The Week That Was
10/16/06 - 10/22/06

ED: Ed Agner: PR: Phil Rippa: JS: Justin Slotman: BB: Bill Barnwell: MM: Marc Manning

ED: Poor poor Marc.

PR: I really should demand that you and Marc do a recap of the Raiders/Cardinals game.

BB: This would be like play-by-play and color of an AA meeting. I don't know if that's really appropriate for…anything.

MLB
ED:  WORLD SERIES!!!  The Cards win the NLCS and will face the Tigers.  HOOOOOO BOY!!!  There’s gonna be some managing going on there.  Of course, Lord knows by the time this gets posted the Tigers will be your World Series champs.

Ed: HAH
Ed: Bob Seger, Anita Baker booked for World Series games in Detroit
Phil: oh yeah - it makes you feel a little sorry for Detroit
Ed: hehehehehehe
Ed: well, I will be all confused
Ed: I will be like - WHY IS BILL JAMES SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM????
Ed: HAH
Ed: “Tigers greats Al Kaline and Willie Horton, accompanied by club owner Mike Ilitch, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.”
Ed: Willie Horton????
Phil: I so wanna make the Willie Horton joke
Ed: heheheheheh
Phil: like WATCH OUT MICHAEL DUKAKIS!!!!
Ed: hehehehehehe
Phil: of course - I also realize that three people who read our site would understand it
Ed: IT'S ALL THE FAULT OF THOSE DAMN DEMOCRATS!!!
Ed: wait, 3 people read our site?
Phil: well - me, you
Phil: and then I figure either Slotman, Dean or pieman
Ed: and Simmons
Phil: Simmons doesnt read us
Ed: of course, he only reads Bill's stuff
Phil: just FO

PR: Ed didn’t put in the part where I previewed what every game would sound like.

McCarver: The winner of tonight’s game will be the winner of tonight’s game.
Buck: I am here calling this game because the World Series can only be called by me, Joe Buck. And don’t forgot that Fox also has NFL games, with a pregame show hosted by me, Joe Buck, and games that are called by me Joe Buck.
McCarver: Joe, the most crucial thing to understand about tonight’s game is that the team that scores the most runs will win. Just like how the Tigers scored more runs than the A’s four times.
Buck: Thank Tim. I am going to repeat exactly what you just said because if you have never watched a baseball game before you won’t understand that Tim just said that the team who scores the most runs wins. Just like how the Tigers scored more runs than the A’s four times.
McCarver: You know Joe. I PLAYED IN THE 68 WORLD SERIES!! I CAUGHT BOB GIBSON!!!! 17 STRIKEOUTS IN GAME 1!!! BOW DOWN BEFORE ZOD!!!!!
Buck: Hey look – Wentworth Miller from Prison Break is at the game.

ED:  In my defense, I also didn’t put in the part about all the double-switches ripping a hole in the space-time continuum causing cyborg Ty Cobb to emerge.

PR: The baseball team that is created from the back reaches of Ed’s mind are my favorite thing. Ty Ciobb. Biff Pecota.

BB: See - we could've put that content on a 2006_world_series.html page and called it a separate item, or we could just throw it in here. We used to have chat logs on separate pages too you know. Now they are just the entire WTW. We used to have fans. Now we just have writers.

ED:  We never ever ever had fans, Bill.  Never.  Ever.

JS: I’m a writer-fan!

PR: OH! And yes the Game 2 matchup of Jeff Weaver vs. Kenny Rogers – especially with the performances they have spun this offseason – clearly proves that God does not like that I am a Yankees fan.

BB: Or an A's fan for a few moments.

ED:  And Rogers going with the pine tar on his hand just added to Phil’s trauma.  OHHHH!!!!   And Tigers PVC!!! Todd Jones hates Cardinals P Jeff Weaver.  Apparently, Jones confused Weaver’s love of the sweet leaf with a love for butt sex.  It’s easy to do, I bet.

