June 30, 2011

Moneyball

"Moneyball" starring Brad Pitt is set to be released September 23rd, 2011. It's based on the book by Michael Lewis about Billy Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's and how he had to create a winning team with a budget that's smaller than that of nearly every other team.

Michael Lewis also wrote "The Blind Side."

I think the trailer looks pretty good. What do you think?

Don't fart near cops

Farting is always funny. Even news stories about farting are funny.

Just sucks when you're the news anchor trying to deliver the story.

Going-to-the-Sun Road may open later than ever this year

Last July I visited Brandon in Polson, Montana and we took a trip to Glacier National Park while I was there.

You can watch day one and day two of our adventure and of course, don't forget Brandon vs. the goat!

On our trip we headed up Going-to-the-Sun Road. But this year visitors to the park might not be able to make that trip.


The Great Falls Tribune ran an article yesterday about how the road may not open until very late this year.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK — Only twice in the history of the Going-to-the-Sun Road has the scenic drive in Glacier National Park opened for the season after July 4.

This year will mark the third year the alpine section of the Sun Road isn't open on Independence Day.

In 1933, the road had its inaugural opening on July 15. In 1943, the road opened on July 10 because of reduced staffing during World War II.

It appears that 2011 will go down in history as one of the latest openings of the Sun Road.

The reason for the late opening this year is a heavy snowpack and cold, snowy weather late into spring.

You can read the rest of the article over on The Great Falls Tribune site.

New Team Garmin-Cervélo kit features return of argyle

Team Garmin-Cervélo unveiled their new Tour de France kit today.

And I love it.

I was very disappointed in their kits this season when they got rid of the argyle. You can't be the Argyle Armada without argyle!

But the Team Garmin-Cervélo 2011 Tour de France kit brings the argyle back! It also switches the dominate color from black to white on the jersey. Which will be much cooler for the hot weather of the Tour de France.


The new jersey and shorts retain the distinctive Garmin and Cervélo logos, but reverse white with black on the jersey. The signature Slipstream Sports argyle is prominently displayed.

“We’re really excited about the Tour de France kit,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and Director Sportif, Team Garmin-Cervélo. “The lighter color is perfect for hot weather and our signature argyle is more prominent.”

This is the third time Castelli have introduced new clothing at the Tour de France. “We consider the Tour de France a very special event that deserves a special design,” said Steve Smith, Castelli Brand Manager.

“This team is rider-centric, and Castelli has done its part to make sure the riders have the most comfortable and technically advanced clothing for this big event. Racing in hot weather is physically demanding, that’s a given, and despite the fact that Castelli makes some of the lightest and coolest fabrics in existence, wearing a lighter colour will make a big difference, both psychologically and physically, to a rider’s well being,” explained Steve Smith.

June 29, 2011

New Captain America: The First Avenger trailer

Captain America: The First Avenger focuses on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

Check out the new trailer that perhaps shows a bit from next summer's mega-blockbuster "The Avengers."


Skyline's Kasen Williams named MaxPreps Athlete of the Year

Kasen Williams, the University of Washington bound super athlete finished up his high school career by being named the MaxPreps Athlete of the Year.

That's a pretty big deal considering he beat out University of Florida-bound quarterback Jacoby Brissett and dual athlete Bubba Starling, who still hasn't said whether he's going to play quarterback at the University of Nebraska or play in the MLB. The Kanas City Royals drafted him number five overall in the 2011 MLB Draft.

You can read more over on Kevin Endejan's blog.

2011 Tour de France Garmin Cervelo jersey

It's official. Today Team Garmin Cervelo announced that they would have a brand new jersey for the 2011 Tour de France that starts on July 2nd.

Today they released a blurry "teaser" photo with the real thing coming tomorrow.

I can only hope that there is more argyle then their current jersey.

June 28, 2011

Mission Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol official trailer

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch the new Mission Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol official trailer:

June 26, 2011

Roger Levesque's scuba dive

During the 4-2 Seattle Sounders FC victory over the New York Red Bulls on Thursday Roger Levesque had two goals.

The second he capped with a celebration called the "scuba dive."

Check it out: (55 seconds for the best view)

June 25, 2011

Mariners make history, thanks to U2

The Mariners were actually the road team at Safeco Field last night. The Florida Marlins were forced to move their inter-league tilt against the M's because of scheduling conflict in their home stadium.

Namely, a U2 concert. Wow. Miami still has a baseball team?

Felix Hernandez held the Marlins to two hits while collecting a hit of his own and Seattle wore their road grays in Seattle.

Since it was officially a home game for the Marlins, they played by National League rules meaning this was the first time since the designated hitter rule was created that an American League pitcher batted in an American League ballpark.

Mariners | 'Visiting' Mariners top 'home' Marlins, 5-1, at Safeco Field | Seattle Times Newspaper

Earth to be destroyed...

Where is Bruce Willis when you need him?

An asteroid about the side of a tour bus (not dangerous to Earth) will pass within 7,500 miles of the planet (again, not dangerous). I would recommend that everyone call in sick on Monday for "asteroid day" and dupe your unsuspecting boss into thinking the world is going to end.

It's going to be closer to the earth than the moon. But don't fret, apparently an asteroid already came closer to Earth this year... in April.

