AOL RED Blogs: From Blonde to Baseball

Adios Adu

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 11:43:56 PDT

Freddy Adu is saying good-bye to the MLS and heading over to far greener pitches (a pitch is a soccer field for those who are unaware). He has agreed to join Portugal team Benfica and spent practice time with them on yesterday. I think it's great for Freddy Adu, but another blow for the MLS. Freddy was one of the league's marquee players, coming to play for D.C. United when he was 14 (he'd been traded to Salt Lake last year). Under FIFA rules, Adu became eligible to play for a foreign club when he turned 18 this year. While the MLS is hoping that David Beckham (who has yet to play due to an ankle injury) will help popularity, it just seems to me that talented young players will still keep leaving and only older international players who are worn out will ever come here. On that note ... Luis Figo, where are you?!

Congrats to Cal!

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:58:27 PDT

One of my most favorite people in the whole widest world (and the reason I am still obsessed with the number eight), Cal Ripken Jr.,was inducted into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame on Sunday. I don't think anyone could deny him deserving a spot in Cooperstown. In celebration of his induction, I'm reposting one of my favorite childhood memories involving the Iron Man himself. I posted this almost a year ago. (When I updated almost daily and my blog was still mildly funny.) 1,000 fans just up and left the Orioles game last night in protest to Angelos’ poor ownership over the 13 or so years he’s been in charge. It is the Orioles’ ninth-consecutive losing season. The last time us Baltimore fans saw any postseason action was 1997. I was 13. I’m now 22. That is just tragic. And I mean like Shakespearean tragedy-tragic. So, let me tell you what I remember about the somewhat better days. When we at least still had Cal Ripken Jr. to root for. And boy, did I root for him. Around the years when Camden Yards first opened, my parents purchased season tickets, which I applaud them for, being that we lived a good hour and a half away from the field and if anyone knows the D.C. area, taking the beltway to I-95 is the worst experience in the history of experiences. Anyway, we ventured up there many times to watch our beloved Birdies in action. My sister, Nikki and I, always got lots of attention as the little girls in their Orioles shirt, Orioles hat and even Orioles baseball dangly earrings. I’m not kidding, although I kind of wish I was. I look back and cringe, but hey, no one really is proud of what they wore when they were 8. One very exciting night, made even more so by the fact that it was my idol Cal’s birthday, our parents decided to treat us even further and let us stay after with all the autograph seekers and get a baseball signed by as many Orioles as possible. I think it was the first time in my short 8 years on the earth that I’d actually wanted the game to be over. When it FINALLY was, we headed down to the barricades they set outside the locker rooms for the fans to stand and wait. I remember being one of the shortest, sticking my little head over the barricade and squeezing myself between some bigger guys—being young and vulnerable had its perks, as random people will look out for you. I was right up front, baseball and pen in hand, armed and ready. I’ll be honest, I only remember Brady Anderson signing my ball in those first few minutes. I have no idea what happened to that ball, unfortunately, because then I could see the signatures. It’s a sad, sad fact. Even more unfortunate, was how much more I would have appreciated Brady Anderson signing my ball if it had happened in the past 10 years instead of when I was still at the ‘not-yet-interested-in-boys’ phase. Not that I didn’t love him then, it was just for different reasons than his awesome sideburns and fantastic rear. But what can ya do. The night got later and the players came out less. My little head started to realize he may not come and my little heart started to break. Where was my Cal? Where was the man I so longed to just be in the presence of?? AND THEN… a car comes driving up out of the locker room area! It starts driving past! I hear someone yell, “It’s Cal!” It was like one of those moments. Those life or death moments where your body just reacts. Fight or flight. And I was ready for both! I joined the stampeding crowd and raced after my idol’s black Mercedes! I barely remember the chase, all I remember was thinking “It’s Cal! It’s Cal! It’s Cal!” This is when my mom likes to tell her part of the story. My sister, being the obedient child, stood and watched as the fans took off. She then apparently asked my mom if she could go after Cal as well, to which my mom replied that she couldn’t (and very rationally so, being that it was a very late evening in downtown Baltimore—not the safest of cities). That’s when my sister (the tattletale), said, “Kori’s going.” My mom says she looked up and remembers seeing my L.A. Light sneakers light up like crazy and get further and further away as I ran, ran, ran. I wasn’t giving up. Finally, Cal stopped. His car was surrounded with fans. But somehow, I worked my way right up next to the driver side (once again, being the little girl O’s fan helped), where a mother and daughter were getting him to sign a poster. Unfortunately, I could do nothing more but stand there in awe. I was looking at Cal Ripken Jr. He was right there. RIGHT THERE!!! I couldn’t believe it and to this day, I will never ever forget being frozen in that spot, completely content with just gawking at my idol. I think my face almost fell off from smiling and while I don’t really remember the rest of the night, I’m sure I fell asleep on the drive home and had wonderful dreams of baseball, the Birds, Camden Yards and of course Mr. Cal Ripken Jr— an extraordinary man and true legend of the game. Here’s what my mom said during our IM conversation when I told her I was blogging about this: My mom: you were so proud of yourself... I wish we had a picture of that - I thought we took one... but we probably didn't want to bother him. Yeah, I was pretty damn proud.

Tour de Phony

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:09:53 PDT

Is anyone else having déjà vu? Yeah. After last year’s Tour de France fiasco with Floyd Landis, I have no sympathy for Michael Rasmussen. I mean, did he really think he could get away with taking performance enhancing drugs? Who in their right mind (obviously he wasn’t in his right mind, if you ask me) would even consider taking drugs before any race, let alone the TOUR DE FRANCE, which has been plagued with these issues and is now scrutinized for such behavior. One thing is for sure, these drugs are messing with these athletes’ brains. Rasmussen’s team had the sense to kick him out after he gained a suspicious lead, but the team still faces much doubt. And so does the 104 year-old race. Can this once-respected institution win back the respect and trust of its fans and many of the racers who play fair? It’s starting to look dim. Is the pressure or desire to win (or better yet, not lose) so great that these cyclists are putting their integrity and selfishly, the integrity of the innocent around them, on the line?

WNBA All-Star Game

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 08:12:04 PDT

The WNBA All-Star game is this Saturday and I’m guessing about one in five people who read this knew that. Or at least cared … I’ll be honest, I do not follow a lick of the WNBA. I don’t even really follow the NBA until the postseason. So, I really have no room to talk here. But, either way, I think it’s important for me, as a female sports blogger, to promote an event that surely means a lot to the women who are participating, but doesn’t get much attention in the press. (Surely, the ESPYs on Sunday will get this weekend’s glory.) Here’s the very talented and dedicated list of lady All-Stars who deserve to be named: Eastern Conference: Starters F Tamika Catchings. IndianaF Cheryl Ford, DetroitC Kara Braxton, DetroitG Deanna Nolan, DetroitG Anna DeForge, Indiana Reserves G Alana Bear, WashingtonG Katie Douglas, ConnecticutF Candice Dupree, ChicagoF Asjha Jones, ConnecticutF DeLisha Milton-Jones, WashingtonTammy Sutton-Brown, Indiana Western Conference: StartersF Diana Taurasi, PhoenixF Lauren Jackson, SeattleC Yolanda Griffith, SacramentoG Sue Bird , SeattleG Becky Hammon, San Antonio ReservesG Seimone Augustus, MinnesotaF Rebekkah Brunson, SacramentoF Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Los AngelesG Cappie Pondexter , PhoenixF Penny Taylor, PhoenixF Tina Thompson, HoustinG Kara Lawson , Sacramento It's being played in my home city of Washington, D.C. Catch it on a 3:30 ET on ABC. Vanessa Carlton is also singing, so hey, there's a bonus. Right ... ?

The Final Countdown

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:23:55 PDT

Posh and Becks are coming today! Posh and Becks are coming today!!! This is such a big event that the paparazzi have been camped out at LAX airport since yesterday. It’s such a big event that David Beckham trumped Roger Federer’s 5th straight Wimbledon title for the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated. It’s such a big event …. that I DREAMED about it last night. I kid you not. (The Harry Potter kids were in the dream too, so it was a pretty freakin’ awesome one. I saw ‘Order of the Phoenix’ at the Tuesday night/Wednesday morning 12 am showing … just a little insight to my somewhat large dorky side, if you care.) Anyway, I’m so excited. SO EXCITED, I literally might pee myself. I already have my tickets for David’s first game at RFK against D.C. United on August 11. I’m just shy of one more month ‘til Beckham mania hits Washington. Apparently tickets are going fast, so I’m not the only chump giving into the hype that is Beckham. Hopefully it won’t be just that though … hype. As the Sports Illustrated cover asks it, “Will he change the fate of American soccer?” (My guess … he’ll at least change/help the fate of the L.A. Galaxy.) Even more exciting, Posh told W Magazine, “I’m going to try to smile more for America.” RIIIGHT. I’ll believe that when I see it!

2007 MLB All-Star Game

Mon, 9 Jul 2007 08:33:44 PDT

Goody gum drops, it’s time for the 2007 MLB All-Star game!!! I’m SO excited because I can’t wait to watch all the players that I’m already sick of anyway… YES! OK, maybe I’m just a little bit bitter because all my favorite teams are a little less than mediocre so therefore their only players picked are on the reserve teams. Here’s the list with my fun commentating in parenthesis: American League: C Ivan Rodriguez, DET (I love Pudge and every time I see him I think of that Chihuahua from ‘Oliver and Company.’ Ya know, “If dis is torture, chain me to de WAAALLL!” He just has that I’m-too-cool-for-school look/attitude about him… and I mean that in a totally awesome way.) 1B David Ortiz, BOS (I like Papi, he’s cool and his accent is adorable, but there are better defensive players for first base. Just goes to show you can’t underestimate the voting power of teams like Boston and New York because of their MASSIVE fan bases. Damn them!!!) 2B Placido Polanco, DET 3B Alex Rodriguez, NYY (OH, JOY!) SS Derek Jeter, NYY (OH, DOUBLE JOY!) OF Vladimir Guerrero, LAA OF Magglio Ordonez, DET OF Ichiro Suzuki, SEA Pitchers Josh Beckett, BOS Dan Haren, OAK Bobby Jenks, CWS John Lackey, LAA Gil Meche, KC Jonathan Papelbon, BOS J.J. Putz, SEA Francisco Rodriguez, LAA C.C. Sabathia, CLE Johan Santana, MIN Justin Verlander, DET (I’m fairly acquainted with Ryan Zimmerman through the D.C. scene and whatnot and am Facebook friends with him… yeah, laugh it up… anyway, one day I saw on my “News Feed” that “Ryan Zimmerman and Justin Verlander are now friends.” Needless to say, I had a moment!) (There are a couple of my Potbellied Pitchers on that list… can you guess who?) National League: C Russell Martin, LAD 1B Prince Fielder, MIL (Prince threw me a ball on Friday at the Nats game! I was quite proud of myself.) 2B Chase Utley, PHI 3B David Wright, NYM SS Jose Reyes, NYM OF Carlos Beltran, NYM OF Barry Bonds, SF OF Ken Griffey Jr, CIN (This is the the hottest squad ever… Chase, David Wright, Ken Griffey, Cole Hamels [below]… meow!) Pitchers Francisco Cordero, MIL Brian Fuentes, COL Cole Hamels, PHI Trevor Hoffman, SD Roy Oswalt, HOU Jake Peavy, SD Brad Penny, LAD Takashi Saito, LAD Ben Sheets, MIL John Smoltz, ATL Jose Valverde, ARI Billy Wagner, NYM Brandon Webb, ARI Here’s a link to check out the full list including the reserve teams: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2007/roster_league.jsp I'd just like to add that if I hear one more person talk about Dimitri Young not deserving an All-Star appearance, I will flip my lid. That guy has been a glimmer of hope for a team that was expected to be completely horrible and while obviously not great, to me, they have exceeded expectations. I LOVE Dimitri and believe he has every right to be on that roster. I was at the Nats game on the 4th of July when he hit that grand slam against the Cubs to a packed stadium (something very, VERY rare at RFK). I felt like a proud mama and started a standing ovation in my section when he came out for the next inning (which is right at his first base position). WE LOVE YOU BIG D!!! Also, don't miss the Home Run derby on tonight!