MM: John Kruk's head exploded live on TV ranting about The Gamblin' Man's wiping problem...errrrrrrrrrrrrr, use of pine tar. Fox had clear footage of the same colored substance on the same spot in each playoff series. Are you watching, Russ Ortiz? Paying attention, Livan Hernandez? Iodine-collered hand stains in the NLCS can be the end of your career path, Jamie Moyer!

ED:  MANAGERIAL MOVES!!!  The A’s can Manager Ken Macha – for good this time?  The Cubs hire Lou Piniella as their new manager.

BB: Ken Macha is angry that Mark Kotsay doesn't have his back. Billy Beane is talking about Ken Macha like he's the crazy ex-girlfriend the A's want nothing to do with anymore. "The A's have moved on," Beane told the Chronicle. "Unfortunately, Ken's memories of some things and the A's memories of some things are a little different, and the most important thing is that we've gone our way and he's gone his way."

MM: I think Macha's memories were of him having anything to do with A's winning and Beane's memories were book deals on the table because FRANK THOMAS, STROKE OF GENIUS!

ED:  COACHING MOVES!!!  The Red Sox hire John Farrell as pitching coach and Dave Magadan as hitting coach.  The Mariners hire John McLaren as bench coach.  The Phillies hire Art Howe as 3B coach, Davey Lopes as 1B coach and Jimy Williams as bench coach.

BB: Thank god Dave Magadan has a job again. Wait - is Jeremy Giambi technically still Phillies property??? GREATEST COMBINATION EVER. Well, since Mark Chmura and babysitters.

PR: Well, Philadelphia is clearly bringing all their managerial candidates to one location to save on airfare later. Of course – I could also see the Phillies telling Davey Lopes that he had to take the bus.

BB: I can only imagine who he would give his free friend fare to…

PR: God… umm… Larry Bowa? Bill Buckner? Kevin Bass? Alejandro Pena?Dwayne Murphy? Dickie Thon? Steve Garvey? Burt Hooten? Rick Monday? Gorman Heimueller? Chico Walker? Ray Fontenot? Claude Osteen ? Jody Davis? Terry Forster? Dave Kingman? Jim Deshaies? Steve Howe?... oh wait…

ED:  TBS gets a 7 year deal with MLB to broadcast the league championship series’.  Mmmm, a whole lot of Caray’s.

PR: Does this mean 2 weeks of no Friends reruns??? OH NO!!! WHAT IS ONE TO DO?!?!?!?

BB: Well - considering the three archetypes of all new TV shows are CSI, 24, and Friends, I am sure watching one of the 34 TV shows being advertised on FOX during the wild card round should take up their time. THE GUY FROM BUFFY!!! MAYBE THE GIRL WHO WAS THE REFEREE FROM LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE!!!! THEY ARE AN ILL-CONCEIVED TEAM WHO WILL SOLVE CRIMES WHILE THEY ARE NOT BUSY HUMPING!!!!! WATCH IT RUBES!

JS: I’m still trying to figure out the show with Sally Field as Ally McBeal’s mom. You know—why it exists, and what it means for the future of the American civilization.

ED:  A poll reveals that few people like Barry Bonds and baseball, in general.  But of course, EVERYONE LOVES JOE BUCK!!!

BB: I am willing to bet no one in their life has ever walked up to Joe Buck and tried to impersonate him. Of course, if I did standup, my first bit would be impersonating Joe Buck at climax. His, not mine.

ED:  Former Orioles P Sammy Stewart pleads guilty to all sorts of drugs and other charges and gets 6 years in the hole.  One less FPotM.

PR: Stewart did 8 years in Baltimore. Six more years in the hole shouldn’t trouble him.

BB: MINI-PEDRO DIES. The great thing was I billed him as 3'8" when the AP has him at 2'9". Maybe he was shrunk to fit in carry-on luggage. Someone was a little upset about this.

