NPR: Tony Cox Sports Round Table Interview
May 31, 2008
Here’s another in my bi-weekly Sports Round Table show interviews with NPR’s Tony Cox. Sorry we can’t link this one in-house. (Click here for the show).
Podcast: DZ Does DWil
May 31, 2008
Here’s something for your head. It’s Dave Zirin’s Edge of Sports Radio (XM, baby). Dave Zirin interviews me about sports-related events for the month of April.
Podcast: DZ Does Mary Tillman
May 31, 2008
Check this Dave Zirin, Edge of Sports Radio interview with Mary Tillman.
Gael Monfils, Novak Djokovic and the Point of Divergence
May 31, 2008
Gael Monfils is in the midst of his 3rd round match at this year’s French Open against Jurgen Melzer. The two are tied one set apiece with Melzer leading 3-2 in the third set.
Who would have guessed four year ago when Monfils won the first three junior Grand Slam events, Australian, French, and Wimbledon, that today in 2008, Monfils would be ranked behind countrymen #9 Richard Gasquet, #11 Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, #19 Paul-Henri Mathieu, #29 Gilles Simon, Michel Llorda (#41), Nicolas Mahut, #50 Fabrice Santoro, #55 Julian Benneteau, #56 Marc Giquel, and #57 Sebatien Grosjean.
Monfils is #59.
Who could have guessed three years ago, when he played his best friend at the time, Novak Djokovic, in the first round of the U.S. Open, that Monfils would lose that match after winning the fourth set, 6-0. And who would have guessed that that match would be the point of divergence between the two players.
Djokovic is #3.
How To Get From The Wu-Tang To Amy Winehouse? Use The Funk.
May 30, 2008
Taking it in a different direction on this Friday afternoon:
Raw I’ma give it to ya, with some trivia: About four years back, I download a track from somewhere (can’t remember where I found it) - it was El Michels Affair, “Glaciers of Ice”. I thought I had found the sample Raekwon used on what I would call the one of the best songs off the Cuban Linx album. It took me a couple of years before I came to the realization who El Michels Affair is.
Turns out that El Michels Affair is a backing band that performs for the Wu-Tang (or, really, for Ghost and Raekwon). Leon Michels is the head of the group, and the co-founder of a record label called Truth & Soul, which specializes in nu-funk/soul music. El Michels Affair has a sound that could be from the 70’s, but that’s not where they come from. Instead, the band is mostly seen playing live for Raek & Ghost, or releasing “instrumental” versions of Wu classics. Peep the video below to see some footage of El Michels Affair and the Wu doing C.R.E.A.M. live: http://www.youtube.com/v/ei2JbYeHl-I&
Why stop there? Here is Raek & the EMA performing Ice Cream live (apparently minus Cab-badonna, who was no doubt making pickups in Baltimore, which he loves like he love his d*ck size):
http://www.youtube.com/v/cVkqfECauSk&
And here’s a soulful instrumental version of C.R.E.A.M. recorded by El Michels Affair (not to be mistaken with the actual song The Rza sampled for C.R.E.A.M., which is “As Long As I Got You” by The Charmels):
http://www.youtube.com/v/Ku2yGHzcCQQ&
LA-San Antonio: Live Bloggin’ Game 5… Lakers Win, 100-92 and Take Series
May 29, 2008
4th Quarter - 64-63 Lakers
Kobe hits three, Ginobili hits jumper, 67-65 LA. Duncan hits 1-of-2 FTs. Bryant fouled by Duncan as he drives into the lane. NO ACT OF SHOOTING CALL!!!
Walton missed Duncan pushed Gasol in the back, no call - oh boy. another bad call on Walton this time. Collins says it’s an easy call for the official. L:A has three team fouls two minutes into the 4th quarter. Walton hits three, 70-68 LA.
Parker pass stolen by Farmar. Farmar scores Timeout SA, 72-68 9:05 left. Collins calls him Jordan Farmer. I swear this guy hates LA.
Offensive foul on Thomas on an illegal pick. Kobe drives on three Spurs, 74-68. Barry in the game. Barry is “fouled” (was he touched?).
O.J. Mayo #4: Recruiting Wars Ain’t Nothin’ But a Modern-Day Slavery Thang
May 29, 2008
As I pulled into the small media parking area looking for a space I saw something that made me feel uneasy. I was at this small east coast university to finish a story on the burgeoning rivalry between two small college basketball programs looking to separate themselves from the other schools in their conference and join the carousel of “big-time” college hoops programs in perception and notoriety.
The two universities found themselves fighting for the same recruits they felt were necessary to allow them to compete with bigger schools. This particular season’s recruiting battle centered around four players. The school for which I was a beat reporter signed one of those recruits while their rival signed the other three which automatically made them heavy favorites to win not only their conference and conference tournament but perhaps a game or two in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.
I got out of my car and walked toward the sight that perturbed me so when I pulled into the lot. There in a row were five late-model sports cars of different makes.
Sports Blogs Are Accountable to No One*!
May 28, 2008
I wrote a guest post for The Big Lead, check out the original post here. It lays out my opinions on who sports blogs are really accountable to.
Leave Brett Favre’s Locker Alone
May 28, 2008
The Green Bay Packers have kept Brett Favre’s locker intact. No really, the Packer organization is keeping the recently-retired QB’s locker in place for posterity.
See, this is because Brett Favre is the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL, He is the league’s all-time leader in virtually every significant passing category - touchdowns (442), completions (5,377), attempts (8,758) and yards (61,655), all previously held by the prolific Dan Marino. Favre also ranks first with 160 victories at quarterback and September 20, 1992, started in a remarkable 253 games in a row (275 including playoffs), a record for NFL quarterbacks and, the second-longest recorded streak in league history.
So what if Aaron Rodgers must walk by the fabled QB’s locker every day? If he can’t take the heat, well, you know the rest. My advice to Rodgers is to suck it up and deal with it. Deal with the fact that he’ll never be Favre, deal with the fact that he won’t even be close to as good as Brett Favre; that he won’t lead Green Bay to consecutive Super Bowls, that he won’t win a Super Bowl, and will be fortunate to get to a Pro Bowl.
Aaron Rodgers is kind of like the kid who dreams of becoming a pro athlete and ends up with a nice college scholarship instead. He’s made it to the NFL and will earn a great salary, make a nice living for himself, hopefully last seven or eight years in the league, retire, and move on with his life.
The Corruption of a Sports Dynasty
May 28, 2008
Lately I’ve been reading a history book of Ancient Greece. I’m amazed at how often a city-state dynasty built by talented wise men was then ruined by greedy, self-serving men with a gift for gab and getting the people to follow them. It troubles me to realize that our own country is probably headed for the same inevitable decline. But it also got me thinking; are all sports dynasties doomed to be corrupted?
