Then They Was All Dopes!

Joe Theismann, former NFL quarterback, forever infamous as the guy in that video clip they show sometimes whose legs snaps in two during a game years ago, has been railing to the media about how it's a "disgrace" that Ricky Williams is allowed to play football this year in the CFL.  Here's his latest opinion, from the Miami Herald.  Maybe you need to sign-in to read that?  I don't know.
I'm surprised that he's still talking about it.  It's been, like, a week since he's been making headlines on - oh, I get it.  Now I understand why he's still talking about it.  He's making headlines.
Even beyond that, though, I find it interesting that Joe seems so worked up about this.  The NFL's rules and penalties are not binding in the CFL, so I don't really think there should be an issue with Ricky himself.  If you're going to get mad, Joe, get mad at the CFL for not being tougher on drugs.  I guess he's upset, also, because he used to play for Toronto?
Another thing I find disappointing about this whole thing is that there seems to be no difference, in Joe's mind (or the NFL's), between someone like Williams, who (used to?) smokes marijuana, and someone who traffics it, or someone who uses much harder substances.  To him, they are all equally guilty and all subject to the exact same (high) level of scorn.  Joe's son was arrested in 2002 for use and distribution of crack cocaine, so I understand that he probably has valid reasons for speaking out about drug use.  He says his feelings have been consistent about drug use by players, but what I think he fails to acknowledge is that not all drug use should be considered on the same plain.  Personally, I think the NFL's drug policy is far too tough on a lesser drug such as marijuana.  I don't think players should be penalized for smoking, as long as it doesn't interfere with their performance.
Finally, this quote from Joe:  "Clearly, Ricky doesn't care about the rules that he has to live by to

play in the NFL. If that's the case, let him go do what he wants.''  Joe, Ricky isn't playing in the NFL.  And what does his playing in the CFL have to do with his caring or not caring about the NFL rules?  

Technorati Tags: NFL, CFL, Ricky Williams, Joe Theismann, drugs, marijuana

Technorati Tags: NFL, CFL, Ricky Williams, Joe Theismann, drugs, marijuana

Sports Beat

Here's what's happening in the sports world, relevant to my interests:

