Perusing the world of sports, one can find many sports figures that vex you, trouble you, or get you so pissed off that you want to SCREAM. You so want to vent your ire. Here is the forum that gives you, the Joe Six-Pack Fan, a forum to vent at the object of your ire by calling them out for their idiocy, or their stupidity, or their arrogance, or whatever else pisses you off. You can do this by throwing _______ under the Bus. I have some nominees.
NFL
Matt Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: this genius was busted for blow in Arkansas. Dude, you're a marginal football player at best. You're BARELY hanging on by a thread on the Jaguars' roster. This isn't going to help, especially when Sheriff Goodell metes out his brand of justice on you. You're going to WISH you had to deal with Sheriff Joe Arpaio instead of Sheriff Goodell. For snorting away your lazy, underachieving career, you get thrown Under The Bus.
Odell Thurman, former Bengals' LB: as if pissing away your football career isn't enough, now you are being sought for an arrest warrant for felonious assault. You STILL don't get it. Perhaps when you're caught by the authorities, justice will be served on you and you'll do a LOT of time in the pokey. DON'T blame _____ for your problems. BE ACCOUNTABLE and accept the consequences for your actions. In the meantime, you get to know up close and personal the tire tracks of the Bus you are to be thrown under.
Travis Henry: as if his babymaking skills weren't enough to give him a headache, now he's facing his biggest headache of all: a possible year long suspension from the NFL for allegedly testing positive for the hippie lettuce. Is jonesing for chronic that much more important than pulling an NFL pay check? Apparently to you, it is. I don't get these imbeciles that have MAD game yet choose to #### it all away for one reason or another. For pissing your career away due to the chronic and all that baby making, you get thrown Under The Bus.
NBA
Los Angeles Clippers: they had a great chance in the offseason to become a legitimate power in the Western Conference. Or at the very least improve themselves. They did neither. They let their franchise player, Elton Brand, go to Philadelphia. They let their second best player, Corey Maggette, flee to Golden State. At least they did sign Baron Davis, but he alone won't be enough. This is why they are the Lakers' JV team and deserve to play at the Sports Arena rather than the Staples Center. Hell, the Lakers' D-league team could probably beat the Clippers. For being the Clippers and being the face of front office ineptitude, the Clippers front office gets thrown Under The Bus.
NASCAR
J.J. Yeley: his #96 team was caught cheating prior to the LifeLock.com 400. Did someone on that team call Bill Belichick for some cheating advice? NASCAR assessed Yeley a drive through penalty at the start of the race. He did recover sufficiently to finish 24th. For being caught cheating, Yeley and his team get thrown Under The Bus.
And now for one off the beaten path:
Celebrities that give their children FUGLY names: you know what I'm talking about. The celebrity idiots that give their children names like Apple, Sunday Rose, etc. Those kids are scarred for life. These celebrities ought to be spayed or neutered for this. Then they should be thrown Under The Bus.
Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours.
This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew traveled to Chicagoland. Now that the race is over and the film has been edited, we present to you, deep dish pizza style, this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
THE GOOD
Kyle Busch: as this week's winner, he automatically gets first billing. He led 165 of the 267 laps, but had to overcome Jimmie Johnson in a two-lap shootout at the end to win his seventh Cup race of the season. At the rate this season's going, he may be at this spot the rest of the season.
Jimmie Johnson: his car got stronger as the race went on. Led 15 laps and may have won if not for the last caution (David Gilliland blowing an engine).
Kevin Harvick: night time was the right time for Happy. He started 13th and quickly worked his way up through the field; at one point he was in second place. He finished third, right on Johnson's back bumper. This was a MUCH needed result for Happy; he is currently in ninth place in the points.
Greg Biffle: led 43 laps in this race. At one point he was a lap down but got a much-needed long green flag run to get back into the top 10. Gambled on pit strategy to get track position and a caution shortly thereafter helped lock him in. Finished a strong fourth.
Tony Stewart: the announcement of his future seemed to relax him. He drove like the Smoke of old. Had a great car on short runs but faded on long runs. Spent all but three laps inside the top 10. He'll find Victory Lane soon.
Honorable Mention: Red Bull Racing, Ryan Newman, Roush Fenway Racing, Martin Truex, Jr., Jeff Gordon.
THE BAD
Michael McDowell: as the last place finisher, he gets this dubious distinction. He's a field filler.
Travis Kvapil: just when I was about to be sold on him, he comes up with this turkey of a race. Especially when he's so close to his native Wisconsin.
Sam Hornish, Jr.: he seemed to be out there admiring the track and its scenery a little longer than the other drivers out there. TRANSLATION: he was SLOW.