Roger is Scary

Mon, 2 Jul 2007 07:23:07 PDT

Roger Federer dominates men’s professional tennis so much, that he doesn’t even have to play anymore and he wins. Seriously. Federer got a bye on Sunday when his fourth round opponent, Tommy Haas, withdrew from the tournament. Tommy withdrew because of a “torn stomach muscle.” Riiight. Tommy was just SKERD! OK, I’m just being a little mean, but if I were Tommy, that “torn stomach muscle” would just be my nerves going into overdrive. Federer is going for his 5th Wimbledon title in a row. He’d be only the second person to manage this feat since the 1880s (first was Bjorn Borg). I think it’s pretty darn plausible. He makes the game look simply EFFORTLESS. (And for anyone who has ever picked up a tennis racket, knows very well that it is not.) Technically, Federer will not get a W for the never-played match, he’ll only advance. But really, like this guy needed help. I consider his fifth win already WimbleDONE. Har har.

Countdown to Beckham

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:33:05 PDT

David Beckham just recently finished up his stint with big-time soccer team Real Madrid and while he's headed off for vacation with his family, the sports heads in the U.S. are just starting to talk. It will soon be the official arrival of soccer's (the WORLD'S sport, must I remind you) most successful player to the MLS ... the United States' answer to professional soccer. A league that has been less than renowned (and that's putting it mildly). So everyone's wondering... will David Beckham bring the noteriety and popularity to the sport of soccer in America that many fans have been craving for years? (And yes, I'm one of those fans.) I grew up playing soccer. A game that many sport (meat) heads scoff at, to me is one of the most challenging and athletic sports there is. Sometimes it seems I am alone in my opinion ... but the rest of the world is on the same page. It is only here in the States that my lover for soccer remains a minority. I'm well aware the MLS isn't the soccer venue to tune into if you want to watch a good match. But I believe bringing Beckham to the U.S. is a step in the right direction. He's an international symbol. No matter what this man does, he will attract attention. This means attention will be drawn to the game of soccer on this side of the pond. Whether it's the right attention ... that's a whole 'nother topic I'm not willing to broach right now. I don't know how else to go on without this becoming a bigger tangent than it is. But hopefully you get my drift (frustrations). Right now, I'm just curious how others feel about the arrival of David Beckham to the United States.... ?

Sweepin' the Streets of Cleve'

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:58:57 PDT

Last night, “Believeland” went silent. The San Antonio Spurs put the finishing touches on a 4-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. I really might need to call and check on my friend Megan. (Not only did her “future husband” welcome his second baby, but her favorite team in the whole wide world lost basketball’s biggest title – all in one day.) While I was pulling for the Cavs to turn this into a series, it just wasn’t their year. Bottom line, it came down to experience. The Spurs, who’ve had a fearless leader in Tim Duncan for a decade, have won three championships in the past five years. LeBron James, Cleveland’s go-to guy and basketball prodigy, was playing his first NBA Final series at 22 and lacked the familiarity granted to players such as Duncan and Tony Parker. Speaking of Tony Parker, he was awarded the MVP trophy and famous fiancé Eva Longoria cried like a little girl (maybe I’m exaggerating). I’d heard fans in Cleveland held up signs that said “Eva is fat” just to be annoying. Obviously I think that’s hilarious because heckling professional athletes is a certain pastime of mine, but that woman is far from fat and probably the most petite thing ever. I used to think Tony Parker was a giant because I always saw him standing next to her, but he’s really only 6’2, which for NBA standards that’s like a hobbit. I’m practicing what to tell Megan. “It’s OK, Megan. There’s always next year. I seriously doubt you’ll have to wait a whole ‘nother 43 years to win a championship. Right?” OK, maybe I should keep practicing …

2007 NBA Final Predictions

Wed, 6 Jun 2007 12:28:11 PDT

Every year, for all the big sporting events, EA Games releases their predictions. Thursday night kicks off the NBA tournament, I thought I'd post them, since I have no idea who will win and also because it's really cool. You can even look at electronic King James go for a dunk!!! CAAA-LUTCH!!! GAME 1 : Spurs over Cavs 94-87 Point LeadersTim Duncan - 26 Points, 13 Rebounds, 2 Blocks LeBron James - 22 Points, 10 Rebounds, 7 Assists Field Goal PercentageCle – 44%SA – 45%Recap - The Cavs came ready to play in their first ever NBA Finals, but the Spurs held court at home in Game 1 with well-rounded consistent play across the board. Tim Duncan led by experience and example with 26 points and 13 rebounds. GAME 2 : San Antonio sweep at home winning 99-98Point LeadersTony Parker - 24 Points, 11 Assists, 3 Steals Zydrunas Ilgauskas - 21 Points, 13 Rebounds Field Goal PercentageCle – 47%SA – 44%Recap - Cleveland’s tremendous overall team defense shone in Game 2, but they struggled on offense with virtually every 4th quarter shot coming from LeBron. The game went down to the wire with Tony Parker netting the clutch game winner, 2 of his 24 on the night. Game 3 : Cavs rally back and take game 3, 86-79Point LeadersTim Duncan - 23 Points, 14 Rebounds, 2 Blocks LeBron James - 36 Points, 8 Rebounds, 11 Assists Field Goal PercentageCle – 43%SA – 39%Recap - The Cavs stepped it up in Game 3 led by LeBron’s triple double (36 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists) and a frenzied home crowd witnessing their first ever NBA Finals home game. Huge effort from the floor with 6 of LeBron’s 11 assists coming in the final 10 minutes, clutch shots from Sasha Pavlovic, and big dunks from Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao Game 4 : Spurs answer in 102-89 victory over Cavs Point LeadersManu Ginobili - 29 Points, 8 Rebounds, 7 Assists Drew Gooden - 20 Points, 11 Rebounds, 2 Steals Field Goal PercentageCle – 45%SA – 50% Recap - The Spurs responded in game 4 by bottling up LeBron (19 points on 6-22 shooting), and spreading out the floor to counteract Cleveland’s defense. The entire Spurs unit played well (50% FG%) and was paced by Manu Ginobili’s 29 points and 8 rebounds. Game 5 : Cavs Stay Alive in game 5, 93-91 Point LeadersTim Duncan - 25 Points, 13 Rebounds, 4 Blocks LeBron James - 30 Points, 9 Rebounds, 11 Assists, 3 Steals Field Goal PercentageCle – 44%SA – 44%Recap - The Cavs keep the dream alive, winning game 5 on home soil. LeBron continued his supremacy and was just a rebound shy of another triple double (30 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists). His supporting cast responded as well, with a double-double from Drew Gooden (11 points, 10 rebounds) and 19 points from Larry Hughes. Big Shot Bob Horry missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer, sending the Spurs back home to San Antonio with serious concern of the series reaching a Game 7. Game 6 : Spurs win NBA Finals with win in game 6, 96-89 Point LeadersTim Duncan - 26 Points, 11 Rebounds, 2 Blocks LeBron James - 21 Points, 6 Rebounds, 7 Assists Field Goal PercentageCle – 45%SA – 46%Recap - The Spurs asserted their dominance again in Game 6, demonstrating overall team play that held LeBron to 21 points and thwarted Cleveland’s one-man show. The ultra-consistent Tim Duncan closed with a 26-point, 11-rebound performance, and was named the NBA Finals MVP for the 4th time in as many appearances. OK, so don't tell my friend Megan that the Cavs are going to lose. Because if you do, she might have to be admitted to Hiwassee Mental Health Center in Cleveland. Now that I think about it, she should already be admitted for her obsession with LeBron. It's scary, really. She has a picture of LeBron's high school sweetheart (also the mother of his baby, with another on the way) on a dart board and she aims for the eyes. OK, maybe I made that up for entertainment purposes. Either way, WATCH THE FINALS AND PLAY EA GAMES. It's what all the cool kids are doing. Also, a big thanks to Micah from RED Games for alerting me to this nifty feature!

A-Rod and Betty

Mon, 4 Jun 2007 15:11:01 PDT

AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Wow. You just gotta hand it to the fans in Boston. They certainly are creative. Especially when it comes to harassing a top Yankee player. If you are unaware what the waving of the Betty masks symbolize, here's the low-down: A-Rod was spotted around town while in Toronto with an unidentified blondie ... hey, no big deal ... except he's married to a brunette. Yeah, makes a lot more sense now. And is a heck of a lot funnier. WE LOVE IT!!!

Singin' Bout Smoltzy

Fri, 25 May 2007 16:27:43 PDT

As I've mentioned before, my grandfather is a huge Braves fan and I grew up with the tomahawk chop, so I made sure to tune in to the John Smoltz v. Tom Glavine Braves/Mets game on Thursday night. It wasn't just a good night for big pitching, but Smoltzy had a chance to clock in the 200th win of his career. Not only did Smoltz get his 200th win, he became the first pitcher in history to to have 200 wins AND 150 saves. But last night's victory was just another addition to a long list of amazing achievements. And such statistics do not project the character of a man devoted to his community and to using his notoriety for good. (He's won the Roberto Clemente award for community service.) There is a great article on AOL Sports about Smoltz and his career. I have even more respect for him after reading it. It makes me want to take that ball I caught from him at that Nats game a few weeks ago and keep it instead of giving it to the Braves' fans behind me. :-) In any case, I demand this man be put into the Hall of Fame. I will do some serious picketing up there in Cooperstown.

Battle of the Beltway

Fri, 18 May 2007 15:19:51 PDT

Forget the Subway Series going on up in New York this weekend. I'm pumped for the BATTLE OF THE BELTWAY! The first ever inter league series between the Nationals and the Orioles is taking place this weekend and I have front row seats. Literally. My friend Tom has been more than generous with his amazing season tickets (first row, next to first, behind visitor dugout) this year. So far I've been to 4 games and acquired 4 balls (2 of which I gave away... one to a Braves fan, who freaked out and shouted "SMOLTZY TOUCHED THIS!!!", and the other to my friend). I joke that I should become a professional ball collector at the games. And no, they aren't from foul balls... I just flail my arms like a crazy person when the visiting team is jogging off the field and I've been quite successful so far. Anyway, we are going to the game tomorrow night and Nick Markakis is totally getting an earful from me. I think he's dreamy. I plan to wear my O's jersey and my Nats hat. Total dork? Yes, I think so. OH, BUT I WILL BE IN HEAVEN!!!! PS- I met Jeff Francoeur the other night and chatted him up for about an hour. Still on cloud nine. Not often you get to hang out with one of your huge baseball crushes!!! GREAT SUCCESS!

Clemens-time... Get it?

