Epic Videos - Pitino and Bush

Rick Pitino - berating sideline reporters and women since 2008.



Did you see Bush's juke move in this video... solid! That's a well timed move, he moved quicker than Shaun Alexander ever did when he had to get by a defender.

Halloween Costume Ideas!

Halloween is already upon us and I’m sure you’re already sick of seeing the “Zombie, because I think death is cool” and “Kitty Kat, because all I have to do is wear cat ears on my head” variety of costumes.

Luckily, sports provides a myriad of possible costume ideas, and since this column is just a week too late, you have an entire year to make it.

Ed Hochuli
Simply get a referee jersey, pad your shirt to give a bulky, strong-man appearance (apology to “that guy” who thinks he has guns for arms but they’re actually twigs) and then walk around with a whistle, inadvertently blowing it all the time.

Tri-City Americans fan
This requires a mullet wig, Ams jersey, mobile home, cut-off jeans, cowbells (a sure sign of an annoying fan) and no Memorial Cup Championship ring.

WSU or Washington Football fan
Very easy, just find a paper bag and put it over your head.

Clay Bennett
This might require you to go down to your local Halloween store and find a snake costume.

Shaun Alexander
You can just dust off that old “37” Seahawks jersey and fall down everytime it looks like somebody is going to get close to you.

Mariners General Manager
Just walk around in a suit throwing money at people that don’t look very talented when it comes to the game of baseball.

Michael Phelps
This might be a little tough; somehow get your hands on eight Olympic Medals from Beijing, wear them around your neck and make sure that you have ample time to squeeze your large buttocks into one of the swimming suits that are tighter than the Oakland Athletics front office.

Fred McGriff
Wear a baseball cap with an obscenely high crown, and keep endorsing Tom Emanski’s Defensive Drills Video.

You know it's bad that you have Shaun Alexander on your team...

When I take the effort to text message a friend after discovering that Shaun Alexander's break tackle rating on Madden 09 was 88.

And the general reaction from everyone has been "Serious? Really? 88? Wow, did they even watch him last year?"

I hope the Redskins enjoy tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a loss.

(Disclaimer: Shaun Alexander is actually a really nice guy from what I hear. So this isn't directed to him as a person, but rather the player. Because he leads the league in fall downs before contact with a defender.)

Fallout from Shaun Alexander's release

My buddy Jake over at Just Southeast of Northwest has an interesting take on the release of Shaun Alexander. Basically, he's saying that a lot of Seahawk fans are being fair-weather for turning on the former NFL MVP so quickly.

A number of Seahawk "Fans" rejoice today. We have people who burned their Alexander jersey's out of disgust for his lack of production the past two years. They're quick to forget that he played both seasons with nagging injuries, and ran behind a line that had lost Steve Hutchinson to the Vikings. They forget that Walter Jones, great as he is, is getting older. They are quick to remember his lousy games, though. I guess I just don't get it. And don't get me wrong, I'm with you on groaning over what seemed like a lack of effort on Alexander's part (especially this past year), but honestly, how do we just write off someone who brought so much to the Seahawks? Because of Shaun Alexander, it was cool to wear Seahawk stuff. People sported Seahawk hats rather than the typical 49er or Cowboy trash that was so obvious in the Pacific Northwest. Face it, you probably rooted for one of those teams. Or perhaps the Broncos. Or the Patriots, more recently. In short, Alexander helped make the Seahawks cool.

While he does make a valid point about how fickle fans can be, I think that this reaction would have been seen if Shaun had played on any NFL team, not just the Seahawks. It's not so much that his production went down, it's how it went down.

I would dare say that the offensive line really had a lot to do with Shaun's MVP season in 2005, not to take anything away from him (because he is money in the redzone), and it was the entire team's Super Bowl that made the team cool.

To kind of get a pulse of how many Seahawk fans are feeling, I got on ESPN's story about Alexander's release and looked at the comments that people left:

"I was still backing Alexander at the start of last season but after watching him run into the back of his offensive linemen and fall down at or behind the line of scrimmage all season, I started getting on the cut Alexander bandwagon. Most of the time he wasn't even getting hit by defenders before he would fall on the ground. I realize that the offensive line was not great but whatever team he plays for next season, it is almost assured that the O-line will be of lesser quality than Seattle's last year. John Clayton says Alexander has told teammates that he might have a job in Indy and Tampa Bay. On either team he is a number 2 back at best. There are O-lines that Alexander would excel behind if he could stay healthy. I wish him the best. He is definitely not done in the league but his best years are behind him."

I definitely fall in the same boat as this guy. You really can't knock the offensive line for the Seahawks this year and last because even though it wasn't as good as the Super Bowl OL, it was still one of the better units in the league. And Shaun couldn't produce behind them.

"He lead us to our first Superbowl. It truly is sad to see him go out this way, but I've got nothing but admiration for Shaun. Good luck."

