Month: August 2008 (Page 7 of 50)

      Nastia Liukin and Norm MacDonald on “The Tonight Show”

      August 27, 2008 /

      Last night on “The Tonight Show,” Jay Leno interviewed American gymnastics phenom, Nastia Liukin, as well as one of my all-time favorite comedians, Norm MacDonald. Jay kept the questions relatively light and Nastia handled each one with poise and good humor. MacDonald, however, was absolutely hilarious as the first guest. (If anyone can find a video of his segment it would be greatly appreciated.) Norm spoke at length about the Olympics. I’m paraphrasing here:

      “And did you get a load of those speed-walkers? Don’t you think they probably got ribbed by the sprinters back at the Village? Don’t you think they’d be like, ‘Hey Sam, I saw you out there in your race—quite a brisk stroll you got there, Sam.’”

      “Yeah, and that Usain Bolt guy, good Lord. You know he ran like a 9.6 or something like that in the 100-meter? So, I went down to the track at UCLA to see what I could get. And Jay, you know, I’m quite embarrassed to say, but I finished at just under 35 minutes.”

      Here’s Nastia’s interview. Around the 3:40 mark Norm has a great line about how Nastia was robbed of a gold medal on the uneven bars:

      “No offense, but that sounds like a bunch of Commie gobbledygook to me.”

      Classic.

      Humor, Television, The Olympics

      Fantasy Football Update: 8/27

      August 27, 2008 /

      I know many of you are heading into your drafts this weekend, so here are a few things that are going on in the world of fantasy football:

      Peyton Manning returned to practice, but HC Tony Dungy said that he was “iffy” for the season opener. Apparently, he looked good, so plan on Peyton keeping his consecutive games streak alive in Week 1… HC Marvin Lewis says that even though Chris Perry is atop the depth chart at running back, Rudi Johnson could win his job back with a good performance on Thursday night. The vibe seems to be that Rudi is on the way out of Cincy, but you never know. Perry is a nice late-round pick, as is Kenny Watson, who was the team’s most productive back last season… Jeff Fisher says that he plans to split touches between LenDale White and rookie speedster Chris Johnson. “I would assume it would be close to 50-50, maybe 60-40,” he said. “We’re going to use them both depending on the game plans and it makes sense to take advantage of both of their abilities. I think we’ll have a better gauge once we get to the middle part of the season.” Johnson’s stock has risen of late and while White is pretty solid between the tackles, the rookie is more of a home run threat… The Packers plan to get Brandon Jackson more involved in the running game in an attempt to reduce the pounding that Ryan Grant takes over the course of the season. The idea is to limit Grant to 300 carries (which is still a lot) and use him more in the passing game, which means that Grant’s value is enhanced in PPR leagues.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Jay Mariotti quits Chicago Sun-Times

      August 27, 2008 /

      Columnist and resident I-love-to-hear-myself-talk sports personality Jay Mariotti has abruptly decided to quit the Chicago Sun-Times.

      Mariotti told the Chicago Tribune he decided to quit after covering the Olympics in Beijing because newspapers are in serious trouble, and he did not want to go down with the ship.

      “I’m a competitor and I get the sense this marketplace doesn’t compete,” he said in the Tribune story. “Everyone is hanging on for dear life at both papers.

      “To see what has happened in this business. … I don’t want to go down with it.”

      His comments sparked a pointed response from his former employer.

      Sun-Times Editor Michael Cooke said in an e-mail to CBS 2: “That’s Jay’s opinion. He has plenty of them. But the facts, of course, say something different. I’m going with the facts. Well, it’s turning nasty … and that’s typical of Jay to throw a bomb on the way out of a place that cared for him, nurtured him, paid him well for 17 years.

      “The reason Mariotti showed up the Sun-Times 17 years ago was because the paper had the best sports pages in town. That was true then, and it’s true now.

      “And as in all sports, when the star leaves, some other young star-to-be skates on to the ice. The Sun-Times has a deep bench of talent, and we’ll be using that depth.

      “I am not hearing from grief-stricken fans,” Cooke said.

