Kegeratornation

Then…

Perhaps one of the hottest pieces of tail from the early and mid 1980’s, Heather Thomas was high on my list of pre-pubecent lust.

Remember Hottie Heather Thomas circa any bad 80’s TV show or such cinematic masterpieces such as 1982’s ‘Zapped’?

Now…

One time ‘Fall Guy’ regular and hottie is now crazy 50-year old conspiracy theorist.

by Mike Zimmer, not a fan of aging.

Alright, I know I said I’d put the kaibash on any more political plop here on the site.  But, I’m making the exception here because this blends a couple of other topics that are favorites of mine here on the site: Babes or former babes and crazy people and the stupid shit they do or believe in.

Well, Heather Thomas was one fine piece of ass back in the day.  If you grew up during the early 1980’s watching as much TV as I did, you saw her here, there and everywhere from the Love Boat to one of my forgotten favorites in the Lee Majors vehicle ‘The Fall Guy’.  Wow what a crap show that is now that I’ve seen it recently over here on the UK’s version of TV Wonderland showing ‘classic’ shows.  She was by far one of the hottest chicks of the era and was the pre-Heather Locklear before that Heather burst onto the scene on T.J. Hooker in the mid-80’s.

She was also something to behold in 1982’s Scott Bayo masterpiece ‘Zapped’ also staring Willie Aames.  As the bitchy preppy hot chick she was also seen flashing a lot of flesh which was fine by me!

She disappeared from the mainstream and anything that I can remember though as her star faded.  Well, now, it seems she’s gone crazy-whack-funky into the deep dark reaches of the liberal left.  She’s a conspiracy theorist now and political activist.  Mostly because well, she wasn’t very talented to begin with and now at 50, and unlike that other Heather, Heather Locklear, she isn’t quite bringing it any more.  According to a story listed on www.TMZ.com (http://www.tmz.com/2008/07/21/heather-thomas-u-s-a-is-fall-guy-for-9-11/) recently, and then a visit to the website that had the interview with her, she believes that 9/11 was staged and that there is a great Kabal within politics that is driving the world off the cliff.

Another then and now, a picture from 1983 and then 2004.

While she’s not completely un-doable (though I’m just not into Cougars at the moment), it’s clear that time hasn’t been kind to her.  Apparently when former hotties get old, they get ‘the crazy’ in some cases, especially when they can’t get their careers unstuck.  Just go try and look at tragic mess Sean Young for further proof.  I mean, wouldn’t you think that if you’re gonna do the whole plastic surgery bit which it looks like she has, wouldn’t you want to do something better?  I mean go all out or just go away.

And if Billy Joel is reading this and he maybe dated this chick back in the day, I really don’t want to hear about it.  Gabeesh?

Nicholson’s Joker was good. Ledger’s Joker is a masterpiece!

I still think Micheal Keaton was the best Batman.

by Brew, self-admitted Batman fan

This past Thursday night, I went out for the midnight showing of the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight”. Yes, for any of you living under a rock (or in England….same difference, right?), a new Batman movie just came out.

I went to go get my ticket around 4:30p that day and the ticket girl told me that I should get there an hour to an hour and a half before showtime, as they were expecting long lines. I looked up at the board and saw that they had 5 sold out midnight showings.

I got to my local multiplex theater at 10:15 to find lines going in both directions of the theater and going around the two front corners of the building! WOW. I park my car and see that 5 theaters were in one line and 5 others were the other line. I look at my ticket and get in the appropriate line.

My theater number was called first, so I got a prime location in the middle of the theater. (This was, after I got a Coke and some food.) You’d think they’d have some interesting slides to show before the movie. Nope. Instead, about 40 minutes before the movie, they had about 5 slides and they kept repeating. Then we got to the 20 minute thing they show before the movie, which was uninteresting.

Then one of my favorite parts of the movie-going experience happened - Previews!!!! There’s a new Disney movie coming out about a super dog, well, he thinks he’s a super dog but he’s really part of a TV show. I can’t remember the name (Spiff, maybe?), but it looked hilarious.

The other trailer was that for “Terminator: Salvation”. Just from the limited pictures they showed of it, it looks BADASS!!!!!! Seriously, this Terminator reboot, if you will, is going to be some seriously DARK stuff. I can’t wait!

