Archive for August, 2009

Aug 24/25 Happy Bday Cal Ripken And Albert Belle

Happy birthday Cal Ripken. What more can I say about Cal? He’s my all-time favorite athlete in any sport. What more can you say about his stats? He’s a 19 time, yes… 19 time All-Star selection. One of only 8 players to have 300+ HR’s and 3000+ hits. 82 ROY, 2 time MVP and Hall of famer. Simply the greatest shortstop of all-time. In retirement Cal has been very busy. He (along with brother Bill) has started many business ventures under the Ripken Baseball umbrella. Minor league teams, books, memorabilia, public speaker, commercial endorser and more. His vision of growing baseball at the grass roots level has blossomed into hundreds of thousands of children learning to baseball “The Ripken Way.” Happy 49th Mr. Ripken.

Happy birthday Albert (Joey) Belle. Albert signed a 5yr-$65 million contract with the Orioles prior to the 1999 season. I remember him hitting an opposite field home run at Camden Yards in the opening game that season…I turned to Porkboy and said “he’s gonna hit 162 this year!” Ooops. Albert was on the Orioles payroll from 1999-2003, although he only was active in the 99-00 seasons. During his 2 seasons with the O’s Albert hit 60 dongs and drove in 220, so that was a little over $1 million per homerun. Albert developed an arthritic hip that cut his career with the Orioles short. He is one of only 5 MLB players (Ruth, Foxx, Gehrig & Pujols) to hit 30+ HR’s and drive in 100+ in 8 consecutive seasons. In retirement Albert got big as a house and started stalking escorts. Happy 43rd Mr. Belle.

Cheers and Hail

RevJT: Football And New Tech

The Twitterverse is all a Twitter about Tweets these days. Just writing that sentence has made my nose bleed, but it’s true! Even CNN is getting in on the Twitter craze (just look at how they’ve covered Michael Jackson and Iran lately) and NFL players are no exception. But it isn’t just Twitter that has this season hyped to be the tec-mo super bowl year of the century!

As soon as I got into Twitter I immediately saw how one day Chad Ochocinco would be tweeting from the end zone. I mean he’s gotta one-up Joe Horn…I mean he was only on a cell phone so naturally Ochocinco has to rock some sort of awesome tech to earn his fines this year. But while we read about how various players feel about Vick’s return, @DHall23 and his new site, and Chris Cooley’s burned horse there are far more tools out there to help us, the common fan, get in touch with not just the players but the game itself. Lets take a quick look at some of these new techs including Twitter:

• ESPN.com and fantasy football: Fantasy football has come a long way since we all sat huddled around someone with a spreadsheet application or a white board drinking PBR and making fun of each other’s mothers. Now there is a vast landscape of draft tools, mock draft applications, and “cheat sheets”. Preparing for a fantasy draft is now like scouting. Seriously it borderlines on not even being fun sometimes…but only sometimes. If you head over to ESPN.com’s fantasy sports page you can get a listing of every players ratings according to ESPN’s experts and even a whole “Draft Kit” page that can break down each team individually.
• Madden 10: I’ve been playing Madden games for many, many years. Now back in the day I was a Tecmo Bowl user (can you tell by the reference?) but as soon as Madden hit the PS2 I was hooked. This year’s version of the game might be the best yet! There are all kinds of things you can do BESIDES play fake football. You can adjust your teams budgets and buy video kiosks for your fake stadiums! Even without the lifelike tedium of program management the football game play is incredibly realistic and if you simulate a season or two you might just get a feel for how the Skins may fare this year.
• Twitter: And here is the Twitter. Have you ever wondered what an NFL player does after a game? WONDER NO MORE! Now you can see how a populace revolts against their oppressive government (Iran) AND you can see how frequently a player watches cable programming. For those who doubt the insightful nature of Twitter I’ll repeat an earlier claim: CNN uses it as a reference.
• Mobile content: I just got myself a Palm Pre. At the risk of this posting reading like one big ad I must say it is a killer device. Part of the Pre’s awesomeness comes from Sprint TV which comes loaded on it. Sprint TV allows you to stream certain content from providers. One of these providers is none other than the NFL Network. Today I watched video of a young Brett Favre (3 teams ago) running away from a rabid squirrel on the football field. This video invoked two reactions from me 1.) How did Favre get the toughness to survive so many consecutive games when he was running from a squirrel like a little girl with a skinned knee? 2.) I can literally get a football fix whenever and wherever I want. Now I watched this on my small mobile device while sitting directly in front of my big screen TV which had a REAL game (Ravens vs. Jets) but that just goes to show you that this year, more so than any other year, anything you could possibly want from the National Football League is right there at your beckon call.

It is only the second week of the pre-season and I’m already knee deep in player tweets, fantasy scouting reports, simulated season results, and squirrel fearing Favres. There is so much content out there that you’ll forget stuff you used to know. I used to be upset that the O’s are on their way to their 12th loosing season in a row…but now I’m surrounded by the NFL. Is it any wonder that its the largest league in the nation? Is it any wonder that we’re all already ready for some football? #HTTR!!!!

