Brooke Hogan and a fat "Beldo"

This is for all you Saved By the Bell fans. If you can't figure it out the fat guy is Mr. Belding.

It's only a name...right?

I actually found it amusing when the year started that Chad Johnson officially changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco. He wanted it on the back of the jersey, but the NFL said they only use official names, so he stuck it to the man by getting it legally changed. Unfortunately, it was too late into the season for the league to make the change (Some sort of licensing BS), but I will look forward to seeing an Ocho Cinco jersey next year.

Now we move on to a member of the Tampa Bay Bucs named Greg White. He is a fatty defensive lineman who is not a great player, but I don't think he qualifies as a schlub either. Today he took it upon himself to legally change his to Stylez G, White. The name is not nearly as funny as the reason for it. He apparently like a character in Teen Wolf named Rupert “Stiles’’ Stilinski, and thought that was a good enough reason to legally change his name.

Greg White is a dofus. There is no other way to put it. I had an English teacher at Ohio U by the name of Bruce Bruce. Yes...same first name as last. The guy was a bit of flake and if anyone in on this planet needs to change his name it's him. (Yes...the bearded man in the photo is the one and only Bruce Bruce)

Greg White's name change got me thinking. If I was going to change my name to a character in a cheesy 80's movie, who would I go with?

Here are my top five:

Johnny 5 Back ......After the robot in "Short Circuit", the most underrated 80's movie of all time

Venkman Back......After Bill Murray's character in "Ghostbusters"

Tango Back.........After Sly Stalone in "Tango and Cash"

Chunk Back.........After the fat kid in "Goonies"

Zoltar Back......After the fortune telling game in "Big"

Why does NFL Replay suck so bad?

Courtesy of my friend Eric comes this terrific rant about NFL replay.


I am I the only one who is sick of the NFL replay system? I'm amazed that The Sports Guy hasn't written a 5000 word diatribe on it yet. Maybe it's because I'm so anxious to get my players on the field, but it seems like almost every NFL game is 3 minutes of frustration for every 1 minute of action.

First off, it takes too long. Why does it take the officials 5+ minutes to determine what the viewer can figure out in 15 seconds? Ok, sometimes it's close and requires a second angle - 30 seconds. I know they have to figure out down/distance/time, but that's not exactly Euclidean geometry. With my trusty abacus, I can usually get pretty close in about 6 seconds.

Last night takes the cake and it's not the first time I've seen it. Bears run a fake punt (horrible call, BTW) and is apparently incomplete. As they are cutting to commercial, it's clear that the Bears are challenging because it looked like he caught it. So, of course, they do NOTHING during the commercial break and wait until we come back to even START the process. 5 minutes later, we get a decision.

Why oh WHY can't we just have an official sitting in the booth constantly reviewing everything? It should take 1-2 replays tops to review each play and they can just buzz down to Mike Carey and TELL him the correct call, rather than him having to announce the challenge, run all the way across the field and don the head gear, stare into a box for 5 minutes, run all the way back and announce the result. Take the red flag out of the coaches hand - Andy Reid alone has cost me about 2 hours of my life wasted on calls that weren't even close - make the process more efficient and review many more plays, ensuring a more accurate outcome.

I guess I'm actually less outraged about the process than I am that, with all the voices in the sports talk media/blogosphere and the need to constantly whine about something, no one seems to be taking up this cause. Between horrible coaching decisions, terrible play calls, commercials after almost every play ("SAAAAAAVE BY ZEEEROOOOOOOO") and brutal replay stoppages, I find myself wanting to jab rusty railroad spikes up my nose every Sunday.

Bankruptcy the only option for auto industry

When I went to sleep last night, it sounded like the Senate was very close to coming up with a bill that would extend a bailout package to the American auto industry. All they needed to get the deal done, was for the United Auto Workers Union to make the concession of putting their pay and benefits in line with those same workers from their foreign counterparts.

Right now, the average UAW worker for GM, Ford and Chrysler makes $73.21 in pay and benefits while the average worker for Honda, Nissan and Toyota make $44.17. Obviously that is a major concession to make, but that is the kind of sacrifice that needs to be made to allow GM, Chrysler and Ford to survive in the long run.

The fact that the UAW did not step up and do their part making this work proves that their really is no other option than bankruptcy right now.

Here is a fabulous column that talks about why the bankruptcy is the best option right now.

Bankruptcy laws are put in place for a reason. They are there to help failing companies get out of bad deals and contracts, and allow them to reorganize with government protection. Delta Airlines, MCI, Texaco and many other companies have filed for Chapter 11 and have undergone reorganization with great success.

I'm convinced to fix the auto industry we need to do more than just throw money at the problem. There is no doubt in my mind that if we give them money now without reorganization, we'll be doing the same thing 3 months from now, and again 3 months after that.

Are we watching the greatest player ever?

