Cougars vs. Kittens: The Debate Purs On… July 25, 2007
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , 2comments(Neil and I have always contended that our show is not just about sports. We use the old Todd Wright (former host of ESPN Radio’s “AllNight”) adage when putting together a program: “we put on a Show about what sports fans talk about…” With that motto firmly entrenched in our noggins, Your Sports NightCap has gone in a wide variety of different directions over the past few months, embracing a myriad of topics, along the way. The following is certainly no exception…)
NBC’s new show “Age of Love” featuring quasi-retired tennis star Mark Philippoussis has the nation purring about the newfound all-feline debate: Cougars vs. Kittens. Granted 3 Ball Productions may have done a poor job in executing on what could have been a brilliant television concept. But the fact of the matter is that the topic that has been put out there by the Peacock Network has grabbed the nation’s attention (despite the Show’s poor ratings). The main culprit is that the contest, pitting women in their 20’s and women in their 40’s, has never been closer.
Women in their 20’s used to be an attractive prize for an older man, the type of arm candy they could stroll into a cocktail party with, and impress friends and acquaintances alike. The man could buy her everything she had ever wanted; in exchange for her youthful looks and good company. The graying silver fox feels like he’s found the fountain of youth, gets a prescription for the blue pill, and suddenly has put his mid-life crisis in his rear-view mirror…
Enter Carrie Bradshaw & Co. *, and a new generation of independent women… Men are not counted upon as the sole bread-winners. The fairer sex is outnumbering its counterpart on college campuses today. Bad relationships don’t need to last unnecessarily as the divorce rate shows—hovering around 50% in most metropolitan areas. There is a new flexibility is gender roles that never existed in the past. Older women—dubbed “Cougars”—have married the elegance/sophistication they’ve always had (see Sophia Lauren, Meryl Streep) with a newfound grace in aging.
The sayings have been here for years, for a very simple reason: they are true. You’ve heard them “30 is the new 20”, or “40 is the new 30”. Recent progress in nutrition, workout regimens, (yes!) plastic surgery, Botox, cosmetics have pushed back the concern for aging in most women. The fact of the matter is; an older woman had never been sexier than today. She’s more in control of her life, her destiny, than ever before… She’s more educated, smarter, more in-tune with her needs, more liberated with her body. No man is going to stand in her way of prospering and attaining every single one of her dreams. (Some would argue that with the advances of modern medicine and biotech, we’ve been reduced rather useless. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, here ;)…)
The younger group of women—appropriately labeled “Kittens”—bring a totally different package, to the table. A woman in her early twenties, today, doesn’t quite have her life together. She most probably doesn’t read the morning paper. From my personal dating experience, in most cases, she is not gifted with the best of conversational or interpersonal skills. She most probably won’t eloquently breakdown the geo-political tensions in the Middle East, on any date; never mind the first one. As our Resident Stanford Kicker has said several times on our program, “I’m tired of dating these brick walls”. It’s more than a valid complaint. A lot of times, a girl in her twenties is just not as interesting or compelling, as a woman who has figured out what life is about…
It’s not very hard to sit back and now realize why this race for a man’s affection, illustrated by “Age of Love” has never been closer. If we were dealing with horses and not members of the feline genus, I’d say that we’d have a photo finish on our hands.
Now, the big question, here, everyone’s minds now (pardon me; the few that have tuned in): with prohibitive favorite Jayanna officially out of the running because of her over-confidence and manipulative ways, who is going to end up being the pick of the litter? Who will leave an indelible Mark on the Scud’s mind? Will she be a Cougar or a Kitten?
My prediction: the ever so puppy love-struck Amanda.
*Rather obvious reference to HBO’s “Sex and The City”. I’ve often said “on air”, that for us, guys, watching the Show is like getting a glimpse at the opponent’s playbook.
Real Sports on HBO July 24, 2007
Posted by Todd in : Uncategorized , 3commentsI thought it was interesting that I received most of my background information on the two biggest stories in sports from HBO. The Tim Donaghy NBA fixing scandal has alleged ties to the mob, and my mafia knowledge consists of roughly 100 hours of Sopranos episodes. My insight into the world of dog fighting is a result of 10 minutes from The Wire when Method Man’s dog lost and he had to put a bullet in it. It is a sad commentary on my social life that I have seen every episode of both shows, but an even sadder indication of where sport can be when people are irresponsible. The Sopranos and The Wire deal with the most brutal and most dangerous criminals in our society, and it turns out that the second highest paid NFL player and an NBA official are tied into that world. These are possibly isolated incidents, although my friend who works at ESPN let me know that the word around the studio is there are more officials involved, and the fact that a number of players came to Vick’s defense would lead me to believe that more guys are involved in dog fighting. I have some thoughts on both of these scandals that are dominating the headlines.