Hokie30sgirl: Michael Vick…It’s Not All Bad Newz

Fatpickle’s Note: Please welcome Hokie30sgirl to the website. She is an avid Redskins and Virginia Tech fan who is rumored to look like me…so you get the picture, she’s hot! And I speak to her on behalf of everyone who reads this…we’re gonna need more details on the not signing the SI thing. Welcome Hokie30sgirl:

Go SKINS, War Eagle…

Oh, wait, is that the wrong cheer? GO EAGLES! Who says a SAHM (stay at home mommy for those of you that don’t know) can’t have an opinion about football? Let me first say that I’ve always been a lifelong Redskins fan. I remember being in the 3rd grade and giving an “I have a dream” speech about how I wanted to be the first female wide receiver in the NFL~ just like my idol, Art Monk. I would spend my afternoons at Redskins Park chasing down autographs with my brother…Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders, Monte Coleman, Dave Butz, Joe Jacoby, Russ Grimm and Dexter Manley! Oh stop me… I’ll get carried away- I was in love! And I’ll never forget when sportscaster Frank Herzog looked at my younger brother and said he didn’t have enough time to sign his shirt- WTF… the nerve! So, long story short, I lived and breathed Hog football. I still love the skins- even if I am married to a Cowboys fan… And, yes, I admit to teaching my four-year-old son to cheer, “Boo Tony Homo.”

With that being said, this season, I will also proudly cheer for another team… the Philadelphia Eagles. Being a Virginia Tech alumnus, I’ve always been a fan of Michael Vick. I remember watching him at Tech and he truly brought magic to the field with all his talent. I will be the first to admit that the man has made mistakes- BIG mistakes. My best friend just chewed me out when I said I was writing this post- something about how could I dare support a dog killer whose brother is a rapist and how the NFL should be called Thugville since they glamorize men that get away with murder… yada, yada, yada. I’m so sick of the media bashing Vick. I’ve heard it all, but I, for one, am so glad that the NFL is giving Vick a second chance. Whether or not he is going to take it seriously is yet to be determined, but I really feel he couldn’t have found a better place. I’m hoping that McNabb can be a role model for him and that Tony Dungy and Coach Reid can help guide Vick into not only being a great football player, but a positive influence off the field as well.

I watched the Eagles press conference and there isn’t a coach out there with more class than Dungy. He sincerely spoke about his work with inmates and helping them re-enter society. He also spoke about Christian forgiveness. If this came from anyone else, I’d say it was scripted and a bunch of crap, but it was truly sincere from him. I know that Vick has made some huge mistakes in his life. Hellooooo- when you hook up with a girl and then afterwards refuse to sign her Sports Illustrated and just jet (no, mom, it wasn’t me), I wouldn’t say you have the best of intentions!

But let’s be real, he’s going to be in the news regardless if he’s able to play in the NFL or not. Would I rather see articles about how Vick is in foreclosure and in more trouble with the law, or would I rather see him turn into a success and overcome his past? As a mother, I would choose the later, and if he uses his talent from here on out wisely, I would even call him as a role model for kids. Everyone makes mistakes, and if second chances aren’t given, then this is a shallow world. What’s done is done; so I hope he makes the best of this chance… so please Mike, make me, and the rest of the Hokie Nation proud. And while I’m begging… Please Skins have a good season. We bought season tickets this year… and right now we’re losing our a$$~ and this sahm’s budget can’t take that!!!

8/23 Happy Bday Sonny Jurgensen & Mike Boddicker

8/19: Redskins TC Update

(AP photo via Yahoo Sports)

Chris Mortensen visited Redskins Park and JC. (NFC East Blog)

Happy Bday Boog Powell & Brian Mitchell

Happy birthday Boog Powell. Boog played 16 seasons with the Orioles from 1961-1974. While playing for the O’s he accumulated 1,574 hits, 303 HR’s and 1,063 RBI’s. He ranks in the top 7 all-time in nearly every Orioles offensive category. He was a 4 time All-Star, 2 time World Series champion and the 1970 AL MVP. A hulking 6’4” and 240 (plus) lbs, Boog was a big lovable teddy bear. As great a player as Boog was, he may be a better cook. He’s written several cookbooks and you can’t go to Camden Yards without chowing down on some of his world famous BBQ. Boog was also one of the key players in the “less filling, taste great,” commercials from the 80’s. Happy 68th Mr. Powell.

Happy birthday Brian Mitchell. Brian is one of the greatest kick returners in the history of the NFL and one of the 70 greatest Redskins. He played 10 years in DC from 1990-1999. His 23,330 total yards ranks 2nd all time (behind Jerry Rice) in the history of the NFL. Brian holds 13 NFL records including most career punt return yards (4,999), kickoff return yards (14,014), and special teams TD’s (13.) He led the NFL in total yards 4 times…the only other player to do that was Jim Brown. Brian missed only 1 game in his entire 14 year career! The first time Brian touched the ball as a member of the Redskins he took it to the house and in his last game as a Skin (99 Playoffs vs. Tampa) he took it 100 yards to the house again. He was a great player who should get serious consideration for the Hall of Fame. You can now see and hear him on the radio in the DC area…Happy 41st Mr. Mitchell.

Cheers and Hail