Sports Report Episode 8

Its been a while but here's the eighth episode of the Leader Sports Report. What would be the worst pro sports teams to root for? Dylan and Brandon talk about that as well as why the NFL Draft is not that great.

 

Hope you're ready for the Lions to suck this year

Calvin Johnson has been named the cover guy for Madden this season. In the unveiling on ESPN, they had Cam Newton and Johnson together on camera and I couldn't help but notice Cam Newton doing cartwheels after he wasn't picked. I mean wouldn't you be happy to learning you won't have a sophomore slump or season-ending injury? May god be with you Calvin Johnson...

He joins a long line of these guys...

Yep, Calvin Johnson is boned...

The game that nobody wants to play

The NFL and NFL players' union is thinking about getting rid of the Pro Bowl. Too bad the average fan wont notice because they haven't watched the Pro Bowl for years.

Lets be honest, nobody would be really heartbroken if the NFL got rid of the Pro Bowl. It's become something of the red-headed step child of pro sports all-star games. Why? Because in basketball and baseball you can still play a pretty high level type of game without somebody getting hurt. But football? Gotta play at half speed otherwise Aaron Rodgers is knocked out for a year with a knee injury.

ESPN reported earlier Thursday, citing league sources, that the delay in naming a venue was because the Pro Bowl game "likely will be suspended this season and beyond," with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell "strongly considering" the move.

Goodell previously openly condemned the lack of competitiveness in recent Pro Bowl games, despite decent television ratings indicating fans were still keen to watch.

The ESPN report indicated that even if the annual game is shelved, teams would be instructed to still honor Pro Bowl incentives to avoid a clash with the players' union.

Here's some questions I do have though... will they take away the NFC and AFC All-Stars off Madden? What will the one fan that bought a Pro Bowl jersey do? The horror...

Lets state the obvious... the powers at be in college football are stupid

Why hasn't there been a FBS playoff in college football yet? Even though the lower levels of college football have it? Even though the pros have it? Even though high school and pee wee football has it? Because the bureaucratic dynamics of universities around the country are so pathetic, even when they actually change the postseason format to a playoff, they can't call it a playoff.

No wonder it takes universities four months to approve a new lamp post in the quad.

...the “plus-one” plan that Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive and Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford first proposed four years ago — four teams play two semifinals plus the title game — is hilariously being officially referred to by the BCS as a “four-team event.”

“I’ve never called it a playoff,” Slive reiterated Wednesday after the second official day of BCS meetings here this week involving conference commissioners, television executives and handpicked bowl and university officials.

Yet, no matter how much Slive and the BCS believe they have to spin the “plus-one” to not frighten politically correct university presidents, it is a playoff.

As much as I love college football, this is ridiculous. The reason they don't want to call it a playoff is because they don't want to make it seem like they're going away from the bowl system. Because the bowls make money, and a cheap-ass bowl victory means donors will pony up more cash and heaven forbid universities and college football are actually honest with us.

I mean it's not a playoff? Teams play and advance to a championship game. ITS A PLAYOFF. And they're not called student athletes, they're called players you take advantage of while making millions of dollars and turning the other way at low graduation rates.

Reasons why you're still single... Spiderman envy

You wanted to be Spiderman for Halloween, but couldn't quite squeeze into that Spidey suit. Guess who's getting a girlfriend?

Land Paddling

I think I may have just found my new hobby.

Consider yourself lucky

You could be this kid.

Epic Photo: Casey's school photo

See ladies, in high school, Casey was a boss.

Sounders off to best start ever

So the Sounders FC aren't exactly a storied franchise yet... they've been around for just a few years but believe it or not, they're off to the best start in team history.

For Sounders FC, it sounds like the recipe for a slow start to the MLS season. Instead, Seattle is 3-1-1 — the best record after five games in the franchise's young history — heading into a bye this weekend.

Surprisingly, the Sounders have done it using 19 different starters, tied with D.C. United for the most in the league. The Sounders have used a different starting lineup in each MLS game.

"That's an impressive stat," said defender Zach Scott, the unlikely hero in the 1-0 victory over Colorado on Saturday, "but you can see that from years past: The guys we've put in reserve games, the guys we've put in Open Cups, Champions League — this team is deep. The front office does a great job of finding guys who can start on other teams. Basically, we've got two starting groups."