- The most glaring aspect of the Donaghy investigation is that the FBI found out about him while looking into another case. They basically lucked into it. What would have happened if they didn’t stumble upon the phone calls that linked Donaghy and the mob? He would have kept fixing games for God knows how long and cheated fans out of honest contests. The fact that the NBA’s internal security had no idea he was fixing games is frightening, especially considering he was already questioned about his gambling after he was seen in an Atlantic City casino. Wouldn’t this raise some concern by the league? Wouldn’t the NBA brass keep a close eye on him? It seems like if the league was on top of its game, they would have analyzed point spreads, bank statements, and contacts and made sure he was not involved in anything illegal. The fact that the NBA was so clueless is more frightening than a guy who got in over his head with debt and was squeezed by the mob. The NBA is looking pretty incompetent right now, and Donaghy is probably headed to the witness relocation program, and I don’t blame him. Just ask the T1000 what happens when you owe money to the mob through a gambling debt. 
Robert Patrick couldn’t outrun Tony Soprano
- There are a lot of people out there say “from now on, I can’t trust any NBA official’s call because they are on the take”. Am I the only one that thinks the opposite is true? If anything, the league is going to smoke out all of the offenders, triple check every referee’s bank accounts, social lives, and off-court activities. Much like MLB has done with the steroid issue, mandatory testing has eliminated some of the cheaters and there is a little more credibility for the league (minus the HGH omission). Hardcore fans and players should be very pissed that their hard work and energy might have been compromised because the referee was possibly blowing calls on purpose. As a casual fan, I am not outraged and it has not really affected my view of the NBA. There is no concrete evidence that he swung a game in the opposite direction, so it’s tough for me to be so upset that my team lost (I don’t really have a team, either). Also, I don’t gamble on sports so it did not affect my income one way or the other. The truth is that I will trust NBA officials now more than I did before because they are going to be put under the microscope. The fact that one guy was able to beat the system will hopefully open up the eyes of the NBA and they will make sure that nothing like this will happen again.
- I think it is funny that Donaghy actually graded out as one of the better officials in the league. I heard he barely edged out Helen Keller and Mr. Magoo for that post-season assignment.
- Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino was helped out immensely by Roger Goodell yesterday when he banned Mike Vick from reporting to camp. Vick would not only be a distraction to the rest of the players who reported to training camp and had a season to get ready for, but he would also be stealing repetitions from Joey Harrington who is now likely to be the started on opening day. Harrington needs every opportunity to prepare, and Vick’s presence would essentially detract from that by taking his reps with the starting unit. The Falcons have a very good defense and some playmakers in DeAngelo Hall and John Abraham, and some exciting players on offense with RB Jerious Norwood and TE Algernon Crumpler (again, just an above average TE, but the name is incredible). If Harrington can avoid sucking, something he has had trouble with throughout his career, the Falcons have a chance to win some games and be one of the better teams in the crappy NFC. Petrino has his work cut out for him, but Vick not being there will have a positive effect on the rest of the team.
- There was already dozens of PETA activists outside of the Falcons’ facility yesterday, and it would only get worse if Vick actually showed up. These people crack me up. Do they have jobs? How are they able to stand outside a building for 8 hours with homemade banners?
- I would argue that the heat on Vick would be a helluva lot lighter if he hadn’t destroyed some of the dogs in the cruel and inhumane way that he did. The fact that they killed the dogs through electrocution, hanging, and slamming them on the ground shows that the people involved are pretty disturbed and out of touch with reality. In what world would that be acceptable? If they had put a bullet in the dogs who were hurt, I don’t see the same level of outrage that has accompanied Vick thus far in the investigation.
- I am far from a Vick fan, but I can appreciate what an incredible athlete he is. In a league with the greatest athletes on the planet, he was head and shoulders above the entire league on a pure athletic standard. I will never forget that play against 
Minnesota when two Vikings had an angle on him in the middle of the field and he absolutely BLEW by them. They missed him by a yard. He is so fluid and has better body control than anyone I have ever seen and a cannon for an arm. It’s too bad he was never able to harness that ability and pair it with a brain because he would have been a force. I will miss his highlights, but not his headlines.
