You know they want to step in the ring with each other sometimes, and, for us (the fans), it would be an experience unlike no other. The victors from each match will fight each other for the bracket championship. Then the victor of Bracket A fights the victor of Bracket C, with the victor of Bracket B fighting the victor of Bracket D, the winners of these matches facing off for the Professional Athlete's UFC Championship.
Bracket A (MLB)
1. John Gibbons vs. Ted Lilly, Sept. 2, 2006,10:05 EST, Rogers Centre, TSN.
2. Pedro Martinez vs. Don Zimmer, Sept. 4, 2006, 9:30 EST, Fenway Park, NESN.
Bracket B (NBA, NHL)
3. Ron Artest vs. Ben Wallace, Sept.8, 2006, 10:07 EST, The Palace at Auburn Hills, HBO.
4. Sean Avery vs. Georges Laraque, Sept. 15, 2006, 8: 30 EST, LA Colesium, ESPN.
Bracket C (NFL)
5. Terrell Owens vs. Bill Parcells, Sept. 18, 2006, 11:00 EST, Cowboy Stadium, HBO.
6. Ben Roethlisberger vs. A Car, Sept. 27, 2006, 9:30 EST, A street in Pittsburgh, ESPN.
Bracket D (other)
7. Zinedine Zidane vs. Marco Materazzi, Oct. 4, 2006, 10:05 EST, Stade Lyons, TeleFrance.
8. Lance Armstrong vs. Jacques Rogge, Oct. 9, 2006, 9:30 EST, MSG, HBO.
Winner of 1 vs Winner of 2, Oct, 15, 2006, 10:00 EST, GeorgiaDome, ESPN.
Winner of 3 vs Winner of 4, Oct. 17, 2006, 8:00 EST, US Cellular Field, HBO.
Winner of 5 vs. Winner of 6, Oct.20, 2006, 9:30 EST, Yankee Stadium, ESPN.
Winner of 7 vs. Winner of 8, Oct. 25, 2006, 10:07 EST, Wachovia Centre, HBO.
Winner of Bracket A vs. Winner of Bracket C, Oct. 28, 2006, 9:00 EST, MSG, ESPN.
Winner of Bracket B vs. Winner of Bracket D, Oct. 30, 2006, 10:00 EST, MSG, HBO.
Professional Athlete's UFC Championship Fight-
Oct. 31, 2006, 10:05 EST, LA Staples Centre, ESPN, HBO, FOX.
All matches sponsored by Red Bull, Gatorade, Bayer Aspirin, the IcyHot back patch.
Not sure if I quite used the right words in the title, however its late and its been a long day. I drew a massive blank on what to post about, considering that I'd been seperated from the sports world by a hiatus to the meat department of a certain grocery store, to work several long days.....but that's a story for another time.
The purpose of this post was to discuss the professional athlete that lives in every average person and the average person that lives in every professional athlete.
The professional athlete that lives in every average person tends to come out in the heat of the competition, in the moment when it matters most. There is a common tale that in the moment when a person needs their strength the most, they can summon almost superhuman strength. For example, the 110 pound weakling attorney, after wrecking his vehicle, lifts the burning car from the ground, so that his son can escape from almost certain death. It is clear in moments like this, that the will and desire that powers professional athletes, also is evident in each one of us.
As well, anyone who has ever been told that they're not good enough or that they will never make it to the big time, can be sympathesized with by the likes of Martin St. Louis, Santana Moss or Muggsy Bogues.
One of the most popular sports stories, that has been told over and over again, is the story of the underdog, the player who was too small, too weak, too poor, or whatever the hinderance might be, to make it to the big time. Jackie Robinson and Willie O'Ree were excluded their entire lives, despite their obvious talent, for a reason so simple as that they were of a different race. Many people each day receive this scrutiny and its the ones that take a stand who will break through, thats just how the world works. This popular tale is ever evident in the real world, where people are put down and rise up to ranks that the oppressors never thought possible. It is these athletes that most capture the imagination of the fans, while the everyday Joes of society pull their underdog stories to less fanfare, but indefinitely as much self-satisfaction.
