Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Dream. Japan GP Card so Far
DREAM. Japan GP is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion DREAM. The event is expected to take place on July 16, 2011 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan. The last card was actually called "Dream: Fight for Japan".
DREAM Light Heavyweight Championship bout:
Gegard Mousasi (c) vs.Hiroshi Izumi
Bantamweight GP Tournament Final:
Masakazu Imanari vs. Hideo Tokoro
Bantamweight bout:
Atsushi Yamamoto vs.Kenji Osawa
DREAM Feathweight Championship bout:
Hiroyuki Takaya (c) vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
Lightweight bout:
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Willamy Freire
Rampage is the World's Worst Bodyguard
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson may know how to fight when it comes to the UFC but it's pretty clear that he would be the worst bodyguard in the world.
Mets to Lose Ike Davis for 3 More Weeks
Get used to Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner getting a lot more AB's coming up....
With David Wright already announced to be out for an extended period of time, the Mets got more bad news as now Ike Davis will be sidelined/shut down for 3 more weeks.
The Daily News reports that they are still calling it a bone bruise, but that it could also be a high ankle sprain. Davis will be in a boot for about three weeks with no baseball activity.
With David Wright already announced to be out for an extended period of time, the Mets got more bad news as now Ike Davis will be sidelined/shut down for 3 more weeks.
The Daily News reports that they are still calling it a bone bruise, but that it could also be a high ankle sprain. Davis will be in a boot for about three weeks with no baseball activity.
The Much Anticipated Jim Tressel SI Article
The MUCH anticipated George Dohrmann, Jim Tressel Sports Illustrated article can be read here but he is an excerpt you may find interesting:
For more than a decade, Ohioans have viewed Tressel as a pillar of rectitude, and have disregarded or made excuses for the allegations and scandal that have quietly followed him throughout his career. His integrity was one of the great myths of college football. Like a disgraced politician who preaches probity but is caught in lies, the Senator was not the person he purported to be.
The Clarett and Baker scandals were further evidence that Tressel was, at best, woefully ignorant of questionable behavior by his players and not aggressive enough in preventing it. At worst, he was a conduit for improper benefits, as Clarett alleged. The latter interpretation is suggested by a story that has long circulated among college coaches and was confirmed to SI by a former colleague of Tressel’s from Earle Bruce’s staff at Ohio State in the mid-1980s. One of Tressel’s duties then was to organize and run the Buckeyes’ summer camp. Most of the young players who attended it would never play college football, but a few were top prospects whom Ohio State was recruiting. At the end of camp, attendees bought tickets to a raffle with prizes such as cleats and a jersey. According to his fellow assistant, Tressel rigged the raffle so that the elite prospects won — a potential violation of NCAA rules. Says the former colleague, who asked not to be identified because he still has ties to the Ohio State community, “In the morning he would read the Bible with another coach. Then, in the afternoon, he would go out and cheat kids who had probably saved up money from mowing lawns to buy those raffle tickets. That’s Jim Tressel.”
Tony Romo Gets Married
Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo married Candice Crawford on Saturday in Texas.
Crawford -- a former Miss Missouri -- is a Dallas TV news reporter and the sister of Chace Crawford, an actor on the CW series "Gossip Girl."
The couple has not announced where it will honeymoon. But Romo's bride told WFAA-TV the lockout was wreaking havoc on the schedule for planning their getaway.
"This lockout has been quite a dent in the honeymoon idea," she said.
Thrashers to Move to Winnipeg
True North Sports and Entertainment has completed its deal to purchase the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers, clearing the way to move them to Winnipeg.
True North announced the deal at a news conference Tuesday at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, the arena the team will call home next season, pending league approval.
The deal bringing the NHL back to Manitoba is worth $170 million, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.
Thrashers co-owner Bruce Levenson said despite the time, effort and resources spent trying to keep the team in Atlanta, it wasn't meant to be.
"This is not the outcome we wanted and it's extremely disappointing that a buyer or significant investor did not come forward that would enable us to keep the team in Atlanta," Levenson said
True North announced the deal at a news conference Tuesday at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, the arena the team will call home next season, pending league approval.
The deal bringing the NHL back to Manitoba is worth $170 million, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.
Thrashers co-owner Bruce Levenson said despite the time, effort and resources spent trying to keep the team in Atlanta, it wasn't meant to be.
