Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 98 of 1503)

Ryan Theriot taking some heat for poking fun at Cardinal fans

May 11, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Former Cub and current Cardinal Ryan Theriot appeared on ESPN 1000’s the “Waddle & Silvy Show” to talk about his return to Wrigley Field this week and now he’s taking a little heat for some comments he made at the start of the segment.

This is exactly how the conversation played out between Theriot and the two radio hosts:

Hosts: “Do you feel dirty walking around the city of Chicago, your former home, now as a Cardinal?”

Theriot: (Laughs) “No, should I?”

Hosts: “Did you pack your tank top and jean shorts to mesh right in with the Cardinal fans?”

Theriot: (Laughs) “You guys are funny.”

Hosts: “How many people file into [Busch Stadium] with that uniform on – the tank top and the jean shorts, come on?”

Theriot: “Tank top, jean shorts and some Timberland boots.” (Laughs)

Hosts: (Laughs) “There you go!”

And this is from STLSportsMinute.com in reaction to Theriot’s comments:

Whoa, Mr. Theriot. Sure you say some nice things about your teammates and about manager Tony La Russa, but what are you thinking bashing Cardinals fans? Why are you trying to make Cardinals fans upset?
I realize that your return to Chicago is nerve racking and you are trying to make as many friends as possible after your remarks last winter.
But do not go bashing Cardinals fans. These are the same fans that have supported you despite your defensive inefficiencies.
Sure some are unhappy with your inability to make routine plays and with the fact that you have committed eight errors this season. We do our best to try and not point out that your eight errors are tied for the most by any shortstop in baseball. We don’t bash you for using a frying pan as a glove.
So what’s up? Why the cheap shot?
Ryan Franklin bashed Cardinals fans earlier this season for booing some of his pathetic performances early in the season. Do you really want to put yourself in the same position as Ryan Franklin?

Come on, really? First and foremost, the radio hosts led Theriot into that comment and the entire opening to that segment was meant to be fun. Theriot used to play for the Cubs and obviously the Chicago radio hosts were trying to engage him in some playful banter, which Theriot obliged. It’s not like the shortstop said anything hurtful.

I liked the way the STLSportsMinute came back poking fun at how Theriot has been prone to making errors this year. Hey, if you’re going to engage in some playful banter, then they have the right to fire back. But the site made it sound like Theriot came out and facilitated the conversation about Cardinal fans and the way they dress. And that wasn’t the case. It’s not like Theriot came on and immediately said, “Man, thank God I’m talking to you guys. Those tank top-wearing, jean short-sporting weirdos down in the Lou with their Timberland boots really freak me out.” Again, he was led into the comment and I don’t think he would have bit if the conversation didn’t have a humorous tone to it.

Let’s everyone lighten up. The weather is getting nicer around the country, baseball is back in full swing and the smell of another barbecue is right around the corner. So let’s all change into some tank tops, jean shorts and Timberland boots and have some f*%king fun already.

External Sports, MLB

Ryan Theriot ryan theriot cardinal fan comments ryan theriot cardinal fans ryan theriot comments St. Louis Cardinals

Carroll: NCAA should be more proactive than reactive when it comes to problems

May 11, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Pete Carroll might make his home in the NFL now, but he’ll always have ties to the NCAA (some good, some bad).

That’s why when he was recently asked about the way the NCAA monitors and enforces its rules, Carroll was more than willing to share his opinion on the topic.

From the Seattle Times:

Carroll said he believes the NCAA starts with the objective of finding wrongdoing, something that is reactive rather than trying to protect the game from outside influences to prevent problems. He pointed out that schools are being punished for actions of people who aren’t even affiliated with the university.
“If you notice, it’s people from outside the community of the actual working body of the university,” Carroll said. “In our situation at USC, it was absolutely that. What are we doing about that? How are we dealing with that?”
Instead, the focus is on after-the-fact punishment.
“You can only spank them so many times,” Carroll said. “I don’t think that has anything to do with making things right.”
As for paying college players? “No,” he said. “I’ve never thought that. That’s not the issue. They have a great life.”

When you think about it, college players are already being paid to play. They get free room and board, free tuition, free tutoring and free books. Granted, they also have the pressure of playing a collegiate sport, but let’s not act like these kids aren’t getting something in exchange for their services.

And as far as what Carroll is saying about the NCAA being reactive – he’s right. The NCAA should be spending most of its time trying to prevent these agents, tattoo owners and car dealers from luring players in with free goods and services instead of constantly having to crack the whip. The best way to avoid diseases is prevention.

Of course, that’s easier said than done and I don’t have any solutions here. There’s only so much coaches can do before they have to trust that these players will get it through their thick skulls not to accept improper benefits. The same goes for the NCAA, which can only do so much in order to steer athletes in the right direction.

Still, as Carroll points out, it wouldn’t hurt for the NCAA to get more proactive than reactive. Instead of waiting for these athletes to mess up and then flexing its muscles, how about the NCAA gets more involved in order to prevent these bad influences from penetrating its programs? What’s that old saying: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem?

College Football, External Sports, NFL

college football scandals Pete Carroll

Chad Ochocinco…the bull rider.

May 11, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

After giving Major League Soccer a try earlier this year, Chad Ochocinco will continue on his quest for attention (I’m kidding! I’m kidding!…Relax…) when he gives professional bull riding a try.

Ochocinco has accepted a challenge from Professional Bull Riders chief operating officer Sean Gleason to ride a bull at the LucasOil Invitational this weekend in Duluth. The Ocho will earn $10,000 if he rides a bull and if he can stay aboard for the required eight seconds, the PBR will give him a new Ford F-150 and allow him to name the bull.

