Bodgo Fight Recap

by Stan Leung
www.fighting-mma.com

After the preliminary rounds were completed, Team USA was ready with there 8 final contestants (Michael Patt, Keith Wisniewski, Nick Agallar, Nick Thompson, Tara Larosa, Chael Sonnen, Mario Rinaldi, and Trevor Prangley). Along with the USA versus Russia match ups the card also had one of the three Super fights featuring Roger Gracie in his professional MMA fight debut fighting against WWE, Pride, and UFC veteran Ron H2O Waterman, Antonio Silva versus Eric Pele, and hard throwing Eddie Alvarez against UFC and Pride FC veteran Aaron Riley in a welterweight MFC championship bout.

I don't know if the event lived up to the hype but USA versus Russia did not produce great MMA events. The best match of the night was the ladies match up between Tara Larosa from the US team versus Julia Berezekova from the Red Devil team. Larosa's 11 and 1 record is no joke as she has all the skill and stand up to be a great fighter. The match with Berezekova was incredible with great jujitsu and stand up striking. At the end of the day, Larosa was the more skilled and made Berezekova submit with an armbar.

The Team assembled by

Joke of the Day - Love Dress

A woman goes over to her married son's house and walks in to find her daughter-in-law sitting in a chair, entirely nude. The mother-in-law says, "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm wearing my love dress," responds the daughter-in-law, "We haven't made love in a long time."

So the mother-in-law says, "Hm, maybe I should try that."

She goes home to find her husband is not in, so she gets undressed. Two hours go by and finally she hears her husband's car. He walks in the front door and says, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm wearing my love dress," says the wife.

"Well," responds the husband, "it needs to be ironed."

betED.com has Odds on Whose Babymaker will be Photographed Next

With Britney Spears unintentionally baring it all lately, it’s only a matter of time before another female celebrity gets caught in an uncompromising position by a strategically positioned photographer.

And now betED.com is offering bettors a chance to wager on just who will be the next female celebrity to get caught with a crotch shot.

Which of the following celebrities will be the first to have a crotch shot captured by the paparazzi? Here are some, but not all, of the candidates on http://www.beted.com/B=6b21237a-f490: Jessica Simpson (+300); Madonna (+800); Tara Reid (+100); Halle Berry (+1000); Pink (+400)

It appears Spears will have a tough time living this latest incident down. Ever since Spears’ crotch shots appeared, the international press has noted she is behaving more like her soon to be ex-husband, Kevin Federline, than a pop princess on the verge of a career comeback.

Fresh from her split from the club-hopping Federline, Spears looked hip and wholesome weeks ago in a surprise appearance on David Letterman's show and while ice skating in New York's Rockefeller Center in a Gap sweater. But now she's unleashing her inner wild child, running around with party girls Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, sporting unflattering hair extensions and flashing her apparently panty-less crotch to the paparazzi.

"She's a beautiful girl and now that she's single and she's having fun, I think she's just trying to express herself," said New York-based celebrity image consultant Amanda Sanders. "Unfortunately, it's the wrong message that's coming across. And the shame is she was really such a role model."
Spears, who just turned 25, and Hilton were inseparable while hitting L.A. hotspots over the Thanksgiving weekend. Representatives for Hilton and Spears did not respond to messages Wednesday.
Many of Spears’ fans are getting tired of her antics. In a post on Spears' MySpace.com page, a female fan urged Spears "to read this so you understand how your fans may see the situation ... now your children need you so do the right thing Brit, and be a mother and forget the partying."

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Thanksgiving

The annual tradition that falls on the 3rd Thursday of November: watching NFL football during the day whilst cramming Turducken – a turkey stuffed with a duck, which itself is stuffed with a small chicken* – down our throats is upon us once again… along with the almost universal requirement for an industrial strength Alka-Seltzer.

So before we drift off into our tryptophan-induced coma, it’s time to partake in the other tradition of trying to figure out what or whom we are truly thankful for in sports right now.
In football: Let us give thanks for the hyper-hyped Ohio State and Michigan game that actually lived up to it all. (And let’s hope we see a rematch in January). I’d like to thank Bill Parcells for making the jobs for every talking head and ink stained wretch who has to cover the Cowboys on a daily basis the easiest in sports journalism. Here’s a big shout out to NBC's "Football Night In America." They helped me keep to my diet this week when they insisted on showing, during my dinner hour, highlights of Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith puking his guts out into a garbage can. It’s great that Ben Roethlisberger survived his motorcycle crash – but what is probably more impactful is this – if there needed to be any further proof that always wearing a helmet is essential – his performance this season surely will convince more folks to strap one on when they ride. Let’s all be especially glad we are around right now to watch LaDainian Tomlinson play – on the rare occasion when the networks allow it that is. The MVP co-favorite is smashing records and the biased, but perhaps not wrong, folks in San Diego are already declaring him the greatest running back - ever.

In hockey: What used to be the signature joke of the NHL: “I went to a boxing match last night and a hockey game broke out,” appears to be going the way of the dodo. Phoenix Coyote Georges Laraque said this week that due to the rule changes, designated NHL fighters would be extinct in two years. He should know as he used to be one of ‘em. Now – he rarely gets to fight and thus has spent more time actually working on his game. The results are in: he has seven points in his past four games.