On the other side of the ball, is the everyday person that is inside every professional athlete. While most people tend to think of pro athletes as LeBron James, Derek Jeter and $10 M signing bonuses, there are many low-level players who, I won't say scrape through, but don't enjoy the $250 M yachts or a $10 M pads. However, Jason Kidd and his wife share a '90s Honda, and live in an apartment. Many players of the Canadian Football League have other jobs in the off-season, to help pay the bills.
Athletes can be sky high in riches, yet down to Earth in demeanor. Multitudes of athletes do charity work and give back to the community. Most get along well with their fellow competitors and leave the anger on the field of play, while some cannot, much like the professionals of the real world (ex. prosecutor and defense attorney having lunch, then ripping each other in the court).
It's these simple things that help us to realize, as far away as LeBron, Kobe, Ovechkin and Jeter may seem on the court, they are really just humans, not much different from you and me. I guess that's the point that I'm trying to make here, in a long drawn out fashion.
I guess its just like Eminem said - There's a little Tom Brady in all of us.
Or was that Slim Shady?
Well anyways, this session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending.......now.
Just to vent whatever comes to mind in the world of sports.
-Tiger Woods sits 1 stroke back after the first two rounds of the PGA Championship, along with playing partner Geoff Ogilvy. Lefty Phil is 4 strokes back at -4.
-How big is the 5-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox this weekend at Fenway Park? Pretty big actually, with the Yankees up by 1 1/2 games on the Sox, the standings could swing either way.
-The Red Sox's new pickup, Eric Hinske looked impressive in his Boston debut (3 for 3, 3 doubles, when I stopped watching), and he took a home run away from Jorge Posada.
-With the acquistion of Bobby Abreu, and the return of long-contract signees Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, where does young stud Melky Cabrera fit into the mix. One would have to think that the Yankees would want to keep him, for when the aging Matsui expires.
-Did you know that recent Patriots acquisition Martin Gramatica has size 6 feet. Size 6!! Nothing like having a grade schooler kicking your field goals.
-Subsequently, did you know that Shaquille O'Neal has size 22 feet?
-Now that the Colts have Adam Vinatieri, its time for them to become a dynasty. Despite the loss of Edgerrin James, look for 3 Super Bowls in the next four years for the men from Indy (probably by 3 points each).
-Staying with that thought, I still believe that Adam Vinatieri, not Tom Brady or Deion Branch should have been Super Bowl MVP, where would they have been without him?
-Roger Federer actually lost in the ATP Masters event in Cincinnati, in the second round, ending his streak of 17 straight finals appearances, one short of Ivan Lendl's tour record.
-The Olympic Games need a makeover. Out with synchronized swimming, equestrian, and gymnastics. In with extreme mountain biking, golf and American football. The aforementioned "out" sports, really aren't sports at all, which means that they should not be in the greatest athletic competition known to mankind.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending.......now.
In the wake of one of my posts in which I commented on how much Red Sox DH David Ortiz resembled rapper 50 Cent, I decided to expose their likeness with a side by side photo post, as well as throw in a few other athlete/celebrity twins. Hopefully they'll shock and inspire you.
First off, the one I was talking about before, Red Sox DH David Ortiz (left) and rap icon Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson (right).
Second, former Stars D-Man Philippe Boucher (is he still in the NHL?)(left) and actor Charlie Sheen (right).
Thirdly, Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade (left) and fellow athlete, Peter Worrell (right). Ok maybe a bit of a stretch.
Fourth, Terrell Owens' agent Drew Rosenhaus (left) and Mission Impossible actor Tom Cruise(right). Their other connection is that dealing with T.O. is Mission Impossible.
Finally, NY Knicks GM Isiah Thomas (left) and singer Marilyn Manson (right). They may not look alike but they're both completely insane and butcher things (whether it be lineups or people, that is up to you to figure out).
Hope you enjoyed this....it actually took me quite a while.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending......now.
Thanks to ShooterB for the inspiration to write this blog, from a recently posted comment. I liked the idea so I decided to blog it. So here it goes....