I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone who has not seen it, so my review will be fairly short and to the point -

HEATH LEDGER SHOULD WIN AN OSCAR FOR HIS PERFORMANCE.

Yes, he’s a complete dumbass for mixing prescription drugs (Don’t mix your uppers with your downers and then wonder why you’re not feeling so good, so you take more to make you feel better!) But he’s completely BRILLIANT in this movie.

Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker is simply masterful. If anything, it’s really a shame because I think a movie with just him as The Joker would be a wonderful addition to the Batman movies. Because honestly, the movie did slow down a little bit whenever you had Batman popping in. This movie was about The Joker and it was wonderful every minute he was on the screen.

I give his movie a big 8.5 out of 10. I’m only docking it points on its ending and the fact that it is 2.5 hours long. Granted, you really don’t feel like you’ve been sitting there that long, until maybe the last 15 minutes.

I will definitely be seeing this movie in the theater again and I will definitely be buying it on DVD. That’s the biggest type of “thumbs up” I can give it. It’s unfortunate of Ledger’s death and I hope that maybe down the road they bring someone in to emulate his performance as The Joker in future movies because it’s simply too good to top.

Carson Palmer doing what he does best

I used to think Carson Palmer was one of the smartest QB out there. Now I know he’s not.

by Brew, Buckeye honk first and foremost

So, I used to think that Chad Johnson was the dumbest player on the Bengals and that Carson Palmer was one of the smartest. But I think I’m gonna have to lump Carson into the dumb category.

Let’s see, you work in Ohio. Most of your fans root for Ohio State. I know, let’s just completely trash the team. I forsee a few booing crowds coming Carson’s way and I truly hope that someone is betting him a lot of money and for him to be seen wearing an Ohio State jersey.

“I don’t watch what I say. I cannot stand the Buckeyes, and having to live in Ohio and hear those people talk about their team, it drives me absolutely nuts . . . It’s amazing to hear what those guys think about that university and what they think about that football program and (Ohio State coach Jim) Tressel and all the crap I gotta put up with being back there. I just can’t wait for two years from now when SC comes to the ‘Shoe and I get to hopefully, hopefully we’ll have a home game that weekend and I can go up there and watch us pound on them in their own turf and kind of put all the talk to rest. Because I’m really getting sick of it and I just can’t wait for this game to get here so they can come out to the Coliseum and experience LA and get an old-fashioned Pac-10 butt-whoopin’ and go back to the Big Ten . . . I can’t wait.”

You know, it would be entirely one thing to say “I love USC. They’re my Alma Mater. There’s no way I could root against them. I hope they win and am confident that they will win.”

It’s entirely something else when you start throwing around phrases like those people and Tressel and all the crap I gotta put up with being back there.

Hey Carson, maybe you didn’t get the memo, but “those people” and “back there” are your fans and where you work and live for half the year (if not more).  Suck a dick Carson.

With the Redskins opening camp today, the new NFL season has officially started
 
The site of odd players in practice gear and coaches looking like your former gym coach on acid starts anew.

I offer some interesting questions and things to ponder for the new season now that it is officially here

by Mike Zimmer, Bengals Honk

Wow, that didn’t seem to take long.  The off-season is over.  The 2008 NFL football season is here.  The Washington Redskins will gather today for a team function and with that, their training camp will be open and the new year of football upon us.  Only a month and a half of meaningless crappy pre-season games to go until the opening weekend in September!!!

With it, the thoughts, prognostication and predictions and wondering will start to flow.  I’ve been dissecting all the football mags as best as I could stomach in the dead of summer.  I’m more interested in the college football season and waiting for it with antisipation due to it’s urgency from begining to end.  Unlike the professional ranks, every week is life or death to some teams and the national championship can sometimes be molded very early on.  Meanwhile, the NFL has that long slow burn that keeps us warm all season but offers sillyness to the end.  Heck, the Washington Redskins were toast at (5-7) including having a 4-game losing streak, no QB and a team member die, only to make it to (9-7) and into the play-offs.  The World Champs for gods sakes stumbled out of the gate at (0-2) and looked like they were set to implode and their coach fired, only to rebound have a great season and then go on an improbable ride to the Super Bowl and eventually win it.  So, we’ve got time.