Fri, 11 May 2007 13:07:18 PDT

OK, so I'm a little late with the breaking news. Try a whole week. But I want to throw in my two cents, so tough. The Yankees have done it again. Never ceases to amaze me. Roger Clemens is back in the pinstripes and getting oh, only about FOUR MILLION DOLLARS a month. Ya know what I think? I think the Yankees should have a day where they just let money rain from the sky. Hey, the Bronx needs it more than anybody. Can't you see it now? Yankees' fans duking it out for some of Steinbrenner's dough .... Wow, I think I just described Hell on earth. No, seriously, it would probably be bloodier than the Battle of Antietam. Back to the topic at hand. I was not surprised about the signing of Clemens. There had been so much buzz and the Yankees were desperate for a headline that wasn't about their last place standing. Which, by the way, completely annoys me that they are such whiny babies about it, because it's only mid-May. Sore losers. I'm such a Yankee hater. I feel like it may be unhealthy. I just don't find anything fun or fair in a team that can buy (steal) every hotshot player. Problem is, all the players want to be on the Yankees. It's always in their "5 year plan." Alright, enough bitterness for one day. PS -- Went to the O's game on Tuesday. Camden Yards is just so darn beautiful (although, I must admit I kind of, sort of, a tiny little bit missed poopy ol' RFK ... weird, right?). And I always visit the spot where I stood next to Cal Ripken after chasing his car. Such a milestone in my life. :-)

Yankee Pain

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 04:32:39 PDT

"New York (8-13), whose April began to unravel with three straight losses at Fenway Park last weekend, has lost seven consecutive games for the first time since the last week of the 2000 season. The Yankees are a $195 million last-place team, 6 1/2 games back of the division-leading Red Sox ." This paragraph, especially the last sentence, says a lot for me. And it proves that money can't buy you what any team ultimately wants. And that's to win, win, win. (But I could have told you all and Dan Snyder that many moons ago). After sweeping the Yanks at Fenway last weekend, the Red Sox are surely floating on cloud nine with their series opening win at Yankee Stadium. Boy, would I have loved to see the looks on the vast majority of patrons' faces as they exited the "House that Ruth Built." Pure agony I'm sure. Seven straight loses. I kind of pity them. Kind of. (Not enough to give me any premature wrinkles.. although Mariano Rivera's 12.15 ERA is probably giving him a few right now). OK, I'm off to watch some horse races in Charlottesville, Virginia. I'm going to miss most of tonight's big game, so y'all keep me updated on the important details. And try as hard as you can to not leave comments along the lines of "Yankees RULE!" or "RED SOX NATION!" or "JETER IS HOT!" OK, who am I kidding? I live for those comments.

Player Profile: Eric Byrnes

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:18:41 PDT

Eric Byrnes, outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, is a force to be reckoned with. The guy may look like a laid back Cali dude, but throw him the right pitch (or wrong pitch, depending how you look at it), you better expect he's doing something with it. He also seems to take certain game strategies personally. Case in point, it has already been twice this year that Eric Brynes has "burned" the other team that has intentionally walked the runner before him. http://mlb.aolsportsblog.com/2007/04/19/eric-byrnes-has-a-message-for-opposing-managers/ You'd think pitchers and coaches would have caught on by now. This surf dude's got attitude and he uses it as a positive part of his game. Just go out and get hits. Play some aggressive offense. That seems to be his own game strategy.

Jackie's Legacy

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 06:52:59 PDT

Today, Major League Baseball is honoring Jackie Robinson on the 60th anniversary of his arrival in the sport. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to break the color barrier in professional baseball. But I really hope you already knew that. AOL has a great feature on him today. I started writing my blog when I went to the AOL Sports section and noticed their promo for it was the same as my blog title today. Crazy! Well, not really... Jackie has an amazing legacy. So check it out and reflect on Jackie and what he means to the game of baseball. Imagine what our teams would be like without the many diverse players that partake. Pretty freakin' boring probably http://sports.aol.com/mlb/inside-pitch/most-influential

Dice-K

Wed, 4 Apr 2007 21:08:11 PDT

We're not worthy. We're not worthy. The hype is officially here. Today, after months of anticipation, baseball fans will get to witness the one and only "Dice-K" (side note: is the nickname there because it's like, SO cool that the K could also stand for strike out and every pitcher needs a good nickname or because hey, who can really pronounce Daisuke Matsuzaka anyway?) take the mound in his first ever regular season Major League Baseball game! To put it in perspective, he's totally like, the Paris Hilton of baseball (yeah, yeah, what'd you expect?). Everyone's watching him. If you think the baseball world is on the edge of their seats for this one, imagine how riled up Red Sox Nation is right now. I don't know about y'all, but I've received daily updates from my friend Ryan via very exclamatory instant messages (!!!!!). He even sent me a link, "This is where you can watch the games live!!!" Thanks, Ryan. But literally, he's the poster boy for the 20-something Northeasterner Red Sox fan... it's wicked awesome. I only have one thing to complain about. John Henry, the Red Sox primary owner, was quoted in the Boston Globe describing the arrival of Dice-K and the anticipation of his performance on the field. He said the excitement over Dice-K "has seemed to uplift our entire region. It is remarkable and a great thing." OHHH, BOO HOO! Red Sox fans were SO SAD and distraught that they didn't make it to the post season. WAAHH. Well, YA KNOW WHAT? It'd be nice if the Nats could have a season above .500 (their inaugural season they were exactly 81-81). Some fans are so selfish. Take a walk in my shoes or a Devil Rays fan's shoes. Poopy heads. ANYWAY- watch the game today, if you can. 2:10PM.

Best Night Ever

Wed, 4 Apr 2007 08:21:14 PDT

Best. Night. Ever. OK, OK... that's being a little dramatic. There's no way it was better than that night when I was eight and I chased Cal Ripken Jr.'s car and stood next to him for 30 whole seconds. But last night was awesome. My friend Tom has season tickets for the Washington Nationals... front row, right behind first base and the visitor dugout. I've never had seats that great at a baseball game (well, at least seats that great that I actually HAD tickets for...) I was literally in heaven. Oh yeah, and I think I almost cried when I walked from the tunnel out into the stadium. The green is so bright and beautiful after not seeing it for five months or so. It's like out of a movie. I just... no words. Just goosebumps. Even in poopy RFK. Who cares the Nats lost 9-3 (better than 9-2!!!). Why don't I care? Because Dan Uggla (Marlins 2B, 2006 Rookie of the Year contender) threw me a ball! YEAH! I didn't have to risk my life to catch a foul. I was thinking about throwing it back with my number on it. HA! Kidding. Also, to top off the night, after catching a quick bite in Georgetown after the game, we saw Roy Hibbert walking down the street with his girlfriend! I flipped out and we started yelling out our window. Roy ate it up.. he loved the attention. Waved back with a huge smile on his face. Good to see he's in pretty good spirits after Georgetown's Final Four loss. He's a rock star. Enjoy some pictures of the night (Unfortunately, I only got pictures at the very end of the night because my sister had the camera in a different section. But you can at least see where the seats were.) High-fivin' Marlins This is probably one of my favorite pictures. Me rockin' my Nats tee with RFK in the background. Look how CROWDED it was!!! Washingtonians are SO supportive of their team!!! (Really, it was the 9th inning and we were down by 6, but I refuse to leave a game early... why leave one of my favorite places on earth early??). Oh and that's a gray tank top under my shirt. I do NOT wear my pants that high. This is me smacking some girl in the face. OK, not really... at least I hope not really. But I'm pretty sure I'm laying on the dugout in this one. I wish you could see my shirt. It says, 'Got Nats?' This picture cracks me up. It's my sister with the Presidents that race each other every game. I didn't realize how massive they are.

Gators Chomp Buckeyes (Most Original Title Ever)

Tue, 3 Apr 2007 07:05:47 PDT

Last night sports fans probably felt a wee bit of deja vu, not only because of Florida’s second straight NCAA National Championship title, but because only three months ago, pretty much the same scenario went down with the same schools on the football field. Besides a short time in the first half, Florida maintained a fairly comfortable lead the whole game, give or take a few minutes. While that is nice and peachy, especially for Florida fans and those who had Florida taking home the trophy in their brackets (like myself), I certainly felt it was a boring game. Kind of like when Florida whooped Ohio in January’s National Championship football game. So, I came in 3rd out of 33 in my work bracket. That’s cool, I guess. But it would have been way cooler if my winning had come down to the very last minute with a three pointer by Lee Humphrey (because man that kid can hit that outside j.) I’m just a sucker for a good, close game. Al Horford was the night’s shining star with 18 points and 12 rebounds. He’s definitely a fun player to watch. He’s like the energizer bunny, all over the court. Ohio’s beast of a freshman Greg Oden had 25 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks, but it still wasn’t enough to stop the team that is now being argued as one of the best college squads to take the court. Yawn. In other news, I plan to head to the Nats game tonight! I’m really hoping they pull off something better than a 9-2 loss though. But a lot of Washingtonians have been talking about how this may be another long year for the team. Whatever, I’m no fair weather fan. I stick with my boys. We’ll eventually have our chance to shine one day.

"That Old Ballpark Man is Back in Gear"

Mon, 2 Apr 2007 16:07:50 PDT

Oh man, lyrics have never been more accurate for me: Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today!We're born again, there's new grass on the field.A-roundin' third, and headed for home, it's a brown-eyed handsome man;Anyone can understand the way I feel!!! PUT ME IN COACH!!! I'M READY TO PLAY, TODAY, LOOK AT ME, I CAN BE, CENTERFIELD!!! Oh yes, oh yes, baseball is officially here! The Nats had their opener at 1pm today and I was bummed I had to be inside at work instead- it was beautiful out today! But tomorrow is supposed to be same and I'm thinking about heading out to good ol' RFK stadium for their night game. And hopefully they'll win this time. Also, this Friday, my sister and I are helping co-host a party with Nats third base cutie Ryan Zimmerman along with some other Nationals and Arizona Diamondback players. I'm pretty excited... I wish I could link to the invite for you guys but it's sponsored by an adult beverage company and I don't want to get smacked on the wrist for showing you all something that you already know exists and isn't good for you and you shouldn't drink it, but hey, let's pretend life is puppies and rainbows and not let them even see the word spelled out... GASP!!! A tangent was just really necessary there, I apologize. Don't forget to watch Florida and Ohio duke it out in the NCAA finals tonight! I have Florida beating Ohio. I'm 4th place in my work bracket and one guy ahead of me picked Georgetown for the whole thing... so I'm feeling good. I'm over Georgetown's loss. I was sad for about 5 minutes because I knew I couldn't be obnoxious the rest of the night yelling, "HOYA, SAXA!" Then, I was like, eh, whatever. That's all folks. Are you so excited that I'm going to start blogging my face off for baseball? YES YES YES.

HOYA SAXA FEVER!