Terry Labonte: I know he's doing the best he can with crappy equipment. Let's face facts, PE has crappy equipment. He's probably thinking, I came out of retirement for THIS? The only positive is that he has younger brother Bobby for a teammate. Hell, I even put him in the Good category of an earlier GB&U.
THE UGLY
David Gilliland: blew an engine with 8 laps to go to bring out the final caution of the race. He blew it in the worst possible place: right after he passed the entrance to pit road.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: started second and went steadily backwards as the race went on. Although he finished on the lead lap, he was never a factor. His crew totally missed on the setup and when that happens, it's going to be a LONG evening. His car was tight and no matter how much they did to loosen it up, it stayed tight pretty much the whole race.
Denny Hamlin: his car lost power early in the race due to ignition issues. His crew changed the entire ignition system in the #11 FedEx Toyota. When he returned to the race, he was threatening to be the first driver in the Bad category. Through attrition, he gained a few spots, finishing 40th. Took a serious hit in the points due to Harvick, Kenseth, Biffle, and Stewart finishing in the top 10.
Clint Bowyer: he's going in the wrong direction in the points. A few weeks ago, he seemed to be a lock to be in the Chase. Now he's 13th in the standings after a 22nd place finish. Spent only two laps in the top 10.
Jeff Burton: started third and quickly went backwards. At one point in the race, he was 37th. It took a free pass for Burton to get back on the lead lap. Did manage to finish 19th, but it could have been much worse.
Carl Edwards: was in contention for the win until his splitter broke. He lost a lap under green when he went to the pits to repair the splitter. He lost another lap due to the tremendous aerodynamic disadvantage this gave him.
Those are my nominees for the race! Feel free to come in with yours!
Tony Stewart is to be granted his release from JGR. He will be going to Haas-CNC Racing, effective next season. He has to look to his future. He is leaving the only home he's had in NASCAR. In a sense, he's leaving the nest to spread his wings. In my opinion, I think it's a good move for him.
Here's why: he'll have a stake in ownership of this team. He can mold that team to his liking. He has a smart business acumen. Also, he has a contract with General Motors for his Sprint Car and World of Outlaws teams that he will have an easier time fulfilling. Haas-CNC has Hendrick horsepower under the hood, so he will have support from Rick Hendrick and to a smaller extent, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He can also choose the driver he wants as his teammate.
Now who will be his teammate in this new venture? Several drivers have been rumored, among them Ryan Newman and Martin Truex, Jr. Personally, while many have suggested Newman, I think he will go with Truex, if Truex decides to leave DEI after the season, as has been rumored. I could be wrong; I have been before.
Smoke, if anyone can succeed as a Cup driver/owner, it's you. God speed in your venture, and welcome back to Chevrolet.
Scanning the world of sports, you can find plenty of sports individuals and teams that so tick you off you want to call them out. Or throw them under the Bus. This is your forum to do that! I have a few that I'd like to throw Under The Bus.
NFL
Willie Andrews, CB, New England Patriots: this coward allegedly pointed a gun at his girlfriend during a domestic dispute early last Monday. At the time, the Patriots said they were aware of the report, but had "no comment." UPDATE: the Patriots released Andrews the next day. This thug does not belong on ANY NFL roster because he's a lawbreaker. If it is proven he did this, he should NOT be a free man for a VERY LONG TIME. Andrews gets thrown Under The Bus for being a thug and a dumb####.
Brett Favre: there's that rumor floating around that he may be unretiring. The Packers have moved on without him. Sounds like Aaron Rodgers is having his feet cut out from under him. Brett, you're one of the all-time greats, but enough already! For "tantalizing" us with the unretirement rumors, you get thrown Under The Bus (Cook).
NASCAR
"Fans" that threw debris on the track at Daytona: this is to you "fans" that threw debris on the track after Kyle Busch won. That was garbage. You are NOT true NASCAR fans. You are pathetic, miserable LOSERS. You can boo Kyle all you want and that's fine. But to throw debris at him after he wins a race? That's beyond the pale. Congratulations to Kyle Busch on his win at Daytona. And to you "fans" that threw debris on the track, you get thrown under the Bus, one "fan" at a time.
MLB
Milwaukee Brewers: they blew a five-run lead on Thursday. In the ninth inning. As a Dodgers fan, it PISSES ME OFF. You suck, Milwaukee. Your bullpen sucks. When you're up 5-0, three outs away from winning, and you give up the game, THAT blows. All they needed was THREE OUTS!! Yet their merry band of arsonists called the bullpen imploded. They proceeded to drag their gas cans out of the pen, soaked up that stadium with gasoline, then flicked their blue tips and burned down Chase Field. The Phoenix Fire Department was pretty busy that day. For that colossal gag job, the Brewers get thrown Under The Bus.