However, I guess the first thing to do is ask the questions that are most intriguing and ponder a few things along the way…

Lord Favre’s Crown
Let’s start with the obvious.  Favre.  Does he or doesn’t he play this year?  Will he get the chance?  I’ve already said my piece on him and my opinion on him, but the Packers and Favre himself have kind of gone into a silent mode the last few days after he decided to blab to anyone that would listen about his thoughts.  I think this one is going to nag the team into the season to be honest.  I think they’d be crazy to allow him to bugger off to Minnesota or Chicago and I think he’d be the ultimate in jackasses for doing so too.  Let’s see, I can imagine the Packers bumbling their way to a (1-4) start and the calls for Ted Thompson and Aaron Rodgers heads will be loud and glorious and therefore the stage set for Lord Favre to ride in and try and save the day.  We’ll see.

Redemption for the unredeemable?
How do the Patriots respond to being the biggest disappointing ending ever to what was all but crowned perfection?  That (18-0) regular season and play-off stretch is now long forgotten with the grossest understatement of close but no cigar.  Now how do they respond?  Will they do it again and this time punish teams even further this year?  I think Karma might have bit them in the ass this past year to be honest with you.  When you don’t win with class (really 56-10 every week and your starters in until the end?), perhaps the football gods have the last laugh.  But what did the NFL machine spit out for them this season?  Perhaps the easiest schedule in the league, at no fault of their own.  They just so happen to play in a poor division and draw the AFC and NFC west by the schedule rotation.  In other words, easy pickins’.  If you look at their schedule and you expect the Pats to be typically New England and Bilichickian, they have only three games on their schedule that could upset history and perhaps a shot at another undefeated season.  At Sand Diego (Oct. 12th) At Indianapolis (Nov.2nd) or home against Pittsburgh (Nov. 30th).  The rest, well, I’ll take them to cover again this year, week in and week out.

Who Challenges New England for the AFC?
Obviously, Indianapolis should be good once again, and San Diego has to be considered a challenger.  Pittsburgh?  I’m not sold.  Cleveland?  Nah, that should explode in spectacular fashion if you ask me.  Is there another team to be a legit challenger?  Well, I think it may be another season where a team comes from the weeds only to be beat back by the defending AFC Champs.  Could that be my Cincinnati Bengals?  The disfunctional bunch of misfit toys with more talent than substance?  Possibly, as there really is nothing expected from them outside the confines of the Queen City and Bengaldome.  Most publications say they’re a forgotten mess and 3rd place team.  Well, this could be another fantastic flop, but I’d wager this team is actually much better than they’re being expected to finish.  Once again, it’ll be how they come out of the gate that decides their season.  And, of course, can they beat Pittsburgh.  But who else?  Tennessee?  Another flame out I think.  Jacksonville?  Well, there’s another one that might come up and get another chance.  I just don’t know if they can repeat what they did a year ago without having a target on their back.  Buffalo?  Well the Bills are a fashionable pick to get into the play-offs and be one of the teams that can sneak up on even the Patriots.  The only teams that I think won’t be worth a damn at all are, Oakland and Miami.  There is just too much to overcome for each of those teams to expect legit challenge and competition for a play-off spot.  I do however expect improvements and perhaps waves to be made by even Kansas City, Houston and Baltimore who will all be markedly improved.  As for the teams that I believe will belly flop and be huge disasters?  Cleveland and Tennessee.

Is it really the Cowboys NFC to lose?
Everyone and their brother is picking the Cowboys to mop up the NFC though they’ve not managed to win a play-off game since the days of Troy Aikman and their hot shot super star to be QB Tony Romo self destructing fabulously in each of his first two voyages into the post-season.  Is it really Big D that is the team to beat?  I think the NFC has become somewhat like the National League in baseball with it being the junior league where it concerns how the teams beat on one another.  Who wants to win it?  I mean, the Browns couldn’t get into the AFC play-offs at (10-6), yet only 4 NFC teams made it to double digit wins.  Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Redskins made it in at (9-7) and teams at .500 or below were in contention up until the final week.  This might once again come down to a hot team at the right time ala the N.Y. Giants a year ago.  Though, I don’t think it’ll be the Giants coming anywhere close to their mark from last year.  Call it the black-horse league with any of the following teams in my opinion legit challengers after Dallas: Minnesota, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Seattle.  I’m not drinking the Kool Aid on Arizona, Green Bay or the Giants either.  Teams that fall on their face as certified disasters?  Green Bay and Arizona.