      Cooke pointed to e-mails that he received from readers, including this one: “I wish to inform you that due to recent developments on the Jay Mariotti front, I will now read your newspaper. In fact, I picked one up on the way to work this morning. Not a half-bad rag, I must say. Bully on you.”

      Mariotti said he plans to pursue opportunities on the Web, and continue his regular appearances as a panelist on ESPN’s “Around the Horn.”

      You have to love this comment by Cooke: “That’s Jay’s opinion. He has plenty of them.” The Sun-Times is going to do just fine without him. People read his stuff because they liked to disagree with him and anyone who watches “Around the Horn” knows that he just likes to stoke the fire.

      I will say this about Mariotti, however – the guy doesn’t back down from players, coaches or GMs. (In his columns at least. Apparently he never goes into the White Sox clubhouse because he fears for his safety.) Sometimes he hits the nail on the head when he’s criticizing (i.e. Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo).

      College Football, General Sports, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL

      No hiding their identity – Jaguars to run football in ‘08

      August 27, 2008 /

      In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I take a look at how the Jacksonville Jaguars will once again rely on their running backs to carry them in 2008.

      It’s no secret how the Jacksonville Jaguars plan on winning games this season: Running the football. Thanks to one of the best 1-2 punches in the league at running back in Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jags are legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season.

      It’s amazing how a running back can compile 10,715 rushing yards and a 4.7-yard per carry average and yet only make one Pro Bowl. Fresh off his first (and only) Pro Bowl appearance, Taylor is set to once again carry the rock 200-plus times in Jacksonville’s offense.

      When most running backs reach the dreaded age of 30, they usually start to break down. But Taylor hasn’t lost much over the years and has gained at least 1,000 yards in five of his last six seasons. Last year, Taylor rushed for 1,202 yards in 15 games (a 5.4 YPC average) and added five touchdowns.

      Once again complementing Taylor in the backfield will be the third-year back Jones-Drew. In terms of production, Jones-Drew took a step back in his second year, rushing for 768 yards and nine touchdowns compared to the 941 yards and 13 scores he amassed his rookie year in 2006. But that doesn’t mean he was any less effective and once again gave the Jags a great change-of-pace back to go along with Taylor’s grinding style.

      Taylor will once again carry the load in 2008, a role he’s relished since 2000. Appreciate him now, because the underrated and often under appreciated Taylor is expected to retire at the end of the season. Jones-Drew will once again serve as Jacksonville’s change-of-pace back and home run threat, as well as an effective weapon in the passing game.

      There’s no doubt both of these backs benefit greatly from an offense that relies on the run, as well as a solid line and a quarterback that rarely makes mistakes. Expect the Jags to once again be one of the top-ranked rushing teams in ‘08.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      College Football: Toughest Places to Play

      August 27, 2008 /

      FOX Sports.com ranks the top 10 toughest places to play in college football.

      8. Michigan Stadium – University of Michigan
      100,000-plus screaming fans on game day are loud. The fans are passionate enough to make it a tough place to play for a visiting team.

      3. Beaver Stadium – Penn State University
      There is no doubt that the tradition and passion of PSU football gives it a spot near the top of this list. Whether it be JoePa or a whiteout, there’s some serious passion among fans here.

      2. Neyland Stadium – University of Tennessee
      Tennessee has a great program and 100,000-plus fans doesn’t hurt. They seem to always be into the game no matter the score and the design of the stadium can be very intimidating for opposing teams.

      1. Tiger Stadium – Louisiana State University
      The Tigers have some of the craziest fans in all of college football and trying to play in Tiger Stadium at night with 92,000-plus fans around you must be one of the most intimidating things a college athlete can do.

      I’ve been to several games at the Big House in Ann Arbor and while it is cool to look out and see so many fans throughout the stadium, I wouldn’t necessarily say it gets loud. Obviously 100,000-plus fans are going to make some noise, but with the way the bowl was constructed, a lot of the sound just goes up and out. Most football stadiums you feel like you’re on top of the players, but not Michigan Stadium.

      College Football, General Sports

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