Random Ramblings fred riecke, gamblersdata
…Pat Fitzgerald is the football coach at Northwestern. Most people in the know consider him top notch. After all, Northwestern has had some success with Fitzgerald on board and it is a school better known for its academics than athletics. He also has a nice take on ending fights or scuffles that occur during the heat of football practice. Fitzgerald has the combatants walk a lap holding hands. I like it!
…Jim Furyk no longer has a close relationship with his cell phone. Furyk was disqualified from the PGA Barclay’s event this weekend because he was late for the Pro-Am. Players are required to be there and if they weren’t required to be there, nobody would show. Furyk’s excuse was that he set his alarm on the cell phone, but the battery died and it didn’t go off. Weak. I’m not near as important as Furyk but I at least ask for a wake up call when on the road in addition to the cell alarm. And why wasn’t he charging his cell? Maybe he was camping???????
…As the MMA continues to gain fans, is there any doubt why boxing is fast becoming the horse racing of this era? Look at the heavyweight division. It is pathetic and has been for some time. The Klitschko brothers have dominated one way or the other for a few years. No one else matters. Sure they hyped David Haye and Chris Arreola, but those didn’t pan out, even though the television guys still go ape over Arreola. So what is up next for the heavies – two fights you don’t want to see. Vitali versus Shannon Briggs and Vlad versus Sam Peter. Haven’t we seen these before? It might be more acceptable if the Kiltschko brothers were exciting. But their robotic style, quite effective for winning, is just a plain bore.
…My sincere regrets go out to all of you, who like me, bet the Atlanta Braves last Wednesday, cruising with a 10-1 lead over the Rockies. For those of you who may not wager on sports, the Rockies came back from the 10-1 deficit to win 12-10. I do believe there were just a few angry gamblers after that one. Of course, if you bet the Rockies, it was found money.
…Kroeger supermarkets will soon debut their new (Chad) Ochocinco’s cereal. Wow – I’ll bet that will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
…A few problems at University of Florida? Never. But…for the first time in his Florida football coaching career, Urban Meyer recently announced that he was closing practice to the media for a full season. Other teams have kept practices closed with no furor but never under Meyer. Rumors were that two high recruited freshman boycotted practice one day because the coaching staff came down “too hard” on them. In fact, some reports said the two threatened to transfer. It seems like the University of Kentucky would be happy to accept them, except, there is no mention of them being arrested or kicked offthe team, or……..
…I think if I was lucky enough to be drafted and given the chance to play at Florida, I wouldn’t start acting like a baby before game one. My guess is that the Gators have some depth.
…James “Phoney” Toney didn’t come close to making it out of the first round against 47 year old MMA legend Randy Couture. So much for the boxing vs MMA arguments. Toney never had a chance in the bout and I doubt there are many boxers who will choose to be humiliated the way “Lights Out” had his lights turned out by Couture. Let’s see if big mouth Bernard Hopkins makes his move to MMA. I’m betting he’s seen enough to steer clear, but reportedly he will continue with his career in MMA.
…Dominican Republic polics have charged former major league pitcher Ambiorix Burgos with kidnapping and attempted murder after his ex-wife said she was forced to eat rat poison.
…NFL is usually pretty smart with changes they make in the game. Maybe not so this time. The league has decided for safety purposes the umpire will no longer go to the defensive side. Instead, after spotting the ball. the umpire runs behind the offense and when he is set the play can go. Sounds ok, right? Well, for one, Peyton Manning is steamed. The Colts and many other teams run no huddle offenses or hurry up offenses. That will not be possible now because it takes the umpire enough time to get set to slow the fast snap down significantly. And, of course, this kills not only some of the excitement of no huddle but will also add time to the game.
…John Wall, probably NCAA’s best basketball last year had an embarrassing go around in a game at the Boost Mobile camp for the nation’s best high school players. One of them, Austin Rivers, not only went past Wall on offense for an easy basket and then stole the ball from Wall going the other way.
