Left Coast Sports Babe

And okay, unless you really care about Tom Brady’s  “boot” and what the Giants are eating for breakfast, its a slow sports week.    Unless you are a college basketball fan in Kansas. 

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And kudos to the Kansas State Wildcats,  who won at home against the Kansas Jayhawks at home for the first time in 24 years.    That might be a colder scoring streak at home than Bill Clinton’s.

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Who would have thought that the New York Giants would be competing longer into 2008 than Rudy Giuliani?

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And Caroline Kennedy made a very inspiring commercia praising Barack Obama as a potential “President Like My Father.”  Of course, we Americans are living in such a state of diminished expectations, we would be better off if W. had just been a president like HIS father.

Who’d a thunk that Rudy Giuliani would end up with one less win than the Miami Dolphins?

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Hillary Clinton has now decided after she “won” the meaningless Florida primary that the votes should be counted toward the nomination.  In related news, the 1972 Miami Dolphins have petitioned the NFL to include New England’s two pre-season losses in their 2007 record. 

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A major freeway in Northern California has been shut all day due to an oil spill from a tanker accident.  Most local residents haven’t seen this kind of gridlock since they turned on C-Span.

Okay, now Mike Huckabee is complaining about Mitt Romney taking the skin off his KFC chicken.  Just when you thought the campaign couldn’t get any weirder – culinary advice from the guy who used to deep-fry squirrels.

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With former Michigan star Chris Webber set to rejoin the Warriors,  did he ask them to temporarily stop using the slogan.  “Warriors basketball, it’s a great time out?”

(for anyone too young to get that one,  1993 NCAA title game Michigan-North Carolina.  Google it :))

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More primary craziness.  The state of Florida moved their primary early in violation of Democratic rules.  The party told them if they did not move it back they would lose all their delegates to the National convention.  The state ignored the edict, was stripped of its delegates. And all the major candidates signed a pledge not to campaign in Florida.

 But that was BSC – before South Carolina.  Now Hillary Clinton is making three fundraising appearances in Florida Tuesday, where she was leading in the polls, and plans a speech there to thank supporters.  She also is now calling for Florida’s delegates to be seated at the convention.

In poker terms, this is like agreeing to a misdeal for a hand and then realizing you are behind but holding a pair of queens.

Or in college football terms, saying nothing bad about the BCS until the AP or coaches poll ranks you higher than they do, and then demanding the system be changed because you didn’t get a good bowl game.   Say, if this presidency thing doesn’t work out, Senator Clinton could have a great future in college coaching..

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If you have read this far – bad taste alert –

How far is Teddy Kennedy willing to go for Barack Obama?  After the State of  the Union he even offered to drive Hillary home. 

So it’s rough to be a Republican these days.  Lots of candidates but none of them really seem like the leader and big man the party needs.   In other words, Republicans feel just like Golden State Warriors fans on draft day.

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And now Don Nelson is considering bringing back Chris Webber, even though their feud 14 years ago resulted in the coach leaving the Warriors.

Maybe it’s just research for his future memoirs – which could be titled “Smart Coaches, Foolish Choices.” 

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USC freshman basketball star O.J. Mayo accepted free tickets to a Nuggets’ game from Carmelo Anthony,  an NCAA rules violation.  Apparently the Trojans have warned him that in future he can only accept free tickets to amateur events – like Clippers games.
 

So this weekend,  serious football fans are unable to turn on their sets and find anything interesting to watch.  Which means that the whole country now knows what it is like to be dependent on the NFL Network.

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Bad pun alert:

Tonight they believe in global warming in Indiana. Because it’s January, and the Pacers couldn’t beat the Heat.

But really, losing to Miami after they had lost FIFTEEN straight.  Isn’t that like running in the Indy 500 and being beaten by the pace car?  

So the San Francisco Chronicle today named Ward Bushee as new executive editor to replace Phil Bronstein .  Considering how qualified to be president Hillary Clinton is from being married to Bill, I wonder if they first offered the job to Sharon Stone? 