• The Wonderful Saga of Ricky Williams continues. Here's the scoopula on running back Ricky Williams.  The New Orleans Saints traded all their picks one year to ensure that they could get him in the college draft.  They did.  He performed very well on the field, but didn't really fit in with his team-mates.  He got traded to Miami, and I was very excited for him to be a Dolphin.  He performed very well for Miami, then suddenly decided to retire. A couple of weeks before training camp started.  At first, his decision to retire seemed kind of noble - "football doesn't interest me anymore, and I'm more interested in pursuing other things in life".  While it was maddening to have him quit when he did, I could accept it.  Then it gets revealed that he's really retiring because he was going to be suspended a year anyway for drug violations.  He was an admitted marijuana user and was found in violation of the NFL's (too strict, in my opinion) drug policies.  He spends the season "finding himself", camping out under the stars in the Australian outback, finding spiritual enlightenment in Asia, being a generally odd type of person (as far as typical sports figures go).  He then claims he'd like to return to the Dolphins and play again.  He's given up smoking and wants to commit to the team fully.  This claim comes shortly before it's revealed that he owes the Dolphins something like 6 million dollars for breaking his contract earlier.  His commitment to football seems somewhat dubious based on his debts.  Still, after a 4 game suspension last year (the backend of his original suspension), he plays again for the Dolphins, primarily as a backup, and has a surprisingly good season.  By all accounts, he is the model athlete, and while still rather aloof to his team-mates, is in no way considered a disruption to the team.  The opposite, in fact.  After last season, it gets reported that he's broken the drug policies again (although this time it's not marijuana), and will once again be suspended.  He claims he hasn't knowingly broken the rules, and places the blame of the positive drug testing on some herbal supplements that are part of his vitamin regimine.  He appeals and loses.  He gets banned for the upcoming season.  Enter the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, who'd love to have him play for them.  The Dolphins (who still own his playing rights) say they'd rather not have him play in the CFL and expect him to be back with them next season (2007).  After assurances that he'll return to Miami as soon as this season of the CFL ends, the Dolphins coach gives him permission to play with Toronto.  So, now, Ricky is an Argonaut and will play this summer/autumn with them.  How much weirder can this guy's travels get?  And, still, after all the consternation he's caused us Dolphins fans, I'm finding that I'm still rooting for him to succeed.
• Formula One raced last weekend at Monaco.  While it's hailed as the  prestigious race of the season (due to the exotic locale and racing through the streets of Monte Carlo and all), it's usually a bore of a race to watch.  Very little passing, and once you get passed the thrill of seeing these super-fast cars racing around very narrow streets at seemingly impossible speeds, it becomes not much more than watching cars parade around for a couple of hours.  At this race, more than any other, being on pole at the beginning of the race is critical.  Stay at the front and you don't have to pass anyone ahead of you.  Much better chance to win the race.  So, during the qualifying on Saturday, Michael Schumacher had the fastest so-far qualifying time, and as the hour of qualifying was drawing to a close, it seemed like he'd be on pole.  However, with only enough time to finish the qualifying lap each driver was currently on, Michael's chief rival, Fernando Alonso was on a lap that looked like it would beat Michael's already-posted time.  So, Michael, who was ahead of Fernando on the track, had some sort of mechanical problem, and stalled on the course.  This brought out the yellow caution flags and effectively ruined the last timing-lap of those behind him.  Therefore, Alonso lost his chance to beat Schumacher's time (and it seemed like he would beat it to, based on earlier interval times on the lap).  Michael shrugs off the incident and blames it on a lapse in concentration or some such thing.  Everyone else, though, cries foul, and accuses Michael of cheating.  Of purposefully ruining the final qualifying lap of Alonso.  A seven hour hearing is convened and results in finding Schumacher guilty of purposefully stopping on the course.  His penalty is rather severe - all his qualifying times are wiped away, and he's forced to start the race at the back of the grid.  Alonso, who had the second fastest qualifying time, then achieved the pole position.  Alonso then went on to win the race, and Schumacher actually performed quite remarkably, finally ending in 5th or 6th.  What makes this so interesting to me is that Michael Schumacher, in my mind, the greatest race-car driver ever to sit behind a wheel, has had more than his share of controversial moments in his career.  He was stripped of a season of points about a dozen years ago when he was found guilty of intentionally running into Jacques Villeneuve, who was his chief rival in the Drivers' Championship.  Other incidents, too, have marred his spectacular career.  But I don't recall any incident of his being so unanimously and vehemently chastised as this one.  The whole of Formula One is up in arms against him and it could potentially damage or tarnish his reputation as a champion.  And even through all of his dubious shortcomings, I still find myself cheering for him because of his immense and deep talents as a driver.
• The World Cup is about to start, and I can't wait.  Being of Scottish heritage, I find myself forced to cheer on England.  Failing that, I usually sub-cheer for one of the Scandinavian countries, followed by one of the more underdog of the South American entries.  I find it hard to cheer for Germany or France, and all those African countries are just too much of a puzzle for me.  I am unable to cheer on the USA in any international sporting event, even in an underdog situation like this, where them doing well would likely increase the popularity of the sport here in North America.  Depending on how the officiating goes (not so many dubious calls in favour of the home country please), I'll go with my heart and say that this is the year that England wins.  And really, wouldn't that be the best?
  

Technorati Tags: NFL, Ricky Williams, F1, Michael Schumacher, Soccer, Football, World Cup, England

Three Sports Updates

1.  The NCAA Championship in men's basketball, otherwise known as March Madness, gets underway tomorrow.  In past years, my interest in the tournament has ranged from Total Disinterest to Mild Interest to Casual Watcher.  This year, though, I sense that my interest will be way up.  I plan on watching a lot of it.

