Rich Keefe's TV Debut

Rich Keefe sat in for Damon Amendolara (host weeknights 6-11pm on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston) on WPRI-12 in Providence, RI to break down the Patriots recent win over the Lions and look ahead to their huge match up on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets.

(It doesn't look like the voice matches the video, but just hang in there.)

Andre Johnson Is Sick Of Cortland Finnegan

Two things upset me about this video.

1.) Andre Johnson needed about 10 more seconds, uninterrupted, to beat the head off of Cortland Finnegan's shoulders. He got the helmet off, landed a couple brush shots, but couldn't capitalize.

2.) He will likely get suspended and is on one of my fantasy teams.

-Keefe

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Sports Brief. Enjoy the games and turkey today.

Patriots -6.5 at Lions
Saints -4.5 at Cowboys
Bengals +9.5 at Jets

Besse is going all dogs, I'll take Pats, Saints, Bengals...

Also a special shout out to our favorite Turkey on this day, Celtics big-man Semih Erden...



-Keefe

Blake Griffin dishing out facials for free

Over the weekend the big NBA hype was this monster game that Blake Griffin had against the Knicks, with a few ridiculous slams added in. Check out two of them in the video below. Absolute porn star stud with the facials he gave out. Nut everywhere.



A couple things about these dunks...with the first one, I love two aspects: a) he actually pulls the guy's head into his crotch with his left hand, completing disrespecting him in the worst of ways; b) his hand never touched the rim. Just threw it straight into the hoop. Unreal.

Also, the second one is fantastic just because Gallinari had no freaking clue what to do. Sometimes you just need to abort. Get the hell out of there so you don't end up in a highlight reel or on a poster. Sadly, Gallinari chose to ignore such advice and now qualifies for both.

I won't even ask you which one is better, because we all know it's the first one. But both are fantastic.

-Bess

Keefe Presents: Top 10 Wide Receivers

Time now to turn our attention to the best players on the football field, the most athletic guys in the locker room, and the most dynamic personalities in the sport, the wide receivers. Some, if not many, of these WRs will likely end up on the All-Time Top 10 list for the position, but this is simply today's 10 best.

Disclaimer: Again, if everything was equal: QB, coach, running game, 2nd receiver, O-line, etc., these would be the 10 best receivers in football.

1. Andre Johnson, Texans

2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

3. Calvin Johnson, Lions

4. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins

5. Anquan Boldin, Ravens

6. Reggie Wayne, Colts

7. Roddy White, Falcons

8. Miles Austin, Cowboys

9. Terrell Owens, Bengals

10. Steve Smith, Panthers

Honorable Mention: Greg Jennings, Packers; Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Randy Moss, Titans; Chad Ochocinco, Bengals; DeSean Jackson, Eagles.

I know what you're thinking, Steve Smith? And not last year's pro bowl Steve Smith from the Giants either. I stand by it. There are some great receivers in this league, and Panthers Steve Smith is as good as any of them. His stats this year are garbage, but so would Jerry Rice's in Carolina. You know who has taken the snaps this year for the Panthers? Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen, Tony Pike, and Brian "I was literally a stay-at-home Dad-3-days-before-my-last-start St. Pierre. Give me a break.

Besides Reggie Wayne, none of the guys in my Top 10 play for an elite quarterback. If you base the QB's off my rankings, I believe Brady, Manning, Brees, Rivers, and Rodgers are elite. Randy Moss still makes my honorable mention list, but honestly its tough to keep him there. It's been a terrible season for him in not 1, not 2, but 3 places.

Mike Wallace of the Steelers didn't crack my Top 15, but the way he's going he could be Top 7 Top 5 in a couple years.

What does your list look like, let the debate begin.

Next up: Tight Ends

-Keefe

Sergio Martinez delivers KO of the Year

For those of you watching the UFC fight on Saturday, or perhaps nothing at all, you most likely missed Sergio Martinez deliver what should be KO of the Year. Not just in boxing, but in all combat sports and even street fights. It was a rematch with Paul Williams, with Williams winning the first fight via Majority Decision. But Martinez left no doubt in this contest, as both fighters threw left hands simultaneously. Martinez threw his shorter and on the button, knocking Williams out on his feet before plummeting to the canvas face first. The most chilling part of the knockout was watching Williams, eyes open, gaze into the canvas with no sense of who or where he was. Check it out below:



Follow up question: Is Max Kellerman the most awkward TV personality ever? The guy couldn't make me feel more uncomfortable when giving interviews.

Final thought: The Martinez KO of Williams instantly reminded me of Antonio Tarver's stunning 2nd round KO of Roy Jones Jr. in their highly anticipated rematch. You'll remember Jones holding on down the stretch of their first fight after coming back down to light heavyweight following his claim of the heavyweight title from John Ruiz. In their second go around, Tarver threw a short left hook just as Jones threw a left. Tarver's was shorter and turned it over more, much like Martinez did to Williams this past Saturday night...



-Bess

Is this the greatest UFC entrance of all time?

Headline says it all, let us know your thoughts.



-Bess

UFC 123 Results

UFC 123 took place last night at the home of the Detroit Pistons, the Palace at Auburn Hills. Here are the quick results.

MAIN CARD:

• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Lyoto Machida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• B.J. Penn def. Matt Hughes via KO (punches) - Round 1, 0:21
• Maiquel Falcao def. Gerald Harris via unanimous decision (29-27. 29-28, 29-28)
• Phil Davis def. Tim Boetsch via submission (kimura) - Round 2, 2:55
• George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Lauzon via submission (kimura) - Round 2, 2:43

UNDER CARD:

• Brian Foster def. Matt Brown via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 2:11
• Mark Munoz def. Aaron Simpson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dennis Hallman def. Karo Parisyan via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:47
• Edson Barboza def. Mike Lullo via TKO (leg kicks) - Round 3, 0:26
• Paul Kelly def. T.J. O'Brien via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 3:16
• Nik Lentz def. Tyson Griffin via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

Main Card Picks from the Brief:

Besse: 3-2

Keefe: 3-2

Is college football serious right now?

The whole reason anyone was going to tune into the Northwestern-Illinois game this weekend wasn't because we have two competitive football teams, nor because the game was being played at Wrigley Field. People were going to watch to see if anyone would get concussed running into the wall in the East endzone.

