes:

• the Iroquois were really good at this game
• ditto Jim Brown
• #22 is the #44 of Cuse lacrosse (you know D. Gross must be salivating at the chance to retire it)
• that "Air Gait" thing from the '80's was pretty cool
• the shirtless John Desko Liverpool Pool and Spa commercial on local TV really does not make me want to buy a swimming pool (I tried and tried to find video of this commercial for the out-of-towners)
• One of the Powells is now an aspiring musician
• 10 national titles in anything is pretty damn impressive

Congrats fellas.

Back to Work Reading

Here are a couple of things to check out while getting back in the swing of things after a long holiday weekend. Personally, mine was filled with beer, barbeque and golf - so being back at the grind really blows.

While we don't follow lacrosse, a huge congratulations are in order for the Syracuse Men's Lacrosse program, which won an NCAA record 10th title yesterday. Huge kudos to coach John Desko, who after posting a losing season last year, analyzed his program and made the necessary adjustments to become a champion once again. That my friends, is what coaching is all about. In case you didn't see any of the game, the Sports Center 5 Overtime Blog has a million photos to check out.

The same blog also has an interesting post mentioning Athletic Director Darryl Gross - according to the blog a Syracuse reporter had this to say about the good Doctor:

Good to see Dr. Daryl Gross in attendance. The Syracuse Athletic Director is public enemy #1 in Central New York right now for the failures of the football program under his watch. As one Syracuse reporter told me, “this is the closest he’s ever going to get to a championship trophy.”

Hmmm - anyone want to hazard a guess as to who the reporter was that said that? We have no idea if its true or not, but leave your guesses below - idle speculation is the reason the internet was invented, Al Gore told me so.

In soon to be former Orangemen news, Pro Basketball News has Donte Greene going 21 to the Nets in their latest mock draft, but claim he could be the "steal of the draft."

In baseball news, the Yanks got beat, Willie Randolph gets to keep his job (for now), Brandon Webb continues to be human, while Cliff Lee still has an ERA under one and there's STILL 4 more months until the playoffs start.

The Celtics shot around 30 percent last night, losing to the Pistons, while in the WNBA.....yeah right, just seeing if you were still paying attention. Shifting back to things I find interesting, I'll leave you with this - did you know winning the Indy 500 nets you nearly 3 million? Not too shabby.......

Silence is Golden Willie

Willie Randolph, dreaming up his next classic quote

Ever since the Isiah Thomas firing, we were worried that New York lacked a coach/manager who would help feed the media beast that exists in NYC. Mike D'Antoni, Eric Mangini, Tom Coughlin, Joe Girardi, who ever coaches the area hockey teams.....none of those guys would be categorized as quote machines. So just when it looked like all hope was lost - here comes Willie Randolph to the rescue.

Maybe the stress of last year's epic collapse, combined with this year's poor start has finally caught up with him, because Willie seems to be coming apart at the seams. Last week he wondered aloud if race was part of the reason why he had come under such scrutiny (its not race, its all the losing Willie). He quickly apologized, but the damage was done.

Then, yesterday, after snapping a 5 game losing streak, in what the NY Post called "a rambling 20 minute interview" he called vote of confidence given to him by General Manager Omar Minaya the "kiss of death."

While it's hard to disagree with the kiss of death comment, it's not something you really want to be saying to the media, so here's some friendly advice from T3I to Willie - follow the words of wisdom Brian Fontana imparted on Champ Kind and "Take it easy, Champ. Why don't you sit this next one out, stop talking for a while."

Support our Troops

With Memorial Day upon almost here, it might be time to learn a lesson from Australia and get some real women overseas who can support our troops. I have a family member who is in Iraq, I'm sure a lot of people do - and what they need more than anything is to feel loved. What's the harm of sending some of America's more "Patriotic" women over there to serve our country?

Now, I've been to Australia, so if you would have told me there was an allegation (which to be fair the woman denies) that a star had sex with soldiers while on a mission to entertain them, and asked me to guess what country was involved, Australia would have been my first choice. The place is pretty awesome, in addition to some truly spectacular scenery, the pubs are filled at noon every day with people drinking their lunch, there are plenty of casinos, anything over a 35 hour work week is considered slave labor, and if you like hot women, just head to Bondi Beach.

Friday Hot Seat Links

Please accept my apologies for the lack of anything yesterday - when work gets in the way of bringing you information you can find elsewhere - that's not good for anyone.

So, here's whaaaaaaaaaats happening on the Friday before Memorial Day. Greg Robinson, not content with being on the 5th hottest seat according to Coaches Hot Seat, has kicked it up a notch, landing the second spot on CBS Sportsline's 2008 Hot Seat rankings.

Greg really has been "flashing" up these lists. For Greggo, the good news is really flowing today as a NY times blog called The Quad has some nice things to say about the coach as well. In a post breaking down the 2008 Orange season and discussing the state of the program, Paul Myerberg leads with this about the coach:

"When I refer to Greg Robinson as the worst thing to ever happen to Syracuse football, this is not just an opinion. The numbers back me up. No coach in Orange history had ever lost 10 games in a season — Robinson has done it twice in three years. No Orange coach with more than two years on the job has compiled a losing record — Robinson’s career winning percentage is .200."