The more I watch LeBron James, the more I'm starting to believe that this guy is the greatest player ever play the game of basketball. Growing up a huge Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, it pains me to write this, but I as great as Michael was I can't remember him ever being as dominant as LeBron is right now.

There is little doubt that Michael was much more clutch than LeBron currently is, but I don't think Michael could carry the bunch of shlubs that LeBron has the past 5 seasons. People forget that LeBron has already been to one NBA finals and that guy is only 24 years old.

If LeBron ever develops a consistent outside shot, there will be no stopping him. He is faster then most point guards, stronger than most power forwards and can jump higher than anyone on the planet. He doesn't play the defense that Michael did, but Jordan didn't become a great defender until a couple years in the league.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up when his contract is up with the Cavs. I think he'll end up in New York, but don't think for a second that he couldn't win 2 titles before he leaves. If Cleveland has a clue, they should do everything they can to pull off a major trade to give LeBron some help. Mo Williams was a nice addition, but the fact that Wally Szczerbiak gets any playing time, shows how little depth they have.

Ultimately it will come down to the number of NBA Championships LeBron wins over his career, that will determine his legacy. My guess....LeBron will have at least 6 rings before his career is over.

2008 Back Blog Bowl Pick'em

The college bowl season is finally upon us, so I figured it would be fun to do a Bowl Pick'em Contest.

I am running this through Yahoo and it's pretty easy. It is a "confidence pool" so not only do you pick a winner, but you also have to assign a point value to the game. Whomever has the most points at the end wins.

Besides being the Grand Poobah Picker, the winner is going to win something out of the the Good Game Authentics memorabilia collection. Depending on who you are a fan of will depend what you get. I know the last thing a Bears fan is going to want is a Brett Favre autograph, but I'll try to make it somewhat decent.

Here is the link to the login @ Yahoo. The League ID is 35134 and the Password is "picks"

Good Luck!

Weekend Recap

Time to follow up on some things from the weekend

**I haven't really addressed this Tommy Tuberville/Auburn situation. What amazes me most about this is that the Auburn hasn't learned from previous mistakes. Why they continue to lie about his "resignation" is beyond me.

From ESPN.com

Athletic director Jay Jacobs last week said Tuberville's departure was completely Tuberville's decision, and that he and the university president, Jay Gogue, each asked Tuberville to remain.

Jacobs said he and Gogue agreed to give Tuberville the same amount of money that would have been required to terminate his contract through a firing, $5.1 million, because they felt it was "the right thing to do."

You have got to be kidding me? You're paying him $5.1 million because you felt him quitting was the right thing to do? The AD and President are so full of it, and I really think they made a mistake letting go of Tubby. Who are they going to get that is going to be any better? Ball St or Buffalo's coach?? Give me a break....Auburn got rid of a proven above average coach, and unfortunately for them there isn't a Nick Saban type of guy to take over. There is no doubt in my mind Auburn will be irrelevant in the SEC a lot sooner than they will be contenders.

**The SEC Championship certainly didn't disappoint. The Gators are going to be tough to beat in the BCS Championship game. They just knocked off one of the most physical teams in football, and they did it without their best offensive player in Percy Harvin.

**NY Giants are in real trouble. I think this Plaxico gun situation is going to be a much bigger distraction then they will acknowledge. They SHOULD win the NFC, but I think their offense is going to have major issues in the playoffs.

**Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather would be an incredible event. I hope pretty boy comes out of retirement, because I would fork out $50 to watch that.

**What the hell is taking CC Sabathia so long to sign this deal with the Yankees. When someone offers you $14o million, you take it. Don't ask questions, just sign your name and say thank you very much. The fact he hasn't taken the money makes it pretty clear he REALLY wants to pitch out West.

**I went to Sea World this weekend and I have to say the Dolphin Show they put on is as good as production as I've seen in a long time. It's tough have people sync up their movements with music, but to have Dolphins, birds and other animals do it is pretty incredible. Shamu is still cool, but the Dolphin show is light years better in my opinion.

College Football Championship Predictions

Alabama vs. Florida

I really hope this game lives up to the hype. So far only the Texas/Texas Tech game (which I missed of course) has actually lived up to its billing. Alabama has a lot of things going for it in this match-up. You know Nick Saban is going to play up the fact that they are a 10 point dog against a team with one loss. His teams have always played better when they are being "disrespected" and in this case they most definitely are.

They have the more physical defense and offense line. In all my years of watching football, one thing is for sure and this is the team that dominates the line of scrimmage usually wins. Not always, but more times than not.

Florida has a highly potent offense and Alabama hasn't played anyone this season that runs the spread offense nearly as efficient as the Gators. I think Bama will be surprised by the speed of the Gators and Terrence Cody will have to play a great game for the Tide to win.

