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

37- Randall Simon - Sausagegate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V9kJw-kWQ8&feature=related

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

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.

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!

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.

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!