Five not so easy steps for babe_magnet_007 to become a dynasty:
5) Catch the attention of respected bloggers (ex. ShooterB) and be recognized in some way, shape or form.
4) Develop the skill of creating new and interesting ideas for each new blog.
3) Season my blogging skills over a period of time.
2) Go to Rick Reilly's Institute for Aspiring Sportswriters, Bloggers and Other Print Mediaists.
1) Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.....most of the time.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending.....now.
On a sunny day in Woodstock, Ontario on the 11th of August, five men sat in apprehension of coud be the biggest moment of their career in sports. No it wasn't the ESPYs or the NBA Finals, it was the inaugural induction ceremony for the Babe Magnet Hall of Fame.
The candidates, nominated based on performance, sportsmanship and dedication to sport, were PGA golfer Tiger Woods, Twins catcher Joe Mauer, NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, Blue Jays outfielder Reed Johnson and Tigers manager Jim Leyland.
The judges cast their ballots, with each nominee needing a 75% support rate to be inducted. Many thanks to the judges who voted this month (NeoAC, Siddhartha, MrNFL, Chorizo245, as well as myself). Anyone can vote, there's an induction every month!
And then, the moment everyone was waiting for. Jacob Doering aka babe_magnet_007, founder of the Hall, stepped up to the microphone. In succession, the players were asked to come forward and receive the verdict.
"Reed Johnson.........No, I'm very sorry."
"Jimmie Johnson........No, I'm very sorry."
"Jim Leyland.......No, I'm very sorry."
"Joe Mauer........No, I'm very sorry."
"Tiger Woods........Yes!! Congratulations!!"
British Open, and 11-time major winner, Woods was the only member of the Class of August 2006 inducted. He immediately broke down and gave a gracious acceptance speech, wishing the other nominees well in future inductions (an athlete can be re-nominated).
The judges ballots are secret and therefore can not be dicussed (however you can see them on my blog at community.foxsports.com/blogs/babe_magnet_007). Once again many thanks to the voters from this month, please, everyone be sure to vote next time. The next induction will come in early September.
A great time was had by all on this remarkable day. For the after-party/reception, esteemed guests such as Don King, Markus Naslund and Anna Benson were present, as well as this blogger's girlfriends, Lindsey Lohan, Jessica Simpson and Maria Sharapova.
Hopefully this tradition will continue for many months to come.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending.........now.
The purpose of this blog is to let everyone know that your time is running out to cast your blog for the Babe Magnet Hall of Fame inductions for August 2006. Check out my blog entitled, "Babe Magnet Hall of Fame-Your Say Will Count" to view the candidates and cast your ballot. Thank you for your patronage.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending.....now.
If I was the Cubs GM, I would completely purge the team of all exiting players and replace them with goats (to see if they can break their own curse).
If I were the Manager, I would purposely get thrown out of every game, because it doesn't matter if I'm there or not, the team is going to lose, so at least I might set a record.
If I were an owner, I would sell the team to Colombian drug lords, so they could rename the team as the Colombia Dirty Syringes, or The Men Dying of Altitude Sickness.
If you're interested also check out my blog about the Babe Magnet Hall of Fame, there is still time to cast your ballot for who makes it and who doesn't.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending......now.
Just to vent whatever comes into my head about the world of sports-
-WIll the Astros ever score runs while Rocket Roger is on the hill? If not, they might as well not have signed him and pocketed 22 M.
-Why didn't the Alfonso Soriano?? I for one have absolutely no idea. The due-to-be free agent at the end of the year isn't going to help a Nationals team that won't make the postseason. Why not stock up on some young talent?
-Will Tony Stewart actually miss the Nextel Chase for the Cup? The defending champ is on the brink.
-The Blue Jays finally won, but its too late.
-Tiger Woods has an astounding spirit, two wins since the death of his father, including the British Open. A true testament to his excellent character.
-The Twins are the team of the future, the talented young core is second to none (Joe Mauer, Francisco Liriano, Johan Santana etc)
-Reed Johnson is the best baseball player ever.