I would definitely rather have Tebow over Sarah Jessica Parker Wilson, but JPW has been around forever and I don't think he'll be daunted by the pressure that comes with playing in the SEC Championship. Both teams will travel well for this game so I don't think either side will have an advantage in the crowd, but I do think playing indoors will help the Gators out tremendously.

Bottom line...we have a fast offense vs. a physical defense and 2 of the best coaches in football going head to head. As much as I love Urban Meyer, I don't think Saban's team is going to play flat in their biggest game of the year.

Alabama 28 Florida 27

Missouri vs. Oklahoma

This game is being played in Kansas City and I think that gives a HUGE advantage to Missou. Even though they lost last week to Kansas in Arrowhead, I think the fact that they will be familiar with the surroundings and field will give them a much needed advantage.

Offensively, both of these teams are very similar, but Oklahoma defense is going to be the difference. I think they are better than Missouri, but I don't think they are nearly as dominate as they looked the last couple weeks. Texas Tech coaches made some awful decisions going for it on 4th down early in that game, and the Red Raiders lost confidence. Once that happened the game was over. Oklahoma State hung around for 3.5 quarters before running out of gas. OSU has a good offense, but I don't think they are a good as Missouri.

Don't forget that Chase Daniel was a Heisman finalist a year ago and Jeremy Maclin is one of the most underrated players in all of college football. They can score a ton of points and I think they are going to on Saturday night. But can they score more than Oklahoma??? It'll be close, but I think they'll fall short.

Oklahoma 51 Missouri 45

Other Games:

Virginia Tech 20 Boston College 17

USC 42 UCLA 10

Oscar De La Hoya wins in a decision over Manny Pacquiao

Brighthouse Networks Can KIss My A$$!!

I never thought I would fall into that group of people who would be screwed by the petty negotiations between the NFL and certain cable operators and be denied of the NFL Network. Normally, I wouldn't care that much, but this time of year the NFLN is broadcasting regular season games which have major Fantasy Football ramifications. If I could I would have dumped this crumby cable service Brighthouse long ago, but unfortunately I'm stuck in an apartment complex that doesn't allow satellite and there is no other provider in the area. I hate not having options.

Not only does this cable operator not

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carry the NFL Network, but they don't carry Fox Sports Net Florida. The fact that I couldn't watch Tampa Bay Rays games during their pennant run drove me crazy.

Bottom line is Brighthouse Networks sucks and I can't wait to give my business back to DirecTV.

The Belly

I've had several requests now for a picture of my growing belly, so here you go. I swear, I still have 4 months to go, and there's only one in there!

Welcome to My Hell!

Between football games and our addiction to reality TV, Rachel and I watch a good amount of TV. Unfortunately, we are also subjected to a lot of commercials. As someone who was in the radio business for a number of years, I know advertising is what pays the bills and salaries at these stations. As much as we all would love to get rid of them, they do serve a purpose in our society.

With that said, I need to introduce you to two of the most mind numbing, annoying commercials that I am putting up with these days. Not only are they annoying, but I swear they are on 4 times an hour.

This one is the worst. It's for "Scratch and Dent World".


I don't know who this hideous woman is, but she is quite possibly the worst advertising spokesperson EVER!!! This woman who introduces herself as "Lee" (Some of you know my history with women named Lee and my nightmare continues), and there are so many things wrong with her.

First off, couldn't she wear something better than this hideous orange dress. It's Tennessee Vols orange and I didn't think they sold things that color unless you live in Knoxville or are planning on going hunting. From now on, no one is allowed to wear that color orange unless it is Lane Kiffin's wife. Hubba Hubba.

The other thing that gets on my nerves is that she is wearing a freaken knee brace during this commercial. Couldn't her knee handle the hour it took to film without wearing the ugly brace? I realize most people don't walk on washer and dryers everyday, but unless she wiped out during a previous take, there is no reason for her to wear that thing. Especially when she is wearing a hideous sun dress that barely covers her ass.

Lastly, couldn't they have found a slightly more attractive person than Miss Lee? I'm sure outside of the yelling and bad clothes, she is a nice person. But it's also safe to say she's not winning a beauty contest anytime soon. She really needs to be nominated for "What Not To Wear" so Carmindy can teach her some make-up tips and Nick can chop off her mane of hair.

Most of you outside of the Orlando area probably haven't been subjected to Lee, but I know you've seen this.


Yes....the dreaded "Saved By Zero" commercial. Not only can Toyota build fuel efficient vehicles, but they also developed the most annoying jingle since the Cougar was singing about his country a couple years ago. Even though 0% financing does sound like a nice incentive, if I'm in the market for a car, I will officially not be visiting a Toyota dealership because of this ad. Every time I hear the "Saved By ZEEROOO!!" shriek, it's an automatic channel change. So I guess the networks should start being more careful about the ads they run, because there is no doubt in my mind that I am not the only person who turns the channel when this commercial runs.