Now, according to ESPN, the NCAA/Big 10/school officials have decided that only one end zone will be used on offense throughout the entire game. Are you kidding me? What is this, one long overtime period? What baffles me is the idea to hold the game at Wrigley was obviously not a decision made overnight. It was most likely a long, drawn out process that factored in a lot of discussion and debate before being finalized. The dimensions of the field should have come at no surprise. What does come as a surprise is the ineptitude of the officials at hand who did not originally forecast any danger nor backlash from hosting a game where the fence and padding would be so close to the back of the end zone on the East side. These folks are being paid a lot of money to hold the positions they do, we should hope they'd be educated enough to recognize this type of concern early on in the process. However, what clouded their judgement was the novelty to hold a game at an historic monument of baseball history, much like Notre Dame and Army will do this weekend at Yankee Stadium. The difference is they have constructed a field which does not put the players in harms way like Wrigley Field's layout does.

Unfortunately, these officials were so caught up in making a meaningless game meaningful by adding in a novelty for a location, and thus ended making the entire event a joke. Well done. You managed to make people care even less about watching this game.

-Bess

UFC 123 Breakdown and Picks

We are now a day away from UFC 123, which features a headline bout between two former light heavyweight champions in Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida. In addition, the top MMA organization offers us a co-main event between former welterweight champion Matt Hughes and former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ "The Prodigy" Penn. This will be the third bout in what will surely go down as one of the greater trilogies in the history of combat sport. The entire card is very solid, and without further delay, let's get to the breakdown and picks courtesy of The Sports Brief. We'll start with a technical breakdown of each fight on the main card and follow with picks from both myself and Keefe. Enjoy.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson v. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida

Machida started out his mma career winning 16 straight fights, utilizing his unorthodox striking and karate background to remain elusive and lure his opponents into uncomfortable spots where he was able to capitalize with excellent counter striking. For a while, fans and mma pundits often characterized his style as "boring", noting his failure to finish fights on a frequent basis and excite the crowd. He was certainly not a guy you were expecting to cash in on a "Fight of the Night" bonus. But knocked Thiago Silva out cold at UFC 94, then really burst into the spotlight with his devastating KO of Rashad Evans at UFC 98. He picked Evans apart, almost finishing the fight in the first round before putting Evans to sleep with a barrage of strikes; Evans was left snoring up against the cage, and at the time, UFC commentator Joe Rogan exclaimed, "Welcome to the Machida Era".

Incredibly, that era almost came to an abrupt end at UFC 104, when many thought Mauricio "Shogun" Rua put forth a winning effort before losing a disputed unanimous decision. In the rematch at UFC 113, Rua did not leave it to the judges, putting the champion out on his back and claiming what many thought was his after the first fight: The UFC Light Heavyweight title. The two fights with Shogun were a bit of an eye opener, as it showed someone with effective strikes from the outside that can cut off Machida could score points and flip the script, putting him in uncomfortable positions. If you go back and look at the Tito Ortiz fight, Machida did a lot of back peddling and lateral movement, and Tito chased. He didn't cut him off, just chased him in the direction he was moving. Because of that, Machida could stop on a dime and land a strike or series of strikes as Tito was still coming forward, not expecting Machida to engage. This caught Ortiz off-guard, and ultimately led to a decision victory for "The Dragon".

His opponent, however, is as tough on the feet as you'll find in this sport. Jackson has some of the best boxing skills in MMA and can light up an opponent with power in both hands. He also has impressive counter strikes, ala his KO of Chuck Liddell, and a chin that makes him hard to put down, nevermind put out. He has excellent wrestling skills and his brute strength is incredible; just ask Ricardo Arona:




In order for Rampage to be successful on Saturday night, I think he'll need to force Machida to engage. Take the center of the Octagon, cut him off with angles and footwork, and stand in the pocket and trade. While Machida has shown power and great counter striking, I think Rampage has the ability to take multiple shots while in the pocket in the hopes of landing one that can change the momentum in an instant. If he fails to get in Machida's face, he'll probably end up losing a decision much in the same fashion as his loss to Forrest Griffin. At UFC 86, Griffin seized the belt from Jackson by hurting him with leg kicks and volume striking. Griffin got knocked down a couple times, but managed to strike and move away before Jackson could land a knockout blow.

Matt Hughes v. BJ Penn

The series is tied at one apiece, and Saturday night will put an end to a fantastic trilogy between two of the sports greatest ever. What's so fascinating about this fight is that while the first two seemed like the ultimate grudge matches between two men that truly disliked one another, there doesn't seem to be that same sentiment between the two anymore, at least not in what they're saying publicly. Both appear to have a mutual respect for not only each other's game, but what the two have accomplished over the course of their storied careers.

The key to this matchup will be Hughes decision to either stand or attempt to bring the fight to the mat(t) (pun intended). As we've seen in his fights with GSP, Penn can be brought down and controlled by a bigger, stronger man. The problem is whether or not you can actually get him on his back. GSP's wrestling is probably the best in the game; Hughes' used to be, but isn't anymore. While it's still great, it's not at the same level it used to be. In addition, Hughes had improved remarkably on his feet, as shown in his fights with Royce Gracie and Ricardo Almeida.

The issue is whether or not he becomes too confident on his feet. Penn's boxing is excellent, and against a bigger, slower opponent who doesn't present a threat in terms of power, Penn could have his way with Hughes in the stand up. He's not facing a smaller, faster Frankie Edgar here, so I don't expect him to be outboxed like he was in his two losses to the champion. But what I do fear for Hughes is for this fight to end up much like Penn's fight against Sean Sherk. Sherk had also shown improved standup, and he wasn't able to drag Penn to the floor like he could less talented fighters. So Sherk tried to overpower Penn on his feet and was outboxed for three rounds before Penn put the rubber stamp on (T)KO win.

For Hughes to win, there's no doubt he'll need to find a way to put Penn on his back and control him there. If he does, expect something similar to his performance against Chris Lytle back at UFC 68, where he took Lytle down and basically held him there for three rounds. Penn's guard is tremendous, and even if he can't back to his feet, he'll try and threaten with submissions and offense from the bottom while trying to neutralize Hughes' offense. Because Hughes has been submitted by Penn before, I don't expect he'll go all out in fear of being caught again. But, that's if he can get Penn down, and for me, that's a major if.