I bet Blank wants to push Vick down the bleachers like OJ in Naked Gun
- Each NFL team has a head of security that looks after members of the team and assists players if anything was to go wrong such as identity theft, speeding tickets, and basically any illegal activity. If I am Arthur Blank and I am going to give Mike Vick $120m, I would make sure that he is doing the right things on and off the field. I would have my head of security (often these guys are ex-FBI or secret service) investigate Vick thoroughly and be 100,000% positive that he is not involved in anything that would jeopardize that investment or portray the team in a negative light. I am guessing it would not have taken too much digging to find out that Vick was involved in some bad stuff. Shame on Blank for being so naïve and really putting himself out there on an investment that he did not research enough, but even more shame on Vick for letting everyone within the organization down. Vick had the opportunity millions of people dream of and wish they had, and he threw it all away because he was not mature enough to understand his responsibility and accountable enough to break off his 
relationships with old friends who put their own interests ahead of Vick’s career. Even if Vick avoids jail, and that appears to be unlikely, his career is going to be seriously derailed as a result of DOGFIGHTING. That is a storyline even David chase would be hard pressed to imagine.
“Hey Mike, can I have my money back?”
Some quick random thoughts:
Check out 11 year old Cody Paul from Los Alamitos Pop Warner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqSV1wnN5oQ This kid has the body control of a 22 year old.
Drew Carey is taking over for Bob Barker as the host of the Price is Right. Isn’t this going to be a lifetime job? Is Drew ok with this? He must be making very big money to stand up on stage while drunken college students wager $420 on a dining room set and overweight women kiss him on the cheek. I thought Drew was a Playboy Mansion regular, and I don’t know if cameos in Adam Sandler movies and mid-morning game shows are going to carry the same weight with Hef’s brain surgeons as his very own sitcom did. On second thought, wasn’t Bob having relations, both consentual and unwanted, with the showcase showgirls? Bravo, Drew.
Lindsay Lohan got arrested again last night on DUI and cocaine charges. I should start a company that leases out responsible people to idiotic celebrities. I would have Vick, Lohan, and Britney Spears as my first clients. Just someone to shadow them and maybe speak up when they look like they are going to make bad decisions. “Ummm, Lindsay, maybe you shouldn’t get behind the wheel, and you might want to get rid of that blow you have on you.” “Hey Mike, you should probably leave that weed here. You have pounds of it at home.” “Hey Britney…you’re a piece of trash. I can’t help you.” It would save these people a lot of money and humiliation. I am looking forward to seeing Lohan on The Wire next season as a crack whore…it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.
For those of you with HBO, you should catch this month’s Real Sports. There is a report on a 4 year old golf prodigy who lost an eye to cancer, but has still managed to have a lower handicap than me. It is not only an absolutely incredible story, but it will restore some of your faith in sports.
Dog Days of Summer July 18, 2007
Posted by Todd in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farIt’s mid-July, and that means it is the worst time of the year for sports fans. College football and the NFL are still weeks away from starting training camp, baseball is still weeks away from pennant and wildcard races, the NBA is playing meaningless summer league games, and the NHL is…wait, is the NHL still around? Does anyone care? Most sports fans like myself are going to spend the next few weeks watching the British Open and a bunch of guys play on brown grass, read the thousands of football preview magazines until the seasons start, and be bombarded by all of the negative things going on in the sports world. Steroids, David Beckham, the WNBA, and dog fights are dominating the headlines, so allow me address these HUGE stories.
Steroids – Right now I am watching Barry Bonds pinch hit against the Cubs in the 8th inning with two men on base. What should be an awesome event instead is treated with boos and jeers (he just lined out to left). This to me is one of the biggest shames of the whole steroid issue in baseball. Granted, Barry Bonds is a first class a-hole and that contributes to him being one of the most despised people in the history of sports. However, one cannot deny the fact that Barry breaking the home run record with the aid of steroids is also what makes him such a polarizing figure. Hank Aaron had to deal with death threats when he broke Babe Ruth’s record and did so without the aid of performance enhancing drugs.(Quick sidenote: The Babe set the record on performance REDUCING substances such as copious amounts of booze and food, so imagine what he could have done with the Cream and the Clear. A trillion home runs?) It is a combination of Barry’s indifference towards fans and the fact that his head grew a full size during his HR barrage that turns fans off so much.
