DEION SANDERS HOT DOG EXPRESS

    
                          Deion Slinging Hot Dogs!!!

This isn’t a joke. I wish it was....but this is too true to be a joke. Click on the link above to see the website and watch the infomercial.

Deion Sanders has a hot dog cooking machine.

No jive! In the mold of George Foreman and his burger grill....Neon Deion has a his Hot Dog Express to sling to everyone. And it can be yours for $49.95!!!

What a deal!!!  Only $50 and I can have the hot dog of my dreams!!!  Heck, if I get a really long extension cord....I can sit out on the curb and sell hot dogs to passers-by for $1.  It will pay for itself in no time!!!!   Screw those Girl Scouts and their cookies. 

Have you ever been to a convenience store?? That’s seems to be what you are getting. That rolling thing where hot dogs, bratts, metts, polish sausages and other garbage that is heated by a light bulb.....that looks like the prototype for the Hot Dog Express!! Just call it the Hot Dog Incubator Rolling Thing.  That's all this weiner machine is.  A hot pan that has those rollers on it to move the hot dogs around.  I'm glad someone took the time to bring this cutting edge technology into my home. 

The difference is, at the local gas station...other people may have touched those dogs.  Probably a few flies have landed on them and laid some eggs.  Look at the well kept guy jockying the register.  He's the guy that put them there.  He might have even dropped them on the floor before getting them up there.  With the Hot Dog Express....you know what diseases you are carrying when you throw those dogs on. 

Look at the sleek design!  I can see my wife right now showing people around the kitchen.  "Microwave, fridge, coffee maker, stove, hot dog machine".  And I likethe way it can cook hot dogs, or even sausages!!  Heck, you can cut your finger off and throw it on there.  It will fully cook it!!

The seller is this..."you?ll experience a burst of flavor that will keep you from cooking your hot dogs any other way." Sign me up!!! I mean, putting them in the microwave for, what, a minute was just too stressful. I mean, it is better than boiling some water and tossing a few in there. But the Hot Dog Express website says it will take only 30 MINUTES for me to enjoy the flavor of a good ol? hot dog!!! Heck, with the Hot Dog Express, I can stop using my George Foreman Grill to cook those wieners. Hamburgers on George.....hot dogs on Deion.

In all seriousness....this is the dumbest thing I?ve ever heard of. I mean, we?ve all seen the hot dog machine at Circle K, 7-11 or where else everyone goes to get gasoline for their automobiles. I mean, you get $10 in gas....pick up a pack of gum....maybe an Icee....a pack of cigs....and a couple of those heart attack hotdogs rolling around in that metal thing. Well, you can have the pleasure of eating those gas station dogs in the privacy of your own home.

Why is Deion doing this?  Is he in a money bind??  After all, he did come out of retirement to "play" for the Baltimore Ravens this past year.  He's also featured in those cell phone ads where he's small and pimping a blinged "D".  Now, he's selling hot dog machines.  Say it ain't so Deion!!  Say it ain't so!!  Also, what the hell is he wearing?  During his time in the NFL [and on CBS] he was decked in nice suits, pimped hats and laced with jewelery.  Now it looks as if he robbed Mack 10's wardrobe. Westsiiiiiiide!!!

I?m just waiting for the home fountain drink machine.

John Chaney Goin' Crazy!!

                     

If John Chaney wasn’t a Hall Of Fame coach who has 721 wins.....he’d be fired.

No. First, he’d be publically ridiculed.....then fired.

For those who don’t know, John Chaney’s Temple Owls played the St. Joseph’s Hawks a few nights ago. In that game, Chaney was peeved by what he thought were illegal screens set against his team. So, he sent out his "Goons" to handle it. He put in Nehemiah Ingram, a 6-foot-8 forward who barely plays, to pretty much lay the hammer to anyone wearing a St. Joe’s uniform. In four minutes of game time....Ingram managed to use up all 5 of his fouls. John Bryant of St. Joe’s went up for a layup.....and Ingram threw him to the ground, giving him an arm bruise.

