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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

November 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

With all the talk about firing Mike Singletary and whom the new coach is going to be, a look at the standings shows the 49ers only a game out of first place….

Yes, they play in the worst division in football and not worthy of the post-season; but until the leegue comes to their senses and revamps the playoff format, whomever wins this dog goes to the playoffs….

And 7-9 should be good enough….

Here’s what Commissioner Dave Smith would do: The best 12 teams get into the playoffs, regardless of conference or division. If that means either the AFC or NFC get 8 teams in, so be it….

Hell, I wouldn’t care if one division got all 12 teams; I want the most qualified teams in the post-season….

Then, simply seed them 1-12, with the top teams getting a bye….

Who says division winners must make the playoffs? Not me….

I knew the Cardinals were bad, but not this bad. Losing to my 49ers is bad enough, but to get embarrassed 27-6 on MNF is about as bad as it gets….

I’m a lifelong 49ers fan, but also a realistic one. They aren’t any good, the coach needs to be fired and Eddie DeBartolo needs to re-acquire the team….

Other than that everything is great….

As for the other team in the Bay Area, the Silver & Crap, they aren’t any good, either. Sure, their fans got excited when they somehow went to 5-4, but the real “Commitment to Excrement” was back in their blowout losses to the Steelers and Dolphins….

Their QB situation is a disaster, their secondary is horrendous and they’re going to lose 10 games for the eighth straight season….

And the one constant in all this: Alzheimer Al Davis….

As long as he’s making the decisions, nothing is going to change….

A million years ago he was a brilliant football man and led the Raiders to three Super Bowl Championships. Since then, however, he’s become the Donald T. Sterling of the NFL and turned his team into the laughinstock of the league….

They had a nice mid-season run, but until Drool Bucket Al steps down and they hire a competent General Manager, it’s going to be a continuation of what’s been going on for years: Just Lose, Baby….

I almost fell over laughing when I read the alleged demand by Derek Jeter for a 6-year, $150M deal from the Yankees, who have offered 3 years and $45M….

Sure, Jeter has been a great Yankee and has five World Series rings, but as Yankees GM Brian Cashman said today, “Team Jeter needs to drink some reality potion.”….

In my opinion, the Yankees are being generopus with their offer, because no team in baseball will come close to matching it….

In fact, I think the Yankees offer is more than what he’s worth….

Jeter is 36, slipped noticeably defensively and hit .270 with a .340 on base % last season….

So $15M a year for three years is very generous….

Of course, Jeter’s value to the franchise goes beyone statistics, as he’s the most popular Yankee since Mickey Mantle….

Reading the message boards, however, it seems not all Yankee fans are on his side. In fact, most posters are saying if Derek does not accept the Yankees offer he can hit the road….

Unless the Red Sox decide to issue a big “F*** you” to the Yankees and sign Jeter, no team in baseball will take him at $15M per year….

So this is a dangerous game Derek is playing, because if no other team steps up, it’s going to be embarrassing….

The Yankees can then lower their offer to something like 3 years and $30M and tell him to take it or leave it….

If I were him, I’d tell my people it was time to save face and come back to the Yankees with 3 and $50M….

This way, both sides can claim victory and save face….

If Team Jeter continues to insist on $20-$25M per year, however, he’s not going to be a Yankee next season and have to take much less elsewhere….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

WEEKEND NOTES

November 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

With the dropped TD pass by Ronald Johnson in the closing minute, it’s hard to blame Lane Kiffin for the latest USC loss, 20-16 to Notre Dame….

But here goes….

After the drop, USC QB Mitch Mustain threw an interception, which was caught by the Notre Dame defender at their own one-yard line. There were 44 seconds left and the Trojans had two time outs….

Which is where my criticism begins….

Clock management, clock management, clock management….

With Troy down 20-16 and driving for the game-winning score, Kiffin inexplicably wasted a time out, thus putting his team in a deep hole if something bad happened….

Sure enough, after the ND interception, the missing time out was a game-killer for USC….

With the Irish pinned on their own one-yard-line, they ran two QB sneaks, which were followed by USC time outs. But since Kiffin had inexplicably burned a time out earlier, Notre Dame then took a knee, ran out the clock and won the game….

Had Kiffin saved that last time out, the Irish would have had to punt, in the rain, from the back of their end zone with around 30-35 seconds left….

And who knows what happens next? There could be a bad snap, a block, a shanked punt, even a return for a TD which would have won the game. In bad weather and from the back line of your own end zone, lots of bad things can happen on a punt….

If USC doesn’t fumble the kick, the worst case scenario would be the Trojans taking possession inside the Notre Dame 40….

Sure, it’s a long shot and the USC offense was terrible all night. But they would have had three or four shots at the end zone and could have won the game….

One thing’s for sure: You have a much better chance to win in that situation than you do with the opponent taking a knee and running out the clock….

Clock management, clock management, clock management….

Once again, another problem was USC’s defense running out of gas in the fourth quarter and getting physically dominated by a bad Notre Dame offense….

All season long their tackling has been horrible, players have been out of position and coordinator Monte Kiffin needs to be shown the door….

The problem with that, however, is his father would be the one s***-canning him….

Monte doesn’t have a clue how to defend college offenses and Lane needs to have a privaste conversation with him about “retiring.” Otherwise, Lane might be going with him….

Remember, Pat Haden did not hire Lane and wouldn’t have if it were his decision. From what I hear, he’s not a fan and will not hesitate to pull the plug if necassary….

As a final “F*** you” to USC, outgoing AD Mike Garrett hired Lane; infuriating lots of alums and obviously angering Haden….

