Category: Sports

Coffee Talk #621: Athletes, Sports Entertainers, and Counting

As many of you know, WWE’s The Undertaker finally lost a WrestleMania match. Going into WrestleMania XXX, the promotional videos and ‘Taker’s in-ring soliloquies were full of things like, “21 men have tried to stop The Undertaker and 21 have been defeated.” The problem is, The Undertaker did not defeat 21 WWE wrestlers at WrestleMania. He beat Triple H thrice (WrestleMania XVII, XXVII, XXVIII), Shawn Michaels twice (WrestleMania XXV, XXVI), and Kane twice (WrestleMania XIV, XX). The wording of those 21-0 Undertaker promos always bugged me, but not as much as…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Miley Cyrus’ topless Instagram photos, placing bets on Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley II, or Felix Trinidad going broke, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As many of you know, WWE’s The Undertaker finally lost a WrestleMania match earlier this week. Going into WrestleMania XXX, the promotional videos and ‘Taker’s in-ring soliloquies were full of things like, “21 men have tried to stop The Undertaker and 21 have been defeated.” The problem is, The Undertaker did not defeat 21 WWE wrestlers at WrestleMania. He beat Triple H thrice (WrestleMania XVII, XXVII, XXVIII), Shawn Michaels twice (WrestleMania XXV, XXVI), and Kane twice (WrestleMania XIV, XX). While WWE storylines and finishing maneuvers often defy logic, Vince McMahon isn’t powerful enough to defy proper counting. The wording of those 21-0 Undertaker promos always bugged me, but not as much as…

…when boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. brags about his undefeated record. Mayweather has been the most talented pugilist in the sport of boxing for the last decade, but he has also been one of the most obnoxious morons in any sport for the last decade. His boasts about his perfect record make him sound like an even bigger moron. When he was 43-0 he would say, “43 have tried and 43 have failed.” When he was 44-0 he would say,  “44 have tried and 44 have failed.” You get the idea. The problem is, he fought Jose Luis Castillo twice. So really, when he was 44-0, 43 boxers tried and failed against him. Mayweather is a known idiot, but I expected super advisor Al Haymon to teach him the finer points of counting.

While I understand that undefeated records are precious things and fantastic marketing tools, you can’t lie about math to embellish undefeated streaks. It’s stupid. It’s annoying. It teaches impressionable youths that counting properly isn’t cool. It’s like The Undertaker and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. were traumatized by Sesame Street and want to negate the counting lessons the show has taught millions. (It’s not really like that, but for some reason I was thinking about the counting segments Sesame Street.)

Perhaps I’m nitpicking, but I’ve always hated when The Undertaker and Mayweather would infuse their promos with improper counting. What do you think? Does it bother me, simply because I think that Mayweather is a complete ass? Or do I have a legitimate point. Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Arizona Diamondbacks Unveil $25 D-Back Dog

The Arizona Diamondbacks have unveiled the latest culinary delight available to baseball fans — the $25 D-Back Dog. According to ESPN.com, the D-Back Dog is, “an 18-inch corn dog stuffed with cheddar cheese, jalapeños and bacon, served with a side of fries.” That sounds…amazing! On paper, the D-Back Dog is sheer genius; corn dogs are an American invention, cheese completely rules, jalapeños are awesome, and bacon is one of man’s greatest inventions. While $25 is a lot of money for a concession-stand treat, the D-Back Dog sounds like one of those things that’s so ridiculous that it must be tried at least once.

What do you think of the Arizona Diamonbacks’ D-Back Dog? Are you intrigued? Would you pay $25 for one? Leave a comment below and let me know (please!).

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Coffee Talk #617: The Evolution of Facebook Comments on ESPN.com

Last year, ESPN.com caused quite a stir when the powers that be decided to switch from a proprietary commenting system to Facebook comments. As expected, the switch was met with a lots of anger and resistance. Also expected was huge drop-off in comments. Now that people have gotten acclimated to the new system, discussion on ESPN.com is arguably as vibrant as ever. However, Facebook comments have introduced an interesting element to the banter…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Ke$sha rebranding herself as Kesha, giggling as you review a vaping e-liquid made with horehound, or meeting excellent pro-wrestlers that vape, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last year, ESPN.com caused quite a stir when the powers that be decided to switch from a proprietary commenting system to Facebook comments. As expected, the switch was met with a lots of anger and resistance. Also expected was huge drop-off in comments. Now that people have gotten acclimated to the new system, discussion on ESPN.com is arguably as vibrant as ever. However, Facebook comments have introduced an interesting element to the banter.