That's all I have for the week. What say you? Come on in with your nominees!
This week, Crappafoni Pictures brings you an Independence Day celebration of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, grilled BBQ style and served with all the fixin's and the beverage of your choice. Enjoy!
THE GOOD
Kyle Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. An extra good for him for coming back from 37th to win. While he had a strong car all race, his car was the best at the end.
Carl Edwards: almost became first billing in this blog. Narrowly lost a drag race with Kyle Busch on the final lap.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: had a very strong car throughout the race, and between he and teammate Jeff Gordon, led 96 of the 162 laps in the race.
Mark Martin: his signing with Hendrick Motorsports must have buoyed his confidence, as he finished solidly in the top 5.
Patrick Carpentier: came out of nowhere to finish in the top 10, his first career top 10 on a superspeedway. Of the open wheelers, he seems to be adapting to NASCAR the best.
Joe Nemechek: Front Row Joe scored a HUGE top 5 finish, finishing fifth. It was huge not only for himself, but his team, as they were outside the top 35 in points and had to race their way in.
Honorable Mention: Johnny Sauter, David Ragan, Regan Smith.
THE BAD
Greg Biffle: as the 43rd place finisher, he gets the dubious first billing.
Jon Wood: had to race his way in and very early took his #21 Ford to the garage for major repairs. He returned to finish 7 laps down. He was actually running with the main pack after the major repairs and setup. Could the Wood Brothers go under in NASCAR's ever changing economic landscape?
THE UGLY
The Big One: this happened when Jimmie Johnson spun on the backstretch and collected several cars, among them David Reutimann, who tied a NASCAR record with FIVE free passes, eventually getting back on the lead lap. The cruel irony: Reutimann was back on the lead lap at the time of the accident.
The Big One, Part II: THIS one happened on Lap 162 and it involved Michael Waltrip, Travis Kvapil, Sam Hornish Jr., and Dave Blaney. TBO, Part II ended the race with Kyle Busch being declared the winner.
TNT's "coverage": while I liked the split screen, there were several instances that they could have cut away from the commercials to report events on the track. One such instance involved Kyle Busch dropping off the pace to 37th at one point.
I will be doing a team by team breakdown by division. Tonight I start with the National League West.
Arizona Diamondbacks: they are currently in first place in the division. While Dan Haren has made the adjustment from Oakland to Arizona, and Brandon Webb has been stellar, the rest of the team has struggled, particularly away from home. Haren was named NL Pitcher of the Month for June. So far, the D-backs have played a home-friendly schedule. After the All-Star break, it gets tougher, particularly in September with visits to St. Louis, L.A., Colorado, and San Francisco. The series at St. Louis is a four game series in the final week of the season.
What they must do: be more consistent on the road, particularly against NL Central teams. Another arm besides Haren and Webb needs to step up. They also need a consistent run producer. In my opinion, they sorely miss their former closer Jose Valverde, who was lights out last season.
Prognosis: they will be in contention, but will fall short. A second-place finish is likely.
Current record (as of July 3): 43-43, 1st place.
Los Angeles Dodgers: they have been decimated with injuries since the start of spring training. Jason Schmidt. Rafael Furcal. Nomar Garciaparra. Hiroki Kuroda. Juan Pierre. Andruw Jones. Scott Proctor. Gary Bennett. Tony Abreu. Brad Penny. These are some of the players that have spent time on the DL this season. You play the hand you're dealt with, and frankly, the Dodgers have been dealt a crappy hand. Joe Torre has done a great job with this crappy hand, guiding the youngsters as they get more playing time. Takashi Saito has been stellar again this season, aside from a couple of outings. The bullpen, when healthy, is among the best in baseball. The starting pitching is in flux. The youngsters need as much playing time as possible. Blake DeWitt has been a revelation at 3B, winning Rookie of the Month honors twice this season. It's going to be very hard to take playing time away from him once the veterans return. One possibility is playing Garciaparra at SS, a position he hasn't played full-time since 2005.
What they must do: get healthy, and quick. The All-Star break couldn't have come at a better time. Fortunately, Arizona has fallen back to the pack after their hot start. The starting rotation must stabilize. They may not need to make a blockbuster deal. They could use someone with pop, like an Adam Dunn.
Prognosis: the Dodgers stand pat, perhaps making a minor deal. They get healthy and go on a tear at some point in the year. That will be enough to win the division.
Current record (as of July 3): 41-44, 1 1/2 games back.
San Francisco Giants: Bruce Bochy is doing perhaps his best managing job of his career. This team was expected to lose around 100 games. There's no Barry Bonds to provide offensive firepower. Tim Lincecum has become a bonafide Cy Young contender, leading the majors in ERA at 2.38 with a 9-1 record. Bengie Molina is hitting above .300 and is a legit All-Star candidate. Brian Wilson has come out of nowhere to lead the NL in saves with 23.
