Yardbarker: All Articles

Is D'Antoni a Smart Choice for Chicago?

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:40:11 -0500

The Bulls seem intent on naming Mike D'Antoni as their next head coach. Is it the best choice they could possibly make, or are there better options still on the market?

The NBA vs. College Basketball Debate

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:58:01 -0500

I've debated this several times with my buddies and there seems to be a large divide of people who absolutely love college basketball and hate the NBA, and people who hate college basketball and love the NBA. It seems to be the argument against the NBA is that the brand of basketball is stereotypical superstar v. superstar one on one basketball, the players are just a bunch of overpaid crybabies, there is no emotion like there is in the college game, most players just mail it in to collect checks, there is not a lot of team unity and so on... And the argument against college basketball is that the game is more focused on the coach than the actual players, my belief that the court just isnt big enough for the size of the kinds who play these days, every time down the floor there is either a three taken or someone missing a layup, no room for athletic players to shine, nobody outside of North Carolina cares about the Duke/UNC match ups every year, defenders are allowed to clog the lane as long as they want and so on Being a huge NBA fan and a huge fan of the NCAA tournament i was wondering how YB feels about the respective leagues and why. I personally would like to see the college game opened up a lot. Like allowing these amazing kids to get six fouls (the game is so must more physical now,) widening and lengthening the lane and three point line so there is more room to operate. (you almost never see mid range jumpshots in college) but anyway i would like to hear what everyone thinks.

For Now I'm #58

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:17:13 -0500

Back in the Yard, Barkers! Sorry for the delay - I have been running ragged since the draft. The days just keep flying by. It has been the quickest two weeks I have ever experienced. After sharing that great day with you I jumped on a plane to Cincinnati to meet the Bengals staff and the media. I flew home to LA the next day (Monday) and had to catch up on some class and repack. We had rookie mini camp that week so I had to get ready to head back to Cincinnati Thursday. Then it was mini camp, meeting the coaches, the rest of the draft class and the other guys. I flew back to LA Sunday and started getting ready for finals - my first one is today in Micro Economics. We'll see how that goes. It was cool meeting the rest of the draft class and to see the coaching style I will be experiencing from here on out. It was a rookie camp so there weren't many of the veterans around. I did meet Odell Thurman and Ahmad Brooks - they were really good guys and I'm glad I got to spend some time with them. I did talk to Odell about getting #55, but he's pretty attached to it and I understand why. The number suits him playing the SAM. He was really nice about it and I appreciated him talking to me about it. For now I am wearing #58 and have to decide if that's what I'll stay in. Mini camp was a different experience. I feel like I started to pick up the defense and was able to compete by the end. I was talking to LJ (Lawrence Jackson) and he took the words right out of my mouth - it is a different grind. The body was definitely beat down but there are more mental gymnastics in the NFL. It's much more of a work grind than the college game. It took me a little bit to get the feel for it but by the last day I felt like I could go out and play my game.

Five Guys I Sort Of Still Wish Were In The NBA

Fri, 09 May 2008 08:36:25 -0500

Like many sports fans, I'm a big 'what if?' guy. Coming up with scenarios that could possibly happen is usually infinitely more exciting than the what actually happens. That's why I write mock drafts even if I only get four picks right in the first round. Then again, Mel Kiper only got eight right and Todd McShay only nailed six and they seem to waste a lot more time thinking about the NFL Draft than I do. Just saying. Anyway, long time cohort and occasional colleague, Harvey Bars, and I have spent many a late night in some diner spouting off arbitrary top five sports related lists in an effort to an entertain ourselves. None of these lists have been nearly as enjoyable as the time we watched a ten year old kid try to unsuccessfully throw his body into an Escalade without the use of his arms, but since I don't have a video of that, I'll just share one of these lists instead.

Seriously, Richie? Am I Missing Something??

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:37:00 -0500

"I believe it's rule 43, section II, sub-section B that states 'overpaid, whiny bitches shall not charge the mound on balls that are more than six inches from the inside portion of the plate.' It goes on to further stipulate that 'one will be subject to unrelenting ridicule on the InterWebs should said batter also throw his helmet at the opposing pitcher at any time during his charge to the mound.'"

