Zach Galifianakis has been killing it with these "Between Two Ferns" segments on FunnyorDie.com. I was going back through some of them today at work and this Bruce Willis one made me laugh out loud. Give it a watch and be sure to check out The Hangover 2 preview below.
-Keefe
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
UFC 127 (Weak) Results
UFC 127 took place in Koala land last night. What a card! Not really. Jorge Rivera was hit with an illegal knee by the clown Michael Bisping. Rivera could have hammed it up and probably taken a no contest but he went back out for the 2nd round where he suffered the loss.
MAIN CARD:
•Jon Fitch vs. B.J. Penn declared a majority draw (29-28 Fitch, 28-28, 28-28)
•Michael Bisping def. Jorge Rivera via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 1:54
•Dennis Siver def. George Sotiropoulos via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-28, 30-27)
•Brian Ebersole def. Chris Lytle via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
•Kyle Noke def. Chris Camozzi via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:35
UNDER CARD:
•Ross Pearson def. Spencer Fisher via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
•Alexander Gustafsson def. James Te Huna via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:27
•Riki Fukuda def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
•Anthony Perosh def. Tom Blackledge via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:45
•Tiequan Zhang def. Jason Reinhardt via guillotine choke - Round 1, 0:48
•Mark Hunt def. Chris Tuchscherer via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 1:41
•Curt Warburton def. Maciej Jewtuszko via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Hey Mark Hunt everybody! Congrats to him for his 1st UFC victory.
-Keefe
MAIN CARD:
•Jon Fitch vs. B.J. Penn declared a majority draw (29-28 Fitch, 28-28, 28-28)
•Michael Bisping def. Jorge Rivera via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 1:54
•Dennis Siver def. George Sotiropoulos via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-28, 30-27)
•Brian Ebersole def. Chris Lytle via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
•Kyle Noke def. Chris Camozzi via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:35
UNDER CARD:
•Ross Pearson def. Spencer Fisher via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
•Alexander Gustafsson def. James Te Huna via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:27
•Riki Fukuda def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
•Anthony Perosh def. Tom Blackledge via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:45
•Tiequan Zhang def. Jason Reinhardt via guillotine choke - Round 1, 0:48
•Mark Hunt def. Chris Tuchscherer via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 1:41
•Curt Warburton def. Maciej Jewtuszko via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Hey Mark Hunt everybody! Congrats to him for his 1st UFC victory.
-Keefe
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Besse changes pick, Rivera by KO in 1st
Forget what I said earlier about Bisping in our UFC 127 preview. I just watched Dana White's episode 3 video blog from Australia, which includes footage focusing on the weigh-ins. Check out Bisping and how stupid he is. It comes in around the 5:40 mark. After seeing this, I am no longer picking with my gut. I hope Jorge Rivera knocks Bisping's stupid block off into section 323. I don't even know if that section exists where they're hosting the fight, but if it does, it would be up in the nosebleeds. Enough said. Bisping might be the biggest loser I've ever seen.
UFC 127 Preview and Picks
As you may have heard Keefe and I discuss on Wednesday's podcast, the UFC is down under (cliche, I know) and The Sports Brief has its preview and picks for you for tomorrow's PPV card. The main event features the resurgent BJ Penn, back at welterweight for the second consecutive fight against a guy who will never be the division's champion as long as Georges St. Pierre has a pulse. Actually, neither guy will be champion as long as GSP is alive.
In terms of the matchup, I have to think the advantage goes to Penn. Fitch has excellent wrestling, and all great wrestlers have traditionally given Penn trouble if they can get him down, particularly guys who are bigger and stronger than him. Case in point: GSP. Frankie Edgar used his superior wrestling skills to taken down Penn, but was unable to sustain any GnP because of the lack in size differential. Here, Fitch is likely the bigger, stronger guy. But I'm not sure his wrestling will be quick enough and elite enough to take down the flexible, well balanced Penn.
For that reason, I think Penn manages to keep it on the feet enough to score well and outpoint the rugged Fitch. The only problem? No one will be interested in either guy challenging GSP again, certainly until he defeats Jake Shields (presumably) and fights UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Nonetheless, this should be an entertaining scrap between two elite fighters at 170lbs.