Who’s the #1 pick in fantasy football in your mind?
How can you argue with LaDanian Tomlinson as the #1 overall pick in your fantasy football league?  I mean come on right?  Well, actually, while I think he’s the most logical and most legit guy to take, by far and away, there are others out there that will disagree.  Adrian Peterson?  Sure, why not.  But can he reproduce his Eric Dickerson like rookie season?  Tom Brady?  Why the hell not, they Pats don’t show any signs of backing off their record pace of scoring and he did toss 50+ TD’s last year.  Manning?  Palmer?  But who then?  It’s a real crap shoot.  Teams take RB’s first and foremost if they want to win, but can you name me another guy who will truly considered one of those top 4 or 5 spots after considering either Tomlinson or Peterson?  There are some great options for sure, but is the pecking order so simple?  My big board is going to get a much better look-see this year in trying to figure that one out.  I’m kind of tired of stinking up the joint come fantasy football season, but man have I just been the shitter for guys and their careers or health.  I mean, I had Steven Jackson and Rudi Johnson last year, both solid viable options or so you’d think…uh…then again maybe not.  The year before that I jinxed Clinton Portis and Cadillac Williams! 

Apparently not as good a guy as we all thought, there is a certain smugness and attention whore nature to the good ol’ boy cheese head QB.

Favre puts Packers in tough spot with his antics and stoops to Ocho Stinko type levels to get attention…

Another “hero” or favorite of mine bites the dust when it concerns respect.

by Mike Zimmer, Former Favre fan

Two stars I used to love are now dead to me.  Add Brett Favre to Ocho Stinko (aka Chad Johnson) as players I no longer respect and no longer like but used to love.

Is Brett Favre one of the best QB’s in the history of the game in the NFL?  Undoubtedly.  A legend for all time and perhaps the biggest and best of them all for a franchise so thick with history?  More than likely.  Tarnished in my mind now?  Oh yeah.  Sure, Brett Favre can still play.  He’s perhaps one of the top 5 or 6 QB’s in the game if he decides to return to playing this fall.  Stick him back in there and the Packers are legit and a decent team more than likely.  But the bottom line is, he retired.  Should he have in the first place is debateable, though he sure seemed to go out at the right time, just shy of the Super Bowl and no guarantee his team can repeat the magic and get back to that level this season.

In his decision in March, the team turned the page.  Perhaps even happy to do it finally after having to play the waiting game with Favre last year and wondering over the last few seasons whether he’d hang it up.  On to Aaron Rodgers and trying to get on with the future of the franchise right?  Heck, they even drafted a pair of arms in the April draft just to make sure they had their bases covered if Rodgers (as he will more than likely do) flames out.  Well, wrong.  All along, it seems that Favre has been playing a “look at me”, “pay attention to me!” campaign after his retirement to insinuate that maybe he might not be done playing just yet.

Favre is plainly seen in my mind now as an attention whore.  He cannot do without the spotlight and the intrigue and love that is heaped upon him.  He’s no better than Chad Johnson or T.O. in the self promotion department in the game of “I need attention”.  He’s addicted to it now that he’s supposedly off the pain pills.  And for this, and what he’s done to the Green Bay Packers in putting them in this position, he should be ashamed.

In an interview he gave this evening it is said that he didn’t feel welcome back to the Packers after this season.  Well no shit, he just retired and apparently left everyone thinking he was.  But, the team had signed him to a 3-year deal and still owes him $39-million on it should he play.  That’s a comitment that they were prepared to deal with if he decided to keep playing.  And, after last seasons (13-3) mark and consistantly good play, Favre and the Packers were looking like they could compete again this year if all went well for them.  But now, the team is in a helluva spot and the GM looking like a monkey for the predicament they are in.  Favre is now trying to make them look bad as he takes the “aw shucks” Brett Favre schtick to the bank yet again in winning a PR battle with the club.  So now he wants to be released and allowed to go somewhere else, which again, isn’t something the Packers want to do, nor should they allow. 

Imagine, Brett Favre in purple leading the Vikings to the division crown.  Seriously, that team is a legit QB away from serious contention.  Brett Favre in the windy city leading the Bears to the play-offs?  Completely plausable considering that team also is a legit passing attack away from being serious contenders for a return trip to the Super Bowl.  The Packers brass can’t allow that to happen, they just can’t.  Especially if and when they struggle and Rodgers is soundly booed off the field as another failed Jeff Tedford, California system QB.