"This is not the outcome we wanted and it's extremely disappointing that a buyer or significant investor did not come forward that would enable us to keep the team in Atlanta," Levenson said
The Return of Bartolo Colon
The Yankees current rotation would be untouchable if it was 2005. They would have an up and coming C.C. Sabathia, a prime Freddy Garcia, a 98 mph fastball out of A.J. Burnett and of course the American League Cy Young winner; Bartolo Colon.
Colon’s Cy Young year in 2005 was impressive, but his 21 wins were the stat that carried him to the award. He posted a 3.48 ERA with a 635 K/9, and a 3.91 xfip. xFIP??!?! What’s that you might ask? xFIP is “Expected Fielding Independent Pitching. This is an experimental stat that adjusts FIP and "normalizes" the home run component. Research has shown that home runs allowed are pretty much a function of flyballs allowed and home park, so xFIP is based on the average number of home allowed per outfield fly. Theoretically, this should be a better predictor of a pitcher's future ERA.” (http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/statpages/glossary/)
Those stats are hardly Cy Young worthy compared to other winners of the past 10-20 years, but way back in 2005, all that mattered for the Cy Young was wins, so that explains Bartolo’s award winning season.However, after 2005, Colon never threw over 100 innings, and it appeared that Colon would never make a return to his Cy Young form. Until now and not one person could possibly say they saw this coming.
2011 has seen a 36 year old Bartolo Colon come out of nowhere, after not pitching in all of 2010, to become an above average starting pitcher. In 66+ innings this season, Colon owns a 3.77 ERA. It isn’t dominant, but his peripheral numbers indicate that his ERA should be even lower. Colon is striking batters out at a 8.40 K/9 rate. That’s two more strikeouts per nine innings than his Cy Young award winning year. What’s more impressive is his xFIP is at 2.91. A number that low shows that Colon has an ERA that is inflated by over a run. Doug Fister had a +1.50 differential between his ERA and xFIP and over the course of the 2010 season; his ERA was corrected to within .50 of his xFIP. It isn’t a sure thing that Colon’s ERA will drop, but it’s a rare case to have a pitcher continuing with a -1.20 difference between ERA and xFIP (or a +1.50, etc)
Colon’s bread and butter have always been in his stomach. I mean his ability to have good control in the strike zone and keep his walks to a minimum. In his Cy Young season, Colon had an excellent 1.74 BB/9 and in 2011 he’s kept that number low with a 2.04 BB/9. Colon has lost a full MPH on his fastball (92.7 to 91.7) from 2005, but he’s pounding the strike zone and most importantly; he’s missing bats. In ’05 he had a 4.5 WAR (lowest I could find by a CY winner). So far this year it’s at 1.3 and if he keeps this up, he’ll be more valuable than his Cy Young award winning season.
Everyone say it with me: BaaaaarrrrrrrTOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO!
Colon’s Cy Young year in 2005 was impressive, but his 21 wins were the stat that carried him to the award. He posted a 3.48 ERA with a 635 K/9, and a 3.91 xfip. xFIP??!?! What’s that you might ask? xFIP is “Expected Fielding Independent Pitching. This is an experimental stat that adjusts FIP and "normalizes" the home run component. Research has shown that home runs allowed are pretty much a function of flyballs allowed and home park, so xFIP is based on the average number of home allowed per outfield fly. Theoretically, this should be a better predictor of a pitcher's future ERA.” (http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/statpages/glossary/)
Those stats are hardly Cy Young worthy compared to other winners of the past 10-20 years, but way back in 2005, all that mattered for the Cy Young was wins, so that explains Bartolo’s award winning season.However, after 2005, Colon never threw over 100 innings, and it appeared that Colon would never make a return to his Cy Young form. Until now and not one person could possibly say they saw this coming.