Their defense has been incredible so far, and that's how you win soccer games. Much like baseball or football you're going to always run into games where you can't score. If you have a great defense, then when you have those games you still have a chance to win because the other team isn't scoring either. However, one thing the Sounders shouldn't do is sub in Brandon League in the latter stages of the game.

Reasons why you're still single... tattoo or shorts? you decide

I mean I've heard of muffin top. This is more like a three layer cake...

Jamie Moyer doesn't throw fast

Last night, Rockies' pitcher Jamie Moyer became the oldest pitcher in major league baseball to pick up a victory. The 49-year old went seven innings in a 5-3 victory over the Padres. He threw 87 pitches and not a single one went over 80 miles per hour.

According to the pitch breakdown at Brooks Baseball he threw 21 four-seam fastballs that averaged 77.2 mph, 19 cutters at 76.2 mph, 25 changeups at 72.1 mph, eight sinkers at 78.6 mph, and four curveballs at 68.2 mph.

And his fastest pitch on a night when the Padres managed zero extra-base hits in 27 plate appearances versus a man twice their age–and at Coors Field, no less–was 79.0 miles per hour.

Since apparently every Red Sox pitcher's ERA is over 80, maybe Boston should trade for Moyer.

Epic Photo: Time to get a new hat

I mean who wouldn't want this hat?

Things aren't going so well for my Red Sox

While Casey has had the opportunity to pal around at Mariners' games, I've been watching the Red Sox season become unraveled. There is doom and gloom around Fenway Park. Kevin Youkilis is a zombie. Josh Beckett is a fatty. Bobby Valentine is a loon. Nick Punto... is well, Nick Punto. The BOSTON MEDIA IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE!

Why did the Red Sox fall apart against the Texas Rangers? Well...

1. Because they're good - they've made the World Series the past two years, their lineup is a who's-who's of offensive power.

2. Bobby V didn't help with his Youkilis comments - While I think this story is blown out of proportion, the Sox have been winless since the comments. While I think this is a speed bump, it did take the wind out of beating Tampa Bay three out of four times.

3. Boston's pitching is a train wreck - Either the starting pitching blows up and the bullpen has to make up the difference, the starting pitching is alright but the bullpen blows it, or the starting pitching and the bullpen both suck. Either way, there's nobody on the mound in a Red Sox uniform right now that has been lights out on the mound. Throw that at Texas, an offensive powerhouse, and the results aren't good. Just wait till the Yankees get to town. Boston has the worst pitching staff in the majors right now.

Boston's record right now? 4-8. Everyone is saying it's a sinking ship and no good can come from this. They might be right but can I point one thing out, again...

THEY'VE PLAYED 12 GAMES

I'm serious folks, the story will be different in two weeks, and again different two weeks after that. It's how baseball works. It's a marathon not a sprint. Let's not pronounce the Red Sox dead just yet. Also consider they've played some of the toughest team in the majors. The Mariners on the other hand have played the woeful Oakland Athletics. Just sayin'

Either way, lets take a chill pill and not give this season to the dead just yet.

Epic Photo: Come at me Bro!

Epic Photo: True, but sad

Epic Photo: The "I don't have a girlfriend" Nintendo collection

I mean who needs love when you have all this stuff?

World Series ring has a rally squirrel

Since Mariners fans have never seen a World Series ring, I thought I'd let you all see one up close and personal. St. Louis has gone off the tracks a little bit with their ring and have added a nice little accent... a rally squirrel.

The Cardinals received their World Series rings before Saturday's game, and each ring includes the player's name, number and the years of the Cardinals' 10 previous championships.

They also include a tiny squirrel running across home plate.

In Game 4 of last year's NL Division Series, a squirrel darted across home plate during Skip Schumaker's at-bat -- and the Busch Stadium crowd went wild.

Cardinals fans adopted the critter's image throughout the playoffs, when it was seen on T-shirts, memorabilia and images on stadium screens.


I think that's a much better idea than the rally KFC and beers that the Red Sox were planning on putting on their World Series rings this year if they won.