In baseball: It nice to know that a 25-year-old, third-year Canadian making $385,000 a year can win the American League MVP trophy over a $20-million dollar man from the New York Yankees. The New York Post headline may have screamed “Jeeted,” but looking at who did what for their respective teams, the first Twin MVP award in nearly 30 years was well deserved. However, what we should all be most thankful for in baseball is this: labor peace. The Onion put it best: “World Series Overshadowed By Thrilling New MLB Labor Agreement”.
In soccer: There is not another World Cup until 2010.

In racing: I’d like to talk about F1, CART and the IRL, but since these racing series spend most of their time shooting themselves in the tires (or in F-1 talk, tyers), few would know what I was prattling on about. Instead, let’s be very thankful the NASCAR season came to a merciful end with the feller whose team was busted for cheating at race number one, ending up winning the Nextel Cup at race number thirty-four. His name if you can remember (after all it was way back on Sunday) is a walking snore named Jimmie Johnson. After decade of seeming to do be able to overcome anything, 2006 was marked by uneventful races, an unsatisfying conclusion and perhaps most shockingly – empty seats. Let’s be thankful that they are going to make changes for 2007.

In golf: Though the PGA season ended months ago -- it was all over after the PGA as far as most fans are concerned -- next year that’s going to change. Inspired by, of all things, the aforementioned NASCAR, 2007 is going to see a chase for a $10-million payoff and the Player of the Year title. This way we’ll get to see Tiger take home even more money. Won’t that be fun.
In basketball: It’s early in the season, but at least there is Steve Nash. Though now more often injured than not, he remains an exciting player, he is the two time MVP and best of all he’s now mullet-less!

Eat well everyone. Cheers, and Happy Thanksgiving!

It Really is a Whole New NHL

You know how I know? Tie Domi is no longer looking to punch someone in the face – instead he’s making keen observations on the game of hockey. For a guy who, while playing, couldn’t scrape together a cognitive thought with two hands and a flashlight, his transformation to a broadcaster has to be seen as very improbable. Yet on his first night on the air, he wasn’t too frikin’ bad.

That transformation is also a perfect allegory to how the league has changed – hopefully for good.

Last season, the first with the new rule changes designed to speed up the game, there was an average of 0.38 fights a game. That was down almost half the number of fights from the previous season.

The rule changes worked. The game did become markedly faster, more exciting, and as a result, less pugilistic. There were fans who railed against the lack of knuckles being thrown because they insisted that fighting was the best part of the game.
Stupid fans in other words.

It was also clear that the majority of the fans weren’t that kind of stupid. Attendance was dropping. Everywhere but Canada, where hockey is more than the national sport, it’s a cultural identity, television ratings were abysmal. In no small part, it was due to the culture of fighting. For years, slow-footed tough-guys whose only job was to put on a nightly show for the crowd plagued the NHL.

It was always predictable. They would face off first in the press, exchanging not-so-witty repartee and then during the games at night, they would inevitably “get it on.” The league tolerated this gladiatorial behaviour because it helped mask the fact that the NHL had become a defense-first, boring, unimaginative soccer like exhibition. Night-in, night-out the NHL was defined by low scoring games, where the best, most creative players spent their nights bottled up against the boards by oversized defensemen.

All of that changed forever by one tragic incident in Vancouver in 2004. The Vancouver Canucks all-star Todd Bertuzzi blindsided Colorado Avalanche rookie Steve Moore with a punch from behind on March 8th of that year. Moore crumpled to the ice, and was hospitalized with three broken vertebrae in his neck, as well as a concussion.

The NHL suspended Bertuzzi indefinitely and did not reinstate him until August 8th, 2005 - exactly 17 months later. Steve Moore has yet to return to the NHL – and it’s doubtful he ever will.

Besides their personal stories, the result was a debate that raged across the hockey world about the role of rough justice in game. Bertuzzi was “paying back” Moore for some perceived injustice his team had suffered in a previous game. He was playing the role of enforcer, instead of leaving the on-ice justice to the officials. His actions brought into stark relief the problems with violence in the game.

The NHL decided things had to change for the league to survive. First they were going to free up their best players by calling the rules as they were first written, not what they evolved into. And second, they were going to return justice to the referees.

We saw the some of the results last season. This season we will most likely be seeing even more, if this is any indication:

The Toronto Maple Leafs bought out Tie Domi’s contract because, in today’s game, there is almost no need for an enforcer anymore. For decades, brawlers had been a staple on most teams. In last season’s new NHL however, where speed and playmaking proved essential, teams no longer could afford to have a spot on the bench taken up with a slow-footed fighter.
Even that 0.38 fight-pre-night mark is misleading. A high percentage of the fights last season were between these dinosaurs, who were desperately trying to prove that they had a purpose.
Yes, they still made the fans get out of their seats and cheer, but they had little impact on game results. They rarely contributed to deciding game outcomes because when push came to shove, players of that ilk could not punch what that could not catch.