2011 has seen a 36 year old Bartolo Colon come out of nowhere, after not pitching in all of 2010, to become an above average starting pitcher. In 66+ innings this season, Colon owns a 3.77 ERA. It isn’t dominant, but his peripheral numbers indicate that his ERA should be even lower. Colon is striking batters out at a 8.40 K/9 rate. That’s two more strikeouts per nine innings than his Cy Young award winning year. What’s more impressive is his xFIP is at 2.91. A number that low shows that Colon has an ERA that is inflated by over a run. Doug Fister had a +1.50 differential between his ERA and xFIP and over the course of the 2010 season; his ERA was corrected to within .50 of his xFIP. It isn’t a sure thing that Colon’s ERA will drop, but it’s a rare case to have a pitcher continuing with a -1.20 difference between ERA and xFIP (or a +1.50, etc)
Colon’s bread and butter have always been in his stomach. I mean his ability to have good control in the strike zone and keep his walks to a minimum. In his Cy Young season, Colon had an excellent 1.74 BB/9 and in 2011 he’s kept that number low with a 2.04 BB/9. Colon has lost a full MPH on his fastball (92.7 to 91.7) from 2005, but he’s pounding the strike zone and most importantly; he’s missing bats. In ’05 he had a 4.5 WAR (lowest I could find by a CY winner). So far this year it’s at 1.3 and if he keeps this up, he’ll be more valuable than his Cy Young award winning season.
Everyone say it with me: BaaaaarrrrrrrTOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO!
Jay Lethal Pays Tribute To Randy Savage
Jay Lethal posted the following tribute to Randy Savage…
You inspired me more than this world will ever know. Enjoy.
You were a tower of power that was too sweet to be sour,
You were funky like a monkey every minute of every hour.
For you, space was the place and time distortion had to be,
And your fans here on earth wanted the madness for eternity.
You met every challenge with fists clinched and face to face,
You even fought and defeats dragons and snakes.
Flying off the ropes with an elbow drop,
There was no way you could ever be stopped.
Identifiable by your voice alone,
Even being Dubbed the macho king while you sat on your throne.
We hung on your words with interviews memorable and classic,
And we knew it was serious when you took off your glasses.
I promise not to lose you in the sands of time,
For you will always be that all time hero of mine.
--jay lethal--
A Look at Gorgeous Model Aria Giovanni Part 2
A Look at the unbelievably gorgeous and busty model Aria Giovanni part 2. Aria is also an adult actress and probably the hottest woman that you've never heard of.
Toronto Tuesdee Trivia
Jose Bautista reached the 20-homer mark in his 44th game, the fastest in Toronto Blue Jays history. George Bell needed 53 games to hit 20 homers in his 1987 MVP season.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Bye Bye Jim Tressel
ESPN is reporting, Jim Tressel, who guided Ohio State to its first national title in 34 years, resigned Monday amid NCAA violations from a tattoo-parlor scandal that sullied the image of one of the country's top football programs."After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach," Tressel said in a statement released by the university. "The appreciation that [wife] Ellen and I have for the Buckeye Nation is immeasurable."
Luke Fickell will be the coach for the 2011 season. He already had been selected to be the interim head coach while Tressel served a five-game suspension.
Clearly, the turmoil had been building. The resignation comes nearly three months after Ohio State called a news conference to announce it has suspended Tressel for two games -- later increasing the ban to five games to coincide with the players' punishment -- and fined him $250,000 for knowing his players had received improper benefits from the owner of a local tattoo parlor. The school said at the time it was "very surprised and disappointed" in Tressel.
Fedor vs. Hendo to be Contested at Heavyweight
Despite some initial reports to the contrary, Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson will have the full range of the heavyweight division's 265-pound weight-limit at their disposal come July.
MMAjunkie.com today confirmed with a Strikeforce official that when the two former PRIDE champions face-off in the main event of "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson," it will not be in a catchweight affair.
"Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson," takes place July 30 at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The main card airs on Showtime.
Strikeforce exec Scott Coker on Saturday officially announced the long-rumored bout at a media roundtable. And while Coker announced the fight would take place at 220 pounds, the official press release distributed moments later detailed a heavyweight contest.
Henderson immediately took to his official Twitter account to declare the 220-pound report incorrect. "Fight is at heavyweight," Henderson stated.
Why Wrestling Matters To Jeff Jarrett
Exclusive videos of the IMPACT WRESTLING stars talking about why Wrestling Matters To Them. From a personal and professional point of view, each star will discuss what drives their passion and dedication for the sport of wrestling.
Buster Posey Out For Year
The AP is reporting, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is out for the season after having surgery Sunday to repair three torn ligaments in his ankle sustained in a collision at home plate last week.
"He's not going to be back this season," head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said in a conference call with reporters. "He will have another surgery somewhere in the 8- to 10-week mark to take out some of that hardware that the doctors put in. That's already determined. ... Add that to rehab time, and I don't see him making it back this season."
Groeschner said Posey had two screws inserted into his lower leg to stabilize the ankle over a surgery that lasted about 90 minutes early Sunday morning.