You know, I admire Shaun for the way he took being released but (a) he saw the writing on the wall a long time ago and (b) it still doesn't make up for the fact that he was terrible these past two years. It would be like if you got fired for not showing up to work and then thanked the boss for being so gracious. That still doesn't negate the fact that you didn't show up for work.

And the way he thanked Seattle fans, it really made me do a double take. Remember when he was complaining about all the booing last season. It seems to me that, much like any press conference or sports interview is, it was just a blatant "save face" sort of quote. He did take the high road, but it doesn't make him a saint or anything, and I really doubt that he actually feels that way.

"Can we please start the Sean Alexander to the Carolina Panthers movement please."

I was thinking Oakland.

"Alexander should come to St. Louis his rivials so he can prove to Seattle that they never should of release him!!! Jackson and Alexander and Brian!! OMG"

... okay that last comment is why I hate St. Louis fans.

And Seahawk fans everywhere rejoice

Thank God.

Report: Seahawks release former league MVP Alexander.

I'll be downing a few drinking in celebration tonight, and falling down when somebody walks near me just to remember the good old times of Shaun's running style.

The Faceoff

We're breaking new ground here at Just South of North. FishBeart Sports and us have joined forces to bring you "The Faceoff" which is basically when Joel Willits (Seattle-area sports reporter) and I try to answer questions and make the other guy look like an idiot. It's good fun.

1. How do you think the NHL should raise its popularity?

FishBear:They need to market their stars. The NHL is full of young, exciting talent such as Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, just to name a few. But, other than die-hard hockey fans, few people have seen these guys play, which is a shame, because they are electric.

The first thing the NHL needs to do is get back on a major TV network and re-work its TV deal. Sorry, Versus just isn't cutting it. Get back on ESPN, get NHL Tonight fired back up again.Also, get some funny-ass commercials; that always helps.

The Swede:The solid thing about the NHL is the minor-league system that they have working under them in Canada and the United States. Much like Baseball, Hockey isn’t going to disappear because there is so much of it in Smalltown, U.S.A. and Canada. You’re going to have your diehards that follow every aspect of the sport, every prospect coming up through the ranks. It’s a pastime.

Now with that said, the NHL has been marketed horribly. What the league needs to do is pull a page from the NBA in the 90s and market its stars. Not so much the teams as the NFL and baseball does, but rather “Come to the arena and watch this guy kick ass” sort of marketing that basketball seems to pull off very nicely. If they don’t do that, I’m left trying to pronounce a bunch of Eastern European names and cursing Fox for taking away the glowing puck.

2. How do you feel about the Final Four being all four No.1 seeds?

FishBear: I'm fine with it. The best four teams (theoretically) are the last four standing. Sure, it'd be nice to have an underdog, but besides Davidson this year, I can't picture any high seeds that could stand toe-to-toe with these No.1 seeds. George Mason was a fun story in 2006, but they got their asses beat. I'd rather watch some good basketball then a 20-point blowout.

I'm just glad Duke's gone. Fuck Duke.

The Swede:Funny you ask, one of my friends had picked all the No. 1 seeds in his NCAA Bracket, causing me to call him such dirty names as “a moron” and “a frontrunner”.

But he was right, the No. 1 seeds were solid in the tournament this year, and while that means there will be no Cinderella I’m looking forward to seeing some AWESOME matchups in the final four. These games are going to be intense, and you really can’t predict who’s going to take it all because they’re all the best teams in college basketball.

3. Who is your favorite underrated player of all time?

FishBear: Stan F'ing Javier. Look it up. The man was a catalyst

The Swede: Trent Dilfer needs to get more credit. Sure, he runs an offense like a senior citizen drives down a freeway corridor, but if you have a solid defense and a good run game, you can win games with this guy.

When Matt Hasselbeck was first traded to the Seahawks (which seems like forever ago), he sucks. Plain and simple, he sucked balls. Dilfer came in and almost led the woeful ‘hawks to a playoff berth.

I can’t tell you how much I resented Hasselbeck and loved Dilfer for his “never-die” attitude. I’m pretty sure this guy would step in front of a train if it meant winning the game.

He doesn’t have the skill-set, looks like he should probably be like a master bass fisher or something, but he’s definitely a solid field general. And the Ravens are morons for letting him go.

4. Would you rather be a Cubs fan or a Devil Rays fan?

Fishbear: I'd rather be dead than a fan of these two teams. I'd lean more toward Tampa Bay. The Ray's (they dropped the Devils) are on the up and up; at least they're not cursed like the Cubs.

It's gonna be a cold day in hell when either of these teams wins a World Series.

The Swede: Hmmm, Wrigley Field of the Tropicgarbagecan Dome? I’ll take Da Cubs.

5. Do you find any redeeming qualities in NASCAR?

FishBear:Absolutely none. I don't understand how people can sit there and watch cars drive around a track 500 times. But NASCAR has to be doing something write because its wildly popular. File this under "Redneck".