That number passed within 3,400 miles but again, didn't do anything to the blue marble.

I guess we still have to wait for a sequel to Armageddon.

Asteroid to Pass Extremely Close By Earth on Monday | Near-Earth Asteroids & Potentially Dangerous Asteroids | Asteroid Photos & Comets | Space.com

June 24, 2011

Morning Coffee... JIMMER! SACRAMENTO! WHAT COULD GO WRONG?!


The NBA Draft last night was largely forgettable except for this pleasant make out session. Oh and Jimmer is going to be a Sacramento King. Why am not talking about the No. 1 pick Kylie Irving? Because the guy played 11 collegiate basketball games and analysts have approached him with about as much gusto as Kate Moss at a Golden Corral.

While anyone of this picks can turn out to be a superstar, the chances are that won't happen. This is literally a dumpster fire of a draft when you want immediate-impact guys.

But at least we had Jimmer.

And now on to headlines...

Ron Artest changes his name to "Metta World Peace"
The funny thing about this story is that does this really any shock anyone? I approached this headline like it was a Mariners-Red Sox box score. "Ron is changing his name to something stupid, oh ho hum, where is the NFL strike negotiation stories?"

Having blue eyes caused batting problems?
Josh Hamilton says his blue eyes cause him to have a horrible batting average during the day. Something tells me he's either full of crap or a vampire.

Got HEEEEM! Might be the best catchphrase ever.
I'm going to do this every time I pass someone on the highway.

Jim Riggleman knows how to quit

So manager Jim Riggleman quit because he thought that the Washington Nationals had no real role for him in their future plans. It was strange because the Nationals are the hottest team in baseball right now, and it touched off a "what the heck did he just do?" dialogue.

While I think most people generally came to an understanding that he didn't want to work for a club that wasn't going to even talk to him about his second year option of his contract, you still have to think... aren't most people expendable to a company like Riggleman? I think most people are happy just to go to work the next day and have no real idea what the next year will bring. It's just a weird difference between professional sports and real sports.

So now Riggleman's gone. He's unemployed. A perfect time to take it easy right? Nah. Time to hit the bars!


Woweee! Throwing back with drinks with some ladies. The 58-year-old Riggleman told a radio show that he stuck to his self-imposed two drink limit. However, he did pose for some photos with some lovely ladies at this Maryland hot spot.

Please, please please tell me Riggleman will go off the deep end and become the baseball version of Charlie Sheen (He did badmouth the Nats' GM at the bar). That would be Deadspin's dream.

June 23, 2011

Sounders have record crowd

According to Casey, they opened up all of Qwest Field... errr... CenturyLink Field for the Sounders game tonight and sold tickets for $10.

They did pretty well, they set a record crowd of 46,505 and downed the New York Red Bulls 4-2.

It was a thrilling game two as Seattle took the early 2-0 lead with two goals within a few seconds of one another.

New York would come back to tie it up but the Sounders scored in the 67th minute and 78th minute.
Seattle currently sits at third in the Western Conference of the MLS.

Sounders win before record crowd - Spokesman.com - June 23, 2011

Bo Levi-Mitchell named Preseason All-American

The FCS All-American list came out and EWU fared pretty well, having their quarterback and defensive tackle selected. The Daily Inter Lake reported on the list, although from a Montana angle but I managed to pull out the EWU stuff...

Also making the first team was Bo Levi Mitchell, the 6-foot-1 quarterback who led the Eastern Washington University Eagles to a national championship in January. EWU defensive tackle Renard Williams was named to the first team defense.

FIRST TEAM: OFFENSE

QB- Bo Levi Mitchell, 6'1", 211, Eastern Washington
WR- Chris Summers, 6'3", 209, Liberty
WR- Tyrone Walker, 5'10", 198, Illinois State (Jr.)
RB- Nate Eachus, 5'9", 212, Colgate
RB- Eric Breitenstein, 5'10", 225, Wofford
TE- David Duran, 6'4", 241, Coastal Carolina
OT- Teren Jones, 6'8", 305, Alabama State (Jr.)
OG- Gino Gradkowski, 6'3", 294, Delaware
C- Rob McDowell, 6'3", 293, Delaware
OG- Rodney Austin, 6'3", 311, Elon
OT- Shea Allard, 6'5", 297, Delaware
K- Matt Blevins, 6'1", 206, Liberty
KR- Gralyn Crawford, 5'10", 175, Stephen F. Austin (Jr.)