And if USC loses to a truly awful UCLA team, all hell will break loose….

Speaking of UCLA, Rick Neuheisel needs to go after another embarrassing performance. They lost to Arizona St, 55-34, but only after blowing an early 17-0 lead….

Slick Rick is a con man of the highest order and hopefully he’s run out of chances….

Will he get fired? No….

Why? Firing him would mean AD Dan Guerrero would have to admit he made a colossal blunder, which would put his job at risk….

He already made a mistake with the Kark Dorrell hiring and now trumped that with his bonehead decision to hire Neuheisel….

A guy I really feel sorry for is Norm Chow, who was told by Slick Rick in the offseason to install the Pistol offense; even though UCLA did not have a QB to run it properly….

Norm is a pro-set coordinator who has experienced unprecedented success, but the last guy you’d want running this Pistol nonsense….

Chow is going to get the axe after the season, so the school can hide the truth about the real problem: Neuheisel….

Every game Pau Gasol gets his ass kicked by the opposing center and the following day our local sports-talk show hosts and press cover it up….

Last night it was Roy Hibbert’s turn to bitch-sap Pau, going for 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in the Pacers 95-91 win at Staples Center….

Pau is a terrible defender and if I were an opposing center I’d send a limo for him to make sure he arrived on time. Because it’s going to be my biggest scoring night of the season….

Last week, Darko Milicic kicked his ass, last night it was Hibbert and next it will be someone else….

It’s obvious how soft Pau is and the complete lack of effort he’s giving on the defensive end, yet amazingly not one person in the local media brings it up….

On the local post-game show last night, the three announcers made all kinds of excuses and refused to tell the truth….

Only Stu Lantz, God bless him, stepped up and did his job; saying “Roy Hibbert outplayed Pau on both ends of the floor.”….

Bingo, and it’s about time someone told the truth….

Just listen to the local sports-talk shows tomorrow and see how these guys cover up, manke excuses and refuse to tell the listeners what’s really going on….

If I were their boss they’d be in my office getting an ass-chewing, because I want honest, hard hitting, factual breakdowns….

But that’s just me….

There’s a reason Los Angeles has the softest media in the country; because they’re not held accountable and their superiors instruct them to avoid conflict….

It’s shameful and disrespectful to the audience, but unfortunately a staple of local sports-talk….

Juan Manuel Marquez continues to amaze me with his boxing skill, stopping tough Mike Katsides in the 8th round of his Lightweight title fight Saturday night….

It was a back-and-forth affair, with Marquez getting knocked down in the third round. But, as usual, Juan threw beautiful combinations and used his superior skill and conditioning to win….

With Floyd Mayweather refusing to fight Manny Pacquiao and facing jail time,.it would seem the time was right for Pacman-Marquez III….

In their first two fights, Marquez got a draw and a split-decision loss, with most ringside observers feeling Juan won both fights….

Marquez probably would not win at 147 lbs, wherew he would have to fight to make this happen, but it would be anothet entetaining slugfest….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

NOTES ON A SCORECARD

November 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Nice win for the Lakers last night, 98-91 over the Bulls, butthe game again pointed out the need for Andrew Bynum to return and Pau Gasol to move back to his natural position….

Gasol got his tail kicked by Joakim Noah, who had 19P, 13R and three blocks. Meawhile, Pau shot 3-10 and was outhustled and outworked….

Poor shooting nights are acceptable; lack of effort is not….

In the gym today, a friend of mine said Shannon Brown should win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. While I would vote for Michael Beasley, Brown certainly has improved greatly and just might win….

He’s obviously worked hard on his jump shot, which has turned him from a high energy dunker to a complete NBA player….

He could have made a good living as a back-up and entertaining dunker, but worked hard to correct a weakness in his game and become very good….

At 25, he can become a starting player and 15-20 PPG scorer in the right situation….

And since the triangle offense doesn’t require a point guard, there’s no reason he can’t start in the backcourt when Derek Fisher retires….

This means Shannon will work hard this offseason on another aspect of his game; handling the ball. If he becomes proficient and develops point guard skills, look out. That might turn him into an All-Star….

“PenisGate” has taken an interesting twist, with Brett Favre denying sending lewd pictures and Jenn Sterger’s people claiming Favre’s agent offered them money to “make this go away.”….

On the first point, Favre is obviously lying; probbaly out of embarrassment he has such a small package. The hell with his wife finding out, because any man would rather face that than have the world discover you have a small unit….

For Favre to admit the voice mails and texts, but deny the pictures, is absurd….

Once again, an athlete lies and makes the situation far worse than in needed to be. Had he admitted this immediately and paid Jenn, maybe the story never gets out….

But because he initially denied everything and now denies it’s his little weenie in the pictures, the whole thing has become “PenisGate.”….

Today, Favre’s agent said there was no offer of mopney to Sterger and there will not be, “because why should we pay when we’ve done nothing wrong?”….

You think Brett wishes he could turn back the clock and change his decision to return to the NFL for one last season….

There’s one thing which could save him, though….

With the incompetent Brad Childress canned this week and Leslie Frazier taking over, maybe the Vikings can go on a season-saving run….

Highly unlikely, but look what’s happneed to the Cowboys since s***-canning Wade Phillips….

If I’m Frazier, I throw out the playbook and tell Favre to turn the offense into schoolyard football; call your own plays and have fun….

That’s when Favre shines and the only hope for the Vikings to bounce back….

Then, maybe we’ll quit talking about “PenisGate.”….

With the Yankees and Derek Jeter seemingly at an impasse in contract negotiations, I thought about why people refer to Derek as unselfish….

When Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees, he was coming off the best run of any shortstop in baseball history. His offensive numbers were incredible and he was also the best defensive shortstop in the game….

He was a much better defensively than Jeter and as the Captain of the Yankees Derek should have immediately volunteered to change positions….

Instead, Jeter stubbornly held on to his position, saying “I am the shortstop of the Yankees.”….

The result was the Yankees were subpar defensively at shortstop and third base; a position ARod had never played before….

Had Jeter switched to second base, which would have been the unselfish move and befitting a Captian, the Yankees could have signed an elite third baseman and probably won another World Series or two….

Instead, the Jeter hurt the team because of his selfishness….

Evidently, everyone except Dave Smith is afraid to bring this up; because the media slobbering over Jeter is nauseating….

The worst offender is ESPN, who never miss a chance to kiss Jeter’s ass and showcase him on “Sportscenter.”….

The truth is Jeter hurt the team with his selfishness after the signing of ARod; but apparently there’s a “Gentleman’s Agreement” among the media to cover it up….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

November 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Yes, they’re 2-13 and on their way to another lottery, but there is one bright spot for the Clippers; Blake Griffin looks like he’s on his way to a Hall-of-Fame career….

This guy is a monster at 6’10″ and 260 lbs, but also possesses unbelievable athletic ability and quickness. He’s not a great shooter and struggles at the free throw line, but my God he’s talented….

After going for 44 points and 15 rebounds against the Knicks on Sunday, Blake had 24 and 13 last night in a 99-94 win over the previously 11-1 Hornets….

Last season the Clipper Curse struck again, as Griffin suffered a year-ending knee injury before the season started. So I need to be very carfelu in my praise….

He’s playing great basketball and for once the Clips are looking at a bright future if they build around him and Eric Gordon….

Okay, I’ve said enough. Why poke a stick at the basketball gods and awaken the Clipper Curse?….

After scoring 77 points and getting embarrassed at home by the Pacers, the Miami All-Stars are now 8-6 and panick is beginning to set in….

Coming back from a wrist injury, Dwyane Wade shot a miserable 1-13 in the 93-77 loss….

LeBron was out-of-sync and in the second half simply put his head down and tried to force his way to the basket….

Charles Barkley is correct when he says they’re playing too slow and they’re not a half court team; and Eric Spoelstra is going to pay with his job….

With no post presence and no reliable point guard, it seems senseless to get into the half court all the time; especially with three great, unselfish players in Wade, LeBron and Chris Bosh….

Pat “Benedict” Riley was furiously taking notes at courtside, probably writing Spoelstra’s resignation speech….

I can see it now; Spoelstra claiming he wants to spend more time with his family and Benedict thanking him for his tremendous service….

Then, after Spoelstra lies about wanting to take a break from coaching, Benedict will lie through his teeth and say he really didn’t want to coach again….

The truth is this egomaniac was gunning for Spoelstra’s job since the LeBron/Bosh signings and was waiting like a snake in the grass to pounce….

Now he has the excuse….

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WEEKEND NOTES

November 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

As a lifelong San Francisco 49ers fan, I’ve been frustrated with just about everything this season. The owners are cheap, lying SOB’s, management clueless and the coach needs to be fired ASAP….

As a player, nobody was a bigger fan of Mike Singletary than me; because nobody in NFL history got more out of his ability….

But as a coach, he’s totally incompetent. Ten games into the season and still we see delay of game penalties, false starts, plays getting to the QB way too late and mistakes high school teams don’t make….

Early in the 3rd quarter of yesterday’s 21-0 loss to Tampa Bay, the 49ers were down 7-0; but put together a nice drive into Bucs territory on their first possession….

On the Tampa Bay 33-yard-line, they faced a 4th-and-3 and there was no question what they needed to do; play to win….

Sure, San Francisco was 3-6, but in their horse*** division, the playoffs were a real possibility. Especially with the Rams playing the Falcons, the Seahwaks at the Saints and the Cardinals at the Chiefs….

Their three rivals were certain to lose, so it was imperative to do whatever it took to win the game. You go for it on 4th down, use trick plays, onside kicks, etc….

With the 49ers down 7-0 and on the Tampa Bay 33, the only option was going for the first down….

Win this game and you’re only a game behind in the division; lose and season is most likely over….

So when I saw Singletary call for the punt team, I reached for the remote, switched to Animal Planet and said out loud, “Game over.”….

When your coach is going to punt from the 33-yard-line with the seaon in the balance, there’s no use in watching any more….

Hell, Animal Planet was showing “Maneaters,” one of my favorite shows; so I wasn’t missing anything….

While the Bucs took advantage of Singletary’s cowardice, I happily watched stories of lions and tigers eating human beings….

A few hours later, I went online and saw the 49ers lost 21-0; which was about as suprising as learning Pau Gasol gave up a lay-up….

The good news is the 49ers aren’t going to make the post-season and Singletary won’t be back. The bad news is the Yorks still own the team and they’re going to have a hard time finding a coach….

Sure, the Singletarys of the world will take the job; but to draw interest from Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh the Yorks are going to have to sell….

And that’s not going to happen….

Who knows, maybe Bay Area native Harbaugh will think about the history of the franchise and decide he wants the job. And maybe he brings can’t miss QB prospect Andrew Luck with him….

It would take losing out and finishing 3-13 for that to happen; but with Singletary that’s a possibility….

My dream would be for Denise York to convince her cheapstake husband to sell the team back to her brother, the great Eddie DeBartolo. Under Eddie’s brilliant guidance, the franchise won five Super Bowls and the envy of every team in the NFL….