USA Today has the rest of the details.

Sean Gleason, chief operating officer of the PBR, responded with this tweet to Ochocinco: “that’s the deal. Show up and get on the bull u get 10K, ride him for 8 secs and its a brand new F150 from @teampbr @fordtrucks.”
Ochocinco then posted: “if I stay on for 8 seconds FORD will give me an F-150? I challenge your best bull and i’ll give the truck to 1 of my followers.”
“The Ford F-150 we’re offering will be there, we hope (Ochocinco) is too,” Gleason said. “He’s a gifted athlete, but bull riding is a much different sport and climbing on the back of a bull in the chutes takes a little more than Twitter confidence, let alone calling for the gate (to open).
“We admire Ochocinco’s interest in the sport. If he actually gets on and nods his head (to open the gate), he’ll find out that two-a-days in the summer heat are nothing compared to the eight seconds faced by PBR bull riders week in and week out.”

So this is what it’s come down to huh, NFL? You’ve got me blogging about an attention-seeking athlete (I’m kidding! I’m kidding!..Relax…) and his bull riding adventures. You and your lockout make…me…sick.

External Sports, NFL

chad johnson bull riding Chad Ochocinco chad ochocinco bull riding Cincinnati Bengals

Fisher: I believe Young can win in this league

May 11, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Despite their rocky relationship, former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher still believes Vince Young can still win in the NFL if he gets into the right situation.

From NFL.com:

“Vince has won a lot of games; he’s led teams to the playoffs before,” Fisher said. ”I believe he can (win in the NFL). It’s just a matter of him finding a place that suits him and be in the right place and work hard. But he certainly has that ability.”

There’s a chance that Fisher is just taking the high road in order to shine good light on himself. After all, trashing Young now only makes him look bitter for the way things ended in Tennessee.

Still though, he didn’t have to say what he did. He could have avoided saying anything positive at all – in fact, he could have said something negative and made it even harder for Young to find opportunities to play elsewhere. He may be saying something completely different about Young behind closed doors, but it’s big of him to say positive things to the media about a quarterback that he’s had a tumultuous relationship with in the past.

One other note on Young: two sources tell the Washington Examiner’s John Keim that they would be shocked if Young wound up playing for the Redskins next year. There had been talk that the Skins were the frontrunners for V.Y.’s services, but coach Mike Shanahan has a strong friendship with Fisher and former Titans’ coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, leading some to believe that neither of them will give a ringing endorsement for their former QB. (Despite what Fisher said above.)

External Sports, NFL

Jeff Fisher Vince Young Vince Young rumors

Can Animal Kingdom take home the Triple Crown this year?

May 10, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

It’s funny how much things can change in a matter of days. Animal Kingdom wasn’t even on most bettors’ radar last week heading into the Kentucky Derby and now observers are wondering if he can become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978.

At the start of the week, Animal Kingdom was a 30/1 long shot to win Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. He took a backseat to more intriguing contenders like Dialed In, Mucho Macho Man and Twice The Appeal (ridden by popular jockey Calvin Borel). In fact, Animal Kingdom even switched jockeys the day before the race when John R. Velazquez lost his mount with Uncle Mo, who was scratched due to a gastrointestinal issue.

But Velazquez rode Animal Kingdom to his first career win at the Kentucky Derby and now the pair is the talk of the horseracing world. In fact, along with Dialed In, Animal Kingdom is a 4/1 favorite to win the Preakness on May 21.

Of course, most horses that win the Kentucky Derby are considered the favorite to win the Preakness. Oddsmakers base their lines on how they think the public will wager and causal bettors are instantly drawn to the Kentucky Derby winner when it comes to betting the Preakness. Just because a horse wins at Churchill Downs doesn’t mean he has what it takes to win at Pimlico and Belmont Park. In 2009, Borel rode Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby but finished second in the Preakness and third in the Belmont. In 2008, many felt that Big Brown had the best chance of winning the Triple Crown in the last decade and after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, he flopped in the Belmont and finished ninth.

But here’s the thing: I think Animal Kingdom does have what it takes. In fact, I think if he can win in two weeks at Pimlico, he’ll cruise at the Belmont (barring injury, of course). The concerns about him coming into the Kentucky Derby were that a) he only had four races under his belt and b) that he could run on dirt. Well, he’s now raced five times in his career with three wins and two second-place finishes. And he apparently runs on dirt just fine, as his win at the Kentucky Derby proved.

My bigger concern for Animal Kingdom heading into the Preakness is Dialed In. I don’t think we saw his best effort at Churchill Downs last week, as he hung in the back of the pack too long before finally making his move down the stretch. He finished a disappointing 8th but again, I don’t think we saw his best effort. (It would also be interesting to see if Uncle Mo could make a recovery and run in the Preakness, although I think those odds are between “slim” and “no way in hell.”)

But if Animal Kingdom can eke out a win in two weeks, I like his chances of capturing the Belmont and giving horseracing fans their first Triple Crown winner in nearly 34 years. As the overused, clichéd sports take goes: He certainly has all the tools.

External Sports, horse racing

animal kingdom animal kingdom triple crown dialed in horseracing triple crown john velazquez

Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 98 of 1503)

Ryan Theriot taking some heat for poking fun at Cardinal fans

Carroll: NCAA should be more proactive than reactive when it comes to problems

Chad Ochocinco…the bull rider.

Fisher: I believe Young can win in this league

Can Animal Kingdom take home the Triple Crown this year?

FOLLOW US!

CATEGORIES

Pages