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And on a completely non political note… okay it’s tough 10 days before the California primary:  Five words that you thought you might never hear – First Place New Orleans Hornets.

Okay, what it comes down to for the Democrats is a choice between Barack Obama with his youth and energy, and Hillary Clinton saying she has experience with Bill in the Oval Office.  So here’s the perfect compromise – our dream candidate-  Monica Lewinsky!

Okay, with all this controversy and calling players back to testify back before Congress, wouldn’t it be simpler just to put them on Fox’s new “Moment of Truth?”

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The first show featured, a former University of Cincinnati football player (from back when the Bearcats were awful.)   He was asked if he ever got a passing grade in a class just because he was a football player.  He answered – truthfully apparently -“No.”

This just in, the NCAA is considering a rule change to bar all football players from appearing on the show in future.   

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Rumor has it they asked the same question to a Florida State player.  He said “what’s a class?”

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The Golden State Warriors lost AT HOME yesterday to the Minnesota Timberwolves.   The worst team on the road since Britney and Lindsay decided to carpool.

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“Something’s got to give” day.  Mark your calendars.  February 29.   The Miami Heat, losers of 14 straight, will take on the Seattle Super Sonics, losers of 12 straight. 

If you don’t live in either Miami or Seattle and tune into that game, consider it a clue that you MIGHT need a life.

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And back to politics.  Today a former chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party compared Bill Clinton to Lee Atwater.  Which is absurd.  Atwater only said nasty things about members of the OPPOSING party.

So Mike Holmgren says he will be back coaching the Seahawks for one more year, but only one more year.

Then what, he and Brett Favre go fishing together?

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Fred Thompson withdrew from the presidential race today.  This was a surprise, especially to those who wondered when he would start running?

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And his statement below….

Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of
the United States. I hope that my country and my party
have benefited from our having made this effort,” the
former Tennessee senator said in a brief statement.

Two words – What effort???

At 28 degrees below zero in Green Bay  it was way too icy for anyone to campaign on behalf of the presidential candidates.  Except for Bill Clinton, who said the cold was nothing compared to when Hillary found out about Monica.

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Not a great overtime for Brett Favre. But at least the extra work got him a little closer to qualifying for social security.

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And considering the amount of commercials on Super Sunday, wonder who the  Vegas bookies have made the favorite as to which Manning brother will get more airtime?

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What do the Miami Heat and Rudy Guiliani have in common?  They both hang out in Florida, and neither has a win in 2008.

It is only about 320 hours until Super Bowl XLII.

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And wow, after all the hard fought regular season games and weeks of playoffs,  we get a once in a lifetime matchup of two teams who played three weeks ago.

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Thought after watching the Packers-Giants.   At 28 degrees below isn’t it redundant to ice the kicker?

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But what’s the difference between the NY Giants and Rudy Giuiliani? 

The Giants know to win you have to show up.

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And the rant of the night. Hillary Clinton downplays Barack Obama’s experience as a community organizer in Chicago and his time in the Illinois state senate.  While she runs television ads touting her 35 years of experience.

Senator Clinton is 59 years old.  35 years ago she was still in law school. 

Okay sports fans, basically taking a day off from sports until tomorrow.   Though with all the NCAA top 10 basketball teams losing this Saturday, you have to wonder if the BCS was somehow involved.  

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John Edwards may be right about two Americas. Unfortunately one is voting for Clinton and the other is voting for Obama.

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Weird voting year.  Latter-day Saints reject all forms of gambling as a evil to society, and Romney just won Nevada.

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Mike Huckabee has been called “reckless.”  A charge he denies.   But when he finished basically tied for third with Fred Thompson in Nevada, he offered to roll Thompon for it “double or nothing”

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And the diversity of the Republican results are hard to believe.    Three different winners in five different primaries.  And that’s not even counting the three different candidates Mitt Romney has been since Christmas.  