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:54:09 PDT

I spend a lot of my time in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. I therefore have many friends who are Georgetown University alumni. Yes, they are a very proud and loyal bunch. A quick dose of their extreme adoration of the Georgetown basketball program: we were watching the 2nd round game of Georgetown versus Boston College with a groups of friends at their house and my friend Thalia (wearing her XXL Hoya jersey as a dress with spandex underneath, mind you) became so nervous she jumped up from her spot on floor 5 inches in front of the TV and proclaimed, 'She had to go, had to go.' Come to find later, some inner superstitious urging had prompted her to run to a local popular Georgetown Hoya viewing establishment and watch the rest of the game with those just as obsessed. Last weekend, after Sunday's Sweet Sixteen win, my other friend Heather, proceeded to cry for an hour out of joy, bringing 2 other parties (of males) to tears with her at one point. I'm scared to say that today's game may just make or break my friends. If the Hoyas lose ... well, I may just not hang out with those friends for a week or two. Let them simmer down a bit. So, who are we watching today? To a Georgetown fan that question would receive a big "duh" response. Roy Hibbert and Patrick Ewing Jr., not only are perfect marquee names, in regards to Ewing's professional basketball Hall of Famer father, but they also get the job done on the court. Also, I have always held a special place in my heart for Hibbert when I found out he is a big fan of the Pokemon brand and his teammates use the phrase, "Power up, big fella" when they need him to put his game face on. Which has been on during the most crucial parts of the tourney. So, I will admit I didn't put the Hoyas winning in my bracket back in the middle of the month, but I'm officially over my bracket and am going with my heart. And my heart says Hoyas.

Scottie Doesn't Know

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 02:04:07 PDT

I'm trying to edit my blog because I wasn’t feeling what I wrote about Scottie Reynolds before. But I’m having a hard time staying on the task at hand due to the madness going on in the background (in bright, distracting HD colors… mmm). It’s been a fist-pumping, yelling-at-the-TV good time. These games have been so crunch-time, my adrenaline has been constantly flowing. I actually think my heart rate has been so high the past few days, I’ve burned extra calories. Double score. Obviously I want teams to win for different reasons. Maybe because I favor a specific player, I have a random emotional attachment to the team (i.e. my soft spot for UNC because of my undefeated 5th grade team name and the super rad Tar Heels Starter I had), or because I have them picked to win in my bracket. The latter being the most important, of course. Sometimes these reasons overlap and it makes them even more exciting (or just sets you up to be more upset if they lose, if you are a Debblie Downer and want to look at it in that way). A good example for me is Scottie Reynolds and Villanova. I had the Wildcats to win over Kentucky in my bracket, but more importantly, star freshman Scottie went to school in my neighboring town. He actually went to Herndon High School and I attented basketball camp there one summer. Gotta pull for the hometown boy. Also, if you want a quick little background information on Scottie, he is the most prolific scorer in Virginia basketball history and he has broken Villanova's scoring record for a freshman. What, what! Yeah, write those impressive facts down. So, it would have been nice to see Villanova beat Kentucky (::cough::thenlosetoKansas::cough::) so we could watch some more of Mr. Reynolds, but hey, things don’t always go how you want them. Besides, he’s only a freshman, so we have three more years to watch him get his game on. OK, back to anxiety-inducing basketball watching as well as praying for more bracket success. P.S. I was just in second place in my AOL bracket and a now was bumped to tie for 4th after one of my Elite 8 picks just choked. Oh yeah, they also got me kicked out of my survivor pool. Just great. I’m officially giving up cheese in protest of Wisconsin. P.P.S. I’m starting to receive baseball game alert’s in my e-mail and it’s giving me ants in my pants. I can’t wait for games!!! Lksdhflkasjdf <-- excited keyboard spasm

Getcha Head in the Games!

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 02:52:59 PDT

Wow, wow, wow, wow. Boy do I love March Madness. And I love bracketology even more! For those of you who do not yet partake in NCAA pools, I strongly suggest you do it when you can. There are so many teams that participate in the tournament that it can be overwhelming and sometimes hard to get into certain games that may not have marquee teams or players. But, not when you have a bracket. You want the teams you picked to WIN! And ya know when that’s the best??? During an upset. When the underdogs win! That’s just what happened last night during the VCU/Duke game. I picked VCU and what a great game. Point guard Eric Maynor really showed his skills out there and I’m curious to see how well VCU does throughout the rest of the tourney. While I have them losing in the next round, I wouldn’t mind seeing them be this year’s George Mason. Virginia, represent!!! So, 64 teams seem like a lot to deal with. But, while it sounds intimidating, putting your picks into a bracket is one of the most fun “games” you’ll ever play. While I don’t have a huge extensive knowledge on college basketball, I’m 13/16 so far in my picks. One of my choice upsets was horrid and deserving of no pleasant result, the other one was beautiful and close and everything you hope an NCAA game to be. Those are great examples of how unpredictable everything can be. Also, there is nothing wrong with letting personal agendas and preferences interfere with your picks, but I personally am very persnickety about what’s personal and what’s not. Because I want to win. Just like all those feisty players out there. And just as a closing remark, it’s OK to scream and yell at your TV while in your house alone. It’s totally expected during the NCAA tournament. Don’t hold yourself back!

Brackets on the Brain

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:21:01 PST

“Get ready for the madness!” At least that’s what the AOL Sports site says. Before coming across those bold, exciting words, I had felt like I was pretty ready for Selection Sunday and what will soon become the peak of March Madness (ya know, college basketball at it’s finest). But, the words taunted me, as a good promotion should, and I indulged myself. Jackpot! All the up-to the minute news and scores here: http://sports.aol.com/ncaabb/tourney/ Your very own pretty bracket to pick your teams and to doodle on and maybe even color code!!! http://sports.aol.com/ncaabb/printbracket Also, there are a couple games they have for those who enjoy a somewhat “fantasy” experience. While it’s not exactly the same, all the games require guessing. Sometimes educated guessing, sometimes not. But always exciting. These contests are only for those 18 and older and since I know most of you aren’t, make sure you get permission from your parents first. Let them deal with the technical stuff; you just pick your teams. http://fantasysports.aol.com/bracketmania/ I’ll keep you guys updated on my competitive efforts this month regarding the art of bracketing. Unless I do really, really horrible and it’s too embarrassing to reveal my results. In that case, eh, tough.

Tar Heel Talk

Wed, 7 Mar 2007 20:13:28 PST

So, I haven’t been writing as much (more like never?) but I was watching the Duke/UNC game on Sunday and Tyler Hansbrough made me want to just blog! And I feel like that’s pretty typical for me… a talented, successful ::cough::cute::cough:: athlete becomes my blogging muse. I’ve come to terms with it. Oh and me writing this has nothing to do with the fact that Tyler got SMACKED in the nose and the instant replay was SWEET!!! And there was blood. And then the refs had to break it up. Sooo, therefore it was pretty much everything you dream a Duke/UNC match-up to be. Also, quick funny story. When I was in fifth grade, I was on a league team called the Tar Heels. We were undefeated … the whole season. I even got a Tar Heels Starter jacket. It was beautiful. So, I’m a little partial to the team, for that random reason. Well, that and now Tyler … he made me wish I’d gotten the UNC Sports Illustrated cover instead of the Georgetown one during the College Basketball preview week. Those issues are based on location. Sports Illustrated- you should do polls! Just because I live near Georgetown, doesn’t mean they are my favorite. Are you listening??? Back on topic, I think Gerald Henderson Jr. took a cheap shot. Hey, we’ve all been in that situation. You’re frustrated, already knowing you’re going to lose, and in the heat of the moment a foul seems worth it. But not to the extent that Henderson took it. But I don't think he wanted to make Hansbrough bleed, it just happened. At least, I hope not.

March Madness!

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:58:40 PST

March is usually somewhat ‘blah.’ Besides St. Patrick’s Day and the official ending of winter, March isn’t the most exciting month of the year. Ah, but contraire. We sports fans have a little secret to spicing up this dreary month (Ya know, especially those years when it kind of snows but just turns into slush because it’s starting to get warm but not quite …? Ugh.) College basketball is the way to go. It has all the same appeal as college football. Less ego (most of the time), no ridiculous pay checks and random different rules, you know, to change things up a bit. So who are we watching for this year (remember, the guys with the supposedly small egos?) Here’s a quick list: Kevin Durant of Texas. This freshmen is a force to be reckoned with. At nearly 7 ft. tall, this versatile player can get the job done at either guard or forward. We’re glad the NBA didn’t steal this guy straight from high school. Greg Oden is another college freshman that is holding up the court this year. He owns the center for the Ohio State Buckeyes, a school obsessed with its athletes. Tyler Hansbrough of UNC, a school famous for the basketball it breeds. Before joining the Tarheels, Hansbrough turned down offers from Duke, Kansas and Kentucky. Last year, he was unanimously named ACC Freshmen Player of the Year. He’s back and ready for more action. Okay, that was a really small list, but we still have a really long time until Selection Sunday. Mark your calendars … March 11. First round starts March 15 and 16. Yeah, you’re super stoked, I know.

Just Some Things...

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:47:03 PST

As you can tell, we have a new blogs layout! Unfortunately, it deleted my last post about the BCS Championship game... I'll have to dig that up in Word and re-post it. I need to figure out my layout and color scheme. Any suggestions?? Has everyone been watching the playoffs like good American football fans? I went out to watch the Eagles/Saints game at a restaurant/bar. Being from Washington D.C. which is very close to Philly, I'm very sensitive to the nature of Eagles fans. They are obnoxious and proud and love to rub things in your face. (For example, my friend Billy, a hardcore Eagles fan IMs me after every game the Eagles win to remind me... like I didn't realize and already dread the fact his IM was coming sometime during my Monday at work). Of course, even though there were probably just as many people rooting for the Saints as the Eagles that night, who were the loudest?? NO WAY, NOT THE EAGLES FANS??? Um, yes way. So, I took it upon myself to start being THAT girl. The one who cheered whenever the Eagles did something bad. Hey, taste of your own medicine, kids. I got a lot of devil eyes shot in my direction, but HA! Your team lost. Now they can go to the Philadelphia airport and boo bad landings. Or look forward to baseball season, which may I remind everyone, spring training is JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Tom Brady is just a Greek god, but not Greek.

RIP Darrent Williams

Tue, 2 Jan 2007 13:48:20 PST

I'm so mad about Darrent Williams. WHY WOULD SOMEONE DO THAT? What is the point?? 24 years old, just getting his career started and some worthless coward decides to mercilessly shoot his limo. Words cannot describe what I feel for his family, friends, the Broncos and their fans right now. If you have time, please visit the Broncos' website. They have a beautiful tribute up for Darrent. DenverBroncos.com - Official Web Site of the Denver Broncos We'll miss your smile, buddy. Please post your thoughts.

WA WA WEE WA!

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:53:56 PST

Okay. So there have been some good ideas about who should be the Un-Sportsman of the Year. Some very legitimate suggestions have made their way into my inbox and I've most enjoyed perusing their sauciness. For example... Terrell Owens continued quest for attention. His apparent overdose with the extremely sketchy details being the first thing that comes to mind, obviously. But hey, T.O.'s been surprisingly low on the radar lately and his team is in the running for the playoffs. So no, T.O. (Sorry for the chaps who wrote in about him, because he was a popular candidate) Floyd Landis and his 'roid scandal at the 2006 Tour de France. Yes, this is appalling. Yes, it is embarrassing for the U.S. And yes, it is QUITE un-sportsmanlike. But seriously -- if I chose Floyd Landis for his drug scandal, I'd have to make it the un-sportsMEN of the year because 'roids is about as popular as Britney going commando these days. Zinedine Zidane's infamous World Cup '06 head butt. This one I didn't really consider because it was so tragic. This amazing athlete, who did so much for his country and for the game of soccer, who was widely praised for his field presence and sportsmanship, and who was SO very close to assisting his team in winning his last World Cup while playing essentially his last international game and WHAM! One (somewhat hilarious, I won't lie) head butt to an opponent who'd obviously deeply offended him and look what he'll be remembered forever for. Sigh. Well, I still love you Zidane. My coworker James, for chucking the office ball at my head after I'd beaten him in Mario Kart today at Chuck E. Cheese celebrating Jen's birthday. BUT... these are all generic. They are like picking Dwayne Wade for Sportsman of the Year ::cough cough:: (Ha ha, just kidding) The one I picked showed great thought and consideration as well as the person in question had obviously bothered the person who'd written it. But most importantly, it made me laugh. SO, DRUMROLL PLEASE, the Un-Sportsman of the Year is... Gym teacher Mr. King! And here is the e-mail about WHY Mr. King deserves this oh-so flattering honor: My gym teacher Mr. King always says wear sweat pants, sweat shirts, don't be late. You all have to do 25 pushups. He walks away and goes to eat his lunch. Mostly always 3 slices of thick, thick, thick Sicilian pizza. Then he tells us to do jumping jacks and get to out activities. We all do the jumping jacks and he sits on the floor with his hands on his head. I think he should be worst sportsman because he doesn't do anything. He weighs almost 250 pounds. Anyways, he should be worst sportsmanship because of that and his crap. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Now, Mr. King, you won't appear on a magazine cover or anything of the sort. But maybe you should consider Weight Watchers or 'The Biggest Loser' reality show perhaps? Because you sound like you would really fit in, even if the show wasn't about losing weight. Har de har har. But, really. Let's see his mile time.