Joe Lauzon v. George Sotiropoulos

Sotiropoulos has been plowing through opponents since his stint on TUF, where he was controversially knocked out by Tommy Speer in a semi-final bout. Sotiropoulos suffered an eye poke prior to taking the punch that put him out cold. But that was an exhibition, and he's undefeated at 6-0 in his UFC career, beating the likes of Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Stevenson. There seems to be a lot of hoopla behind him, and this will be a good test to see if it's warranted, or if he's the beneficiary of wins over strictly middle-tier opponents with bigger names than their actual games.

In Lauzon, we have a solid striker with unquestionable jiu-jitsu skills. He transitions from one submission to another in a seamless, flawless way that almost seems fluid and somewhat poetic. That's what makes him so good and so dangerous. But he is long and lean, and Sotiropoulos is more compact and powerful. So I think the course of the fight will be dictated by which fighter is able to handle the difference better. In other words, can Sotiropoulos use his size and strength to his advantage, or will Lauzon be able to nullify it? That's the question, and it's a big one, one that will ultimately determined which of these fighters is actually deserving of a spot in line for title contention.

Phil Davis v. Tim Boetsch

Davis is a prospect, but personally I'll leave it at that. I don't want to say he's a blue-chip, certainly not in the way I considered Jon "Bones" Jones before he legitimized himself as a title contender. Jones, by the way, will have a chance to solidify his stature against another blue-chip in Ryan Bader in February. But back to Davis, who is 3-0 in his young UFC career, and for the most part has look pretty impressive albeit against middle of the road talent, if that. He won a decision on former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Stann, but in case you haven't heard, "All-American" is dropping to middleweight to face Chris Leben on the New Year's card. That should say something.

Boetsch, meanwhile, fights like his nickname: "The Barbarian". Some of you may remember his mauling of David Heath back at UFC 81, when he tossed Heath around like a ragdoll. It was an incredible scene, and many thought Boetsch may be a force in the UFC until he met Matt Hamill, who silenced him inside of two rounds. Boetsch stepped out of the UFC for a brief three fight winning streak before returning with a lackluster win at UFC 117 over Todd Brown. He has good wrestling, and obviously a ton of strength.

The interesting dynamic of this fight is how Davis will stack up against Boetsch in terms of strength. Davis' wrestling is superior in terms of resume, and his striking is still evolving. If he can handle Boetsch's strength and get him to the mat, working from top position will probably be his best bet. If he keeps it standing in an attempt to display improved striking, it could be a dangerous affair for the up and coming prospect. He'll need to be cerebral and stick with what works. If Boetsch lures him into exchanges, or gets his hands and/or arms on him, he could employ some of that brute strength we saw in the Heath fight, and that could stop the prospect train in its tracks.

Gerald Harris v. Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves

Harris is the guy you saw on Sportscenter's Top 10 after slamming Dave Branch to near death at UFC 116. He's a talented guy who was the favorite to win TUF 7, but ran into a guy named Amir Sadollah. A lot of people did the same, and none of them won against the mma novice, so certainly it was nothing to hang his head about. But he's proven his worth with a three fight win streak inside the UFC, and a win Saturday will earn him another step up the ladder. He's still pretty far down, but an impressive win might earn him a couple steps.

His opponent is making his UFC debut, and I know two things: 1) He owns a 25-3 record; 2) He didn't impress me in this training video posted last month:

Here's the thing...he's obviously big, strong and very athletic, but it looks to me like he's not getting enough oxygen to his muscles. He looked fatigued, his strikes, although powerful, were somewhat slow and I anticipate may be predictable to a solid fighter. You have to be careful with guys that come into the UFC with inflated records. Jason Reinhardt made his UFC debut against Joe Lauzon with an 18-0 record, and Lauzon made him look like a training partner he uses to warm up. I sense we may see the same thing here. Goncalves is a guy that can dominate lesser opponents on the small shows, but in against a more competent fighter, even someone still on the rise like Harris, he may struggle. If Harris can avoid serious damage on the feet in the first round, and perhaps take this to the mat for a bit, I could see Goncalves tiring and breaking down. But Harris will need be cautious with his striking. The guy didn't get the name "Big Rig" because he drives one.

And now, onto the actual picks:

Rampage v. Machida

Besse: Rampage via (T)KO late in round 1 - everyone says Rampage won't catch up to him. Shogun did, why can't he?

Keefe: Rampage via (T)KO in round 2.

Hughes v. Penn

Besse: Penn via (T)KO in round 2 - Baby Jay slowly breaks down Hughes in round 1, avoids a late takedown and finishes in the 2nd.

Keefe: Penn via decision.

Lauzon v. Sotiropoulos

Besse: Lauzon via submission in round 3 - Lauzon survives some scary moments and pulls off a leg lock, potentially behind on the cards.

Keefe: Lauzon via decision.

Davis v. Boetsch

Besse: Davis via decision - Boetsch's strength and competence prevent Davis from the stoppage.

Keefe: Davis via submission in round 1.

Harris v. Goncalves

Besse: Harris via decision - Goncalves starts strong, but Harris survives with a takedown and tires out "Big Rig" for a strong decision victory.

Keefe: Harris via KO in round 2.

There you have it. We'll check in after the fights with results and see how both of us did in picking the winners. Enjoy what should be an exciting fight card in Detroit!

-Bess

Keefe Presents: Top 10 Running Backs

Keefe Presents continues today with the Top 10 RBs. Again, a reminder, these are not the Top 10 best fantasy backs, but rather simply the 10 best running backs in the NFL. If each guy played on the same offense, with the same QB, O-line, etc., who would be the best for this season, that is what this list(s) are all about.

Top 10 Running Backs:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings

2. Chris Johnson, Titans

3. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars

4. Ray Rice, Ravens

5. Stephen Jackson, Rams

6. Michael Turner, Falcons

7. Frank Gore, 49ers

8. Arian Foster, Texans

9. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants

10. Darren McFadden, Raiders

Honorable Mention: Rashad Mendenhall, Steelers; Matt Forte, Bears; Cedric Benson, Bengals; DeAngelo Williams, Panthers; Ronnie Brown, Dolphins

If your team has or is playing against one of those guys on the list, you can talk about a Top 10 RB in the game, other than that, they might be good, but not in the upper echelon. This list is once again tough, you see guys like Foster and McFadden really only having this year for a track record, but from watching them I truly believe they are in the Top 10.

DeAngelo Williams was a tough omission from my Top 10, he's had a horrible/injury riddled season (he's out for the year), but based strictly on talent, which my lists are intended for, it's hard to say he's not in the Top 10, but there are so many good RBs.