I can't say there's anything to disagree with there.

Moving on - the Boston Celtics finally lost a home game, but some Celtic fans aren't nervous, although they should be. Speaking of guys that apparently don't get nervous, this Miami Hurricane killed an alligator WITH A SHOVEL. If you invite Mr. Bailey over to your house any time soon, make sure you have some raccoon or possum on hand, apparently he likes those as well.

In case you somehow missed it yesterday - there is a great story on Wilmeth Sidat-Singh that was recently published in the Washington City Times. You know him, it's the basketball jersey that hangs on the wall of the dome representing a guy that no one knows anything about - although we should. Also in the "in case you missed it category" Joba Chamberlain will be starting pitcher soon, and frankly as long as he's as good as Darrell Rasner has been, life will be better in Yankee land.

Finally, in case you're ever wondering why Magic Johnson looks more like a basketball than a basketball player, it's because he can eat all the whoppers he wants - and apparently he wants a lot of them.

Ebay Item of the Week

Marlins-Indians 1997, did this really happen?

This week's item is a bargain. For a mere $6,250 you can own a 1997 Florida Marlins World Series Championship ring. 1997 World Series? I know it's about as memorable as Ghostbusters II. However this week's items would be a great conversation piece for a night out on the town to pick up some ladies. You could definetely talk your way into saying you were on that '97 team. Heck, the Russianator and I had some girls convinced we were in the '80's band Mr. Big back in our single days. Add some fake ATM receipts and the groupies should be lined up for you.

Chad Ford Didn't Watch Many SU Games

Chad Ford's latest mock draft has Donte Greene going 15th to the Phoenix Suns - as I noted below, this would be a good match, if Mike D'Antoni was still the coach, because Donte didn't exactly give maximum effort on the defensive end of the floor and defense was never a required class in D'Antoni University (have fun with that Knick fans).

Since mock drafts are only fun when the players in them are fictional I didn't give it a second thought. However, TNIAAM took the time to highlight Ford's comments about Donte - specifically:

The skinny: Greene is a steal if he slips this far. He has the potential to be a Shawn Marion-type combo forward in the pros. While his game is still raw, he has great length and athleticism and an emerging perimeter game.

Now, I like Donte and his game more than most 'cuse fans and I think any notion that the team will be better off without him next year is absurd - but what is almost equally absurd is to state that he has the potential to be a "Shawn Marion" type player. I understand that the comparison was drawn because of Marion's long tenure in Phoenix, but they are totally different players.

For starters, when Marion came in the league he was a freak athletically and a guy who could step in and guard guys at multiple positions, rebound, and he'd worry about getting his offense in transition or on put backs. Over time, he managed to turn an extremely ugly, two handed jump shot into a reliable weapon - mainly on the baseline - and became a dangerous guy on the offensive end of the floor. In fact, in 2005-06 he was the only player in the NBA ranked in the top 20 in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and minutes (from Wikipedia).

Does any of this sound remotely like Donte Greene? Greene is a guy with a smooth, polished jump shot and while he shot a poor percentage, that had more to do with shot selection than form. He's a guy who is most comfortable on the perimeter, disinterested at best on the defensive end and is does not provide a real presences on the glass.

While that may sound harsh, I believe Greene has [bad buzzword alert] a ton of upside and can have a very good NBA career - but his game in no way, shape or form resembles Shawn Marion and I'd be shocked if it ever did. He's upside is more akin to a Rashard Lewis, a guy who can shoot and will get you 20 a game and maybe 7 boards. On D, you're just hoping he can trip the guy he's guarding 4 or 5 times game and slow him down, because he'll never be a stopper.

So, while we wish Donte the best, let's not get all crazy on the Shawn Marion comparisons - Marion is a complete player and a more complete player than people realize.

Hump Day Beer Pong Links

Welcome to Wednesday - as you may have noticed, we've been attempting to start off most days with some links to get you going. I'd promise to make this an everyday thing, but my strong fear of commitment precludes this from happening - plus I'm traveling tomorrow so you're on your own. So, without further delay, in the immortal words of Bill Lumbergh, here's what's happening.

It was only a matter of time I suppose, but drinking games and video game have finally gotten together, I would imagine the beer is sold separately. Speaking of drinking, Bernie Linicome fires off a pretty harsh column about Carmelo, but ultimately concludes he should stay in Denver. While we are here - Marsh-Melo - come on Denver Post, you're better than that....well actually you aren't, but try and leave the lame headlines to idiots such as us.

Mike Waters reports that in the latest Chad Ford mock draft over at ESPN, Donte Greene is projected to 15th to Phoenix, which would make sense if Mike D'Antoni was still there, since he doesn't make his guys play defense. Speaking of the draft, the NBA Gods (cough David Stern) has clearly decided to punish teams who tank (Boston last year, Miami this year) by having team like the Chicago Bulls win the draft lottery.