Now most are out of the game altogether, or else, like in Domi’s case, up in the booth. Even he has embraced the new NHL – he spent time on his TV debut praising high-scoring finesse player Alexander Ovechkin, even recommending that he stay out of fights.

If fight-fanatic Don Cherry were dead, he would be spinning in his grave now.

And if he did hear Domi say that, it just might have killed him.

U - S - A: Ah OK?

Being the object of everyone’s attention gets exhausting after a while. Maybe that’s why America is taking more than its fare share of shots of late.

Since time immemorial it seems the USA was the world leader in, well, just about everything. Recently the world has been catching up by leaps and bounds. The European Union is tied with America for GDP, and China and India are closing fast. American cars are being outsold everywhere. Columbia’s Shakira tops the music charts. The most anticipated movie of the year is a British film about a Kazakhstani newsman named Borat. Yup, it has been catch-up time for a while, and in many, many things America has been passed.

Even in what they used to be able to always count on: sports.

In the world of fun and games, it has been U-S-A, U-S-A, dating back a hundred years almost. Now? Not so much.

Be it any of the name games - baseball, basketball or golf - the former dominant nation is playing second fiddle or worse. The only exception is football, and that’s because the American brand of football isn’t as popular elsewhere as futbol is, what Americans call soccer.
It’s been a long spring and summer of discontent sports (and other) wise for Americans. It all began with the game an American invented, baseball. In March in San Diego Japan defeated Cuba to win the championship of the World Baseball Classic. The 3-3 American team lost one game to Mexico, another to Korea and another to Canada.

Canada!

Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and most of the top pros in the NBA took on the world in another game invented there, basketball. (Well, sort of - James Naismith was a Canadian, but his first peach basket was used in Massachusetts). Spain won the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. The U.S. men lost to Greece.

Greece!

The world gathered in Germany to settle the question, who was best at the silly sport we know as soccer. The answer: anybody but the Americans, who failed to win a single game.All four of tennis’ majors were thrillers – but not a single American raised a single singles trophy in victory. Switzerland, France, Russia, Spain and Belgium dominated.

Belgium!

And finally there is golf. The Ryder Cup put a cap on this summer-long sporting swoon. Tiger Woods is clearly the best golfer in the world – and by a long shot. However, those American’s who follow him aren’t even close to imitating his act.

Over the weekend at the K Club in Ireland, records were falling left-rough, right-rough and never center cut. For the first time a team won all five sessions of the competition, and it wasn’t the Americans who did it. They could only manage to win 21% of their matches. In golf a Mendoza line winning percentage is more than just embarrassing, it’s pathetic. It left flabbergasted team captain Tom Lehman asking journalists if they had any answers as to why Team USA sucked so bad.

None of the wordsmiths did.

All that’s left for the poor American’s to dominate is the NFL – because no one else seems that interested in taking it up – and NASCAR. The good ‘ol Amurican boys in their multi-colored racing suits remain unchallenged on the international stage. Yup – the ‘ol red, white and blue is the force in racing cars with fenders. So, at leaset they’ve got that going for them.

Until they don’t of course. This week former Indianapolis 500 champion, Juan Pablo Montoya made his first test run at the Talladega Superspeedway.

A Columbian in NASCAR?

I hope in the South they serve tacos as well.

Say it ain’t so Juan.

Joke of the Day

Jimmy goes to see his computer genius friend Charlie, in his office. The first thing he notices is a really sexy looking secretary who leads him into Charlie’s room.

Charlie is busy working on his computer. "Hey Charlie, how ya doin’ my man?" He says, "When did you hire your new secretary?

She’s hot." "Oh I didn’t hire her, I actually develped her." replies Charlie, still working on his computer, "She’s a robot." "Are you serious?" says Jimmy with a whistle, "She moves and talks just like a real girl."

"Yeah, and that’s not all. She makes coffee, does my filing and I can fuck her all I want." replies Charlie with a smile, "In fact, you can take her to the next room and give her a fuck yourself. She’s really good."

"FUCK" Laughs Jimmy and taking the secretay’s hand, he drags her into the next room, intent on fucking the daylights out of her. Soon afterwards, there’s a loud scream from Jimmy.

"Oh Hell," Says Charlie, "I forgot to tell him her asshole is a pencil sharpener."

Joke of the Day

Vancouver Zoo in had acquired a female gorilla named Pernell. Within a few weeks, the gorilla became very difficult to handle.

Upon examination, the Zoo veterinarian determined the problem. The gorilla was in heat. To make matters worse, there were no male gorillas of the species available. While reflecting on their problem, the Zoo management noticed a dumb labor worker named Cam Powell responsible for building crap around the zoo.

Cam Powell had little sense, but so the Zoo administrators thought they might have a solution. The Zoo was approached Powell with a proposition: Would he be willing to have sex with the gorilla for $500? Cam showed some interest, but said he would have to think the matter over carefully.
The following day, Cam announced that he would accept their offer, only under three conditions.
"First," he said, "I don’t want to have to kiss her.

Secondly, you must never tell anyone about this."