FIRST TEAM: DEFENSE
DE- Mario Kurn, 6'0", 221, San Diego
DT- Asa Chapman, 6'5", 380, Liberty
DT- Renard Williams, 6'2", 305, Eastern Washington
DE- Zack Nash, 6'2", 265, Sacramento State
LB- A.J. Storms, 5'11", 217, Idaho State
LB- Kadarron Anderson, 6'1", 236, Furman
LB- Jordan Ridley, 5'11", 229 Butler (Jr.)
LB- Cliff Exama, 5'9", 235, Grambling
CB - Trumaine Johnson, 6'2", 197, Montana
S- Jose Gumbs, 5'10", 205, Monmouth
S- Tyler Brock, 6'2", 196, Southeast Missouri
CB- Charles James, 5'9", 175, Charleston Southern (Jr.)
P- David Harrington, 6'2", 185, Idaho State
PR- Tavoy Moore, 5'7", 193, Idaho state

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB- Brad Sorenson, 6'4", 225, Southern Utah (Jr.)
WR- Aaron Mellette, 6'3", 212, Elon (Jr.)
WR- Justin Wilson, 6'0", 174, Delaware State (Jr.)
RB- Andrew Pierce, 5'10", 202, Delaware (Jr.)
RB- Bryan Hilliard, 5'10", 222, Sacramento State
TE- Derek Buttles, 6'4", 235, Maine
OL- Kyle Bogumil, 6'5", 310, Rhode Island
OL- Terron Armstead, 6'3", 310, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
OL- Roane Babington, 6'2", 275, James Madison
OL- Chris Browne, 6'3", 300, Southern
OL- Sanford Banks, 6'4", 319, Grambling (Jr.)
K- Jason Cunningham, 6'0", 175, Montana State
KR- Jeremy Caldwell, 5'9", 183, Eastern Kentucky

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DE- Brian McNally, 6'2", 258, New Hampshire
DT- Jonathan Hollins, 6'3", 285, Texas Southern
DT- Brent Russell, 6'2", 287, Georgia Southern
DE- Jerome Raymond, 6'3", 224, Morehead State
LB- Jerryan Harris, 6'0",215, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (So.)
LB- Matt Evans, 5'11", 233, New Hampshire (Jr.)
LB- Tony Bachman, 5'10", 220, Appalachian State
LB- Caleb McSurdy, 6'0", 242, Montana
CB- Al-Rilwan Adeyemi, 5'9", 186, San Diego
S- Reshaude Miller, 6'3", 182, Morgan State
S- Micah Pellerin, 6'0", 197, Hampton
CB- Colby Walden, 5'10", 185, Jacksonville (Jr.)
P- Jonathan Plisco, 6'0", 220, Old Dominion (Jr.)
PR- Dontrell Johnson, 5'10", 180, Murray State

Bear Smart PSA

Since I've been laid up after my knee surgery (hence the lack of outdoor posts over the last few months) I've been watching a bit of tv.

Check out this awesome PSA about bear safety:

Morning Coffee... The NBA Draft will stink tonight


Kyrie Irving will be the No. 1 pick tonight in the NBA Draft, which is weirdly being held in New Jersey instead of it's normal location of Madison Square Gardens. It's fitting, as this may be the most blah draft in years.

There's going to be no franchise player that causes fans to go "Aha! We got him" so if you're really bored tonight, I might recommend just switching over the Oprah Channel or whatever it's called. If you still want to give the draft a try, read this beforehand so you're up-to-date.

Here are the headlines...

Phillie Phanatic gets hit with baseball, goes to hospital
I wonder if he went to a mascot hospital?

The Cleveland Browns are interested in Terrelle Pryor
Somebody needs to stop the Browns from torturing their fans. Getting an immature, scandal-ridden quarterback from Ohio State? Oh sure that will fix things.

US beats Panama 1-0 to advance to Gold Cup Final
Huzzah! We beat Panama in soccer... a country we helped create over 100 years ago. Yep, the US place as a soccer power is complete now.

June 22, 2011

Morning Coffee... Seattle Mariners pull a "My oh NOOOOO!"


Of course the Mariners would do this. After showing a lot of promise this season, they literally fell apart last night against the Washington Nationals. Seattle blew a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth in what could be one of those season momentum killing losses. Or at least that's how everybody wants it to seem.

And with that, headlines...

MSU dismisses Thomas
The Flathead High School graduate had a chance to play football for the Bobcats but that's dashed after he made and brought pot-laced brownies to a graduation party. How the heck did this kid get a 4.0 GPA?

Cuban wants to buy the Dodgers
Which would quite possibly cause all the other Major League Baseball owners to revolt.

Rory McIlroy Superstar?
Golf stardom worked for Tiger Woods didn't it? Oh wait...

June 16, 2011

The best movie trailer. Ever.

This Thanksgiving a movie I'm very excited about comes out. The Muppets!

Check out this awesome new trailer.

June 14, 2011

Perhaps the greatest minor-league baseball giveaway I've seen

So Lebron didn't win an NBA Championship. Guess what the Peoria Chiefs are giving away to their lucky, lucky fans?

The Peoria Chiefs have added a LeBron James 2011 NBA Championship Replica Ring Giveaway to all fans on Thursday June 16..The replica ring, which like LeBron's is non-existent, will be handed out to all fans through the gates prior to the 7:00 p.m. game against Wisconsin.

I got this from Deadspin, which has to be delighting over Lebron becoming a national punchline. Has any other athlete received this much crap for losing the NBA Finals? Normally, I would jump into the "LEAVE LEBRON ALONE!" diatribe, but these Lebron jokes are reaching Chuck Norris funny status.

And considering how the Heat acted in the Finals with Wade showboating in front of the bench and the making fun of Dirk, I think that Miami gets what it deserves from the public. The Heat asked this upon themselves, not for just joining forces (remember when the Big 3 in Boston did that and nobody had this much venom towards them) but for being cocky punks this season.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to polish my Lebron James NBA Championship ring.

