8:00 PM CSN Baltimore has video of Marcus Smith, a U.S. soldier who dressed as a minor league umpire to surprise his children at a Bowie Baysox game with a home visit from Afghanistan.
7:45 PM A Japanese Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was swept out to sea during last year's tsunami washed up on a shore in British Columbia last month. The bike's owner asked that the motorcycle be displayed at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee as a memorial to the tsunami victims.
7:30 PM Buffalo Bills receiver David Clowneytweeted the results of his HIV test which came back negative. And to the critics of his decision to share his results, Clowney added: "Some people are Ridiculously stupid ... And can't see the bigger picture about things that are important in this world."
B.J. Upton isn’t exactly the biggest role model out there — just check his rap sheet and you can tell that’s he’s not a full-time model citizen — but he is a notable resident of Tampa Bay. It was in that capacity that he spoke with Florida radio station 97-X about Sunday’s Super Bowl, and Upton didn’t mince words about how he was awfully glad the Eagles aren’t going to be there.
(B.J. was just trying to raise hype for his charity golf tourney. Oops.)
BUGS & CRANKS comes through with the video, which you can also watch after the jump, in which Upton dishes as much about his own golf tournament and recovering from surgery to repair a torn posterior-labrum as he does on trashing Philly fans. Needless to say, that doesn’t stop dumping on the city of Brotherly Love from making the highlights.
Donovan McNabb may not be getting any luckier in NFC Championship Games, but at least he’s getting luckier with the law. After his Arizona house was vandalized by lawn-burners just before the NFC title tilt, there was every indication that it would take forever for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. Evidently that hard-style, desert justice kicked in, though, because police already have arrested two men who they claim were responsible for the vandalism. Here’s the surprise: They’re two 30-somethings.
Yup, according to FANHOUSE, McNabb was the victim of two gentlemen — not teens — who may or may not have been very liquored up. Thirty-seven-year-old Rex Perkins, a Chandler, Ariz., native, was the criminal dumb enough to leave some form of identification behind, and his co-worker, 28-year-old Ryan Hanlon, quickly caved, as well. The real kick in the teeth for McNabb? The dynamic duo is only getting charged with misdemeanors in the case. Misdemeanors. Strangely, the lax punishment seems to match the lax attitude of the criminals; Perkins’ identification left? A return addressed envelope with his name on it.
That the criminals weren’t teenagers is a shock, but there’s still a conspiracy theory surrounding the case: How did it go unreported for days before the game?
• A priest who blessed the Cubs’ dugout says the team has been talking smack about his services. Railing on one of God’s reps? Good thing Cubs fans aren’t superstitious or anything.
When we covered last weekend’s NFC Championship Game in charming Glendale, AZ, for SPORTSbyBROOKS, we spoke rather disparagingly about Eagles fans and with some affection for Cardinals fans, especially since the latter tried to get us drunk and the former were the worst guests since Paris Hilton on “The Tonight Show”. (Trashed gang green room, indeed.)
We won’t retract our previous opinions even though they echo the stereotypical Philly fan, but we must add that a few Cardinals fans apparently lived up to their own caricatures as the 49th state to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Don’t worry; the trail didn’t run cold, exactly. The lawn artists left a box on the scene with a mailing address attached. Barney Fife could solve this one before the first commercial break. Read more…
Did you enjoy your Sunday night? Good, because it was the final eve before your inevitable onslaught of storylines involving the unlikely Arizona Cardinals and the storied Pittsburgh Steelers. Ken Whisenhunt meets his old employer. Larry Fitzgerald gets to show off his skills against his alma mater’s city. Um .. the Steelers punter played for the Cardinals last … year … zzzzzzzz. So while you stock up on hardtack and duct tape as you hunker in your bunker, just pretend how fun it would be had Sunday’s losers have actually won.
It’s a battle of redemption versus repetition. Donovan McNabb, having been benched earlier in the year, is now 2-1 in NFC Championship games and getting to start his second Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco became the first-ever rookie quarterback to even be in a Super Bowl. And John Harbaugh, the first-year head coach, can follow in the footsteps of Baltimore coaching icon Don McCafferty in trying to win a Super Bowl as a rookie head coach. Home teams are now a stunning 3-7 in the NFL playoffs, and the Super Bowl will finally see two Wild Card teams face off. And, of course, what are the odds? The last time the Ravens were in the Super Bowl, the site of the game was … Tampa.
