Sunday, September 27, 2009

Book Review: The All-Time Biggest Sports Jerks


The official title is The All-Time Biggest Sports Jerks And Other Gofballs, Cads, Miscreants, Reprobates, and Weirdos (Plus a Few Good Guys). The book was written by Michael Freeman a national columnist for CBSSports.com.
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Because my blog focusses on baseball, I will list all 100, but only comment on those that are baseball related. 20 out of the 100 are baseball related.
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100- Tiki Barber
99- Jose Canseco - based on his 2008 celebrity boxing match against Vai Sikahema
98- Chicago Black Sox - for throwing the 1919 World Series
97- Tatum Bell
96- Drew Rosenhaus
95- Mike Gundy
94- Phil Jackson
93-Steve Smith
92-Arlen Specter
91- College Football Fans
90- James L. Dolan
89-Jerramy Stevens
88- Marty McSorley
87-Minnesota Vikings Sex Boaters
86- DeSean Jackson
85- Nick Saban
84- Eric Mangini
83-Cap Anson - for being racist
82- Some Fans of the Dallas Mavericks
81- Alex Rodriguez - don't think that I need to elaborate on this one
80- Babe Ruth - says that if Ruth played today, he would be all over the tabloids for his drinking and womanizing
79- Eugene Robinson
78- Uga V
77- Bill Belicheck
76- Randy Moss
75- Benny Silman
74- Athletes Who Thank God
73- Lawrence Phillips
72- Some Chicago Cubs Fans - for issuing death threats to Steve Bartman
71- Elijah Dukes
70- Uday Hussein
69- Rick Dutrow Jr.
68- Travis Henry
67- China
66- The Other Vick
65- Ty Cobb - for being a racist and inflicting injury on those around him
64- Jayson Williams, former player for the New Jersy Nets
63- Chris Henry
62- Evander Holyfield
61- Leonard Little
60- George Brett - click on the link and watch the you tube video titled George Poops http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6403VV2oyu0
59- Kelvin Sampson
58-Hal McRae - click on the link and see manager Hal McRae go crazy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kamDqL-AGzI
57- Fuzzy Zoeller
56- Boobby Petrino
55- Larry Johnson
54- Don Imus
53- Christian Peter
52- Plaxico Burress
51- The Cincinnati Bengals
50- Albert Belle - for stalking a prostitute
49- Art Modell
48- Isaih Thomas
47- Bill Parcells
46- John McEnroe
45- Ray Lewis
44- Spain
43- Diego Maradona
42- Bill Romanowski
41- Dennis Rodman
40- Lawrence Taylor
39- Bobby Fischer
38- Scott Boras
36- Don King
35- Wilt Chamberlain
34- Dale Earnhardt Sr.
33- Totally, completely, psycholically overboard fans of Barbaro
32- Claude Lemieux
31- Tony Stewart
30- Rasheed Wallace
29- Terrell Owens
28- Stephon Marbury
27- Kenesaw Mountain Landis - for not allowing the integration of baseball
26- Tommy Lasorda - for an outburst after Dave Kingman hit 3 homers in a game to beat the Dodgers
25- Mike Tyson
24- Ron Artest
23- Tonya Harding
22- Ben Johnson
21- Pacman Jones
20- Latrell Spreewell
19- John Rocker - for stereotyping New Yorkers
18- Kobe Bryant
17- Barry Bonds - don't think that I need to elaborate on this one either
16- Reggie Jackson - for reffering to himself as "the straw that stirs the drink"
15- Marion jones
14- Mark McGwire - for his non-testimony during a 2005 Congressional hearing on steroid use in baseball
13- Manny Ramirez - for Manny being Manny
12- Reggie Bush
11- Dave Bliss
10- Robert Irsay
9- Bob Knight
8- Brett Farve
7- Pete Rose - for betting on baseball and because he lied about it for so long
6- John Daly
5- Tim Donaghy
4- Michael Vick
3- Roger Clemens - for using performance enhancing drugs and lying about it
2- Rae Carruth
1- O.J. Simpson

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Movie Review: Eight Men Out


I got this movie in the mail this week. I can't remember which crackers it was, but there was a promotion where if you bought a certain number of boxes of crackers then you could send in for a movie. I have 2 young kids and so we go through a lot of crackers. I don't remember if I had seen this movie before or not. If I had it had been a long time. The movie originally came out in 1998 and it stars John Cusak, Charlie Sheen and Christopher Loyd among others. This is a 20th Anniversary Edition.
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The back of the movie case reads: This "authentic, funny and very touching" (Sneak Previews) film about the infamous 1919 Chicago White Sox scandal scored a home run with audiences accross the globe! This DVD serves up a thrilling grand slam of special features including a behind-the-scences commentary, a documentary and more! John Cusak and Charlie Sheen lead a "superb ensamble of actors" (Newsweek) as young idealistic players on the White Sox, who, despite being pennant winners, are treated with disdain by their penny-pinching owner/manager. Ripe for a money-making scheme, the demoralized team agrees to throw the World Series. But when they're defeated a couple of sports writers smell a fix, and a national scandal explodes, ripping the cover off America's favorite pastime in "the movie baseball fans have been waiting for" (USA Today).
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As a huge baseball fan, I was already very familiar with the story, but I still loved the movie. I feel bad for Buck Weaver and Shoeless Joe. I'm looking forward to checking out the documentary.