Coming up next: Wide Receivers

-Keefe

Yo You Wanna Party

We got the new one from our buddy Opey, check out "Yo You Wanna Party (Underground Mix).

Keefe Presents: Top 10 Quarterbacks

You always hear on TV and radio shows about, "this guy is a Top 10 receiver, oh he's a Top 5 corner, or they got a Top 10 quarterback." This type of hyperbole is tossed around all the time. But do the people who say it actually have a Top 5, Top 10, or Top 32 list on hand, where are they pulling this stuff from? More often then not they're just like Dick Vitale who will name like 9 teams he says will make the Final 4.

Well look no further. In what will be titled "Keefe Presents: Top 10 (NFL Position)" I'll map out the Top 10 players at each position in the league. These are NOT fantasy rankings, you wouldn't need me to do that. It's also not the 10 guys you would want to build a franchise with, it is simply the 10 best players at each position right now. Today begins with Quarterbacks.

1. Tom Brady, Patriots
2. Peyton Manning, Colts
3. Drew Brees, Saints
4. Philip Rivers, Chargers
5. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
6. Michael Vick, Eagles
7. Matt Ryan, Falcons
8. Ben Roesthlisberger*, Steelers
9. Matt Schaub, Texans
10. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers

*Accused Rapist

These lists have already proved that they will be harder to fill out than I thought. The top 7-8 QBs are pretty easy in my opinion, but the order is obviously tricky. I nearly put Peyton #1, but some of his playoff struggles/chokes have bumped him down to 2 behind Brady.

There are definitely a handful of guys that you could argue are better than Schaub and Freeman, but my whole point is be consistent. These are the QBs I will say are in the Top 10. I can't add anyone else or that just wouldn't be a Top 10 list anymore.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. Stay tuned for the rest of the positions in the Award** Winning Keefe Presents: Top 10s.

Coming up next: Runningbacks

**Not actual Award.

-Keefe

Is this the biggest ass kicking in the history of professional wrestling?

I happen to be a huge fan of Mike "The Miz" Mizanin. It goes back to his days on The Real World, followed by all those seasons of dominating The Gauntlet, Inferno, and whatever the hell else he was on. Guy was a stud at those things. And for those of you that remember, he had tried his hand at professional wrestling prior to his stint w/ the TRW franchise of shows. Once he established some sort of celebrity, he had some legs to stand on and eventually weaseled his way into the WWE.

Well, I happened to come across this fight with The Undertaker on YouTube, and the headline says it all. In almost every wrestling match there's usually at least one moment of a momentum shift, even if for a brief second. A guy could be taking an absolute beating, but he'll land one good punch, reverse a throw into the ropes, or escape the corner before he gets punished into the turnbuckle. That wasn't the case here. I'm legitimately unsure if The Miz had one moment of success in this fight. Even his entrance sucked, he was scared shitless. It's about 10 minutes long, but the beating he takes is worth watching especially if you're not fond of him.



-Bess

Guy gets leveled by security guard

This idiot stepped on the field in the middle of the Fresno State-Nevada game and started dancing, shirtless and shoeless. Once the security hit the scene he took off, but not for long, running into the shoulder of an epic form tackle by one of the guards. Check it out, it's fantastic:



-Bess

My gym shower is basically a prison shower

Since the move to San Francisco I joined a 24hr fitness about a 10 minute walk away from my place. It's a small facility, but it gets it done. And the reason I don't mind is because I have access to every other 24hr in the city.

Anyway, one thing I've noticed that does bother me is how small the bathroom/locker room is. It's narrow, small and often very cramped. Well yesterday my girlfriend and I went to the gym together and figured we'd shower at the gym, in our respective locker rooms, since the hot water was not working at our apartment. So I brought my sandals, towel, shampoo and body wash. Unfortunately, when I stepped into the shower I saw that not only are the shower stalls open, but there is nowhere to put your shamp and bod wash except on the floor. And thus, everytime I wanted to pick it up, I had to bend over in broad daylight, butt naked, with other fellow members looking on. Awkward.



-Bess

Gus Johnson does it again!

If you ever read The Sports Guy on ESPN.com, you'll know in his weekly NFL picks column he always references the game Gus Johnson is working and how it has the "Gus Johnson effect". Well, Gus Johnson struck again, this week at the Texans-Jaguars game. After a rather pedestrian first half, both teams went off, trading touchdowns down the stretch as they found themselves tied at 24 with less than a minute to play. But tight end Joel Dreessen fumbled, the Jaguars recovered and after an 11-yd strike and a 5-yd defensive offside penalty, the Jaguars were at the 50 yard line with 3 seconds remaining. David Garrard lofted up a hail mary, and Houston cornerback Glover Quinn tried to bat it down like a freakin volleyball player. Just catch the ball, dude. Anyway, Mike Thomas went from a mediocre day to a fantasy stud as the beneficiary of Quinn's batted ball, and the fans were also the beneficiary as Gus Johnson went off. Check out the sound on this brilliantly done Tecmo Bowl replay of yesterday's finish:



So who's the bigger loser from all of this: Joel Dreessen or Glover Quinn? My vote is for Quinn. Again, catch the freakin ball.

-Bess

What Happened to BostonThrowdown.com?

Well we have been absolutely inundated with e-mails, phone calls, message board comments, etc., with one question, what happened to BostonThrowdown.com? As many of you know Rich Keefe (of The Sports Brief with Besse & Keefe) works for 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, MA. The station decided to dedicate some time to the world of MMA with a group of knowledgeable fight fans and gave them a section on the 985thesportshub.com website, entitled Boston Throwdown, which could be visited by simply going to BostonThrowdown.com. They had/have a twitter page (@BostonThrowdown) and facebook fan page. It was really taking off. Tens if not dozens of people had heard of the site and even considered checking it out.

However sometime last month the CBS owned 98.5 The Sports Hub website changed formats to become CBSBoston.com, check out CBSNewYork.com and it's the exact same thing. The new look site is strictly dedicated to local stories. Therefore an MMA section devoted to the UFC, Strikeforce, DREAM, Bellator, etc., was not in the cards. Boston Throwdown could have been saved but the 4 writers did not want change the concept and only follow the small up-and-coming fighters and even smaller events in the greater Boston area.

