If, like me, you’ve been sitting around anxiously waiting for someone to make an Oregon Trail/NFL mash-up, good news, you’re wait is over! Thanks to the folks over at Slate, finally you can relive the joy of Oregon Trail while adding in America’s game, football. This is one of those events that you’ll remember EXACTLY where you were when you first saw this.
Archive for November 4th, 2009
Remember after the inauguration the photo that was so detailed you could see nearly every single person who was at the event’s face? Well, photographer David Bergman took 675 individual photos over a 53 minute period at game 1 of the World Series measuring a full 2,904 megapixels and now you can zoom in and see all the fans. Whether it’s spotting Alec Baldwin, Lorne Michaels or just see someone get carded while buying a beer in the stands, you can see everything. I can’t show the full thing here, so click the image below to be taken to see the full version. Check it out you won’t be disappointed!
[MLB]
[PSAMP]
He can be a blow-hard sometimes but Curt Schilling wrote something today on his blog that I thought was especially interesting in light of this World Series. Few people can adequately talk about what it is like pitching on short rest in the postseason but Curt is one of them. This is a man who lost an entire year (at least) due to his putting it all on the line for the 2004 postseason, something I don’t think he’s ever regretted.
It’s October baseball (November, actually). The rules go out the window, right? The season is 27 outs from being over … literally, every game.
That’s the mindset I always felt worked for me in October. You do whatever you have to, whenever you have to, to have one more run than the other team.
From a starting pitcher’s standpoint, three days’ rest in October was never an issue, because from the time you’re 5 years old, doing that “World Series” replay in your back yard, it’s the game, the innings, the at-bats you’ve always dreamed about having the ball in your hand for.
[snip]
I guess for me it comes back to the player. I always felt the need to make sure the manager KNEW I wanted to do it, and ya, I’d put up a fight to get the shot to be able to do it. If as a player you don’t assert this, you leave the manager sitting there in a no-win, really. If he does it, and you don’t do well, it’s his fault for pushing you. If he doesn’t do it, and you lose, it’s not your fault because he didn’t ask. That’s the easy way, I think, and I’ve watched guys take it more than once. Being the “quiet type,” I never could. You may never be there again, and the belief that in October I could not be outpitched, regardless of whether it was true or not, made me push to get the ball in my hands if at all possible.
I mean, it’s the World Series, there are no more games after this, right? Nine innings in October can change the lives of every person in the organization. How cool is it to know that power rests in the ball being in your hands? Scary? Hell, yes. But that’s why it’s so damn fun. On the biggest stage, with the most on the line, let the rest of the world shrink back or cower — me? I’m good with letting it all hang out, and letting the chips fall. I’ve done my work, in the weight room and the video room, now it comes down to execution.
Read the full post because Schilling writes rather eloquently about the subject and about his thoughts before warming up for game 7 of the 2001 World Series. While the New York media is howling about Girardi’s choice to go with a 3-man rotation for the entire postseason, what did they want, Chad Gaudin in the World Series? Joba back in the rotation? There aren’t any better options for this team right now, with their offense and their stadium all they need is for Pettite to keep them close and they’ll always be in it. After all, there’s always Mariano in the ‘pen.
04
Nov
09
Chase Utley Listens to the Wife
For those of you who don’t watch Access Hollywood religiously you probably missed this feature they did on Chase Utley and his wife Jennifer, who is like a normal-person-version of Megan Fox. Yowzers! Remind me in my next life to make sure I go to college at UCLA because, I mean, WOW.
Jen, worked back in the day ON Access Hollywood but now spends much of her time being an animal activist.
Just before Chase heads off to the stadium for game 4 she gives him a slap on the butt and says “hit a home run.” Like any good husband, Chase listens, and to show the love, hits two for good measure.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Please give him similar encouragements tonight Jen, because I’m ready to see some Yankees fans cry.
This is the absolute BEST sports-related Halloween costume I’ve seen this year, well besides the incredibly hot girls who dress up as refs, but that doesn’t really count. University of Florida’s Tim Tebow was anointed as the greatest college quarterback ever by the media hordes who can’t slobber his knob fast enough despite the fact that he simply isn’t that good a quarterback according to all of the NFL.
I absolutely love this. I also cannot wait for the greatest QB to enter the NFL and proceed to be worse than Danny Wuerfful.
Phil Kessel made his debut last night for the Toronto Maple Leafs after off-season shoulder surgery and a trade from the Bruins. Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mattias Ohlund brought the welcome wagon in to greet Kessel in the first period with a devastating hit that ultimately sent Kessel to the dressing room to repair a split lip.
Kessel returned though to register 10 shots on goal, although was held without a point. That shouldn’t last long though for the dynamic goal-scorer, despite the fact the Leafs are flat-out miserable.
Vincente Padilla was unceremoniously dumped by the Texas Rangers in August despite the fact that he was a (reasonably) dependable starter on a contending team that is always desperate for pitching. His teammates and the organization were tired of his antics and decided they were better off without him, even though they didn’t have an adequate replacement.
Of course, he signed on with the Dodgers and then seemingly rejuvenated his career by going 4-0 with an ERA of 3.2o and pitching very efficiently (besides game5 of the NLCS) in the post-season. Back home now in his native Nicaragua there are several conflicting reports but what is certain is that Padilla was shot in the leg.
One report states that he was at a firing range and his bodyguard accidentally shot Padilla in the league when trying to fix Padilla’s gun. Another says that Padilla was hurt in a “hunting accident” and that is how is leg was grazed with the bullet.
Regardless, it was just an example of the extremely hairy-armed Padilla being Plaxico. The injury shouldn’t be a problem by spring training but may make Padilla’s free agency a bit more interesting.
[LA Times]
04
Nov
09
Rajon Goes Over the Backboard
Fresh off agreeing to a 5-year $55 million contract, Rajon Rondo and the 4-0 Celtics took on the woeful Philadelphia 76’ers last night. The Celtics ran the Sixers all over the floor, the Celts were kicking so much ass that their stars like Garnett barely logged any minutes; there simply was no need. One of the highlights of the game was this circus shot from Rondo over the backboard which reminds me of the old clip of Larry Bird doing the same.
Larry’s shot took place when I was all of 4, but I do remember seeing clips of it run constantly during Celts games and I spent a hell of a long time mastering that shot. For the record I fucking OWN that spot just behind the backboard.
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