Un-Sportsman of the Year

Thu, 7 Dec 2006 07:31:24 PST

Once again, my posts have come few and far between. My New Years resolution will probably be to post more. I've been doing a lot maintaining the 'Truth or Crap' blog, for those of you that read it. The popularity of that blog quite surpasses mine, so I feel obligated to feed the readers' addictions (they also post lots of comments and send lots of e-mails... how nice that is). Sports Illustrated came out with their annual Sportsman of the Year. Dwayne Wade received the honors. In light of this event and of 2006 coming to a close, I decided, wouldn't it be fun to have our own Sportsman of the Year vote? Or better yet, wouldn't it be fun to switch it up a bit, make it a little juicy and do the Most Un-Sportsman of the Year?!? Yes, I think so. I haven't had time to sit down and make a list, although I certainly have some ideas swirling around in my head. But before we go ahead with this, why don't you guys send in some ideas for who you think should be nominated for the most un-sportsman athlete/coach/commentator... any sports related figure. You can just send me a name or send me a name AND tell me why you think they should be nominated. I'm going to make this a more humorous feature than anything. So send me some funny, wacky nominations if you want to. You all know I appreciate quirkiness. So send them on in: TotesLuvSports@aol.com

Make Room for Romo

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:27:59 PST

I should be arrested for neglect. Extreme and undeserved neglect. I'm sorry blog. Will you ever forgive me?? But I'm back and have no fear, I have not been hibernating entirely. Sports are still life and the rest just details (yeah, I just said that... make fun all you want, it was one of my favorite T-shirt logos in fifth grade, along with my beloved Sambas which I practically slept in). All you lady sports fans check this out:Sexy, Single & Swimmin' in $$$ (And all you boys who get offended by the mentioning of pay checks... deal with it). Also, some Player Profile galleries in case you haven't been checking on RED. David Eckstein Player Profile Reggie Wayne Player Profile Player Profile LeBron James Coming soon: Tony Romo Also, COLLEGE BASKETBALL, WOOO!!!! I made a gallery of some of the incoming freshmen (with a few other non-freshmen faces to look out for). This is the year of the freshmen. And it constantly reminds me that I'm not in college anymore. ::sigh:: Anyway, check this out: NCAA: Unknown Faces, Going Places Also, I went to the Redskins game on Sunday. I was so bitter at halftime not having seen ONE touchdown. But they pulled it off. One more run from Betts though and I was going to go watch some other game where the quarterback ::GASP:: throws the ball. Just kidding. I like Campbell. I just wish we weren't 4-7. So, Tony Romo. Everyone's speculating he's the new Tom Brady. This could be true, but I'd pick Tom Brady's chin dimple over Romo's cheek dimples any day. Are you that surprised I went that way with the comparison and didn't say anything about athletic performance, field presence, etc? Doubt it. Bottom line, Romo looks good and I'm jealous because it's the Cowboys. What do you guys think of Romo? Do you think he's the next Tom Brady? Is he on his way to leading Dallas to multiple Super Bowl victories...?

Finally

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 13:05:39 PST

Finally Gibbs has heard the begging pleas of his know-it-all fans (and come on, we DO know all). Or maybe he'd been hearing them but he's finally decided to humor us and give Jason Campbell his shot at starting QB. The season is done. Hopefully this will at least make watching Skins games interesting. Instead of watching Brunell throw lateral pass after lateral pass or hand it off to Portis (just as the defense expects) so he can frustratingly try to run up the middle. Oh but wait, Portis is out for the season so we won't even get to watch THAT. I say give Randle El more snaps. He seems to find the gaps. (I realized this rhymed when I went back to read it... the little things that amuse me). I'm tired and bitter. Sorry this is late. Sorry I've been slacking. The leaves are starting to fall off the trees. That makes me grumpy. -Kori aka miss sunshiney

PARTY ON THE PITCH!!!

Tue, 7 Nov 2006 09:14:45 PST

I have a little skip in my step today. Last night was a great night for me. My shinguards came out of retirement. And MAN, it felt GOOD!!! I've been playing co-ed softball and football this fall-- two sports that I didn't really grow up playing (softball I played very young and quit to give more time to soccer). But, both of these sports, I just don't know (in terms of playing) like I know soccer. Positioning in football totally confuses me. I have a habit of running to the open space (soccer habit) when really you are supposed to run where the play tells you to run. That doesn't really help your team when most likely, someone else is supposed to be running there, or you should be drawing a defender somewhere else. But, I'm workin' on it... As for softball, my skills are just plain rusty. And I'm competitive so if I go out there and whiff the ball, I'm pissed the rest of the night. That doesn't really help my mental game. So I was excited to play a sport that makes me comfortable in my cleats. Still, I was worried how I'd perform, being that the last time I'd really played a match was a charity tournament two summers ago. But seriously, I totally surprised myself. It was like learning how to ride a bike-- you don't forget. It's an indoor league, and I love indoor. It's all about the ball skills, the short passing game and using the wall as your teammate. For me, this is where I excel and have the most fun. We ended up creaming the other team (a bunch of Irish guys), 18-4 and I put four of those in the net. Not to mention some pretty assits, if I may say so myself. I didn't realize how much I missed playing (well, the World Cup this summer really did have me itchin') until last night. I literally want to play every day and think I may consider joining another team (they always need girls and I was actually recruited to fill-in for a girl-hungry team after our game, but declined being that it was already 11:30PM). AHHHH. I get so excited just talking about it. -Kori

Umm, you know that blonde part...?

Mon, 6 Nov 2006 13:13:17 PST

I had a wonderful start to my Monday this morning. La-de-da driving to work, la-de-da belting out my current favorite sing-a-long-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-songs (Carrie Underwood), la-da-da... I ran out of gas. I was hoping to go through life without having to deal with this, but alas. I have a car that tells you exactly how many miles you have 'til empty (which I find sick pleasure in testing its accuracy) and I still end up on the side of the road. Fun times. The D.C. United program that was in my car from last night made for good reading material while I waited for my friend, though. And of course, I managed to entertain myself while manually filling up my tank by singing 'Dame mas gasolina, dame mas gasolina." Although my version was more like "Somethingsomething gasolina! Somethingsomething gasolina!" But I was fairly certain for awhile this morning that I would smell gasoline for the rest of my life. Oh yeah and it's funny how I boycotted going to the 'Skins/Cowboys game on Sunday because: a.) I didn't feel like watching ants run around on a field for ridiculous amounts of money. b.) I didn't feel like being harassed by obnoxious Dallas fans in their T.O. jerseys. But MAINLY because, c.) "I like watching a D.C. team that actually wins!" (That is me mocking myself in the most annoying tone possible). UGH. Eat my damn words. 'Skins pull off a super exciting win against their bitter rivals (which I didn't even get to WATCH) and D.C. United loses 1-0 in the last game before the championship (but I still got down with their crazy fans... standing on chairs, yelling obnoxiously... what have you). But, hahaha, you guys got the poll wrong. Nah nah boo boo. (Love acting my age). So what's the verdict... WHO'S THE BETTER QB?? - Mr. Every-Month-of-the-Year-on-my-Yum-Yum-Man-Calendar Tom Brady or - Mr. I-Have-a-Different-Commercial-on-During-Every-Break-of-SportsCenter Peyton Manning... ??? Let's hear it. -Kori BTW- I hung out with Fes this weekend (That 70s Show). I just wanted so bad for him to bust out his accented lisp. Gosh. Celebrities are so disappointing in person.

burgundy

Fri, 3 Nov 2006 13:59:56 PST

Um.. as I was looking at some of my old blog entries, I realized I misspelled BURGUNDY like, hmmm let's see... every time I wrote it! Some Redskins fan I am... Post Script- It's the weekend!!! -Kori

Softball Champs!

Fri, 3 Nov 2006 12:08:41 PST

Check it out: Hahahaha. I picked the one with my eyes closed. It's just funnier, don't you think? But yeah, we dominated the whole game. Don't forget to watch the MLS Conference Finals this weekend: EASTERN: D.C. United v. New England Revolution, Sunday 4PM (ESPN2) Who to watch: Pretty much the whole D.C. United squad. Especially MLS Goalie of the Year Troy Perkins and MLS Defender of the Year Bobby Boswell- these two hold the United defense together. For goal scoring action, keep your eyes on Christian Gomez and Alecko Eskandarian. WESTERN: Houston Dynamo v. Colorado Rapids, 7PM (HDNet, Fox Soccer Channel, MLSLive.tv) Who to watch: Houston's Dwayne De Rosario, who scored the only goal against Chelsea in the MLS All-Star match. Yeah Rod!!!