Remember how fun it was in the summer of 1998 when McGuire and Sosa were cranking moon shots out of every stadium at a record pace? Fans of other teams were tuning into every Cardinals and Cubs game just to watch those two studs come to bat and everyone was rooting for them. Did we all think they were taking steroids? I had no doubt in my mind, but that didn’t stop me from watching every at bat I could. Baseball officials certainly didn’t care because attendance records and television ratings were through the roof and the 1994 strike was firmly in the rear view mirror of many fans. In fact, there was not even testing for illegal drugs even though players such as Ken Caminiti had openly admitted using them. Now there is testing (although not for Human Growth Hormone, which is believed to still be commonly used) and everyone is complaining about the how the records are tainted, asterisks are needed, and players are booed. McGuire most likely won’t be voted into the Hall of Fame by many voters despite 583 HRs, 1414 RBI, and 0 positive drug tests.
Yes, many baseball players used steroids and management looked the other way while everyone was making money hand over fist. Thanks to President Bush, steroids have become a hot issue and someone has to take the fall. Many are looking at Barry Bonds to be the scapegoat because he is going to break that hallowed record and no one is pulling for him. Is the bottom line “be a nice guy and people will root for you regardless of whether or not you did steroids”? It might be, but I am looking forward to the day when we can root for the game’s best players again and not have to hear about steroids being involved. Barry, hurry up an break the thing so we can all root for A-Rod to erase your from the top of the record books.
David Beckham - David Beckham has been in the country for less than a week and the reception wouldn’t be greater if the guy had invented a cancer-curing money tree. I get that he and his wife are incredibly good looking European celebrities, but can you imagine how the rest of the world is laughing at the stupid Americans for rolling out the red carpet for these two? He was an above average soccer player who never won anything and was famous for cool hair and a couple of free kicks. She was a below average singer who became famous for a surgically enhanced topside and no waistline. It would be like Nick Lachey marrying Jessica Simpson and then they get their own show, tons of endorsements, and are on the cover of every magazine…oh, wait…damn we Americans are stupid.
Making soccer mainstream is a lost cause in American society and anyone who thinks otherwise is ignorant. Yes, there will be a surge in MLS ratings (I know I will watch a Galaxy game or two) and attendance will improve, but both will drop once the novelty wears off and everyone realizes a 32 year old midfielder on the downside of his career is not going to score the spectacular goals they are hoping to see. Kids will continue to play at a young age, but the better athletes will continue to go into football, basketball, baseball, and track. I like soccer and I played it in high school, but I have a hard time getting into watching a league where the players are not wanted by the top international leagues, no matter how much they can bend a free kick.
Beckham’s looks will sell magazines, his wife will act snobby, and they will be a nice blip on the pop culture 2007 year in review, but I think their lasting impact will be the same as the MLS: fade into obscurity.
WNBA – Sorry, but I can’t name three players or three teams in the league and I am confident I could make a roster (I am not even one of the four best players on my Palo Alto men’s league team, and we are 1-2 this season). This sport should not hold my attention for more than 3 seconds. God bless you purists who enjoy turnovers and lay-ups hitting the underside of the rim. In fact, if that is your idea of basketball, my team is playing Thursday night in Palo Alto. See you there.
Dog Fighting – Many saw that Mike Vick did actually get indicted today by the grand jury for his role in a Virginia dog fighting ring. Whether or not he actually gets convicted might be a moot point because his credibility in Atlanta with the fans and the organization has probably run its course. If the reports that Vick and his associates in the Bad Newz Kennels electrocuted and hanged losing dogs turn out to be true, he might have to spend the next few years in jail protecting his tight end instead of hitting his tight end down the field. If he does not get convicted, anything short of him having an MVP season and leading his team to the NFC Championship is going to leave him without much support, and I don’t see Vick possessing the ability to turn around his on-the-field fortunes. He has a new head coach and offensive system to learn, he has had one of the most stressful offseasons in recent memory, and has not realized his potential that so many people within the organization were betting on. I think Vick started believing all of the hype that surrounded him early in his career. As a result, he thought he didn’t have to work on his mechanics or spend the time necessary to learn the intricacies of NFL offenses and defenses. As a result, he has not improved as a QB. Couple that his legal trouble, and his future is as cloudy as his urine samples.
