THE WEEK THAT WAS

(10/17/05 – 10/23/05)

 

PR: God, why did I agree to start this? I hate sports. Oh and on an aside – Al Roker getting wiped out by the Hurricane this morning is so the funniest thing I have seen in a long long time… well except for the QVC guy and the ladder.

 

ED:  I even worked Saturday and had plenty o’ time to do this and yet Phil wanted to lead off this week.  Phil will now go the Jeter route and tell us he’s no lead off hitter anymore.

 

BB: I guess that’s better than the Tony Fernandez route. Or the Chuck Knoblauch route.

 

MLB

 

PR: The Houston Astros eliminated the St. Louis Cardinals in 6 games and then that there World Series started. So close to not having to listen to Tim McCarver for several months. Oh and most of America sleeps. Or watches some celebrity dance.

 

ED:  Yeah.  And if you see our half…hearted WS Preview you will notice that we apparently have done our best to jinx the Stros.  Sorry, Houston.

 

BB: What, does not paying attention make the Astros more likely to lose? Sucks to be them then. Cause god knows I am uninterested enough.

 

PR: The Mets Felix Heredia is suspended 10 games for the steriods. To borrow a line from Ed – I think this officially kills roids rep as “performance enhancing”

 

ED:  I smell bitterness.  Pungent-pungent bitterness.

 

BB: Indian food…diaper…oh yeah. Coasting this week.

 

PR: The Baltimore Orioles hired Leo Mazzone away from the Braves to be their pitching coach. Clearly this means the Os will begin to sign washed up starting pitchers... oh wait a sec. And the Detroit Tigers hired Chuck Hernandez in the mother of all let downs.

 

ED:  Ahh, Baltimore!  The true test of genius!

 

BB: Baltimore is the true test of the survival instinct being strong enough to withstand your surroundings.

 

PR: The Milwaukee Brewers exercised their $8.5 million club option on All-Star slugger Carlos Lee. That’s CARLOS not CLIFF. I hate myself.

 

ED:  And remember: Scott PodSCRAPnik is more valuable than Carlos Lee.  And Kenny Williams is not an idiot.  Just check out Primer.

 

BB: In all fairness – that Keith Foulke trade at least looks a little better now since Neal Cotts was a whole lot more valuable than Keith Foulke this year, and for a lot cheaper.

 

PR: Speaking of the Brewers, they brought one of their alums back. Dale Sveum becomes the third base coach. Clearly Milwaukee is trying to prevent Bill from rooting for them.

 

ED:  Aww, Phil has no love for the least valuable member of the 98 Yankees.

 

BB: Ed clearly has some love for Clay Bellinger, I know that much.

 

PR: PLAYER MOVEMENT: The following folks became Free Agents: 2B Mark Bellhorn (aww....), LHP Carlos Hernandez, RHP Keiichi Yabu (NO LONGER PROVER FOREIGN CLOSER~!), LHP Kelly Wunsch, RHP Giovanni Carrara, OF Adam Hydzu (Hey, prospect for hire). And the Royals claimed LHP Bobby Madritsch off of waivers from the Mariners.

 

ED:  Mark Bellhorn’s entering an even numbered year.  Poor reverse Saberhagen.

 

BB: So this year he hits .220 with 51 homers when he plays shortstop for the Dodgers, right? That’s how it works?

 

PR: MANAGER MOVEMENT: Joe Girardi became the Florida Marlins’ new manager. I wonder if anyone talked to Joe about Carlos Delgado’s contract. Joe Torre is staying as manager of the New York Yankees. And Tony Pena was named as the Dominican Republic’s manager for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

 

BB: I wonder if the Marlins realized that they actually had to pay all of Carlos Delgado’s contract. “Oh, we’ll just trade it to the Rockies, they love our contracts. I hope they’re not bitter about the whole Juan Pierre thing though. Weird – why won’t Dan O’Dowd return my calls?”

 

ED:  Meh.  Everyone knows no-hitting infielders are the new managerial hotness.

 

PR: Larry Walker retired. I am sad. The Cards purchased the contract of Rick Ankiel. I am even sadder.