It is not a shot at the small shows, everyone has to start somewhere, but for the purposes of the website it just didn't make sense. We are sorry if BostonThrowdown was one of your destinations for MMA news and opinions, but rest assure that Besse and Keefe will continue to keep mixed-martial-arts on their agenda right here at The Brief.

Look Out Bosh! Here Comes Rondo!

Heat F Chris Bosh shows his toughness in this beauty from last night's Celtics-Heat game. Not only does Bosh not score or rebound as much as he used to, but he is just flat out embarrassing on the defensive end. Here is the best player on your biggest rival, on your home floor, who is 6'1'', and you watch as he slices to the basket and throws down a dunk on your face.

There are no Big 3's in the NBA. Fact. The Celtics have a Big 4 and the Heat have a Big 2. Facts.

Check out this Player Comparison on the season:

Chris Bosh = 14.8 points, 6 rebounds.

Taj Gibson = 15 points, 6.3 rebounds.

Love it.

-Keefe

Terrell Owens Is Having a Season

Perhaps my favorite professional football player of all-time, Terrell Owens, is putting together what could be a career year at the age of 36. (He'll be 37 next month.) Many wrote off TO following his tough season in Buffalo (55 rec., 829 yards, 5 TDs). Well look who's back.

Owens already has as many catches in 8 games this season as he did in 16 games a year ago, and more touchdowns, 7 to 5. Last year it was Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm, but mainly it was people saying TO = Too Old. Hold the phone. Owens is back where he belongs, as an elite receiver in the NFL.

Look at the numbers. 8 games played.

Receptions: 55 (3rd in NFL)
Receiving Yards: 770 (3rd in NFL)
Receiving Touchdowns: 7 (T-4th in NFL)

If he keeps the same pace (a big "if" I get it) he would set career highs for both catches and yards, pretty incredible.

Also, who would have thought that of the two guys closest to Jerry Rice's record for TD receptions (197), Randy Moss (153) and Terrell Owens (151), that it would be TO, despite being 3 years older would have a better chance (if there really is any chance) of breaking one of Rice's insane records.

The way Moss was playing with the Patriots coupled with Owens' year in Buffalo it looked as though Moss would leave TO in the dust, but wait up just a minute. Owens joined Moss and Rice this past Monday as the only 3 players in league history to catch at least 150 TDs. Check out how he celebrated that accomplishment.



-Keefe

Channing Crowder vs. Le'Ron McClain

Dolphins LB Channing Crowder accused Ravens FB Le'Ron McClain of spitting in his face during Baltimore's 26-10 win over Miami. Players from both sides got into the trash-talk in the post-game including Karlos Dansby and Derrick Mason. These guys truly hate each other, which is great. Check out some of the snip-its below.

Also, not making the video was Crowder breaking down some of the questionable calls from the game. He compared the refs to, Stevie Wonder and ANNE FRANK... seriously. He then corrected himself and said he meant Hellen Keller and not Frank. Yikes. The University of Florida must be proud of Crowder for comparing a bad call made by a ref to a Holocaust victim. You can't make this stuff up.

-Keefe

The Grim Reaper visits Colts' Austin Collie

Living out in San Francisco we got to watch the Chiefs at Raiders game on CBS while the east coast watched the Colts at Eagles. So at some point in the afternoon my buddy Kevin texted me and said Austin Collie might be dead. I immediately went to Youtube and it was already up. I swear the hit had just happened and I had just gotten a text and some guy had it posted to his account. The internet is a magical thing.

Anyway, this is an ugly scene:



The hit itself wasn't all that bad in terms of how vicious it was, the end result certainly is tough to watch. Collie was out on his feet, mummified and stretched cold ala Jahvid Best.



But what bothers me the most about the Collie incident is how classless the Eagles' players and fans were during the whole thing. The refs called unsportsmanlike conduct for an illegal helmet to helmet hit. Sure, it's debatable. Collie turned into the defender, so you can argue the call. But regardless, Collie is practically dead, questionably paralyzed on the field and Asante Samuel is dancing around protesting the call like an asshole while the bans boo the refs. Give me a break. Let's have some silence for the poor guy.

Anyway, later in the evening the Cowboys' Roy Williams took a mean hit from Nick Collins in the NBC game. I actually think this hit was worse than Collie's, but Williams was actually able to get up under his own power. Collins will be paying a hefty fine this week for sure...



-Bess

Boxer can't get in or out of ring, but manages to win fight

I'm sure this guy felt like a complete asshole, especially when he hurt himself getting out of the ring. But what about the guy he beat? After seeing this guy struggle to get in and out of the ring, he must've felt like the bigger asshole for losing to this clown...



-Bess

This head kick KO hasn't gotten enough love

This happened just over a month ago on the main card of the Jose Aldo-Manny Gamuryan title fight at WEC 51. George Roop, a former UFC lightweight and member of TUF, took on the Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jun, who had been involved in a Fight of the Year candidate with Leonard Garcia back at WEC 48. That's really where the Korean Zombia nickname gained some steam and popularity. Unfortunately, the Korean Zombie got put to sleep via Roop's left foot, check it out:



But the Korean Zombie will fight on, as he's rumored to take on Rani Yahya at UFN 23, this according to mmamania.com.

Although he no longer wants to be called the Korean Zombie, let's hope he doesn't fully ditch the Chris Leben mentality.

-Bess

Thoughts on Giants, Rangers and what lies ahead

So the San Francisco Giants clinched the first World Series title in city history on Monday night. Although I'm living in San Fran now, I was rooting for Texas for a couple reasons: a) I wanted the series to come back here for games 6 and 7; b) I wanted Josh Hamilton to single handedly bring himself and the Rangers back from the dead. It would have been a great story, even better than the one that has unfolded over this past week.

I get it: The Giants are a bunch of good guys, although we should use that term loosely. We don't know them, they just come off that way. They don't have superstars outside of Tim Lincecum and the emergence of young, unassuming catcher Buster Posey, and the roster is littered with youth - Lincecum, Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Andres Torres to name a few - and castaways/journeymen - Cody Ross, Juan Uribe, Series' MVP Edgar Renteria, Pat "The Machine" Burrell, etc. Throw in the extraordinary personality and talent of Brian Wilson and you have quite a cast. But I don't think this team will do it again next year.

There are too many questions to be answered. First off, can Buster Posey replicate his efforts in 2011? After teams have an off-season to address video and exploit whatever weaknesses they find? And can he handle an entire season managing that staff behind the plate while still holding up his offensive numbers ala 2010?