One of the reasons websites switch to Facebook comments is to make sure real people are commenting. (Of course someone can set up a dummy account specifically for outlets that use Facebook comments, but that’s too much effort for most people.) The idea is that people are less likely to leave spam and less likely to post viciously antagonizing comments if they’re posting as themselves. For the most part, this has worked over at ESPN.com. There’s certainly less spam (though you can always count on one of those “I make $xxxx a month working from home” posts) and the discussion is generally more civilized, but when things get nasty…damn.

Since ESPN.com posters can easily access Facebook accounts of other commenters, some of the replies can get nasty. The insults are more personal now that real information about posters is easily accessible. Facebook comments have led to insults about appearance, education, jobs, ethnicity, and more. While the trolling and hating has decreased, the insults have become way more personal.

As a frequent ESPN.com reader, I appreciate that spam has decreased through the use of Facebook comments. However, it makes me wince when I see bitingly personal insults over sports teams and sports stars. You can thank Facebook comments for that as well. It kind of makes me sad.

I know that many of you are also ESPN.com readers. Now that the site has used Facebook comments for several months, what do you think of the switch? Have you noticed any changes to the discussion? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Coffee Talk #613: Best Super Bowl XLVIII Nerd Movie Trailer

Confession: I totally missed most of Super Bowl XLVIII. Part of it was because I was bummed about the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman and part of it was because jet lag was totally kicking my ass. The thorough thrashing of the Denver Broncos performed by the Seattle Seahawks didn’t help keep me awake. That said, I did manage to catch the three Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailers: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. The trailers are embedded below for your viewing pleasure, followed by some commentary and a poll. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailers. Kindly comment and vote when you have a moment…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, adjusting (sadly) to life back in America, IHOP vs. Denny’s, or remembering your favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman movie, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Confession: I totally missed most of Super Bowl XLVIII. Part of it was because I was bummed about the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman and part of it was because jet lag was totally kicking my ass. The thorough thrashing of the Denver Broncos performed by the Seattle Seahawks didn’t help keep me awake. That said, I did manage to catch the three Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailers: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. The trailers are embedded below for your viewing pleasure, followed by some commentary and a poll. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailers. Kindly comment and vote when you have a moment.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: This lengthy spot was full of fun bits and full of elements that have me worried. The CGI effects for Spider-Man and Electro were sweet. Andrew Garfield seems to be doing better with the role (liked him as Spider-Man, but thought he was too cool as Peter Parker). Having too many villains (Electro, Rhino, Green Goblin) worries me. Will the movie be too unfocused?

Then there’s the “spurned lover” aspect of Electro, seen in such movies as Batman Forever (Riddler), The Incredibles (Syndrome), and most recent Iron Man 3 (Aldrich Killian). That’s been done do death. Lastly, as a comic-book fanboy, I don’t really like Harry Osborn as the Green Goblin. That role will always be Norman Osborn to me.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: This was easily my favorite Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailer. I’ve been high on this movie for months and this extended trailer just cements my fandom. The Winter Soldier is a great character and the trailer makes him look like a total bad ass. It was cool seeing more of 8-Mile’s Papa Doc as Falcon and seeing Scarlett Johansson is always an excellent thing.

While Chris Evans is a way better Captain America than I ever expected him to be, this movie is all about the villain. And really, aren’t the best superhero movies defined by their awesome villains? The trailer is full of acrobatic action, collateral damage (loved seeing the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier crash into that building), and tense moments. I’m totally psyched for this movie.

Transformers: Age of Extinction: Ah, another Michael Bay disasterpiece. On the plus side, it has Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch Mark Wahlberg. Unfortunately, it has Optimus Prime riding around on Grimlock as if he were a trusted steed rather than a fierce Dinobot. Yeah…no.

Your Turn: Now it’s your turn to vote. Kindly pick your favorite Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailer in the poll below and explain your choice in the comments section.