2.  The Miami Dolphins traded a second round draft pick for Duante Culpepper.  Culpepper has been in the upper echelon of quality quarterbacks for most of his career.  Last year was less than a stellar one for him, but I'm hoping that was an anomaly.  Also, he injured his knee last October, so I'm hoping that won't mean a significant decline in ability.  I am cautiously optimistic about his addition to the team.  I'm about 20% on the "Another Busted Acquisition" side, and 80% fervently hoping that he regains his 2004 outstanding qualities.  Okay, so maybe I'm not so cautious in my optimism.

3.  Formula One is back in action for another year.  I think I'll like the new qualifying setup they implemented this year.  I don't have much hope for Villeneuve, and expect this to be his last year.  Guess I'll just try to enjoy any TV name-time he gets this season.  Hoping him to finish in the points in more than a few races, but nothing much more than that.  Looks like it could be a 3-way race for the driver's title, between Alonso, Raikkonnen and Schumacher.  I don't believe Button has what it takes to be considered a contender.  Montoya is done, I'm afraid.

Bonus:  I like the goaltending move the Canadiens did at the trade deadline.  Cristobal Huet is standing on his head for them now, but he needs rest and a solid backup is required.  Getting David Abeischer (sp?) from Colorado, a streaky starting goalie is a great move when all you need is a competent backup.  Now, if the Habs could only find a way to score a few more goals, they'd have a legitimate shot at going a few rounds into the playoffs.

Boom Goes The Dynamite, Part Three

My nephew, Johnny, has autism. He's an incredibly good looking 5 year old boy, with a ton of energy and, once he gets to know you, a smile that lasts forever. Ever since he's been born, I've had a soft-spot for stories that relate to the autistic. In fact, I've been interested in autism since university when I learned about it when I was an undeclared psychology major.

This story got me choked up when I first watched it. Then, when I called my wife in to watch it too, I welled up and cried tears. Something I don't do very often. It's one of those feel-good stories.

Check it out, why don't you.

Is It Live or Is It Memorex?

Can you tell which is the real F1 image and which is the GP4 game version?

Technorati Tags: F1, video, sports

Win or Lose, I Win or Tie

Only one more game to be played in the NFL this season.  That means only one more pick left to be made in The Annekenstein Monster's NFL pick'em pool.  Currently, I am one game ahead of reverseflash for the lead of our pool of four players.  That means that no matter what happens in the final game, I will be either tied for first or will win the pool out-right.
It was a hard-fought battle, with a few lead changes throughout the season.
Thanks to everyone for playing.  By "everyone" I mean the three guys who played.

As for the NFL season itself, I think it was a pretty good one.  The Colts prove once again that the pursuit of the perfect season can be devastating to a team's motivation, heading into the playoffs.  With nothing of substance to play for in their final three games, the Colts had lost their edge when it came time to getting back to playing a meaningful game again.  I'd rather my team lose a game early in the season, get that "perfect season" stuff out of the way early, then have your final game of the regular season be of some import.  Preferably import such as Win and you get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

As for my beloved Dolphins, I can't be upset about their season even though they didn't make the playoffs.  New coach Nick Saban seems to have the team definitely moving in the right direction.  They were substantially improved over the season before.  The future looks good for the Dolphins, and will look especially bright if they can acquire a good young quarterback.  Nothing but care-taker qbs since Marino retired has gotten really tiring.  Time now to get a quarterback who can be a star.
I hope, too, that the Ronnie Brown-Rickie Williams running back tandem stays in place.  With last week's  announcement that Mike Mularkey (a run-first type of coach) has signed on to be Offensive Co-ordinator,
it's looking like it might be a good idea to keep the two RBs.  Keep them, and Chris Chambers at receiver, and add a good qb, and the Dolphins could have a pretty sweet offense next year.
In any event, a run for the playoffs should definitely be an attainable goal for the Dolphins next year.

Pigskin Pick'em Oinkers

Ugh.
In an earlier post, I mentioned how I was having trouble picking which NFL teams would win this weekend, and how I had, earlier in the week, made my selections but then changed 3 of the 4 of them.
Well, my earlier picks were:

Washington over Tampa Bay by more than 2 1/2 points
New England over Jacksonville by more than 7 1/2 points
NY Giants over Carolina by more than 2 1/2
Pittsburgh over Cincinatti by more than 2 1/2 points.