Also, the Giants just bought out Renteria. Assuming he retires, which he should, who is their shortstop? Renteria was injury plagued and playing with a torn biceps in the World Series. It's remarkable he did what he did. Much like Cody Ross, who I bet leaves for big money in free agency, I think he just caught fire at the right time. But it's still a hole to fill.

Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff will also need to be addressed. As will The Machine. In total, the Giants have eight players heading to arbitration: Torres, Ross, Jonathan Sanchez, Javy Lopez, Santiago Casilla, Chris Ray, Ramon Ramirez and Mike Fontenot.

Bottom line, I think the Giants next season will be as competitive as any team in the league. You look at that staff with Lincecum, Matt Cain, Bumgarner, and Sanchez and you have to be confident those guys win you at least 65 games if they stay healthy. With Wilson as your closer, if they can retain guys like Lopez and Casilla, the bullpen should do its job in holding the fort. But I think the Giants will face the same problems offensively as they did this year over the course of the regular season. The offense got hot at the right in the postseason. It happens. That's why a playoff system is so intriguing, especially with Wild Cards lumped in there. Make the tournament, anyone has a chance.

But unless the Giants make a move for a consistent big bat in that lineup, especially one to protect the young Posey, they might be leaning on that staff more than they'd like. Which could lead to another arms race with the Padres which comes down the final day. Obviously the Wild Card is out there, but with teams like Cincinnati and St. Louis in the Central, and the Braves and Phillies in the East, that spot may not necessarily come out of the West.

Personally, I think the Giants should make a push for a guy like Adam Dunn or Carlos Pena. Big power with high strikeout totals and low average, sure, but they would both provide massive protection and run production in the middle of that lineup. Toss a guy like Jayson Werth into the outfield, and the 5-spot, and you have some additional athleticism that GM Brian Sabean alluded to at the press conference today. It will be interesting to see how things unfold.

In regards to the Rangers, they're screwed to a certain degree. Cliff Lee is gone, I don't care what anyone says. And without him stabilizing that rotation, they'll be good but not great. The offense will still be a nightmare to face, but that pitching staff will have questions if it'd by CJ Wilson and Tommy Hunter. I'm just not convinced. Although, playing in the AL West they could still win the division if the A's don't spend some money on a bat. I think the Angels have more holes to fill than both teams, and I won't mention the Mariners other than acknowledging they have a team.

That's all I have for now. I'll be checking in as free agency moves along with thoughts on the various moves and signings.


-Bess

Dude who can't use his legs earns jiu-jitsu blue belt

Eric Ingram just earned his jiu-jitsu blue belt from the esteemed Gracie family. A lot of people do that over the course of a year and a lifetime, but what makes Ingram so special is he's a quadraplegic. The guy can't feel nor use his legs, and he sits in a wheelchair. Yet he put on an absolute clinic in the video below, inducing multiple tapouts from various positions, holds and submission moves. Now I can't, nor I won't, sit here and speculate whether the guy he goes up against, who happens to be his brother, is going all out, but it doesn't really matter. Look at some of the transitions and submission moves he pulls out. For a guy using his legs they're impressive. For Ingram, they're amazing.

After watching this, I should probably stop complaining about pain and soreness after doing a leg workout. This guy makes me look like a pussy.



-Bess

Coon and Friends: Identities Revealed

We here at The Sports Brief are about much more than just Sports. If you have been watching South Park this season you have been treated to one of the best story lines in the show's great history, that being Coon and Friends. This super-hero theme has been hilarious and even a bit confusing to some of the fans. 7 of the kids dress up as super-heroes with 1 (Butters) returning as his classic super-villian character of Professor Chaos. Because the kids have disguised their traditional wardrobe and voices, their true identities have been tough to follow. Here's the breakdown.

Coon - Eric Cartman

Mysterion - Kenny McCormick

Toolshed - Stan Marsh

Tupperware - Token Black

Mosquito - Clyde Donovan

Iron Maiden - Timmy

Human Kite - Kyle Broflovski

Mintberry Crunch - Bradley

Professor Chaos - Leopold "Butters" Stotch

Hope this helps, and it looks like next week they got more Mysterion.

-Keefe

I'll Tell On You...

The Charlie Villanueva story is old news at this point, but I have to give my hot, not-so-fresh take on it. What we have learned in the last couple of days is that Villanueva is the league's tattle tail. Rather then tell the teacher in this case, Chaz has decided to try and bad mouth Kevin Garnett through twitter. (You can follow me on twitter @Keefe21.)

There is a lot I don't like about the way Villanueva handled this. First off, if KG called him a "cancer patient" doesn't he really have two options at that point. If Charlie is really upset about it why not clock KG right then? You said you don't think he's ever been in a fight, so shouldn't you like your chances? (Villanueva deleted the part about Garnett and fighting from his twitter page.) It's not like you getting thrown out of the game would have mattered, the Celtics absolutely dominated the Pistons the other night.

Option 2, wait for Garnett after the game and confront him like a man. I'm not saying you always have to get in a fight, but make sure he knows you're serious and you believe he crossed the line.

Not an option? Going on twitter, knowing it will be a big story (for a day), and hoping people take your side over KG's because everyone knows someone who had cancer, whether it's a family member, friend, friend of a friend, or co-worker. He tried to make Garnett look like the bad guy. But in reality Charlie just comes off as a cry baby, coward, tattle tail.

Another thing I loved about this, Villanueva said something about KG never being in a fight, well that's really not true. Wasn't a fight the reason why Garnett left his South Carolina high school? Sorry Charlie.

My last point on this, I'm sure much worse things have been said on the basketball court in the NBA. Trash talking has been a part of the game seemingly forever. I assume it's like Las Vegas, what's said on the court, stays on the court. It doesn't go on twitter you loser. Advice, next time you hear something you don't want to, make sure you have a quick comeback, either with your hands or your words. And maybe you should stop tweeting for awhile and work on earning your insane 5 year $35 million deal.

-Keefe

Brett Favre: "Play For Yourself 1st, Team 2nd"

During the Minnesota Vikings press conference yesterday to address Randy Moss, I thought Brett Favre said something quite interesting, that surprisingly ESPN brushed right under the rug. Favre stated that players play first and foremost for themselves and secondly for the team. Doesn't that sum up Favre's entire career? I understand the greater point about having to play well to stay in the league and needing to look out for yourself, but as the quarterback and "leader" of the team, how can you say you put the team second?

