Month: April 2012

Bias Bulletin

/ Jason / 1 Comment

Every morning, I send an email to my sports-averse coworkers detailing the biggest events in the sports world that day. This is to help them better converse with the sport-obsessed among us. I will publish this email every morning as the Bias Bulletin.

Football!

The semifinals of the UEFA Champions League (that’s soccer) get under way today in Germany, as Bayern Munich hosts a favored Real Madrid club in the first leg of the two match series. The winner (on aggregate scoring) will face the winner of the other semifinal, which pits Chelsea and FC Barcelona. That series begins tomorrow at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea. Of course, it does not take a scientist to see that there is a potential Real Madrid v. Barcelona final. So get ready, world, to see Chelsea and Bayern Munich face off for the Champions League crown!!!

I’m Sorry, Because Everyone Hates Me

Following yesterday’s major sports crisis of the day in Boston, Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine backpedaled from his perceived criticism of Third Baseman Kevin Youkilis and offered his apology to the offended player. That, of course, was not enough to satisfy the “Fenway “Faithful”” who took to the airwaves yesterday to criticize Valentine for leaving starting pitcher Daniel Bard on the mound in a tight game with the Tampa Bay Rays (one that the Red Sox lost 1-0). No word on whether Valentine will apologize to Bard today as well.

Who Thought a 66 Game Season Could Last So Long?

The NBA’s regular season is still not over. Somehow. It will end next week. Last night, the Western Conference’s best team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, fell to the Los Angeles Clippers. The loss dropped the Thunder into the second seed in the West, with the San Antonio Spurs moving up to the catbird seat. Ultimately, none of this matters. Most teams are playing at about 85% capacity right now if they’ve already clinched a solid playoff spot. The playoffs begin soon. Hang in there, NBA fans.

Your Daily Washington Nationals Update

The Nationals improved to an 8-3 record last night following a 6-3 win over the Houston Astros. Stephen Strasburg pitched 6 innings, surrendering 2 runs, and striking out 5. The star of the game, though, was not the pitching phenom. No, reserve infielder Steve Lombardozzi, filling in at 2B for Danny Espinosa, who had the night off, had the first four-hit game of his Major League career.

The Nationals will play Game 2 of a four game series with the Astros tonight. They will send Gio Gonzalez to the mound to oppose Astros pitcher Wandy Rodriguez.

Game of the Day

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Philadelphia Flyers (7:30/NBC Sports Network, formerly Versus, formerly OLN)

The Penguins will play the first of what they hope will be four elimination games, as they find themselves down 3-0 to the Flyers in this Best-of-7 series. See yesterday’s bulletin for a rundown of some of the feats from Game 3 of the series. It might intrigue you enough that you’ll watch tonight’s game. Especially if you like fist-fights.

Bias Bulletin

/ Jason / Leave a comment

Every morning, I send an email to my sports-averse coworkers detailing the biggest events in the sports world that day. This is to help them better converse with the sport-obsessed among us. I will publish this email every morning as the Bias Bulletin.


SOS! Emergency! Panic on the streets of London, er, Boston.!

It’s Marathon Monday in Beantown. Usually, that’s a joyous day. It’s still early on in the season and no matter how the Sox are doing, there’s something about that day that always feels special. Maybe it’s the 11:00 am baseball game. Maybe it’s the streets being filled with the world’s greatest long-distance runners. Whatever it is, Marathon Monday is almost always a joyous time in the Bay State. Except for today.

Over the weekend, Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine called out 3B Kevin Youkilis, arguably the fan base’s favorite player, as being not “physically or emotionally into the game.” Today, Kevin Youkilis might be able to catch the Marathon, as he’s not in Valentine’s lineup. And now, the team’s 2B Dustin Pedroia has said (of his Manager), ““I don’t know what Bobby’s trying to do. But that’s not how we go about our stuff here.” And so an already unpopular manager, in a town not exactly brimming over with patience, only 9 games into his tenure, finds himself in no-man’s land. The Red Sox may have a three game winning streak coming into today’s game against Tampa Bay, but it looks like the length of the Valentine administration may resemble more of a sprint than a marathon in Boston.