What they must do: Zito needs to step his game up and be at least a .500 pitcher in the second half, and they need another power bat in the lineup. Could Adam Dunn help? Sure he can. What would they give up to get him? Do they have the prospects to give to the Reds? If they want Dunn bad enough, they'll find the prospects.
Prognosis: while this team is better than I thought at the start of the season, it's still a below .500 team. A 72-90 record is realistic as they continue to struggle in the second half.
Current record (as of July 3): 38-48, 5 GB.
Colorado Rockies: this team is one year removed from an amazing run to the World Series. What could go so wrong in that span? For one, they overachieved. They went on a once in a lifetime winning streak. They came back down to earth big time. Todd Helton is mired in the midst of a horrific slump. While Matt Holliday is having a superb year, it's not like it was last year. Now there is talk of the Rocks trading both Holliday and Garrett Atkins. Jeff Francis, a 17-game winner last year, went on the DL.
What they must do: find the magic that propelled them to winning 21 of 22 leading into the World Series. Fortunately, this division is weak, and if they get on that type of run where they win games in bunches, they could very easily get back into contention. Helton must break out of his slump and drive in runs consistently. The front office must NOT panic and trade Holliday and Atkins in a knee-jerk move.
Prognosis: I expect Helton to break out of his slump and start driving in runs consistently. That in turn will help Holliday and Atkins. However, the pitching must come around. While I think the Rockies will be a better team in the second half, I think it will be too little, too late. They will leapfrog the Giants and finish third.
Current record (as of July 3): 35-51, 8 GB.
San Diego Padres: how far the Pads have fallen! It wasn't that long ago they were a consistent playoff contender. Now they have become one of the worst teams in baseball. The starting rotation is in shambles, apart from Jake Peavy. Trevor Hoffman clearly isn't the closer he used to be. He's lost zip on his fastball. There is absolutely NO pop in the lineup, apart from Adrian Gonzalez.
What they must do: become sellers in a big way. Apart from Gonzalez and Peavy, everyone else is tradeable. It's better to bite the bullet now and ensure long-term success by acquiring prospects this season. Trade Greg Maddux to the Cubs.
Prognosis: very poor, at least for this year. It depends on what moves the front office makes for the next couple of seasons. Do they let go of Bud Black? I say give him one more season. While they may not lose 100 games this season, they'll come close. A 64-98 record is realistic.
It is that time of the week where you, Joe Six-Pack Fan, can call out those idiots, malcontents, ingrates, and general all around bad guys for their behavior that so pisses you off. Looking around the world of sports, there are PLENTY of sports figures that have earned the dubious distinction of being thrown Under The Bus this week. I have some sports personalities.
NASCAR
Juan Pablo Montoya: his tete-a-tete with Kyle Busch earned him a trip to NASCAR's equivalent of the principal's office, aka The Big Red Hauler. (Not to be confused with Big Red, one of JPM's sponsors) I will come correct on putting Kyle Busch in the Ugly category of an earlier blog, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. I will make up for it by throwing JPM Under The Bus.
Tony Stewart's Pit Crew: why on earth did they change two tires when they knew that rain was coming on the horizon? Especially when gas only was working. The crew cost Smoke a possible win. And as a result, Zippy and Company get thrown Under The Bus.
Jamie McMurray: I hate to do this to such a good guy, but I must. It appeared he had plenty of room to go around Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as Junior was entering the pits for his final pit stop. J-Mac plowed into him, tearing up his own vehicle and as he slid to the bottom of the track, he clipped his teammate David Ragan. Ragan lost control and hit the wall, ending HIS day. For being inattentive at an inopportune time, J-Mac goes Under The Bus.
NBA
Shaq: he dissed Kobe Bryant in a freestyle rap at a recent outing at a nightclub in New York City. The Big Chicken#### did this after last week's Who Would You Throw Under The Bus? was posted. Shaq's not escaping. Shaq, where were you when the Finals were being played? WATCHING IT ON TV, like millions of other Americans. Where was Kobe? PLAYING in the Finals. Shaq, grow the hell up. You won a ring without Kobe; give it a rest already. As if Kobe doesn't need any more motivation, this will fuel his fire even more to win a title without you. Shaq, and in the meantime, you get thrown Under The Bus.
Memphis Grizzlies: yes, you got O.J. Mayo. But you paid a pretty steep price to get him. You gave up Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and another player. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves improved themselves by getting a fundamentally sound player in Love, a sharpshooter in Miller, and a couple of other serviceable bigs that will add depth to the Wolves' bench. When you allow Kevin McHale to fleece you, it will get you thrown Under The Bus every single time.