In baseball news, the wheels are officially off the Yankee bus - Mussina gets shelled, Jeter gets hurt and A-Rod returns.....about the only thing that hasn't happened so far this year is firing Joe Girardi and replacing him with Greg Robinson.

Doctor's Orders - Give SU Money

Cuse Country does a wonderful job of commenting on all things SU hoops - and providing me with a sweet ass nightlight - however, posting over there slows down once the season ends.

So, while reading TNIAAM, I ran across an epic post by put up yesterday by Josh, detailing the latest fundraising foibles perpetrated on fans by the SU Athletic Department. The post is spot on, and if you've dealt with SU Athletics in any respect under the current regime, paints a pretty good picture of what we, the consumers of SU althletics, deal with on a regular basis. So, read That's One Expensive Parking Space.

Tuesday Breakfast Links

In the words of Homer Simpson, mmmmmmmm breakfast links. It was quite a night in the world of sports. John Lester from the hated Red Sox threw a no-hitter, and since he recently beat cancer, we aren't going to rip on him. Although, since it came at the expense of the Royals, there may be an asterisk associated with the feat. Meanwhile, over in Yankee-land, A-Rod gets a chance to try and turn around the Yankees season - but I think the real question raised in the story is this, who is less likable - Mike Lupica or A-Rod? I've thought long and hard about it, for me it's got to be Lupica, but what do I know.....

In the NBA, the hated Spurs did what the Spurs do - they won a big game, beating New Orleans last night. They are now headed to the Western Conference finals to play the Lakers. Detroit and Boston gets underway tonight, the Celtics are a perfect 8-0 at home and 0-6 on the road in the playoffs so far. The match up means two NBA coaches categorized as "have nots" will be squaring off, with one of them actually going to the NBA finals.

In Syracuse related news, Real Football 365 went out on a limb and predicted the Cuse would finish last in the Big East in 2008, and listed Greg Robinson as a coach under pressure. Thanks, we wouldn't have figured that out on our own. Meanwhile, OrangeEyes over on the scout board reports that Rutgers snared another recruit.

Other fun things to check out today include Sir Charles admitting he needs to stop gambling, 12 year olds are stripping, two year olds are smoking, and good news for every fan of the three idiots, that movie about us is finally getting made.

Why You Should Be Rooting for the Hornets Tonight

Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets will attempt to bounce the San Antonio Spurs from the playoffs tonight. For Syracuse fans, Paul is a guy that current SU point guard Jonny Flynn cites as someone he tries to pattern his game after. For basketball fans in general, Chris Paul could be God.

The way this idiot sees it, the game tonight is a match up of good versus evil, with the Hornets playing the role of good, trying to vanquish the Darth Vader-ish Spurs to an off-season where they can conjure up ways to become even more unlikable.

Before we go any farther, on the off-chance a spurs fan reads this – I respect the Spurs. They have 4 titles in 7 years for a reason – they’ve earned it. Popovich is a great coach and if you can’t respect Tim Duncan, then please tell me who in the NBA you do respect, because I’m curious. That having been said, it’s time to saddle up the Spurs and send them on their way. The Cleveland-San Antonio final last year was more painful to watch than Jason Giambi trying to leg out a double.

Why You Should be Rooting for New Orleans

The City Itself

What’s not to like about New Orleans? It’s a city that promotes every vice known to man and post-Katrina to NOT support New Orleans is almost Un-American. Besides, we have to support that city anyway we can, because until they get the truly terrifying crime problem under control, there's no way in Hell this idiot is going there.

Chris Paul

Much like the city of New Orleans itself, if you love basketball you have to love Chris Paul. He is so quick opponents can’t stay in front of him, and once he gets in the lane, he’s either dropping in a floater or finding Tyson Chandler or David West for an easy bucket. He combines freakish athletic ability with a maturity and understanding of the game that older players do not have. He’s taken his game to another level in the post season AVERAGING 24 points, 11 assists a game - against only 1.64 turnovers. Those numbers are video game numbers – did I mention he’s 23 years old?

David West

West is the best player you’re not aware of in the NBA. The guy is a beast, who at 6’9” (he looks smaller to me) can dominate down low and still knock down open jumpers. Plus, he likes to make music mixes for his teammates – and who doesn’t love a good mix tape? We know Michael Scott would approve.

A Hornets Win Means a Reprieve from:

- Manu and Tony Parker flopping

- Tim Duncan’s eyes bulging

- Bruce Bowen’s “tough defensive play” *cough* cheap shots; and

- Oberto’s greasy hair

Go Hornets.

Monday Morning Links

We give you some Monday morning reading - study carefully, there will be a test.

• Are you a great high school athlete? If so, you may already have contact with an agent - the New York Times.
  
  
• Jonny Flynn cracks this list of the best 10 freshman at Syracuse - Orange Hoops.
  
  
• Syracuse Lacrosse, back in the final four -the Post Standard.
  
  
• Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny - he's better with a a celebrity girlfriend - the Big Lead.
  