The Zoo administration quickly agreed to these conditions, so they asked what his third condition was. "Well," said Cam "You gotta give me another week to come up with the $500."

Betting on Stupidity Really Can Pay Off

For once, being a brainless buffoon could actually pay dividends.

In a truly unique betting opportunity, online wagering giant betED.com is offering a chance to place wagers on the world’s most idiotic acts, as odds are now available for the 2006 World Stupidity Awards (www.stupidityawards.com).

Bettors can put money down on who they think will win such categories as Stupidest Man of the Year, an award in which one nominee is Oklahoma district court judge Donald Thompson, who operated a powerful penis pump beneath his robes during three trials while they were in session.

Perhaps surprisingly, Thompson is not the favorite (+300).

Other nominees for Stupidest Man of the year are: Dick Cheney - Vice President of the U.S. (+125); Michael Brown, Former Director of FEMA (+200); Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran (+220); Kim Jong IL, North Korean Dictator (+230).

The annual World Stupidity Awards, now in its 4th year, salute achievement in stupidity and ignorance. The awards are organized by ARSE - The Academy Recognizing Stupidity Everywhere – in conjunction with New York publisher Disinformation.

“The Romans had coliseums; the Egyptians had pyramids, we have stupidity,” said official World Stupidity Awards Spokes Moron, Robert Spence. “With all that we know today, the fact that we can rush into wars, destroy our planet, and act like complete idiots, and then, be proud of it, shows we’re in an era of superstupidity.”

Another category is Stupidest Trend of the Year. The nominees, with their odds, are: Ass Cleavage (+150); Killing People for God (+150); Killing People (+180); WW III (+350); Post Reality TV Reality TV (+400).

There’s also the Dumbest Moment of the Year award, which features these deserving nominees: Vice President Dick Cheney shoots friend (-120); Zinedine Zidane head butts Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final and is ejected (+180); Protesters violently demonstrate against the Danish Mohammed cartoons (+250); Danish Newspaper Jyllands-Posten publishes the controversial Mohammed cartoons (+300); Britney Spears speeds with her baby's head close to steering wheel (+400).

Other categories include: Stupidest Movie of the Year; Media Outlet which has Best Furthered Ignorance; Being Most Out of Touch with Reality; and Reckless Endangerment of the Planet.
To place a bet on stupidity, go to www.betED.com and click on Entertainment Props under Hot Props or link directly to http://www.beted.com/lines.aspx?l=Other

The awards will be announced Sept. 20.

“Who is the greatest athlete in the world?”

“Who is the greatest athlete in the world?”

That is the one question that has been asked since there has been this thing we call sports. Okay, maybe there are two eternal sports questions, the other being “where can I bet on that?”
This week people have been asking that question again due to a meeting in New York between perhaps the best player the game of golf has ever seen, and arguably the greatest tennis player of all time.

Watching Roger Federer decimate the field at the U.S. Open over the weekend was remarkable mostly due to the ease that he demonstrated in doing it. Seeing him collapse in what appeared to be relief as his final winner whizzed past a completely overmatched Andy Roddick, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was faking it. He had to be putting on a show there at the end, because it looked like he’d scarcely broken a sweat over the two weeks.

John McEnroe, who was calling the match on the tube, suggested that Tiger Woods be the one who should present the trophy, implying he was the only one in the world who was qualified.
Woods, who has struck up a recent friendship with Federer, was there watching from Federer’s box.

Since these two icons of the recent sports history were so perfectly juxtaposed, it is impossible for me not to try to make a case for whom I think really is the greatest athlete in the world today.

The two likeliest candidates are Woods and Federer.

Woods has had quite the summer run. After missing the cut in a major for the first time in his career at the golf’s version of the U.S. Open, he came back with a vengeance. Winning two majors and five straight tournaments, he’s so far ahead in the world rankings, dividing his 22.8 point total in two would give him both the first and second spots, with Jim Furyk a distant third with only 8.99. With 12 majors already in his career, Woods is second in the all-time list behind Jack Nicklaus' 18.

Most concede now that it’s a matter of “when,” not “if” that he catches the Golden Bear’s total.
Federer has been just as impressive. He’s won Wimbledon the past four years, the U.S. Open the past three, and the Australian Open twice for a total of nine majors. That puts Federer sixth in the career tennis major standings, needing five more slams to catch Pete Sampras. Sampras admitted his record is going to be not just broken, but smashed.

Woods has set the title bar so high, and at a remarkably early age. He’s reached his majors total three full years ahead of anyone else.

So – digesting all those numbers – who truly is the greatest?

Drum roll please….

Jim Toop

Jim Toop you say? Well this guy was a miracle soccer player up until grade 9 and than the beer started. Now he’s fat and milks cows.

Ok OK I’m kidding.

I have no idea who the greatest is and either should you…

But it is an interesting debate anyways huh?

NFL Starts

Last week I prattled on for an entire column explaining why I thought hockey and soccer was better than the NFL.

Now that the NFL is here… I say Stan, you ignorant slut.