"We're very pleased with how his ankle came back together. He had that fractured fibula as well," Groeschner said. "After re-X-raying the fracture, we felt like we didn't really need to do anything with that, which was nice."
The 2010 NL Rookie of the Year broke a bone in his lower left leg and injured the ankle in a collision with Florida's Scott Cousins on Wednesday night. Groeschner said the team is optimistic Posey will be ready for opening day next season, but that he has a long road ahead.
Rare Video of Macho Man on Memphis TV
Enjoy this video showing "Macho Man" Randy Savage's first appearance on Memphis Wrestling.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Mariano Mondee Trivia
On Wednesday, Yankees famed closer Mariano Rivera became the first pitcher in major league history to have appeared in 1,000 games for one team and the 15th to reach the plateau overall.
Entire Article: Vince McMahon Remembers Randy Savage
As noted earlier here on the website, the June 6, 2011 issue of TIME features an article on the late Randy Savage written by Vince McMahon. Here is the article in its entirety:
"It's important in sports and it's important in entertainment to stand out. Randy knew that. Right away, he wanted to leave his mark, and to do that he was aware he had to make himself different from everyone else. One way he did this was concentrating on his outfits, those brightly colored costumes with foot-long fringe that became his trademark. He brought to wrestling a unique look and style.
"Randy, who died in a car crash May 20 at age 58, was one of the building blocks of what is now WWE (previously known as the World Wrestling Federation). He had a very unusual voice --remember his "Snap into a Slim Jim. Oh, yeah!" commercials?--and was extremely charismatic. Perception is very important in this business, and he also had a very high opinion of himself, something he needed in a locker room full of performers who had been around for a while and had big personalities and followings--like Hulk Hogan, Today, Randy is remembered as one of wrestling's all time greats. No question about it--he certainly was."
UFC 130 News and Notes
-Saturday's "UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill" event drew an announced attendance of 12,816 and a live gate of $2.57 million.
-A hand that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson injured even before Saturday's UFC 130 main-event victory over Matt Hamill could cost him a title shot.
-With a victory, Jackson was expected to get the first shot at recently crowned light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones. But depending on the severity of Jackson's injury, the door could open for Lyoto Machida – or even Rashad Evans – for the first shot at Jones.
Bonuses and Awards:
-Travis Browne, Gleison Tibau, Brian Stann and Jorge Santiago each earned $70,000 "Fight Night" bonuses for their performances at Saturday's "UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill" event.
-Browne earned the night's "Knockout of the Night" award, Tibau picked up the "Submission of the Night" bonus, and Stann and Santiago took home "Fight of the Night" honors.
-Rather than a pay-per-view event, Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller will meet in a coach-vs.-coach fight at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. On Friday UFC officials announced the middleweights as coaches for the upcoming season of the reality series.
-'Big Country' Roy Nelson is now in danger of being cut after a one-sided loss to former heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Nelson was joking around with reporters after the fight, which led Dana White to say, "I don't know (what Nelson's future holds). I have a meeting with him on Friday, and we'll see what happens."
"DREAM: Fight for Japan" Results
"DREAM.17: Fight for Japan" results
Masakazu Imanari def. Kenji Osawa via submission (Achilles lock) - Round 2, 0:58 (Japan bantamweight-tourney semifinal round)
Hideo Tokoro def. Atsushi Yamamoto via split decision (Japan bantamweight-tourney semifinal round)
Shinya Aoki def. Rich Clementi via submission (neck crank) - Round 2, 2:17
Katsunori Kikuno def. Daisuke Nakamura via unanimous decision
Caol Uno def. Akiyo "Wicky" Nishiura via unanimous decision
Takeshi Inoue def. Koichiro Matsumoto via TKO (strikes) - Round, 6:51
Joachim Hansen def. Mitsuhiro Ishida via split decision
Kenji Osawa def. Takafumi Otsuka via split decision (Japan bantamweight-tourney first round)
Masakazu Imanari def. Keisuke Fujiwara via unanimous decision (Japan bantamweight-tourney first round)
Hideo Tokoro def. Yoshiro Maeda via TKO (corner's stoppage) - Round 2, 0:43 (Japan bantamweight-tourney first round)
Atsushi Yamamoto def. Yusaku Nakamura via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 8:43 (Japan bantamweight-tourney first round)
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