  
• Terrell Owens talks - I hate the man - yet I bring it to you anyway (I feel dirty) - the 700 Level.
  
  
• This one is for Champ, the Raider fan among us - the Hater Nation.
  
  
• The Yankee tailspin continues - the NY Post.
  
  
• LeBron - the man has no help - the Star Tribune.
  
  
• PETA, the hypocrisy continues - Hugging Harold Reynolds.
  
  
• And for you Indiana Jones fans, here's a review - the NY Post.

Supersize me.

Like other unhealthy Americans, the Big East struggles with portion control


The Axeman has been all over the Big East expansion rumors that have been floated out in the past few days. The usual suspects, ECU and Memphis, have reappeared on some fans message boards. To the obese Big East I say this....packing on additional weight is not the answer. In fact, it's time to drop some pounds.

The bloated state of the Big East goes back to the ACC raid in the Spring of '03. Thanks to used car salesman John Swofford, Syracuse got stuck in the 16 team superconference for basketball. For Cuse fans out there, Kevin McNamara's Basketball Warfare is a must read on the whole post-ACC fiasco.

Let's face it, the 16 team basketball conference is doing nothing for Syracuse basketball, exhibit A your honor: the snub of 2007. "Basketball only" schools bring what to the table? The basketball scheduling oddities really leave fans guessing who will be coming into the Dome on any given year.

Like it or not, football and the BCS are driving the changes in conference landscapes. Penn State got the ball rolling back in the early '90's with their dash into the Big10. At the time I was furious with JoePa for the move. I felt he had abandoned Eastern college football. The truth being, the Eastern schools long abandoned JoePa by not getting an all-sports Eastern confernce done. Jake Crouthamel's Big East retrospective from 2000 provides some nice insight into the Big East's flirtation with Penn State.

I think it's time for the football playing schools to say goodbye. Legally, nothing can happen for a few years. If a split were to happen, it's likely the "basketball only" schools would get the Big East name and MSG Tournament in the divorce proceedings.

Unfortunately, I really believe it's time to say goodbye. The football playing schools will eventually have to find another member and leave for an all-sports conference. Rivalries with Georgetown and Villanova can be maintained through non-conference scheduling. Seton Hall, St. John's and Providence? Well...until we meet again.

A quick browse of some message boards discovered the following scenarios in the hearts of some fans:

Bring Penn State Into the Big East: Chance 0%. The call was made to them after the ACC fiasco. The JoePa calvarly will not be riding in to save the day.

Adding Memphis or ECU: Chance 25%. Unfortunately I see Mikey T acutally considering this. The football scheduling needs to be balanced. Don't ask me how scheduling a 17 team conference for basketball would work.

Adding Navy for Football Only: Chance 5%. See above for the football scheduling needs.

Telling Notre Dame to join in all sports or get lost: Chance 0%. Notre Dame is a basketball only school. There are 7 other basketball only schools. They will not vote one of their own out of the conference. Mikey T has some infatuation with the Fighting Irish.

Adding Buffalo: Chance 1%. I really hope not; I don't want to be the 2nd best Big East football team in New York.

Syracuse jumps to the Big10: Chance 20%. Probably a bit high, but I went with Greg Robinson winning percentage at Syracuse (7-28). Of course the chances of us actually getting invited into the Big 10 are probably closer to 0%. Besides, Rutgers fans are already planning what it's going to be like for them in the Big10.

The Football Schools Split When The Current Contract Expires: Chance 80%. I think this is going to happen. We're still years away.

Stay tuned gang.

Here's Your ACL Update

Channel 9 in Syracuse has the latest on the progress of Andy Rautins and his recovery from last year's ACL tear. In related news, there's no truth to the rumor that Nike is considering switching SU's uniforms to the Hillary Clinton style pant-suit Carrie Lazarus is sporting in the video - although Shaq IS considering hiring her for his personal free throw coach.

To watch the video - click here.

Links - Manny Insanity Edition

Here are a few things to check out while pondering why home teams are 19-1 in the NBA playoffs this year.

* Manny Ramirez, he still hasn't found his sanity pills yet - Awful Announcing.

* As a kid I had a Syracuse Chiefs stovepipe hat that I wore around and somehow thought it looked good, which clearly proves two things, 1) I was a retard and 2) my parents didn't love me enough to prevent me from looking like an idiot. Do you need proof these things were awful? Well here it is - Gem Mint 10.

* Donovan McNabb says the birds can compete in 2008, for my sanity they better - and they should also leave last year's awful throwback uniforms on the shelf - the 700 Level.

* I saw this on the Daily Show and was laughing and terrified at the same time, Sean has pulled the clip, well done, and we agree - Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician.

* Is Andrew Robinson under too much pressure? - the Orange Squeeze.

* Should the odd need ever occur to heckle the Minnesota Twins - the Heckler's Prospectus.

* And Andre Johnson will not be shopping at Walmart any time soon - Hashmarks.

Ebay Item of the Week

Looking to re-live the magic that was the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl? And let's be honest, what Cuse fan wouldn't want to keep memories of 51-14 alive?