If I had kept them, I'd have been 3 out of 4.
But I switched them.  To this:
Washington over Tampa Bay, beating the spread (I was pretty sure the underdog Redskins were gonna win this game.  Because my brother is a fan.)
New England over Jacksonville (I thought NE would win, but I didn't think they'd win by more than a touchdown, so I changed my pick on this one.  I lost to the spread.
New York over Carolina (I thought Eli Manning would play a good game.  And I underestimated the Panthers)
Bengals over Pittsburgh (I shoulda stuck with Pittsburgh.  But I lost.)

Anyway, the Washington/Tampa Bay game was fantastic.  The New England game (I really hate NE) looked like it could go either way (neither offense came to play, it seemed) until the third quarter when either the Patriots elevated their game or the Buccaneers gave up on their's), when it became a blowout.
Didn't watch much of the Giants/Panthers game, but didn't look like it was really close.  Same for the Pittsburgh (shoulda stuck with Pittsburgh) game.

Results in a 1 and 3 weekend for me.  So, I'm likely down to second place now, in the Pick'em pool.
Next weekend's games look like they'll be fantastic.

Football Playoffs, Round One

I made my picks for this weekend's four NFL playoff games pretty early in the week.  Ever since, I've been vacillating quite a bit.  Just a couple of minutes ago, I switched three of my four picks.  In other words, I have no idea who's going to win their games.
With only 11 games left to pick in The Annekenstein Monster NFL football pool, I am one game ahead of reverseflash for the title.  So, obviously, every pick matters.

As uncertain as I am, I have decided to live and die with the current picks I've made.

Technorati Tags: NFL, PigskinPick'em

Boom Goes The Dynamite

First of all, I feel for this guy.  I really do.  But it's just so funny.
So funny that I had to transcribe the whole thing.  If I ever have to audition, I want this to be my audition piece.
The guy's "yeah" at the end of the video has to be the best moment caught on video in 2005.
Here's a link to the list of IFilm's Best of 2005 Viral Videos.

IFilm video link to "Boom" is here, I think.

Hello everyone.  Well the Ball State softball team continued to play this weekend, and... they were hoping to continue off of their straight three out of four losses and so we'll take a look and see how that happened...
[Cut to scoreboard]
They started off good but then eventually the Ball State Women's Bask - Women's team shot down and ended up doing poorly.
Oh no... and, okay... we're gonna continue on now... The Lady's Cardinals will play an Iowa tournament starting this Friday.  Before the Ball State baseball team kicks off its conference season this werk - this weekend, the Cards will battle in in-state rival Indiana tomorrow.  Tomorrow's game will be the - erm - meeting between the two, beating both - erm - first - - {heavy sigh}
[20 seconds of video of baseball highlights]
Hoosiers are on the four on... on the year, and they have won six of its last seven games tomorrow, will be the game - three, at three pm.
Which - switching to Ball State Men's tennis (empahsis on "Men's", implying  he was just talking about women's tennis), it seems last - ... week player - it seems every week they have a player - ... (at this point he mouths either "I'm so sorry" "I'm so sucky" or "I'm so sick")... (heavy sigh and moan)...
Matt Lawrence is the latest Cardinals' tennis player to win the award.  Lamar(?) won all the - all the singles and doubles matches last week.  So far the Cardinals have had a player honored on the week - on the weekly awards. Seven out of the nine - seven out of the nine weeks.  The Cards will play at Boise State Invite this weekend.
The India - Indiana Pacers are looking for a measure of duh- revenge against the New Jersey Nets and to strengthen their playoff hopes.  The Nets won the last Sunday's matchup, 94 to 85 which left the Pacers one game behind the Chicago - in the seventh series spot.  Let's check out the highlights.
[cut to video of game highlights, several moments of no commentary, then he begins]
Steven Jacksons to David - [he was too slow to commentate on this play, then several seconds of nothing but Nets]... Reggie Miller's lookin' good... he shoots the three, and it's good... [moments of just video]... later he gets the rebound, passes it to the man ("passes it to the man"??), shoots it and boom goes the dynamite.  The final scores ended up with the Pacers 63 to the Nets 61.
The Associalated Press of the All-American First Team in College Basek-Baseball was announced today at Utah's 7 foot sophomore Centre Andrew Bugat was the leading vote-getting receiving 60 first place votes.  Bogut who is an Australian native received very little attention in the presentation - in the preseason, but averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds a game for Utah.  The four other players joining Bogut on the AP team are Senior Forward Wayne Summers (although the screen shows "Wayne Simien") and Kansas - of Kansas, and Hakim Warrick of Syracuse, Junior Guard J.J.Redick of Duke and Sophomore - and Sophomore Guard Chris Paul of Wake Forest rebounded out the list.  ("rebounded out the list"?)
Let's check out some other scores tonight.  (a screen comes up with a number of game scores, but he remains silent)
[cut to a panel shot of the news-team]
Lead anchor:  Okay, thanks for that look into sports, Brian.
Brian:  Yeah (this is, without question, the best resigned, defeated 'yeah' I've ever witnessed).