NFL
New York Giants: they got rid of the Hefty Lefty, Jared Lorenzen. They got rid of the WRONG QB. They should have got rid of Anthony Wright. For getting rid of the wrong QB, the G-men get thrown Under The Bus.
Houston Texans: it's going to take me a VERY long time to be able to root for this team again. They so screwed up David Carr while he was there he's shot mentally. They NEVER gave him a decent running game and a decent O-line while he was there. They allowed him to be a human pinata. Then AFTER they unceremoniously dump him in favor of Matt Schaub, they FINALLY work on building up a running game and an O-line. If the football gods are listening, the Texans won't win a Super Bowl while Robert McNair owns the team. In the meantime, the Texans get thrown Under The Bus.
MLB
Houston Astros: for allowing the Shawn Chacon/Ed Wade drama to reach new heights. This is one of the most dysfunctional teams in MLB. Drayton McLane needs to sell this team to a local group that WANTS to win. Chacon gets thrown Under The Bus for attacking Wade physically for refusing his orders/requests. Wade gets thrown Under The Bus for escalating the incident. Who's next?
TENNIS
Justin Gimelstob: he called Anna Kournikova a b***h and a #### and said some sexually charged remarks towards her involving his brother. Kournikova, to her credit, is taking the high road. Gimelstob, to his credit, took full responsibility for his remarks and apologized. However, you can't unring that bell. For his egregious lapse in judgment and for putting both feet in his mouth, Gimelstob gets thrown Under The Bus.
Ana Ivanovic: she lost early at Wimbledon. There goes LOTS of guys' reasons to watch Wimbledon in the first place. She's HOT. It wouldn't be so bad if she weren't the #1 seed. But she's the top seed and to lose in the second round IS reason to be thrown Under The Bus.
Those are my nominees for this week. Feel free to come on in with yours!
This week, Crappafoni Pictures heads clear across the country, to the great northeast, to present to you NASCAR's spaghetti western version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served with a side of Bahston-style clam chowder. (Perfect for the rain at Loudon) Enjoy!
THE GOOD
Kurt Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. Used great pit strategy to inherit the lead right before the rain came; otherwise, he was a sitting duck. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
Casey Mears: had a strong car all day and was poised to steal a win before the rain came. Led more laps in this race than the entire season combined. He'll be a valuable asset to a team like GEM Racing. (Imagine the Casey and Kasey Show!!)
Elliott Sadler: E-Sad's car got stronger as the race went on. Like Kurt Busch, he benefitted from excellent pit strategy. A strong and much-needed top 5 finish.
Martin Truex, Jr.: while he was never really a factor to win, he kept the #1 Chevrolet in the top 10 much of the race.
Tony Stewart: led the most laps, but was snakebit again, this time by the rain. May have had the car to beat if not for the rain.
Denny Hamlin: spent nearly the whole race in the top 10. While he didn't lead a lap, he spent 267 laps in the top 10. Good job.
Honorable Mention:Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon.
THE BAD
Patrick Carpentier: a surprising pole winner, Carpentier quickly fell backwards, eventually finishing two laps down. He did lead the first four laps before giving up the lead to Kevin Harvick. On the bright side, he did collect 5 bonus points for leading a lap.
Haas-CNC Racing: both Scott Riggs and Johnny Sauter finished at least three laps down. It won't be that way if Tony Stewart buys the team and puts himself and Ryan Newman in those seats.
Paul Menard: no laps in the top 10, and was getting in everyone's way; he nearly caused an accident that would have collected Kevin Harvick and others. A field filler. When TEI closes its doors, he'll be out of a job.
Terry Labonte: why, oh why, did you come out of retirement? And to an organization that's in disarray? I get that you and your brother want to be teammates again. But PE is not nearly the organization it used to be.
THE UGLY
The Rain: kept the race from reaching its conclusion.
Jamie McMurray: he was involved in the last accident that brought out the caution, right before the rain came. He plowed into Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as Junior was entering the pits. Then he came down into the path of his teammate David Ragan and clipped him, sending Ragan into the wall and ending his day.
Kyle Busch: he and Juan Pablo Montoya had a little tete a tete during the last caution. They decided to play bumper cars. I'm sure had they had a Harvick-style confrontation, Montoya would have snapped the Shrub in half like a twig. Busch's boneheaded move nearly collected a few other cars right behind them.
Michael McDowell: his blown engine capped a crappy day. He did a good job in steering the car to the bottom, below the apron, and exited via a service road.
Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to chime in with yours!