Since then, it is known that Bryant’s arm is actually broken....and he will miss the rest of the year.

          
Chaney, along with Duke's Coach K, are the only coaches that actually look like their teams mascots

After the game, Chaney defended his decision to send his "goons" in to battle. "That’s what happens", Chaney said. "When I see something wrong, I try to right it. I’m not worried about it. We don’t have any recourse. When you do it to me, I do it back to you." In fact, a few days before the game was even played, Chaney complained about "illegal screens" by St. Joe’s and said he will send in "one of my goons and have him run through one of those guys and chop him in the neck or something."

Did he think Ingram crossed the line?? "We have to try to teach him better."

Chaney, after sleeping on it I guess, did an about-face and apologized for his actions. He called Bryant and his parents to apologize and to offer financial help with any medical bills. He accepts any action the school takes against him.

                              
                                 John Chaney, or Temple mascot???

Chaney suspended himself for this weekend?s game against Massachusetts. The athletic program went ahead and suspended him for the rest of the regular season. So, the penalty is a mere 3 games....against Massachusetts, Rhode Island and LaSalle. He will return for the Atlantic 10 tournament in Cincinnati and, most likely, the NIT.

The school has also decided to leave the first few rows of the student section empty for Saturday?s game against the Minutemen because students were seen spitting at St. Joe?s players and cheerleaders as they walked off the court after the game.

The only other time Chaney was suspended was after a post-game news conference where Chaney threw a tirade at John Calapari [who was coaching UMASS] and threatened him with violence. Actually, he threatened to kill Calipari. In 1984, he grabbed George Washington coach Gerry Gimelstob by the throat because he didn?t like what one of GW?s players were doing. In 1993 before Temple?s game with Michigan?s Fab Five, during a news conference he asked his center William Cunningham if he was "going to attack Chris Webber." The game was a brutal ugly mess that Michigan eventually won.

The fact of the matter is that this may be the beginning of the end of John Chaney. At 73-years of age, the game may really be getting to him. That?s not to say he cannot coach.....but it is to say that if he lets possible illegal screens not being called to make him want to hurt players, then he really needs to think about stepping down. He is a faculty member of the school and should be held to the same standards as his peers.

                                                  

This is very sad.A few days ago, I had a conversation with some buddies about high school players running up the score. I said it is up to the coaches to "call the dogs off". In the pros...that is fine. They are paid professionals. But these are kids. High school and college kids. So, when I heard about the Temple-St. Joe?s fiasco....it really fit into what I was thinking. I mean, you are angry at officials not making certain calls....so you want to go out and hurt a kid?? Sure, legally an adult....but he?s a college student. His actions made broke one kid?s arm. Also, he made Ingram...who never got any playing time....look like a thug. The kid never gets to play....so of course he?ll do what his coach says when he finally throws him in there. He wants to make coach happy so maybe he?ll get some more minutes down the road. Not to mention, he?d like to keep his scholarship.

So the argument is, does Chaney keep his job?  Hard to say.  I don't think we can demand that he step down....though it may be what is best for everyone involved.  If he wants to coach and the school wants him there...how can we argue? 

The fight is truly here:  Do we overlook these incidents since Chaney is one of college basketball best coaches of all time??  Or do we overlook his sucess on the court and deal with the issues at hand. 

          

NBA TRADE DEADLINE DEALS

Wow....what a Trade Deadline Day.  Most of the time, a few guys get dealt....mainly just role players....while big names stay put despite all of the rumors.  This year, you had a ton of action.  All kinds of action.  You had names like Chris Webber, Baron Davis, Antoine Walker and Gary Payton changing addresses....while guys like Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Peja Stojakovic, Carlos Boozer, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Jason Kidd and Steve Francis involved in major trade rumors...but nothing done.  And there was a bunch of minor deals....many of which are quite meaningful. 

SEVEN teams made two different trades....which is quite astonishing.  Championship contenders San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers made some deals.  You had the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks.....some of the worst teams in the NBA.....making deals. 

