We’re back in full force this week as Triggs has come out of his dark room and realizes there are other sports’ teams in Chicago for him to enjoy. Too bad the Bulls can’t use the talent they have to its full potential and that the Cubs are still…well, the Cubs. Oh well, we have some fun topics for you this week. This is one of the weeks Chuckles is all excited about because there’s a big event in Hillbilly Nation this weekend. From what I hear, it’s a bunch of guys taking left turns for hours on end. He calls it entertainment.
Yes folks, we are going to be talking about a lot this week as we get into some fun, some boring, and some controversy. So sit back and enjoy the ride as we rip apart the week’s hottest news stories. Please watch your step, keep your head and arms inside the car at all times, and…
1.) Pro Bowl Thoughts
Spaulding: Of course. OF COURSE it’s the Saints’ player who gets injured in the damn game. Why is that always the way? Lucky for the NFL that their all-star game is at the end of the season instead of in the middle like the other sports who have idiots running them. Brees will be out of action for 6-8 weeks but training camp doesn’t even start until late June so I’m not worried about it; and also it is his non-throwing elbow so it’s cool. I really though the NFC was going to pull this one out and actually win two in a row for first time in almost twenty years. Not much else of interest in the game besides Sean Taylor’s hit on Bills’ punter Brian Moorman. That went down as the number two hit of the year right behind Philly’s Sheldon Brown’s hit on my Saints’ Reggie Bush.
Triggs: Pro Bowl? Who plays in the Pro Bowl…oh that game in Hawaii. I actually have an issue with the Pro Bowl, the mere fact that they play this game. There is such a risk of injury here. Look at Spaulds’ man Brees. Lucky it’s not worse. Yeah I know there is risk in any sports All-Star game but this is the NFL. Only 16 games yet it has to be the most grueling of them all. Not to mention they play it at the end of the season. Do I think they should play it mid season? Of course not, I don’t think they should play it at all. Just vote the players and it will look good on their football card the following year. The season is over…and for some fans it was over a month before. Those fans have moved onto hoops and couldn’t care less about the 12 plays his guy gets in the Pro Bowl. I say bag the whole thing!
Oh and Spaulds…your boy Bush got JACKED UP! Wait can we say that here?
Chuckles: Pro Bowl Shmol Bowl. Game is extremely pointless. Nobody cares. The players don’t even care; they just like the free trip to Hawaii. The fact that the players don’t always play as hard as they would in an actual game that meant something actually leads to a better chance at getting injured. Not saying Brees wasn’t trying, but that looked painful. Does Bush have a “Hit†magnet inside of him? Because he’s got a couple of the biggest hits of the year against him.
Chuckles, Triggs, Spaulding: JACKED UP!
2.) NBA All-Star Game
Chuckles: Well, Melo and Josh Howard make it in now so that’s a plus for the star factor of the game. The Dunk contest and skills competition are the two things I look forward to heading towards All-Star weekend. Even though the Dunk contest has been turned into a joke where people would rather see the judges dunk than the people in the contest. Ty Thomas’ comments might bring a little bit of suspense to the contest to see what he considers going out and getting his check. I’d laugh if he brought out someone dressed as a banker to hand him a check after doing his first dunk.
Spaulding: The game itself is the least of my concerns considering it really isn’t that interesting to me. I’m looking forward to the All-Star Saturday night and even the rookie game on Friday. Tyrus Thomas needs to come out with some sort of exciting dunk considering not only his comments but the break away dunk he screwed up about a week ago and almost broke his own ankle on. As for the game itself, I do see some exciting rosters though having Steve Nash sit out now, it takes away some of the fun. Mr. Serious Face is always good for some really sweet passes to set up monster dunks or just fantastic looking plays. Although speaking of good plays, I want to see Dwight Howard go nuts and just deliver a few sick dunks on anyone in front of him. I’m going to go with a prediction and say that the East wins its third All-Star game in a row. I do have one wonder about the game though…does Gilbert Arenas think he is going to score fifty this time around?
Triggs: I have to say I am pretty excited for the weekend. I want Thomas to jump through the ceiling on one of his dunks…I think his comments were pretty funny. You can’t deny that the dunk contest has lost a bit of its luster. If you have players who think this of the Dunk contest then what do they think the fans think of it? I still think it’s cool because I can’t dunk and there still is a bit of awe there, but it’s not like back in the day with MJ, Web, and Nique. I think the rookie game is good for it helps expose a lot of the younger guys you might not have gotten a chance to see and if they do something special in the game you just might be inclined to tune in and watch a game.
As for the game…Where’s Gordon?
3.) Schottenheimer Fired By Chargers
Chuckles: Wow…I knew Marty and Smith didn’t get along well, but damn. This is a shock. He took them to a 14-2 regular season record. And even after the disappointing playoffs he was offered a contract extension. Then a month later he’s fired. This makes no freakin’ sense. After all the other coaching jobs have been filled all the top candidates are gone. So now San Diego is going to have to piece together a completely new coaching staff, and it will really affect their team next year. They have a ton of talent and they’ll need to really lean on that because their going to have to learn a completely new offense and defense. Completely astounding news.
