Tag: Sports

September 28, 2011: A Historic Day in Baseball History

Last night was, by far, the most exciting regular-season day in Major League Baseball history. One day later and I still can’t believe what I saw. Three games that determined the last slots in the playoffs ending within 25 minutes of each other. Two dramatic comebacks ending within three minutes of each other. One major collapse (Atlanta Braves) and one epic collapse (Boston Red Sox) culminating in minutes. It was dramatic (for everyone) and fun (depending on your teams), and I’m pretty sure that I’ll never see anything like that again.

One minute I was watching Jonathan Papelbon blow a save against the lowly Orioles. A couple of minutes later I was watching Evan Longoria hit a game-ending homer against the Yankees, clinching the Tampa Bay Rays’ spot in the playoffs and ensuring an entertaining off-season in Boston. It was nuts how quickly it all happened. I was chuckling at Papelbon’s failure and — BAM! — just like that Longoria’s home run had me thinking, “Whoa! Did that just really happen?!?” On one hand, I wasn’t done laughing at the Red Sox. On the other hand, I just witnessed one of the most extraordinary days in baseball history.

As a tech nerd, it was a blast marveling, gloating, and discussing everything that just happened through different social networking services. As I was laughing at the Red Sox’ demise, I whipped out my iPad 2, headed to Facebook, and left some annoying comments on my friend Matt’s wall. He’s from Boston. *snicker* Discussing the games on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook made the events even more fun. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love what social networking has added to sports.

Anyway, I wanted to see what you thought of last night’s games. Were you watching them live? Did you watch the highlights today? What do you think of it all? Which team was the biggest loser? Which team was the biggest winner? Have Yankee fans ever been happier about a loss? Share your feelings (like a Care Bear) in the comments section (please!).

Larry Merchant Talks Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

TMZ caught up with HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant at Los Angeles International airport. The topic at hand was, of course, his confrontation with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. following his fight against Victor Ortiz. It’s a great guerrilla-style interview and Merchant gives some sharp answers despite the clips run-and-gun nature. Below is the confrontation with Floyd, for reference. If you have a chance, check out both clips and let me know what you think (please)!

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Coffee Talk #399: The Mayweather vs. Ortiz Controversy

“Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Jr. knocked out “Vicious” Victor Ortiz over the weekend, but did so in a controversial fashion. Before I get to the controversy, I wanted to make it clear that going into the fight I…

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 Boston Red Sox possibly missing the playoffs, Peter Dinklage winning an Emmy for Game of Thrones, or your favorite candybar, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

“Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Jr. knocked out “Vicious” Victor Ortiz over the weekend, but did so in a controversial fashion. Before I get to the controversy, I wanted to make it clear that going into the fight I thought Mayweather was going to win, easily. During the fight I saw nothing that indicated Ortiz had anything more than a puncher’s chance. Prior to the knockout, I saw Mayweather well on his way to a decisive victory.

Now let’s get to the controversy! Late in the fourth round, it was clear that Ortiz was getting frustrated by his inability to land meaningful shots on Mayweather. Ortiz resorted to headbutts, including one so egregious that referee Joe Cortez (the “fair, but firm” guy) had no choice but to dock Ortiz a point. Ortiz tried several times to apologize. The action was set to resume when the fighters hugged. A split second later Mayweather landed a sharp hook on Ortiz, who was clearly not ready to fight. This was followed by a strong right hand that put Ortiz down for the count.

Some fans felt that this was a cheap shot. Customarily, when fighters hug or touch gloves, they wait a few seconds to resume boxing. Ortiz was obviously not ready and appeared to be waiting on further instructions from Cortez. Meanwhile, Cortez was looking towards the timekeeper to see if there was any time remaining in the round. While Mayweather did nothing illegal, some feel that it was unsportsmanlike. The fight-ending combo has been referred to as “a legal cheap shot” or a “by-the-books sucker-punch”.

Others feel that Ortiz got what he deserved. He blatantly cheated with the head butts. The last head butt did more damage to Mayweather than any of Ortiz’s punches. The feeling is that he punked Floyd and Floyd had every right to punk him back. Ortiz also forgot a set of instructions that’s given to boxers before every match: “Protect yourself at all times.” Referees say this before every fight and it was foolish for Ortiz to have his guard down. A boxer with more than 30 professional fights should know better.

