Life In The Weeds

Soccer...where amazing happens!

We have all seen plenty of viral videos of amazing sports trickery...but, it's rare when it is a soccer player...let alone a soccer keeper!

 mj

Shattering Glass

In basketball, shattering the backboard on a dunk is a legendary achievement.  If you stopped playing basketball after completing this achievement, you would still most certainly garnish incredible notoriety among the locals...for time eternal.

I cannot guarantee if you will ever hear the name Alex Roth again...but for right now, he is living a dream.

What I love most about this clip is how crazy the fans go...to further my point about this elusive achievement.

 mj

Only in America

I am not a big baseball fan...sure, I know a little about baseball because I am a sport nut...but of all the sports, baseball is my least favorite...and quite frankly, baseball bothers me.

I just dont think baseball is that hard and it bother me when people go crazy with talk about what great athletes baseball player are on the athletic scale.  A fair amount of professional baseball players are overweight and/or out of shape...I mean, let's face it...there is A LOT of standing around in baseball.

So, where am I headed with this?

I read an article today about a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ross Ohlendorf.

Ohlendorf was 1-11 in 2010 and had two stints on the disabled list during what turned out to be yet another miserable Pirates season.  However, despite his abysmal performance, Ohlendorf just knew he was entitled to a large salary hike.

This week, he went to arbitration....fighting for a bump in his current salary of $439,000.

The Pirates made a more-than-generous offer to him of $1.4 million. After researching the salaries of MLB starting pitchers he considered "comparable," Ohlendorf argued that $1.4 million didn't account for his true value to the Pirates.

After pressing on with the kind of dogged determination the Pirates would love to see on the field, Ohlendorf was awarded a substantial raise to $2,025,000 by the arbitration panel.

ONE win and ELEVEN losses...an undeniable loser...received a $1,586,000 raise.

Only in America.

mj

 

From Coast to Coast

Fun fact of the day...

 - Seventy percent of all people in America now live within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

mj

 

 

Darth Volkswagen

After plenty of television commercials last night during the Super Bowl...here the long version of the Volkswagen commercial that I liked...

 mj

Where's the Eye Candy?

Let's face it, cheerleaders in professional sports are not critical to a teams success. You could argue this same case for college sports...although each sport differs greatly in size and scope.  Can cheerleaders be heard and have an impact at the Rose Bowl...no. Can Cheerleaders be heard and have an impact at Cameron Indoor Arena...maybe yes!

Regardless of weather or not cheerleaders make an impact, you have to admit these young ladies are certainly easy on the eyes!  However, the sideline sex appeal of cheerleaders wearing revealing outfits and performing enticing dance routines – will be on hiatus Sunday in Super Bowl XLV.

Sunday's game featuring the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers is believed to be the first Super Bowl without cheerleaders since Super Bowls II.

Only six NFL franchises do not use official cheerleaders, including the Steelers and the Packers. The others: Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and New York Giants.

The big, huge screen in Dallas Stadium will focus in on lots of things throughout the game...but don't expect any eye candy (at least not in the form of cheerleaders!)

mj

 

The Most Desirable Woman of 2011

The Top 99 Most Desirable Woman list has been published.  It is sponsored by Askmen and it is their 10th Annual list.  After more than 5 million votes, one woman came out as the winner - Blake Lively! 

Really? Blake Liveley?  Before becoming desirable, I think it would be important to know who the hell she is!  Yes, I know who she is! She is on Gossip Girl and been in a few movies, but THE MOST desirable?  I am calling for a recount!

I guess everyone's definition of "desirable" is different...but to me, it would mean someone who is a)gorgeous and b)someone who you would want to spend your life with. You decide!

Here is the list of names:

• 2. Mila Kunis (another strange pick, most notable role in Black Swan)
• 3. Sofia Vergara (Modern Family...wowser)
• 4. Selita Ebanks (NO ONE can know who this is...a Victoria Secret model)
• 5. Miranda Kerr (see above)
• 6. Cheryl Cole (assuming the singer?)
• 7. Scarlett Johansson (now, here is a logical choice)
• 8. Katy Perry (annoying yes, desirable, not really)
• 9. Anne Hathaway (worthy of this list, top 10?)
• 10. Jessica Pare (was in Hot Tub Time Machine, enough said)

Other notable on the list:

• 11.Natalie Portman (has come a long way since The Professional)
• 17. Emma Watson (apparently of Harry Potter fame)
• 23. Beyoncé (JayZ is a lucky dude)
• 26. Shakira (should be on shortest woman list)
• 41. Rihanna (in my Top 10)
• 45. Kim Kardashian (yuck)
• 48. Kristen Bell (I guess she is pretty, along with 1000 other woman) 
• 49. Megan Fox (should be on the hotty hot list)
• 56. Taylor Swift (not my favorite)
• 60. Elin Nordegren (Tiger didn't think so)
• 61. Kate Middleton (the next queen of England)
• 67. Angelina Jolie (should be on every Top 10 list ever)
• 80. Maria Sharapova (sha-wing)
• 85. Halle Berry (an absolute TOP 3 for me)
• 91. Lea Michelle (from Glee...pah-lease!)

mj

Does the English Language Make Sense?