…According to a Cincinnati Reds source close to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Cincinnati Reds will call up Aroldis Chapman on Monday or Tuesday. It’s been widely believed that the Reds would call up their left-handed phenom when the rosters on September 1st. The left-handed pitcher signed a six-year, $30 million contract with the Reds last January. What’s the big deal? Last week scouts claimed that Chapman hit 105 mph on the radar gun and was steady at 103. Hmmm. Wonder how long until he needs Tommy John surgery? I also think that radar gun must have been the same one the Highway Patrol used to ticket me last month. Somebody better check the calibration.
…BoxingScene.com is reporting that the results of a second autopsy will be released in two weeks which confirm that former WBA super featherweight (130 pounds) and WBC lightweight (135 pounds) champion Edwin Valero committed suicide by hanging himself inside of a jail cell on April 19. It was first thought that Valero did not commit suicide and a second autopsy was done.
…Evidently anything goes in Texas, especially if Jerry Jones is involved. The Texas Combative Sports Athletic Commission gave Anotonio Margarito a license to fight Manny Pacquiao. Margarito was suspended for a year in Calfornia for having loaded gloves. Of course, Margocheato said he knew nothing about it. Duh. The California Commission refused to reinstate Margarito and Nevada respected that decision and also turned him down. The fight is expected to take place in Cowboys Stadium where Pacquiao drew about 50k fans for his last bout. I think there is a chance that this fight won’t happen.
…The newest Yankee hurler, Ivan Nova, may be in trouble. Mark Feinsand reports in the Daily News that MLB may be investigating Ivan Nova for steroids use last season, while the rookie was with the AA Trenton Thunder. A published report indicated that the rookie was the target of a Major League Baseball investigation. Other sources are saying it was not steroids but B-12.
…Maurice Clarett just won’t go away. Despite some time in the slammer, Clarett enrolled in classes at Ohio State under a special program for convicted felons (just kidding about that one). The former Buckeye and Bronco Maurice Clarett will get his second chance at a career in football after signing a contract with the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL.
…Brett Favre may not quite be in game shape yet. Favre hasn’t thrown one pass that actually counts, but his body, mainly his ankle, is already paying for it. So much so that Favre is already getting injections in his ankle. Wouldn’t be a crying shame if he was sidelined?
…Ben Roethlisberger is going to meet with the NFL and discuss his 6 game suspension for conduct unbecoming to the game. As I said before, Big Ben is probably a Big Jerk. But I remember that Leonard Little was suspended an entire 8 games for killing someone while driving drunk. Little was convicted of manslaughter. Roethlisberger was never even charged with a crime. I’m thinking they might cut that suspension in half claiming some crap about rehabilitation or the like. Little was still in the league last year despite the fact that in 2004 he was arrested for DUI 5 years after his manslaughter conviction.
…How about those Cowboys?
…I’d like to be friends with Roy Halladay. After his perfect game earlier in the year, Halladay bought Baume et Mercier watches for team members. Roy spent a cool $250k on the watches to celebrate. That’s my kind of celebration.
…One of the prospects the Philadelphia Phillies acquired from the Cliff Lee trade, Tyson Gillies, was arrested in Clearwater and charged with cocaine possession.
…Wanna be a caddy? Maybe you should put on some weight. Dina Ammaccapane, 42, doesn’t travel with a caddy on tour so when she arrived for the last tournament she did as she always does and requested a caddy. When the young lad showed up, Ammaccapane said “Do you have anyone bigger? I’d be comfortable with somebody bigger.” Well, her bag does weigh 75 pounds, but…..Others suggested that Ammaccapapane, who is a rather hefty women (and certainly there is nothing wrong with that), might have wanted someone bigger because she was planning on eating the caddy. That’s just wrong. To eat a caddy I mean.
…Even though regular season play hasn’t started yet, the NBA is in fine form. Brandon Rush of the Indiana Pacers was suspended for five games by the NBA on Friday for violating the league’s drug agreement, while Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings and Kenny Hasbrouck of the Miami Heat drew suspensions for driving offenses. Second-round draft pick Lance Stephenson was arrested earlier this month in New York on assault, menacing and harassment charges.