Bill: of course now that i am coherent i am not sure which is funnier - mini-pedro dying or jermaine defoe biting javier mascherino
Phil: WHAT???? MINI-PEDRO DIED?!?!?!?!

MM: ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE --
Luke Hochevar's ERA near the number of innings in a game.
Brewer 3B Ryan Braun bashing .306/.381/.722 with 15 RBI.
NOT-A-ROD Eric Duncan "hitting" .298/.320/.383.
Braves(?) C Jarrod Salty playing like he is more blocked than a Shiite cleric at the shotgun counter in a Montgomery Wal-Mart.
Former Sun Devil CWS helper Travis Buck not so much of the slugging, but is probably the go-to guy for Arizona State co-eds.

NFL
ED:  Former Eagle Ernie Steele dead at either 88 or 89 depending on who you believe.

PR: Clearly not the people who announced that Corporal Kirchner was dead.

ED:  FIRINGS!!!  The Cards can/demote O-Coordinator Keith Rowen (who then files a grievance about said canning/demotion) and the Ravens can O-Coordinator Jim Fassel.  Phil and Marc (and maybe Bill) may need a moment here.

PR: Marc would be stoked if Jim Fassel did anything for the Cardinals. Especially if he harpooned Dennis Green.

MM: Fassel got Larry Centers into the Pro Bowl. And him coaxing Kent Graham and Boomer Esiason to throw for 400 yards in different games during '96 is depressingly one of the greatest moments in Cardinals offensive history.

BB: I would also need a moment if Jim Fassel hadn't spent three years dicking around thinking Tiki Barber was Kevin Faulk. On the bright side, it gave him something to talk about during his Escalade commercial.

Bill (8:26:54 AM): oh - have you been able to figure out who tiki barber is talking about in his escalade commercial yet?
Phil: (8:29:30 AM): hold on a second
Phil: (8:32:11 AM): THANK YOU!!! Every time I watch the commerical I go
Phil: (8:32:21 AM): "Wait a second - Rodney Hampton crippled himself?"
Bill (8:32:25 AM): no
Bill (8:32:28 AM): the way i see it
Bill (8:32:32 AM): it has to be joe montgomery
Bill (8:32:38 AM): since he had more carries than tiki in '99
Bill (8:32:53 AM): and i don't remember him specifically getting crippled but he is from penn state so i am sure he was crippled at some point

PR: Bill was too lazy to go back and include the part where I did say that I doubted in 2000 (the first year of Thunder and Lightning) that the Giants were going “DAMMIT!!!! Joe Montgomery got crippled. Boy, it’s a good thing we drafted that Heisman winner and we have that kid from Virginia.” So basically – Tiki will lie for the money.

ED:  Speaking of Phil needing a moment – Giants RB Tiki Barber confirms reports that he is retiring after the season.

PR: Yeah – if I wasn’t depressed already. Sweet sweet booze.

BB: Or that.

ED:  A reported “dirty bomb” threat that had several NFL stadiums on alert this weekend ends up being an internet hoax concocted by a 20 year old Wisconsin grocery store clerk.  Odds are good his punishment will be 5 more years of having to watch Brett Favre throw dirty bombs.

BB: This is why I don't write in the WTW anymore. There is no point.

ED:  SUSPENSIONS!!!  Falcons G Matt Lehr and Lions DT Shaun Rogers are suspended four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy.  Packers WR Koren Robinson is suspended a year for getting busted again for DUI.

BB: Shawne Merriman injected himself too and got caught. Eric Allen's indignation on ESPN was the best part of the story. The Rookie of the Year award and Pro Bowl honors we all thought Merriman earned last season have now been sullied completely by his imminent suspension. YOU SULLIED THE PRO BOWL!!! COMPLETELY!

ED:  TRADE DEADLINE DEALZ!!!  WOW!!!  THE SUSPENSE!!!  Yeah.  Well…yeah….The Colts pick up DT Anthony McFarland from the Bucs for a 2007 2nd round pick.