Epic Photo: Mower racer

A man competes in a ride-on mower race in Aukrug-Homfeld, Germany, April 14. Around a dozen teams compete with their modified ride-on mowers with up to 120 horsepower and top speeds of more than 60 mph. (From MSNBC.com)

It's like Civil War reenactors but way cooler

Rome is a pretty cool place. They have the Vatican where Tom Hanks hangs out. It was the city where the Roman Empire was ran (I mean can Seattle say they ran nearly all the entire known world with their grunge music?) and Hillary Duff even made a movie there. The other thing that makes it cool? When people protest there, apparently they dress like centurions. Yep, Roman Centurions. Bad ass.

The policemen arrived at the ancient amphitheatre to enforce an eviction notice to the men, who normally ask tourists for money in exchange for a photograph with them.

Italy's culture ministry said the men had no permits and often harassed and stalked tourists in addition for asking for exorbitant amounts of money.

Clashes with police broke out when city police arrived to remove two centurions who had occupied part of an arcade.

Some 25 centurions tried to stop the police, but during the scuffles, one of the protesters fell to his feet and was slightly injured.

Some onlookers joined in the protest in support of the centurions, saying: "Leave them alone. We are all centurions".

Italy sounds like every the worst place ever or the best. I can't decide yet.

I hate when the Gecko gets angry

Seattle Mariners home opener

Tomorrow night the Seattle Mariners return to the Emerald City for their home opener. Now Brandon might have his Red Sox, but I'll always be a Mariners fan.

I grew up in a small town about 50 miles outside of Seattle and through default became a fan of all the local teams. I'll never forget watching the 1995 Mariners advance in the playoffs. I'll never forget how all the kids would want to be number 24 in little league because of Junior.

Sure Seattle might not have the history of New York or Boston, but the history that is there is special to Mariners fans.

It's new season. And with every spring there is the chance that your team might make it to the post season. Spring means believing. Let's go Mariners!

Epic Photo: Aurora Kuenzli

(From NASA)

Pic-nic pants!

Are you ever walking around wishing you could have a picnic? Your dreams have been answered with the picnic pants!

Pants with a built-in picnic table. Designed in Italy, so they must be fashionable.

I already bought a pair for Casey, who has always wanted to have a picnic whenever he wanted.

The death of TV

Looks like TV has some serious ratings issues...

NEW YORK - Whether it was the upcoming religious holidays, nice spring weather, school vacations or just plain boredom with their choices, many television viewers took a siesta from their sets last Thursday.

CBS' comedy "The Big Bang Theory" had its smallest audience of the season for a new episode, the Nielsen Co. said. ABC's "Missing" had a series low. All the originals on NBC's lineup — "Community," ''30 Rock," ''Up All Night" and "Awake" — had season lows.

The NBC showing is particularly eye-opening, especially considering the network's former "must-see TV" status on Thursday nights.

Only "Community" reached 3 million viewers. The comedies "30 Rock" had 2.79 million, "Up All Night" had 2.58 million and "The Office" had 2.52 million for a repeat episode. The hourlong drama "Awake" had 2.56 million viewers, Nielsen said.

On the same first Thursday in April 10 years ago, NBC reached 28.5 million viewers for "ER" and 22.6 million for "Friends."


While the talking heads try to explain the drop in all of these ratings, I think I have the reason. With the internet, I can watch any of these shows online at my own convenience. I'd rather be running, playing video games or doing some work when the show originally airs. Prime-time of 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. is my time, not televisions time.

Also throw in that I can watch anything I want to watch, Facebook, the 300 channels I have on DISH and the numerous You Tube clips or internet apps I can play - when new episodes pop up, I'm not going to make my schedule around them. I'm going to watch them when I have an opening.

With this kill TV? I dunno ask how mass media is going for newspapers. People are just being more and more specific with their tastes in entertainment. However, you know eventually who's going to pay for the splintering of all these entertainment interests? Us. Look for the pay-per-view model to get more and more common.

Tattoos I plan on getting

I'm looking to get some new ink. This is what I thinking about to get permanently etched in my skin...

(Don't get it? It's a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 reference)

Hopefully the "Dude, you're getting a Dell" guy doesn't show up.