It’s a shame to me, that it seems as if maybe Brett Favre isn’t who we all may think he is/was.  It’s getting a bit old now days for me to find out that sometimes, athletes, especially ones I like just so happen NOT to be the good guys they portray.  Favre has always been one of my favorites, heck I couldn’t but help look on in awe back in 1992 as he tore the Bengals heart out in a relief appearance that set up a career.  I’ve been in awe ever since and loved his gritty efforts, his tough guy play, his riverboat gambler approach and sand lot improvisational style.  Some of his heroics on the field have been something to behold and impossible to have been believed sometimes.  That game in which his father died and then he had the game of his life was something else, something that couldn’t have been believed if it were in a movie.  I was an unabashed fan.  I always seemed to be able to and more than happy to root for Green Bay as a secondary team I liked.  Hell, I own both home and away of Favre’s Packer jerseys.  For all appearances, it seemed Brett Favre the person too was one of those genuinely fun and great people that you love to love.  Humble, fearless, funny, hard working, etc etc.  Oh how that’s starting to seem not to be the case where some of those things are concerned.  Genuine is one that seems to be going out the window really fast. 

While I don’t share the same hatred as a certain Lions fan that reads and posts on this site that Brett Favre is a shameful wife beating drug addict, I do feel that perhaps he’s sold us all a bunch of whooey.

If he didn’t want to retire, he shouldn’t have.  If he wanted to play, he should have made that clear.  If he didn’t want to be on the Packers and he wants to screw up his Lambeau legendary status he should have been up front about it.  Instead, he’s put his former team in an unavoidable and shameful position.  He’s going to win that PR battle hands down.  The cheese heads no doubt and understandably can’t get enough of him.  But he’s screwed them.  All in the name of “hey look at me”.  You cannot say it’s anything else. 

Look Lord Favre, you are something to behold as is.  Why did you have to soil your legend and do all of this?  You should be ashamed.

The Great American Lager may keep it’s name, but the owners will be basquing in Brussells.

After long drawn out negotiations and a one time hostile take over bid avoided, InBev bought Anheuser-Busch for $52-billion…

Among Big Three in beer at home, there isn’t an American owned company among them…

I sure like $70/share though.

by Mike Zimmer, Beer Drinker

I’ve been keeping a keen eye on this one for a while.  InBev was rumored to be in the business of buying Anheuser-Busch for some time now and finally, they bagged it.  Though it will take them $52-billion dollars and a long time to get a return on their money and that $70/share they’re offering in buying them out.

InBev, the largest brewer in the world, based in Belgium finally sealed the deal it seems to buy out Budweiser.  The company most famously owns and makes Stella Artois as well as many other beers of the world.  Once upon a time as a beer and wine salesman, I was very aware of and knew a great deal about InBev and their doings and the business’s that they dabbled.  They’ve either owned or been a partner to every type of import you can think of and recently consolated their brands a few years back to focus on such a large enterprise as this.  Also, as a former sales rep, I was part of the Budweiser family though I never sold their products directly.  On one hand I am happy that as a share holder, my stocks which had long floundered, selling for as little as $45/share are now possibly worth as much as $70/share.  On the other, it’s sad to see a great American company now go international and another piece of Americana sold out for the all-mightly dollar.  Ah, such is capitalism.

Budweiser and the parent company Anheuser-Busch have long been the King of Beers and amongst American breweries, the largest and still market king.  However, they’ll join SAB Miller (that’d be South African Brewing) and Molson-Coors (yep, from Canada and now in bed together working as Miller-Coors) as no longer being American run companies.  This leaves that piss from New England, Sam Adams as the largest American brewer left.  Followed by the fantastic duo of Yuengling (America’s oldest) and Sierra Nevada as the next biggest.  Hurray for craft beer!!!

While I am a beer drinker of many flavors, I still enjoy a good old fashioned American style brew.  I recently bought a case of Bud Ice for my summer time drinking enjoyment over here in England just for a change.  Sure, sure, our American beers (especially in the big 3) aren’t exactly sophisticated, perhaps they are light and easy to pound.  So what, they’re often best only for throwing back as many as your head and liver can stand?  I was always a Bud guy.  Budweiser in particular, Bud Light too, Michelobe before they fucked with it and made it piss.  I Never liked the Miller family of beers and consider Coors as like having sex in a boat (fucking near water…insert rim shot here).  But now, like everything else, it’s no longer quite my Bud now is it?  It’s Heinrich and Sabastian’s now and they live in Antwerp and Brussells, not St. Louis and Columbus.

