Sports/Music Crossover: Soundgarden

Well, considering it is Monday, I was going to preview the week's NBA Action. However, I totally spaced out and didn't realize that there was an NBA triple-header today. My Bad.

However, I am going to run a column whose concept has been floating around in my head for the last couple weeks. Ever since the announcement that one of the more prominent 90s Seattle Grunge Bands Soundgarden is planning to get back together after a 12 year hiatus. Time to vaguely connect some of their songs to what's going on in the Sports World.

"Power Trip"--Me being 1-0 in Vegas

Last weekend was my first time in going to Las Vegas. Normally, I don't gamble or bet on sports but under the thinking of When In Vegas combined with the Bucks playing Golden State on Friday, I decided to place a wager on the game.

It didn't look good at first considering the Bucks were giving 3 1/2 points and they were down by as many as 13 at one point. Fortunately for myself and the Bucks this ended up being a smart investment as the defense-optional Warriors folded and the Bucks won by 9, doing more than enough to cover in the process.

"Ugly Truth"--Brett Favre/Vikings

In light of the Vikings rout over Romo and the Cowboys, the Ugly Truth is that the Vikings are one win away from winning the Super Bowl and two wins away from what would be by far the worst sports fan moment in my life. To see Favre and his disloyalty be rewarded with a Super Bowl victory......Drew Brees seriously needs to step up not only for the Saints but for the state of Wisconsin as well.

"Outshined"--UC Davis Basketball

A couple weeks ago, I was randomly surfing the internet and saw that ESPNU was airing a UC Davis basketball game against UCSB the next night. Not only was it a chance to see a basketball game between colleges located in two cities that I had visited the week before, it was a chance to see the college I went to on national TV (it might have been the late game on ESPNU with like 2 other people watching...but I gotta take what I can get)

Thinks didn't look too bad in the first half as the Aggies and Gauchos were tied at halftime despite sloppy play on both ends. Then the second half happened. Then that tie game turned into a 20-point deficit. Fail.

"Rusty Cage"--Chargers

The Chargers had lots of time off between the end of the regular season and their fail against the Jets. They must have been extremely rusty since they somehow found a way to lose to what has got to be one of the worst, most mediocre teams to ever make a conference championship game.

"Half"--Tim Tebow

When will Tim Tebow's Super Bowl Ad run? First Half, Second Half or Halftime? Either way, finding out that Tim Tebow will be in a Super Bowl ad is not something I consider good news. The last time I was watching a live event involving Tim Tebow, things did not end very well for me. I thought we had seen the last of him (for now) but he gets one more high profile spot before he becomes the next Ryan Leaf. I just hope this isn't used as an excuse for announcers to replace a given team's name with Tebow on their scoreboard. I hope they don't randomly show him randomly screaming from the stands and then cutting away to someone's defense coming on to the field. I hope i'm not dumb enough to drink every time the word Tebow is mentioned......again.

"Black Hole Sun"--2010 Royals

Wow, Dayton Moore really wants to be known as the most inept General Manager in baseball. He has taken great strides to get this title with some of the players he is bringing on to his team in 2010. With stars such as Scott Podsednik and Brian Anderson I don't see how the Royals are going to take the baseball world by storm. They even signed 3-time all star Jason Kendall to a two-year contract. I don't know how this could possibly go wrong. Oh wait, yes I can.

"Never Named"--Packers-Cardinals Playoff Game

With Arizona finally having that habit of giving up 45 a game catch up to them, we should reflect on the bizarre, wild playoff game the week before and come up with a nick-name for it. Should it be the "Defense Optional" game, the "51-45" game, the "facemask-no call" game or is there a better name for it?

"Zero Chance"--Jets

Or what it looked like they had. A month back, it looked doubtful they would even make the playoffs. Somehow, they are now a win away from the Super Bowl. They catch a few breaks here, a Colts team resting for the playoffs, a Bengals team that tanked because they didn't want to face the Texans, a Bengals team that no showed in the playoffs, a Chargers team undone by some bad kicking (and the accompanying tactless Wikipedia edits) and now they face the Colts team that rested everyone early that allowed this snowball chain of events to start. But c'mon they have Mark Sanchez at QB, they still got zero chance.