June 13, 2011

Katy Perry - Last Friday Night

Rebecca Black did a terrible song about Friday.

Now a few months later Katy Perry comes out with a global hit called "Last Friday Night." But to pay homage to the girl who had the original "Friday" song she has Rebecca Black in the music video for the song.

And it's hilarious.

Oh and Rebecca is even sitting on a couch during the music video. Looks like she finally found what seat to take.

June 12, 2011

52-year old plays semi-pro football with his son


Ah the world of semi-pro football...

Dan Gilbert admits it was a little weird at first.

The sight of his 52-year-old father standing along side him on the same football team took some getting used to.

"You're used to playing with a bunch of young guys," said Dan, a 2010 Glacier High School graduate and starting left tackle for the Glacier Knights. "Then you look [across the huddle] and see your dad and just say ‘wow.'"

Talk about a family line.

Dan, 19, and his father Tom Gilbert were the bookends of the Knights' offensive line for most of 2011. They took the field together for perhaps the last time Saturday, with Dan playing left tackle and Tom holding down the same position on the right side.

"I feel young when I'm with all these young kids," Tom said after a 46-14 loss to the Missoula Phoenix. "But he reminds me all the time that I'm not young."


Read the full story from the Daily Inter Lake here. (You might recognize the author as one Eric Schwartz)

I was about to make a Brett Favre joke but then realized he's 12 years Tom Gilbert's junior. Football isn't an old guy's sport but for some reason Gilbert has been able to pull it off, and something tells me it has to do with the character of this guy.

I could see 52-years old for baseball, even basketball (YMCA gym rats) but football eats up bodies. Favre was one of the toughest guys to play the game and was a physical wreck during his last season. Now Gilbert probably doesn't have to take the hard shots as a quarterback would but he's on the line so he's getting constant contact.

Does Washington State University need a new lineman?

Check these uniforms out...

Here are the retro uniforms that Michigan and Notre Dame will wear when they play one another on Sept. 10 (Because unlike the NFL, there will be a college football season this year). What do you think?


TV guys are going to be pissed about trying to identify all the players and will probably refer to everyone on Michigan as "M." Other than the letter and the shoulder striping, it's not a huge change from Michigan's normal jerseys. Notre Dame on the other hand has a really different look and I think that they should use this as an alternate uniforms when they bust out the green jerseys on occasion.

That ND helmet looks awesome! And Michigan, well... they just stuck with the same helmet. Whoop de doo.

June 11, 2011

My daughter didn't make All-County!!!

In the awesomeness that is crazy sports parents, apparently one individual from New Jersey (shocker!) was mad that his daughter didn't make the All-County Softball First Team (She made second-team) and is now suing.

I'm sure his daughter isn't embarrassed or anything.

He said that it will affect her shot at a college but I'm sure college coaches might be more worried about a parent that's nuts than the difference between first and second team All-County.

At least now they know her name and can avoid her: Ally Paska.

New Jersey Man Threatens Lawsuit Because His Daughter Didn't Make The All-County Softball First Team - Deadspin

Nate Robinson has a little trouble

Apparently Nate Robinson just couldn't hold it...

[Nate Robinson] was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. after cops said he was seen doing his business outside the Barnes & Noble store at 230 Main St." I think that means he was pissing on the sidewalk.

I'm sure the police were more concerned that a small child was out and about at 2 a.m.

Erik Meyer is BACK!

Eastern Washington, your hero is back!

Erik Meyer, recently traded to the Spokane Shock, went off for seven touchdown and led the defending AFL Champions to a 75-54 victory. He was selected as the MVP of the game and put new life into the team that is hanging onto the post season with a 5-7 record.

I always felt like Meyer got a rough deal from the NFL and has a bucket full of talent. But he's gotten an even rougher deal from EWU.

At my first EWU game, I remember Wulff was going through him and another quarterback to decide who would be the starter. It became quickly evident that Meyer was the man. It was like watching the kid in Pop Warner football that already developed a throwing motion and gone throw puberty, he was just above and beyond everyone else.

Meyer had a large part in making EWU Football in what it was today. And yet no honors? Why not retire his number? I know that Roos donated a bunch of money and is a big NFL tackle, but remember who he was blocking for? Meyer.

He won the Walter Payton Award, the best player in FCS, and in the years since you wouldn't even know he played for Eastern. Shame on you Eastern. Shame on you.

At least now the Shock will have to think about a statue at this point.

Erik Meyer sparks Shock - spokaneshock.com: News

June 10, 2011

Morning coffee... Things aren't going so well in Miami

Now Miami has to win two straight games for their NBA title.

It's that kind of pressure that's going to make the stress put on Lebron and the Heat in Game 3 and 4 seem like nothing. After all the hype and talk throughout the entire season, Miami is just one loss away from elimination.

This isn't going to be about stats, this isn't going to be about the eight points anymore. This is again, going to come down to Lebron's Legacy. It's dangling by a thread right now.

Sure he had a triple-double in the Game 5 loss to the Mavs but the dude disappeared again in the big moments. He's averaging in these Finals just 2.2 points in the fourth quarter. That's pathetic.