BB: That is at least something. You would think it'd be easier to find a fat guy who falls down.

ED:  INJURIES!!!  Redskins CB Carlos Rogers (out at least a week with a broken thumb), Bears S Mike Brown (done for the season with a bum foot), Chargers DE Igor Olshansky (out at least 3 weeks with a bum knee), Colts WR Brandon Stokley (knee) and S Bob Sanders (knee) out this week, Jags WR? Matt Jones (out at least this week with a bad hammy)

PR: Maybe if Rogers didn’t have his thumb his ass while trying to cover he wouldn’t have broken it.

BB: WOW.

ED: PLAYA MOVEMENT!!! The Bucs sign CB/KR Phillip Buchanon. The Dolphins activate WR? Li’l Mexico Marcus Vick.

ED:  TROUBLE LIST!!!!  

BB: I thought Ed was responding to his own Marcus Vick comment there and it was a moment of beautiful comedy.

PR: Rodney Harrison claims he isn’t the dirtiest player in the game. Promises to only headhunt in the second half when the games matter.

ED:  The Chiefs apparently were blown out by the Steelers in Week 5 because they spent the entire night before at a sex toy party.  Herm Edwards plans on teaching the players on how to manage the clock at sex toy parties better.

FINISHING OFF WEEK SIX

MM: I thought NOTHING could top the last time the Arizona Cardinals were on "Monday Night Football" -- stomped by Switzer's Cowboys 37-13 on the Christmas night they shot "Jerry Maguire" leaving Buddy Ryan to walk off the field before the end of the actual game...

ED:  The Bears come back and rip Marc’s heart out as they stun the Cards, 24-23.  Yeah.  We’ll just move aside and let Marc fill this out.

MM: The day after, I got an e-mail from the guy I beat in Yahoo football using the Cards defense. Tears dripped into the keyboard as I typingly explained Chicago scores from offensive fumbles don't count as points allowed.

WEEK SEVEN!!!

ED:  MARVIN LEWIS IS STILL A DEFENSIVE GENIUS!!!  Bengals 17, Panthers 14.

JS: Chad Johnson wants the ball—you give him that ball. That’s the lesson.

ED:  God, there is no way in hell DirecTV tries to pimp the NFL package with this pile of crap.  Jets 31, Lions 24.

JS: Yeah. Millen, Martz, Kitna….what a franchise.

ED:  Ooooooo, pain killa QB contra piano playa QB!!!  Vince Lomardi and Don Shula’s corpse’s let out a whimper.  Packers 34, Dolphins 24.

JS: 3 interceptions? Versus the last-ranked pass defense? Poor stupid Joey.

ED:  Aww, Jack Del Rio’s magnificent hair needs a little more lovin’.  Texans 27, Jags 7.

JS: Because he’s a WAC QUARTERBACK! That’s what you get for leaving the MAC, Marshall!

ED:  Oh yeah.  Peter King’s getting some extra special foam in his espresso this week.  Pats 28, Bills 6.

PR: So so so very wrong.

ED:  MAC QB’S ARE HOTTER THAN LESBIAN ROOMMATES!!!  Bucs 23, Eagles 21.

JS: The MAC guys were 2 and 2 this week, right? Anyway—losing on a 62-yard field goal? The Eagles should just quit now and spare Philadelphia further emotional trauma. The football gods are clearly displeased with their hubris or something.

PR: http://www.veteranpresence.com/PhillyTB.html

MM: Its not like the NFL bookers were going to let ONE of the Barber Bros. snag all the headlines this week.

ED:  Michael Vick is less sucky than Ben Roethlisberger!  Falcons 41, Steelers 38 in OT.

JS: Gawd—I love it when the Steelers don’t profit by their stupid gimmicky horsecrap (I can say “crap”, right? Phil said “ass.”) This time it was Cowher calling a timeout at the moment a game-winning field goal was snapped and getting away with it. The Falcons then missed a rekick and then another kick before riding Morten Andersen’s ancient coattails to victory in the OT.