Thu, 2 Nov 2006 13:01:53 PST

I'm not dead! I don't really feel like talking about the World Series because that would be lame, being that it has been almost a whole week since it ended. I would just like to comment that I can see why it was the lowest rated series ever. Oh and check out the David Eckstein gallery I made. Player Profile: David Eckstein. He's such a little muffin. The D.C. United game Sunday was GNARLY (for all you west coasters). I already got my tickets for the Eastern Conference Final this weekend against the New England Revolution. I'm also waiting on a link approval for a little post-game video my sister took of me and my friend Steve celebrating with some Screaming Eagles. Their fans are nuts. I love it. Also, while I'm on this subject, all you football guys out there that discriminate against soccer just because it's like, the totally cool thing to do... I feel sorry for you. Soccer is SUCH an amazing sport with incredible athletes and even rowdier fans (oh but NOTHING can beat a football tailgate, right? Psh). I always throw up in my mouth a little when guys tell me soccer isn't a sport. Shut up. That just sounds uneducated. Soccer fans embrace American football, yet so many football fans don't do that same. It's irritating. How rad was the Cavs/Wizards game last night?? My friend, Megan, is from Cleveland and absolutely obsessed with Lebron. She's gotten me all gooey over him too. I even noticed that I was kind of rooting for the Cavs and then I remembered they were playing my team. Der. What do you guys think of the new ball controversey? I want to throw the ball at some of their heads. Not really. I just felt like saying that. Okay and now for your lesson of the day- Don't let your friends drive erratically on golf carts when you are hanging on the side. Because this will happen: I'm in the maroon sweatshirt. With my face in the ground. Crying. (Okay, really I was laughing, but still...) Lesson learned? Good. ZA ZA ZA ZA!!! -Kori

Boo Hiss

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:41:22 PDT

Ahh. I really wanted to write about last night's game earlier today, but I had no time. So I'm squeezing it in right before game 5 and possibly the last meeting of this series! Where are the Tigers and who is that team that's been playing out there these past few games?? I'm disappointed. I was rooting for them and their fans. I was believer in "Destiny." Magglio Ordonez's hair was even starting to grow on me... But I'm losing faith and the daydreams of me with scissors, furiously chopping off Maggie's long locks, are returning. The Tigers need to STEP it up if they want to win. What's with these big FAT E's? And I mean FAT. It's the freakin' World Series! Get yourselves together! The Cardinals deserve to win at this point. And I don't find anything wrong with that either. I was just expecting way better baseball. Uh oh. Game 5. See ya! Kori

Game 3

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:48:51 PDT

Well, well, well. Is it karma? Kenny karma? The Tigers were not looking pretty last night. Or maybe I should say Chris Carpenter's pitching was looking fierce! WA-WA-WEE-WA! I read a great article today about Dave Duncan, the Cardinals pitching coach. This guy has nothing but praise behind his name. He's very well respected in the baseball circle. Not even having been a pitcher in his own professional career, FOUR pitchers have won the Cy Young Award under his instruction. That's some serious bragging rights. Read it: MLB Playoffs- Duncan Making Trust His Best Pitch as Coach - AOL Sports I'm attending the D.C. United playoff game on Sunday and am super stoked. Except for the fact that I will most likely freeze my tush off. I think I may go hang with the Screaming Eagles (the crazy United fan following). They jump up and down and scream and yell and bang drums the whole time. That should keep me warm. Well, warmER. I have to apologize for not responding to many comments and emails that certainly are deserving of replies, but it has been a crazy time here at RED. So don't you guys fret and just give me a little more time. I will be back in full swing, annoying you with my opinions and talking about athletes nice rear ends. I know it's exciting. Calm down. --Kori

Hope you like my huge face...

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 08:21:13 PDT

Sorry for not posting yesterday. We've been busy with our redesign. How do you guys like the new look?? Exciting times. I was also unaware that my face would be staring at me from one of the main leads today. It's a very shocking experience, I must say. Now I know what those baseball players must feel like when they see their player profile on the big screens at the baseball field when they are up to bat. Okay, maybe it's a little different... WORLD SERIES! Cheers to the Cardinals for pulling off that first win at Comerica. I definitely think it had something to do with the whole week the Tigers had off from competitive play. I was really hoping to see Verlander pitch a better game though. He's certainly done amazing things this year and this postseason, so you can't hold it against him. Pitching game one of your team's first World Series appearance since 1984 (when he was only a year old) is a lot of pressure. I still love you, Justin. Of course, I must talk about the Kenny Rogers' ordeal. Do you guys think it was pine tar on his hand Sunday? I do. Kenny is a little sketchy to me. Not like I know him and can judge him, but does anyone else get a "I don't give a rat's arse" vibe from him? Then the Tiger's first base coach said he thought it was remnants of a tootsie roll on Kenny's hand. HAHAHAHA. Um, tootsie rolls would not melt in that weather and I'm sorry, but anyone who's anyone would have already licked that deliciousness off by that point. Anyway, I still like Kenny's father figure role. I'm going to start calling him Papa Rogers because it just kills me to call him the same name as that singer. It's just really wrong on so many levels. -Kori PS- I'm really sick of the Redskins. The only positive thing I found from their game on Sunday was that Randle El made my purchase of his jersey worth the 60 bones I paid for it because of his outstanding TD on that punt return.

:-(

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 14:39:13 PDT

I was really excited to come and talk about the awesome finale to the NLCS last night, but ya know what? I'm not going to write about it. I ask you guys for your opinions and you just BLOW ME OFF! I'm offended and don't feel like writing for you today. I wan't this to be an interactive, open-discussion blog, but it really doesn't seem to be happening. So for now, I'm going to enjoy my weekend of the start of the World Series as well as the kick-off to the MLS postseason. GO D.C. UNITED!!!! As for all of you, you can go sit in a corner and think about what you have done. Kori

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 11:17:07 PDT

On today's agenda... more controversy. Juicy, juicy!!! Brett Favre is standing up for his teammate Koren Robinson after he was suspended for a year due to violating the terms of the NFL substance abuse program that he was undergoing for a drinking problem. Robinson was arrested for driving while under the influence and attempting to outrun police on Tuesday. (Read here: NFL- Favre Rips NFL for Treatment of Robinson - AOL Sports) Favre chose to speak out because he dealt with the league's substance abuse program about a decade ago when dealing with an addiction to pain medication. Favre made the statement: "I don't like the way the league has, in my mind, turned their back on him. I'm not against banning him for the year. I'd love for him to play, but to boot him out, clean his locker out and say you can't have no contact with this team? I'm no expert, but I would think you would want for people to reach out to him and be within an organization that can help him as opposed to saying, 'You're banned from the building. To make matters worse, we don't even want you over here, so go think about it and deal with it on your own." I have mixed feelings about this. It is a situation similar to a topic I dealt with a lot as a political science major. There were always questions of whether drug addicts (many which have turned into criminals) should be jailed or if they should be rehabilitated. While, many of the circumstances are different, (for example, in real life, it is very expensive for taxpayers to send many of these addicts to rehab and most of the time is unrealistic due to the amount of people that would need treatment) the concept is still the same. Should the NFL theoretically shun Robinson, or should they allow him to stay on as a non-active member of the team? This essentially comes down to the question of whether this harsh penalty will teach Robinson a lesson or whether the support of the team and the distraction of being involved (which you also have to remember, didn't help him before) will assist him in his recovery? I'd love to hear your thoughts. -Kori OH YES AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR ME: RED Blogs: Truth or Crap?

THE SPORTS GIRL SHOULD WIN!!!!

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 12:11:07 PDT

It seems I've turned this into a competition among the RED crew- MWAHAHA... so don't let me lose at my own game - VOTE FOR ME!!!!! Top left corner chaps. RED Blogs: Truth or Crap?

FIIIIGHT!

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:47:05 PDT

Man, I'm loving the surprises this postseason. Who would have thought a week ago the Cardinals would be one game away from winning the NLCS? I love it. Although, I must be honest. I kinda want them to lose tonight. I don't want to have to wait until Saturday to watch more baseball. Besides, the seventh game is always a good one to watch. Someone commented that they'd like to hear my opinion on the FIU/Miami throw down this weekend. My opinion will always be the same with these things and beware because it is a very womanly opinion: We all know you football players really feel the need to display your testosterone filled manliness and hitting opponents with your helmets probably seemed like a good idea at the time but NEWS FLASH: You look like DAMN fools! A real man would walk away. Save your strength and energy for the hitting and blocking and the stupid little end zone dances we love so much. We already know you're tough. You play football. You hit each other as hard as possible to the point of most likely giving yourselves Parkinson's disease when you get older. You don't have to prove anything to us. And if you can't take a snide comment, you shouldn't be playing football. Everyone is talking smack. That shouldn't lead to y'all smacking each other. So now that I'm off my soapbox about brawls... will you guys vote for me in the 'Truth or Crap' poll about which writer would most likely win in a fight? I'm serious. GO VOTE. NOW. RED Blogs: Truth or Crap? Don't you think the sports girl should win this poll?!? (Besides, I've written like, almost all the entries this week... I deserve it!) -Kori

Lyons and Tigers and Piniella OH MY!

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:55:15 PDT

Let's talk a little controversy. A little controversy called "Steve Lyons is a racist." Haha, well that's for you to decide. I just like to make it sound REALLY controversial. Mr. Lyons is a commentator for FOX's MLB postseason airings. Friday, he made some jokes about Lou Piniella's Hispanic heritage. Here are some blurbs about his ramblings: In the second inning of Friday's game between Detroit and Oakland , Piniella talked about the success light-hitting A's infielder Marco Scutaro had in the first round of the playoffs. Piniella said that slugger Frank Thomas and Eric Chavez needed to contribute, comparing Scutaro's production to finding a "wallet on Friday" and hoping it happened again the next week. Later, Piniella said the A's needed Thomas to get "en fuego" - hot in Spanish - because he was currently "frio" - or cold. After Brennaman praised Piniella for being bilingual, Lyons spoke up. Lyons said that Piniella was "hablaing Espanol" - butchering the conjugation for the word "to speak" - and added, "I still can't find my wallet." "I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit too close to him now," Lyons continued. (Read full article: Baseball- Lyons Fired for Racially Insensitive Remark - AOL Sports) This is a sticky situation. Many people find comedy in racial jokes. But at the same time, many people don't. To me, these kinds of comments should be saved for a group of close friends. I'm not plugging racism here, but if you are going to make jokes (and it's going to happen no matter what), make them in a place around people you know won't be offended. A primetime cable network baseball game is not one of those places. Millions of people are watching. And our country has millions of Hispanics. AND Major League Baseball has hundreds of talented Hispanics playing for their teams. They are exceptional players! Just to name a few: Albert Pujols, Francisco Liriano, Johan Santana, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Jorge Posada, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz... the list goes on and on. Those are just some of the big names... The whole conversation wasn't a very bright idea on Lyons part. As to be expected, Lyons issued an apology, saying there was no racial connotations behind his words. Do you guys believe him? If not, what do you think about this issue? Should we forgive commentators who feel they are making light conversation and who may be unaware of the underlying meanings their discussions have on the large audience at home? Like I said, it's a sticky situation. --Kori

Not so fun post...

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 09:25:25 PDT

Cory Lidle 1972-2006 I am very, very saddened by the death of Cory Lidle. While I never really followed his career, I think his passion for flying hits close to home because it's my dad's favorite thing to do. He owns a twin engine Beechcraft Baron, and while it is a somewhat larger plane and my dad is also much more experienced then Lidle was, it just opens your eyes to how these accidents do occur and that it can happen to anyone. My heart really goes out to New Yorkers. Not only did they briefly re-live the worst day in our nation's history before finding out the crash wasn't a terrorist attack, they then find out that it is a member of their beloved baseball team. As much as I rip on the Yankees, they really are a symbolic part of New York and of the city's history. The people truly have passion for their team and as I'm sure they are already upset about the 1st round exit of the Yankees this postseason, Lidle's death only adds salt to the open wound. A lot of salt. It is very devastating and my thoughts are with Lidle's close ones, the Yankees, the people of New York and with the whole MLB family on this very sad day. --Kori

