Friday Farewells for July 30, 2010

This edition of Friday Farewells is brought to you by the Deadline the one line that changes everything as we know it & accomplishes a lot for being dead.

FAREWELL:

Winning:  JA Happ goes from contender to cellar in one day.  Normally it takes a losing streak over a couple weeks to drop that far in the standings in this case it just took a plane trip and a change of uniform.  Tears, both of us have several.

Houston:  Oswalt the winningest NL pitcher in the last decade has changed to the defending NL champs.  The Phillies are like the Yankees lately. As a Braves fan I must protest & yes cry.

Prospects:  Phillies have given up a lot and wouldn't have had to if they had just kept Cliff Lee instead of giving him to the Mariners for a case of Diet Coke and a dozen bats.  I can only hope my tears will be rewarded in the future.

Title of Athlete: Anyone who has trouble running three 50 yard shuttle runs in under 17 seconds each with a minute break between each one should not be called an athlete.  A lot of people criticize race car drivers and golfers and say they are not athletes, but 95% of them could do this and a NFL star making millions upon millions has failed two days in a row.  Albert Haynesworth has lost the right to call him self an athlete he is now the blob that plugs up the middle so the other ATHLETES can make tackles.  Tears of exhaustion as I passed the test last night & now can't move today, but I DID IT!

Defense: I am not a soccer player, but I am pretty sure a group of me and my co-workers could stop Manchester United from scoring in less than 24 seconds.  I think we would have a good chance if they had to start at Mid field.  Why am I sure about this because I would foul somebody hard five seconds in and argue about it for twenty.  Tears, yes that was painful to witness.

Need more Farewells for your weekend pleasure go here.

MLB News

Oswalt has been traded to the Phillies in exchange for J.A. Happ and two other prospects.  Astros then delt one of the prospects Goss to the Blue Jays for young first baseman Brett Wallace.


The Angels may be switching modes to sellers instead of buyers after losing two in a row after acquiring Haren from the DBacks.


Ben Sheets has been placed on with DL and is done for the season so he will not be involved in any moves.


Ted Lilly still looks to be traded although the market has dropped off with less teams in a buying mode.


Strasburg his the DL prompting many who bought 500+ of his rookie baseball cards into a state of panic.


RedSox continue looking for bullpen help via the trade market.


White Sox continue looking for a bat and have not given up on Adam Dunn yet.


Yankees also rumored to be looking


ARod has issued an objection to the Rangers Bankruptcy.


Rangers have placed Ian Kinsler on the 15 day DL.


Orioles Have Hired Buck Showalter as Their Manager


Rangers Marlins agree on Jorge Cantu Deal


Twins acquire Matt Capps from Nationals for Wilson Ramos


Padres acquire Tejada from Orioles 






There is a lot of MLB news and rumors going around and we will try to keep you up to date as the Trade Deadline nears....

All I want is a little SEC...PLEASE!

So I have moved from Arkansas to Utah and now have an hour commute each way every day.  Needless to say I spend an two hours listening to sports talk radio.  I understand that I live in Utah & BYU country and I am okay with that.  What I am not okay with is that all I have heard about in the well over 100 hours of radio coverage is only one mention of the SEC.  That was the great conference divide and was a side note about how Texas A&M might go to the SEC.  I get it we are focused on the Mountain West & now the PAC-12, but seriously the national champs are still in the SEC along with about 10 other great teams (sorry Vandy).

I just do not understand how a sports talk show can talk about Jake Heap, BYU's freshman quarterback, and whether he will start or not for 12 hours a day.  I get it already he is supposed to be good.  The SEC has a couple good quarterbacks too & they aren't freshman.  The SEC also has a Heisman Trophy Winner.  Don't worry he has also NOT BEEN MENTIONED.  However, on the brink of going insane I found something great.  Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly is on the WEB.  I listened.  I laughed.  I cried.  It was a good day.  Today I will listen to Bo and the crew and try and find a little serenity in this hectic world.  Sporst Talk covers the University of Arkansas, the SEC, and other national stories (imagine that).  If anyone else is stranded starving for SEC football coverage you can catch it here.  The show airs live from 1-4 PM CT.  Thanks Bo for keeping us stranded Hog fans alive.    

Questions of the Day

We have many questions, but we wanted to share a few that we were really pondering.  We are dying for a little  feedback.  So let us know what you think.  

We are puzzled about:

Who is the best player in Utah Jazz History, Malone or Stockton?

Who is more sincere Carlos Zambrano or Chris Paul?

What has more to do with the No-hitters: Great young arms or No Steroids?

There are no wrong answers unless we disagree with you, so leave a comment and let us know your opinion on one or all of the questions.  Your answers just might be the remedy to Cache's PMD.  