PR: Hey – maybe, you know, people will realize that maybe, just maybe, Charlie Batch wasn’t the problem in Detroit.

MM: Charlie Batch, Eastern Michigan. MAC 3 FOR 3! If you want to win in the league, you need to have a signal-caller that played at 9:30pm on ESPNU Tuesday or Wednesday nights.

ED:  Ayup.  It’s almost mid-season.  Marty chokes away a game he should have won.  Chiefs 30, Chargers 27.

PR: I swear the first time I read that – it took me a few moments to remember which team was coached by Marty.

JS: He’s like Andy Reid West. Or do the Eagles play Easy Coast Martyball?

ED:  Different century, same results.  Broncos 17, Browns 7.

ED: AWESOME!!!!  Sweet lucky throwback Ken Stabler jersey did the trick!!!  RAIDERS!!!!!!!! 22, Cards 9.  Poor poor Marc.  I’m a-guessing this hurts even more than the Bears loss.

MM: The only thing that would hurt more than the Bears game would be a Bob Woodward book proving Pat Tillman had a hairy bear fetish. Losing to the Raiders just paves THE ROAD TO JOE THOMAS, 2007 NUMBER ONE PICK.

ED:  Poor little Hasselbeck without the hot wife.  Vikings 31, Seahawks 13.

PR: Ed – two words for you. Seneca Wallace.

ED:  Peyton Manning is tougher than Jesus!!!  Whee!  Colts 36, Redskins 22.

JS: All those millions, Dan Snyder—it doesn’t buy heart. The heart of a champion. The heart….of Peyton Manning. Oh, wait….

CFL
WEEK NINETEEN!!!

ED:  In what sounds like the dullest CFL game ever – not involving the Ti-Cats – Saskatchewan tops Toronto, 13-9.

JS: You’re forgetting all the games this season with the score of Opponents 47, Ti-Cats 4. Well—those games had scoring at least.

PR: Edmonton 30, Montreal 20. Yup – the Als are officially the Packers now.

JS: Anthony Calvillo DESERVES TO BE ON THAT FIELD. On the hallowed ground of McGill University….

PR: Kevin Green tosses 3 TDs to beat Winnipeg 28-13. Meanwhile, Charles Roberts clinched the CFL rushing title for the second straight year. Which is really impressive when you realize that he has done it with the Bombers strapped firmly to his back.

PR: Aww… Hamilton actually scored 17 points this week. Of course, BC scored 23. At least this was the Ti-Cats last game this year. Onto the Raiders Ed.

JS: Yeah, time to start fresh, Ed!

NCAA
ED:  I think it’s safe to say that we all shed a tear for Lamar Thomas.

PR: Not me. He was all talk and no action. A REAL HURRICANE WOULDN'T HAVE TALKED ABOUT TAKING THE ELEVATOR!!! HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN PRIME PHYSICAL SHAPE TO TAKE THE STAIRS!!!! disgusting.

JS: And then Miami barely beat Duke on Saturday! It would have been a perfect end to my week of righteous Hurricane hatred. Duke is 0-7, by the way, and in serious competition with Temple (now 0-8 after the Northern Illinois game) for the mythical Worst Team in College Football title.

BB: Do you get an honorary TMQ AutoText for that?

JS: I have no idea what that means but if it means I’m turning into Easterbrook—well, then it’s time to join the French Foreign Legion or something.

JS: Rutgers 7-0! Over Pittsburgh! I almost hate the continued success because against all logic and rationality I’m going to have hope when they play Louisville and West Virginia.

PR: There is a reason I enjoy watching Rutgers games. It just like why I like Navy games. The run the ball about 500 times a game. Mmmm…. Ground attack.

JS: Boise State is 8-0 and (I think) the last chance for a BCS gatecrasher this season—which is always my favorite subplot of the college season. Stupid Waterford crystal football…

MM: The day we see a Rutgers v. Boise State Fiesta Bowl is upon us. Maybe.