Bid now, because this beauty will be gone in no time.

"YOU FANATICAL YELLOW JACKET & CUSE FANS DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON THIS ONE!" This guy really knows how to close a sale.

I really find it hard to believe that there could possibly be unused tickets out there for this classic match up.

The first game under the Daryl Gross administration proved to be the swan song for Coach P. Weeks after this game our main man Daryl would end up firing P as he ushered in the era of Greg Robinson. 51-14 poundings would become routine.

I actually miss getting pounded by mediorcre ACC teams in meaningless C-list bowl games. Thanks Doctor.

USC Might Want to Hire Gregg Doyel

I was reading Sports Illustrated writer Richard Deitsch's Media Circus column (which is really, really good by the way) and had to point this out - Deitch unearths a link to a Gregg Doyel column from October 2006, warning USC to be careful with OJ Mayo.

Now the hype surrounding Mayo has been huge for years, and his extremely bizarre recruitment certainly had to raise some flags, so predicting there would be trouble wasn't exactly going out on a limb, but give Doyel credit for a very good column that two years later has proven to be true. I can't wait for USC to put on the whole "we were unaware" act that you just know is coming down down the pike.

Hump Day Mustache Links

Happy Wednesday everyone - just 3 more miserable days of work. Here are some links to get you going.

Finding the top ten baseball mustaches of the 1980s is a tall order, but personally I can't wait for the other 9 members of this list - the Sport Hump.

New York City broadcaster Sue Simmons drops the F bomb (if you've somehow missed this, the video is in the link) - now the NY Post, citing the infamous "unnamed sources" says Boozy Suzy likes liquid dinners -- the NY Post.

Gas prices are through the roof, the economy is in a recession, and a Steinbrenner is shooting off at the mouth complaining about a struggling Yankee team, it's like the late 1970s all over again - the NY Post.

Nelson Figueroa can now act like a professional - in the unemployment line - Newsday.

David West is the mother f*cking man - and this headline is lame - Fox Sports.

Get pumped up for the WNBA season with coach Steve Shuman - the Sports Hernia.

Annika Sorenstam hangs up the golf spikes - for what its worth if golf was my job I'd never retire - LA Times.

Former Cowboy Troy Hambrick apparently never got the meme that selling crack is bad mmmkay - Reuters.

And speaking of football and prison - Aaron McCown is not a guy you want coaching your kids - Foxnews.

Pop Goes The Weasel

The Rich Rodriguez-WVU breakup took an interesting turn his week when R-Rod suggested he was "forced" into signing his new buyout-clause laden contract with the 'Neers in 2007.

Now I don't fault anyone for improving themselves by taking a better job. But there is a right way to do things and then there is the Rich-way. YOU SIGNED YOUR NAME TO AN AGREEMENT saying you'd pony up $4 million if you left early. Be a man and live up to your word.

Tell 'em 3rd Bass:

An Incident From the Marvin Gaye School of Father-Son Relationships

Buffalo Bills second round draft pick and former Indiana University football player James Hardy celebrated Mother's Day the way many Americans do - with a gathering in the back yard. According to a newspaper report published today in the Journal-Gazette in Fort Wayne Indiana, an argument ensured and James allegedly pulled a gun on dear old dad.

The Associated Press is reporting that no charges were filed as Hardy's father declined to pursue the matter - but if I can give a bit of advice to James' dad, for Father's Day you might want to consider going somewhere public like the Olive Garden - or an airport - just to make sure things don't get out of control.

NBA Playoffs - Don't Leave Home

Here's an interesting fact. The second round of the NBA playoffs is basically half over and there's been one - that's right one - road win. Let's get you caught up on where every series stands - because I know you care.

Boston - Cleveland - Series tied at 2

The Celtics leave beantown and don't bring their defense with them - LeBron is still not playing as well as he can, but for the last two games, he's done enough to get the job done, and keep his mom in check.

LeBron is obviously one of the best basketball players on the planet - but man oh man do the Cleveland management has to do something to help him out. For a variety of reasons I find watching Cleveland games flat out painful. Maybe it's the color scheme - I'd suggest a return to the Larry Nance era jerseys - the orange and blue is such a pleasant combo and it's worked well for the Knicks and Syracuse football lately.....uh wait a minute. Even so, these jerseys were much better in my opinion.

The series resumes Wednesday in Boston at 7:00 PM on TNT.

Detroit - Orlando - Detroit Leads 3-1

Detroit has done something no other team has been able to accomplish in the second round - they won on road. They can close out the Magic tonight at home on TNT at 7 PM, and even though Chauncey Billups may not play, the smart money is on Detroit closing out this series, even with Jameer Nelson guaranteeing victory. We find out tonight starting at 8 PM on TNT if this will be the case.

LA Lakers - Utah - Series tied at 2

A few months ago the debate du jour at ESPN was who is better - Deron Williams or Chris Paul? Now Paul has kicked it up a notch and quelled that debate, but Williams is quietly having a very good post-season, averaging 21 points and almost 10 assists per game. Combined with the fact that Carlos Boozer is playing well, the Jazz are hanging around. They really need Kobe Bryant's bad back to continue causing problems to have a real shot at winning this series though.