As the Sportz Assassin....I gotta break it down for y'all!!...

  

KINGS GET:  Brian Skinner, Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas
SIXERS GET:  Chris Webber, Michael Bradley, Matt Barnes

BREAKDOWN:  CHRIS WEBBER TRADED TO THE SIXERS

  

HORNETS GET:  Glen Robinson
SIXERS GET: Rodney Rogers, Jamal Mashburn

BREAKDOWN:  It is actually a trade that isn't a trade.  The one person that matters is Rodney Rogers.  He'll most likely back up newly acquired Chris Webber for the Sixers playoff run.  The other two in this deal are trade filler, if you can believe that.  Neither Robinson nor Mashburn have played all season.  Robinson's contract expires after the year....giving the Hornets cap space to go after a free agent [if ownership ever really did that].  Mashburn most likely will never play in the NBA again....and his salary is 80% insured....so the Sixers don't lose much there. 

  

WARRIORS GET:  Baron Davis
HORNETS GET:  Dale Davis, Speedy Claxton

BREAKDOWN:  This is one of those trades that works out for everyone involved perfectly.  Too bad it won't be obvious right now.  Neither team is going to the playoffs....but each really made a mark on it's 2006.  For G-State, adding Baron Davis gives them a star player to help build on a team that already has Richardson there.  If he can stay healthy...this is a great deal for the Warriors.  For the Hornets, Dale Davis' contract expires.  So, along with Glen Robinson, they'll have a ton of money and cap space to try to go after and get what they want to build their team.  They got out from under two contracts that weighed them down [Davis, Mashburn] to try to quickly build a playoff team again. 

  

WARRIORS GET:  Nik Tskitisvilli, Rodney White
NUGGETS GET:  Eduardo Najera, Luis Flores, future first round pick

BREAKDOWN:  Denver gets Najera....one of those tough guys that fits well to what George Karl wants to do.  Najera will bang, scrap, defend and be a pest which that team needs.  They part with Tskiti and White who have been busts since entering the NBA. 

  

SPURS GET:  Nazr Mohammed, Jamison Brewer
KNICKS GET:  Malik Rose, 2 first round picks

BREAKDOWN:  Mohammed will be a lovely addition to back up Duncan and Rasho.  He'll block shots and be another effective defensive player for an already steady defensive team.  They did deal Rose away, who played bigger than he was.  Which makes him a perfect fit for New York.  The first round picks will be very late in that round....so it is doubtful that Isaiah Thomas will make anything out of them.  Probably Popovich could have. 

  

ROCKETS GET:  Vin Baker, Moochie Norris, 2006 second round pick
KNICKS GET:  Maurice Taylor

BREAKDOWN:  The Rockets go for some backcourt help with Norris, a former Houston Rocket.  Think about it.  Houston dealt for David Wesley, Jon Barry, Mike James and Moochie Norris for their backcourt.....which basically was Jimmy Jackson and Charlie Ward when the season started.  They deal Mo Taylor, who lost his starting job to Juwan Howard.  Why is Vin Baker still in the NBA?  So, New York deals for Mo Taylor and Malik Rose today.  I guess they are trying to corner the market on undersized power forwards.

    

ROCKETS GET:  Mike James, Zendon Hamilton
BUCKS GET:  Reece Gaines and two second round picks

BREAKDOWN:  Again, the Rockets go after guard help.  With Bobby Sura and David Wesley out there....they really don't have too much power there. 

  

MAVERICKS GET:  Keith Van Horn
BUCKS GET:  Calvin Booth, Alan Henderson

BREAKDOWN:  Good deal for both teams.  If you take this deal plus the Mike James deal the Bucks made...all this points to them trying really hard to re-sign Michael Redd this offseason.  Of course, they're going to have to look at upgrading the talent elsewhere on the roster....orRedd is headed to Cleveland.  As for Dallas...this is a solid move.  KVH, though not great and WAY overpaid, is certainly serviceable as a backup for Dirk Nowitzki.  He can stretch the defense like no one other than Dirk and Finley can.  And Dallas got him for a couple of throw aways. 