The Tebow Game, The Kings Games and New Years

I definitely gotta say that the past weekend I have had is one of THE MOST FUN WEEKENDS i've had in forever. Normally, I wouldn't blog about my own personal antics but with a couple of the days events cross-breeding with sports I just can't help it.

After a night in San Luis Obispo and spending New Year's Eve in Santa Barbara and a quick pit stop at home to pick up a few things, it was time to roll up to The City. We headed up there with Flip and Griff and headed towards my buddy J.J's place up in Daly City (apparently this place was named after someone named John Daly. After going to Wikipedia, I was highly disappointed that it was named after someone else and not the infamous golfer). Since this was New Year's Day, much of the conversation on the way up revolved around the college football bowl games and our intent on watching the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl once we got up to the City.

We get to The City at around 3 and decide to find a bar to watch the rest of the Rose Bowl at. Despite me being completely sure that Ohio State would find a way to lose, they somehow found a way to beat Oregon and thus depriving me of one of my favorite New Year's traditions. Once this game wound down we were discussing what to do next and somehow the conversation turned to the media's obsession with Tim Tebow. Somehow the idea came up to go back to J.J's place and play a Tim Tebow related drinking game. At this point, we went to the liquor store across the street got a bottle of Jameson and a bottle of Crown Royal and headed back to J.J's place.

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DISCLAIMER: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME

So we get back to J.J's place and we decide that the rules of the game are every time Tebow is mentioned we take a drink. With no beer in the apartment and only hard liquor this translated into a shot every time Tebow's name is mentioned. Yes, this was every bit as dangerous and irresponsible as it sounds. We started this game with 9 minutes left in the second quarter, the first bottle of Jameson was gone with 6 minutes left in the second quarter. While that may be only 15 minutes in real time this translated into one of the longest quarters of football ever.

So this takes us to about 6:30. Honestly, I don't remember much of the second half. I remember the shots of Tebow on the headset with the defense on the field (so does he double as the defensive coordinator?) and at one point it appeared the score at the top they replaced Florida with Tebow. Even though we watched the whole game I didn't even know that that Cincinnati scored a couple of garbage time touchdowns to make it 51 to 24.

So, the next morning we wake up. All of are horribly hungover and watch some more football while we decide when exactly to head up to Davis/Sacramento. We watched parts of The International Bowl (a.k.a Missed Tackle Bowl), the Cotton Bowl and some other bowl game that was laden with 3 and outs and turnovers (the only truly good play out of this bumper crop was that one-handed catch made by the UConn wide receiver.

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So, after surviving the Tebow game it was time to head east on I-80 it was time to spend a few hours at Arco Arena. First, I stopped in Davis for a couple hours, met up with my buddy Nate and eventually headed to Arco. I was definitely pumped up to see a Kings game. Even though i'm not a Kings fan, they have been one of the more interesting teams to follow this year. It looks like they are on the way back up after their travesty of a season last year. Getting Tyreke Evans was huge for them.

Anyways we get to our seats, and begin to watch the game and like the other Kings games i've attended live they lost. The first quarter was fairly compelling with the Kings having a slight edge after the first quarter. The second quarter was the ultimate undoing for the Kings. The second quarter was pretty much a lay-up clinic for the Mavericks who extended their lead to as much as 13 before the Kings eventually cut the lead down to 7 by halftime.

The second half saw the Kings have the opposite problem. They played better on the defensive end up seemed to struggle to make shots every time they got within 7 or 8 points. If nothing else, the final score made it look respectable (99-91), a huge improvement over being blown out by the Knicks. While the Kings are unlikely to get back into the playoffs this year, it is at least encouraging to note that they at least aren't a punching bag.

And as quick as it started, my weekend, new years/new decade and it's cross pollination with sports was finished. Happy new years everyone!!