Start Snitching

Former Saints LB Scott Fujita is one of the senior members of the NFL’s Players Association (the union representing the NFL’s players). Fujita now plays for the Cleveland Browns. It turns out that Scott Fujita provided the NFLPA with an exclusive look at the videos and audio at the center of the Saints’ “Bountygate” program before they went public. Some had already drawn the conclusion that Fujita (because of his position on the NFLPA) was the so-called snitch. With the revelation that Fujita had access to the videos before the story went public, that speculation will only increase.

I Went to a Hockey Game and a Boxing Match Broke Out

I didn’t actually go to a hockey game yesterday. And neither did about 20,000 people in Philadelphia yesterday. In Game 3 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinals match between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers, the team from Eastern PA took a commanding 3-0 lead in the Best-of-7 series. But yesterday’s game will long be remembered for a list of numbers:

12 total goals (Philly won 8-4)

38 penalties

158 combined penalty minutes (for reference sake, there are 60 minutes in a regulation hockey game)

3 ejections in the FIRST PERIOD

1 fight involving Sidney Crosby who has missed most of the past 2 seasons with concussion-related medical issues

Your Daily Washington Nationals Update

A new feature to this email! The Nationals wrapped up a four game series with the Cincinnati Reds yesterday, falling in extra innings to the Reds 8-5. The game was the third of the four game series to go to extra frames. Former National League MVP Joey Votto gave the Reds a 7-5 lead in the top of the 11th inning when he lined a double to left field, scoring Drew Stubbs and Zack Cozart. Scott Rolen added an RBI single, scoring Votto. The Nats were unable to score in the bottom of the 11th.

That said, Washington is still 7-3, atop the NL East. They begin a four game series with the Houston Astros tonight down at the Navy Yard. Stephen Strasburg will face Kyle Weiland, who may or may not be the former lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots.

Game of the Day

Philadelphia Phillies @ San Francisco Giants (10:15 p.m./MLB Extra Innings or MLB.TV). Roy Halladay opposes Tim Lincecum. Timmy hasn’t been Timmy so far (0-1, 12.91 ERA, 2.22 WHIP). Roy has been Roy (2-0, 0.60 ERA, 0.53 WHIP). This will be a huge game for Lincecum, who many believe is hiding an arm injury. Another rough outing and the Giants season could be in serious trouble early on.

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Bias Bulletin

/ Jason / Leave a comment

Every morning, I send an email to my sports-averse coworkers detailing the biggest events in the sports world that day. This is to help them better converse with the sport-obsessed among us. I will publish this email every morning as the Bias Bulletin.


1.) LeBron James just can’t get it right. Yes, LeBron finished last night’s Heat/Bulls game with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. But what people will remember is his missed free throw at the end of regulation that could have sealed the game for Miami. Bulls reserve CJ Watson would then hit a three to send the game to overtime. And in the OT period, the Bulls dominated the Heat, winning by 10. The Bulls continued their trend of doing things without Derrick Rose. The reigning MVP played, sort of. He was seen wearing a uniform and moving about the basketball court. But he mustered only a 2/3/8 statistical line (points/rebounds/assists) and finished the game with an amusing (-27) +/-. The key to the game? The Bulls saw 3 reserves score in double figures. If you combined all of Miami’s players, save for James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, you’d only get 15 points. And the four Heat reserves combined for a (-67) differential. Miami is not going to win the NBA championship with contributions like last night’s from players like Shane Battier and Mike Miller. Meanwhile, Chicago might be able to win without Rose. (Okay, maybe that’s a stretch)

2.) I’ve wavered over whether I should talk about hockey. I understand that many people, myself not included, do not enjoy games of iced merriment. Still, last night’s NHL playoff action has to stir at least a bit of emotion from even the most hockey-opposed, right? Please bear with me. 3 of the 4 NHL games last night went to overtime. The game of the night was a double OT thriller in St. Louis, where the San Jose Sharks managed to do something well in the playoffs for once, beating the Blues 3-2 on a goal by Martin Havlat (his second of the game). Also the Bruins beat the Washington Capitals 1-0 in OT on a goal by Chris Kelly. Forensic scientists are furiously studying the game film looking for any evidence that Alexander Ovechkin actually played. They’ve yet to turn up any sign of Ovechkin and are asking citizens for help. If you have a tip, please call 1-800-NOTGR8T