I can use this anytime my computer crashes. 

Get Naked!

What do you do when you get caught smoking? Strip. 

A woman caught smoking in a nonsmoking area of Denver International Airport on Tuesday responded by putting out her cigarette and taking off her clothes.

Around 8:45 a.m., after being asked to extinguish her cigarette, the woman stripped naked in the B Concourse, TMZ reported.

"The woman told officers that she'd had no sleep the night before," Raquel Lopez, spokesperson for the Denver Police Department, told msnbc.com. The woman was taken in for a medical evaluation. "No one was arrested, no one was hurt and no report was filed," Lopez said.

Police and paramedics responded and "the woman was ultimately transported to a local hospital," said Laura Coale, Denver International's director of media relations.

I'm glad paramedics and police were brought in. When there's a naked woman in the airport, you have to bring in as many response team people as possible to see it.

Is Safeco Field middle-aged?

Safeco Field has gotten a lot of accolades for being a great place to watch a baseball game. However, it's now entering it's thirteenth year of existence and is ranked the fifteenth-oldest stadium in major league baseball. Isn't that weird? Remember what happened when the "new" Key Arena suddenly became unfit for the NBA? From SportsPressNW...

Between Camden’s ’92 debut and Safeco’s opening came parks in Cleveland, Arlington, TX. (where the Mariners play four starting Monday), Denver, Atlanta, Tampa and Phoenix. It is, in a word, astonishing.

The build-out for baseball in the past two decades is a reflection of many things: The game’s enduring appeal, public yearnings for nostalgia, connections and community, as well as the cunning of a monopoly operation that knows how to exploit those feelings and the vulnerability of electeds who know there’s usually nothing like a sports palace that can draw 51 percent of voters. Since 2008, things have changed.

With the prospects that higher employment and lower incomes, benefits, and job stability are becoming the new normal, the appetite for public palace building has shrunk. Certainly it has in Seattle, where various levels of government have rejected multiple bids by two public sports buildings, KeyArena and the University of Washington football stadium, to get public money for remodels. Back to Safeco. Having fresher parks around the country doesn’t mean Safeco is decrepit.

The building has been well-maintained and should easily outlive the Kingdome’s 24 years. But independent of nationwide trends, reaching middle age for an outdoor stadium in a marine climate means a continuing list of maintenance and upgrades, particularly with a giant mechanical, mobile roof.

The lease says the cost of these fixes are borne by the Mariners, according to the Public Facilities District that operates the shop. But if and when a big-ticket repair arises, the Mariners may suggest that the lease is unclear, and in any event, may ask/demand that the PFD chip in. That news would become public quickly.

While the issue probably won't be replacing the stadium, hopefully for the next 20+ years, but repairs to its infrastructure? The Mariners have been losing money so if something serious really comes up, will they step up to the plate and make the repairs? Our city governments across the nation were quick to pony up cash to build pro stadiums but now they're strapped for cash. You could see some serious debates and issues in the future, not just at Safeco but in other cities as well.

Sounders women draw big

Mix the Sounders brand, most of the US Nationals Women's team and the Pacific Northwest's rapid soccer fan base and you'll get 4,000 people to show up. In yet another example of why Seattle is a soccer mecca, the Sounders Women team got a big crowd in their first EXHIBITION of the season.

Energized fans on this invitingly warm night had to squeeze into whatever space they could find to watch Seattle's USWNT stars — goalkeeper Hope Solo, forwards Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux, and defender Stephanie Cox — whether it was along a crowded fence or on a grassy hill beside the packed bleachers.

Coach Michelle French called the atmosphere "absolutely incredible."

"I had heard how many people were going to come, but it's like one of those things where you invite people to a party — you never who's going to actually show up," French said. "I think every seat was filled. It exceeded my expectations. The chanting, the way they created an environment just like the men's game was awesome."

The attendance wasn't announced, but was estimated at about 4,000. To put that in perspective, the top-tier Women's Professional Soccer league averaged about 3,500 last season — and this was an exhibition.

Watch out Mariners, your season average attendance might get beaten by the Sounders Women.

If you're having a bad day...