 

ED:  Ahh, but what this means is that THE GENIUS! will platoon Ankiel and say, John Mabry in RF and we will all chuckle but the Cards will still win the division, further proving that there is no god.

 

BB: Clearly Ed does not harbor the same crush on John Rodriguez.

 

PR: In the “Red Sox request trades” Department, Manny Ramirez says he only wants to be traded to the Angels or the Indians. And David Wells wants to be traded to the West Coast. Good luck with that fellas.

 

ED:  Kenny Williams is just as smart as Theo.  Check out Primer, people.

 

BB: Seriously, don’t listen to Ed. Get away from Primer.

 

PR: MLB is mad that the latest “Got Milk?” ad parodies steroid abuse. Because that is the biggest problem they are facing.

 

ED:  God, can’t someone just shoot Buck & McCarver?  I know that has no bearing on the above item, I am just throwing that out there.

 

PR: Former Cleveland Indians owner Ted Bonda died at the age of 88 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. At least in his last years, he couldn’t remember that he was in Ohio.

 

ED:  That works?

 

NFL

 

PR: The Saints are leaving New Orleans. The Saints are staying in New Orleans. The Saints are leaving New Orleans. Clearly, John Kerry now has controlling interest in the team.

 

ED:  That seems apt.  No one cares about the Saints either.

 

BB: No, you’re confused. John Kerry’s constituency is wishy washy. The Saints’ constituency was washed away. Not the same thing.

 

PR: Folks done for the year (everyone else is banged up but will still play. Stupid Randy Moss. Stupid Hines Ward. Nope, not bitter at all): Lions WR Kevin Johnson (ACL), Dolphins S Tebucky Jones (torn chest muscle) Raiders CB Charles Woodson and S Derrick Gibson along with Packers RB Ahmed Green and WR Robert Ferguson all got carted off on Sunday with ugly ugly injuries and might as well be done for the season.

 

PR: All of Minnesota continues to turn their nose up at the Vikings. Poor little Sex Cruise. Jack Morris laughs at all of them.

 

ED:  Kirby Puckett says to just ride it out.  Minnesota courts will never convict you.

 

PR: Oh BTW – supposedly last year Mike Tice challenged anyone on his team to fight him. That is one PPV I would purchase.

 

ED:  Even if Mike Tice sells you tickets?

 

BB: I would so buy the Mike Tice Headbutt Challenge PPV.

 

PR: So Seattle Seahawks Safety was collecting sea shells by the sea shore…. Err… sorry. Let’s try that again.

 

PR: Tedy Bruschi returned to practice for the Patriots. Nope, not a bad idea at all. Nope.

 

ED:  And the answer is – yes.  Peter King swallows.

 

BB: Who drafted Bruschi? I thought you did, Phil. You sure seem unexcited.

 

PR: So Seattle Seahawks Safety Ken Hamlin gets in a rumble outside a nightclub early Monday morning after the Seahawks Sunday night game. Hamlin ends up with a fractured skull a small blood clot and bruising of the brain tissue. Mike Holmgren immediately steps up by… banning all Seahawks players and coaches from entering Pioneer Square, the historic Seattle bar and restaurant district just north of Qwest Field. BRILLIANT!

 

ED:  And what have we learned from all this?  Yes, don’t screw with Eddie Vedder.

 

BB: ATTACKED BY THE CANDLEBOX ARMY!!!

 

PR: The end of  Week 6 saw the Colts rallying from down 17-0 to beat the Rams by crippling Marc Bulger and making the creepy Mike Martz replacement sad.

 

ED:  Didn’t watch.  Didn’t care.

 

BB: ATTACKED BY HIS OWN MUSTACHE!!!

 

BB: Mike Martz also tried to call in a play to his team from the hospital and it was ignored. That’s right: a cancer-stricken ten-year-old with no football experience is more likely to get the playcall right than Mike Martz. Awww….

 

WEEK 7

 

PR: The NFL moves the Chiefs/Dolphins game to Friday night to avoid Hurricane Wilma. Dick Vermeil tries to con the league into moving the game to KC. Since he isn’t from New York, that doesn’t fly. Since Miami is stinky – the Chiefs still win 30-20.