Are Kobe & LeBron being protected by the league?

Thu, 08 May 2008 20:37:25 -0500

It seems more evident in this year's NBA playoffs that the stars are being more and more protected. Look at the amount of fouls LeBron and Kobe get called in their favor, and look at how many of them are actually fouls. That "flagrant 2" by Darius Songalia was bs, as was the fact that Kobe went to the line 20 times last night. These guys are getting calls because of the name and number on their jersey, and it pisses me off!

Step Yo Game Up, Gary Vitti

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:50:26 -0500

Los Angeles Lakers athletic trainer Gary Vitti has been mailing it in for years now, much to the detriment of his team.

The Spurs Aren't Dead Yet

Fri, 09 May 2008 07:45:17 -0500

In recent days it seems like everyone has come not to praise the San Antonio Spurs but to bury them but their 110-99 game three win over the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday suggested that such funeral plans are very premature. Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich resorted to his tried and true tactic whenever things look dire for his team: he shifted Manu Ginobili from the bench to the starting lineup, changing the matchups and rotations for both teams.

Olympic gymnast punches man in face

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:02:29 -0500

She has beauty, brawn, but despite going to Brown, maybe no brains.

Heal The Snow

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:11:11 -0500

Just wanted to share a short documentary on Heal The Snow with everyone...my music is actually featured in it too so let me now what you think.

White Sox pitcher attacks space heater, Ozzie Guillen reacts accordingly

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:11:53 -0500

After White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle gave up seven runs in 5.2 innings on Tuesday night, he decided to take teammate Juan Uribe's bat and unload on a space heater in the dugout five times. That wasn't even the best part of the incident. Manager Ozzie Guillen, known for being a freak, was noticeably upset about the beating the space heater took. This has got to be one of the quotes of the year: "It's bull[bleep]. What Mark did to that space heater is [bleep]ing bull[bleep]. That space heater is the [bleep] of Mark Buehrle. Two weeks ago, it was the greatest [bleep]ing space heater in the [bleep]ing history of space [bleep]ing heaters. Now it's horse[bleep]. I'm tired of it. [Bleep]. [Bleep]. [Bleep]......[bleep]."

Adventures in NFL drug testing

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:32:16 -0500

How do I end up in a bathroom stall at the Borgata with my pants around my ankles while a man named Bill stares at my penis? Earlier that morning, I'd made over 10 phone calls to three different people arranging the final details of my afternoon meeting. After meeting up with Bill, we wasted no time as we casually strolled through the men's room doors. The two of us snuck quickly past the corridor of urinals toward the last stall -- our best bet for going unnoticed. Luckily it was unoccupied, and we moved right in. Not many words were said in the stall. Both of us were completely comfortable with the procedure. Bill took out the package, but I was the one who had to break the seal. I ripped open the plastic container, revealing a short plastic cup to capture my random urine sample. I had known Bill was going to show up around four in the afternoon, so I was well prepared. After drinking five or six cranberry juices I couldn't wait to go, but I figured that was a good thing. I couldn't risk having stage fright in that type of situation. I mean, what would I have done? Chat it up with Bill over a couple of beers while he stared at my junk? I had thought mine was an original story, but I was mistaken. It didn't take many interviews before finding out that most players on my team had some kind of crazy urination story. Rock Cartwright was thrown into the same situation as me: "I was standing in the middle of the bathroom in the New York, casino in Las Vegas, and the dude says, 'Just do it in front of the urinal.' Forget the stall, I was standing ass out in front of a urinal with some guy peeping around my shoulder." FUNNY yet at that same time, necessary these days!!! CLICK it to read the rest taggin this for the backyard ;0 !!!