Remember, it could be worse, you could be Bobby Petrino.

Epic Photo: Best Bathroom Ever

You too can enjoy the down the pipes level of Super Mario Bros. 

What happened to our favorite sports teams last night...

Sounders get tie, when they really, really needed a win - The Western Conference is absolutely stacked this year and by tying a depleted DC United team, Seattle now sits in fifth place in their conference. They needed this victory to keep pace with the other good teams and while it's super early, Seattle doesn't want to stand pat or tumble too far in the standings. DC was missing its best defender and starting goalie but the Sounders got shutout for the second straight game. Looks like after an offensive explosion to begin the season, Seattle is going to have to change some things up - mainly don't pass it to a triple-teamed Freddy Montero every time and expect something to happen?

Seattle improves to 3-1 despite Felix's less than super awesome outing - Four runs Felix? Really? Say it aint so! Good thing the Mariners offense has looked impressive in their past two games. The M's won 8-7 despite blowing a 7-1 lead they had through four innings. Felix got the win, which is slightly funny because usually when he gives up a run he can forget about picking up a W. The M's bullpen also held up which seemed absolutely WILD to me. This win comes against the woeful Oakland Athletics and now the Mariners will test their mettle against the Texas Rangers.

Chiefs lose despite what appeared to be a buzzer-beater goal - It seemed Spokane had tied it up with a second to go but... nope. The goal was waived off and Tri-City evened up the semi-final WHL playoff series with a 2-1 victory. However, the good news is that the series comes back to the Chiefs home arena for the next two games. No doubt the atmosphere will be great in this Washington rivalry.

Josh Beckett gives up five home runs, Detroit beats Boston 10-0 - In other words, I need a drink. Apparently Beckett didn't lay off the KFC and beer in the offseason or something. I'm not mad, just bitter. An 80-win season is really going to suck.

Luke Hochevar delivers for the Royals - Casey's favorite baseball team actually had a pitcher and handled the $150 million payroll of the Anaheim Angels of Shorten Your Team Name Already. Luke Hochevar allowed just two runs in six innings and the Royals notched 12 hits in a 6-3 victory.

Roos Field might get a whole lot better

It looks like EWU is planning big to replace those bleachers on the Washington Street side of Roos Field. Much like they made a splash with the red turf, they're going all-in on an 8,000-seat addition to the stadium that once looked like a high school played there.

The vision is in place at Eastern Washington University for a multimillion-dollar “city within a city” that aims to improve the campus experience on game day – and every day.
The Gateway Project, unveiled recently to the EWU Board of Trustees, would include 8,000 additional seats on the Washington Street side of Roos Field. Inside, the facility would house concessions, leased commercial space, suites and more.

Now comes the hard part, said Mike Westfall, vice president for university advancement and executive director of the EWU Foundation, which made the presentation to the trustees.

“Right now we are trying to temper expectations as much as possible, so we are strictly in a feasibility phase right now,” Westfall said. “But everyone we have heard from has reacted favorably.”

Now there's plenty of other bells and whistles with this project that make it more than extra seats in the stadium. While they haven't even begun taking donations, so who knows how far out this is, it shows a direction for the future. The current size of their stadium is more than adequate now for all their games, except for the Montana Griz game. An increase of 8,000 seats and the extra facilities that they're putting along with it look like this is more of a precursor to the FBS. Again, this is years and years and years off, but if you're not selling out your stadium every game right now, why are you adding 8,000 seats?

Most of the feedback from alumni I've seen is very positive and I'd imagine that the fundraising will be a popular effort. However, it has a $20 million price tag - I think the press box project was just a few million to complete - and it would be the biggest addition that Roos Field has ever seen. I'm just guessing you might see this become a reality in 5-10 years if the project doesn't lose steam. By that time, EWU might be ready for the WAC (I'm not thrilled at the prospect of being an FBS small fish).

It's amazing how much EWU changed when I went there, and how much it built up after I left. This project doesn't surprise me. The university has gradually improved their campus and this is another step in that.

Now the question becomes... is it a better stadium than WSU?

Important happenings in the Spokane sports scene

I know Casey is all big and mighty with his "major league professional sports teams" but Spokane has teams too. Here's what happened last night...