 

ED:  I like how the NFL didn’t want people to miss this game.  Hey!  Lets show it on the NFL Network just to make sure the insomniacs are cared for!  Yay!

 

PR: The CINCINATI BENGALS!!! GREATEST TEAM IN THE AFC NORTH!!! BIG GAME!!! BAN THE MEDIA!!! SUPER BOWL BOUND!!!! Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Bengals 13. Aww….

 

ED:  Marvin Lewis: Defensive Genius!

 

PR: The San Francisco 49ers scored 17 points. Of course the Washington Redskins scored 52. Reggie Bush looks forward to not having to move very far.

 

ED:  You can’t beat Jesus.  You can only hope to contain him.

 

BB: Reggie Bush is Jesus?

 

PR: Paul Edinger kicks a Vikings record 56 yard FG to give Minnesota a miracle victory as the Green Bay Packers coughed up another game. If only Brett Favre played defense.

 

ED:  If Brett Favre played defense would he be able to blame his missed tackles on everyone else too?

 

BB: It would just be him being playful and thinking they were actually playing two hand touch.

 

PR: Yes – there was actually a Lions/Browns game this weekend. Yes, it might as well be played in the 50s. Yes, it was Jeff Garcia v. Trent Dilfer. Yes, R.W. McQuarters was playing wideout for Detroit. Yes the NFL hates you.

 

ED:  I was really sleepy Sunday.  Six day weeks beat this old man down.  The NFL gave me this game on one channel and the Bengals game on the other.  So really, I want to thank the NFL for helping me out.

 

BB: Wow, does Ohio suck.

 

PR: Well clearly the Rams hate America as they beat the Saints. And clearly Damione Lewis hated LeCharles Bentley’s jimmy.

 

BB: OH!! OH!!! I forgot! Logan Mankins fined…wait for it…$7500!!! for kicking someone in the jimmy. INFLATION PUNKS!

 

ED:  One would think Jim Haslett would learn a lesson about burning through his time outs here.  One would think Jim Haslett would have learned a lot of lessons by now.  Oh well, deflect blame by pointing at the hurricane, I guess.

 

PR: OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! Peyton Manning was able to beat the winless Houston Texans. GREATEST QB IN THE LEAGUE!!!! SUPER BOWL BOUND!!!!

 

BB: NOT AS GOOD AS THE PATRIOTS!!! VP is so a crappy bar.

 

ED:  Yeah, one would assume that Dom Capers is seeking out a real good realtor.  Anyone looking for a big house in Houston, there’s your hook-up.

 

BB: Oh, I just had to kill that Katrina joke.

 

PR: The Philadelphia Eagles get a gift-wrapped 20-17 victory of the San Diego Chargers. LaDainian Tomlinson is held to 7 yards and has his TD scoring streak ended. MARTY BALL~!

 

ED:  Aww, that really synopsizes Marty’s NFL career aptly. 

 

BB: Fire alarm goes off at Eagles game for half hour. Millions of columnists try to link alarm to funny, topical joke about Eagle performance. Like this one. Fail miserably. Like this one.

 

PR: Bears 10, Ravens 6. Yup, NFL still hating.

 

ED:  And to think the NFL could have given me this game to sleep through instead.  Bummer.

 

BB: Holy geez football is ugly. What am I supposed to say about THAT?

 

PR: Aww…. The Cowboys sure aren’t afraid to just hand victories to their opponents. Of course, Josh Brown can hit the clutch field goal this week. Stupid Redskins.

 

ED:  I enjoyed FOX!!! playing up the Cowboys as the greatest team ever in the pregame show.  If I was a betting man, I would’ve put a paycheck on the Seahawks at that point.

 

BB: Poor poor little Drew Bledsoe arm strength. Poor poor Jose Cortez.

 

PR: Hehehehehe…. Giants win…. Hehehehehehe

 

ED:  CHAMP BAILEY!!!  SHUT DOWN CORNER!!!

 

BB: Eli Manning is the most Madden-looking quarterback I’ve ever seen. Look at the last touchdown (since you only saw it on ESPN 8000 times and don’t remember it, clearly) – he’s stumbling backwards, throws off his back foot as hard as possible at a receiver who’s two yards in front of the line of scrimmage. That’s such a Madden move.