On a side note, is it me, or does anyone else get the feeling that the Jazz might be ready to go on another long run of putting together good teams that do well in the playoffs but can't win the whole thing? Game 5 of that series is Wednesday at 10:30 on TNT.

San Antonio - New Orleans - Series tied at 2

Much like Sylvester Stallone's acting career (seriously Sly, it was a good run, but its over - retire Rambo already), the Spurs aren't dead yet. With the series tied at 2 and game 5 shifting to New Orleans you just know there will be a controversial play down the stretch of a close game, Bruce Bowen will knock someone down, Tim Duncan will grab a needed rebound or loose ball and Tony Parker will find a way to make a play to win a close game and break the will of the young Hornets. We don't have to like it, but that's what the Spurs do. Game 5 is tonight at 9:30.

Nelson Figueroa - Waaaaaaaah

Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa had a rough night last night. The Washington Nationals smacked him around, beating the Mets 10-4 and those darn Nationals, they actually had the nerve to be happy about it, and that got poor Nellie all mad. He got madder than the the time David Wright stole his blankie and wouldn't give it back.

According to Newsday, in response to National players cheering in the dugout, Nelson had this to say:

"They were cheerleading in the dugout like softball girls," Figueroa said. "I'm a professional like anybody else, so I take a huge offense to that. If that's what a last-place team needs to do to fire themselves up, so be it. I think they need to show a little more class and professionalism. They won tonight, but in the long run, they're still what they are ... For the manager and coaching staff to let that kind of stuff carry on, it's truly unprofessional. That's why they are who they are."

Memo to Nelson, if you don't like last place teams cheering when you're pitching, you might want to think about getting someone out. Maybe if they got to face you and your 5.12 ERA every night, they wouldn't be in last place. I'm not a Met fan, but I'm guess a lot Met fans are taking huge offense at the way you are pitching.

Baseball has a lot of unwritten rules, many of them I find retarded, so I did what any good blogger would do - I googled "unwritten rules" and baseball. Turns out, I got 164,000 results. Now I didn't go through all of them, but I'm guessing somewhere in there, cheering for your own team must be on a list of "unwritten" rules.....so at least Nelson has that going for him - which is nice.

However, Nelson might want to avoid the Asbury Park Press and their story today which says that his feel-good story fading away fast. If Nellie reads that, he might take his ball with him and storm off the playground.

Monday Morning Link Dump Links

In the same spirit as live blogging live blogs here are links to other sites links as way to get you started on another fun-filled Monday morning. Before we start, for you lacrosse fans, it is worth mentioning that both the Syracuse men and women advanced in the NCAA Tourney last night.

Now - on to other people's links:

• Links from the Big Lead are accompanied by a pic of a personal favorite - Eliza Dushku (left).
  
  
• St. Andrew's Net from With Leather.
  
  
• Some baseball links from Yardbarker.
  
  
• Monday Morning Blog Podge from the Sports Point.
  
  
• And SI's Hot Clicks has an much needed update on "Bush and the Tush."

Tailgating don'ts

"What's this? You're wearing the shirt of the band you're going to see? Don't be that guy." ~ Droz (Jeremy Piven), "P.C.U."

The idiots aren't really good at much, blogging included. However all three of us do know how to tailgate, even in the lame tailgating environment that is Syracuse sports. The good guys over at tailgatingideas.com share with us the 14 Tailgaters who will annoy the crap out of you.

YouTube Fitness

We haven't checked in with YouTube correspondent Kige Ramsey in a while, so when we did we are were heartened to see Kige is getting in shape - he's taking it to the streets. Let's take a journey with Kige, as he tells us the key to a good 5k walk:



And this video, where wind proves to be an enemy of the Kige-meister:

Gon-te Greene

The Syracuse Post Standard is reporting that Syracuse freshman Donte Greene is interviewing prospective agents and is expected to sign with Blue Equity - which to my warped mind sounds more like a porn company than a "a unified full-service management and production company."

While it has basically been a foregone conclusion that Greene was committed to the NBA, most Syracuse fans held out a glimmer of hope he wouldn't sign with an agent and preserve his eligibility.

Greene certainly has all the tools to be a very good NBA player - and based on his size, ability to shoot the ball and the fact that he's 20 years old, he'll get drafted based on potential alone. While another year of college certainly would have improved his stock, you can't fault a kid for trying to make a buck, especially one who hails from tough economic circumstances. He will be given a chance - whether he gets stronger, works hard to improve his overall game and becomes a good pro is completely up to him.

Richie Sexson Needs a Mixed Tape

The Mariners and Rangers got into it pretty good last, culminating with a fourth inning, bench clearing brawl that started when Richie Sexson charged the mound after Texas pitcher Kason Gabbard threw him a pitch that was eye high (Sexson is 6'8"). The problem was that the pitch wasn't even close to being inside. With that mastery of the strike zone, it's no surprise why Sexson is hitting .209 this year. Maybe Richie just needs some love, or a nice mixed tape to calm him down.