From underdogs to wonderDogs! WOOHOO!! Am I dreaming? Did this really happen? YES IT DID!! Fresno State put on a clinic in Omaha. Bulldogmania is in full force in the Central Valley. Fresno State won their first national championship in a men's sport (the women's softball team won a national championship in 1998) by defeating the Georgia Bulldogs 6-1 in the national championship game.
Going into the WAC Tournament, the Bulldogs had an RPI rating of 89. That meant they HAD to win the tournament to get into the postseason. They got it done and was placed into the toughest regional in the country, the Long Beach Regional, aka The Region of Death. They faced elimination at the hand of the San Diego Toreros. They won the Long Beach Regional and then were slotted to go to Tempe for the Super Regional against Arizona State.
At the Super Regional, the Bulldogs were playing with house money, as no one expected them to even advance past Long Beach. They lost the first game, then came back to shock the Sun Devils in the last two games to punch their ducat to Omaha. The Sun Devils had only lost three games at home ALL SEASON. That included the murderous Pac-10 South season. The Sun Devils were #3 in the nation going into that Super Regional. Didn't matter to these 'Dogs. Momentum was slowly building. The 'Dogs comeback against Arizona State was a sign of things to come.
They didn't stop at Omaha. They DESTROYED Rice pitching to the tune of 17 runs in their first game in Omaha. Then they defeated North Carolina 5-3 to put themselves firmly in the winner's bracket. This wasn't a scrub team the 'Dogs beat; the Tar Heels won over 50 games this season and was ranked #2 in the nation. After a heartbreaking loss to the Heels, the 'Dogs bested the Heels 6-1 to advance to the final against the Georgia Bulldogs, ranked #8 in the nation.
Once again, Fresno State lost the first game of a three game championship series due to an amazing comeback by the Georgia Bulldogs, 7-6. Fresno State scored three runs in the top of the eighth to go ahead 6-3. Then Georgia scored four runs in the bottom of the frame. Joshua Fields, Georgia's uber-stud closer, then shut down Fresno State. Game 2 featured an offensive onslaught by Fresno State. They became the first team in NCAA history to score 17 or more runs TWICE in the same College World Series. In one three-inning stretch, Fresno State scored 15 runs! Fresno State won Game 2, 19-10.
This brings me to tonight's game. Justin Wilson pitched eight brilliant innings on three days rest and Steve Detwiler drove in all six RBI's, going 4 for 4 with 2 HR's, a double, and a single. Wilson gave up one run, struck out nine and throttled Georgia's bats. I think one of Detwiler's HRs is still in orbit. He CRUSHED it! That was the three-run HR that broke the game open. Detwiler set FOUR championship game records: most HR's (2), most RBI's (6), most extra bases (3), and most total bases (12). He had a championship game for the ages.
These 'Dogs won on heart and grit. It took all 25 players on the roster, plus brillant coaching by the coaching staff, to win this championship. As a long-time 'Dogs fan and alumnus of Fresno State, I've seen the 'Dogs have more talented players, but as far as a true TEAM is concerned, this one is the best, obviously.
If you had told me at the beginning of the season the 'Dogs would be national champions, I'd have had you committed to the nearest insane asylum. They didn't look like national champions early in the season, losing 12 of their first 20 games. They turned it around at the beginning of the WAC season. Now they're national champions, and I couldn't be any prouder of this team!
Looking around the world of sports, there are many sports personalities and teams that have p****d you, the typical Joe Six-Pack Fan, off. I have some teams and personalities that have so ticked me off I could just scream. Here is the forum for you to sound off and call out those dumb@$$E$, idiots, and general all-around malcontents by throwing them Under The Bus. I have some nominees this week. Who do you want to throw under said Bus?
NFL
Marshawn ####, RB, Buffalo Bills: this genius stayed silent rather than cooperate with Buffalo police on a misdemeanor hit and run charge against him. Who the hell does he think he is? If he had come correct right away, all this would be behind him now. Instead, he subjected several Bills players, employees, and management to be subpoenaed. Now he's subject to being thrown Under The Bus.
Jevon Kearse, DE, Tennessee Titans: you're a 10 year veteran, with your second stint with the Titans. You're supposedly looked up to as one of the team's veteran leaders. And you get popped for DUI? What were you THINKING? Apparently you WEREN'T thinking. Mix in a cab or a limo to take you home. For knowing better and still being a dumb@SS, The Freak gets thrown Under The Bus.
NASCAR
Kevin Harvick: Happy, what on God's green earth were you THINKING late in the race? Why did you drive it into the corner WAY TOO HARD? You had a Top 5 LOCKED and LOADED into the standings, and you were poised to move up a couple of spots. You took out THREE good cars (Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, and Ron Fellows) with that boneheaded move. Because of that idiotic move, you ended up finishing 30th. THIRTIETH!!! Now you're out of the Chase by two measly points. You finished 30th on a course where you finish in the top 5 IN YOUR SLEEP. For Happy, this continues a season-long slump. Now because of his bonehead move, Happy gets thrown Under The Bus this week.