SOCCER
PR: SHEVCHENKO FINALLY SCORES!!!!... against Portsmouth. The footie gods sure like to taunt me.

BB: He is immediately booked for showing off the guns. Or being pasty. One or the other.

JS If pastiness was a bookable offense there would be a lot more red cards in England, I’ll tell you what.

PR: Hey! Cardiff is finally getting taken over. And they are finally going to get that new stadium. I wonder if the CM path for this will be the same as apparently the one that suddenly said “Hey! Portsmouth has money now. Make them spend almost 200 million Euros in transfers.” Or maybe that was just my game. Thank you crazy Pompey AI. (And thank you new VP content. TEASE~!)

BB: If there is any way you are getting me on this site people - it is Championship Manager talk.

JS: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP PLAY! Lessee here…..Chelsea over Barcelona. Inter finally won. PSV over Galatasaray—poor little winless Turkish underdogs. Lyon over Dynamo Kiev and Real Madrid over Steaua Bucharest. Celtic over Benfica and in good shape to make it out of Group F. CSKA Moscow over Arsenal! Finally—a semi-upset! And there was a handball and Arsene Wenger wants instant replays now. Just call the waaambulance, Arsene! But yeah—aside from that this was very much that one boring round of the NCAAs where Milwaukee, Bradley and Pacific lose to Wisconsin, Michigan State and Syracuse (to really stretch a metaphor.)

JS: EPL! Manchester United still on top. Chelsea still on top. Club of my heart Wigan beat Man City 4-0. Club of my heart Reading lost to Arsenal 4-0. Charlton: in the cellar. That’s just what happens when you pay Ditko in excess copies of Judomaster (danger VP audience! Comics reference!)

BB: We were already in enough danger of turning into your blog by not really ever updating anymore. This is just going to make things worse now.

JS: SPL! Celtic is up by 8 points now. Stupid Hearts does not help itself by losing to Kilmarnock.

BB: Hearts are reportedly going to give their manager a month's sabbatical. That is not going to end well.

JS: The beloved BUNDESLIGA!!!! Bremen over Bayern Munich and my irrational Oliver Kahn hatred is given form and substance. ENERGIE COTTBUS! over league-leaders-for-a-minute Aachen. Kasey Keller could not hold off Hertha Berlin.

BB: You know what Kasey Keller can hold off? Hair growing. Real good at that.

JS: LIGUE 1! That Marseilles-Lyon showdown? A 4-1 dismantling by Lyon. Poor little Ribery.

JS: MLS SEMIFINALS! RBNY 0, DC United 1. Fire over Revs 1-0. Dallas 2, Rapids 1 and Chivas 2, Dynamo 1. I presume the presence of Chivas and TAFKA Metros in the playoffs means MLS has a CFL-like standard for letting teams into the postseason.

PR: Well after 10 years MLS still hasn’t quite got the hang of gimmick everything so their biggest stars make it into the playoffs. Poor poor Landon.

JS: The “Thank you, Setanta” game of the week: Jeonbuk over Ulsan to go to the Asian Champions League finals. 6-4 on aggregate! After losing 3-2 in the first leg! Random soccer on my tv!

BB: Stupid not getting Setanta. Stupid stolen TV.

NBA
ED:  Ron Artest releases his phat joint, yo.  And if you don’t buy it he will rush into the crowd and beat you senseless.  Yeah.  That’s all I have.  I told Phil I need a joke for this but really, isn’t the fact that he is releasing an album a joke unto itself?

JS: But I expect it to be more aesthetically coherent than “Shaq Fu.”

PR: Is Artest going to be selling himself his CD at Circuit City?

ED:  Oh and speaking of rap and hoops - Sebastian Telfair denies having any involvement in the shooting of rapper Fabolous.  Of course not, if Telfair was involved his shot would have bricked right off of Fabulous.