  

CELTICS GET:  Antoine Walker
HAWKS GET:  Gary Payton, Michael Stewart, Tom Gugliotta, first round pick

BREAKDOWN:  Quickly, all the Hawks did was deal away a guy who's contract was expiring for a future first round pick.  As for Boston....they brought Toine back into the fold.  As I said to my buddy YCS a while back, I think Walker will head to Boston in a deal....it makes sense.  Ainge let it happen.  After the Sixers pulled off a big deal, the Celtics made this one to counter.  If it doesn't work out....let Walker, uh, walk.  All it cost you was, really, a first round pick.  It should be noted that Gary Payton will try to get the Hawks to buy his contract out so he can go back to Boston.  So it even gets better for everyone. 

  

CAVALIERS GET:  Jiri Welsch
CELTICS GET:  first round pick in 2007

BREAKDOWN:  Welsch adds some 3-pt shooting to a team that is poor in that aspect.  He'll come off the bench.

  

HEAT GET:  Steve Smith
BOBCATS GET:  Malik Allen

BREAKDOWN:  Nice catch by Miami.  Smith brings championship experience and veteran leadership to the Heat.  He also brings outside shooting and an ability to get to the line.  Charlotte gets major organizational props for dealing Smith, an elderstatesman who wasn't going to win anything with the Bobcats, to not only a title contender but to Smith's original NBA home.

Randy Moss Is A Raidah

              

The St. Paul Pioneer Press.....and Randy Moss’ agent.....says that the receiver will be dealt to the Oakland Raiders for LB Napoleon Harris and the #7 pick and a later round pick in this year’s draft. The trade cannot be done until March 2....the start of the NFL’s new year. Neither team will confirm the deal.

Adding Moss gives the Oakland Raiders one of the best receiving corps in the league. They can throw Moss on one side and Jerry Porter, who the Raiders gave a contract extension to, on the other. All the while, Ronald Curry [who came off a breakout season] is a very adequate third receiver. Also, the one team that doesn’t really mind Moss’ antics are the Raiders.

As far as talent goes.....the Vikings may have gotten the short end of the stick. But, that is what happens when (A) you are dealing a controversial player and (B) everyone knows it. Technically, replacing Moss will be difficult. But, with that #7 pick....they could go after USC’s Mike Williams or Michigan’s Braylon Edwards in the draft. Also, there is a bevy of free agent receivers and possible salary cap casualties out there like Mushin Muhammad, Plaxico Burress, Isaac Bruce, Derek Mason and Laverneas Coles. Dealing Moss away saves $2M to their cap.

So why the deal? Moss wore out his welcome in Minnesota....and, to them, the headache wasn’t worth the results. Randy Moss is the biggest playmaking receiver in the NFL......but, with him, the Vikings were still an 8-8 team. This is Daunte Culpepper’s team now....and Moss’ actions were really tearing the team apart. He walked off the field before the end of their season finale against the Washington Redskins. The next week, after a TD catch against the Packers....he faux mooned the crowd. He’s had three run-ins with officials during his career that have gotten him fined...and even had a shouting match with a sponsor on the team bus.

BARRY BONDS SPEAKS OUT

            

Let me start off by making this statement: I really think that I am one of a very select few people that can separate an athlete on and off the field. I mean, I am a Laker fan....and I love Kobe Bryant on that court. Man, is he awesome. Off the court, I think he’s a jerk. A prima donna jerk.

Same thing with Barry Bonds. The two differences is that, one, Kobe seems like a jerk to me by things that happen around him and stuff people say about him. Barry Bonds does it himself. Listen to him....and you’ll find him to be a jerk. I mean, any one who complains that his job of standing in left field is a hard job has massive stones. The other difference is that Kobe will stand in front of the camera....smile and pal around like he’s a regular Joe. A nice cat if you really know him. Barry Bonds could care less what you or I think of him. I mean, do you really ever see him steppin’ and fetchin’ for the media just so he gets some image points?? Nope. So, he’s a jerk that knows he’s a jerk and could care less he’s a jerk. Sometimes it is him saying things that most people won’t say.....like some of the stuff he says about the untouchable Babe Ruth. Sometimes it is just whining. Sometimes it is just contradicting yourself....which he did a lot of Tuesday.