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 15:06:41 PDT

I received a very flattering comment from my entry yesterday and would like to share it. As a girl who likes sports, I'm constantly questioned about my knowledge. Getting approval from a baseball coach who is constantly around the game and needs to know it inside out, this made me feel very special: Hi Kori, I have seen your blonde to baseball about a week ago and thought it was about clueless people that did not know about the real game of baseball, so I did not pay any attention to it. But after the Tigers won tonight, I decided to check it out to see what it was all about. So I see your picture and interested so I check out your messages. Pretty imppressed by things your say, but wondering just what you know. A lot of reporters and other people tend to follow sports and go over the same stuff that every body else does and fololow the same points but do not know the difference in playing the game or even understanding the game. I have played four years of college baseball plus coach one year of college ball at a school that I had no ties too. I currently coach a Connie Mack all star team out of the Flint, MI area for the past 11 years. I have sent many kids to the college level and I currently have 4 past players playing minor league baseball (about 40 currently playing college baseball). Do people really understand the game of baseball or do they just follow the general idea that is usually wrong. It is pretty easy to say that both American League teams have great pitching staffs and do a lot of the little things to win games, but here is the real answer. The Tigers have a great staff but, the most important thing is that they all know there roles and do not try to do too much. The athletics also have a great starting staff but slip a little bit with the short setup guys and that is going to decide the series. I predict the Tigers will win it in 5 games, just because of the atomosphere in Coamerica Park. Hope that you e-mail me back and that we can talk about baseball and all of the little things that other people do not understand. See Yah, Brad Palacios Tailors Baseball Program This is what I wrote back: Thanks for your comments on my blog. I always love feedback. While I'll never pretend to know more than I do, and am certainly no expert, I love the game of baseball. The month of Oct. is a month of mixed feelings for me, because although I see some of the best games of the year, it also means in a short while I'll have to wait a good 5 months until I see anymore action on the diamond. I played softball until I was about 10. I quit to be more competitive in soccer and basketball (I liked playing the contact sports) but I never stopped watching the game of baseball and really wish it was still the nation's most watched sport (I love the Redskins, but it's hard for me to really get into the whole NFL... football is a true man's sport). Although, I have started my softball career again, more than a decade later. I've been so impressed by the Tigers and I'm really rooting for them to win the whole thing. Last night, I believe it was around the 4th or 5th inning, the A's had two runners on base (2nd and 3rd if I recall correctly) and just one out. Leyland approached the mound to talk to Robertson. Leyland later told the commentators what he had told Robertson and that was to not worry about the runners... they were up by 5, two runs isn't going to kill them. Robertson proceeded to strike out the next two batters. I think that is great coaching and it is those little things that I revel in that many spectators overlook. I've always been a firm believer in the mental aspect of the game and this team is coming off an outstanding series against the Yankees. I think they believe in themselves and believe they can do anything. They are now making the rest of us believe the same thing too. I could go on and on... about how I think Leyland was right about holding off on using Kenny Rogers (let that man rest and revel in his amazing Friday night game), about the career Verlander has ahead of him, about how I love that Ivan Rodriguez is still called "Pudge" even though he's no longer fat, etc, etc. People say that baseball is boring and it's old-fashioned. Well, I say, it's intriguing and it's beautiful and I don't feel bad for you if you think those things. One of my favorite quotes is by Red Barber when he said, "Baseball is dull only to dull minds." If you find baseball dull... then you don't know what the game is truly about. Thanks soooo much again and please keep reading! (You should read the entry where I talked about chasing Cal Ripken Jr.'s car when I was 8... true story). Just thought I would share, as it also goes with the postseason theme I've been focusing on. -Kori

ALCS Starts Tonight!!!

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:44:51 PDT

Before I post about my postseason picks, I always read AOL Richard Justice's column and quiz my predictions against his. For the Division series, I guessed all of them exactly as he did, down to the amount of games it would take the team to win. Of course, both of us were wrong on all accounts except the Mets. As I was doing that today (I guessed Tigers in 5, he had predicted Tigers in 6... so I was close), I became so pumped by his article... and it made me fall in love with baseball all over again. Here are some of my favorite quotes: "This isn't the sexy matchup. This probably isn't the matchup television would prefer.And that's another reason to love the ALCS. If it's going to be just us baseball fans watching, so be it." Everyone who's anyone, even those who don't follow a lick of sports, would have known what was going down in the AL pennant race if the Yankees were in it. The Yankees are like the Bragelina of baseball... everyone knows what they are doing and when they are doing it and if they need to go number two or if they need to pick their nose. I'll be happy to get rid of those followers. Shoo- go ahead and go poop and pick your nose with the Yankees. We'll all point and laugh. Another one: "The Tigers are coming off a series in which they shut out the Yankees for 20 consecutive innings, the longest postseason shutout streak in 15 years." Heck yes that's awesome. Cheers to the Tigers who were certainly struggling leading into the postseason. And this one just makes me wish so badly that one of my teams was in the playoffs: "If the rest of the country tunes out, it'll miss a city that is in love with its baseball team. That baseball team isn't going to disappoint it. This is going to be a close, well-played series, a series powered by pitching." So, with that being said, here's my ALCS pick: AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP DETROIT TIGERS vs. OAKLAND A'S Who will win: Tigers Who I want to win: Tigers Pitching is key in the postseason and the Tigers have proven again and again that they are a major threat in this category. Justin Verlander is my pick for AL Rookie of the Year and after Kenny Rogers amazing appearance against the Yankees last week, I'm pretty sure he can do anything. Even fly. Read Richard's article: MLB Playoffs- ALCS Prediction: Tigers vs. A's - AOL Sports SO WHO DO YOU WANT AND WHAT DO YOU THINK??? --Kori

Hilarious!!!

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 11:19:08 PDT

AHHHH HAHAHA! This weekend I had decided to link up to the Major League Soccer homepage to cue you guys in on the MLS playoffs that have been taking place (especially since it gets no coverage whatsoever on ESPN). I requested a picture of my friend Bobby Boswell, who plays for D.C. United, as the promotional picture for various reasons. First, he's good. He is a key starting player for D.C. United at center fullback. He's also been mentioned as a candidate for MLS Defender of the Year. Second, I've met him. I won't deny it- I play favorites. I talk about the Redskins every week, post pictures of Joe Mauer, tell you guys everytime Rocco Baldelli appears in Sports Illustrated, etc, etc. Third, I knew if I didn't request a specific person, I'd most likely get a picture of Freddy Adu and I didn't want to be generic. There was already a picture of T.O. in the main spot for today. This blog has a point, I swear... As I was purusing the MLSNet.com page to see what you all would be in for when clicking the link, who's very enlarged photo was being featured, but BOBBY BOSWELL. I was like, "Wow, how appropriate... I'm so good at my job!" But then, I read the text. This is where it gets good... Bobby has been nominated in Cosmopolitan magazine's 50 Hottest Bachelors of the Year (secret: He represents VA but he lives in D.C.)! AHHH HAHAHA. Even funnier is his video. It is SO Bobby. He's quite the hilarious character and you can certainly see that through it. Go here to watch the video and read the news story: http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20061009&content_id=75247&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp (scroll up.. it's weird) I would tell you guys to go vote for him to win the overall stupendous honor of Bachelor of the Year, but I don't think I can promote the Cosmo website on here. So go do it yourselves. And don't tattle on me.

I'm still alive...

Mon, 9 Oct 2006 07:54:21 PDT

I knew I was going to sign on to LOTS of comments and emails after this weekend's AWESOME postseason games. I've been out of town in Sedona, Arizona for an all weekend wedding (a BEAUTIFUL place... if you ever have a chance to visit, you should). Don't you worry your sports loving little heads though because I certainly squeezed in my fair share of baseball... including almost missing the reception shuttle to witness the Tigers clinch the ALDS against the Yankees!!! This was a nice make-up for the Twins getting swept by the A's. Boo. So many SURPRISES! But that's how I like it and that's what makes baseball so freakin' amazing. I'm actually still in Arizona, blogging at 7:30 in the morning so I don't keep y'all hanging for another day... but I will be posting something more official and in depth about the games tomorrow when I'm back at RED. I wish I could have updated every day! But that will be the case from now on... so get stoked because I am!!! -Kori

All Systems Are Go For POSTSEASON!!!!!

Wed, 4 Oct 2006 08:55:15 PDT

I love love love love love October. For multiple reasons, like the leaves changing, Halloween, softball playoffs are coming and my team is still undefeated.... BUT mainly because it's the BEST MONTH EVER for baseball. LALALALAAAAAA. See? I'm singing I'm so excited! So chaps, this blog entry is going to be interactive. I want you to pick the team you THINK will win and then the team you WANT to win for the division series games. I'm going to do this throughout the postseason, mainly because I'm obsessed and also because I want to hear who's rooting for who: POSTSEASON PICKS DIVISION SERIES American League NEW YORK YANKEES (1) vs. DETROIT TIGERS (0) Who will win: Yankees Who I WANT to win: Tigers The Yankees are on fire and with Derek Jeter the clutch postseason player that he is (which he made ever more apparent from his 5-5 game last night), it's going to take a lot to stop these baseball freaks of nature. Not to mention, the Tigers have done so poorly in their last 50 games, the only teams with a worse record than them are the Devil Rays and Cubs. Oops. MINNESOTA TWINS (0) vs. OAKLAND A'S (1) Who will win: Twins Who I want to win: Twins Unfortunately, the Twins lost the first series game at home and with the year's best pitcher. Another unfortunate reality is that rookie ace Francisco Liriano is not able to help strengthen the pitching forthis year's playoffs. But the Twins have a great offense, it's just a matter of getting them to deliver when it really counts. Like in October. National League ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (1) vs. SAN DIEGO PADRES (0) Who will win: Padres Who I want to win: Cardinals At least this is what I thought yesterday when I starting writing up this feature. But the Cards did there fair share yesterday, showing the Padres, who've been dominating in the late regular season, that they have what it takes to succeed. The Padres have a deeper bullpen though and all their prime pitchers are healthy and ready to play ball. NEW YORK METS vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS Who will win: Mets Who I want to win: Mets If the Mets don't win this one in at least four games, not only will this be the most disappointing end to a franchises' season in a long time, but probably the saddest end to all us baseball fans' chance at watching the only team that could maybe give the Yanks a run for their money in the playoffs. So come on boys, keep the domination rolling. So the question remains, who do YOU guys think will make it past the division series? And who do you WANT to (because that is most important, obviously)?

No Monday Blues Here!

Mon, 2 Oct 2006 11:39:34 PDT

Hahahaha, now that I've crawled around the floor of my pod for five minutes looking for my earring that had really just fallen down my shirt, I guess I will blog... I'm officially back to humming the Redskins' fight song everywhere I go. I hope most of you caught their exciting OT victory against the Jaguars. I bought tickets last minute on Friday and I'm so glad I did. I remember literally holding my hands together and looking to the sky, praying to God we'd win the coin toss. I think I was so close to the sky that God actually heard me (a.k.a. I was like 10 rows from the last row... oh, but it's still glorious). Santana Moss TORE IT UP!!!!!! I've never been to such a loud, crazy Redskins game. Oh man, I get goose bumps just thinking about it!!! Tiger Woods is thinking of taking a break from the PGA tour after his ridiculously amazing, inhuman, spectacular summer of dominance. I can't say I blame him. Why not cool down while you're still on fire? Besides, maybe it will leave room for more competition instead of seeing this on the scoreboard every other weekend: 1. Woods -985946794857645. Maybe Woods can talk his new found friend Federer into taking a little "break" from tennis? Let Roddick rise!!! I'm still giddy. WEEEEEE! BY THE WAY- I'd love to hear your thoughts on Albert Haynesworth kicking Andre Gurode in the head. Although Haynesworth has made a public apology and called his actions "disgusting," I still can't help but be totally disturbed by this. I know there is a lot, a lot of "poo" talking going on during the games between the players but to take it to a physical level such as KICKING someone in the head?? That is a serious temper problem that needs to be dealt with. You need to be able to control your anger when you are playing at such a high level of football. These guys could really do a number on each other if they decided to go around kicking a player in the head every time they got upset. What do you guys think of this incident and what sort of punishment should he get? -Kori

T.O. Update

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:30:32 PDT

So, obviously I know T.O. is denying he tried to commit suicide. I actually believe him. It makes more sense that he was most likely sitting around his probably pimped-out house, soaking up in his self-absorbtion and popping those pills for recreational use. I'm sure he was drinking along with them and oops, took one too many. Good thing you had your publicist to come save you from what could have been a very sad and pathetic way to go, T.O. You know, because he really needed all those pills for his poow wittle baby fingew. I want to shake him and say, "Get a grip and focus on your game!!!" This guy could be even better than he is if he started playing with some passion instead of going out there every day and turning it into a popularity contest or just to see a fat check every year. If he put his head and his heart in the right place, T.O. could really help a team win a championship instead of hurting them with his constant distractions. Once again, I ask, what do YOU guys think?? -Kori

Oh no, T.O.

