Daily Double - Scoring Some Hgh Edition

1. It seems that the District Attorney of Albany (N.Y.) has had more luck than George Mitchell in investigating performance enhancing drugs. Granted, the DA isn’t really interested in who is receiving the drugs, just who is distributing them. Still, you have to love the tough stance that the major sports are taking with regard to this issue. That stance? Oh, it’s basically the ol’ nothing to see here, move along approach.
   
   
   Look, I could honestly be fine with the major sports leagues saying, “Yes, our players use XYZ drugs, but the playing field is level.” I’m also fine with taking the stance that all performance enhancing drugs are outlawed. Just don’t be wishy-washy. And don’t condemn one man for his past transgressions while celebrating another. Oh sorry, that’s the press doing that.
   
   
2. I’m not a big fan of spring practice. I think it is pretty much a waste of my time trying to follow who will be the third string SAM linebacker in the fall. However, this really makes August seem so far away.
   
   
   I notice Gorgeous Al Borges doesn’t show up in any of those shots. My guess is that quarterbacks have no need for agility drills. Of course, the guys at The Auburner would say that it was so early in the morning and Tommy didn't want to startle everyone with the bright luminance of Al’s presence.

Cheerleader of the Week

Sorry for the delay in posting Cheerleader of the Week. Daddy pulled my internet access, but we're back up and running now. This weeks cheerleader comes to us from Oklahoma State.


As usual, the entire shoot can be seen here.

Daily Double: Nine Lives Edition

1. This pretty much affirms my thoughts on Auburn’s offense last year. Okay, all but Borges’ omission of poor offensive line play as a factor in the decreased productivity. Clearly, the offense that we saw on the field after the Washington State game was nowhere near what Auburn fans were used to from Borges and company.
   
   
   Despite what the pundits and analysts will tell you, I’m pretty optimistic about the offense this year, particularly the source of worry for most people, the offensive line. I just don’t think it could get any worse than it did last year, so four new starters may not be that big of a deal for Auburn. To be honest, I worry more about the defense than the offense. Replacing David Irons and The Flat-Footed Tackling Linebacker will not be an easy task, particularly without the likely Flat-Footed Tackling Linebacker replacement, Tray Blackmon.
   
   
2. Mark me down for never wanting to be within a half-mile of Rulon Gardner. The 2000 gold medalist in Greco-Roman Wrestling adds surviving a plane crash to his list of experiences. My man has certainly lived. He was stranded in the wilderness overnight while snowmobiling in Wyoming in 2002 and two years later was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle. Now he survives a watery plane crash. Are we sure this guy isn’t a weatherman from Pittsburgh?
   
   
   

I've been stabbed, shocked, poisoned, frozen, hung, electrocuted, and burned....I am an immortal.

Daily Double - Slow Weekend Edition

I could spend this morning discussing and dissecting Ohio State and Wisconsin, but what good would it do? Everyone knows that one of those two teams will make the Final Four and lose to Florida or Oregon. The other team won’t make it out of the first weekend. I mean, their athletes just aren’t as talented as other leagues because the admissions standards at Big Ten schools are so high.

1. Can we just settle on Calvin Johnson as the best player available in the draft? Is it even a question? First, JaMarcus Russell shows up bulging at the seams. Then Johnson runs a legit sub-4.4 in the 40 yesterday. Let’s look at the tangibles, sub-4.4 forty yard time, 6 foot 4 inches, 45 inch vertical, 235 lbs, great hands, and good football IQ. There aren't really many important intangibles for a wideout, but the big one for Johnson is that he played with Reggie Ball and still managed to catch 43 touchdowns and 4,129 yards for his career. Imagine what he could do with an actual quarterback.



As for Russell, yeah we know he has that killer arm, but no one want’s their quarterback to be tippin’ the scales at close to 260 lbs. That is Hefty Lefty territory right there. Add to that Russell's penchant for struggling against good defenses and you have the makings of a draft day bust.



2. Sports Illustrated has a gallery of sports-related tattoos up on their site. I’m not a tat guy. Personally they just aren’t for me and I think they look horrendous (small caveat for military tattoos, nothin' like an Airborne or Force Recon tattoo). However, if you are going to get one, do us all a favor and make it creative, don’t just take a picture out of a magazine and put that on your back.
   
   My favorite of the bunch? I like this guy.

If this doesn't scream Raiders fan, I don't know what does, just look at the belt. Also, does it surprise anyone that Raiders fans dominate this small sampling of fan tattoos?

Daily Double - Speechless Edition

1. So San Diego, it’s Norv Turner. Really? That just happened didn’t it? Wow. I’m kind of speechless and really it’s the underwhelming speechlessness, not that breath-taking anticipation type of speechlessness.
   
   
   There will be folks who will chime in that Turner hasn’t really ever had a chance since leaving the Dallas Cowboys for the Redskins in 1993 and that his years with the Cowboys were marked by spectacular offense. Of course, no one mentions the fact that he arrived in 1991 when most of the cornerstones of that offense were in place. Oh and by the way, he had some pretty good talent on those offensive football teams.
   
   
   However, it could be argued that he falls into probably one of the best situations in the league. San Diego is loaded on both sides of the ball and the AFC West is not particularly competitive (any division with the Raiders in it is not competitive). Still, does anyone really think that Turner is an upgrade from Marty?
   