Triggs: What an odd turn of events…who saw this coming? I certainly didn’t. I couldn’t agree with you more Chuckles. The guy had an outstanding season…thanks to LT…and then gets the boot. I don’t think there will be as much learning curve as you think though. The game plan is simple; it’s like when we were kids. Chuckles you’re the stick, I am the bottle cap and LT is chewing gum. “Why do I have to be the piece of chewing gum?†“Shut up LT yes this is a Bill Cosby bit. Anyhow, I am going to give LT the ball and you start sit and watch him run just like I will after I give him the ball. I think whoever they put in there is going to have to pick up the old playbook and learn it…not the players learning a new one.
Spaulding: They’ve got some good candidates left, but this just shocked the shit out of me. You give the man $4 mill for a year and THEN you let him go? I know there were obviously some big disagreements and such, but come on. You lose a few assistant coaches, your offensive and defensive coordinators, and now you get rid of your head coach. And they thought their biggest offseason meeting was going to be figuring out how they lost in the second round of the playoffs after such a fantastic season. Now it’s wondering who the hell is going to lead these boys next year and will whoever comes in screw up the good thing they have. Marty can go sit on his cash and take a season off. The Giants, Browns, or Vikings will call him next year.
Hey San Diego, there are two names to remember…Ron Rivera and Mike Singletary. Now choose one.
4.) Daytona 500
Chuckles: WOOOOOOOO!!!! Let’s go racin’ boys! NASCAR’s biggest event of the year. And with good reason, with restrictor plates the racing is as tight and competitive as possible. Thirty five cars will be running within a second of each other, nose to tail at 190 mph. There are worse ways to spend Sunday afternoon. There are plenty of storylines going in too. Gilliland winning the pole in his first running of the Daytona 500, Michael Waltrip’s car getting impounded, Dale. Jr’s contract issues. This is going to be a great weekend and week building up. This Wednesday is the two qualifying races to set the rest of the field. It’s just gonna be a fun week, strap in and enjoy the ride.
Spaulding: Ugh…if there is anything I could possibly care less about in this world then anything else, it’s NASCAR. I just cannot get excited about (and yes, I know this is cliché) a bunch of guys going in a big ass circle for hours. Sure you can go ahead and tell me that the “crashes†are what make it exciting; but I’m not going to wait around for three hours to see a car flip when all I have to do is watch “World’s Wildest Police Chases†any day of the week. I know it’s a big week though leading up to a huge weekend for thousands of fans, so there are plenty who still enjoy the hell out of NASCAR. Chuckles you honestly can tell me you get as excited for this race as you do for say a big hockey game or something? I just don’t get it. I know I am not going to watch and couldn’t even possibly tell you who I think would win because I have no idea who’s even in the thing. Let me throw a name out there though to get a bunch of people mad at me. A-hem, Jeff Gordon!
Triggs: OK, I am no NASCAR enthusiast but I think this year will be interesting. NASCAR is picking up steam and really quite popular. You would think I would be into it more considering my father loves it and I have a cousin who’s husband has a camper trailer that leaves the driveway twice a year and that’s for the races in NH. Check back with me mid season and see how I am into this. I plan on hitting the slot car joint down the street and that usually gets me a little more into it.
5.) Footrace: Charles Barkley Vs. Referee Dick Bavetta
Spaulding: I really kind of think this is amusing because Barkley is never actually sitting in the booth at the games calling them, and the first time he is…he challenges 67 year-old referee Dick Bavetta to a footrace. The best part is that Bavetta accepted it for All-Star weekend even putting up a $5 grand purse to Barkley’s favorite charity if Bavetta loses. Sure we all know that Sir Charles is probably going to win, but it’s nice that they are doing it for charity and I would sincerely enjoy watching the race. Barkley certainly isn’t light on his feet and it’s not like Bavetta is a spring flower, so this could get really interesting.
Triggs: This is the funniest thing I have ever heard that I couldn’t give a rats ass about. When will Charles shut his mouth? NEVER. Yeah this is in some way for a good cause but really do we care, and why in the hell is this news? Bavetta is what in his sixties, and Charles’s legs are what in their eighties? I hope they have a bench and an oxygen tank ant half court. End result, it will be another All-Star game where Charles can’t talk…this time because it will take him until Tuesday to catch his breath.
Chuckles: I got 10K on Bavetta. Yes…that was a round about shot at Barkley and his gambling problems. This is just good old fun. Nobody should get hurt, it’s for charity and it should be fun for the participants and people watching. Bavetta we know is in shape and Charles wasn’t in that great of shape when he played. And Triggs, you’re right; it’ll be fun not having to listen to Barkley talk until Tuesday. It’s nice that he’s not afraid to speak his mind, Barkley and Brett Hull on NBC’s NHL coverage are two of my favorite analyst because they both say what they think and its good for the sport overall.
Wow, and here I was thinking Chuckles was the only one looking forward to the Daytona 500. I know I know, it is a really popular race, but I just can’t get into the damn sport. Shit happens.
That’s it for this week and we will be back again next week with out thoughts on the upcoming seasons in Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Yeah I realize that the NFL season just ended and the next one doesn’t start until September but you are reading a column with three huge NFL fans putting it together. Just wait until our NFL draft special comes around because it’s going to be intense. Check back next week folks and as always, drop us a line by e-mail or here in the forums and we will talk about whatever is on your mind. It doesn’t have to be a present news story because we’ll rip apart the past just as well!