TTM Succes: Josh Whitesell


Josh Whitesell is the latest D-Back to respond to my TTM autograph request. Thanks Josh! It is a great signature on a great looking 2009 Allen & Ginter card! Josh has split time this season betweeen Triple A and the D-Backs, batting .194 in 46 games at the big league level. It took 45 days for me to get the card, but that's not too bad considering I sent it to the Diamondbacks address and it had to go to Reno where Josh is playing Triple A (It had a San Francisco postmark on the envelope). Thanks again Josh!

Authentic Memorabilia Repack

I got this at Target a week or two ago. I pretty much know what to expect from these repacks and I got what I expected. My 3 packs were:


2007 Topps Opening Day

  1. Carlos Lee
  2. Carlos Quentin
  3. Oswaldo Navarro
  4. Preston Wilson
  5. Paws (I know it's a stupid card, but I still like it)
  6. A-Rod Road to 500

















2006 Fleer Tradition

  1. Joey Devine
  2. Aubry Huff
  3. Morgan Ensberg
  4. J.J. Hardy
  5. Julio Lugo
  6. Andy Pettitte
  7. Brett Myers
  8. Placido Polanco
  9. Paul Maholm
  10. Ivan Rodriguez (only future HOF player and I like cards of catchers in full gear)


2007 Topps Turkey Red
  1. Troy Tulowitzki (RC)
  2. Justin Verlander
  3. Miguel Tejada
  4. Kelvin Jimenez (RC)
  5. Jason Giambi
  6. Andy LaRoche (RC)
  7. Serving Up Strikes (checklist featuring Santana)
  8. Ryan Howard (parallel #'d 1429/1999


And my Memorabilia card...




A 2006 Upper Deck Ovation, Ovation Apparel Jersey card of Carlos Lee

Book Review: Becoming Manny

Becoming Manny:
Inside the Life of Baseballs Most Enigmatic Slugger


This book review is long overdue, but it was such an interesting book that I couldn't just skip reviewing it. I got it from the library and had to return it a couple of months ago, so there won't be any direct quotes from the book. One of the authors, Jean Rhodes, is a professor of psychology and explains, using psychology, why Manny is the way that he is. They discuss his poor New York childhood dominated by his mother and sisters and the close relationship he maintains to this day with his Little League coach.

I was amazed to find out that it wasn't until Manny was a proffessional baseball player that any of his family ever saw him play a game of baseball. So why is Manny the way that he is? The book points out that Manny is just so focused on one thing, hitting, that nothing else really matters to him. It was a great read and very insightful. I am not a fan of Manny but I would recommend this book to any baseball fan.

Friday, September 11, 2009

TTM Success - Brandon Webb

I sent out the entire 2008 and 2009 Allen & Ginter Diamondbacks team sets through the mail requesting autographs. Max Scherzer was the only played that had responded. Now I can add Brandon Webb to that short but growing list.

Webb started Opening Day and then got injured and hasn't played since. There has been talk about whether or not the Diamondbacks will sign him for next year. I really hope they do. Webb has been one of, if not the best pitchers in the National League for the past few seasons. The D-Backs struggled without him this season and I think that they would be foolish to think that they will be able to sign someone better than Webb this off season. I realize that his injury is a concern, but I would take that risk.

Brandon signed both cards I sent him and I received them back in 39 days. Thanks Brandon!


Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Contest Results

So my question was: What do the following cards have in common?


The answer that I was looking for was that they are all Rookie Cards of players who won the Rookie of the Year award.

Only 3 people responded and even though none of them got the exact answer that I was looking for, I am going to send them each a consolation prize just for playing. So David, Captain Canuck and skoormit can all expect a package from me soon.

Monday, September 7, 2009

CONTEST -What do the following cards have in common?

Take a look at the 5 cards below and tell me what they have in common. They have more than one thing in common, but I am looking for something specific. Email me the answer I am looking for (daniel24303 at gmail.com) and I will select a winner at random. To win you must follow my blog and I must receive your answer by 11:59 pm on Tuesday September 8th. The winner will receive a card, or cards, to be named later. I will make it worth your while. If you win, tell me who you collect (team and player) and I will put together a nice prize package for you.



Good luck everyone!