PMD

Today I woke up not feeling well at all and decided to head in to see the Doc.  It seems all the medical clinics around Fayetteville were packed with the impending Hog Fever (likely caused by the appoaching Razorback Football season).  So that being the case I stopped by at my local IGA and visited Dr Pepper.  Through my consultation he diagnosed me with acute PMD (Post Mets Depression).
While the diagnosis was not a surprise I was eager to find out how to  treat the illness.  The solution was pretty complex but I was desperate to relieve the symptoms.  The Doc explained to me I needed to start by reducing by daily Minaya and Ollie intake, then he told me I should seek out Pedro Cerrano (Major League) to wake up the bats.

I am not sure when to expect my symptoms to improve by but I hope to relieve them before I catch the approaching Hog Fever.

Bye Bye Bylaw Blog

Well 9 months of writing and informing the average college sports fan about the NCAA rules and regulations is now done.  A fan of LSU decided to take it upon himself to reveal the author of the Bylaw Blog and thus endanger his job and shut down the blog at least for the immediate future.

"I knew it was an inevitability, but it was bound to happen someday. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon:

So – my research indicates that the likely author of The Bylaw Blog is … John Infante, Asst. Director of Compliance at Loyola Marymount. He’s a graduate of Indiana University and their law school and interned in their compliance department as well.

Cap’n Ken says he’s 95%+ sure. I’m not going to fight with 95%. He’s right."

I think this Cap'n Ken should receive nothing for his selfish detective work and will not post a link to his blog to limit his exposure.  He wanted attention but hopefully we won't be aiding him in getting any additional exposure.  

One unhappy reader said it very well,  ..."You’ve put in jeopardy the -only- source anybody outside of NCAA compliance has into the THOUSANDS of rules and regulations by which the college athletics we follow are supposed to abide. It’s the only insight we have into these things, and now it’s possibly being taken away.  That’s pretty much the exact definition of a selfish, stupid move."

So sad to see it go and we wish him the best of luck and hope that this will in no way effect his job status.  He was doing College Fans a favor and hopefully will get nothing but a strong thank you.

To visit it while you can head to http://www.bylawblog.com/

Friday Farewells for July 23, 2010

This Friday Farewell is brought to you by the ever popular Pioneer Day.  I will never complain about a day off work.

Farewell: 




Free Trips to South Beach. Thanks to NCAA investigators college football players will no longer be able to take free trips to tropical destinations.  What has this world come to?  I remember when collegiate athletes could take trips, live in big houses, get cars, effortless A's & B's, and all the books their friends, family, teammates, or complete strangers could use.  Aghhh those were the days.  No tears here if there weren't rules I wouldn't have a job (okay so I guess the real reason I am okay with it is because right now it involves Alabama & not Arkansas).  

Juicing.  Minor League Baseball players will now be randomly tested for HGH.  So much for all the records we truly treasure like the Minor League Baseball homerun record, career minor league strikeouts, and the best time on running the bases after spinning around with your nose on a bat.  Two tears for fear I will be tested & have to return my Chuck E. Cheese gift certificate. 

Chris Paul.  Paul has named four teams where he is willing to go the Knicks, Blazers, Mavericks, and Magic. What do all these have in common? Bottomless pockets and a history of spending it unwisely.

NCAA: Inspector Of Persons (& Universities)

The NCAA is in the appeal process with USC, but that hasn't slowed their efforts to find more violations.  NCAA officials are currently investigating Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and now Georgia. Chris Mortensen is now reporting that it may be as many as 25 players and up to 10 SEC teams involved in this Memorial Day bash.  All SEC fans including us are holding our breathe until these investigations are completed hoping we aren't next.

For a complete run down of the issues and facts in great detail go to one of the Four6Three's favorite blogs BYLAWBLOG.COM the unofficial compliance blog of the NCAA.  

Starting to feel light headed.

The Tide in Miami: Some Kinda Party

What can bring together the Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and the NCAA? A really great party!  Apparently there was one in Miami and allegedly Alabama star Marcel Dareus attended along with tight end Weslye Saunders from South Carolina and players from UNC including defensive end Marvin Austin.  On the heels of the Florida allegations and the USC penalties this situation will likely be dealt with swiftly and strictly by both the NCAA and each school's compliance department.  How will this effect the Tide's chances to repeat as National Champs? That is as of yet to be seen, but it is definitely an unwanted distraction.  Does this open the door for another team to trip them up in the SEC West? That will be decided on the playing field the question is whether Dareus will be there to help decide it.  

Teamwork & The Power of One

We have been heartbroken this week by the loss of a dear child, Preslee Sullenger.  Despite our deep sadness and heartache we have been amazed at the kindness and love shown to the Sullenger family.  Family, friends, and strangers have joined together in prayer, service, giving, and out pouring of love over the last ten days.  It has been incredible to view the modern miracles that have been produced thanks to the internet and modern media.  Preslee's story has touched countless lives all over the world.  An even bigger miracle is the love shown by complete strangers and their generosity.  People have given time, prayers, and money to help ease the burden of this family.  The biggest miracle of all is how this little girl has changed our lives forever.  

Thank you Preslee.

As many of you have read about Preslee this week it's heart breaking for me to tell you that Preslee returned home to a loving Heavenly Father today. Please pray for her family this day. Thank you for all of your comments, prayers, and other contributions to the Sullenger family. If you would like to help the Sullenger family you can contribute here.