The Swede: No none, whatsoever. NASCAR is like the group of kids in high school that would go outside all day and play hacky sack and smoke pot. There’s really no point to it, and all the popular kids, while not annoyed by them, don’t really pay attention.

I think most sports fans aren’t really annoyed by NASCAR, sometimes the crashes and driver fights are cool, but they really don’t pay that much attention.

6. Is Gonzaga on the rise or fall as a college basketball program?

FishBear: I'm going to go with on the rise. Sure, they haven't made it further than the Elite 8 appearance a while back. But the foundation's been set. Kids WANT to go to Gonzaga for basketball now.

They're getting the good recruiting classes (see: Austin Daye and Stephen Grey) and big transfers from other schools now eye the Little University that Could.You can't argue one thing though-with the facilities the Zags have to offer, they should always grab top-notch talent. The bars been set now.

The Swede: They’ve gone from being a team that is really fun to watch in the tournament to a team that you expect to get upset every year. Wow, what a reversal of fortunes. They’re definitely on the fall.

7. How must Oriole fans feel that their team was picked to finish behind the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the AL East by Sports Illustrated?

FishBear: They feel worse than Travis Henry on Father's Day. Which is why I feel horrible for Adam Jones and George Sherrill, for being traded (or exiled) to Baltimore for Erik Bedard. Baltimore sucks.

The Swede: Like hell is freezing over. The Sammy Sosa experiment really panned out for O’s fans. Their pitching is so bad that Candem Yards vendors must actually plan on shutting down their stands by the fifth inning of every given game.

8. What is better? A hockey fight that results in blood on the ice or a bench clearing brawl in baseball?

FishBear: I think you know my answer: hockey fights. Pedro beating up old men aside, nothing interesting happens in bench clearing brawls. Seriously, the coolest baseball fight happened before the benches even cleared, and that was when Nolan Ryan beat the living shit out of Robin Ventura.

Anybody who doesn't hockey fights are better should just watch this video .

The Swede:Considering most baseball players don’t want to fight and just kind of push and shove, a hockey fight is definitely where its at.

Best moment on sports: Blood on the ice. There’s nothing more horrifying and “I was there!”-ing when somebody gets their nose broken and red starts spurting out all over that nice white ice.

9. Reality TV Show you WOULDN'T want to see made?

FishBear: Law and Order: Cincinnati Bengals Unit.Actually, come to think of it, that's a great idea and I would love to see it.

The Swede:Anything involving New York. Anyone see that girl of Flavor of Love? She looks like she’s recovering from a bad experience with a Cricket bat. PLEASE stop showing her face on television.

10. What "50 percent off" NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB jersey have you thought about buying?

FishBear: I'm going to give you a few of these: NFL: Rod Smart AKA HEHATEME; NBA: Ruben Patterson Seattle Sonics jersey (Maid not included); NHL: Marty McSorley; MLB: Anything with the name "Canseco" on the back (preferably the original Tampa Bay rainbow design)Oh and I'd include a Michael Vick jersey, but I already have one.

And if you thought "federal dogfighting charges" would make me stop wearing it, you'd be wrong.

The Swede: Shaun Alexander. To burn.

Something you should know about Northwest sports fans...

The NFL is just now getting a taste of the pent-up frustration that Northwest sports fans have been experiencing for years. It's not easy being up here in a far-off corner of the country, basically written off by everyone as part of Canada. You'll hear this often on ESPN...

"(Generally overrated running back who's name rhymes with John Halemzander) doesn't get as much media attention because he's tucked up in the great unknown Northwest, a place that we're pretty sure doesn't have electricity yet. Must be tough for John."

However, if you East Coast pundits, Southern California Yuppies, Midwest Sodbusters and Southern loons should understand is that we're just as passionate and excited about our sports scene as you guys. Consider the following...

1. When you go to a Apple Cup, chances are you're either going to say F*** the Cougs or F*** the Huskies. Why? Because both respective fan sections chant this. At the same time.

2. We still think Warren Moon is a God, and that John Kitna was probably a mistake by God.

3. 116 wins, no World Series. We still wake up in the middle of the night because of this one.

4. If the Super Sonics move to Oklahoma City, Portland will experience a strange surge in the grunge music movement.

...and for the first time in the city's history, it wont be known as Seattle Jr.

5. We hate Kobe.

6. And Jeter.

7. There's this general sense of resentment towards A-rod because he punked out for a bigger contract, but a love towards Ken Griffey Jr. because he punked out of Seattle but ended up experiencing a injury curse of biblical proportions. Seriously, read Job 4:15 "And thalt talented Griffey pinched hiseth testicallas in his jock strappeth."

8. You'll never see so much flannel at a sporting event then in the Northwest.

9. Never stop in Spokane, Wash. with a Portland Pilots T-shirt on.

10. People just don't get drunk at sporting events, like you southern folk like to do and then take it out on farm animals, we get hammered, pass out, wake up the next morning and write "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

God bless the Northwest.