And what of beleaguered head coach Andy Reid and his sudden stubble? We’ve only known of the portly Philly coach as having a clean chin and a scraggly mustache. Now his playoff beard, a trend among hockey players and some basketballers, could now catch on when it comes to the head of NFL teams. Especially if the Eagles can win their first Super Bowl in franchise history, giving the City of Brudderly Love two championships in as many pro sports finals. Does this mean the 76ers have a chance this year? (Spoiler: No, it does not.)
But the most gripping storyline is probably Ray Lewis. Yes, he was a Super Bowl MVP the year after being charged with murder stemming from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but at the time he wasn’t wholly embraced as a household figure. All he’s done since being acquitted of murder is play tremendous football and be the face of an NFL team — as a linebacker. That’s no small feat, and maybe Brian Urlacher of the Bears can say the same thing, but quarterbacks are supposed to be synonymous with a franchise. Now he can play for the Super Bowl ring with the stigma of his checkered past mostly gone … and maybe this time, American can embrace him.
Er, anyways, back to reality.
Thanks, ST. PETE TIMES, for putting out all the story lines for the Cardinals and the Steelers in digestible, organized fashion. Now turn off your laptop and TV, go out, and jog off some extra pounds.
THE 700 LEVEL is understandably crestfallen over the Eagles loss…
An astute FLICKR user (Flickerer?) caught one Steelers sign whose author knows the history of the NFL dating back to at least the mid-90s:
ESPN seems like it’s a little early for another contrived feature meant to generate useless discussions … but here it is. “Mt. Rushmore of Sports” has fans figure out who the best four sports figures from each state are. For once, the South Dakota version will look extremely boring.
Avalanche teammates Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk had a lot in common after Sunday’s game … “You scored your 300th goal today? OMG me too!“
Oh, hell. I knew I had January 17th marked on my calendar for a reason, but I forgot about Curtis Granderson’s charity basketball game featuring Kid Rock getting fazed by one of his hallucinations … oh, wait, that actually is a large fluffy tiger.
The unemployment rate in MLB is over 50 percent … well, if you only count the players that wanted to sign for another team.
And finally … Jim Riceblames Big Stein for never winning a World Series. Steinbrenner, if you recall, let a ground ball go through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
(Editor’s note: Yes, the Arizona Cardinals are your 2008 NFC Champions. Is this really true? Did this really happen? SbB correspondent Tuffy was there in Glendale to bear witness to the implausible. Here’s his story:)
As we left the site of the most unlikely outcome of this NFL season thus far (except perhaps “Cowboys Gel as Team, Go Miniature Golfing Together Often”), thousands of Arizona Cardinals fans chanted, “Su-per Bowl! Su-per Bowl!” It was less of a declaration than an opportunity to hear the words aloud for the first time matched with the Cardinals team that just won 32-25 to take its first trip to the Big Game as a sand-based entity.
Last year’s Super Bowl took place in Glendale but applied to this franchise in 2008 as much as your roommate’s birthday party. Sure, it’s at your place, but you’ll probably be down the road seeing a movie or getting drunk. This year, we suspect Arizona would have invited the Eagles if they had been in charge of invitations. They proved to be gracious partygoers, bringing their own gift: Andy Reid.
(Not literally pictured: Andy Reid)
Our report from University of Phoenix Stadium (& more pics) after the jump. Read more…
Real men have haircuts level with the earth’s horizon. Real men don’t laugh at Terry Bradshaw’s jokes. And real men become spokespeople for Chevrolet-brand pickup trucks and look down on cars with convenient tailgate steps and heated steering wheels and seatbelts, because seatbelts are for queers and real men can crash through a windshield and jog three miles later that day. Howie Long is a real man. And if the FOX analyst-slash-truck-salesman had his way with the NFL playoff teams, he might be able to sniff out a girlie man or two.