Forget "Jordan wouldn't do that." We can go right down the list. Bird wouldn't do that, Magic wouldn't do that. Kobe wouldn't do that. Shaq. Iverson. Reggie Miller. Hakeem. Malone. Stockton.

These guys came through in the clutch, they battled when it meant something. Sure, they didn't have the success as Jordan but at least they SHOWED UP. Lebron hasn't. True he had a triple double and if you watch him he does do things out on the court that are important but he's not even the alpha dog on his team. He's not the go-to.

And if that's the case, what is the legacy of a supporting player?

And with that, headlines....

Lebron and Wade make fun of Dirk being sick...
And that turned out soooo well for them.

Lockout could spell a rash of injuries for NFL players
And that was working out so well before the lockout, I mean injuries were getting less and less common right?

L.A. Coliseum events manager doing side deals
Apparently, like Reggie Bush, this guy was getting er done during the Trojans run as well.

June 9, 2011

WHOA! Bob Melvin has another managing job!

Remember Bob Melvin? Yeah I barely do.

Due to Bob Geren falling out favor with the Oakland A's, the former Mariners' manager will get a chance to once again be a skipper for a major league ball club.

Geren was apparently a dick to his players, and the one thing I remember about Melvin was that he is anything but a dick. In fact, I dare say he moved approximately four times overall when I watched him manage the M's. Oh well, at least he's more animated than Art Shell.

Oakland Athletics fire manager Bob Geren amid nine-game skid - ESPN

WSU transfer Winston, Jr. lands with Portland State | KREM.com Spokane

Uh-oh! Eastern Washington better be worried as Portland State just got a Pac-10 athlete on their roster., Dre Winston. The college sophomore has seen limited action as a Coug, but was the most valuable player for the 3A State Championship Tournament as a senior for Lakes High School.

He averaged 20.8 points and 3.6 assists during that season.

The question now becomes, why couldn't the Eags get huim?

WSU transfer Winston, Jr. lands with Portland State | KREM.com Spokane

Baby monkey riding on a pig

This is perhaps the best video and song. Ever.

Seriously, it's a baby monkey riding on a pig. Backwards!

The Mavs are the best in the league at touching

One might say that Lebron's no-show in game 4 or Dirk's performances in the fourth quarter have led Dallas to a 2-2 tie with the superstar-laden Miami Heat. But that might not be the case, high fives could be the Mavs' secret weapon.

The Mavericks, with 250 slaps, hugs, taps or bumps, are almost twice as touchy-feely as the Heat, who had only 134 instances of televised contact. In those three games, the Mavericks were 82% more likely to high five.

The concept of "chemistry" on a sports team has become the stuff of cliché over the years. Nobody seems to have the same definition for what it is, or what produces it. But last fall, three researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, took a serious look at one of the most obvious signs of camaraderie on a team—touching.

The study, which was titled "Tactile Communication, Cooperation and Performance: An Ethological Study of the NBA," was authored by Michael W. Kraus, Cassy Huang and Dacher Keltner. After reviewing broadcasts of games from the 2008-09 season, they concluded that good teams tend to be much more hands-on than bad ones. Teams whose players touched the most often were more cooperative, played better and won more games, they said.


Hear that Lebron!?!?!? Get your high-fives together!

Morning Coffee... What do you mean I hit a walk-off?


Milwaukee's Nyjer Morgan hit a walk-off double against the Mets last night, the only problem was, he didn't realize he had won the game for his team. Here's part of an interview with the TV crew...

“Honestly, Core, I thought we were winning (laughs). Basically, I was up there just trying to take him up the middle. As soon as I got the hit, I just thought it was a regular routine double down the line. And basically, I looked behind me and I heard the crowd yelling and here come the guys coming off the bench. And that’s when I kind of figured, ‘Oh, I just walked ‘em off!’ (laughs)”

This is his first walk-off hit of his career so the Brewers should make a point of not telling Morgan the score for the rest of the season.

And with that, headlines...

Allen Iverson wants to make NBA comeback
And it's not for the NBA Alumni game...

Oakland A's fire manager, because they don't like being in last place
Many thought this team might be the AL West leader but an eight-game losing streak put an end to that.

Terrelle Pryor turns down the CFL
It's going to suck when the NFL turns down Pryor.

June 8, 2011

Our Team Stolen shirts

I came across this great site called 206hoops.

They have a lot of content about basketball from the 206 area code. Oh and they have an "team" shop that includes this awesome shirt design:


With the NBA finals going on right now I miss the Seattle Supersonics more than ever. Perhaps one day another NBA team will grace the amazing Emerald City. Until then, "our team stolen" is the only NBA gear I'll wear.

Eastern Washington University's new press box signage

Just saw this gem over on the official facebook page of Eastern Washington University athletics.

New signage on back of donor suites and media center at Roos Field, recognizing Eastern's 2010 NCAA Division I Football National Championship!

That is one good looking press box!

Nintendo Wii U

Yesterday at E3 Nintendo announced their new Wii U coming in 2012.

Check it out:



What do you think of the new Nintendo Wii U?

PAC-10 claims 400th NCAA title


If you're a college sports fan then you know about east coast media bias. Then you also know about how fans of the SEC root for their whole conference and brag about how awesome they are. Oh, SEC fans also find the consistent need to put down the Pac-10 and say how worthless as a conference they are.