In the co-main event, Michael Bisping continues his campaign for what has been an elusive title shot in the UFC. Every time we've felt he's one or two fights away, he's folded. He did against Rashad Evans in a fight that not only sent Evans on an ascent to an eventual title victory, but also sent Bisping down to 185lbs. Then against Dan Henderson, he was KO'd in embarrassing fashion at UFC 100, ignoring his corners plea to NOT move to his left and avoid the big right hand. Here, he finds himself up against another guy with a big right hand: Jorge Rivera.
Rivera is experiencing new life in the twilight of his career, having 4 of his last 5 fights, including consecutive KO's over Rob Kimmons and former title challenger Nate Quarry. He packs a punch, and will test the chin of Bisping in this fight. I stated on the podcast with Keefe the other night that this fight reminds of the Bisping-Leben matchup. Bisping will look to circle, stay on the outside and win with volume punching while trying to avoid the stalking style of a Rivera/Leben type fighter. If Rivera can dial up Bisping's chin, there's no doubt he can win this fight. But Bisping is an active fighter, and if he's able to pin down his emotions, he could have the type of game plan that can frustrate Rivera. And that's the rub: Rivera has found his inner Tito Ortiz, mocking and poking fun at Bisping, ribbing him with good humor and constantly agitating him to the point that Bisping has brought a lot of emotion and trash talking to the press conference and weigh-in. It will be interesting to see if he's able to overcome that, or if Rivera has implanted himself in Bisping's head, much to his advantage.
The third biggest fight on the card is a middleweight tilt that could have a legitimate impact on the state of the 155lb division. George Sotiropolous is on a tear, undefeated in the UFC and winner of 8 straight. He's coming off an impressive submission win over Joe Lauzon, and fighting in his home country will undoubtedly have the crowd on his side. Siver, on the other hand, has gone 6-1 since starting his UFC career 1-3. And the only loss in his last 7 fights was, in my opinion, a disputable decision loss to Ross Pearson. He's an agressive, powerful kickboxer with some of the best striking in the division. Both fighters bring excellent submission attacks into this fight, although Sotiropoulos may have the advantage on the ground. And that will most likely be a place of comfort for him; staying on the feet could lead to an unplanned nap in the center of the Octagon.
Here are the picks for the PPV portion of tomorrow night's card from Besse and Keefe at The Sports Brief:
Penn vs. Fitch
Besse: Penn via decision
Keefe: Penn via decision
Bisping vs. Rivera
Besse: Bisping via decision
Keefe: Rivera via KO in the 2nd
Sotiropoulos vs. Siver
Besse: Sotiropoulos via submission in the 2nd
Keefe: Siver via submission in the 3rd
Lytle vs. Ebersole
Besse: Lytle via (T)KO in the 2nd
Keefe: Lytle via KO in the 1st
Noke via Camozzi
Besse: Noke via (T)KO in the 3rd
Keefe: Noke via decision
So there you have it. I know my picks vary a bit from what I stated on the podcast, but that'll happen. I'm picking with my brain, not my heart. In other words, as much as I'd like to see Bisping and Sotiropoulos get KTFO'd, I don't think it's going to happen, nor would I bet on it.
Be sure to check back with The Sports Brief for a post-fight recap and see how we did with our picks. Enjoy the fights!
-Bess
In terms of the matchup, I have to think the advantage goes to Penn. Fitch has excellent wrestling, and all great wrestlers have traditionally given Penn trouble if they can get him down, particularly guys who are bigger and stronger than him. Case in point: GSP. Frankie Edgar used his superior wrestling skills to taken down Penn, but was unable to sustain any GnP because of the lack in size differential. Here, Fitch is likely the bigger, stronger guy. But I'm not sure his wrestling will be quick enough and elite enough to take down the flexible, well balanced Penn.
For that reason, I think Penn manages to keep it on the feet enough to score well and outpoint the rugged Fitch. The only problem? No one will be interested in either guy challenging GSP again, certainly until he defeats Jake Shields (presumably) and fights UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Nonetheless, this should be an entertaining scrap between two elite fighters at 170lbs.