First off....he held a news conference to tell the media that he hates them getting into his business. A time honored celebrity tradition. You hate the people that helped make you a household name. And before we get into this....remember, I am not part of "the media". I write a blog. Just my takes on things in the world of sports. I have NO journalistic intent. I’m just some guy, with a computer, who loves sports and loves talking about it. I, too, find the media contradictory as well. I mean, they bash Jason Giambi for basically saying nothing.....and now they are bashing Barry Bonds for saying everything. And they are really bashing him for bashing them. Oh, then he says that the media "don’t bother" him.

    

Okay...back to my writing here. So, Barry doesn?t like the media asking questions. Hey, why not go up to Washington....go into the White House...and tell George Bush that you don?t appreciate the US GOVERNMENT going through your business. I mean, after all, wasn?t it grand jury testimony in a federal case against BALCO that made you admit to using steroids?? The media?s job is to report on this stuff.

In all actuality, the media really has laid off the steroid problem in baseball. I mean, Jose Canseco is saying all of this stuff was going on in the last 1980s. So, it has been over 15 years that there has been admitted steroid abuse.....yet it "breaks" now?? Steroids, it seems, is like promiscuity to athletes. Everyone around the game knows about it. The coaches, staff, other players and the media. And just like they don?t report on guys with women on their arms that aren?t their wives....they also aren?t reporting what?s going on with the performance enhancers. They have to now....since there is heat from Senator McCain, an investigation into BALCO which links the sport, and by a book by a former athlete who used steroids and is singing like a bird.

Bonds goes on to smack Canseco about "fictional stuff" that he isn?t sure if it is or isn?t true. I will say this about Canseco. He may be a snitch who needs some money.....but when baseball set up a lax testing system that gave everyone advance notice of the testing...and STILL over 5% of players tested positive for steroids....well, I guess there is fire there. And it is getting out of control. And it is important since it really affects everything that has happened in the last decade or so. The 70 McGwire put up....and the 73 Bonds put up. Those great seasons Sosa had. Everything. Every thing.

Of course, his big defense [other than the legal restrictions around him discussing steroids] is "yeah I have lied.....but you guys have lied too!" Wow. An argument that a 5-year old may make. "Yeah...but you did it too!" That usually is followed by something about your friends and jumping off a bridge. He even pulled the ?alcohol and tobacco is worse? card as well.

He went on to whine "you need to clean out your closets before you start trying to clean mine!"

He also said that he is"not willing to talk about other athletes, because that?s not my style." He then goes on to talk about Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. He says "I don?t have anything to talk about Jose".....then says "You gotta come with a whole lot more. It?s just to make a buck. I was better than him then...and I?ve been better than him his whole career."

So I go back to my original point. I am 29 years old. Barry Bonds is the greatest baseball player in my lifetime. He is one of the greatest baseball players that ever lived. To me, he is worthy of his MVP awards. He is worth of his single season home run record. He is worthy of passing Hank Aaron.

But, he?s still a jerk.

CLICK HERE if you want to read a transcript of Barry Bonds press conference

Wild, Wild, Wild Weekend

JEFF GORDON WINS DAYTONA 500 IN DRAMATIC FASHION

        
Gordon is NASCAR's equivalent of Barry Bonds and Kobe Bryant:  hated by many, yet loved by many. 

I’m not a NASCAR fan...nor do I claim to be an expert in any way. But, I caught the final 30+ laps of the Daytona 500 yesterday...so I "can" talk about that.  For more in depth coverage, check out The Diecast Dude's (Mostly) NASCAR Blah Blah Blog.