Celtics Bench Comes Up Big in 89-73 Win

Thu, 08 May 2008 23:09:39 -0500

Before the game, no one felt that Pierce, Ray Allen and LeBron would all shoot sa poorly as they did in game one and they were partly right. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce bounced back with good games while LeBron played almost as poorly as he did in the first game. Pierce ended the game with 19 points on 7-13 shooting to go with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Pierce left the game with a finger injury in the first half but came back and seemed to be fine. Ray Allen struggled early but came out strong to start the third and finished with 16 points (4-10), 1 rebound, 3 assists and 2 steals. LeBron had 21 points but 9 of those came on the free throw line where he was 9-13. He shot 6-24 from the field and had 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 turnovers. The Cavs got off to a fast start putting the Celtics down 12 in the first quarter. The Celtics made a run with Sam Cassell, PJ Brown, Leon Powe, James Posey and Ray Allen on the court. They cut the lead to 24-17 at the end of the first quarter. They took the lead on a Posey dunk in the second quarter and never looked back. They clamped down on defense in the second quarter and turned a 7 point deficit to start the quarter into an 8 point lead at the half. They began the third quarter on a 10-0 run before Ilgauskas finally hit a jumper. Ilguaskas kept them in the game hitting 9-12 shots for 19 points. The score at the end of 3 quarters was 70-51 in the Celtics favor. Leon Powe, James Posey and Sam Cassell all brought great energy off the bench and were key to turning this game around. Powe finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds in 28 minutes. Posey did a little bit of everything as he scored 7 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, dished out 1 assists and made 3 very big steals. Rondo played only 22 minutes and once again, Doc played Sam in the 4th quarter. Rondo finished with 7 points, all from the free throw line, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Sam had 9 points and 4 assists in 25 minutes. The Celtics bench out scored the Cavs bench 34-17. KG, who was so big in game 1, scored only 13 points in this game, but then again, he didn't need to score with 3 other players in double figures and the defense keeping the Cavs from scoring. KG concentrated more on defense and finding the open man. He pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. Ben Wallace left the game Perk had an off game and went scoreless in 20 minutes but still played good defense and pulled down 4 rebounds. He left the game in the first quarter after getting hit in the nose as it started to bleed again. Ben Wallace left the game in the first quarter with extreme dizziness and didn't return. The Celtics were a bit sluggish to start the game and allowed the Cavs to shoot 55% in the first quarter. They then clamped down on defense and completely shut down the Cavs offense. The Cavs shot only 36% for the game while the Celtics shot 40%. The Celtics were also out rebounded in the first quarter but they ended up with a 45-39 edge for the game. The Celtics energy in this game was incredible. Even when they were up 20, the Celtics were still diving on the floor for loose balls and defending as though they were down 20. They moved the ball on offense and played great team defense. Now, the challenge is to get that first win on the road. I wouldn't bet on LeBron having 3 bad games in a row, especially at home, so the Celtics better bring that defensive energy and team mindset with them on Saturday.

Thank God for Beer Vendors

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:54:47 -0500

A video tribute to the Baseball Beer Vendor. You'll be thirsty at the end of this one.

Free-agent class of 2009 appears mighty impressive

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:08:42 -0500

Here is a look at arguably the top 10 players poised for free agency this winter. 1. Julius Peppers, Panthers defensive end –- Coming off a down year, but teams pay premium for pass rushers. 2. Steven Jackson, Rams running back –- Hard to imagine St. Louis parting ways with its most popular player. 3. Tommie Harris, Bears defensive tackle -– Talks on a long-term contract hit a standstill last month. 4. Marion Barber, Cowboys running back –- Last season, one NFC coach said Barber is an elite back in the same class as LaDainian Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson. Now he wants to be paid that way. 5. Chris Snee, Giants guard –- At a time when interior offensive linemen are cashing in, the son-in-law of Giants coach Tom Coughlin is going to cash in. 6. Nnamdi Asomugha, Raiders cornerback –- Oakland plans to franchise him again if he remains unsigned, which is a distinct possibility. 7. Albert Haynesworth, Titans defensive tackle –- Tennessee wouldn't let Haynesworth leave this offseason, and its stance is unlikely to change. 8. Terrell Owens, Cowboys wide receiver -– At the age of 34, T.O. is performing like he were 24. 9. Will Smith, Saints defensive end -– New Orleans defensive end Charles Grant got his money and Smith intends to do the same. 10. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals wide receiver –- Still waiting for his first big-money deal. Of course, the list hardly stops there. It goes on and on, like the money that could be spent on some of these players. The free-agent class of 2009 also is scheduled to include Lions wide receiver Roy Williams, Bills wide receiver Lee Evans, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman, Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin, Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking, Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson, Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby, Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia and Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer.