Technorati Tags: BoomGoesTheDynamite, Sports, bloopers

Sorry For Your Loss

The Indianapolis Colts have been having an incredible year.  Until this past weekend, they were unbeaten and looking like they had the stuff to go unbeaten the whole year.  The San Diego Chargers stopped them cold, though, last weekend, in a terrific game.
So, as the 1972 Miami Dolphins once again crack open the champagne to celebrate being the only unbeaten NFL team in history, the Colts probably were looking forward to just getting on with playing football.  Likely relieved in a small way that they don't have the albatross of going unbeaten around their necks for the remainder of the games they play.
Now, comes word of a second loss this week for the Colts.  The sports pages are full of the story of Colts' coach Dungy's son who apparently committed suicide yesterday.  We see NFL players and coaches week in, week out during the season, and even through the human-interest stories and interviews they (the pregame shows et al.) give us, the players and coaches somehow seem more iconic than human.  They are more Character than they are Real.  At least for me.
So when a story like this comes down, we all get reminded that these football icons are people too, and they have shit happen to them, just like the rest of us.
Coach Dungy always seems like a Good Guy.  Through the years, it's been reported that to him family and faith take precedence over football.  He seems like a guy who knows what's important.  The players on his team, and pretty much all of his opponents, seem to respect him greatly, not only as an NFL coach, and not as an icon, but as a person.  For his players and team, this loss of his will be hard on them too.

So, in this week where the Colts lose twice, I offer my condolences on the only loss that really matters.

Fun To Be A Habs Fan

Has it been 12 years since the Canadiens have won a Stanley Cup?  My goodness, I'm starting to know what it's like to be a Maple Leafs fan.  This could be the year that Montreal surprises everyone and wins it all!  Not so for the Leafs, I don't think.  Their team is, right now, as good as it's going to get this year, and that's not good enough.
Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with the new NHL.  The rules, and enforcing those rules, seems to be making a difference.  It's a much more offensively oriented game now, it seems, and that's always fun to watch.  Especially after a decade of The Trap.
Has there been a more exciting team to follow than the Canadiens?  Every game, it seems, comes down to the wire, with the Habs pulling out another tough win after another.  Last night they lost to the Penguins in a shootout, but I can't be too upset when Crosby is the guy who scored the winning goal.  The difference I notice between the Canadiens and the teams they play against is the hustle.  Game after game, shift after shift, play after play, the Montreal players seem to be simply beating the opponents to the puck.  They have a very fast, agressive style that seems to work in this new NHL.