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 11:30:50 PDT

Wow... so I'm sure you all, like myself, are still reeling from the news about Terrell Owens. For those of you who are unaware, last night T.O. attempted suicide by swallowing a large amount of pain medication. I have mixed feelings about this situation. As you all know, I'm not the biggest T.O. fan. I think he's got a poor attitude and while he has immense talent, the last thing he has on his mind is the game of football. Or at least playing it with any bit of integrity. But... I couldn't help but feel sorry for him when I heard about the incident this morning. To me, it is obvious that Owens has some psychological issues. The speculation is that this was another desperate cry for attention and while I believe that has much to do with it, I also think Owens is a disturbed individual. Obviously, trying to take your life is an act fueled by deep depression. The situations that T.O. has dealt with through the past couple seasons (many of which he has brought on himself), and his recent string of injuries could be a likely cause of his feeling a need to harm himself. What do you guys think? -Kori

The Saints Came Marching In�

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:21:00 PDT

Last night's Monday Night Football game was one fit for a Super Bowl. Special aired segments, celebrations, confetti, a packed Bourbon Street and U2. And anytime U2 plays somewhere, you know it's kind of a big deal. As you all know it was the Saints return to the Superdome when just 56 weeks ago, the same stadium was being used as a shelter from the country's worst natural disaster in history. The night symbolized a city in the midst of rebuilding and this was its coming out party. It was all very emotional. It was extremely evident, especially after the Saints blocked the first punt and scored their first TD that the home team was not going to lose. It's not often that punts and kicks get blocked and last night New Orleans stopped TWO!!! That is some passionate play, right there. Usually, after watching a Monday night game, I refresh myself with all the details at the live blog that Fanhouse blogger MJD writes for AOL Sports. But, I was so annoyed with his entry this week. It was bash, bash, bash. Bash Kornheiser (okay, that's maybe legitimate), bash ESPN, bash Theisman, and basically bash the whole freakin' segment. He said that this was a time for football and there was too much talking and discussion about New Orleans and Katrina. Umm, can we be a LITTLE more arrogant?? Were you that far removed from last years events that you can't see that this was a BIG DEAL and of course they are going to make a BIG DEAL about it?? I thought the segments were touching and well done. Screw those football nuts that are SO DAMN NUTTY that they can't FOR ONE NIGHT sit and at least watch other people appreciate what a team has done for their city? To me, it is very symbolic for what the game of football means to this country- how influential and significant it is to our people. No one can deny the power of the Saints and the magnitude of their support and how it has helped New Orleans. Every once and awhile, football can be more than just football. Sometimes I want to punch those meatheads in the face who try to convince otherwise. I'd love to hear what you guys thought of the game and of ESPN's coverage. Please email me at TotesLuvSports@aol.com and I will post some of your comments. PS- As you all probably noticed, I didn't post about the Redskins first win this weekend. First off, I don't want to make you guys hate me for only talking about the Skins. Second off, they should have won. If they hadn't, then maybe you'd be hearing from me. Third, only Mark Brunell could set an NFL pass completion record without throwing a pass father than like, 5 yards. Oh yeah, and against the league's worst defense. Cheers.

A Favorite Memory

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 10:11:15 PDT

It's funny that I went on a short Peter Angelos tirade yesterday because I had no idea this was going down: http://sports.aol.com/mlb/story/_a/disgruntled-orioles-fans-walk-out-on/20060921180809990001?cid=1690 1,000 fans just up and left the Orioles game last night in protest to Angelos' poor ownership over the 13 or so years he's been in charge. It is the Orioles' ninth-consecutive losing season. The last time us Baltimore fans saw any postseason action was 1997. I was 13. I'm now 22. That is just tragic. And I mean like Shakespearean tragedy-tragic. So, let me tell you what I remember about the somewhat better days. When we at least still had Cal Ripken Jr. to root for. And boy, did I root for him. Around the years when Camden Yards first opened, my parents purchased season tickets, which I applaud them for, being that we lived a good hour and a half away from the field and if anyone knows the D.C. area, taking the beltway to I-95 is the worst experience in the history of experiences. Anyway, we ventured up there many times to watch our beloved Birdies in action. My sister, Nikki and I, always got lots of attention as the little girls in their Orioles shirt, Orioles hat and even Orioles baseball dangly earrings. I'm not kidding, although I kind of wish I was. I look back and cringe, but hey, no one really is proud of what they wore when they were 8. One very exciting night, made even more so by the fact that it was my idol Cal's birthday, our parents decided to treat us even further and let us stay after with all the autograph seekers and get a baseball signed by as many Orioles as possible. I think it was the first time in my short 8 years on the earth that I'd actually wanted the game to be over. When it FINALLY was, we headed down to the barricades they set outside the locker rooms for the fans to stand and wait. I remember being one of the shortest, sticking my little head over the barricade and squeezing myself between some bigger guys�being young and vulnerable had its perks, as random people will look out for you. I was right up front, baseball and pen in hand, armed and ready. I'll be honest, I only remember Brady Anderson signing my ball in those first few minutes. I have no idea what happened to that ball, unfortunately, because then I could see the signatures. It's a sad, sad fact. Even more unfortunate, was how much more I would have appreciated Brady Anderson signing my ball if it had happened in the past 10 years instead of when I was still at the 'not-yet-interested-in-boys' phase. Not that I didn't love him then, it was just for different reasons than his awesome sideburns and fantastic rear. But what can ya do. The night got later and the players came out less. My little head started to realize he may not come and my little heart started to break. Where was my Cal? Where was the man I so longed to just be in the presence of?? AND THEN... a car comes driving up out of the locker room area! It starts driving past! I hear someone yell, "It's Cal!" It was like one of those moments. Those life or death moments where your body just reacts. Fight or flight. And I was ready for both! I joined the stampeding crowd and raced after my idol's black Mercedes! I barely remember the chase, all I remember was thinking "It's Cal! It's Cal! It's Cal!" This is when my mom likes to tell her part of the story. My sister, being the obedient child, stood and watched as the fans took off. She then apparently asked my mom if she could go after Cal as well, to which my mom replied that she couldn't (and very rationally so, being that it was a very late evening in downtown Baltimore�not the safest of cities). That's when my sister (the tattletale), said, "Kori's going." My mom says she looked up and remembers seeing my L.A. Light sneakers light up like crazy and get further and further away as I ran, ran, ran. I wasn't giving up. Finally, Cal stopped. His car was surrounded with fans. But somehow, I worked my way right up next to the driver side (once again, being the little girl O's fan helped), where a mother and daughter were getting him to sign a poster. Unfortunately, I could do nothing more but stand there in awe. I was looking at Cal Ripken Jr. He was right there. RIGHT THERE!!! I couldn't believe it and to this day, I will never ever forget being frozen in that spot, completely content with just gawking at my idol. I think my face almost fell off from smiling and while I don't really remember the rest of the night, I'm sure I fell asleep on the drive home and had wonderful dreams of baseball, the Birds, Camden Yards and of course Mr. Cal Ripken Jr� an extraordinary man and true legend of the game. Here's what my mom said during our IM conversation when I told her I was blogging about this: My mom: you were so proud of yourself... I wish we had a picture of that - I thought we took one... but we probably didn't want to bother him. Yeah, I was pretty damn proud. KEEP ON TRUCKIN'! -Kori

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 12:29:27 PDT

I have to apologize for not updating for over a week... definitely not my style! I've been pretty busy, as well as still getting over the oh-so depressing loss of my beloved Redskins to our arch nemisis Dallas. I'm not going to go into all the details... I mean, why relive that fateful evening and put myself through such pain all over again? I will just plainly state that our team looks like a steaming pile of nasty fresh warm doo-doo (I know, you all can thank me for that lovely mental picture later). Everyone in the D.C. area is wondering where Saunders' offense is. Um, I have an idea -- buried somewhere in Brunell's washed-up QB playing. I hate to jump on the bandwagon of "Let's Rip Brunell to Pieces" because he seems like a nice guy and blah blah blah. But come on, we all know what happens to to nice guys -- THEY FINISH LAST! So anyone who would like to see the Redskins do well (and the owner of this blog happy and not-so cynical), chant with me -- CAMPBELL, CAMPBELL, CAMPBELL! Oh and I love Sean Taylor. Thank you Mr. Taylor for hitting the crap out of T.O. I much enjoyed watching the Giants/Eagles game on Sunday. Sometimes I venture out of my little Redskins-obsessed world and enjoy a football game that's worth watching and where the first half doesn't take TWO HOURS BECAUSE OF PENALTIES (okay, okay, I'm over it... I'm chilling out). I was rooting for New York and Eli (my favorite Manning, personally) because I like to see a comeback and maybe also because the plasma TV and NFL Sunday Ticket that I was using to observe the game belonged to a big Giants fan. Which ever one, take your pick. I also have a new baseball player obsession. The Mauer one is still there, although it's cooled off a little. I did get a Twins tee with his name and that pretty 7 on it. I like to wear it out and get asked over and over if I'm from Minnesota. "No." "Then why are you wearing a Twins jersey?" "Because I want to and I like Joe Mauer." Then I shock them with my extensive knowledge of baseball and drop some impressive stats or maybe the names of a couple low radar players. The look of awe on their faces is always priceless. But then I usually have dug myself a hole and have to find excuses to exit the conversation because most of the time I really don't want to be talking to that person. I'm just kidding. A little. ANYWAY- back on track. Nick Markakis is my new culprit. This is why he rocks: -He's plays for Baltimore and I grew up an O's fan (my fandom for the Birds as of late though has not been as faithful because I'm highly anti-Peter Angelos, their owner... but since they are FINALLY allowing Nats games to be aired locally, something Mr. Angelos lobbied against, I've realized how much I miss that beautiful orange and black.. OH and I have a GREAT story for you guys about my Cal Ripken Jr. obsession as a child. I may just tell it tomorrow). -He's put up some serious numbers the second half of this season and has Rookie of the Year potential. Or at least I think so... Did you miss the RED Sports: 2006 MLB Rookies Gallery I fabulously made? While I'd like Markakis to win, I'm putting my money on Liriano or Verlander. The rookie pitching this year is not something that can be ignored. -He's Greek. Greeks are so hot right now. Haha, jk. But really, the Greek thing made my list. Because it's my list. -He went to Young Harris college which is the tiniest little college in North Carolina that one of my best friends attended (before transferring to UGA). Small world. -He plays outfield and I like outfielders. They are fast and in shape. I enjoy watching an athlete. I think that about finishes my list. For now. I'll find more things. Don't you worry. But I'm seriously contemplating going to the Orioles/Twins game tomorrow night at Camden Yards (the best stadium ever). Joe Mauer AND Nick Markakis both at the same time and place. Heaven on earth I tell you. Well, almost as heavenly as a Redskins tailgate. Later broskies. -Kori