That and the many hate mails and death threats I received from people. (Thanks Mom)
Before I go into me weekly tirade, I like to point out and say congratulations to my friend who got married over the weekend. I have never seen a bride with a better rake. My buddy Paul was parading her off like a show pony. Good luck with those fun bags.
The NFL is a masterpiece.

Tune in opening night Thursday and we get to see the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Miami Dolphins. Who is the underdog? According to betED.com – nobody. The first game is a pick-em and will be presented before our adoring eyes in a tight three-hour super-produced package. At the end of it all, the loser won’t have to start dreaming about next season. They have a chance to pick themselves up over the rest of this season and go for the Super Bowl.

NFL teams have to actually fight through a defined playoff system, which in itself is hard to get into Last season the Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl was watched in an average of 45.85 million homes, the second-highest total in television history.
45.85 million homes can’t be wrong.

Now – the obligatory predictions. I figure the best way to discern who will win it all come next February 4th is to first decide who won’t...

You can dump Tennessee, St. Louis, Houston, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York Jets, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay, Oakland and San Francisco. If you are a fan, no offense… (Or defense for that matter).

Both Kansas and Arizona have plenty of the former, but little of the latter, so they’re both done. Except for Tom Brady, New England no-star moniker has finally come true. Out. Baltimore has Steve McNair now, so he should be injured by week two. Buh-bye. Maybe Miami? A weird stat is no home team has ever won a Super Bowl, and stats don’t lie. Both Jacksonville and Cincinnati’s owners must have said or done something wrong at the annual meetings, ‘cause their schedules are brutal. Tampa Bay has a great defense, but they are almost older than I am. Atlanta can run with their QB, but can’t stop anyone running at them. San Diego has the great LaDainian Tomlinson, but their QB is someone named Phillip Rivers.

Next goes the kiss of death teams. Carolina got the nod from Sports Illustrated - so they are goners. Seattle’s Shaun Alexander is on the cover of Madden 2007 – so he’ll be out before thanksgiving. Ben Roethlisberger is spending more time in the hospital than the practice field so the defending champs are toast. Terrell Owens is being Terrell Owens so the Cowboys aren’t going anywhere. Payton Manning is missing his running back and his brother hasn’t been to the post-season so the Colts and Giants are both finished.

So that leaves the Bears as the NFC Champions and Denver in the AFC.
The Bears have both the best and youngest defense in the NFL, but that won’t be enough for Jake Plummer and the balanced Broncos.

Denver 28 – Chicago 10

Sports once again became fun (wait till the Champions league or NHL starts)
Take THAT

World Cup: No major surprises so far

The first round of group action has been completed and all 32 participants now have a game under their belts. The round featured a little bit of everything but has yet to see a major upset which has been characteristic of past World Cups. A quick recap.

Pre-tournament favorites England, Argentina, Italy, Brazil and host Germany all won their openers with the South Americans particularly sharp against eager opponents. Germany has since won again with an extra-time goal against Poland to become the first team to advance to the knockout round.

Dark horses Ecuador, Mexico, Czech Republic and Spain were all impressive in their wins. The Czechs struck in the sixth minute against the U.S. and went on to spank the highly-touted Americans 3-0. The Matadors also tickled the twine in the early minutes to derail the Ukraine train 4-0.

Africa has had a tough tournament to this point losing all matchups until Tunisia was able to salvage a point with goal in the 92nd minute to earn a 2-2 tie with Saudi Arabia. In their defense, the teams from the Dark Continent couldn't have drawn worse opening round opponents and all played relatively well. The Ivory Coast was especially tough in losing 2-1 to Argentina with Chelsea sniper Didier Drogba notching the goal.

England, Holland and Italy were all lackluster in their wins, although all three super powers are battling injuries to significant starting players. Wayne Rooney (broken foot five weeks ago) could be cleared to play as early as today. The Italians simply need to convert some of their many chances.
The round's most shocking performance was turned in by Sweden who was a prohibitive favorite in their opener against Trinidad and Tobago but was held to a 0-0 draw. Almost funny to watch, the Swedes were out-hustled and bullied by the Soca Warriors. Even reduced to 10 men after a 46th minute red card, TNT had the better of play.

Australia showed guts, determination, and resilience in their 3-1 win over Japan. A horrible blown call by the referee, who missed a clear goalie obstruction foul in the box, put the Socceroos down 1-0 after 27 minutes. It remained that way through 83 minutes before the Aussies were able to score three times in the final seven minutes to secure the win.
The tournament's best goal to this point came in the World Cup opener between Costa Rica and Germany. It will likely be the most important goal to of the tournament for the punters as well.
In the 87th minute with Germany leading 3-2 (-1 1/2), German midfielder Torsten Frings unleashed a bomb from better than 35 meters that found a home in the upper right hand corner of the Tico goal. Keeper Jose Porras never had a chance of stopping the laser much to the chagrin of sports books who reported as much as 89 percent of their action coming on Germany.

Quote of the day

ABRACADABRA!...FUCK, YOU'RE STILL UGLY

Quote of the day

If a fat girl falls in the forsest do the trees laugh?