Maybe no one is talking about his statement because it was so obvious. How else could one guy hold multiple teams hostage in the off season with should I or shouldn't I retirement talk. His team is 2-5 this year, he's tied for the league-lead in INTs with 11, he sent pictures of his thing to a reporter, and he went off the field in the fetal position on a stretcher after getting a cut on his chin.

The guy is a joke and the way he is covered is even more laughable. To bad the Vikings don't have a real quarterback on the bench or there actually could be a chance he gets benched. Instead, Minnesota fans can enjoy 9 more games where he will run and jump like a Pop Warner players throwing his 1st TD when he completes a long pass or a guy limping off the field trying to hold his body together with the fear an appendage could fall off at any moment after he tosses another pick.

Also, I looked for the clip of him saying play for the individual first, but shockingly I couldn't find it on youtube, only his comments on Moss. How could no one else think it was a big deal? Maybe everyone is used to it?

-Keefe

John Wall drops a mean Dougie in home opener

Last night was the home opener for the Washington Wizards and home debut for the great John Wall. From a fantasy standpoint, he dropped 29, 13 dimes and was one steal shy of a triple double. He also had 8 turnovers, but nonetheless, the guy is legit. And so is his Dougie. Check it out from the play intros prior to the game...



Oh and the Wizards held on against the 76ers in OT 116-115.

-Bess

Like Father, Like Son...maybe not

Hector Camacho Jr. fought last weekend, bringing his 52-3-1 (28 KO) record into a match with David Lemieux, who entered with an unblemished 23-0 tally. Lemieux left still unblemished, both in record and on face. He was quicker to the punch, much faster and simply more aggressive and better than the son of Hector Camacho. "Macho Camacho" ended his career with major titles across four weight classes and a 79-5-3 record. His son will never reach the heights the elder Camacho did in his career. See below...



Great knockout for Lemieux, and a fun treat for spectators. It's always fun to see a slowly crumble after taking a clean shot like Camacho did. Kind of reminds of this:



-Bess

What's Next For the UFC Heavyweight Division?

Cain Velasquez sits atop the Heavyweight Division in the UFC following his impressive victory over former champion Brock Lesnar. Cain will defend his newly won title vs. the #1 contender Junior Dos Santos. That is what we know. But what about the rest of the top-tier heavyweights including former champions and interim champs. It's as head scratching as a recent M. Knight Shyamalan movie.

Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Roy Nelson are all Top 10 Heavyweights in the world of mixed martial arts, and after the recent news that Carwin is injured and had to pull out of his fight with Nelson at UFC 125, all five of these fighters are looking for opponents. Here's a fighter-by-fighter analysis of what could be next. At the end, I will tell you how I would map out the heavyweights.

Brock Lesnar:
Lost UFC title, after 2 defenses, at UFC 121 last weekend to Cain Velasquez. Lesnar suffered a serious cut to the face, just a nasty cut, and could be out at least 6 months to recover. What do you do with Lesnar? Is he 1 fight away from getting another title shot? Some of the options for Lesnar include a trilogy bout with Frank Mir or depending on how serious his injuries are, wait for the loser of Velasquez/Dos Santos. It's difficult to project as Lesnar could be out until at least April.

Shane Carwin:
Carwin was set to be in the co-main event at UFC 125 vs. Roy Nelson. He was forced out of the fight due to injury. Carwin said that an MRI revealed a serious injury, if surgery is NOT needed he is out 8-12 weeks, but if it is required he would be out even longer. Bad news for a guy who just fought for the title and actually won the 1st round against Lesnar. A win over Nelson would have vaulted him back up into contention, but now he must wait.

Frank Mir:
Mir was scheduled to face Big Nog at UFC 119, but an injury to Nogueira allowed Mirko Cro Cop to fill in and get his name in lights. (UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop). It wasn't the most entertaining fight, at all, but Mir came out on top. Mir seems to have a number of options here. The aforementioned trilogy fight with Lesnar, a re-match with Carwin, the originally scheduled re-match with Big Nog, and even Brendan Scaub (coming off a win over Gabe Gonzaga) has called out Mir.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira:
As stated above Big Nog was scratched from the UFC 119 bout with Mir due to injury. Nogueira has not seen a lot of action over the past couple of years, he is also 1-2 in his last 3 with losses to the current champ Velasquez and Mir. You have to wonder how much Nogueira has left in the tank. With his style he can be dangerous for any opponent, but he has taken so much damage in his career.

Roy Nelson:
Nelson, the only guy on this list who seems to be ready to go in the next couple of months. After losing to Dos Santos in a #1 contender bout, he immediately got another chance to prove himself when Joe Silva scheduled him to face Shane Carwin. But now Nelson must wait for a replacement.

If I were in charge of the booking for the UFC, this is how I would schedule the top heavyweights. (Dates of fights all TBD based on length of injuries)

Champ Cain Velasquez vs. Challenger Junior Dos Santos. That was easy.

Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir, do the trilogy now. With injuries you never know when you'll get a chance to do it, and it wouldn't be exciting if it was 5 years from now a la Liddell vs. Ortiz.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Brendan Schaub. Schaub wanted Mir, but he should get the guy scheduled to face the former champ at UFC 119. Schaub passed his test with a win over Gonzaga, this would be even more impressive and put him squarely in the division's Top 10.

Roy Nelson vs. Ben Rothwell. It might look like something you would see at the Double Duce, but these guys are legit. Rothwell last fought at UFC 115 and picked up a win over Gilbert Yvel, so he could be ready to step right in for Carwin at UFC 125.

Shane Carwin vs. Velasquez/Dos Santos Loser. Especially if Carwin is going to be sidelined for a long time, he can await the loser of the title fight. If Shane comes back much sooner give him someone like Kongo, Cro Cop, or Gonzaga.

What matches in the heavyweight division do you want to see? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.


-Keefe

Brian Wilson & The Machine

Besse has done a great job breaking down the World Series, but something that has been left out to this point and just how great Brian Wilson is... when he's on TV. Check out these clips with a hilrious Wilson and "The Machine," who makes his 1st appearance with Chris Rose, check him out with Rome afterwards.

Brian Wilson is unreal. Best interview out there? Oh yeah, and the Gimp aka The Machine is actually a Giants player, try to guess who.