TSG: Joe Montana In Love Letter Lawsuit

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:48:47 -0500

Joe Montana is suing his ex-wife and Heritage Auction of Texas "over the sale of love letters and memorabilia from the Hall of Fame quarterback's college days at the University of Notre Dame," claiming the sale "violated his copyright and privacy rights."

Flyers lose Kimmo Timonen for remainder of playoffs

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:56:50 -0500

The Flyers hopes to get past the Penguins and into the Stanley Cup Finals took a huge blow today when their best defenseman, Kimmo Timonen, was diagnosed with a blood clot in his ankle, effectively ending his season. Timonen's ankle felt sore ever since he was hit by a shot during the series with the Canadiens, so he went in for an exam today and the blood clot was discovered. This is a big setback for the Flyers. Timonen and Braydon Coburn have done an excellent job neutralizing their oppositions best offensive players throughout the playoffs. It's the worst timing possible with the Flyers preparing to play a team with the offensive firepower that the Penguins feature. Expect more playing time for Randy Jones and Derian Hatcher and for Jaroslav Modry to get back on the ice after missing most of the last series. Click the link for more.....

Can You Beat Me In A Stare Off!!!

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:15:36 -0500

What up yb, its ur boy Boom is back in the yard. Last time I was in here I told you I was working on something special with my boy Adam Sandler, if you've been watching the playoffs you've probably seen the spot, if not check it out on Youtube (A dreeeem? LOL). I know I'm in the commercial and all, so I might be biased but the video is hilarious, make sure you go check it out and support the sandman when "Don't Mess with the Zohan" hits theaters (I'm trying to get to that premiere ya digg!!! YO ADAM HOLLA AT ME!). Anyway the summer is rolling along and I am still waiting to take my vacation so keep those suggestions coming!!! on another note, while you are out there browsing the net make sure you drop in to ibeatyou.com and check the Stare competition. in fact, im going to give you all a taste of it here... Boomdizzle out!!! Oh yeah one bball note Shout out to Kobe for MVP congrats!

Charles Barkley Is a Dumbass

Thu, 08 May 2008 02:11:07 -0500

Charles Barkley has an Anchorman moment when Ernie Johnson tricks him into reading "I'm a dumbass" off the teleprompter.

PETA to Picket Preakness

Wed, 07 May 2008 19:37:59 -0500

I'm sure this won't surprise anyone, but PETA is planning to stage a protest at the Preakness in the wake of the tragedy with Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby.

2007-08 Slam Dunk Stats (Overall Leaders, Most by Rookies, Most by Players Under 6'4, etc.)

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:39:08 -0500

To the surprise of no one, D-Howard, Amare & Chandler led the NBA in dunks this past season. But what about everyone else? All 353 NBA players who recorded at least 1 dunk in '07-08 are listed below. I have included a few special categories as well: Most Dunks per Game, Most Dunks by Rookies, Most Dunks by Players Over 30, Most Dunks by Players Under 6-4, Most Dunks by a Team, and Fewest Dunks by a Team.

ESPN Dramatic Reading

Wed, 07 May 2008 20:00:23 -0500

Hey Yardbarkers, I have a surprise for you. I know all y'all see me as a bruising Fullback, however little do you guys know, I am also a trained thespian. Upon graduation of college I had a dilemma on whether to go into my first love which is acting or professional football. I reluctantly chose football. While I was out in NY for the NFL draft, ESPN The Magazine gave me a chance to get back to my roots and show all the haters that I can cross over at any time. Below is some of my best work. Excuse my French/ country side accent, I've been away from the game for a while. Enjoy.

Red Sox vs Tigers Preview: Battle of the Aces

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:57:02 -0500

Verlander has not looked like an ace so far, but the Tigers will need him to quiet the Red Sox bats while they attempt to beat up on Josh Beckett... get the preview at The Bottom Line.