MLB
New York Mets: they couldn't have handled Willie Randolph's firing any worse than that. You should have clipped him off during one of your long losing streaks. Instead, you allowed him to travel with the team to Anaheim to face the Angels. THEN you clipped him IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. After the first game of the series. I've got no problem with Randolph being clipped; what should have happened is that he should have got fired BEFORE the Mets went on the road. For their egregious mishandling of the Randolph firing, the Mets get thrown Under The Bus.
NBA
Los Angeles Lakers: losing by 40 to the Boston Celtics was inexcusable. It's okay to lose to the Celtics; they are the better team. But losing by 40 means you QUIT. I am very disappointed and disgusted by the Lakers' lack of effort. I hope the Lakers use this as motivation to win an NBA title next season. But until then, the Lakers get thrown Under The Bus.
Those are my nominees for the week. Feel free to come in with yours!
Crappafoni Pictures presents to you in high definition this week's The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, served with California wines and cheeses. Enjoy!
THE GOOD
Kyle Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. Had the best car much of the day and as such he's earned his first road course win.
David Gilliland: an impressive career-best second place run by the native Californian, considering he's had a more down than up season.
Jeff Gordon: he turned a crappy car into a top-5 car at his home track. Home cooking has been good to him this week.
Clint Bowyer: excellent run. Was caught in the first caution by bad pit strategy. He decided to pit with his RCR teammates and the caution came out shortly afterward, locking him in excellent track position.
Casey Mears: like Bowyer, used excellent pit strategy to lock himself in great track position. Took advantage of the wreck that his fellow Bakersfielder Kevin Harvick caused to gain even more positions.
Honorable Mention: Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth.
THE BAD
Kevin Harvick: a bonehead move not only cost him a top 5 finish, but he's in danger of missing the Chase. His bonehead move was that he went into the turn too hard and took out THREE good cars. The silver lining is that he's coming to tracks that have been good to him throughout his career.
David Reutimann: never felt confident up in the wine country of California. A late race crash was the capper to his crappy week.
Robby Gordon: for someone that was expected to contend, he was never really a factor. Finished three laps down in 36th.
Brian Simo: a field filler. He was the first driver out of the race just 20 laps in. This will probably be the only time this year I'll mention him.
Boris Said: see Robby Gordon. He finished even worse than Gordon, finishing 41st, 18 laps down.
THE UGLY
Marcos Ambrose: he had a GREAT run spoiled by an accident. The accident damaged his gear box and spewed oil and other liquids all over the track.
Kevin Harvick: rarely does a driver make both the Bad AND Ugly categories, but I must put Happy there. The Ugly being the result of dropping out of the top 12 and having to scramble to make the Chase. He'll make the Chase IF he doesn't make any bonehead moves the rest of the season. He needed a strong run at Sonoma and for the longest time it looked like he was going to be in the top 5.
Those are my nominations for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!
Welcome race fans! It's time to go old school dirt-track racing! Be prepared for brutal heat when you come to Central California in summer. The main event at Kings Speedway is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly 150. One hundred fifty laps of sheer excitement and white-knuckle racing on a 3/8 mile clay oval. This is Bristol on steroids and HGH.
Let's take a look at the early favorites in this race. Tezgm99 was the last winner, at Infineon. He edged Forensic2 in a photo finish. Jon_464, the winner of the first race of the season, was plagued by tire issues and a speeding penalty on pit road during a green flag pit stop and never could overcome those. He finished a lap down in 15th.
With the win, Tezgm99 takes over the points lead, with jon_464 in second. Frevr3fan, Texascudaguy, and LisaH round out the top 5 in the points.
Expect a LOT of bumping and ####ing in this one, and perhaps some short fuses. There will be of####uty MP's to handle anyone that gets out of hand. I expect cars to be torn up, egos bruised and battered, and perhaps some bloodletting.
Just because today is Father's Day, it doesn't mean that this blog will take the week off! NO SIRREE!! I have some sports figures that I'd like to throw Under The Bus
NFL
Chad Johnson: the Bengals' WR is becoming a regular fixture here. He whined and complained about being unhappy in Cincinnati. BOO FREAKING HOO. You're a professional, you're SUPPOSED to be in minicamp. If I were Marvin Lewis, I'd tell Chad you have ONE more chance. You #### a #### in training camp, I WILL deactivate you for the first four games of the season. Problem is, Lewis won't do it. Chad Johnson gets thrown Under The Bus for being a whiny ####.