In my NASCAR fantasy league....I have Tony Stewart as my main driver. When I got home and picked up the race....Stewart was leading and had been leading for quite some time. So, I decided to keep watching to see if he could hold on. He couldn’t. That’s what gets me.

Again...I am not a racing fan. Only in the past few years have I even cared about what has been going on at a race. All I know is I cannot stand the cautions. I know they are necessary for safety reasons...duh....but I just don’t like ‘em. I mean...all the momentum of what is going on gets [pardon the pun] the brakes slammed on it. I saw a couple wrecks...one looked to be a doozy...in those final laps. And that may have cost Stewart the 500. It seems to me that the wrecks enabled the field to "catch up" to Stewart...and when the restarts happened, Stewart then was crushed.

I guess "that’s racin’!" Which is fine....but I as a non-racing enthusiast didn’t enjoy it. I suppose it is like in basketball when late in the contest we get to see teams fouling to "lengthen the game". It isn’t fun to see...but it is a strategy to steal away a win. Maybe it is sour grapes. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who hadn’t done squat all race, took the lead from Stewart....then Jeff Gordon took it away from Earnhardt. Gordon kept it and won his third Daytona 500. Stewart ended up 7th.

There was 4 lead changes in the final 9 laps...and judging by the commentators it was great action. It was a heck of a sight to see. Unless you were rooting for #20. Crap!

NBA ALL STAR GAME

              
                            Vince, to Vince, for the jam

The East beat the West in the NBA All Star Game, 125-115. Allen Iverson won the game MVP with 15 points and 9 assists.

This wasn?t, despite what Shaq said, one of the best All Star games ever. In a weekend where Josh Smith blew everyone away [and made a name for himself] with the dunk contest, Carmelo Anthony got off in front of the hometown crowd in the Rookie Challenge and Phoenix Suns Q Richardson, Steve Nash and a mixed bag of Phoenix hoopsters won other challenges....the game itself really didn?t have that kind of individual explosion.

LeBron, the first time All Star, didn?t try to make a statement. Kobe and Shaq, on the court for the second time as opponents, didn?t really have much to do with each other on the court [though Kobe was booed during pre game introductions]. Duncan and KG were their normal selves. Even the shoes, which tends to be a funny side note during the game, weren?t outlandish [aside from the Shaq Shoe-Phone that made it?s way around the front row]. Seven guys on both team averaged double figures with Ray Allen leading the game with a mere 17 points.

I am one of those idiots that enjoys the NBA All Star Game. To me, it works pretty well. It is the ultimate pick up game where you get to see greats play on the same team. I mean, a Duncan-Garnett front court with a McGrady-Kobe backcourt!?!?!? Sick! And that team LOST! You get to see that street ball mentality come out early in the game. Alley-oops. Crossovers. No look passes. But, when it gets crunch time...everyone buckles down.

My favorite play was the Kobe Bryant alley-oop to Amare Stoudamire. The Vince Carter dunk after the pass off the glass was nice. As was Shaq blowing by Yao for the dunk.

One suggestion. Instead of making fans vote for a center, two forwards and two guards....break the categories down a bit.Go ahead and set it up for one center, one point guard, one shooter, one slasher and one posting forward....so we don?t have TD and KG on one end and Grant Hill and LeBron on the other. Just a thought.

NHL RE-CANCELS SEASON

         
                                                             What was that aboot???

Wow. That was pretty heart gouging! After the season was officially cancelled mid-week...Friday there was some hope and possibility that the season could be saved. ESPN made up the term "uncancelled" and many experts were reporting on the immanent 28-game NHL season.

Oops!

Instead, it turns out they were just doing a autopsy on the deceased season...and found out why the passing occurred. Former players and current owners Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky went to the players and tried to help bang out a deal....basically telling them that this was pretty much the best they?d get.

I?m not getting into the details...I?ve already done so [THE PUCK STOPS HERE].  But, how cruel is that to give hockey fans that sliver of hope [which everyone overblew into a deal] yet to pull the carpet out again. Congrats, NHL!!! Yet another obstacle you must deal with to win fans back.