How close was the pitch that set off the brawl? Not very - you be the judge.

Photo: AP/Kevin P. Casey

The Art of the Mix Tape

Long before I-Pod playlists and CD burners, the mix tape was the way to musically express yourself in the late '80's/early '90's. Any new stereo system had to come with high speed dubbing. The mix tape came in many varieties: the sappy love song mix for the girlfriend on Valentine'sDay, the workout inspiration tape, the makeout mix, and the driving in the car soundtrack.

One of my favorites is the pre-game warm up variety. The Russianator and I share the pleasure of playing on one of the worst high-school basketball teams in history. And of course, as crappy as our team was, our pre-game mix tape was equally crappy. I mean, nothing gets you fired up like some Young MC telling you to "Bust a Move." The obligatory AC/DC track also made an appearance, but the real star of this beauty was brought to us by Canadian superstar Aldo Nova.

I stumbled upon the video to our featured warm up track "Fantasy" and I'm speechless. A grown man in leopard print, combined with special effects that aren't very "special" adds up to pure gold. Ladies and gentlemen, join the Russianator and myself as we bust out of the locker room, through the paper and streamers and begin our three-man weave to the sounds of "Fantasy."



Readers (both of you) ....please share your crappy mixtape memories, we'd love to hear about it.

Ebay Item of the Week

Calling all fans of 1960's Portugese bullfights....this week's item is for you.

Attending bullfights increases life expectancy....the seller knows:

"The gentleman who attended this bullfight past away last August at the age of 105 years."

Toro!

Thursday Reading - 80s Baseball Card Style

Here are a few things that should tide you over until we have time to crank out some of the poorly written original material that you are accustomed to reading on this site.

• Rest in Peace Mary Fleming, mother of Ernie Davis - Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician.
  
  
• Reason number 5,376 why Derek Jeter is the man - The Sport Hump.
  
  
• An interview with everyone's favorite early entrant in the NBA draft - and no I'm not talking about Donte Green - Hugging Harold Reynolds.
  
  
• Possibly the best new blog EVER (hyberbole rules) tells us Eric Rassmussen needs a date - Gem Mint 10.
  
  
• College recruiting is out of control - pretty soon pre-schoolers will be committing - The Big Lead.
  
  
• And here's one for my uncle, a die hard Reds fan if there ever was one - the Cincinnati Reds hit 7 home runs last night - what is this world coming to?

Declare for the Draft - Everyone is Doing it

Here's one more link - since I caught it on Deadspin, there's a good chance you've already seen it - but Awful Announcing has the story of Zach Feinstein, a Junior at Washington University in St. Louis - who has officially declared for the NBA draft. It's too good not to share. If Isiah Thomas was still running the Knicks this kid would have a shot at getting his named called....

Wednesday Links

Jessica will teach Tony all the ins and outs of how to be a reality TV star

Here are a few links to check out while you're deciding who the real Kenny Rogers is, and who photo bombed your picture.

• Joe Hamilton - probably not one of the better ways to start a new job (via the Big Lead).
  
  
• Matt Leinart drinking with chicks, the issue that will not die.
  
  
• Morgan Ensberg embraces the look of our favorite columist, Petey Vecsey.
  
  
• HBO's Hard Knocks will once again feature the Dallas Cowboys (via SI's Hot Clicks) - get your Jessica Simpson jokes ready now.
  
  
• Here's an updated Roger Clemens AT&T ad (via With Leather)
  
  
• And with PETA trying to use the death of another racehorse to advance their agenda, here's the other side of the story - PETA sucks.

Joba and Indians Don't Mix

Here's some advice if you want to beat Joba Chamberlain, make sure he's pitching against the Cleveland Indians. Last fall it was the insects and Indians that did young Joba in, last night they insects didn't show, but that didn't slow the tribe down. Chamberlain gave up the first runs he's ever surrendered at Yankee stadium when Cleveland pinch hitter David Dellucci hit 3 run homer off Joba in the 8th, paving the way for a 5-3 Indians win.

Look, it's baseball, they play 162 games, these things are going to happen, but predictably, it's a pretty big story in NY. Let's see what some of the area columnists are saying, and make some snarky remarks:

• Kevin Kernan of the NY Post says, Now We'll See if He Can Rebound (call me crazy but it still seems to be a safe bet).
  
  
• While over at the NY Daily News, John Harper says Joba Threw Everyone a Curve (a few less curves a few more heaters would help).
  
  
• Bob Klapisch of the Bergan Record says There's a Silver Lining in Joba's Meltdown (apparently giving up one HR qualifies as a meltdown these days).

What's a college degree really worth?

Idiots go Hollywood.....

Former Miss America and Syracuse University student Vanessa Williams will receive her bachelor degree this weekend from the Hill.

She seems to have done ok without that college degree.

Rick Fox, what were you thinking breaking up with her?

Did Someone Want to Whack Marvin?