Sports/Music Crossover: Foo Fighters

So...I was channel surfing last night before I went to bed and VH1 was doing a story-tellers episode with the Foo Fighters involved.......y'all know what this means........time to cross-pollinate sports and music based on some Foo Fighters songs

"Exhausted"--Media Coverage of Tim Tebow

Ok I get it, Tim Tebow is the greatest college football player....he's won Heismans.......national championships (possibly another in the pipelines)......and apparently he's a decent human being (as far as we know).......its just the media's love affair with this guy is something that's gotten beyond even the John Madden/Brett Favre zone........well he's graduating to the NFL so this over saturation either move up another level if he makes it in the NFL or transfers on a yet to be determined freshman in 2010.

"No Way Back"- Steve Kragthorpe

It's official, Steve Kragthorpe is not being retained as the coach at Louisville. Kragthorpe's time at Louisville ranks a 12 on the epic fail scale. He inherited a Louisville team that had legit elite status/national title hopes when he arrived in '07....he failed to even place them in a bowl game....they've become doormats in the Big East and their window for greatness was slammed shut in 3 short years. Honestly I don't see him head coaching for a BCS conference team for a long time (if ever).

"The Pretender"-Oklahoma State/ Georgia Tech

Both teams had chances at a BCS berth coming into today and could help themselves a lot by pulling wins over bitter rivals in down seasons. Instead, both teams failed to step up in their big rivalry games and showed themselves as elite pretenders.

"Low"--Rice

The performance of their defense. Granted Rice dropped to 2-10 this year and were playing a Houston squad that has been putting up video game statistics against their Conference USA opposition. With that being said, giving up 59 in one half is so bad that most teams couldn't give up that many even if they tried. It's insane to think about....Houston scored 8 touchdowns in the first half....one touchdown every 3:45.........not the best way to finish out the season.

"Long Road To Ruin"-- Whoever takes the Notre Dame Job

Are you a successful college coach in high demand? Are you tired of winning all those games.....well we got the job for you. In 4-6 years you can go on your Long Road To Ruin by coaching a Notre Dame team that won't win more than 7 of these new fangled games a year. Also, your epic fail has its own tv contract with NBC........I can't wait for their TV contract to not get renewed

"Up In Arms"--The BCS establishment to anyone suggesting they go to a playoff system

Not sure which is more absurd.......that College Football is the ONLY organized sport at any level without a playoff......or the BCS has gotten so self-conscious about the venom spewed towards them for the ineptness of their system....that they set up a Twitter account to spread the propaganda about how complicated a playoff would be

"Home"--Tiger Woods

How much trouble and controversy can surround a person who has an incident outside their home...say hitting the fire hydrant outside their home....and what if said person was the most dominant player in a fringe sport such as golf.....well we've definitely got the answer to this in the last couple days.

It's been bizarre seeing this story go from Tiger Woods was in a car accident to the soap opera of his wife busting out the windows to let Woods out to the couple both declining to talk to the cops to this becoming a TMZ hot topic.

In two short days this story has gone to the Twilight Zone (not the TV show......this refers to stories that are beaten into the ground that are unavoidable)......in other words expect this to be the first and last time I reference this event.

"Breakout"--Oklahoma City Thunder

If last night is any indication, 09-10 looks to be a breakout season for the team formerly known as the Sonics. The Thunder have been improving exponentially since they fired P. J. Carlesimo.....its not like any of his player tried to choke him (again)....its just that this team was a joke until they cleaned house, fired Carlesimo and he had to go back to covering games for TNT.

The Thunder look to be in the playoff hunt this year. They probably won't win it all this year but they will get some playoff experience under their belt. With Kevin Durant to build around, a solid young core, several draft picks and lots of cap room....If they play it smart they could have a Portland-esque nucleus with the sky as the limit.

"Next Year"-- Auburn

Close but no cigar....Next Year is how long Auburn will need to wait for another chance to take down Alabama and to spoil a prospective championship bid.