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And Rudy Giuliani is going to end up with 3 percent in South Carolina?
Stephen Colbert would have gotten more votes than that!

After her tears in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton is feeling really good about her campaign.  She told Bill, “Honey, I really believe now that we will be
living together in the White House again for eight years.”

So Bill cried too.
  

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A  television station in Green Bay is taking Seinfeld reruns off the air Saturday night so Eli Manning can’t watch his favorite show in the hotel.  Wow, wonder when someone will tell the good folks in Wisconsin about portable DVD players?

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Can you believe Golfweek magazine putting a NOOSE on the cover  – and then the editor said he was shocked at the reaction?  What’s next, an interview with OJ on the golf course about his search for the real killer?

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And Bill Bilichick is supporting Randy Moss as he faces allegations of battery from a female acquaintance.  The Raiders are supporting Moss too, they say for the two years he was in Oakland he didn’t hit ANYBODY.  

Congrats to coach Bobby Knight, who picked up his 900th win for Texas Tech.  To honor Coach Knight the Texas Rangers are thinking of inviting him for opening
day, to throw out the first chair.

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Trash-talking San Diego QB Philip Rivers is resting his injured knee this week.   Does this include not using it to put his foot in his mouth?

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Speaking of saying bizarre things….could anyone compete with Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee today – who talked about his college memories of FRYING SQUIRRELS IN HIS POPCORN POPPER?
 

So with the writer’s strike ESPN is considering a new reality show about the rest of the football postseason hosted by Peyton Manning.  Working title “American Idle.”

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And in the Michigan Democratic primary the ballot choice was Hillary vs. “uncommitted.”

A choice Bill has made often over the years.

So as the weather got colder, and the snow started falling harder, the ageless wonder Brett Favre kept getting better and better.

Maybe there is something to this cyrogenics stuff.

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Dennis Kucinich has fought for and won a recount in New Hampshire.  Apparently in some precincts he thinks they lost both his votes.

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And Cleveland has renamed their baseball stadium from Jacobs Field to Progessive Field.   At the same time they are renaming their team to the Cleveland Indigenous Peoples. 

Well, despite the fact that Peyton Manning has been the star, with much better stats and a higher quarterback rating than his oft-maligned little brother,  he will be sitting home next weekend.   While Eli, with his checkered history including 20 interceptions this year, will play in the NFC title game.  

The younger Manning may yet get a congratulatory call from George W. Bush this year, but Peyton is likely to get one from Jeb.

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Rudy Guiliani is excited about the New York Giants  making it to the NFC title game – in fact he says they should be 9 -11 point favorites.

After her win in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton is supposedly so confident she is already planning her inaugural ball.  The headline act?  “Tears for Fears.”

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And as if we didn’t need more proof that global warming exists….  In Toronto it’s midwinter and the Leafs are still falling.

As in, what would be the logical punchline if Rudy Guiliani was asked about Hillary Clinton’s crying?

You guessed it, he said he cried too, at the services for 9/11.

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And O.J. Simpson is back in custody and scheduled to appear before a Las Vegas judge Wednesday for allegedly violating the terms of his bail.   Which just goes to show.. what happens in Vegas, may mean you stay in Vegas.

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There is some evidence that all the anti-Hillary comments and the fact the pundits wrote her off actually pushed women into Clinton’s camp,  both because they were irritated on her behalf and because they didn’t like being told what they were going to do.

In related news, Bill Clinton has pushed for release of a poll showing that he is no longer a sex symbol for young women.

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John Kerry’s endorsement of Barack Obama was widely viewed as a slap in the face to John Edwards.  But Kerry said he actually voted for Edwards before he decided to vote against him.

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Wonder if Roger Clemens will end up with more Hall of Fame votes if he tears up in Washington. 

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And Darren McFadden was handcuffed briefly after a bar
brawl. Not a good year for the Arkansas running back,
he was already handcuffed by the Mizzou defense.