Oh well.  I can finally find something worth blaming on that junk science and myth called “global warming”.  This is all that’s fault.

See Ya Billy.

Sadly, CBS can’t see fit to dismiss that ass clown Jim Nantz and his smug know-it-all-ness…

March Madness will be slightly less annoying now that the King of ACC boot lickers and grumpy color analysis is “retired”.

by Mike Zimmer, Gus Johnson fan

A long suffering nation can now rest easy with the knowledge that Billy Packer can’t poo-poo on your mid-major of choice, proudly and loudly lick the boots of ACC teams North Carolina and Duke, make roundabout vague racial remarks and generally be a crabby annoyance while you watch CBS’s coverage of college basketball this up coming season.  After 34-seasons, the curmudgeonly Packer is out at CBS and will likely retire from covering college basketball.

Today, CBS announced that they had parted ways with Packer and replaced him with the able if somewhat milquetoast Clark Kellog.  Sadly, Packer’s partner in suck and ass clown Jim Nantz, he of the hushed Master’s voice and the smugness will still be CBS’s lead comentator.  The move ends a career that spans the entirety of CBS’s coverage of the NCAA tourney which they took over in the early 1980’s.  Packer had grown seemingly more and more grumpy and kind of reminded you of hearing your angry older family member that no one likes very much, bitch and moan about how things suck and aren’t like they used to be.  On top of that, Packer was a self righteous and abrassive ass when it came to his knowledge and coverage style which was largely unapologetic for being stiff.  Of late it was a real annoyance to hear him continue to poo-poo lesser teams and then lick the boots of ACC teams of which he regularly pimped out.  As a former Wake Forest player in the 1960’s he sure spent a lot of time ass kissing UNC and Duke and for the most part shitting on everyone else.  He railed regularly about mid-majors and programs on the fringe and regularly cheer lead for the big guys.

Packer was in trouble a few times too for pushing the envelope of racial remarks.  While I don’t think there is any measure of Billy Packer that is truly racist (as I think he hates all people evenly), the remarks were burried and subtle.  Being from the south and then being an old white guy and covering a game that is mostly a sport played by black men, his close to the edge remarks were too close and perhaps were ever so closer to crossing the line.  Even if he didn’t truly mean or believe it.

I don’t think that Packer will disappear of course.  It’s speculation but I’d put good money on him returning to color analysis for ESPN or ABC on a limited basis or perhaps move to studio duties to lighten his load as an aging man in the business.  Perhaps less of Packer would be best for a while.  Maybe then I could come back to liking and or respecting his call.

However, for now, we don’t have to listen to him and Jim Nantz once more bark and cry at every little instance in which a Duke point guard is breathed on wrong and deserves a foul call to go his way nor for them to start to bemoan the legitimacy of some mid-major upsetting one of their darling higher ranked teams and therefore lessening to them the importance and or validity of the games there after.  CBS do us all a favor and bounce Nantz next.  Stick him to golf only.  I don’t watch golf on TV and that’d be great for me to not have to see and or hear him.

Wrigleyville Rejoyce!  Rich Harden traded from Oakland to the Cubs.

Rich Harden goes to the Cubs from the A’s one day after the Brew Crew acquired Captain Cheeseburger Sabathia…

A’s still supplying the rest of the league their stars and trade fodder, fully erasing the memory of the Montreal Expos…

It’s St. Louis’s turn to fire a salvo into the fight for the NL Central.

by Mike Zimmer, Reds apologist

Well, the fight in the NL Central got more interesting yesterday when the Brew-ha-ha’s traded 4 prospects to the Cleveland Indians for the services of Carston Charles…er…Candy + Cake…er…Captain Cheeseburger Sabathia.  And now, the Cubs have made it that much more challenging in adding another anchor in their rotation too.

The North siders picked up staff ace Rich Harden along with Chad Gaudin (who can start or relieve) from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for young Pitcher Sean Gallagher, Outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson along with a minor leaguer.  The Cubs would seemingly have officially answered the Beer Makers and then some.  To me, that’s a better deal that Oakland got for a guy they won’t want to afford than that of the Indians got for Captain Cheeseburger too.