In the co-main event, Michael Bisping continues his campaign for what has been an elusive title shot in the UFC. Every time we've felt he's one or two fights away, he's folded. He did against Rashad Evans in a fight that not only sent Evans on an ascent to an eventual title victory, but also sent Bisping down to 185lbs. Then against Dan Henderson, he was KO'd in embarrassing fashion at UFC 100, ignoring his corners plea to NOT move to his left and avoid the big right hand. Here, he finds himself up against another guy with a big right hand: Jorge Rivera.
Rivera is experiencing new life in the twilight of his career, having 4 of his last 5 fights, including consecutive KO's over Rob Kimmons and former title challenger Nate Quarry. He packs a punch, and will test the chin of Bisping in this fight. I stated on the podcast with Keefe the other night that this fight reminds of the Bisping-Leben matchup. Bisping will look to circle, stay on the outside and win with volume punching while trying to avoid the stalking style of a Rivera/Leben type fighter. If Rivera can dial up Bisping's chin, there's no doubt he can win this fight. But Bisping is an active fighter, and if he's able to pin down his emotions, he could have the type of game plan that can frustrate Rivera. And that's the rub: Rivera has found his inner Tito Ortiz, mocking and poking fun at Bisping, ribbing him with good humor and constantly agitating him to the point that Bisping has brought a lot of emotion and trash talking to the press conference and weigh-in. It will be interesting to see if he's able to overcome that, or if Rivera has implanted himself in Bisping's head, much to his advantage.
The third biggest fight on the card is a middleweight tilt that could have a legitimate impact on the state of the 155lb division. George Sotiropolous is on a tear, undefeated in the UFC and winner of 8 straight. He's coming off an impressive submission win over Joe Lauzon, and fighting in his home country will undoubtedly have the crowd on his side. Siver, on the other hand, has gone 6-1 since starting his UFC career 1-3. And the only loss in his last 7 fights was, in my opinion, a disputable decision loss to Ross Pearson. He's an agressive, powerful kickboxer with some of the best striking in the division. Both fighters bring excellent submission attacks into this fight, although Sotiropoulos may have the advantage on the ground. And that will most likely be a place of comfort for him; staying on the feet could lead to an unplanned nap in the center of the Octagon.
Here are the picks for the PPV portion of tomorrow night's card from Besse and Keefe at The Sports Brief:
Penn vs. Fitch
Besse: Penn via decision
Keefe: Penn via decision
Bisping vs. Rivera
Besse: Bisping via decision
Keefe: Rivera via KO in the 2nd
Sotiropoulos vs. Siver
Besse: Sotiropoulos via submission in the 2nd
Keefe: Siver via submission in the 3rd
Lytle vs. Ebersole
Besse: Lytle via (T)KO in the 2nd
Keefe: Lytle via KO in the 1st
Noke via Camozzi
Besse: Noke via (T)KO in the 3rd
Keefe: Noke via decision
So there you have it. I know my picks vary a bit from what I stated on the podcast, but that'll happen. I'm picking with my brain, not my heart. In other words, as much as I'd like to see Bisping and Sotiropoulos get KTFO'd, I don't think it's going to happen, nor would I bet on it.
Be sure to check back with The Sports Brief for a post-fight recap and see how we did with our picks. Enjoy the fights!
-Bess
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Sports Brief Debut Podcast!
Rich Keefe and Tristan Besse hit a bunch of topics in their first ever podcast including, Bay Area sports, twitter etiquette, NBA trades, and MMA. They even rank the girls from the Jersey Shore. (You may be surprised by the picks.) Give it a listen.
TheSportsBriefPodcast by Keefe21
TheSportsBriefPodcast by Keefe21
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Keefe on Melo Deal
I started the DA Show last night with my reaction to the Carmelo Anthony deal to New York. What does it mean for the Knicks, Celtics, and Eastern Conference? Check out most of the first segment below.