World Cup 2006 - First Round Predictions

As everyone may know World Cup is coming up on June 9. Thank God because we all know that one of my friends Jay Bergen has been masturbating on Wayne Rooney’s Jersey for the last 5 days. So please hurry up and play already

Please see bellow my comments about the World Cup.
Stats are important too. But soccer is probably the sport where stats are less important compared to other sports. A very bad team can win over a good team, and in Basketball, Volleyball, American Football, you don´t see these things... Let´s remember last World Cup when Argentina and France were out in the Group Stage. France lost to Senegal in the debut.... amazing.

Group A – Germany, Poland, Ecuador and Costa Rica
Germany will qualify and will win the group. Only a big shock will kick the Germans out. They must be considered one of the favorites to win the World Cup for their tradition and as they host the World Cup. Germany has not a good team. They have good Midfielders and Forwards but their defense is ridiculous in my opinion. But they are at home, with supporters help and they can do it. They reached final in 66, 74, 82, 86, 90, and 2002. So, from 66 to now, we had 10 World Cups and Germany reached the finals in 6 Tournments. More then 50%.
Press say that Poland is the favorite for the 2nd place in this group, but I don´t agree with it. In my personal opinion Ecuador can surprise and Costa Rica too. I don´t see Poland so much better than Ecuador and Costa Rica. Costa Rica is probably the worst team here, but they are FAST team and they will play all in defense going to counter attack. Ecuador has probably their best team in history, which is not superb, but it is good. They won Brazil and Argentina at home in the Qualifiers. That´s fine that during the qualifiers they had the super “friend” of high altitude in their home matches, and we know that play in high altitude cities is very hard to oponents who are not used to that.

I would bet GERMANY to win and ECUADOR to 2nd place


Group B – England, Sweden, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago
England is the favorite here. But let´s remember that Rooney and Owen are still injured. Will they be ok for the World Cup? That´s a big doubt. England has probably one of their best squads for the World Cup. Good defense, and TREMENDOUS midfield with Lampard, Gerard, etc. If Owen and Rooney are recovered then England is one of my favorites to win the WC. Favorite to win the group too.

Trinidad and Tobago is terrible. They will lost all 3 matches. Only a big surprise will give them a point in the World Cup. That´s my opinion.

Sweden and Paraguay will fight for the 2nd place. Sweden is probably a little bit better but Paraguay has one of the best defensive systems of play. Paraguay is known as a team that can defend a lot. Their strikers are not too bad, so they can go faster to attack and score too. Paraguay has Roque Santa Cruz (From Bayern Munchen) as their best striker. Sweden has a strong way of play with fast forwarders too (Larson, Ibrahimovic). Sweden is better and may be the 2nd place, but it won´t be a surprise if they are kicked out by Paraguay.

England 1st Place, Sweden 2nd


Group C – Argentina, Holland, Serbia and Ivory Coast
DEATH GROUP
The most difficult group of World Cup. All 4 teams are good. Even Ivory Coast is not bad. I consider them as the best African Team in this World Cup and let´s remember that some African team always make a surprise in the World Cup. Argentina and Holland can win the World Cup and for this reason they should be considered as favorite to qualify. Serbia can surprise as the team is also good and they won the Group of Spain in the WC Qualifiers. Serbian players are very good and they play a “latin way” of soccer, so different from European way.
Ivory Coast is a big doubt. They are the worst team if compared to all other 3 in this group, but as an example, they would be favorite to qualify if they were in Germany Group. They are better than Ecuador, Costa Rica and Poland. But if they play against Holland, Argentina and Serbia, they can surprise but they are not favorites.

Argentina come from a ridiculous 2002 World Cup and the team now MUST play better. Argies have a great team and can reach the Finals. Messi is still injured but Argentina guarantee he will play the World Cup. Holland always have a good team but Holland is known as a team that play very good but do everything to LOSE the match (hehehe). Normally they have problems between black and white players (two groups) and the relation between players can cause problems to them.

Argentina 1st , Serbia 2nd


Group D – Portugal, Mexico, Angola and Iran
Portugal and México must easily qualify.
I watched Angola in the African Nations Cup (January – February) and I didn´t like it. They played very bad and looked like very poor. Iran is a weak team too.
There is no doubt about the power of Portugal and Mexico in this group. Mexican soccer is growing a lot lately and one curiosity is that Brazil can´t win Mexico. In all the last matches or Mexico won, or they tied. Mexican soccer is rich now and the investments made their soccer better and better. Portugal has good players such as Figo, Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Christiano Ronaldo but their best “player” is the coach LUIS FELIPE SCOLARI (Brazilian who won the World Cup 2002 for Brazil and who let Portugal to the final of Euro 2004). Scolari is known as a coach specialized in Cup matches and he can put this into the brain of the players. He does not have a team of 23 players, but a “family” of 23 persons that together can do anything. I won´t be surprised if Portugal reaches the FINALS of this World Cup.