It was first class all the way and players all over the league wanted to play in San Francisco….

Now those two conniving tightwads have alienated everyone in the organization; unless they sell back to DeBartolo….

I can dream, can’t I?….

Speaking of incompetent coaches and embarrassing performances, how about USC getting hammered at Oregon St, 36-7? After their first three losses, the excuses poured in to cover Lane Kiffin’s lousy coaching: Bad breaks, heart breaking losses, a probation year, etc….

But there was no covering for ‘ole Lane this time, as his team was outplayed, outcoached and embarrassed by a team who lost to Washington St. the previous week….

The good news? USC doesn’t play Oregon St. again until 2013, because of the Pac-10 expansion….

The bad news? USC doesn’t play Oregon St. again until 2013, because of the Pac-10 expansion….

I HATE adding the new teams, because now everybody doesn’t play everybody. Ten is the perfect number of teams in a conference and now the Pac-10 is ruined….

A silver lining for USC fans is AD Pat Haden reportedly doesn’t like Kiffin and never would have hired him; so maybe he’ll fire his ass before irreperable damage is done….

As a final “F*** you” to Troy, outgoing AD Mike Garrett hired Kiffin and gave him a multi-year deal for lots of money. The alums I know were furious and people on the inside told me Haden was irate this was done right before he took over….

So far, Lane hasn’t disappointed, because he’s exactly what I thought he was going to be: A stubborn guy with a huge ego who will never admit he is wrong about anything. He’s in way over his head and Haden needs to drop the hammer right now….

After watching the Pacquiao-Margacheato replay on HBO, I sat down with a cold one and looked forward to Paul Williams-Sergio Martinez II….

Since the first one was a war, the rematch figured to be more of the same….

In the second round, as I finished off a beer, Martinez nailed Williams with a left cross and it was nitey-night….

Paul slumped face first to the canvas and the referee could have counted to 100 as Williams was counting sheep….

Yes, the punch was right on the button and devastating, but it was also lucky; because Sergio wasn’t even looking at Williams when he threw it….

It was a blind, wild haymaker which landed squarely on Paul’s chin….

But who the hell cares? Martinez wins by knockout, retains a piece of the Middleweight title and now could be looking at a big money fight against the Pacquiao-Mayweather; if that ever happens….

Or, if Floyd continues to refuse to fight or goes to jail, Martinez could fight Pacman in the spring….

Sure Martinez isn’t well known, but it would be a chance for Manny to win a World Championship in a 9th weight class and add to his legacy….

He’d then have won titles from Flyweight to Middleweight, a remerkable achievement even in this age of watered down titles and divisions….

Prediction: While Martinez is bigger and stronger, so is everyone else Pacman fights. Martinez is nothing special and as usual Pacquiao would have a huge advantage in hand speed. Sergio would take a beating and lose a unanimous decision….

As for Williams, he needs to do two things: Get a new trainer and promoter….

The 6’2″ southpaw is a hell of a fighter and a freak at that weight, but puts himself at a disadvantage by turning every fight into an action-packed brawl. There’s no reason for a guy as talented as him to get hit so much….

It’s great for the fans, but by fighting on the inside and brawling he negates his tremendous height and reach advantage….

He makes himself small by leaning forward and exchanging, which cost him dearly Saturday night….

Plus, as good as he’s been, he’s a complete unknown unless you follow boxing closely….

He’s young enough to bounce back from this, but only if he hires a trainer who teaches him to box, use his reach and not make himself an easy target….

He wouldn’t be as exciting a fighter, but I can’t imagine him losing in this weight class if he simply works the jab, stays on the outside and picks his shots….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

November 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I’ve been watching football for a long time, but Thursday’s “action” set the NFL and NCAA back 50 years….

First, let’s talk UCLA-Washington….

It was battle of poorly coached, offensively challenged teams with losing records; and the action on the field confirmed their ineptitude….

Usually college football is fun to watch and high scoring, but this resembled an NFL game….

Near the end of the 3rd quarter, UW led 10-7 in a dreadfully boring contest. After an interception return for a TD and another score set up by anr INT, the Huskies came away with a 24-7 win….

And with the Bruins 4-6 and out of bowl contention, hopefully it’s the end of Rick Neuheisel’s career….

He’s been the coach at UCLA for three years and not only has there been no improvement, they’re getting worse….

I’ve always thought he was a con man and lousy coach and now the jig is up. There couldn’t possibly be another university dumb enough to hire him, is there?….

At Colorado and Washington he won early with the previous coaches players, then failed miserably when his recruits and system took hold….

This time he didn’t have the luxury of inheriting good talent; so the real Slick Rick was exposed from Day One….

Thursday night has to be the end, because there’s no hunt of things turning around. The talent level is awful, they have no QB and the offense, for the third year in a row, is the worst in the country….

Watching that dreadful Pistol offense, I had a thought: Maybe the game has passed Norm Chow by….

That’s a hard thing for me to say, because I’ve always thought he was the best offensive mind in the college game. So it’s sad to see this horses*** offense get throttled week after week, year after year….

Going to the Pistol was a horrible idea, because they don’t have the QB or personnel to run it….

But as bad as the offense has been, I find it hard to believe Chow has suddenly become stupid….

The problem is he’s working for Neuheisel….

Neuheisel is a snake oil salesman who has no idea what he’s doing. Yes, Chow has to take some of the blame, but when you compare their resumes it’s no contest….