3.) Yesterday, the Saints announced that assistant coach Joe Vitt would replace suspended head coach Sean Payton during the 2012 season. Vitt previously filled in for Payton when he suffered a leg injury during the 2011 season. Next, the Saints will need to announce Vitt’s replacement, as he is suspended for six games during the 2012 season. Eventually, the Saints will have to hire Bill Parcells to coach one game to cover for a suspended replacement, of a suspended replacement, of a suspended replacement, of the suspended Payton. This move reminds me of when I make a move in checkers much too quickly, only to realize as soon as I let go of my piece, that I’m about to get triple-jumped.

Saints GM Mickey Loomis: Today’s we’re proud to announce that Joe Vitt will serve as interim coach of the Saints during the 2012 season. Joe is _____________________ (positive adjectives).

Saints Special Assistant to the GM (whispering, to Loomis): Um, sir, Vitt is suspended for the first six games of the season.

Loomis: (sigh)…We’ll see you all again in a week.

Game of the Weekend: There aren’t a lot of great NBA games this weekend. Maybe the Heat and Knicks. You could have your pick of NHL playoff games too. But, hey, why not spend some time with someone you care about? Go for a picnic lunch. Perhaps take a drive to the mountains. Or stay in, turn the lights out, and drink, alone, until you can’t stand up. Whatever you chose to do with your weekend, make it a good one. We’ll reconvene on Monday.

Bias Bulletin

/ Jason / Leave a comment

Every morning, I send an email to my sports-averse coworkers detailing the biggest events in the sports world that day. This is to help them better converse with the sport-obsessed among us. I will publish this email every morning as the Bias Bulletin.


1.) The nations top two high school basketball recruits made their decisions official last night. Nerlens Noel, who some consider the next Anthony Davis, announced his decision to commit to Kentucky, following in the footsteps of Davis. Shabazz Muhammad surprised some by deciding to stay on the west coast, as he signed his LOI (letter of intent) to play in the presently much maligned UCLA program. Both players are considered one year college players. In fact, Noel made no mention in his announcement about getting an education. The NBA requires high school players to play at least one year in college or overseas before they can become eligible professional players.

2.) Quick! Who has the best winning percentage in baseball? Yes, it’s VERRRRY early, but the Los Angeles Dodgers do. The Dodgers made no significant offseason moves and haven’t gotten a full start out of Clayton Kershaw, the reigning Cy Young award winner, yet, but behind the bat of Matt Kemp they find themselves 5-1, holding the best record in baseball. With the sale of the team to a new ownership group, what was looking like a down year for the “boys in blue” is looking a lot sunnier now. The Dodgers wrap up a series with the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight.
3.)The Barclay’s Premier League race (English football) got a little more interesting yesterday, as frontrunners Man United fell 1-0 to a Wigan squad 2 points away from relegation. Meanwhile, their crosstown rivals, and the EPL’s second place team, Manchester City, ran over West Bromwich 4-0 to pull within 5 points of United. The real race though may be for the much coveted fourth spot (the top four finishers in the EPL season qualify for the next year’s European Club Championships). Tottenham, on Monday, fell to Norwich while Newcastle United was able to pull even with Spurs at 59 points apiece after they defeated Bolton. Tottenham likely holds the advantage with a much easier remaining schedule than Newcastle, but United (that one, not the other one) are the hotter club. Each squad has five remaining matches in the EPL season.
Game of the Day: Miami at Chicago (NBA): The Eastern Conference’s top two teams in a playoff litmus test. (8 p.m./TNT)

The Bias Bulletin

/ Jason / Leave a comment

Every morning, I send an email to my sports-averse coworkers detailing the biggest events in the sports world that day. This is to help them better converse with the sport-obsessed among us. I will publish this email every morning as the Bias Bulletin.