The NBA Finally Has an MVP Whose Game Does Not Shrink in the Playoffs

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:31:47 -0500

Dirk Nowitzki seemingly received the 2007 MVP in a broom closet at an undisclosed location after his Dallas Mavericks were bounced out of the first round of the playoffs. We just saw the 2005 and 2006 MVP, Steve Nash, make Tony Parker look like the greatest point guard in the history of the NBA (funny, Parker does not look nearly that good versus Chris Paul). Kobe Bryant received the 2008 MVP trophy prior to game two of the Los Angeles-Utah series and then he spent the rest of the night clubbing the Jazz over their heads with it.

ORL: 111, DET: 86 - And The Rain Did Fall

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:11:10 -0500

"Rashard! We're not gonna get swept! Piggyback ride!"

Derek Jeter is Batting .060 vs the Maxim Hot 100

Wed, 07 May 2008 22:02:31 -0500

Going 6 for 100 normally gets a player either sent down to the minors or out of baseball completely. Not in Derek Jeter's world, he has even found a way to make "hitting" below .100 look good. The Yankees shortstop has dated 6 of the women named in the Maxim hot 100 list, which hits newsstands May 20. The stellar lineup consists of...

Gomez Hits For Cycle As Twins Rout White Sox

Wed, 07 May 2008 23:32:41 -0500

The evening after Gavin Floyd one-hit the Twins, Carlos Gomez in just his 28th game in the American League hits for the cycle as the Minnesota Twins destroyed the Chicago White Sox 13-1. He is the first Twin to do go for the cycle since Kirby Puckett in 1986 and eighth in Twins history. Gomez went 4-6 with 3 RBI. The evening started for Gomez in the 1st with his second home run of the season. He continued his evening going backwards through the cycle with the triple coming second in the 5th, a double in the 6th, and finishing with a single in the 9th. This was an impressive rebound following the less than stellar performance last night for the Twins, even more so with an amazing outing for Livan Hernandez getting a complete game and the aforementioned Gomez performance. Congratulations, Carlos. It's great having an amazing talent like you on board here in the Twin Cities.

Win or lose, Wanderlei Silva needs to drop weight classes

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:57:58 -0500

At his peak, Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva was the most feared fighter in the world. His ultra-aggressive style won fans over worldwide and he became a dominant force in PRIDE. Silva is the only fighter to beat Rampage Jackson twice and held the PRIDE Middleweight Title for over five years. He looked as if he was unbeatable when he beat Jackson the second time in October 2004. Since that fight Silva is only 4-4, including a loss to long-time rival Chuck Liddell at UFC 79 in which Silva returned to the UFC after a seven year absence.

Best Athlete of Our Time?

Tue, 06 May 2008 22:59:20 -0500

5'11' (Barely). 165lbs (Barely). Quickest guy on the court. Durable. Never tires. Scores at will. Love him or hate him, is there a better pure athlete of our time? If you think so, watch this video.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Third Round Predictions

Tue, 06 May 2008 21:02:48 -0500

Maybe I'm not as hockey-smart as I thought I was. After going 7 for 8 with my first round predictions (although I didn't get any of the series lengths correct), I took a nosedive with my second round predictions, going 2 for 4. Of course, since I picked against the Flyers in the second round, it's a 2 for 4 that I can live with. Still, after failing to correctly predict the length of any playoff series so far, I am not sure how much credibility I really have, but here are my predictions for the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: Click the link for the complete rundown on both series. Here is a preview of my Flyers pick: Eastern Conference Finals Pittsburgh (2) vs. Philadelphia (6) Pittsburgh in Seven Believe me, I want the Flyers to win, and part of me really wants to pick them. The series will be a classic match-up between two rivals who clearly can't stand each other. The problem is, the Penguins are just too deep. They have their two big guns, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Since they play on different lines, it will be up to Flyers coach John Stevens to figure out which one will play against the Flyers shut down unit of Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn. The problem is, the Penguins go so much deeper than that. They have Petr Sykora, who scored 28 goals this season. Ryan Malone added another 27. Then, you have Marian Hossa and Jordan Staal to worry about. Does anyone really think Jason Smith or Randy Jones is going to be able to slow down Hossa or Malone? Couple all that scoring with a goaltender who has been just as good as Martin Biron, and the Flyers have a big challenge ahead of them.