   
   Oh and yes, noted Chargers fan, the might mjd, is underwhelmed as well.
   
   
2. Who had six days in the length between spring training opening and the first A Rod story to be filed pool? Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Here is an even bigger question, do I really care that A Rod and Jeter aren’t best friends? Where does it say that guys have to like each other to win? I know a team of guys who really weren’t all that close and won a championship. Why do I care…..wait, what did I just read?
   
   

   You go from sleeping over at somebody's house five days a week, and now you don't sleep over. It's just not that big of a deal. That's happened with your friends, I'm sure. Some of your friends.

   Umm, sure A Rod, when I was five I slept over at a friend's house. But, since I turned ten I think I have kept my blankie and myself at home in my big boy bed. I guess Tim Hardaway doesn’t like Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez.

Daily Double - Lundi Gras Edition

1. Raise your hand if you wrecked at the Daytona 500 on Sunday. It would be easier to count if we asked for a show of hands that didn't wreck. As I sat watching the race yesterday, it dawned on me that NASCAR is smart for using restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega. It makes the race more exciting with everyone bunched up. Of course, tell that to Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, or Kurt Busch. Stewart easily had one of the top five cars yesterday and Busch was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. As for Martin...man that close brother. Whew. Yep, exciting racing that kept you tuned in until the very end. Well, that is of course if you don't have a pregnant wife demanding food. Have no fear, I caught the end on the radio.
   
   
   As a quick aside, I had a thought yesterday while watching the race. Does anyone else find it funny that years ago the government used to bust up stills that made ethanol from corn and now they subsidize them? I guess those mountain folk had it right all along, huh?
   
   
2. When did the Arkansas Razorback football program turn into the set of One Life to Live? Frank Broyles now out as AD no doubt because his meddling in the program this year finally reached a crescendo. But what does this say about Arkansas administrators and fans that they trust a certifiably crazy used car salesman more than an octogenarian who is without a doubt the school's greatest athletic figure?
   
   
   
   Oh well, Pat Forde on the career of Frank Broyles. I personally love the Arkansas Mount Rushmore, Clinton, Broyles, Walton, and Tyson. Who would be on your state's Mount Rushmore?

   
   

Daily Double - Ice and Asphalt Edition

1. Excellent move by the Nashville Predators. Peter Forsberg gives them an instant leg up on everyone in the Western Conference. Of course, the bigger question is will anyone actually go to the games? It is pretty rough when you have one of the best teams in the league and you still aren't drawing a crowd. I will admit that it doesn't help when ticket prices are so high, but come on Nashville.
   
   
2. "Gentleman start your engines." That's right, the Superbowl of Stock Car Racing is on Sunday afternoon. There is nothing Junior and I love more than crackin' open a bag of chips and a six-pack (who are we kidding, a case) of beer and watching guys go fast and turn left. It is a beautiful thing to behold. And I'm honestly interested to see how many more guys get caught cheating. Let's just say that Major League Baseball has nothing on NASCAR. You don't believe me? Well, how about Mike Bianchi?
   
   
   Don't get me wrong, I don't like people breaking rules, but this is NASCAR. The "sport" is about the closest thing you will find to Pro Wrestling. We are talking about a sport that was started by guys who were breaking the law. Now I know it is all commercialized now, and NASCAR wants to put on a good show for the suits, but I like my race car drivers to be a little crazy and cheating like mad. It makes the sport fun and interesting. Instead, nearly every driver coming up now is seemingly cookie cutter. That's why the mavericks are so appealing. I offer Exhibit A as proof:
   
   

   

   Now, who doesn't love a guy like that?

Daily Double - The Global Warming Edition

1. Sure it is snowing like crazy in the Northeast and the rest of the country is fairly cold as well, but it is a little warmer in my part of the world because pitchers and catchers reported yesterday for the, ahem, WORLD CHAMPION ST. LOUIS CARDINALS.
   
   
   Nice puff piece on Braden Looper in the Post-Dispatch. Count me as a member of the group saying that Looper and/or Wainwright are just holding a spot in the rotation until the front office can find a suitable trading partner. Sure Junior and I believe that Dave Duncan has the powers of the Almighty himself, but come on. A team that won 83 games last year now has two guys moving from the pen to their starting rotation. I don't like the sound of that at all.
   
   
2. Bear with me for a minute, but I give Tim Hardaway some credit. He essentially said what a majority of current NBA players wanted to say concerning John Amaechi and the prospect of playing with a homosexual teammate. Did he have to be so bold? Well, no not really. Do I personal agree with him? No. However, it is a free country and of course, ESPN is free to fire Hardaway for what he said.
   
   
   I have had a week or so to think about it and my thought on the whole gay player in professional sports thing is that there surely are some players in the major league sports that are gay. So what? Big deal. The number one issue is does the guy do his job as well as he can? If so, great. And if he wants to tell people he is gay, that is his right. It is also his right to keep his personal life quiet just like if he didn't want to talk about the fact that he is an atheist or really only plays the sport because of the money. Just do your job and no one will care.
   
   
   What does drive me insane are the columnists who are seemingly cheering for a gay player to admit to it. Why? What benefit would it have for that guy? Think about the questions that he would face in every city he visited. And think about what his teammates would have to go through. As a society we tend to look down on athletes who put their personal glory ahead of their teammates. Why is this any different?