Portugal 1st, Mexico 2nd


Group E – Italy, Czech Rep, USA, Ghana
It´s not an easy group but not hard too. Not easy to explain the situation here, but although I think that Italy and Czech Rep can easily qualify, I think that USA and Ghana can surprise.
Italy is the FAVORITE to win the World Cup in my personal opinion. They are strong in Europe, have a superb defensive way of play and have Midfielders and strikers that can decide a match. Czech Rep is very good too and can win this group. Czech has a fast team, with players with many skills and Pavel Nedved will be their man in the World Cup.

USA is playing their 5th World Cup in a row and they were ok in the last World Cup, winning over Portugal and going to the quarter finals (after beating Mexico in 1/8 round). They have also a good defensive way of play (as the defense is very important in all other American Sports, they do the same for the soccer). And Ghana, well... Ghana is a team that can be a surprise like Senegal was in the last World Cup. Ghana was ok in the African Nations Cup and showed that if their players are in a “good day” they can surprise. Strong players and fast too.

Italy 1st, Czech 2nd (let´s remember that 2nd place of this group will play BRAZIL in the 1/8 round if Brazil wins its Group)


Group F – Brazil, Croatia, Japan, Australia
Brazil is the big favorite in this group. I don´t consider Brazil favorite for the Championship as in all history JUST ONE TIME one team from other continent won the World Cup in Europe (Brazil won in 1958 in Sweden). But all other World Cups played in Europe was won by an European Country. It is not easy to win it inside Europe. Brazil is too favorite, too favorite, that I believe that they won´t win. And as it was wrotten above, Brazil will have probably a tremendous difficult 1/8 round match against Italy or Czech Rep.]

Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka, Ronaldinho Gaucho are superb players. Robinho in the bench can decide too... But the defense of Brazil is not that good. Lucio, Juan, Luizão and Chris are not the dream defensive players of Brazilian supporters. The back wingers are very old (Cafu and Roberto Carlos), but I doubt that Parreira (Coach) will line up Cicinho and put Cafu in the bench.
Croatia is the favorite for the 2nd place and like Serbia, they have also a “latin way” of play soccer with many skill players. I like a lot the way Croatia played in the Qualifiers and Prso is a very tall and good player in their forward. But this is also an open group. Japan has a Brazilian coach (Zico), but although press consider them with chances, I think that they are the worst team of the Group. Australia may surprise. Mark Viduka, Kewell and other players who play in English soccer can surprise here. They have a very hard and fast way of play and I won´t be surprised if they qualify.

Brazil 1st, Croatia 2nd


Group G – France, Switzerland, South Korea and Togo
Like Group F, France is the big favorite here to qualify in the 1st place.
France has a good team, but I don´t consider them favorite. Zidane is not the same player of some years ago. Not so fast anymore, and with not so good phisical. Zidane is the guy that can make the difference if he is fit for the World Cup. Henry and Trezeguet are tremendous strikers and Henry is playing superb. But I have some doubt about France´s defense too. They can reach semifinals, quarterfinals, but I don´t bet them in a FINAL. I think that Brazil, Italy and Spain are better than France.

Switzerland qualified after beating Turkey in the playoffs of European qualifiers. Big surprise as Turkey is better. I will be different from all other here, but I don´t see Switzerland qualified in this group. South Korea and Togo will surprise over Switzerland. If I had to bet, I would bet South Korea to qualify as 2nd place. They are a fast team with good system of play, not skill players but they can do it. Some players already play in some good European clubs and now they are more experienced players. Let´s remember that South Korea reached semifinals in 2002 World Cup but they played at home.

Togo can surprise as they are an African team and they will run a lot. But I´ve watched them in African Nations Cup and I didn´t like what I see.

France 1st , South Korea 2nd


Group H – Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia
Spain and Ukraine will qualify here.
Tunisia and Saudi Arabia are very poor teams in my personal opinion. Saudi Arabia is the worst forsure, and Tunisia may surprise although I think it is very difficult.
I like the Spanish team. They have a young team with very good players. I don´t bet them to win the World Cup, but they will be a hard team to be beaten. Spain, like Holland, is a team that always fail in the moment of a win. Ukraine is a team that surprised in the qualifiers but I don´t see them reaching semifinals. Their best player, Schevchenko (from AC Milan) is injured but Ukraine believe that he will be fit for the World Cup.

Spain 1st , Ukraine 2nd

Toronto Blue Jays (J. Towers) @ Colorado Rockies (A. Cook)

Toronto Blue Jays (J. Towers) @ Colorado Rockies (A. Cook)
Friday, May 19, 2006 (9:00 ET)
Current Line: Colorado -130

My how times have changed! This starting pitching match-up looks like a mismatch, and it is the COLORADO pitcher that appears to have the huge advantage!Cook may be a modest 4-3, but he has an impressive 3.27 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 55 innings of work. Remarkably he has a lowly 2.79 ERA in four starts here in the altitude of Coors Field! Cook has six Quality Start out of eight total starts this season, and he allowed just four runs in each of the two non-Quality efforts. Also Cook is backed by what has been a surprisingly effective Colorado bullpen that has a nice collective ERA of 3.69.