THANKS, DUKE!!!

               
              With Duke's win over Wake...Carolina pulls into the lead

Let me say this. I didn?t root for Dook against Wake Forest....but I can?t say that I am angry that Dook won that game, either.

Yesterday, Duke beat Wake Forest 102-92

A week ago, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest were tied at 8-2 for the ACC lead. The bad part for me, a UNC fan, is the fact that we had lost already to Duke and Wake. So we need them to lose. Duke immediately lost their next to games....at Maryland and at Virginia Tech. Surveying Wake?s remaining schedule...this game against Duke may be the only legit shot for a loss. And it happened.

So, basically, the Carolina loss to Duke is meaningless...except for the smack talk. Carolina lost it?s ACC lead...but now has it back. Carolina dropped from its #2 ranking in the nation...but losses to Kansas and Kentucky will almost assuredly get that back.

So, as of now...the Tar Heels lead the ACC with an 10-2 mark, the Deacs are second at 10-3 with the Blue Devils at 9-4. Carolina wins out....and they win the ACC regular season title and the top seed in the ACC tournament. That is big, since it keeps them away from BOTH Duke and Wake....playing only the winner in a possible ACC title tilt.

ENOUGH WITH THE YANKEES AND RED SOX!!

                         

I don?t live in the northeast section of our country. So, just a news flash to everyone up there....not everyone cares about your teams!  As an AOL blogger...I'll read Monponsett for Red Sox news or Coztanza's Commentary for Yankees views. 

Sure, we have to listen to the Red Sox World Series talk and the Patriots dynasty. Sure, the Yanks-Sox ALCS was one of the most classic moments in sports history.....but do we really, really, really, really, really need to have the Yankees-Red Sox thrown down our throats constantly??? OKAY!! WE GET IT!! YOU GUYS DON?T LIKE EACH OTHER!!!!

The freaking season opens up with *gasp* the Yankees vs Red Sox. Randy Johnson vs Curt Schilling...former Diamondback teammates [and World Series co-MVPs]...will be on the mound for the opening game, which ESPN gladly set aside for it?s own opening. So, we baseball fans, have to see ESPN and Peter Gammons drone on and on about the Yanks and Sox. Every strain, every pitch, every word.

It has already started. This week, there was smacked lobbed from several Red Sox at Alex Rodriguez...the "missing piece" to a championship puzzle that was never completed. We get the pleasure of having reporters implanted in their spring training sites to keep the hype going. Why not head down to the Marlins, Braves, Cardinals or Giants spring training digs?? They are contenders too...and only the Yanks OR Red Sox can get to the World Series. We have the "Countdown" to Jason Giambi?s arrival in camp so they can kill him loudly about the steroids.

Why isn?t anyone even worrying about Barry Bonds?? He, too, admitted to taking steroids...and he?s the much better player. And he?s set to do something significant soon. What is that?? Hmmm.. Oh, PASS BABE RUTH FOR ALL TIME HR HITTER FOR A LEFT HANDER!!!! Just a little focus there, please? I?d be willing to bet it will be ESPN?s Pedro Gomez that gets that assignment...while they?ll have 25 people in Florida to report on both the Red Sox and Yankees.

At least this does move Jose Canseco a bit off the map...which he needs to go.

MAYBE MCCOMBS WILL STILL OWN THE VIKES?

             

Gotta love that NFL!

After people were trumpeting the idea of Reggie Fowler buying the Minnesota Vikings and becoming the NFL?s first majority minority [nice oxy-moron] owner.  Well...to be safe, I'll say first African American owner....since Rams owner Georgia Frontiere is technically a "minority owner" since she is a woman.

Anyway, apparently, his business dealings aren?t all kosher. He?s been sued at least 35 times over the past 15 years for his business dealings. He borrows heavily against his commercial properties...and is the landlord for a business owner that has been involved is a college points shaving scandal.