I'll say it now, Dewey-like:

Habs Win Cup in '06

TSN Turning Point

Was watching a bit of the RedWings v. Kings game last night on TSN.  At the end of each hockey broadcast, they offer their TSN Turning Point.  The moment in the game where the momentum switches from one team to the other, I suppose.  Last night's Turning Point, they decided, was the winning goal.  Okay, except the winning goal was scored in overtime.
Now, I may be wrong, but I don't think the sudden-death winning goal can be considered the turning point in a game.  Wouldn't that be the Ending Point?

NFL Picks - Week One

The Dolphins won, so I don't really care about the pool.

Still,
I did pretty bad in week one of The Annekenstein Monster pool (where a huge 4 players are participating), going 6-10.  Good enough only for (a distant) second place behind jweale.  Right behind me sits Graham the conquerer at 5-11, and the "I don't want to play anymore" award goes to reverseflash with a paltry 2-14 record.

The first week is always pretty much a coin-toss (in a system where a coin toss can pretty much do better than me every week anyway), and now is the week where legitimate teams will begin to show themselves, and the fakers will fade.
I vow at least a 9-7 this week, or my name isn't Rob MacD.

If you'd like to join the fun (it's not too late - you're only two correct picks behind reverseflash), sign up at The Weekly NFL Picks Page and search for The Annekenstein Monster pool. Password is sketch22

Or, are you chicken?  Bwawk Bwawk Bwawk

Pledge of Arbitrary Allegiance

It's stupid, really.
20+ some odd years ago, I became interested in NFL football. Because Dan Marino was a young phenom at the time, his rookie season, I decided to root for the Miami Dolphins.  Really, for no other reason than Dan Marino looked like a great qb and the Dolphins looked like they were ready to create a dynasty.
The choice stuck, and I've been a devout DolFan ever since.  Sometimes I rue that decision.
Sometimes I wish I could cheer for the New England Patriots.  It would make so much more sense for me.  All their games are televised on Boston tv stations, which I receive, so that'd be great.  I'd never have the dilemna of deciding whether or not to pay for NFL Sunday Ticket.  But I can't.  I can't cheer for the Pats.  For one, they're hated division rivals of the Dolphins.  For two, they're hated division rivals.
They'd be a great team to root for, though.  They've had their terrible seasons. Dreadful seasons.  And now, for the past 4 years, they've been on top of the world.  Oh how great it'd have been to be a Pats fan for the past 20 years.  Even to be on the opposite side of that sickening snowplow incident.  Oh how I'd love to be able to laugh at DolFans about that.  But I can't. I wasn't a Pats fan, and I won't be.  I'm a Dolphins fan.
But it's stupid, really.  What's happened to my brain, my phsyiology, that makes it impossible for me to root, really root, for any other team than the Dolphins?   It was such an arbitrary decision all those years ago, how can it have imbedded itself so deeply into me?
Now, I'm stuck with the NFL Sunday Ticket decision.  Pay money (much needed money) to watch the Dolphins lose probably 12 of 16 games this year?  That's a tough call.  I'll likely have to go upstairs to the booth (where my wife makes the final decision) on that one.  But what if they're the surprise team of the season?  How sweet would it be if Gus Frerotte gets injured in game one and Sage Rosenfels becomes the next Tom Brady?  Shouldn't I be there, watching and waiting for that highly improbable scenario.  Isn't 20+ years as a disillusioned and disappointed DolFan worth it?  I don't know.

Last night, the Pats played the Raiders.  The Raiders are a team I've hated (sorry Dylan) since in my mother's womb, I think.  I still hate them.  Last night, watching the parts of the game I watched, I really found it hard to pick a team to root for.  I think that's why I ultimately stopped watching it.  Friggin' Pats win it, of course.  I really thought Randy Moss, with that touchdown pass he caught, was gonna lead the Raiders to victory.  I suppose that's the outcome I was really wishing for, only because that outcome has a positive affect on my Sage Rosenfels wins the Super Bowl fantasy scenario.

Please forgive me.  I'm a Dolphins Fan. 
I don't know why.

Down, Set, Hut! Hut! Hut!