On a side note, Mayweather’s post-fight behavior was probably more entertaining than the actual fight. HBO’s Larry Merchant was conducting a fair interview when Mayweather exploded on him. He went on an idiotic and profanity-laced tirade that shows what a mentally weak person he is outside of the ring. Merchant is an accomplished print journalist, an outstanding broadcaster, and a true boxing historian. He’s also 79-years old. It’s pathetic that Mayweather threateningly disrespected one of boxing’s treasures. It was hilarious that Merchant playfully yelled back, “I wish I was 50 years younger and I’d kick your ass!”

Ultimately, I think that Mayweather did himself a disservice. I believe he was angry about the head butts and wanted to nail Ortiz for the transgression. Winning this way was bad for his image. Some fans, particularly casual boxing fans, will think that he’s a cheap-shot artist. He could have easily won the fight without stooping to Ortiz’s level. It’s a shame for him, because he was putting on a boxing clinic and was going to school Ortiz. As HBO’s Jim Lampley said shortly after the knockout, “This isn’t going to win him any more fans.”

What do you think of the knockout? Was it a cheap shot by Mayweather? Was it amateur of Ortiz to forget the “protect yourself at all times” instructions? Does this win tarnish Mayweather’s reputation? Will the controversy increase his earning potential? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

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Coffee Talk #395: Your Dream Dinner for Four

If you could have dinner with three people from the history of the world, who would be at your table? They can be game developers, actors, musicians, etc. It’s your dream dinner for four and I’d love to hear your…

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, rain ruining my U.S. Open (tennis) background noise, why my coffee beans are late (again), or dinner/drinks with two excellent people, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

If you could have dinner with three people from the history of the world, who would be at your table? The only condition for this game is that the people you choose have to be real (this is mostly to prevent one of you from choosing He-Man or Bugs Bunny). They can be game developers, actors, musicians, etc. It’s your dream dinner for four and I’d love to hear your picks! Here are mine:

Muhammad Ali: “The Greatest” would headline my dream dinner. I’d choose the Ali that was banned from boxing and speaking out against the war in Vietnam. Ali was already an extraordinary athlete with unmatched speed for a heavyweight boxer, but his stance against the Vietnam War made him so much more. He lost three prime years of his career, but inspired so many people while he was away from boxing. He became more than just an athlete. He became an icon.

John Lennon: My feelings about Lennon are similar to my feelings about Ali. He was already a renowned performance artist and songwriter, but his post-Beatles activism made him so much more. I love that he used his fame to spread positive messages and to get people to think. I also love the continued to write great songs when doubters thought he was washed up. I’d love to have ’70s John Lennon at my dream dinner.

Steve Jobs: My last spot was a tough choice. As I mentioned to you last year, I’d love to have a one-on-one dinner with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. For some reason, I’m being a stickler with my dinner-for-four scenario and am disqualifying Miyamoto because he would require a translator (sorry Bill!). The final spot goes to Apple’s Steve Jobs. This would be 2005 Jobs, fresh off his Stanford commencement speech. In addition to getting his thoughts on making products people are passionate about, I’d love to hear about how he felt about getting booted from Apple, elevating Pixar, and returning to make Apple better than ever.

So that’s my dream dinner for four. Now let me know who’s sitting at your table (please)!

PlayStation 3 Getting NFL Sunday Ticket for $339.95

Sony Computer Entertainment America and DirecTV have announced that the popular NFL Sunday Ticket subscription package will be available on the PlayStation 3 for $339.95. The subscription will let gamers view every out-of-market NFL game. Considering that NFL football is the most popular sport in America, this is an enormous deal. Here’s more from Sony Computer Entertainment America senior vice president Philip Rosenberg:

At the start of the season, viewers who do not currently have access to DirecTV will be able to subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket at the season price of $339.95. Existing DirecTV customers can access the service on their PS3 for an additional $50 and use the PS3 as an additional receiver for your home.