This young man has a few compelling arguments as to why, it does not!

 mj

Top Ten Biggest NBA Lottery Busts in last 15 years

#5 - Nikoloz Tskitishvili

Because he was a seven-footer who could shoot from downtown, Tskitishvili was expected to become the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki.  

However, Tskitishvili ended up being the poster boy for European NBA busts.

Drafted by the Denver Nuggets fifth overall in 2002, he went on to have a four-year pro career in which he averaged 2.9 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

#4 - Adam Morrison

Morrison enjoyed a memorable junior season at Gonzaga in 2005-06. The big-time scoring forward averaged 28.1 points per game and finished second to Duke's J.J. Redick for National Player of the Year honors.

After being selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the third-overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, Morrison was expected to become the "Next Larry Bird."  

Sadly, Morrison has been a major disappointment at the next level, averaging just 7.5 points per game in his three seasons with the Bobcats and Los Angeles Lakers.  He was waived by the Washington Wizards during pre-season and is no longer in the league.

He may be a bust, but at least he has two NBA championship rings (Lakers), even more reason to hate him!

#3 - Kwame Brown

Four high school big men were taken within the top eight picks in the 2001 draft. Brown, who was supposed to be the best of the crew, was drafted No. 1 by Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards.

He has played nine seasons in the league, averaging only 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. In addition, Brown has only averaged double figures in scoring once in his career.

The Wizards would have been better off drafting All-Stars such as Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, and Tony Parker.

Ironically, Brown is now a member of the Jordan-owned Charlotte Bobcats.

#2 - Michael Olowokandi

Believe it or not, Olowakandi was so good in college (University of the Pacific) that he was labeled by some as the "Next Hakeem Olajuwon." After he was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 1-overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, the "Kandi Man" became the complete opposite of Olajuwon: a bust.

Olowokandi ended up playing nine seasons in the league with the Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Boston Celtics, averaging 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

And the Biggest NBA Lottery Bust in the last 15 years is,

Darko Milicic

The Detroit Pistons are currently one of the league's worst teams. However, things could be different if the team hadn't drafted Milicic second overall in 2003.

The seven-foot Serbian has averaged just 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for his seven-year career, in which he's spent with the Pistons, Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Joe Dumars and the Pistons could have had Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh...all of whom were taken after Milicic!

mj

 

Top Ten Biggest NBA Lottery Busts in last 15 years

From an article I read:

#10 - Ed O'Bannon

O'Bannon was the main reason that UCLA won a national championship in 1995. The 6'8" forward scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the championship game, earning him NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. The New Jersey Nets then made O'Bannon the ninth-overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.

His game never translated to the NBA, as he averaged 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game during a forgettable two-year career.

#9 - Marcus Fizer

As a junior at Iowa State, Fizer was named Big 12 Player of the Year and led the Cyclones to the Elite Eight. The Chicago Bulls then made him the the fourth overall pick in the 2000 draft.

Fizer went from a phenomal college player to a monumental NBA bust, as he averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game during his six years in the league

#8 - Robert Traylor

"Tractor Traylor" was an intimidating inside force during his time at the University of Michigan. The 6-foot-8, nearly 300-pounder shattered a backboard in a game against Ball State. 

He was later selected by the Dallas Mavericks sixth overall in the 1998 NBA Draft, and then immediately traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Dirk Nowitzki.

Traylor was out of the league after seven seasons. He started just 73 games for his career, and finished with averages of 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

#7 - Todd Fuller

Fuller is one of many draft busts in Golden State Warriors history. The center from North Carolina State was selected by the Warriors with the 11th-overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. 

By drafting Fuller, Golden State passed up future MVP winners Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, as well as All-Stars Peja Stojakovic, Jermaine O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Ben Wallace.

Fuller stuck around in the league for only five seasons, with career averages of 3.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

#6 - Rafael Araujo

The Toronto Raptors shocked fans when they selected Araújo with the eight overall pick in the 2004 draft. 

He averaged just 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds a game in a short three-year career with the Raptors and Utah Jazz

(#5-#1 tomorrow)

mj