The NFL season begins this Thursday night.
Just a reminder to anyone who wants to join The Annekenstein Monster pick'em pool at The Weekly NFL Picks Page can do so.
You'll have to register (it's free, and there's no annoying email cultivation or anything like that), then once you do, search for The Annekenstein Monster pool and sign up.  The password is sketch22

My Picks Are Better Than Your Picks

For the past few years, I've been making NFL picks at a fantastic free NFL Picks pool site.

Visit it here.

I've just created a new pool for the upcoming NFL season.  If you'd like to join my pool, and try to challenge my uncanny ability to prognosticate the weekly winners and loser of the Football League they call National, then why not sign up and join my pool.  You should be warned, though, I got almost 55% of my picks right one season.  That's, like, one better than flipping a coin... Remember, picks are made based on the point spread between teams for each game.

It's free to sign up.
Once you register, then look for the pool called "The Annekenstein Monster"
The password to join The Annekenstein Monster pool is:   sketch22

Come Running Back

Ah, the madness in South Florida continues.  Last year, about this time, as I was trying to convince myself that the Miami Dolphins had a reasonable chance to make the playoffs and then who knows what might happen, the star of the team, the man the whole offense was built around, Ricky Williams, the guy whose doll I have sitting in my living room, left the team.
His reasons were many, mostly depending on what mood he was in... tired of football... needs to find himself... didn't want to be penalized by the NFL's drug policy... the Taco Bell dog told him to quit...  Anyway, his departure caused the Dolphins to have their worst season since the 1960s.

And now, after a year of living in a tent in Australia, learning meditation techniques in a holistic univeristy in northern California, after travelling to the oddest places (both geographically and personally it seems), after learning that he owes the Dolphins 8 million dollars because he broke his contract with them... after all that...

Ricky has returned.  Yes, Ricky Williams is back as a Dolphin.  He is at training camp, right now, as I type (I just checked the NFL football sites online and no reports of him leaving, so that's a pretty safe sentence).
He'll miss the first four games of the season because he's a dope smoker (or was a dope smoker, he claims to have given it up), but I cannot wait to see him back in action.  Yes, I fully expect that he'll never make it onto the field in a regular season game, that he'll hear a bird tell him to become an astronaut or he'll be caught with illegal substances in his system, but I also fully expect him to make a glorious return to the game and be the star of the entire season (except those first four suspended games, of course).
Who knows whether his return is motivated by the desire to play the game, or the desire to rid himself of the debt he owes the Dolphins - - okay, we all know it's the monetary reason that brings him back - - I'm just glad to have him back.

So, Ricky, welcome back, you flaky nut, you.  All I ask from you is to run hard as a Dolphin until this season is over.  With you, that is a lot to ask, perhaps.

Three Wins

It's not often that the people/teams that I cheer for in any sport win.  Sunday it was victory, victory, victory.  All in sports that non-sports fans would probably find incredibly boring.

First up was Men's World Curling.  Canada won gold and won it fairly decisively.  I actually stoppes watching this game after about 6 ends, when it was clear they would win.  The really interesting game for Canada came during Saturday's semi-final against Germany.  Right down to the second last rock of the game.  I enjoy watching curling.  The 4-Rock rule has been great for increasing offense and increasing viewing interest.

Then I switched over to NASCAR.  I always cheer for Jeff Gordon.  Yesterday he won, after coming back from 3 laps down.  I have yet to sit through an entire NASCAR race.  Too many laps that take too much time out of a day.  Usually I'll watch a bit at the first, check in periodically over the next three hours, then try to tune in the final hour or so.  That's what I did yesterday.

I ended the sports-day marathon with The Masters, watching Tiger Woods win his 4th green jacket.  It was a pretty exciting final round.  Chris DeMarco just wouldn't give up, and kept pressure on Tiger who bogeyed his final two regular round holes, forcing a playoff.  Tiger won that.  He's a pretty intense guy, that Tiger.  I doubt I'd like to hang out with him for any length of time, but he's a pretty exciting golfer to be a fan of.

Also watched on Sunday:  Arrested Development, which continues to make me laugh out loud several times an episode.  And Deadwood, which I am enjoying more and more each week.