[poll id=”190″]

Sacramento Kings to Wear Google Glass This Week

A few Sacramento Kings players will be wearing Google Glass on January 24, 2014 when the team takes on the Indiana Pacers. No, players will not be wearing Google Glass on the court. Instead, they’ll be donning Google’s wearable computers while they’re on the bench (likely sobbing from getting trounced by the team with the best record in the NBA). Fans will be able to get a first-person view of what it’s like to be an NBA player (that’s getting trounced by the team with the best record in the NBA). Here’s from from PC Magazine:

Some Kings players will don Google Glass and use technology from CrowdOptic to broadcast exactly what they’re seeing as part of the NBA game experience to the Jumbotron of the Sleep Train Arena, as well as those viewing on smartphones or televisions. Also included in the broadcasting mix are the game’s announcers, the Kings’ mascot, and the team’s dancers.

Some of you are probably wondering, “Why the hell would Google and CrowdOptic use one of the crappiest teams in the league to promote Google Glass applications?” That’s a fair question. Just keep in mind that the Sacramento Kings are owned by a group that’s headed up by Vivek Ranadive. The man has made millions in Silicon Valley, most recently at TIBCO Software in Palo Alto. Google is based in nearby Mountain View, while CrowdOptic is just a bit north in San Francisco. I’m pretty sure it’s a case of awesome nerds banding together to do awesomely nerdy things. That or they just want to make the jocks look silly by forcing them to wear Google Glass.

Anyway, check out the trailer below to see what the Google Glass Sacramento Kings experience will be like. After that, let me know what you think of this nerdy sports experiment. Are there any athletes or sports teams you’d like to see wearing Google Glass?

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Peyton Manning’s Omaha Call Raises $24,800 For Charity

In the RPad.TV Google+ Hangout, a bunch of us have been chatting about Peyton Manning’s “Omaha” call. The line-of-scrimmage shout has been getting a lot of play in the media lately. While Manning has been using it for a long time, it has been getting more attention thanks to the parabolic microphones NFL quarterbacks have been wearing for the last few years. While Omaha has become a wacky Internet sensation, Manning has turned it into a positive through his Peyback Foundation charity. In the AFC Championship Game, the Omaha call was used to raise $24,800 for charity.

According to ESPN:

Eight businesses will donate the money to Manning’s Peyback Foundation after they committed to donate a combined $800 for each time he said the word ‘Omaha’ at the line of scrimmage. Manning said ‘Omaha’ 31 times during Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.

Businesses based in Omaha that donated the money included Omaha Steaks, Mutual of Omaha, FNB Omaha, CenturyLink, ConAgra Foods, Union Pacific, DJ’s Dugout and Cox Communications. Brown says he expects the program will now continue on to the Super Bowl, with each ‘Omaha’ Manning utters being worth more money since more Omaha businesses will participate.

That’s pretty cool. It’s great to see a high-profile athlete like Manning quickly react to the media and spin it into a charitable effort. Of course his agents and managers probably had everything a lot to do with it, but even that’s nice to see. Last week, all the sports shows were talking about Omaha. Hundreds of Internet videos popped up, making fun of Manning’s excessive Omaha usage. Hell, I was even saying it at the grocery because it’s fun and entertains my fellow shoppers.

To celebrate Peyton Manning’s charitable use of the Omaha call, I’d like all of you to say it (loudly) at least five times this week in public places. I will commit to a minimum of nine. Who’s with me?!?

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Coffee Talk #612: Random Thoughts on Alex Rodriguez + Poll

You’ve got to hand it to Alex Rodriguez. Just when you think he couldn’t possibly look more ridiculous, he manages to find new ways to top himself. After getting slapped with a 162-game suspension by an independent arbitrator in a process that was agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (the union), A-Fraud decides to sue MLB and the MLBPA. A man that has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in the past has adamantly denied that he was recently using performance-enhancing drugs despite damning evidence to the contrary. He loses an arbitration hearing that both MLB and the MLBPA have publicly stated is a final decision, in accordance to the collective bargaining agreement. Since A-Fraud didn’t get the results he wanted to, he’s going to sue everyone. It’s amazing that…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Golden Globe Awards, the amazingly overrated Lena Dunham, or the NFL playoffs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

You’ve got to hand it to Alex Rodriguez. Just when you think he couldn’t possibly look more ridiculous, he manages to find new ways to top himself. After getting slapped with a 162-game suspension by an independent arbitrator in a process that was agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (the union), A-Fraud decides to sue MLB and the MLBPA. A man that has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in the past has adamantly denied that he was recently using performance-enhancing drugs despite damning evidence to the contrary. He loses an arbitration hearing that both MLB and the MLBPA have publicly stated is a final decision, in accordance to the collective bargaining agreement. Since A-Fraud didn’t get the results he wanted to, he’s going to sue everyone. It’s amazing that the A-Fraud circus continues to get bigger and sillier.