We haven't really weighed in on the whole Marvin Harrison mess - until some concrete information comes out, there's not a ton to say, other than we were as surprised as the next group of half-inebriated idiots when we heard the news. However, we'd be remiss if we didn't ask this question - what do Tony Soprano and Marvin Harrison have in common? According to a report that was posted on Pro Football Talk this morning - they were both targets of failed whackings (insert your own masturbation joke here).

According to the report, a Philly sports anchor named Keith Russell claims there may have been a hit out on Harrison. The item goes on to say that other sources refute the claim as being not true - but a week ago if someone told you that people would be discussing a hit being placed on an NFL player - would Marvin Harrison's name have come to mind?

NBA Update - It's Chris Paul's World

It's time to get caught up with what's happening with the NBA Playoffs.

New Orleans - San Antonio

I'm sure most people that read this blog aren't watching this series - and frankly I didn't turn the game on until the girlfriend fell asleep on the couch last night - but you don't have to watch much basketball to know that Chris Paul is AMAZING. If this guy stays healthy, the Hall of Fame should already be preparing for him - he's that good. Last night, New Orleans took a 2-0 series lead over the Spurs, beating them 102-84, with Paul scoring 30 points and handing out 12 assists. Conversely, Tony Parker scored 11 points on 5-14 shooting.

After two games New Orleans looks like a much fresher team, and while they are young, they aren't playing with any fear. It will be interesting to see what happens when the series shifts to San Antonio, but I for one would love it if the Spurs were sent packing. Between Bowen's cheap shots, Parker and Ginobili flopping like Duke players, and Duncan crying for calls, I've had my fill of the Spurs, they are really an unlikable team. That being said, they haven't won 4 titles in 7 years because of luck, so don't count them out yet.

In San Antonio they are saying Duncan Needs Help, whereas over in the Big Easy, they say the series so far is Like Child's Play.

Detroit - Orlando

After sleep walking through the first 3 and half games against Philadelphia, the Pistons are awake and alive - beating the Magic 100-93 last night to take a 2-0 series lead. The game went down to the wire and the Magic had a chance at the end, but an ill-advised 3 with under a minute to go hurt and they weren't able to pull the game out.

It wouldn't be an NBA game if something screwy didn't mar the outcome and this one was no different, a clock malfunction allowed Chauncy Billups to bury a 3 to end the third period that never should have counted. Even after this happened, Orlando still had their chances, and in no way do I feel like this cost the Magic the game, but I have something I need to get off my chest.

If you'll allow me a little rant - clock malfunctions in pro and college sports happen all the time. My question is why? I have a clock radio in my house that sets itself when you plug it into a wall. I have had a blackberry of some type for the past 5 years - never once have I had a time malfunction. We can put a man on the moon, yet we can't devise a plan that allows a big CLOCK to run accurately?

Here's an idea - let's invest a little bit of money and upgrade the timing systems in these arenas. JJ Redick did not even make it into the game (coach's decision) you want to know what he's making this year? Over $2 million. So teams can pay guys $2 million to sit on the bench, but we can't work out a better system than having some guy named Skeeter punch a button on a clock that may or may not work? Call me crazy, this shouldn't be that hard.

Video highlights are available here. In Orlando, they are saying Don't Blame the Refs (I agree by the way) and in Detroit Mitch Albom thinks free throws were the key.

Games Tonight: Boston-Cleveland kick off their series tonight at 8 pm on TNT.

Syracuse Football - Successful at Something

Greg Robinson has had his fair share of troubles as SU's head football coach, and is now rightfully on the hot seat - seven wins in three years will do that to a guy. While we certainly have our issues with Greg the coach, Greg the man seems like a really nice guy, so when there is something nice to say about the job he's doing, we have to do so (since it's most likely the last time it will happen).

According to the Daily Orange Sports Blog, Syracuse football is number two in the Big East conference in Academic Progress Rate (APR), which is used to measure academic success of sports teams and also determines whether teams can be sanctioned for poor academic performance.

The Orange trailed only the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. South Florida actually fell below the the cut off line where sanctions can be imposed, but will be spared this year year. The Cincinnati basketball team most likely will not be so lucky - so at least some things never change. On a related note, there's no truth to the rumor that Bob Huggins was disappointed in his West Virginia team for not finishing last in the APR.

So kudos to Robinson and his staff, it's good to see the players are meeting their academic requirements and getting prepared for their futures, most of which will not be in pro football. Who knows, maybe when this SU gig is over, G-Rob can go coach Columbia - two wins would be an improvement there.

A Final Word on Buzz

We've been pretty vocal about the whole Buzz Bissinger fiasco that happened last week - and we don't take any of it back. However, what I never said last week was that as a writer, he's amazing. I read Friday Night Lights years ago when it came out and loved it so much I convinced my mother to read it - and she doesn't know the difference between a football and watermelon. She read it and enjoyed it as well - she must have since she never gave it back. Anyway, Buzz gave an interview to the Big Lead in which he comes off as a sane person who just got carried away.

So if you are interested in this topic and want to hear his point of view - you need to read the interview. If you could care less, skip down to the post below this about people running over others in cars.