Spokane Chiefs win second-round opener against Tri-City - Is there anything better than beating Tri-City (other than not living in the Tri City, I don't think so)? Nope. And considering the Americans had a really good regular season and Spokane almost didn't get out of the first round - well, we'll take it. It also knocks and kink in the Americans armor since the first game was played in Kennewick. If the Chiefs win the second game, they'll head back to Spokane with a 2-0 series lead. Time. To. Start. Getting. Excited.

Shock lose to Arizona, drop to 1-3 on the season - With a new/old quarterback in Kyle Rowley (who had just three days of practice), the Shock had a few costly fumbles. One of the fumbles came late in the fourth with Spokane up 53-50 and on Arizona's five-yard line. “We kind of handed it to them,” Rowley said. “The second fumble, that’s on the refs. The guy jumped offside and everybody saw it in the whole arena. It’s just tough. He’s in our center’s face.”

Rangers unveil stature of fan that died at ballpark

The Rangers did something out of the ordinary. Perhaps you heard of Shannon Stone, who died last year at a Rangers game reaching for a ball. While it was more of a freak happenstance than anything, the Rangers did a pretty cool thing by putting up a statue for him.

ARLINGTON (AP) - Nine months after a Texas Rangers fan died after falling over an outfield railing at a game, his 7-year-old son helped unveil a statue Thursday honoring his father and others who love America’s pastime.

The life-size bronze statue depicts Shannon Stone and his son, Cooper, wearing baseball caps.

They are holding hands and looking at each other as if they’re talking. The inscription reads: In memory of Shannon Stone and dedicated to all fans who love the game.

“Today is a celebration of spirit, family and love of the game,” Rangers President Nolan Ryan said. “This bronze represents so many things that are good about baseball — competition, happiness, memories — and I think Shannon embodied what we as an organization hope for in our fans.”

Usually its a hall-of-fame baseball player being put in bronze outside of a ballpark, but its good for the Rangers to do this. They really didn't need to, I don't think anyone would be mad if they didn't put up a statue of the fan, so it just shows they wanted to go the extra step.

Epic Photo: Riding Shotgun

Casey has been eating too much McDonalds... (Actual photo from a Walmart parking lot)

Depressing Mariners story of the day

Mariners have half the payroll of the Angels and two-thirds that of the Texas Rangers. In other words, don't expect a whole lot this season. Check out these numbers...

AL WEST
Oakland - $55 million
Mariners - $82 million
Rangers - $120 million
Angels - $154 million

The Yankees again lead baseball with their payroll of $198 million. However, the Mariners have a better record (1-1) than the Red Sox right now (0-1). Just sayin'

30,000 to see Tebow

If Tebow comes... so will everyone else...

Tim Tebow will deliver the Easter sermon on Sunday at the Celebration Church in Georgetown, Texas, and the expected turnout is one more indication of Tebow’s enormous popularity.

The church told local TV station KVUE that it’s erecting bleachers on its 60-acre outdoor space for what it expects to be a crowd of as many as 30,000 people.

“Obviously it’s our Super Bowl,” said Joe Champion, pastor at the Celebration Church. “Easter is the resurrection of Christ, which we celebrate in our faith. We feel like it’s going to be a testimony to the community. We want it to be a family event.”

So who's better, the Easter Bunny or Tim Tebow?

Epic Photo: Titanic issue

I've thought the same thing, James Cameron (From BuzzFeed)

Weird News Story: French president doesn't like cheese

The French are a proud nation that have surrendered in almost every single major war since 1900. They won't stand for their president not eating cheese. I wish I was kidding but this is an actual story.

It’s a matter of (spurious) debate if France’s president is a “surrender monkey,” but one thing seems clear: He is no longer cheese-eating. Nicolas Sarkozy decided to stop savoring "le fromage" after meals, the AFP reported in an article on the kitchens at the presidential Elysee Palace.

His chef said Sarkozy was trying to eat healthily, preferring "light, balanced meals and poultry to red meat," AFP added.

The term “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” was first used on "The Simpsons" and was popularized by National Review journalist Jonah Goldberg, who claimed he had made it “an accepted term in official diplomatic channels around the globe.”