The A’s and their GM Billy Bean are trying to sell some story that they’re not in ”sell mode” and they they are now better off for the next 3-5-years.  Yeah, sure, right, whatever you say there buddy.  I do like the players that were sent packing west, but those are guys that will help Oakland…uh…not this year.  Oakland has done this in the past.  It’s amazing to me that Bean is able to pull these things off and continue to field a team on a tight budget that can be competitive.  They’re not out of the race for the AL West seemingly and have played well considering that not a whole lot of you out there can name me many of their starters (this is a rhetorical challenge by the way, please do not look up their roster online and tell me you know them.).  They’ve become the modern equivalent of the Montreal Expos.  Selling off bits and pieces and managing to ween their own top prospects and these guys that they acquire, they allow them to blossom and then send them packing for more once they look to be too expensive.  You can name an All-Star team full of guys: Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Tim Hudson, Danny Herron and so on.  Sounds a bit like Larry Walker, Mark Grudzylanek, Pedro Martinez and John Wetland to me.

As far as the NL Central goes now, that means that the obvious question is what St. Louis now may do to answer.  However, it’s not Walt Jockety under the arch anymore now is it?  He’s in Cincinnati and should be in the opposite mood here real soon in attempting to unload Grumpy, Donkey and perhaps another Oakland A’s pitcher in struggling Aaron Harrang.  The Pirates would also seem to be in selling mode but to be honest, who do they have other than Doug Mentkiwisc to offer anyone that they’d like to part with?

That Cardinals probably aren’t going to answer in grand fashion, I’d wager.  They sure could use an arm or two also, but at this point I’m not sure where they go to the well for such a need.  That and they are going to be competing with the Phillies, Mets, Yankees and Tigers perhaps for the same thing.  The Cubs trade sure made this more interesting though didn’t it?    

Tony Stewart getting out of his #20 Home Depot Machine.  At the end of the season, he’ll get out of it for the last time.

Stewart weighing options including team ownership as he gets his formal release from Joe Gibbs Racing…

Seemingly at his zenith and with the harsh economics of the times and in NASCAR, it’s a strange time to make such a leap.

by Mike Zimmer, Fan of Smoke

With a year left on his deal with Joe Gibbs Racing after his season, Tony Stewart is going to be allowed to leave the racing home he’s had for most of career.  The race anything, race anywhere, race anytime driver of the Orange and Black Home Depot #20 will be walking away from perhaps the #2 racing team on the NASCAR circuit (behind Hendricks Motor Sports) for a destination still unknown.

Rumors abound that Stewart will try and run his own shop and buy out the Haas Racing team that currently fields 2-cars including the only solid ride with driver Scott Riggs at the wheel.  Still, nothing is set in stone other than Stewart officially getting what he wanted and an amicable split from his racing home.  He’ll be leaving behind the Home Depot sponcorship as well as the #20 and somewhat of a guarantee of success.  If nothing else, the solid Joe Gibbs racing family offers Stewart a primo ride with a shot at winning every week, something that ourside the top few teams in NASCAR anymore, seems like the rule not the exception. 

It is a bit of a gamble for Stewart to bolt at this point in his career and the economic and political landscape of NASCAR the way it is right now.  He’s seemingly at his zenith and would seem to be in the prime years for wins and competing for a title week in and week out that’s for sure.  Meanwhile, established names and team owners are having trouble filling out sponcorships and keeping cars and employs running.  Chip Ganassi recently closed down one of his operations with big name driver Dario Franchiti who came over from Indy Car.

If he lands the Haas team which is more or less bankrupt and rudderless due to former owner Gene Haas who is now in prison due to tax evasion, he won’t be a guarantee each week with provisionals, not unless the Scott Riggs lead team can somehow make it into one of the guaranteed championship points spots.  Currently they’re 35th.  Like Michael Waltrip after he started his own team with Toyota, he may struggle from week to week just to make races let alone compete at the high level he’s been at as a past Winston Cup Champion.