Now Towers has some of the ugliest numbers of any starting pitcher in baseball. He is 1-7 overall with a hideous 8.45 ERA and 1.85 WHIP. As bad as those numbers sound, they are even worse on the road where he has a 9.38 ERA and 1.88 WHIP. Throw in the fact that this is the first start that Towers has ever made in Colorado, and the Rockies should keep the scoreboard operator very busy tonight!

I recommend a play on COLORADO ROCKIES -130.

AL Game of the Day Red Sox (Beckett) @ Orioles (Lopez)

Red Sox (Beckett) at Orioles (Lopez)

The Boston Red Sox should be relaxed Monday night when they face the Baltimore Orioles.
The BoSox opened a three-game set with the Texas Rangers on Friday evening after coming off an emotional 2-1 series victory over the rival New York Yankees.

The Rangers got out to a 6-0 lead when the game was called due to rain midway through the sixth inning. That was the last time the Red Sox were on the field because the remaining two games of the series were postponed.

Josh Beckett was scheduled to get the start for Boston on Sunday, but will now get the call Monday in Baltimore.

Beckett has a respectable 4-1 record, but a slightly inflated 4.70 ERA. The Sox are 4-3 overall when Beckett has started.


The 6-foot-5 right-hander was solid in his last outig, allowing just three runs on six hits over seven innings in a 14-3 victory over the Yankees.

Beckett will not get a break against the Orioles, who are hitting .293 versus right-handed starting pitchers.

Red Sox hitters will be licking their chops over the pitcher they are scheduled to face. Right-hander Rodrigo Lopez has a 1-5 record and a fat 7.03 ERA. The Orioles are 3-5 when Lopez has started.

Baltimore pitchers have a collective 5.57 ERA, second worst in baseball behind the woeful Kansas City Royals.

The Red Sox, 7-3 in their past 10 games, have beaten Baltimore in six previous meetings this season. Boston was favored in all six games, with the ‘total’ getting split.

Lopez has faced the Red Sox twice and has lost both times. He yielded four runs on eight hits over 5 2-3 innings in a 4-1 loss during his first start. He also allowed four runs on nine hits over 5 2-3 innings in a 6-3 loss during the rematch.

Beckett has not started against the O’s this season.

NHL Playoffs

in NHL hockey could one single position player dictate the play and even the result of a playoff series. That player of course is the goaltender.

The first round of the playoffs is now complete, and goaltending certainly was the storyline.
We’d be remiss by not starting with the New Jersey Devils and their four-game demolition of the New York Rangers. The sweep may not have been as surprising as the 17-4 aggregate score. Future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur was brilliant stopping all but four shots, with three of the Rangers’ goals coming on the power play.

The Devils have now won 15-straight and Brodeur has stopped 139 of the last 146 shots he’s faced. In his three previous Stanley Cup triumphs, Brodeur has Mariano Rivera-type credentials when given a lead, so the Devils will have to be considered prohibitive favorites in their second round match up with Carolina despite splitting the season series 2-2.

The Canes had their bacon saved by backup goalie Cam Ward. After allowing 12 goals and losing their opening two home games to Montreal, Ward replaced starter Martin Gerber and won four-straight allowing just six goals with a save percentage of better than 94 percent. Ward also won four one-goal games, three in overtime.

Both finalists in the 2004 Stanley Cup final, Tampa Bay and Calgary are now playing golf. Tampa Bay was completely outclassed by the Ottawa Senators in their match up, perhaps the only series where Goaltending was not a factor.

Senator goaltender Ray Emery was shaky throughout the series allowing the Lightning 13 goals in five games. Tampa Bay was unable to stave of the Ottawa offensive onslaught however, allowing 23 goals with John Grahame the sacrificial lamb.

Teargas wouldn’t have kept the Senators out of the Lightning defensive end but Ottawa will have to be much sharper against a much more disciplined Buffalo Sabre outfit. The Sabres dispatched the Philadelphia Flyers in six games winning the final two 3-0 and 7-1.

Ryan Miller was sharp with his 2.16 goals against average and turning back 155 of 168 shots. He’ll have his work cut out for him as with the Ottawa shooting gallery coming to town. Ottawa won the high-scoring season series 5-3 with both teams lighting the lamp and average of seven times per game.

(Tomorrow, Part II, Western Conference)

Free Pick of the Day

Detroit at Edmonton
Edmonton -160

Detroit looks slow old but still pass the puck around the go get them Edmonton Oilers. This is good game to pick the Underdog for all betters. Despite being down 3-2 in the series the Red Wings has passed the pucks with so much efficiency it looks like a game of keep away but Edmonton is at home and will try as hard as possible not to go back to Joe Louis. Experience trumps youth in tonight's game.

Detroit are 12-3-0 in their last 15 vs. Northwest and Under is 20-6-2 in DET last 28 Mon. games and are 39-15-0 in their last 54 overall.

Edmonton are are 2-6-0 in their last 8 games following a win and Under is 6-2-1 in EDM last 9 home games.EDM are 8-21-0 in their last 29 playoff games.

All you have to do is look at the number of Stanley Cup rings on the players fingers.This will go to a game seven.

Play on the Detroit on the Moneyline