-Keefe

World Series Thoughts: Games 3 and 4

Game 3:

- Nolan Ryan is a HOF pitcher and he just skipped in the First Pitch. As my brother astutely pointed out, go figure they bring in Pudge to catch the throw and he scoops it out of the dirt. Brilliant irony.




- Freddy Sanchez is a damn good ballplayer. This is a guy that won the NL batting title with the Pittsburgh Pirates. And the Red Sox had him. Not to say you shouldn't be happy with Pedroia at second, but I forgot how good of a hitter this guy is because you never get to watch him.

- Pablo Sandoval may not play in the major leagues next season. He's that bad. Watched him ground into a double play in the top of the 2nd. You want to kill a rally? Send him to the plate. Done. Boom.

Hard to believe this is a guy that was all the rage last season. Talk about a one season wonder. I know people that KEPT him in Fantasy Keeper leagues. Woops.

- Coming back from commercial in the bottom of the 2nd, FOX had an aerial few of a small field adjacent to the stadium where kids can go and take some swings. They showed some guy throwing to a left handed hitting youngster. While on TV, the kid hit a dribbler back to the pitcher, fouled one off and swung and missed. Time to quit, son. That guy wasn't throwing 40mph. You have no future and you just choked on national TV.

- Interesting point just came up in the bottom of the 2nd. Cruz had just doubled and Kinsler hit a grounder to short. It looked like Renteria considered throwing to 3rd, and some kid in the room questioned why he didn't try and cut down Cruz. I made the point that Cruz was already past the fielder, and he Renteria wasn't being pulled in that direction. The play was too risky, and instead of 1 out and a runner on 3rd, you could've been looking at 0 outs and 1st and 3rd. Which came up big three batters later after Molina walked and Moreland homered to right. Although it was a 3-run shot, it could easily have been a grand slam.

- Josh Hamilton is Roy Hobbes. No doubt about it. That ball he just hit was a bomb. Prodigious.



I would give up my first born child to watch Hamilton hit. Even when he strikes out, or rolls one over to second, it's a beautiful thing to watch. Imagine him on the Tampa Bay Rays like he was supposed to be? With Upton and Crawford? Crawford-Hamilton-Longoria-Pena. Wow.

- 10-game hitting streak for Cody Ross. Hit safely in 12 of 13 games, 5th homer of the post-season. This guy is in line for a nice, lucrative contract after the season is over.

- Buster Posey has an absolute rocket for an arm. When he throws to second, the throw doesn't get higher than a foot off the ground, and it goes about 95mph. And it's on the mark. This guy might be the most complete catcher in the game right now. And he's a rookie. It's scary.

- As Feliz was overpowering the Giants in the top of the 9th, my buddy Kevin texted me and said, "I would go 0 for 30 with 30 K's against Feliz." I replied with, "0 for 25 with 25 K's and 5 BB's. He tends to lose it now and then."

Regardless, one thing is certain: neither of us would even touch a pitch. Those walks would be because he threw 4 balls in 6 pitches. I wouldn't even be able to foul one off.

Game 4:

- I missed the first couple innings due to an impromptu trip to Walgreens. We went out for Halloween on Saturday night, and I woke up on Sunday stuffed up and feeling like a cold was coming. Naturally, I panicked, especially since October 31 was my final day of health insurance coverage from my last job. Great timing. So I sat around all day watching football then finally got up and hoofed it to Walgreens for a flu shot.

While I was there, I bought some candy for the trick or treaters, a new can opener, and a blender for the apartment. When I got back, I found the blender did not work, and we only had one trick or treater all night. And I woke up this morning sore as shit and feeling groggy from the flu shot. Talk about an efficient trip.

- I have to admit I was shocked that Bumgarner threw as well as he did. Not that I expected him to go all Derek Holland on us, but the kid is 21 years old. And he made the Rangers look terrible. Not only that, but he had Vlad Guerrero looking like he'd never had a major league at bat prior to tonight. Just terrible at-bats for a guy that's incredibly difficult to strike out or look bad because he specializes in bad ball hitting.

- Why did Tommy Hunter get the plug pulled on him so quickly? He gave up the 2-run shot to Huff in the 3rd, and had been in trouble in each of the first three innings. But he gave up a 2-out single to Renteria in the 4th and was only at 83 pitches when he retired the next batter Schierholtz on a fly out to left. Just seemed like Washington was hitting the panic button a little quickly there. I thought he could have saved his bullpen a bit more and kept going with Hunter. If he gets in trouble again in the 5th, I have no problem pulling the plug then, but let the guy keep working. He's keeping you in this game.

- Tim McCarver talked about Posey's catching ability and his arm. Nice to see them give Posey props for his hose. It really is remarkable. He threw another guy out and it wasn't even close. Then McCarver went and made comparisons to Johnny Bench. Interestingly enough, Posey was the 2008 winner of the Johnny Bench award given to the best collegiate catcher. Check out Posey's Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Posey

The more I read and research this guy, the more I realize he might be the most talented all-around player in the game today. He was the starting shortstop for the Y-D Red Sox in the Cape League in 2006, and the starting catcher for the same team in 2007. Both teams won the Cape League title. He also played every position in one game for Florida State, and was their closer. WTF. I just spent 20 minutes watching videos of him on YouTube. What a treat. I have a crush.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=buster+posey&aq=f

- During the game, Joe Buck and McCarver started discussing the topic of Tommy John. At one point McCarver referred to Tommy John as "TJ". That led me to text my buddy Kevin about how McCarver is just insufferable sometimes. Kevin referred to him as "obnoxious", which I realized is the best way to describe McCarver.

Kevin also made a fair point a few minutes later. As pompous and arrogant as Joe Buck is, you have to acknowledge that there's no one you'd rather have calling a game, whether it be the World Series, Super Bowl, whatever. This also led to Kevin and I agreeing that FOX should bring in Troy Aikman to do color for World Series games. Because let's face it, the same comfort level you get with Buck you get with Aikman during football games. And I'd rather listen to Aikman, a quarterback, talk about baseball than McCarver talk about anything.

- Brian Wilson is a bad ass. You kind of have to believe him when he says he signed up for this job the day he was born.

I'm still sick but I'll be watching Game 5 tonight. I'm predicting Cliff Lee returns to form and this Series returns to San Francisco on Wednesday. In fact I'm predicting a Game 7, as well. Giants will drop the next two and provide the most exciting, all hands on deck Game 7 we've ever seen.

-Bess