Why is it that every time a Bruin QB makes a mistake Neuheisel publicly berates him on the sideline? If Slicky Ricky wants to yell at anyone, he should bring a mirror to the games; because it’s his system and recruits who are embarrassing the university….

After watching this, the AD should fire Neuheisel on the field and make him find his own way home….

On second thought, the AD would then have to fire himself; because he’s the one who made the idiotic decision to hire him….

The bottom line is Neuheisel has had three years to make progress and there hasn’t been any. Plus, the offense is boring and not fan-friendly….

As an Oregon Duck and a USC fan as a kid, I’d love to see Ricky Boy keep the job forever….

But in reality he must be s***-canned at the end of the season….

As for Washington, it’s been another disappointing season for Steve Sarkissian. UW is now 4-6 and without Jake Locker next season are going to be much worse….

I’ve never liked him as a coach and thought Washington was crazy to hire him. Both he and Lane Kiffin rode the coattails of Pete Carroll and Norm Chow and UW foolishly thought they were getting an offensive genius and future star in Sarkissian….

Just the opposite is true, as UW is regressing and the school needs to fire Sarkissian after the season….

Despite his reputation as a good offensive coordinator and play caller, just the opposite has been true. His Huskies are anemic offensively, even with a 1st round QB in Jake Locker….

Despite having a QB the NFL scouts love, the UW offense is dreadful; because Sarkissian’s play calling is boring, predictable and easy to defend….

Without USC’s talent, Carroll and Chow, Sarkissian has been exposed as a guy in way over his head….

UW needs to cut their losses and terminate him ASAP….

As for Thursday Night Football on the NFL Network, the less said the better….

I turned on the TV to watch some football and a soccer game broke out….

The Bears won 16-0, but there was only one TD scored and both offenses were abysmal….

As I often say, the NFL is America’s pasttime and by far our highest-rated sport…

But the reason is not quality of play, it’s gambling….

Take wagering out of the equation and why would anyone watch this crap? There’s plenty of Premiere League soccer on cable….

Having watched the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margacheato fight again, I’m wondering why Antonio’s trainer, the referee and the ring doctor didn’t stop the fight….

With the beating Margacheato was taking, the fight should have been stopped in the 10th or 11th round, regardless of whether Margacheato wanted to continue….

Mexican fighters are famous for their heart and revel in being called warriors, but trainer Robert Garcia was risking Margacheato’s life by allowing him to continue. If his fighter hates him for the rest of his life, so be it. It’s the trainer’s job to look out for the health of his fighter….

And Garcia had no business sending Margacheato out for more punishment, no matter how much he wanted to continue….

In the 11th and 12th rounds, Pacquiao was calling for the referee to stop the fight, to no avail. With Garcia unwilling to protect his fighter, the referee should have done his job for him and stopped it….

And where was the ring doctor? He checked on Margacheato between rounds and certainly should have been able to recognize a broken orbital bone and order the fight stopped….

As much as I enjoyed Margacheato get the beat down he deserved, somebody needed to step in….

If I had my way, Garcia and the referee would be suspended and the doctor would never work another fight….

As if Margacheato’s reputation hasn’t taken enough of a hit for loading his gloves and ridiculing Freddie Roach’s Parkinson’s Disease, his apology to Roach was a flat-out lie….

With a straight face, Margacheato actually said he wasn’t making fun of Freddie’s disease, but trying to convey that Roach and Pacquiao were shaking because they were afraid to face him in the ring….

First, he lies about the plaster in his gloves. Then he shows what a low class punk he is by ridiculing a class guy like Roach. Then, he has the nerve to blatantly lie about ridiculing Freddie’s Parkinson’s Disease in the form of an “apology.”….

The more he talks, the more he buries himself….

Shockingly, there are those still buying the story that Margacheato had no idea his gloves were loaded and that was the only time it happened….

Obviously he’d been doing it for years, evidenced by his dramatic loss of power against Shane Mosley, the bum he fought in a tune-up and Pacquiao….

Without the loaded golves, Margacheato is an ordinary fighter who never would have been a World Champion. He’s slow, punches wide, is easy to hit and doesn’t possess knockout power….

In other words, he’s a journeyman….

But with cement in his gloves, he was able to overcome his shortcomings by knocking the s*** out of people….

If I were Miguel Cotto or Kermit Cintron, I’d sue for assault….

But with one condition: The amount of the suit would be cut in half or dropped if Margacheato agrees to a fight….

This way, Cotto and Cintron (and probably several others) could get their revenge in the ring by knocking the s*** out of Margacheato….

Sounds fair to me….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A few years ago, while I was on the air at 1540 The Ticket, I predicted the Eva Longoria-Tony Parker marraige “would last three years, tops.” The reason? Longoria is an insecure, attention-whore diva who craves the spotlight and would do everything in her power to steal the spotlight from her NBA All-Star husband….

Another difference in the two is Parker is actually talented at what he does, while Longoria is not….

While Tony is an elite NBA player, Eva is a B-Level actress….at best….

She lucked into the Desperate Housewives thing, but she’s a terrible actress and her career will end with the series….

So when the news hit today that the couple is divorcing after three years of marraige, my first thought was my prediction was uncanny….

But there’s more….

Evidently, Parker was cheating, or at least sending inappropriate, lustful text messages to former teammate Brent Barry’s wife….

It’s one thing to cheat on your wife, but to do it with a buddy’s significant other is inexcuseable….

I’m looking at a picture of the two happy couples on the internet, with the Barrys and Parkers in evening clothes and all smiles….

Evidently, Barry filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart a month ago, which makes me wonder how long this Parker-Mrs. Barry thing has been going on….