Jeremy Shockey: the Giants' TE engaged in a shouting match with GM Jerry Reese early in the final day of the Giants' mandatory minicamp. Since Shockey's injury, the G-men are a much better team; a Super Bowl championship proves it. Get him out of there if you want to have a chance at repeating. And in the meantime, Shockey gets thrown Under The Bus.
Plaxico Burress: the Giants' WR refused to practice until he gets his contract renegotiated. He even hinted he may hold out during training camp. WTF? NOBODY put a gun to his head and forced him to sign his current deal. Shaun O'Hara was right in calling him out. And in the meantime, Burress gets thrown with Shockey Under The Bus.
NBA
David Stern: the NBA Commissioner dressed down Sean Farnham when Farnham asked the Commish a question that was on the minds of millions of NBA fans: why the discrepency of scores in the Spurs-Hornets series? (in one game, the Hornets won by 20 at NO; the very next game in San Antonio, the Spurs won by 20) Rather than answering the question honestly, Stern chose to ridicule Farnham. A very bad message considering the integrity of the NBA is very much in question. Stern has his head buried so far in the sand he can see China. We'd better get the Bus to run over him from that position he's in.
MLB
Los Angeles Dodgers: they proceeded to get shut out in consecutive games this week. They rolled over against Jake Peavy and the Padres 9-0 and on Friday they rolled over against the struggling Tigers. They proceeded to get swept by the Tigers. The Dodgers get thrown Under The Bus.
Ken Rosenthal: for suggesting that the Dodgers trade Matt Kemp. WHAT? Kemp is a five-tool player; something the Dodgers haven't had since Raul Mondesi. Kemp is vital to the Dodgers' present and future success. For his foolish and reckless suggestion, Rosenthal gets thrown Under The Bus.
HORSE RACING
Rick Dutrow, Jr.: he keeps stepping into it. He called out Big Brown's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, for pulling back Big Brown. The truth of the matter is, Big Brown was falling further behind as the race went on. Desormeaux should be THANKED for protecting a very valuable horse. For throwing his jockey under the bus, Dutrow himself gets thrown Under The Bus.
These are the sports figures that I throw under the Bus this week. Feel free to come in and vent!
Crappafoni Pictures proudly presents this week's version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, presented with a Michigan twist.
THE GOOD
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: as the race winner, he automatically gets first billing. Congratulations on breaking a two-plus year winless streak! I've said that he'd win at a track that he wasn't expected to win at. Michigan qualifies for that! This was Chevrolet's first win at Michigan since June 2001, when Jeff Gordon piloted his Chevrolet into Victory Lane.
Kasey Kahne: had a strong car both early and late. Fuel strategy allowed him to finish a strong second.
Roush Fenway Racing: four cars in the top 10 will get you in this category. Jamie McMurray got a free pass, and his car got stronger as the race went on.
Red Bull Racing: Brian Vickers finished 4th, and A.J. Allmendinger finished 19th. Vickers may have had the car to beat had it not been for that last caution.
Tony Stewart: his car ran in the top 10 much of the day, culminating in a strong 5th place finish.
Elliott Sadler: finished strong in 9th. He had a strong car much of the day, spending much of it in the top 15.
Honorable Mention: Jimmie Johnson.
THE BAD
Dario Franchitti: as the last-place driver, he gets first billing in this dubious category. Better luck next week, D.
Juan Pablo Montoya: I think he unloaded a bad car and it got much worse as the race went on. He finished nine laps down.
Bill Elliott: the former champion has turned into a field filler. As recently as 2002 he was in the hunt for a championship. As much as I like Bill Elliott, I think it's time for him to hang up his helmet and enjoy retirement.
THE UGLY
Ryan Newman: the Daytona 500 winner had mechanical issues and spent a LOT of time in the garage. He finished in 42nd, 89 laps down.
Robby Gordon: a hard crash on Lap 152 ended his day early. He'll be a factor next week at Sonoma.
J.J. Yeley: had mechanical issues and spent time in the garage. He returned to the race to finish 87 laps down.
Dave Blaney: he brought out the first caution of the race when a rear axle broke. He returned to the race and actually picked up four positions through attrition. A sub-good for that.
Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!
Arizona Diamondbacks: they are currently in first place in the division. While Dan Haren has made the adjustment from Oakland to Arizona, and Brandon Webb has been stellar, the rest of the team has struggled, particularly away from home. Haren was named NL Pitcher of the Month for June. So far, the D-backs have played a home-friendly schedule. After the All-Star break, it gets tougher, particularly in September with visits to St. Louis, L.A., Colorado, and San Francisco. The series at St. Louis is a four game series in the final week of the season. 