Yet...

With Arizona State winning the NCAA softball title [Tuesday], Pac-10 Conference teams have now claimed 400 NCAA Championships, becoming the first conference in history to reach the milestone.

With nine team titles thus far in 2010-11, the Pac-10 has now led the nation in NCAA Championships in 45 of the last 51 years.

I do believe that is why the Pac-10 is known as "the conference of champions."

Morning coffee... Lebron, we have a problem


While I will admit that the amount of hate people are piling on Lebron right now is ridiculous, there is one glaring statistic.

8 POINTS! Mavs win. Series tied 2-2. Uh-oh.

He did lead the team in assists with seven but when did people talk about Michael Jordan and his fantastic assist totals? If Lebron James were wired the same way as Jordan and going to come through in competitive moments like him, he wouldn't have eight points.

You'll have to credit the defense of the Mav's Shawn Marion, who could probably guard the Pakistan-Afghanistan border with success, because the Chosen One hasn't really spread his wings in this series. That's an issue, perhaps the Heat will still win because Lebron is a really versatile player and does plenty of other things out on the court (The reason the Heat are so good isn't their offense, 3-on-5 isn't the best game plan, it's their DEFENSE. It's swarming), but when you start talking about legacies and Lebron's place of history, people will say this...

8 POINTS!

And with that... Headlines...

Maurice Clarrett blames OSU players for bringing down the Buckeyes football program
I'm glad we're weighing in the moral judgement of a man that has been in jail more often that out on the field in the NFL.

Royals fan catches home run ball with popcorn bucket
Their team isn't good so they have to stay entertained somehow.

Great nephew of shortest MLB baseball player ever gets drafted
Perhaps you have heard of 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel, who drew a walk in 1951 and was the smallest and lightest player in the majors. Well he great nephew was just drafted and stands a whopping 6-foot, four-inches.

June 7, 2011

Embarrassing Facebook photos of our friends... what is that dog doing?


There's nothing worse than needy dogs. BTW, what kind of dog is the small one? An Ewok?

EWU basketball adds big transfer


Martin Seiferth, a 6-foot-10, 220-pound center from Berlin, Germany, will transfer from the University of Oregon to Eastern Washington University to play men's basketball, new Eagle head coach Jim Hayford announced Monday (June 6).

Seiferth will redshirt the 2011-12 season.
He is Eastern's first transfer from a Pacific-10 Conference school in nearly 10 years. Josh Barnard transferred from the University of Washington in 2002, and lettered in the 2003-04 season when the Eagles made their first and only appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

6 foot 10 inches! Are you kidding me! This is great for Eastern and the rebuilding of the basketball program. I'm already liking what Hayford is doing for the team. Seiferth will add HUGE size to the team.

He was a proven coach at Whitworth University and in a short time is taking steps to become that at Eastern. Now we'll have to see what the team does on the court.

And if all else fails, just paint the court red and the national championship will come.

Check out goeags.com for all the latest info on Eagle athletics.

Mountain West unveils new logo

Over the next few years there is going to be a lot of changes on the college sports scene. It all started last year with the formation of the PAC 12 and the new Big 10 and reduced Big 12.

And with new conferences of course new logos are needed.

The same holds true for the Mountain West Conference.

The new Mountain West logo comes before the 2011 sporting season as the conference prepares to lose BYU (who is going independent) and Utah (who is going to the PAC 12) while adding Boise State.

In 2012 TCU will jump ship to the Big East but the Mountain West will add Hawaii (in football only) and Fresno State and Nevada in all sports.

In addition to the new logo, the conference has a new slogan of "This is our time."

Here's the old Mountain West logo:


And here's the new Mountain West logo:


What do you think? Like it, hate it, don't care? Let us know with a comment!

June 6, 2011

USC stripped of 2004 National Championship

Today the BCS stripped the University of Southern California of their 2004 National Championship.

And to that I say, "SOOOOOOO dumb."

The BCS ruling vacated the results of the 2005 Orange Bowl -- the national title game for 2004 -- as well as the Trojans participation in the 2006 Rose Bowl, in which USC lost to Texas in the championship game.

As a result of the BCS's Presidential Oversight Committee ruling, there will be no BCS national champion in the record book for the 2004-05 season.

The BCS ruling comes on the heels of the NCAA ruling about Reggie Bush playing "inelligably" because he accepted extra benefits from a would-be sports marketer.

Now here's my question for the NCAA and the BCS, "how long until you strip Auburn of their most recent championship?"

So there will be no BCS champion for the 2004-2005 season. Yet I'm just supposed to forget that the USC Trojans really won it? That makes perfect sense. Add in the fact that pretty much every major power college out there has some form of infraction yet the NCAA only punishes as it sees fit.

How the heck were all the suspended Ohio State Buckeyes allowed to play in the 2010 Sugar Bowl? Oh that's right. That's because they are suspended the first five games of this season. Gee that makes sense.

So the team got a bowl victory with players who had violated NCAA rules yet are still allowed to keep that win?

This seems like a case of punish when we feel like it and look the other way if we'll make a profit. USC's run is over and the NCAA has made their money off the team. Now it's time to let Auburn win a few more games. But once their time ends, look for sanctions and lost titles coming fast.