Not to excuse Parker, but from everything I’ve seen from Longoria she seems impossible to live with….

She craves the spotlight, has put down her husband publicly and is obnoxious and overbearing….

Shortly after they were married, Longoria and Parker appeared on national television with Oprah, with Eva publicly humiliating her husband….

While Tony sat there like a statue, Longoria explained that Tony had only been with two women and was inexperienced in the bedroom. Not knowing when to shut the hell up, Eva then explained she had to teach him everything about sex and had trained him to be an excellent lover….

As I watched, I thought to myself that Parker was going to catch hell from his teammates and every other player in the NBA….

To have your wife tell the world you are bad in bed and needed to be taught how to make love to a woman must have been humiliating….

I went on the air the next day and said Parker would keep that in the old memory bank and one day humiliate Longoria the same way she embarrassed him….

This marraige was doomed from the start, because she’s a diva and he’s an insecure hypocrite….

He’s always claimed to be a very religious guy, but in reality goes after a buddies wife….

They deserved each other….

This should be a lesson to athletes everywhere: Find a normal, family-oriented girl to marry and stay away from the attention-whore Hollywood types….

Last night, while watching “Sportscenter,” they were showing highlights of the UConn-Baylor women’s game, where the Huskies won their 80th game in a row….

Afterward, the hosts were talking about how UConn was only nine wins away from breaking the NCAA record of 88 straight iwns; set by John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins between 1971-74….

This made my blood boil, because there is no comparison between men’s and women’s basketball….

Yes, there’s nothing wrong with crediting UConn with holding the WOMEN’S record for consecutive wins, but to compare them to UCLA is absurd….

Any good boys high school team would beat the UConn women and I could get on the phone right now and within 15 minutes assemble a team who could beat them….

The best women’s team in the world is boys’ high school caliber, and I mean an average boys high school team….

I would venture to say there are 100 high school boys teams in America who could beat them….

So please, let’s not make the ridiculous comparison between the UConn women and the great John Wooden teams….

Because there is none; it’s comparing apples to oranges….

A few years ago, after I relentlessly criticized Mitch Kupchak, I read him a letter of apology on the air; because he transformed the Lakers from a disaster into back-to-back World Champions….

Now it seems it’s time to draft another letter, this time to the Timberwolves Kevin Love….

When he was drafted in the first round, I predicted he’d be a bust, due to his lack of athleticism and offensive game….

Instead just the opposite is true, as Love has developed into an All-Star and the best rebounder in the NBA….

He can also score and is averaging an impressive 19P and 14R….

The other night he had the NBA’s first 30-30 game in 27 years and last night had 24 and 14 in a win over the Clippers….

He’s proven me wrong, that’s for sure….

I know the Heat thought they needded Chris Bosh to win a championship, but they are going to regret letting Michael Beasley get away….

He looked like a Hall-of-Famer against the Clippers on Wednesday night, scoring 33 points and making the game winning shot with two seconds left….

On the season, the 21-year-old is averaging 22 ppg and seems to have matured into an elite player….

Also, Beasley makes $5M, while Bosh, averaging 14PPG, makes $15M….

Hmmm….

I’ve always liked Beasley and would have kept him and passed on Bosh, but that’s just me….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

MARGACHEATO GETS A RICHLY DESERVED ASS WHIPPING

November 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Normally, I don’t like to see a fighter take unnecessary punishment and have always argued that boxing is a sport, not a fight….

Whenever I read another article from the AMA calling for the aboliton of boxing, I wonder why they don’t have the same opinion about football; which is far more dangerous and violent….

But Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium, I was pulling for Manny Pacquiao to lay an old fashioned beat down on Antonio Margarito….

Not anything life threatening or permanent; just an embarrassing ass whipping in front of millions….

And that’s exactly what happened; as Pacman battered, bruised, humiliated and beat down Margarito over 12 brutal rounds….

I’ve always been a fan of Margarito and supported him over the years; until it turned out he was using loaded gloves to achieve his success….

Before his fight with Shane Mosley, we learned he was Margacheato, not Margarito….

Thanks to Nazeem Richardson, Mosley’s trainer, plaster was found in the hand wraps of Margacheato….

Forced to fight without loaded gloves, probably for the first time in years, Margacheato was exposed as a slow, wide punching, easy to hit average fighter….

And easily knocked out by Shane in a one-sided fight….

After a one-year suspension and then an unimpressive, 12-round win against a no-name opponent, Margacheato was rewarded for his malfeasance with a $3M payday and a chance to win another World Championship….

And he got what he deserved, a one-sided beating….

And every time I began to feel sorry for him, I thought of Kermit Cintron and Miguel Cotto; two guys who endured brutal beatings from Margacheato; most likely because he had the same plaster in his gloves….

And what about the rest of his knockout victims, whose lives were literally in danger because of the plaster in Margacheato’s gloves?….

Any sympathy I felt for Margacheto was quickly replaced by images of Cintron and Cotto taking savage beatings….

I know Team Margacheato claims it was a one-time thing and Antonio says he knew nothing about the plaster; but anyone with common sense knows he was lying….

Without the loaded gloves he had no power against Mosley, that bum he fought in his comeback fight and Saturday night against Pacquiao….

Yes, I was disappointed and against him making a $3M payday as a reward for cheating; but what he did prior to the Pacquiao fight made me pray for Pacman to teach Margacheato a painful and humiliating lesson….

In case you haven’t heard, Margacheato was caught on video ridiculing Freddie Roach, one of the classiest and respetced people in the sport….

Unfortunately Freddie suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, but his ability to forge ahead and continue his brilliant career is an inspiration….