PR: I WAS ON THE COVER OF SI!!!!  I HAD MY OWN DOCUMENTARY!!!!  STEP OFF BITCH!!!!

BB: See - what am I going to add to that? I already know Foz will approve.

JS: I wonder if Michelle Wie’s going to start shooting people during the inevitable overhyped youngster meltdown.

ED:  The Golden State Warriors sell the naming rights of their arena to Oracle.  AWESOME!!!  Now I eagerly await the Sacramento Kings arena being sponsored by Linux.  ARENAS NAMED FOR TECH GEEKS IS THE NEW HOTNESS!! RIGHT?  What exactly is it with tech geeks and the NBA, btw?

PR: The Knicks... being the Knicks... have inquired how much it would take to get Enron's name put on MSG.

BB: Oh come on - Computer Associates are right there. Of course, they are too busy being worked by Garth Snow. OF COURSE WE WILL GIVE OUR GOALIE A 15 YEAR DEAL! The great thing was the ESPN guy who clearly hates Rick DiPietro and was insisting he be benched to give the Islanders a chance for the rest of the season four games into his 15 year deal. Wait - that was way too much hockey content.

PR: The drunk driver who struck and killed Malik Sealy was charged with a DWI again. If convicted, he would be facing another 4 year sentence. Clearly, he doesn't have Leonard Little's attorney's phone number.

BB: On the bright side if he was paying attention and had a sunroof a copy of the Pacers playbook may have flown into his car.

PR: Oh – speaking of drunks. Sacramento Kings brand new head coach Eric Musselman was arrested for drunk driving Saturday. I enjoy that the AP story basically tries to explain it away with “He was fired by Golden State. GOLDEN STATE! and got divorced. Cut him some slack people.”

JS: The Celtics cut Kevin Pittsnogle and may cut Allan Ray yet. I have less reason to love a team that doesn’t have those two plus Delonte West on it.

JS: The Greg Anthony-Isiah Thomas feud….it’s an annoying, terrible NBA coach versus a mediocre yet inoffensive NBA analyst. Because Anthony shouldn’t ever say anything mean about the Knicks ever because he used to play for them. Yeah—welcome to the basketball circle of Phil Rippa’s Inferno.

MM: I'm rooting for Minnesota in GREGODONLOTTERYMANIA '07. [What other people are calling the 2006/2007 NBA season.] Tank games, Wolves. Come in dead last. Fire McHale. Hire Hakeem Olajuwon to coach KG and Odon as 2K7 Twin Towers. Make this happen.

NHL
ED:  A Russian hockey club files suit against the NHL and the Pittsburgh Penguins to stop Evgeni Malkin from playing since he supposedly under contract with said Russian hockey club.  Right.  The only Russian contracts that are honored in America are the ones on Anna K’s tennis career.

BB: I am amazed that Russia wasn't busy enough importing Brazilian players and selling them at a huge loss to worry about this. Or killing journalists. Like me pretty soon. I AM CHALLENGING THE POLITBORO!

PR: The Philadelphia Flyers are in shambles. Poor poor terrible team. At first, I was just going to mock them for being bad (worst start in 15 years) and waiving Nolan Baumgartner (the one FA they signed in the offseason), Niko Dimitrakos and Petr Nedved (hehehehehe). But then they went and canned Ken Hitchcock as coach and GM Bobby Clarke resigned. Thank you Flyers for being far far worse than the Rangers.

BB: I am still amazed Nolan Baumgartner is a huge FA pickup. The guy who couldn't make the Capitals? Really?

JS: Clarke really needed to go—his positively Unseldian reign as GM (local legend and former player, so everyone forgave his mediocrity) had gone on at least five years too long.

OTHER
ED:  Jimmie Johnson wins the Subway 500.  Christ, hasn’t the world had enough of Fox synergy by now?

JS: Yeah—I can’t think of a single thing to add down here. I’m not at the point of tracking down LPGA scores every week. Not yet.