-Mario Williams will dissappoint, Reggie Bush will shine.
-Matt Leinart, Vince Young will never get off the ground, Jay Cutler will become a steady player.
-The best trade of the offseason? Vancouver acquiring Roberto Luongo
Be sure to check out my recent blog about the Babe Magnet Hall of Fame, and please vote.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending.......now.
I have no idea whether this idea will catch or not......likely the latter, however I'm still half asleep as I'm writing this, so forgive me if the idea seems stupid. I thought it would be an interesting idea to, each month induct members into the Babe Magnet Hall of Fame, based on performance and sportsmanship. To gain induction, players must get 75% support. To support a player's induction or go against it, simply express your opinion in the comment section. Here are this month's nominees for induction:
Tiger Woods (PGA Golfer) A victory at the British Open changed perceptions of Tiger all around, as he showed incredible poise to claim his 11th major title. After losing his father, and the US Open, Tiger came roaring back to win the British as well as the tourney last weekend. A gutsy couple of weeks for Eldrick.
Joe Mauer (Catcher, Minnesota Twins) The Twin's catcher continues to play well. While keeping his average over .360, he could become the first catcher in over 50 years to lead the majors in hitting, while he has also vaulted the Twins back into the Wild Card, only 1.5 games back. He also plays great defense and hit his 10th home run of the season last night. Stats deserving of a nomination.
Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR Driver) The driver of the #48 Lowes Chevy is tough to ignore as the Chase for the Nextel Cup nears. A win last weekend at the Brickyard punctuates his strong run of late. This may finally be his year, as Johnson has been arguably the best driver on the circuit for the past two seasons, only to run into bad luck once the Chase started.
Reed Johnson (Outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays) I couldn't have an induction without hard-working, hustling Johnson. The outfielder is hitting over .370 this year, good enough for the league lead, if he played every day. And there won't be a game where his uniform will be clean at the end of the game.
Jim Leyland (Manager, Detroit Tigers) The Tigers unprecedented rise to the top of the MLB standings is impossible to ignore. It definitely qualifies as one of the biggest stories in baseball this year, and manager Jim Leyland is right at the forefront of the praise. Leyland has brought the most out of his solid, but unspectacular group of players. With three 100-loss years in a row, a winning record would have been a success. Scratch that, as Leyland and the Tigers are real World Series contenders
These are the five nominees for induction for the inaugural month of August 2006. Please have your say whether each should be inducted into the Babe Magnet Hall of Fame. Simply vote yes or no for each of the five hopefuls.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending.......now.
In one of my earlier blogs, entitled "The Blue Jays March Into October", I prophesed of how the Blue Birds would pull together and reel off win after win to surpass the Red Sox and Yankees and take the AL East, for their first postseason appearance since the World Series year of 1993.
In the month or so that passed since that unfortunate blog, the Jays have reeled and keeled, nosediving in the standings. Hopefully, this will not begin a streak of curses for athletes and teams, such as the Cover Curse of Sports Illustrated.
As I write this blog, the Jays have lost the first two games of a critical series against the New York Yankees and fell to 2-7 on their recent road trip. The Jays are now a full 7 1/2 games back of the division lead in the East, as well as the Wild Card.
The Evil Empire, with their two recent wins over the Jays had pulled mere percentage points ahead of the Red Sox for the division lead, pushing Boston into the lead of the AL WIld Card, a game up on the Chicago White Sox.
Getting back to the Jays, this will be a definitely tough, if not impossible task to overcome. The pitching has been suspect, if not to be considered dreadful. AJ Burnett went 4 innings, giving up 4 runs in the first game of the New York series, and Ted Lilly and the bullpen combined to allow NY a six run inning during Game 2 of the series. While Roy Halladay gives the Birds a definite chance to win every 5th day, Burnett, Lilly, Ty Taubenheim, Casey Janssen and Shawn Marcum have been questionable. And with no slated return for Gustavo Chacin, the rotation won't be bolstered any time soon.