 

PR: Hey the Raiders managed to make Ed happy for a week – 38-17 over the Bills. Did Wade Phillips suddenly get rehired by Buffalo?

 

ED:  I was impressed that Norv Turner remembered he had LaMont Jordan for a week.  Now if he can just forget he has Kerry Collins.

 

BB: Well he needs to forget that he had Charles Woodson.

 

PR: Arizona 20, Tennessee 10 – Still hating.

 

ED:  ESPN is just glad that they somehow didn’t get stuck with this turd as a Sunday night game.

 

BB: Come on, Mike Patrick woulda shined that one up nice. DENNY GREEN! STEVE MCNAIR! MMMMMM!

 

CFL

 

WEEK 18!!!

 

ED:  Calgary takes Saskatchewan, 29-21.

 

ED:  Winnipeg destroys BC 41-1.

 

ED:  Toronto handles Montreal, 49-23.

 

ED:  HAMILTON crushes Ottawa’s futile playoff dreams, 34-17.

 

 

SOCCER

PR: Middlesbrough Abel Xavier was suspended due to a failed drug test. Oh yeah – the hair dye is so getting blamed.

 

BB: The great thing was the one Middlesborough match I’ve seen this year involved Abel Xavier having literally the worst game I’ve ever seen a right back play – he was the anti-Tony Sanneh-versus-Germany-in-2002. Poor poor performance enhancement.

 

PR: Your team is surprisingly leading the Scottish Premier League; so what do you do hours before you matchr on Saturday? That’s right – resign. Poor poor George Burley.

 

BB: He left Derby under sketchy circumstances too. Of course, he was hired under sketchy circumstances too. Poor John Gregory. Poor secret sexual harassment lawsuit.

 

PR: Well David Beckham got sent off again… all the more time to text message the ladies I guess.

 

BB: Someone needs to bring the sarcastic clap over the pond.

 

PR: Djurgarden clinched the Swedish championship. Bill’s CM is proud.

 

BB: Sadly all the players they have in CM have been sold by now. Papadopoulous!!!

 

PR: Hey – Freddy Adu is bitter about his playing time. How cute. He confused the MLS with the NBA.

 

BB: Does he not own any suits either?

 

PR: Rotherham United midfielder Lee Williamson returned to practice after being diagnosed with a virus on his brain. Wait… excuse me. A VIRUS ON HIS BRAIN?!?!?!?!?! Yeah – you can put what I said about Tedy Bruschi right here too.

 

BB: Is Tedy Bruschi insane in the membrane too?

 

NBA

 

PR: Allan Houston retired. This of course will have no effect on the Knicks since its not like Houston contributed last year either and his big fat contract is still on the books.

 

PR: David Stern institutes a dress code. The NBA IS SAVED!

 

ED:  Racist.

 

BB: Marcus Camby insists on having a stipend for said clothes. Originally, he is met with astoundment until everyone realizes how expensive it is to find seven foot suits with space built in for two knee braces.

 

PR: Boston Celtic guard Tony Allen was arrested and spent 2 nights in a Chicago jail for aggravated battery. See, if only the dress code had been in place earlier.

 

NHL

 

PR: The New York Rangers were forced to evacuate their Long Island hotel Thursday, when a man wearing a surgical mask dumped a chemical on the floor and then drove away. Why this chemical spill in Long Island drew attention is beyond me?

 

BB: Awww…this is my last chance to ever defend Long Island as a reside…god I don’t care enough about the place to defend it.

 

PR: Hurricane Wilma forced the NHL to postpone Saturday's game between the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers. Whew. Because I am sure Floridians were having such a tough time choosing between attending and evacuating.

 

OTHER

 

PR: Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh miss the cut at the Funai Classic at Disney. David Duval can not contain his laughter… which caused him to fall down.

 

PR: Jeff Gordan wins the Subway 500. YEAH! SHORT TRACK RACING! That will get the folks to forget about the NFL.

 

BB: Northeastern boats crash in Head of the Charles. Poor little ex-roomate. Smoke it off, big buddy. Smoke it off.