Families are Forever.

Lebron is Legone

Thank you to the Four6Three Band for this rousing tribute.  We are unsure the origins of this band at the current moment but we will claim them.   Rumored follow up singles include Cliff Lee Where You Be,  It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Brett Favre, and Bleeding Glove the DL Tribute.

You may also find this band touring at your nearest Denny's and Duncan Donut parking lots.

Continue to Pray for Preslee

Please continue to support Patrick and Ashley Sullenger and their baby girl Preslee.

You can click on the flyer above or visit http://helpsullengers.blogspot.com/ for more details.

Today's News

In a slow sports day today there is just a few quick things we wanted to touch on.

Miami Heat keep adding to the Bosh,Wade,Lebron combo which is a scary thing for other East Conference Teams.  Latest Rumors have Mike Miller set to sign in the next few days.

National League finally beat the American League in the All Star Game for the 1st time in 13 years.  The game for the most part was entertaining and well played.  There was even some defense played which was great.

Michael Jordan has been quoted over the weekend as saying who was better out of Kobe vs Lebron.  He answer was simply "Kobe".  I have to admit it was almost painful writing that.

Baseball Rumors have Prince Fielder now linked to trade rumors including the Chicago White Sox .

George Steinbrenner Passes at 80

"A person close to George Steinbrenner tells The Associated Press that the New York Yankees’ owner died Tuesday morning.  The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made the announcement." AP

A man whom you could say is possibly the most influential person on the Yankees who never played a game.  George took a great franchise and built an empire.  Whether or not you like what he did, you cannot disagree he was a winner.  He was an owner big enough to dismantle Yankee Stadium and build it again.  Respect has to be paid to this man who accomplished much of what he set out to and did it in his own way.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE

Congratulations American League you will again host the All-Star game and subsequently the World Series.  Thanks to a decision that has forever doomed good National League teams Bud Selig's decision in 2002 to have the All Star Game give home field advantage has resulted in the AL hosting the game in 2003-2009.  Since the NL has not won the game since 1996 you might as well pencil in a win & home field for the AL. Come on NL we need to win the Midsummer Classic this Century.  For National League fans everywhere let me be the first to thank you, Mr Commissioner. 

I have tried to come up with alternate activities which might provide the NL with a chance at victory it isn't going well.

Hot dog eating contest:  David Ortiz is nicknamed Big Papi for a reason he and Ichiro Suzuki (who doubles as Kobayashi the professional eater in the off-season) destroy the NL 389 to 112. 

Relay Race:  NL is in the lead until its anchor (literally) Manny Ramirez decides not to hustle (why now he hasn't run to first in over 8 seasons) and then trips over is baggy pants and starts waiving his arms and legs yelling I am making a grass angel (I think I saw this in Boston as he tried to field a ball in shallow left).

Paper rock scissors:  Charlie Manuel dominates, but is later disqualified after Cole Hamels is found in the bullpen with binoculars. 

Well I guess there is always next year... for another AL win.

Help Sullengers

HELP SULLENGERS

Our dear friends Patrick and Ashley Sullenger's baby girl Preslee is in Primary Childrens hospital right now. She drowned this weekend and is quite the little fighter, cause she's still hanging on. It's been a roller coaster of emotions for all of her family. Prayers are the most important thing we can do for her and them right now.  If you would like to help the family out financially a blog has been set up for donations. It would really help them out.  


For those of you who want to help out the Sullengers and live in or around Rigby this is for you.  Please visit the SnowShack on Main Street by Abbott's.  It is open from 11:30 to 9:30 and all the proceeds will be going to Patrick and Ashley.  So pass the word along and the volunteers who will be working hope to see you soon.

HelpSullengers.blogspot.com

For updates about Preslee:

http://patrickandashley.blogspot.com/ 

THANK YOU NBA FREE AGENCY

All sports talk radio, SportsCenter, local news, internet blogs, and newspapers (yes they still print those) are focused on the feeding/wooing frenzy that is NBA Free Agency. The hours of hypothesizing & conjecture can make one go crazy and many are complaining.  I however, will be eternally grateful to this years NBA signing period.  No it isn't because I like the excitement or my team has a chance to improve because the Jazz will most likely be substantially worse than last year.  It isn't that I like to see the funny segments about how Chris Rock & Adam Sandler will be able to get Lebron to the Knicks.  I promise that isn't going to help I have seen Sandler's jumper & it is kind of like his golf swing...not pretty.  No the reason I am grateful is because for the first summer in three decades I do not have to hear about whether BRETT FAVRE is coming back.  No back woods reporting from Chris Mortensen stalking Favre in Mississippi.  No asking old teammates if they want him back.  No talking to doctors about whether his bionic arm can throw another 1,000 passes.  No Favre at all.  It is all Lebron, D-Wade, Bosch, and the other 35 free agents superstars.  HALLEJUAH! I love FREE AGENCY!