What’s the sports world coming to when furries are subbing in for professional athletes? Let the Pistons boycott practice and the fans skip games. Hooper and his NBA mascot buddies have it covered. Check out this Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo-style dance off between a bunch of mascots and Automation, the Pistons dancers.

You might remember Clutch, the Rockets mascot from episodes such as Beware of the Bear.

Furries and bears? People need to start cutting the NBA (besides Tim Hardaway and Kobe Bryant) some slack. They’re way more tolerant than any other professional sports league.

Apparently new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is not too concerned about winning right away as he has already stated that he would like to give quarterback Alex Smith a deal to stick around one more year. According to the San Jose Mercury News:

Harbaugh has said repeatedly he is open to bringing the unrestricted free agent back for a seventh season. The new coach declined to discuss the reported contract offer, citing the NFL labor situation, but Harbaugh reiterated that he believes Smith’s best days are ahead of him.

“He’s a tough son of a gun,” Harbaugh told the Bee. “I watched four really solid years of every snap the guy took — getting hit in the pocket, picking himself back up, playing under adversity, fierce competitor. I don’t think (booing) will affect the guy.”

Tough and a solid competitor? That may be true, but being tough and solid doesn’t mean squat if you cant throw the ball well. Lets look at his stats real quick. Smith has thrown 51 touchdowns to 53 interceptions in his 6 year career, but that statistic is heavily skewed by his rookie season where he threw 11 INTs to just 1 TD. Take out his rookie year and he is at 50 TDs to 42 INTs, which, while better, still isnt that good. He also has a career 57.1% accuracy percentage with two seasons at or under the 50% completion rate. Last year, for example, Smith threw for a 59% completion percentage, which is not that sustainable in the NFL and left him in 22nd place amongst the 31 starting quarterbacks in the league.

For the sum of his career, his approximate value as a NFL player leaves him at about the 4374th most valuable player since 1950. In other words…not very valuable. For comparisson’s sake, fellow 49er David Carr’s value is actually at 1837th place…and he sucks so much he hasn’t been allowed to start a game in 3 years.

Now, no one knows what the quarterback market will be like thanks to the current labor dispute but putting your eggs in this basket before you find out what else could be available seems foolhardy (to me) since its been quite obvious for some time now that Alex Smith is not a starting quarterback in this league.

The team might not even be running the same offense as the one that Smith has been in for the last few years with new head coach Jim Harbaugh now in charge of things in San Fran. So, sure, there would be continuity at the position if they resign him for a year but there probably won’t be continuity with the scheme. Without the same offensive scheme in place, quarterback continuity is near useless in my mind.

Currently, the 49ers are under no obligation to give this man any more of their money and the only real reason they should even contemplate doing so again is that he already knows the offensive performers…which isnt saying much.

I do agree with Harbaugh that that be boo-birds shouldn’t be a problem for Smith next season, he’s gotta be used to that by now since he has been a below average NFL player his entire career, but I do disagree with any sort of argument that he can be a productive, starter-quality quarterback in the NFL. His statistical history just doesn’t make it seem possible unless he has a miraculous turnaround.

According to this video, this downhill bicycle race happens annually in Valparaiso, Chile and is called The Valparaiso Cerro Abajo Race. According to this writer this is one of the most ludicrous sporting events I have ever seen. Don’t believe me? Watch it and see for yourself. Best part of this madness is when the rider has to dodge the dog that just wanders on to the course. The dog looks to be ok.

From Wired UK

That must be the reason why Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli is such an immature asshole. It wouldn’t be surprising if the guy giving him the V-sign is a City supporter let alone a Manchester United fan. Even his own teammates and manager have had it with his antics. He can’t even have a minor parking incident without the hoi polloi letting him have it. Not surprising he can’t park a car. He can’t even put a bib on without incident.

If you’re pissed at the NFL and NBA for using acts such as the Black Eyed Peas or Faith Hill for their theme music, blame the NRL. Australian rugby league has been using mediocre music since the late 80s to promote their brand. Several months ago, we brought you the homoerotic Tina Turner joint that introduced the 1989 NRL season. Bear down even.

Since that debacle, the NRL hasn’t been able to pump anyone up for what is legitimately one of the toughest sports in the world. The league has used artists such as Tom Jones, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Hoodoo Gurus, Chumbawumba and “racing car noises” in the past. 2011 is no different. Enter Bon Jovi with “This Is Our House”.

That’s one step above Tracie Spencer’s “This House“. That song doesn’t make you think bonecrushing tackles and concussions being handed out like food at a soup kitchen. It makes you think of, well American sports. Let’s find the most non-threatening, milquetoast music that will make people who aren’t watching or interested tune in. “I always hated football but now that Faith Hill is singing the theme song to Sunday Night Football, I’ll tune in. That Joan Jett original was too controversial and she’s a lesbian anyway.” The PR and marketing people for Aussie Rules must be chuckling as they seek out Megadeath and DMX.

I was going to stick to Bon Jovi but I decided to actually look up NRL theme songs from the artists I mentioned. Check them out after the jump but I warn you they aren’t much better.

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