 What would the American equivalent be? If our President didn't eat McDonalds and was healthy? Oh wait we have that in Obama. I guess we're wishing for the days of Dick Cheney and his 80 heart attacks. Or maybe a better comparison would be if our president said he didn't like freedom. Instead of freedom, the French like their cheese.

 The variety and flavor of cheeses to be found across France is a matter of national and regional pride, a subject that can fire considerable passion.

As the U.K.’s Telegraph newspaper noted, Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French forces during the Second World War and later president, once declared, “How can anyone govern a nation that has 246 different kinds of cheese?”

It remains to be seen if a non-cheese-eating leader is acceptable to the French electorate, who will decide whether Sarkozy remains in the Elysee in presidential elections in just three weeks’ time.

 I'm glad that a person's diet is determining global politics.

Epic Photo: Panda chow time

Panda Express? 

The Red Sox are big spenders on injured players

It's always good to be the Boston Red Sox and have lots of money. That is, unless you spend all your money on injured players. A whopping 57 million dollars will be tied up on the DISABLED LIST when the Sox open up the season today. In otherwords, the season hasn't started yet and I already need a drink. MSNBC has the breakdown...

Carl Crawford – $19.5 million
John Lackey – $15.25 million
Daisuke Matsuzaka – $10 millon
Bobby Jenks – $6 million
Andrew Bailey – $3.9 million
Andrew Miller – $1.04 million
Rich Hill – $725,000
Ryan Kalish – approx. $480,000
Chris Carpenter – approx. $480,000

 It all adds up to $57.375 million, which is barely short of the approx. $62 million the Rays are spending on their entire 2012 roster.

 I think I'm fine with it if John Lackey stays on the DL and doesn't pitch for the Red Sox. Ever again.

Vladimir Putin wants to control your mind

This is some truly crazy and wild stuff. While Russia has said a lot of things, maybe we should take notice that they're a zombie ray that could affect all of our minds. While those funny guys wearing the tin foil hats have been telling us for years that the government is controlling out minds, that swell guy Vladimir Putin may actually do it.

Mind-bending ‘psychotronic’ guns that can effectively turn people into zombies have been given the go-ahead by Russian president Vladimir Putin. 


The futuristic weapons – which will attack the central nervous system of their victims – are being developed by the country’s scientists. They could be used against Russia’s enemies and, perhaps, its own dissidents by the end of the decade. 
...
Research into electromagnetic weapons has been secretly carried out in the US and Russia since the Fifties. But now it appears Mr Putin has stolen a march on the Americans. Precise details of the Russian gun have not been revealed. However, previous research has shown that low-frequency waves or beams can affect brain cells, alter psychological states and make it possible to transmit suggestions and commands directly into someone’s thought processes. High doses of microwaves can damage the functioning of internal organs, control behaviour or even drive victims to suicide. Anatoly Tsyganok, head of the Military Forecasting Centre in Moscow, said: ‘This is a highly serious weapon.

Now I'm wondering how much of this is complete fluff and how much science there is behind this. Sounds more than a little hokey. It feels like something taken from "Command and Conquer: Red Alert" when we were still fighting the Russians in a fictional continued WW2. But I'm not taking any chances, I will be wearing a metal helmet when I visit Russia.

Seattle Mariners don't want the Sonics to come back

After a few 100-loss seasons, you'd think the Mariners would be looking for another team to district Northwest sports fans from the awful crappiness that is Sodo Mojo. In a weird twist to the whole "Hey! Seattle got get an NHL franchise and an NBA franchise back (if David Stern dies)" debacle, the Mariners don't want a new arena near Safeco and the Clink. I didn't realize the M's were owned by Dr. Evil.

SEATTLE -- For now, the Seattle Mariners believe a proposal to build a new NBA/NHL arena in Seattle needs to find a different home.

 The Mariners sent a formal letter to the city of Seattle and King County officials Tuesday opposing the idea of a new multipurpose arena in the same neighborhood as the Mariners' home of Safeco Field. The letter, signed by Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln, cited concerns about traffic and scheduling of events taking place in an area that already features Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field -- the home to the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders.

