If you’re an NFL die-hard, you probably spent at least a few moments this weekend reviewing the lists of cuts as NFL teams downsized their rosters in preparation for opening weekend. Every year, you hear a few surprising names: the guy who showed up too fat (Bryant McKinnie), the draft pick who can’t shed the bust label (Vernon Golston), or the reigning two-time Pro Bowl safety who just doesn’t “fit” in with his team because of an unfounded criminal investigation. Wait, what?

And so it goes for Brandon Meriweather, Darius Butler (former 2nd round pick), and David Garrard, he of the 90+ QB rating last year. Cuts like these tell us three things: Read the rest of this entry

Five innings of work, two hits, no runs, no walks, and four strikeouts. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues in over a year. Rumors of his minor league dominance were legitimate as he managed to hit 99 mph and embarrass more than a few Dodgers with biting curves and 90 mph change-ups.

Steve didn’t quite resemble the guy who dominated on June 8, 2010, but for one night, he was good enough. The long road back to that night is still many months away; the Nats stated he’ll be limited to a workload similar to that of Jordan Zimmerman, who underwent “Tommy John” surgery in 2009. That would mean we’ll have approximately 25 starts and 160 innings to witness Steve’s magic in 2012. For a Nats team that is aching for some relevancy in the midst of another challenging season, they’ll take it.

Now that the NFL is back in full swing, sports fans all over the country can return to their true passion: beating the living crap out of each other. Evidently, California is the breeding ground for this new phenomenon, as NFL sources indicated Monday the league was planning to cancel the yearly “Battle of the Bay” preseason match-up between the two “rivals” in Oakland and San Francisco. Evidently, after the long lockout, these model citizens were ready for some football:

“They were just constantly wailing at each other without regard to who was there,” [San Francisco Mayor Ed] Lee said of the fans. “This is a family outing, for residents and visitors and people who want to see the game, not for people to look for people they don’t like, then saying bad words, then getting into it.”

Eh, the last couple years I’ve had a hard time seeing sporting events as “family outings.” First off, if it’s truly a family outing, get better security and remove the drunks, fighters, and, oh, I don’t know… maybe THE GUNS?!?!?!?!?! Secondly, if you’re a parent, do some freaking research. Caveat emptor, fools. Thirdly, no typical “family” of four or more can afford to attend a football game, so stop selling it as such. Lastly, this was in San Francisco? What were the Niner fans mad about, greenhouse gases?

One of the victims, a 24-year-old man who reportedly was wearing a T-shirt reading “F— the Niners,” was shot several times in the stomach. Police said he managed to make it to stadium security for help despite the injuries.

The other victim whose condition was upgraded is a 26-year-old man who was beaten unconscious in an upper level stadium restroom during the fourth quarter.

Another shooting victim was treated after receiving superficial facial wounds after the game.

Shots fired?!? Jeez, so when did San Francisco turn into Detroit? Take heed Raider fan, you’ve just been punked. At least you’ve got a few more weeks until your home opener against the Jets to turn it around. Al Davis is watching you…

My eyes!  Zee goggles… zey do nothing! Nothing!!!!

There’s no need to ever feel sorry for Brian Cashman. As general manager of the New York Yankees, he has arguably the best job in all of sports. It may have cost him his hairline, but at the end of the day, he’ll probably go down in baseball history as one of its greatest executives. Four World Series rings, six American League (AL) pennants, ten AL East titles, and 12 playoff appearances prove that. However, with an irrational fan base that borders on the insane, you take a whole hell of a lot of crap: some of it undeserved and some of it, well, hits the mark. Read the rest of this entry

God bless the New York Jets. One season after their priceless turn on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” the Jets entered the abbreviated NFL preseason as if the cameras never stopped rolling. First, there was Rex. Then there was Plax. Then Rex again. Now, Mark Sanchez is taking his turn at dishing out some crazy, this time about the near-benching he suffered at the hands of his old coach, ole’ Rexual:

“I wanted to fight him [Jets' coach Rex Ryan],” Sanchez says in the current issue of GQ magazine, which features the New York Jets‘ star on the cover. “I was really mad.”

No matter how this baby ends, it’s going to be a great season.

First, let’s give Sanchez a brief “atta boy” for standing up to his coaches. That takes balls. Especially when you’re a career 70.2 passer. Now, for the facts.

Last year, Sanchez was handed the keys to the Jets offense — all he had to do was find a way to not screw it up. With a revitalized running game and a receiving core that was three to four targets deep, this should not have been a problem. It was. Needless to say, the 2010 Jets bore the resemblance of so many Baltimore teams that Rex helped oversee before he came to New York. And I bet Trent Dilfer would’ve traded the offensive talent he had in 2000 for Sanchez’s 2010 supporting class.

See Mark, if the Jets really didn’t believe in you, they’d bring in a veteran quarterback who didn’t hit his prime in the last century. Maybe they’d find an offensive coordinator who’d actually challenge you to throw the ball beyond eight yards. They haven’t, and probably won’t. They’ve hitched their wagon to your golden arm and six-pack abs. So, keep your mouth shut, your shirt on, and get to work. After this season Rex and co. will probably still be around. If you can’t improve upon that TD/INT ratio, you won’t.