BCS you get dumber every year.

June 5, 2011

Future Predictions of Lebron's hairline and headband...


Well that's just not flattering...

Storm win season opener

Even though the Sonics are gone, lets try and fill that basketball void by rooting on the very good Seattle Storm of the WNBA. After all, they just won their season opener over the Phoenix Mercury!

SEATTLE (AP) Sue Bird scored 13 points and handed out 10 assists, Camille Little led Seattle with 18 points and the defending WNBA champion Storm opened the 2011 season with a 78-71 win over of the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday.

Lauren Jackson added 15 points and seven rebounds as Seattle built a big fourth-quarter lead and then watched Phoenix's Diana Taurasi try to rally the Mercury in the closing seconds.

Taurasi scored a game-high 31, including 11 in the closing minutes as Phoenix trimmed a 19-point deficit to within five with 16 seconds left.


Not sure if future Mrs. Hansen Diana Taurasi got taunted for, you know, the whole DUI/testing for drugs scandal she endured but that definitely shows a nice bounce-back for the former UConn star.

As for the Storm, they put in their typical balanced scoring attack which always bodes well. While it's not quite the Big 3 of the Heat, Seattle fans should feel good with Sue Bird, Camille Little and Lauren Jackson on the team. I wish I could say something smart about those three, but I know nothing about the WNBA and will just assume they're really, really good.

They had a huge 19-point lead in the third quarter before Phoenix made a run at them. The win puts them on pace for an undefeated season, which we will be covering extensively as the new home of Seattle Storm blogging!

(Dammit NBA, where are my Sonics. WHERE ARE MY SONICS!?!?!)

Morning coffee... Rafael Nadal is pretty good at tennis

Because thats what Roger Federer got after Rafael Nadal beat him 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1 in the finals. That ties him with Bjorn Borg for the most French Open titles with six and he has 10 overall.

It's also the fourth time these two players have matched up in the French Open Finals, but really does that come as a shock to anyone?

I will say this about the French Open. I understand that the world doesn't revolve around America (yes it does) and a sport shouldn't make a special consideration just for a specific country but why the heck should I have to get up early in the morning to watch the French Open Finals? I understand that the globalization of the sport has a certain affect on things, but they should try to accommodate perhaps the largest consumer market on earth.

I mean you're not going to see baseball, basketball or football play a final at seven in the morning. Tennis is an awesome sport, but when they have things like this happen, it hurts things.

And with that, here are headlines...

Did you know that Vancouver has a 2-0 lead in the NHL Finals
I didn't either, but that Canucks have something going. Perhaps the Northwest could get a championship!

Shin-Shoo says DUI affecting his performance for the Cleveland Indians
Who knew that hard drinking would hurt your performance in athletics?

Johnny Bench chews out Buster Posey for having season ending injury, also chews out the San Diego Chicken
Perhaps the greatest video of vehicular responsibility I have ever seen.

June 4, 2011

Reasons why you're single... half-marathon show-off guy

Wow, you just finished a half-marathon. Congrats, I'll give you all the credit in the world for doing that as I get winded walking to the fridge. You deserve a pat on the back for being able to run for a kind of long ways.

But don't do this.

Don't finish the half-marathon, shrug your shoulders, make a disapproving grunt and then turn around and continue to run to show off that you're in such good shape you can just keep going.

If you are in that good of shape, just do a full marathon. Nobody cares.

The "extra laps half-marathon" guy is a scourge to those that showed up just to run the 5K fun run, or barely get through a half-marathon. They don't like these show off guys, in fact, they secretly hope that these show off guys roll an ankle.

This is how field trips go in Montana

Hey kids! Get on the bus and ignore that the drive has a bottle of Jack Daniels at his side. It's all fun and games!

BOZEMAN (AP) — Two charter bus drivers have been arrested for allegedly taking a group of Bozeman seventh-graders on a field trip to Yellowstone National Park while under the influence of alcohol.

KBZK-TV reports schools Superintendent Kirk Miller has written a letter to parents of the Sacajawea Middle School students saying the park received a call Friday morning from a person unrelated to the trip who was concerned the bus drivers might be impaired. Miller says that while the students were exploring the park, rangers "questioned, investigated and ultimately arrested" the Karst Stage bus drivers.

Somehow I feel like these two bus drivers aren't exactly upstanding citizens.

June 3, 2011

Quite possibly the worst sports-related song ever

I ran across this little nugget from Boston (just before they got hammered by the Chicago Bears in the 1985 Super Bowl) and almost puked.

Morning Coffee... Nate Montana's DUI


Well that aint Joe Cool...

(From Riley Lemm's MasSports)

Joe Montana’s, the Hall of Fame QB, son, Nate Montana, was booked on DUI charges today at 3:46 this morning. This isn’t his first run in with the law, he recently transfered from Notre Dame, where he got in trouble for underage drinking at a party last year.

This might be a big blow to his chances for starting QB for the U of M, he isn’t as good as his father was, but still fairly good. This might help some of the other teams in the Big Sky Conference throw off the hood that the U of M has been recently, and open the way for a new team to be on the top.