Are those … “man sleeves?” Did Kurt Warner have to cover up his arms in Charlotte’s chilly willy weather, of all places? Wasn’t it, like, 50 degrees out there? Did his mom wife crotchet him a yarn jockstrap? Did you know Long would play in sub-zero temperatures shirtless, if given the opportunity by the league? Also, frostbite builds character, and hypothermia increases sperm count. And don’t even get Howie started on what NFC Championship Game quarterback Donovan McNabb was wearing between offensive possessions:
A fun dilemma brought up by FANHOUSE: Is it ethical for Wake Forest fans to rush the court after a win over UNC? After all, UNC was No. 3, and suffered their second loss in as many Sundays, and Wake Forest was a scrappy 4th in the national polls. Blogger Adam … well, Adam, argues “Court storming is actually an insult to your players. Court storming is an admission that you didn’t think they could win.” Well, sure, but … so what? In Adam’s rules, he mentions it’s OK to storm after any Duke win. Well, isn’t UNC at that same level of animosity? Wake may be No. 4 and even Wilbon called the upset two days ago, but a No. 4 over a No. 3 win means it’s a top-five showdown, and even in the SbB-model-stacked ACC, that’s a couple-times-a-year occurrence, and Wake just won one of those. My alma mater lost to Savannah F’in State this year. Let the Deacons run wild and free, and enjoy this one.
If it wasn’t for HULU.COM, nobody’s watching Saturday Night Live anymore except for drunk people who can’t find anything else on TV. That website might singlehandedly save that show. The cast may not be in its prime, and it could be in a perpetual Kansas City Royals state of infancy, but a few solid clips seem to arise from recent episodes. In this case, it’s Kenan Thompson as Charles Barkley, as portrayed last Saturday. (Cue it up to 1:29 in if you don’t want to listen to Seth Meyers.) All in all, a solid skit, although if there was a way to transplant Frank Caliendo’s voice into Thompson’s larynx, that might be the opposite of turrible.
Before you drive away, please observe the following landmarks, which are clearly marked on your TripTik:
RED SOX MONSTER finds a Sox-customized ‘57 Chevy on FLICKR. Expect Sox fans to launch a campaign getting it in the Hall of Fame because, looking back, it was the most feared ‘57 Chevy of its time.
The Eagles beat the Giants to advance in the playoffs. This you knew. But … [puts on John Hodgman spectacles] WERE YOU AWARE OF IT? The final score of 23-11 was the first of its kind in NFL history. This time we can’t blame a certain quarterback for not knowing it was possible for a game to end like that.
Even though Adam Jones is no longer with the Cowboys, if he comes back like he says he will, he can room with defensive end Anthony Spencer, arrested for the pedestrian crime of disorderly conduct. Bonus: his agent was also booked.
Fun little interview with FOX’s Ken Rosenthal over at MLB TRADE RUMORS on what it’s like to be a national baseball reporter in the offseason. While the interview took place, Buster Olney broke three more free agent signings. Snooze and lose.
Wait, Antonio McDyess gave up how much guaranteed money to stay with the Detroit Pistons? Over eight million? Think of how many Silverados you could buy with that.
Biloxi, Mississippi, had a problem with golfers practicing their swing in public parks. It’s almost as if they thought they might hit someone. One law later, that’s no longer a problem.
And finally, what would a good solid Monday be without a dramatic finish in curling?Team Ferbey beat Team Howard in a skins game, banking $70K, but it’s a Canadian $70K so that will only buy, like two Silverados.
In a continuing series of unlikely outcomes in the NFL playoffs, the NFC Championship Game will be the second home playoff game ever for the Arizona Cardinals franchise as the New York Giants failed to muster anything resembling a professional offense in a 23-11 loss in the Meadowlands.
It’s not quite like the Cardinals’ road to success, which has been paved with hands clenching throats in the form of six turnovers in Charlotte and three by the Falcons. The Giants only turned the ball over twice (though two fourth-and-shorts had the feel of ball dispossession).
The Eagles’ defense just slammed the door on Eli Manning and an overpowered offensive line and cleared the way for an NFC title match in an unlikely locale: the Aviary in Glendale, recreating Turkey Day’s matchup, a 48-20 win for Philly. Read more…