So when I saw Margacheato, laughing, contorting, yelling Freddie’s name and shaking his hands to imitate Roach, I was filled with anger I didn’t know I had….

I know this is saying something (after all, this is boxing), but that was the lowest, cruelest, most classless thing I’ve ever seen….

And not only was Margacheato ridiculing Freddie, some other fighter named Brandon Rios was doing the same; using the same cruel techniques but also adding exaggerated facial movements and head shaking….

All to the delight and amusement of everyone in Margacheato’s camp; who were laughing uproariously….

Let’s all remember Rios, as well, and hope for his demise….

The next day Robert Garcia, Margacheato’s trainer, lied through his teeth and claimed the taunting “had nothing to do with Freddie Roach’s Parkinson’s.”….

As anyone who witnessed that video can attest, Garcia is lying and should be ashamed of himself….

That was ridiculing a person with a terrible disease and laughing about it, pure and simple….

You’d think after getting another chance to make millions and fight for a World Championship, Margacheato would be on his best behavior and grateful for the opportunity….

Instead, he continued to insult our intellegence by claiming he did not know there was plaster in his hand wraps. Then, he cruelly ridicules a truly good man suffering from a life-threatening disease….

Hopefully we’ve seen the last of Antonio Margacheato….

And Floyd Mayweather will teach Pacquiao a boxing lesson and win easily….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: , ,

NOTES ON A SCORECARD

November 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I know they’re 8-1, but the Lakers faced their first real test of the season last night and failed miserably. And the reason was they don’t play any defense….

In the Lakers 118-112 loss to the Nuggets, the disturbing trend of not guarding anybody continued….

At least they were consistent, getting torched for 59 points in each half….

I’ve only seen the Lakers play nine times, but I’ve come to the following conclusion: Their interior defense is the worst in the NBA….

And all this talk about Pau Gasol being the MVP should cease immediately, because he plays absolutely no defense….

I keep saying he’s not a center and he keeps proving me right….

Gasol is soft, soft, soft….

I tried to keep track of how many times he stood with his hands at his sides as Nuggets players made lay-ups, but lost count in the first half….

Not once did he jump, not once did he raise his hands and not once did he knock somebody on their ass to send a message….

One time he was guarding Nene and the Brazilian simply took one dribble to his right, one step and tomahawk slammed. And all the while Gasol stood like a statue and watched….

He might as wll have bought a ticket….

Normally 17 points and 20 rebounds is an excellent game; but last night Gasol’s stats were beyond misleading….

He had some good numbers, but loafed and put in zero effort defensively….

MVP my ass….

And the final play of the game put an exclamation point on Pau’s night….

In the final seconds, Kobe beat his man, drove into the lane and dished to a wide open Gasol; who caught the ball right next to the basket with no Nugget defender nearby….

What happened next I still can’t believe….

Without jumping, Pau extended his right arm and evidently thought he could roll the ball into the hoop….

While Gasol loafed, Carmelo Anthony came from the weakside, jumped and fly swatted the ball away. In all my years watching the Lakers, that might have been the worst play I’ve ever seen….

A 7’1″ guy gets the ball directly under the basket, is too lazy to jump and gets spiked by a guy six inches shorter. Game, set and match….

Andrew Bynum, you cannot return too soon….

While watching the Celtics take apart the Heat, the camera focused on Pat “Benedict” Riley, who was sitting a few rows behind the Miami bench….

He was writing furiously on several sheets of paper and looked like he about ready to fire someone….

Yes, Dave Smith is going to be proven right again….

Pat the Backstabber is coming back, and this time the victim is going to be Eric Spoelstra….

It doesn’t matter that Benedict put this team together and it’s going to take time to jell. It also doesn’t matter they don’t have a quality point guard or any good big men….

Benedict is going to blame Spoelstra and steal his job….

Just like he did with Stan Van Gundy….

That situation was shameful, with Van Gundy actually attending a press conference to say, with a straight face, he was quitting “to spend more quality time with my family.”….

Benedict Riley perpetuated the lie by saying, with a straight face, that Stan wanted to step down and wasn’t forced out. Corn, hit the laugh track….

Two years before, Benedict quit on his team two weeks before the season, becaus ehe bleieved they weren’t going to be any good and his massive ego couldn’t take losing….

In a tough spot, Van Gundy took over with no time to install his system and the team started 0-7….

After that, though, SVG did a magnificent job and led the Heat to a 42-40 record and the playoffs. Then, they won a series and came reallt close to making the NBA Finals….

A rookie named Dwyane Wade turned out to be a superstar and Lamar Odom had th ebest year of his career….

The next season the Heat made the Eastern Finals, only to lose in Game 7. The reason? A guy named Shaquille O’Neal only had two rebounds in the second half of a close out game….

Instead of taking responsibility, the Big Excuse typically blamed someone else; this time SVG….

Benedict Riley also got into the act, publicly blaming Stan and threatening to take over as coach….

And after a few games of the 2005-06 season, he shamelessly hijacked Van Gundy’s job and lied about the reason….

And the reason was?….

Benedict is an egomaniac and was green with envy that the Heat were primed to win a championship without him on the bench. So instead of allowing SVG to win, Benedict rode in on his high horse to claim the glory….

Another shameful act on Benedict’s part was forcing SVG to sign a gag order, prohibiting him from speaking to the press without the expressed, written permission of one Patrick Riley….

Question: If Van Gundy was burned out and simply “wanted to spend more time with his family,” then why was a gag order necessary?….