1.) The 2012-13 college basketball season doesn’t begin until November. Technically. For all intents and purposes though, the season starts today. That’s because it’s National Signing Day. And with the destination of the top two high school players in the country still a mystery, it should be a nerve-wracking day for many fans. Nerlens Noel, a lengthy, shot-blocking center from Massachusetts is regarded by many as the nation’s top high school player. He will announce, this evening, his choice between Georgetown, Syracuse, and Kentucky. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Vegas phenom Shabazz Muhammad will make his decision public tonight. Muhammad is choosing between Duke, UCLA, and Kentucky. Both players figure to be “one-and-done” college players. And if both wind up at Kentucky, we could be looking at one of the most dominant frontcourts since, well, 2011-12’s Kentucky team.

2.) Bobby Petrino is just gonna ride that motorcycle straight outta Fayetteville. On Sunday, April 1, the University of Arkansas football coach got into a motorcycle accident. No big deal, right? Well, there was a female passenger on the bike who wasn’t Mrs. Petrino. But, I mean, that’s a family issue, right? Oh, she was an employee of the University of Arkansas too? But Petrino did tell the truth to his boss about this accident, right? Oh, he didn’t? He lied? He said he was on the motorcycle alone? Well, at least the woman on the back of the motorcycle wasn’t a 25 year old former student who Petrino had just hired to be the football team’s student-athlete development coordinator. ‘Cause that would be a real conflict of interest. Petrino was fired yesterday. Lots of time for motorcycle rides now.

3.) At the NBA’s All-Star break, the Boston Celtics looked dead in the water. Barely a playoff team. Then, something happened. The Celtics’ old legs became fresher. Avery Bradley developed into a useful role player. Everyone stopped worrying about Rajon Rondo being traded. And now? The Celtics are 33-24. If the playoffs started today, they’d be the 4th overall seed. And last night, they played their best game of the season, beating the Miami Heat, in South Beach. It was only the fourth home loss for Miami. And it may have set the tone for the upcoming NBA playoffs. With the Bulls having to fight through Derrick Rose’s injuries, most thought Miami was the next best team. Boston may have altered that thinking last night.

Game of the Day: Washington Nationals @ New York Mets (1:05/MLB Network). Maybe I’m biased (well, of course I am), but if Stephen Strasburg is pitching, you should be watching.

The Bias Bulletin

/ Jason / Leave a comment

Every morning, I send an email to my sports-averse coworkers detailing the biggest events in the sports world that day. This is to help them better converse with the sport-obsessed among us. I will publish this email every morning as the Bias Bulletin.


1.) Ozzie Guillen enjoys being Ozzie Guillen. The man who has made a career out of saying the crazy things none of us ever thought, has outdone himself. Today at 10:30, Guillen, the manager of the Miami Marlins, will hold a press conference to discuss his recent remarks to Time magazine where he expressed his adoration for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

BREAKING: Guillen, it was just announced, has been suspended five games by the Marlins.

2.) In actual baseball news, the New York Mets won their fourth consecutive game last night, in walk-off style, against the Washington Nationals and are one of just four undefeated teams in Major League Baseball. They are joined by the Arizona Diamondbacks, who begin a series in San Diego tonight and the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers, who begin a three game series against each other today. The Mets bullpen provided the team with 3 innings of shutout ball. Former Nat Jon Rauch picked up the win.

3.) Last night was “Superstars Sitting in Chairs Night” in the NBA. Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker all sat out their team’s games last night, as the NBA season winds to its close. The Magic and Lakers both won despite the absence of Howard and Bryant, who sat with injuries. The Spurs, missing their 3 best players (who received the night off for general rest), saw their 11 game win streak snapped by the Utah Jazz. The Spurs still maintain the Western Conference’s second best record.

4.) Bill Parcells will not be coaching the New Orleans Saints in 2012. This story is finally dead. All rejoice!

TODAY’S SPORTS GAME TO WATCH: Tampa Bay Rays @ Detroit Tigers (1:05 p.m.)

In what many believe could be an ALCS preview, the Rays will send their top prospect, lefty Matt Moore, to the mound to face off against baseball’s best hitting duo in Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. Moore will be opposed on the mound by Rick Porcello.