NFL Sunday Ticket is a DirecTV-exclusive sports package that offers:

  • Up to 14 NFL games every Sunday
  • Full HD for every football game
  • DirecTV’s Red Zone Channel

Like I said, this is a huge deal for the American market. With this announcement and the recent PlayStation 3 price cut, I wonder if any American consumers will use the PS3 as a way to compensate for DirecTV unavailability. $340 is a lot of money, but if you can’t get DirecTV then this is a reasonable option. Hell, if you can get DirecTV but don’t care about its programming packages then this can save you money in the long run.

Are any of you tempted by this deal? Imagine if the PS3 launched with this partnership? The console wars would have played out so differently in America. Also, where’s my Manchester City subscription package for real football?!? (Half-joke)

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[I wanted to post this story yesterday, but my crap web host decided to take the day off. Never use AnHosting.]

What Do You Think of Balrog: Behind the Glory?

I strongly suggest watching the Balrog: Behind the Glory faux documentary. It’s an incredibly well done look at Street Fighter’s Balrog (Mike Bison in Japan) that aired during this year’s Evo Championship Series. It’s a little over 12 minutes, but definitely worth watching. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it! Kindly check it out and let me know what you think.

Kenny Powers: K-Swiss MFCEO!!!

I first watched it while I was still in Hawaii, but this K-Swiss viral marketing video starring Eastbound and Down’s Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) is too good not to discuss with y’all. This star-studded commercial features cameos by Michael Bay, Matt Cassel, Jillian Michaels, Jon Bones Jones, Rey Mysterio, Josh Cox, Mark Cuban, and Patrick Willis.

As a former tennis junkie, I’ve loved K-Swiss products since I was a teenager. However, the company always had this uppity Euro vibe. Using a character like Kenny Powers to make it cool and edgy is just awesome. What do you think of the video? What’s your favorite clip?

Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn Admits to Steroid Use

Controversial actor Charlie Sheen told Sports Illustrated that he used steroids while playing pitcher Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn in the movie Major League. Known for his love of controlled substances, expensive call girls, and nonsensical statements, Sheen’s admission shouldn’t come as a surprise. Here’s a clip from the SI interview:

I was already bitchy because — let’s just say that I was enhancing my performance a little bit. It was the only time I ever did steroids. I did it for like six or eight weeks. You can print this, I don’t give a f—. My fastball went from 79 to like 85.

I wasn’t doing enough to be completely insane — just a little bitchier than normal.

I think it led to my arm problems because it doesn’t enhance the strength of the tendons and ligaments, it just makes the muscles bigger.

Of course it’s not enough that several professional baseball players used performance-enhancing drugs. Naturally, make believe baseball players used them too. What a silly world we live in.

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Moneyball Trailer is…

…awesome! Hear me out on this one. I loved the Moneyball book. I loved that Billy Beane (portrayed by Brad Pitt in the movie!) modernized baseball’s archaic scouting system. I loved that a lot of baseball people misunderstood and dismissed what Beane was doing with the Oakland A’s; they thought he was all about buying on-base percentage when he was actually all about buying whatever was undervalued at the time. I lost respect for the legendary Joe Morgan for flipping off Moneyball without even reading it. Billy Beane truly revolutionized the way baseball teams are made, the way players are scouted, and how stats are used acquire players.

I’m so ready to love this movie. While I don’t think it will be as big as The Social Network, I think it will be The Social Network movie for sports fans. Anyone with me on this one?

What Will You Remember About the 2011 NBA Finals?

There were so many great storylines in the 2011 NBA Finals — LeBron James’ The Decision leading to Miami Thrice, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry trying to kill the ghosts of 2006, Jason Kidd trying to get his first championship ring at 37, the ridiculous hotness of JJ Barea’s girlfriend, and more. What will you remember from this year’s finals?

For me, it was refreshing seeing a true team win the championship. So much attention has been paid to the Miami Heat’s 2.5 superstars. The New York Knicks have been getting a ton of press for pairing Amar’e Stoudemire with Carmelo Anthony. A lot of fans were thinking that it’s a two-star minimum to be successful in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks proved that theory to be incorrect. The team rode one superstar, played fantastic team defense, and used excellent ball movement to win it all.

Also, it was funny watching Dirk dash to the lockers to cry instead of immediately celebrating with his teammates. Ha!