Answer: Because he never wanted to step down and was fired by the Backstabbing Riley. And because it looked so bad, Benedict forced him to sign a document forcing him to stay silent….

And a few years later, Riley quit on his team again. With a month to go in the season, he walked out, saying he “needed to scout college players for the draft.”….

It was another lie, because the real reason was his ego could not take losing. So it was back upstairs until the team rebuilt; at which time he would steal the job from whomever was in charge….

The day the Heat signed LeBron and Chris Bosh, I wrote a column saying Spoelstra would not last until the All-Star break and his replacement would be Pat “Benedict” Riley….

But it looks now like it’s going to happen much sooner; possibly within the week….

Just watched the classless and cruel display by Antonio Marga-cheato; where he and his team took turns making fun of Freddie Roach and his Parkinson’s disease….

As Marga-cheato imitated Freddie shaking and twitching, some of the SOB’s with him began doing the same; and all of them laughed uproariously….

As Marga-cheato twitched, shook and intentionally stuttered, he yelled something about Roach and laughed heartily….

It was a sickening sight; with these uneducated neanderthals ridiculing one of the nicest and most respected people in the sport….

Freddie Roach is class all the way and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met….

It’s remarkable how Freddie has dealt with this horrible disease and continued to be the best trainer in boxing. Despite the disease continuing to make progress, he never complains and is a credit to the sport….

For Marga-cheato to ridicule this great man is reprehensible….

Now I not only want Manny to knock him out, I want him to carry Marga-cheato up so he can beat up on him some more….

If I’d been caught red-handed loading my gloves with plaster and humiliated in front of the world, I’d be grateful for the opportunity to fight and be on my best behavior….

Instead, this classless jerk pulls something like this?….

The hell with Marga-cheato….

While Marga-cheato did not apologize, his trainer, Robert Garcia, issued the following bulls***:

“This was nothing to do with the disease that Freddie Roach has. We know it’s something that we don’t wish on nobody. It’s something personal, something between Team Pacquiao and Team Margarito. I just wanted to make that clear.”

Reaction: Bulls***. It had everything to do with Freddie’s disease and Garcia must think we’re all stupid.

Roach’s response?

“I think it shows his true character. I don’t think they are a good group of people. I’m not going to bother Manny Pacquiao with that. Manny doesn’t hate anybody and so forth, but I do hate those guys.”

Reaction: I don’t blame him.

In the video, while Marga-cheato made a twisted face and raised a shaking hand, stablemate and rising pro prospect Brandon Rios does the same thing while mentioning Pacquiao’s name.

Garcia’s explanation for Rios’ shameful behavior?
“He didn’t even know Freddie had a disease. He thought it was from 13 losses that Freddie Roach had when he was a professional boxer.”

Reaction: Bulls***. Brandon is a professional fighter and knows full well Freddie has Parkinsons. You’re telling me he didn’t know Roach has Parkinsons but does know about Freddie’s 13 losses from before Rios was born? Garcia is flat out lying and should be ashamed of himself.

Let’s go, Pacquiao!….

Filed Under: Dave Smith

SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS

November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Sorry to hear that Jim McMahon is having problems with his memory, which he claims is the result of his concussions and many shots to the head….

“I walk into a room and forget why I walked in there,” said McMahon….

Now, Boston University researchers want to study his brain, hoping to learn from his situation and prevent future players from going through this….

Besides the memory loss, McMahon says he’s in pain every day, can’t run and hasn’t worked out in 15 years….

Granted, Jim was a big party guy back in the day and didn’t miss many opportunities to join his teammates on Rush Street for post-game celebrations; and maybe all the drinking and late nights contributed to his current situastion….

There are also many people with the same symptoms who never played a down of football or had a concussion….

So we’ll never know for sure what caused his memory loss….

But it would seem all the concussions and blows to the head are the reason….

McMahon was never one to slide or run out of bounds, preferring to go heads-up with larger and faster defenders. This made him popular with the fans and his teammates, but also caused him to miss most of his career with injuries….

I’ll never forget that 1985 Bears team, who terrorized the NFL on their way to a 18-1 record and Super Bowl championship. There has never been another team like them and they’re arguably the greatest NFL team ever….

Never has a team had so many characters and fun-loving guys….

And their quarterback was the most colorful and fun of the bunch….

He spoke his mind, openly challenged Mike Ditka, wore a “Rozelle” headband in defiance of Commissioner Pete Rozelle and mooned a helicopter during Super Bowl week in New Orleans….

He was the same way at BYU; a Catholic in a sea of mormons….

McMahon used to play golf on the campus course, with his shirt off and a beer in his hand. He also had a parade of girls in-and-out of his room, violating the school’s Honor Code….

After his final college game, he got in his car and sped away, never to see Provo again. When a reporter asked him his best memory of BYU, McMahon answered “Leaving.”….

He was one of the best college QB’s I’ve ever seen; crashing head first into defenders and leading one impossible comeback after another. I’ll never forget the Holiday Bowl in the early 1980′s, when an Eric Dickerson-led SMU team was comfortably ahead with only a few minutes remaining….

Somehow, someway, McMahon led a couple of TD drives to get them back in the game, but all seemed lost when the Cougars had the ball at midfield with three seconds left….

McMahon dropped back, threw the ball over 60 yards and it somehow landed in the hands of a receiver; winning the game and cementing McMahon’s legend….

It was Doug Flutie a few years before Flutie….

He was the same in the NFL, throwing his body recklessly into defenders and routinely coming up with clutch throws and game saving drives….

McMahon is one of my all-time favorite players and hopefully they’ve caught this thing early and he can live a normal life….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With:
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