Joe Gibbs racing meanwhile seems in able and younger hands.  Kyle Busch has been lighting up the NECKCAR season with 6-victories and leads the Sprint Cup points chase.  Meanwhile Deny Hamlin has established himself as quality young driver too and has been competitive since the outset of his young 3-year career.  The team also employs J.J. Yeley who doesn’t currently have a solid ride and they also have an up and coming young kid that they intend to put in Smoke’s #20 next season.

Just like Dale Earnhart Jr. not driving the #8 Budweiser car, it’s going to be strange not thinking about Tony Stewart and the #20 Home Depot machine.  Times they are changing I guess.

Dan Pugh and Liberal Douche Olberman.

NBC’s studio head count now at something around 19 now with the addition of former ESPN desk jockey…

Re-pairing of Patrick and Olberman won’t bring back glory days of ESPN past…

Just give me Costas and Collinsworth and maybe one other person and that’s it.

by Mike Zimmer

What is the Peacock network doing to my football highlights now?  Gone is ESPN’s fast, furious and straight forward to the point and perfect highlights show NFL Primetime.  Ended because NBC got the NFL to go along with them in taking over the rights to that time slot right after the games are supposed to end and then lead into the 8pm kick off of Sunday Night football.  Or, as they’ve dubbed it Football Night in America.  Tom Jackson along with the borish and sometimes annoying Chris Berman doing highlights and every now and again someone else helping out and some very mild commentary by some of the former NFL-ers.  That’s it.  Good Stuff.  Tried and true.

However, NBC bastardized it and took it in another direction.  Fine, fine, they haven’t really butchered the highlights so bad, but they’ve got a crowded room yapping and stuffing words into highlights and it all got lost in translation.  Having people like Jerome Bettis try to break down highlights or Tiki Barber go all smart guy and talk about things was just bad.  Allowing Keith Olberman, a leftist political comentator on board was just too far.

But now, NBC has added Dan Patrick to the mix and will re-team he and Olberman to add to the frenzy that is something like 19-talking heads in one studio room for one highlights show.  I’m keen on Patrick, It’s a win for them as far as I’m concerned and sure, maybe if it was just he and the douchie political comentator doing highlights, it would be fine.  But, it’s not and the principle of having Olberman at all is still beyond me.  Like Rush Limbaugh, he has no place in the discussion of sports.  He’s a politico now and a hack at that.  His “worst person” segment was perhaps one of the dumbest, silly messes on TV and the others in the studio seemed to be almost embarrassed with it when they either had to introduce it or respond to it.  Olberman thinks he’s a reincarnation of Edward R. Murrow (he’s even using his sign off phrase now…the nerve) crossed with his own self thought brilliance like that of a Howard Cossell.  The man is a buffoon, but I digress.  Mr. Olberman you are no Howard Cossell.

Instead of just giving me the unflappable and unquestioned brilliance of Bob Costas and the ”Ah Shucks” snarkiness of the very nimble and able Chris Collinsworth and perhaps one other person to wrap up the lesser games highlights in quicker segments to do highlights, there is now an army of people.  And, trying to re-enact the mid-90’s flare of ESPN’s fast paced and oft-imitated style and charm of the Patrick/Olberman duo is just plain stupid to me.  If it is just them doing the highlights (which I doubt, because what the hell do they do with everybody else?) they’ll be barable if not oddly disjointed from the rest of the gang.  They already kicked Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber to the kids table with Collinsworth to help get the “former players” view of things.  But what of master of ceremonies Bob Costas?  Is he just the opening presenter now?

Heck, I think NBC should just go ahead and expand this circus and go all out ala something FOX might have done in the 1990’s.  You know, go ahead and get Ryan Seacrest to jump on board and talk about the stadium music selections and do inept interviews with pre-placed NBC stars and musical guests on the production.  Get Ellen to come on over from her studio to give a funny lesbian perspective on things too.  I mean, who doesn’t want to see Ellen talk about how that Tom Brady sure is studly, but she’d like to talk to his girlfriend instead?  What the hell, get Rush Limbaugh back in action and let him and Olberman throw turds at one another from across the studio.  The only thing that would be missing at that point would be a dancing bear, a nice set of tits (say, those fake fun bags of that Florida State girl that SI hired) and of course a weatherman or something.  I bet Willard Scott would love to come on and tell us all about how the weather was going to be during the Colts home game in the dome after of course telling someone’s Great Grandma Lula Happy 107th birthday from Smuckers.  I’d watch that for the pure freak factor of it all.  But not for football highlights.