Fowler?s Spiral Inc owns a flight-simulator factory in Colorado, a cattle ranch in Texas, real estate company in Arizona, "Shammy Man" car washes in Phoenix and some other minor holdings. The "Shammy Man" business relationship with Joe Gagliano is raising eyebrows as Gagliano was involved in the point shaving scandal that rocked Arizona State a few years back. Fowler?s people state that he only owns the land that the car washes are on....and Gagliano ?rents" the land for his businesses in a tenant-landlord relationship. Conveniently, Fowler is intending to sell those plots of land where those car washes sit when he moves to Minneapolis to watch over his biggest investment...the Vikings.

What may keep Fowler away is his non-payments on several [read: three-dozen] bills that have gone to court. Fowler dismisses them as minor...many people around the NFL are wondering why a multi-million dollar business fails to pay its bills and that it looks poorly on the NFL and a franchise that is already having issues with a new stadium. What that means is that many people don?t think that Fowler actually has the money to buy the Vikings...which the rumored price is $625M.

Fowler also has been taken to task about his athletic "achievements". He claimed to have played in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals, in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders and in the Little League World Series when he was 11. Instead, he admits, he was cut in training camp by the Bengals and the Edmonton Eskimos [not Calgary]...and was in a All Star tournament when he was young that "they called a World Series".

He also doctored his resume that stated he had a degree in business administration from Wyoming....when actually he received a degree in social work. He admits that he did so to look good for employers...but that he hasn?t bothered to correct his resume since he?s his own boss now.

NBA'S SLAM DUNK CONTEST

The Slam Dunk Contest tends to bring out the greatest dunkers ever. Dr. J. Michael Jordan. Dominique Wilkins. Harold Miner.

Harold Miner? Well, he did win the thing twice...which will forever be his mark in the NBA books. But, as people complain about who is in the dunk contest....or better, who isn’t....there have been some historic "huh" players that entered the competition.

Michael Cooper.....yep Coop....was in the inaugural dunk contest back in 1984. He finished dead last out of 9 competitors.

In 1985, you had Jordan, Nique, Erving, Nance, Dunkenstein Griffith, Orlando Woolridge and Clyde The Glide in the contest. You also had Terence Stansbury. WHO???? Exactly. Stansbury was a rookie for the Pacers...who were hosting the All Star weekend in ‘85. Only Jordan and Nique finished better than....uh..."Stansbury the Mansbury"?? Well, Stansbury had the "Statue Of Liberty" dunk that got him a perfect 50...and he actually had a dunk-off to see who would face Wilkins in the finals. Terence finished his 3-year NBA career with just over 6 ppg.

Stansbury was back in 1986...when little man Spud Webb won the whole thing. Dominique Wilkins was joined in the contest by his brother Gerald. Jordan sat this won out. Stansbury was back at it in 1987...where Jordan won his first dunking contest. Stansbury wasn’t in the 1988 dunk contest...since you have to be an active NBA player to compete in it.

Stansbury is Indiana's #43

How about Shelton Jones? His lone NBA season, 1989, he played for 3 different teams. But, he was in the dunk contest as a Sixer. Or Billy Thompson? He was Laker taken by the Miami Heat in the 1988 expansion draft. He was in the 1990 dunk contest. Or Blue Edwards? Or Blue’s Utah replacement David Benoit? Mahmoud Abdul-Raof was in the dunk contest???

How about Alan Houston? The 3-pt contest...yeah. But the dunk contest? Antonio Davis was in the same competition in 1994. In 1996, Doug Christie was in the dunk contest.

One of those years Baby Jordan won....he had Jamie Watson, Antonio Harvey and Tony Dumas as fellow dunkers. Maybe Ray Allen is most angry that Kobe Bryant beat him in the 1997 dunk-off? Or maybe that Allen was also beaten by Chris Carr?

Anyway, the dunk contest has had it?s share of "who the heck is that" players...so don?t get too mad that it is continuing to this day.

Nance, Nique, Spud, MJ, Walker, Dee, Miner, Ceballos, Rider, Barry, Kobe, Vince, Mason and J-Rich