I can't believe I'm saying this but it appears the Montana Grizzlies just can't catch a break. Bringing in Nate, regardless of how he actually performs on the field was a good public relations move to at least develop buzz around the program after a disappointing season.

However, this wasn't exactly the buzz they were looking for.

And now for headlines

Dallas comes back against Miami in Game 2 of NBA Finals
Apparently all the chest punching by the Heat made Dirk angry.

NFL owners cut pay for coaches and staff, even though it's a PLAYER lockout
A few more stories like this and I will refuse to watch professional football ever again.

10-year old Julia Dale absolutely nails the national anthem before Game 2
And you should also hear her sing "O'Canada" if the Raptors ever make the Finals... oh wait...

2011 NCAA Baseball


As Brandon showed you in a previous post I had knee surgery. So despite the amazing weather outside, today I'll be chilling in front of the tv. Thank goodness for playoff baseball. Oh, and espn3 so I can watch every game.

Today the Regional round of the 2011 NCAA baseball season kicks off. With 64 teams dreaming of Omaha, Nebraska.

Yes, having lived in Nebraska for a while Omaha isn't much to dream about. However the city is home to the College World Series.

When I was living there I did attend a few of the College World Series games. And it was a blast! Especially cause the team I was there watching, Fresno State, won it all from underdog status.

Here is the official bracket for the entire event.

Regionals June 3-6 (double elimination)
Super Regionals June 10-13 (best-of-three series)
College World Series June 18-25 (double elimination)
Championship Series June 27-29 (best-of-three series)

You can also follow the College World Series on twitter and on the official College World Series site.

So the question is, of the 64 teams, who are you rooting for?

I personally am looking for the University of Maine Black Bears to upset the number 3 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels.

June 2, 2011

You too can support Casey Knopik


Casey has knee surgery today and here's a photo of him at home after the operation. He'll be laid up for a little while and has so far sent me a list of things he'll be doing...

1. Buying more teal Mariners jerseys on e-bay, this time signed by Carlos Silva.
2. Playing online with his World of Warcraft character "Zazzles."
3. Hacking onto the Portland Timbers website and putting puppy photos on their home page.
4. Watching the extended special edition of the Lord of the Rings that also has fan films also on the DVD.
5. Doing what every red-blooded American Male wishes he could do, watch The Military Channel for 24 hours straight.

Anyways, if you'd like to support Casey in his recovery, please make checks out to "Brandon Hansen" and send them to me, I'll make sure he gets the money.

Idaho State installs new turf, not as cool

Oh look at what Idaho State's new turf looks like! It's not red, it's not orange, it's green. Lame.

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State Athletics Department has announced that Hellas Construction, Inc. will be the company that installs the new field turf at Holt Arena. Installation will begin July 1 and the process will take six weeks to complete.

“Hellas Construction, Inc. is excited to add Idaho State University's Holt Arena to its list of high profile installations,” Bruce Layman, Vice President of the Turf Division of Hellas Construction. “We are thrilled our Matrix removable system was selected for this project. We know this selection will add to Holt Arena's versatility and ability to increase utilization. Lastly, we are especially proud to be a part of this project as Holt Arena was the first removable synthetic turf system installed in the world in the 1970's. We know that we are dealing with a “savvy” customer when it comes to synthetic turf for its' sports facilities and the Matrix turf is unmatched in quality in today's sports facilities.”

Awesome, enjoy being plain jane Idaho State!

Morning Coffee... Worst dentist ever.

Sometimes, NFL fans are my least favorite kind of fans to be around. It's generally because of their ability to scream and rant about their team but not be able to tell me who their second-string quarterback is.


Really, I don't respect the intelligence of your normal NFL fan. My point is proven by this story...

The Washington Redskins are holding a contest on Facebook to find the best fan photo. If you judge things based on which picture makes you want to floss the most, the clear winner is Janice Bausch, who has a Redskins logo permanently painted onto her crown.
The NFL may not even play next year, your Redskins certainly won't be playing in any postseason games next year regardless so why not put a politically incorrect logo on your tooth? That would be a hoot!

Something tells me those are actually the only three teeth she has.

And with that, here are headlines...

Ricky Rubio is going to play for the Timberwolves... finally
And America will finally get to see the teenage wonder from Spain... wait, he's 38 now?

Teddy Roosevelt wins mascot race, only to be disqualified
Kind of like he was disqualified from the Republican Party.

Cleveland is still angry about the whole Lebron thing...
Calling him pure evil is a new one.

June 1, 2011

Morning Coffee... Happy Lebron James Day!


Are the Finals already over? Catching Game 1 of the NBA Finals last night, I came away with a few thoughts.

1. The Heat played really, really good defense. They took the Mavs out of their game.
2. Everybody seemed to be working together really well for Miami. They've really taken their game to a new level in the playoffs.
3. Can Dallas bounce back from this considering their NBA Finals history of choking?

And... how are you going to respond to Lebron James after he's an NBA Champion? Would you still hate him for leaving Cleveland?

And with that, here's headlines from the day...

Shaq is retiring
And IHOPs around the country are quivering in their boots.

FIFA sponsors worried about corruption allegations
Whoa, you're telling me that a sport is corrupt? That never happens right?

Jimmer looking to improve his defense
Meaning that he might actually play some defense in the NBA.