NFL Picks Equal Coin Toss

Early on in the season, I gave up posting my NFL picks on this site because I figured it'd be pretty boring to most people.  That doesn't mean, though, that I stopped trying to pick which teams would win each week.  I submitted my picks each week to The Weekly NFL Picks Page.  In my opinion, it's the best free pick'em site around.

Rather than a straight-ahead "pick who you think will win the game" approach, The Weekly NFL Picks Page prefers having people pick against the spread (for instance, in the SuperBowl, the spread was the Patriots by 6 1/2.  So, to pick the Patriots correctly, they'd have to score 7 points more than the Eagles.  They didn't, so even though the Patriots won the game, the people who picked the Pats in this game would have lost).  This makes it much more difficult to pick correctly.

My record for the season:  129-122 which is 51.4%.  I think I was somewhere in the 49% last year (and my career record at the site is 48.8%).  So, basically,  I am about as successful using my method (which is mostly gut-feeling mixed with my limited knowledge of the teams) as I would be flipping a coin.  This would indicate that the spread that the odds-makers come up with for each game are pretty accurate.

For the record, the winner of the season on The Weekly NFL Picks Page had a winning percentage of 58.4.

Hard To Hate The Patriots

As a Miami Dolphins fan, with the New England Patriots in the same division, I have always *hated* the Patriots (and the Buffalo Bills, and NY Jets, and even the Indianapolis Colts [who have since moved out of the division]).  It is my duty to hate these teams and I do hate them with all my ability.  Yet, if the Dolphins ceased to exist, I'd likely become a fan of one of those division rivals.  Probably the Patriots, since they're on free TV every weekend here in the Maritimes.
It used to be easy to hate the Patriots, especially that time they used the snowplow to remove snow from the field so they could kick a field-goal against the Dolphins.  It is really hard to dislike this current crop of  Patriots, though.  More than any other sports team I've seen, they are the epitome of "Team".  They win every way they can.  They win easy, they win hard, win pretty and ugly.  They just win.  Normally, such a team would be easy to hate because they'd appear so full of themselves.  But not this Team.  They are dignified and humble in victory.
They are the greatest football team I've ever seen.  Not necessarily the best ever, but the greatest.
And I hate them.

Some SuperBowl thoughts:
During the pre-show entertainment, some woman (who on closeups looked much older than she appeared from a distance) sang some song (just before Charlie Daniels, who performed "Devil Went Down To Georgia" way-too-fast).  I found it odd that the "fans" that they assembled on the field around the stage were all women/girls.  Many of them were screaming (instructed to, I'm sure) at her like girls screamed at John and Paul during the height of Beatlemania.  Just found that odd.
SuperBowl XXXIX - I'm not an authority on Roman Numerals, but can a Roman Numeral have more X's in it than the number 39?
Was Alicia Keys lip syncing "America The Beautiful"?  While the lips were actually well-synced with the vocals, It kinda sounded like the emotion and quality in the vocals didn't quite match the physical effort.  If she was lipsyncing, well, that's a shame.
The plate that the vegetables get scooped onto in the Cunard Restaurant plate is exactly the same style of plate my mother had for years and years when I was growing up.  Cheap Corelle plates.  Also, I miss how the voice-over used to (a couple of years ago) say:  "reck-anized in Where To Eat in Canada".
The game was pretty good, I guess.  I enjoyed the defensive performances in the first half, but as soon as the Pats took the lead, I figured that was it.  It was good (but not really exciting) that the Eagles were able to come back to within 3 points.  But, from midway in the third quarter, the game was over.  With four minutes or so left, the Eagles looked spent.
Paul McCartney sounded better than I've heard him sound in the last decade.  It's such a shame that he's such an innocuous performer now.  While his songs are better than their comedy, I see him as the musical equivalent of the Royal Canadian Air Farce.  Actually, I take that back, the Air Farce is never enjoyable to watch and he can be.  He's more like Saturday Night Live.  Long past prime and only occasionally shows flashes of past ability.