There are so many takeaways from this. Where to begin?

– Several web sites have consulted with legal experts on the chances of A-Fraud getting his case heard by a federal court. All of them have said that it’s extremely unlikely. The reasoning behind these opinions is that federal courts are extremely wary of interfering with arbitration processes that were collectively bargained.

– A-Fraud has some of the dumbest fans in the world. Despite the notes from his presumed PED supplier and several coded BlackBerry messages, they believe their hero is clean. They also believe that a federal court will overturn the ruling, despite what most legal experts are saying. So many of them are trying to apply basic court logic (probably learned from Law and Order reruns) to an arbitration hearing. I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is that comparison is dumb. It doesn’t work that way. My favorite are the ones that say he’s being singled out because he’s Latino. No, he’s being singled out because he’s the only player that disputed the initial Biogenesis suspensions.

– Let’s ignore the fact that A-Fraud was dumb enough to use his personal phone instead of a burner to discuss PED usage. Why the hell was he still using a BlackBerry?!?

– I love that “gummies” was one of the codewords for the PEDs A-Fraud was using. I don’t understand how A-Fraud defenders can dismiss this. Do they think that he was sending messages to a know PED pedaler about when to consume chewable German candy?

– No, MLB isn’t clean in this matter either. Some of the tactics it used to build a case against A-Fraud were sleazy. Many A-Fraud supporters point out that some of MLB’s evidence wouldn’t be admissible in a court of law due to the manner it was procured. However, this was an arbitration and not a court case, so….

For the record, I was never happy that the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez. I don’t care about his strong performance in the 2009 playoffs that helped win the Yankees a World Series. I’ve loathed him ever since he threw his former best friend Derek Jeter under the bus in a 2001 Esquire article. He has embarrassed the team time and time again and, like I said in the intro, always manages to find new ways to top himself.

All that aside, the evidence against A-Fraud is difficult to dispute. I don’t believe his claim that he’s been clean for the last several years. I do believe that he looks like a crybaby for suing MLB and the MLBPA.

More importantly, I want to get your thoughts on the matter. Do you think his suspension was too harsh? Do you believe that he took PEDs? Do you think a federal court will overturn the arbitration ruling? Kindly vote in the poll below and leave a comment with your thoughts on the latest Alex Rodriguez situation.

[poll id=”189″]

NFL Week 12: What You Learned

Since so many of you are big (American) football fans, here’s some space to talk about the latest NFL games. Whether you’re discussing your fantasy league players, Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, or the voluminous coverage of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning overshadowing the actual game between the Patriots and the Broncos, please talk it up in the comments section!

Tony Allen Kicks Chris Paul in the Face

In a recent NBA game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers, there’s a play where Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul in the face. In the last month, I’ve been posting some cheap shots by the Miami Heats’ Mario Chalmers on Facebook and Google+. This roundhouse kick by Allen is so phenomenal that I had to post it on RPad.TV. Just look at it (video above, animated GIF below). It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in a basketball game.

Watch Paul drive the lane as he gives an excellent head fake. Marvel as Allen jumps and inexplicably raises his leg to…I dunno, possibly kick the ball out of Paul’s hands?!? Laugh as Allen rubs his shin as he’s speaking to the referees, hopelessly trying to generate some sympathy. Normally, this type of foul would result in a bench-clearing brawl, but it’s so wacky that the players are wondering what the hell they just saw. To be fair, part of it is that Allen is known as a tough, but fairly clean defender; his game is based on hustle and effort, and he’s not known as a cheap-shot artist (like RPadholic Iceman’s beloved Chalmers). On a side note, I love that “Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul” is currently a popular Google search term.

The Tony-Allen-kicks-Chris-Paul-in-the-face foul would have made a ton of sense if the cameras panned to the Grizzlies’ bench and showed Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese nodding in approval. That would have been cool…and logical. Since Kreese wasn’t at the game (or wasn’t seen at the game), I’m amazed that this play actually happened. I do think Allen’s ejection was justified, but I don’t think that the foul was premeditated. It was just a stupid reaction that resulted in a bad foul that looked like a cross between jazz dancing and the “hurricane kick” from Street Fighter.

Anyway, check out the clip when you have a moment and kindly give me your take on the “Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul in the face” extravaganza.

Tony Allen Kicks Chris Paul in the Face

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