The less talked about side of the dog fighting issue with Mike Vick is that I truly think he believes he did nothing wrong. He probably grew up around dog fights and looked up to the high rollers who were placing large bets on the fights. In many parts of the country, dog fights exist and there is a subculture devoted to the breeding and training of the dogs. Some might compare it to the training and breeding of race horses or race dogs, but instead of running the animals they put them into a pit and have them fight one another. Unfortunately, Vick was not smart enough to realize what he was risking when he took part in the illegal fights, and was so loyal that he allowed old friends to ruin his professional career and social standing. Vick has had so many opportunities to do great things on and off the field, but has jeopardized those opportunities because he couldn’t see past his immediate influences. Hopefully Mike realizes what is important while he still has the time and ability to change, but I think the odds of that are the same a Chihuahua would have against a…never mind.
Those are my thoughts on the biggest sports stories this fine summer. Let’s just say the only thing I am looking forward to more than fat Phil Mickelson shank his tee shots into the British brown grass is the start of football training camps. Two weeks and counting.
Why there’s such a disconnect between media and the players July 7, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Uncategorized , 3commentsOne of the great things about a blog is that it is not subject to an editor’s discretion but rather the thoughts and options of its author.
Boy, have I got a good one.
Our mutual friends, Doug and Lex with Sports Byline USA have been conducting a series of interviews entitled Three Guys at the Yard where the two of them interact with an athlete and ask a series of feature questions. What makes their segment different is that there’s a little edge to it. For instance, the two gents might ask a question like, “Barry Bonds is…” Most of the time, they get politically correct answers, “He’s the greatest player ever and Major League Baseball isn’t honoring him properly.” But once in awhile, they’ll get more thought provoking and insightful replies. Their best question is, “why does there exist a disconnect between the media and the players?”
Here’s my answer from the media’s point of view:
I covered the Mariners-A’s game on Friday night and Oakland’s Dan Haren lost for the first time in nearly three months snapping a 10-game win streak. Haren has been considered as a possible candidate to start the All-Star Game having entered the night’s action with a 10-2 record and a league best 2.20 ERA. After he’d finished showering and eating his post-game meal, I saw him approach his locker. With his back turned to me, I politely asked if he had a sec, implying we could all ask him questions for the usual media availability. He threw me off guard by rudely turning towards me and replying, “Don’t I always talk to the media? I said yes but it’s still a courtesy to ask you, to which he says, “That’s a stupid question, don’t ask me that again!”
I bit my tongue because I needed comments about whether he might not start the All-Star Game and this loss could be the difference if Detroit manager Jim Leyland decides to start Cleveland Indians’ C.C. Sabathia who leads the American League with a 12-3 record. But inside I was seething. I had heard some negative comments from a colleague of mine who once appoached Haren for a pre-game interview, ideally when players are at their best because the game hasn’t started and they’re usually in good spirits. Well, he couldn’t have been more obtuse to my friend and after having this experience I thought, “Wow, what an asshole!” I’m beginning to think Barry Bonds is a jerk but not to this degree. I know Paul has also had a bad experience with the Raiders’ Warren Sapp. Well Paul, don’t worry, Sapp will soon be out of a job since he’s well past the prime of his career.
I think it’s sad. Where the hell do these guys get off treating people like shit? I swear, if I didn’t need 20 seconds out of his pie hole to send to AP and CBS Radio, I would have really had it out with him and I wouldn’t care about the repercussions. Hours later I’m still incensed about it. Paul tends to think I’m jaded but its incidents like this which are inexcusable for the bitterness that takes over. I love my job, sometimes I wish I didn’t have to talk to the surly athletes who ruin it for the media and that’s why there’s such a disconnect with the players and the media.
Here’s a little advice for the Barry Bonds’ and Dan Haren’s of the world. Would you talk that way to your parents or like it if someone talked to you so rudely? Assuming the answer is NO, then you have no one to blame but yourself for being so petulant. FYI, I credit Doug for the use of the word petulant, it couldn’t be more appropriate. I don’t have any doubts as to why athletes think they’re god’s gift to the world. I’d love to see how they’d fare in the real world if they couldn’t run, throw, or hit a ball. Why does the public deify them? Charles Barkley was right when he said players aren’t role models. They are held to that standard but I couldn’t agree with Sir Charles more.
And since I can’t root being a member of the media, I certainly can jeer. Hey Dan, how about a 10-game losing streak as a follow up to your 10-game win streak and I think it’s only fitting that C.C. starts the Mid-Summer Classic since he’s from Vallejo and appreciates the job the media does to promote Baseball… And Dan Haren, he’s an All-Star jerk!