The bats have gone away a bit as well. Alex Rios' return hasn't provided much support as he wore the Golden Sombrero in his return, becoming the first Blue Jay in history to strike out 5 times in a 9 inning game.
The final jewel in the crown of Blue Jay suffering is, of course, the Shea Hillenbrand fiasco. The disgruntled 1B-DH split from town after being malcontent with his playing time. In the deal, the Blue Jays dealt Hillenbrand and reliever Vinnie Chulk to San Francisco for reliver Jeremy Accardo, who has been less than stellar since the trade.
However all that being said, it ain't over till it's over. Supposedly. But with the strong play of late of the Yankees and Red Sox, its more likely ethanol will catch on or Uma Thurman will hook up with the Pope, than the Jays making the postseason.
Oh well, J.P. you tried.
This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending........now.
Even as I've followed closely, the NHL, the NBA, MLB, the NFL, NASCAR, PGA and many other sports, for some reason I've never as closely followed the college side of things and it would be incredibly difficult to carry on a conversation with me about the world of college sports. The purpose of this blog is to let you know what I know about NCAA basketball, and, if anyone is actually reading, to give me a couple facts that perhaps I should know.
1) NCAA stands for National Collegiate Athletic Association.
2) The NCAA basketball tournament is made up of 64 teams in four brackets, ranked 1 to 16 (with 1 playing 16, 2 playing 15 etc). The tournament is a single-game elimination format, with teams moving on to rounds known as the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, and the Final Four. The festivities are sometimes known as March Madness.
3) The NCAA is broken up into regional conferences, with helps to determine the particpants and seeds for the NCAA tourney. The six major conferences are the BIg 10, the BIg 12, The Pac-10, the ACC, the SEC and the Big East with smaller conferences (ex. Missouri Valley, Conference USA) scattered in between.
4) The Association is also broken into three levels of competition based on school size and payroll, Divisions, I, II, and III.
5) The 2006 tournament was won by the Florida Gators, who play from the SEC. The Most Outstanding Player was Joakim Noah.
6) The year before that it was UConn, I believe. In 2004, I'm not 100% sure, but I was thinking Duke.
7) In 2003, Carmelo Anthony led the Syracuse Orange to the title.
8) The UCLA Briuns won 7 championships in a row, and 10 of 12, in a stretch of years from 1964 to 1975. Legendary coach John Wooden was the leader of the troops and spawned such greats as Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton.
9) In a title game during the 70s, Bill Walton made 21 of 22 shots from the field in one of the most legendary performances of all time.
10) Pete Maravich holds the record for career scoring in an NCAA career, with over 44 points per game.
11) Some of the most storied coaches in NCAA basketball history are Dean Smith from North Carolina and Mike Kryznewski (Coach K) from Duke.
12) Duke's nickname is the Blue Devils.
13) North Carolina's nickname is the Tar Heels.
14) Vince Carter and Michael Jordan both attended the University of North Carolina.
15) Texas's nickname is the Longhorns, USC's is the Trojans, LSUs is the Tigers, as is Auburn's. Virginia Tech are the Hokies, Michigan are the Spartans, University of Michigan are the Wolverines (but they're better in hockey).
16) I do know more nicknames but I won't bore you by listing all of them.
17) I also know where other NCAA players played their college ball, but I won't get too specific.
18) The best college player each year wins the Dr. James Naismith Award. As you may know, Naismith invented basketball. As you may not know, Naismith is a Canadian. Yes someone from up here in the Great White North invented basketball.
Anyways, thats my basic knowledge of NCAA Basketball, hopefully you're not too bored out of your mind, and can find the time to add to my knowledge with a comment.
My name's Jacob Doering. I like sports. I'd like to become a sportswriter or broadcaster one day, but if it doesn't turn out that's ok. My philosophy on life is "I could be dead right now, so I might as well enjoy it." Just in case you wanted to know. I live just outside Woodstock, Ontario. I'm 16. If you want to send me an email my address is babe_magnet_0 07@hotmail.co m, or if you want to talk sports or whatever, add me to your MSN Messenger.
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