 In the letter, obtained by KJR-AM and later by The Associated Press, Lincoln says the franchise supports the idea of the NBA returning to Seattle, but that an exhaustive examination of various sites for a new arena in the greater Seattle area needs to be conducted.

I know in reality, the M's would have no problem with the Sonics coming back. I just like to be dramatic. However, considering the history of basketball arenas in the city of Seattle, do they really want to throw more road blocks in the way? The whole traffic thing a bit weird considering that baseball and basketball seasons don't go at the same time. There would be some overlap late in the NBA season and the beginning of the MLB season BUT it would be a minimal overlap unless the new Sonics made a deep playoff run.

BTW... the Sounders and Mariners don't have games on the same day, and downtown seems to handle them just fine. The cool thing about having all three arenas right next to one another means that you could reuse the parking infrastructure. If you need to handle more traffic, make sure the new arena has the road infrastructure around to handle it. It's not rocket science. It seems like somebody doesn't want to share their ball and mitt.

Epic Photo: My new bike

Set my awesome bike's speed to Warp. Hellloooo Ladies. 

The dream of the 2190s is alive in Seattle

That's not just a photo of Marshawn Lynch flexing his butt muscles, it's a photo for the Seattle Seahawks new uniforms after they sold their soul to Nike. It's great how they have a knack for making football players look like pilots from "Robotech." (And if you get that reference, you're probably single. Enjoy dying alone)

With the Swoosh doing the uniforms for every NFL team, some expected some drastic changes in the National Football League. However, teams didn't budge and all the uniforms will look like they did last year except for the collar which is supposedly going to fit over pads better. Seattle, though, said "Hey Nike, lets rebuild this thing from the ground up." The result is a futuristic uniform that would make Stormtroopers shake in their boots.

That's not a bad thing, considering they could have pulled a Cleveland Browns and not change their uniforms for 50 years. If I lived in that city... well I would have moved to Cincinnati a long time ago.

While I've heard everything from "that's the most godawful thing I've seen since the Hilton Sisters made a movie" and "I didn't realize Rollerball was becoming a reality until now" ... I'm going to go out on a limb hear and say that these new Seahawks uniforms aren't that bad. Why?

1. Most NFL uniforms are going to look like this in 10 years - Come on, it's Nike. They picked on Seattle first because the franchise wasn't thrilled with it's Blue Man Group uniforms in the first place. And they're the Seahawks and they're easy to pick on (coming from the kid who got beat up for bring Curt Warner football cards to class). Nike will get their way with the other NFL franchises before... slowly taking... over... the universe. Just wait. This will seem mild compared to the Atlanta Falcons actually having feathers on their uniforms.

2. It's different from anything Boise State or Oregon has done so far - You can't blame Nike for being repetitive. We didn't see a giant Seahawk on someone's sleeve or a chrome helmet for these new uniforms. This look is completely new, but its not completely over the top. Everyone may make it seem like its crazy but it's pretty mild compared to anything Oregon has done. It has a slight resemblance to the San Diego Chargers' unis, and I think that's what they'll look like when you're watching them out on the field.

3. At least they didn't make the field bright lime green - Leave the cool, crazy fields to Eastern Washington University. And please bury those Lime Green jerseys from last season under the Space Needle. ery

4. Different combinations- Like the Oregon Ducks, the Seahawks can interchange three different colors between both their jerseys and pants. That means multiple combinations. I'm usually bored and extremely ADD on Madden so if I can change the jersey for every single game, that's frackin' rad. Why is this important in real life? Remember when the Seahawks first got their Blue Man Group unis and had their home jersey with white pants. It looked awful and it took them a whole year to realize blue on blue in the way to go. Now with these new uniforms, they can find the right color combo sooner (Big fan of white jersey, blue pants). Also the gray jersey looks really sharp and should be a nice addition.

5. Carbon Fiber Helmet - Hey it works for imports on "The Fast and the Furious," it should work for football right? Actually, until I see this work out on the field I'm gonna think this is a big flop. However, it could be worse, the Hawks could have these helmets.

If anyone wants to knock these jerseys... I mean, come on, it's Seattle, it's the Pacific Northwest, everything is a little bit different and weird looking. This is nothing new.