Carmelo to the Knicks by Keefe21
Carmelo to the Knicks by Keefe21
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
All-Star Weekend Recap
Thoughts from the recently completed NBA All-Star Weekend...
Friday: Celeb Game. I will not mention the young boy who was voted MVP. I will however question how Michael Rapaport is still a celebrity. He was in one of my five favorite movies of all time, True Romance, which came out in 1993! Since then, he’s been in a lot of gems, 95% of things you’ve never heard of. But be sure to check him out in the current (?) TV show Pound Puppies. How many people were offered a spot in this game before they got to him, or does he get an automatic invite considering he’s never missed a celeb game?
It was good to see Scottie Pippen getting after it. I am a big Pippen guy, and clearly he still has the fire.
Rookie-Sophomore Game: I was shocked. Rookie for the 2nd year in a row? I know they had Blake Griffin and John Wall, but the Sophs had won 8 of the 11. The Wall oop to Griffin made the whole game worth while. How about James Harden, who was a late addition for the banged up Tyreke Evans, dropping a smooth 30 including a monster throw down? DeMarcus Cousins went for 33-14. I really should have considered the chemistry between Wall and Cousins before making a “friendly” wager. At least the over hit.
Saturday Night: Shooting Stars again? Come on. I don’t know what the worst part is. The NBA stuffing the WNBA down our throats. The retired player wearing a current jersey and looking sadly out of shape. Watching three people take turns missing a half court shot. Or the WNBA. Just get rid of this. I was on board for HORSE when they did that, it wasn’t good, but it made Shooting Stars look like a 1980’s Dunk Contest.
Skills Challenge: Great lineup. Chris Paul, Stephen Curry (who was my pick), Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, and John Wall. They clearly don’t give a crap about it, but I still like it. It’s a solid obstacle course and shows off some different things. Passing through tires? Yes please. Of course this is coming from a guy who will be watching hours of the NFL Combine coming up.
3-Point Shootout: I had Pierce, thought he would rise to the challenge and overcome the LA crowd. He seemed surprised by the boos. I understand he is from Inglewood, but you were the Finals MVP beating the Lakers less than 3 years ago. It’s not going to be a friendly atmosphere. Pierce should have gone from rack to rack in a wheel chair then given the finger the Staples Center. But he probably handed it better.
Despite not winning, there is no shame in the efforts put forth by Ray Allen and Pierce. The same can not be said for Boobie Gibson and Kevin Durant. Why was their a Cavalier allowed at All-Star weekend? Did we get an answer on that yet? No one else would shoot 3’s?
Dunk Contest: Very solid. NBA TV recently aired an NBA Slam Dunk Contest Marathon, airing every single Dunk Contest in order from 1984 to now. Needless to say, I got nothing done that day. (Side note: best part may have been the guys who didn’t win and maybe you forgot about like Stacey Augmon, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Ray Allen, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Kendall Gill, and the fact that Clyde Drexler was in it 5 times and never won.)
Fair criticisms about the event this year: only 1 star player/ guy casual fans have heard of, lots of gimmicks, the coaches, and the number of times it took most dunks to be completed.
I didn’t hate the coaches, but can understand those who found them annoying. I also thought the lineup was fine. Sorry people LeBron is not going to do it, Kobe isn’t coming back, and I think Vince Carter has disappeared in the Arizona desert. Michael Jordan was in it 3 times with his last being in 1988 (3 years before he won the title). It’s easy to look back and say all the stars used to do it, which is really part true. Yes Jordan was an All-Star and scoring leader, but he had not yet become a champion and owner of best player on the planet distinction.
If you just saw the completed dunks from this year’s contest, it was as good, if not BETTER, than any other. I do believe that the number of attempts hurts the WOW factor, and that is my biggest criticism of this year’s event. In 2000 did Vince have any re-dos? I don’t think so. In the same event, in fact, I remember Steve Francis picking himself off the floor at one end of the court; kinda stretch his legs while dribbling toward half court then just tossing a crazy high pass down court, letting it bounce before catching it and throwing down a sick dunk (below 5:30 mark). It looked like he just woke up and then he brought the place down. It was nuts. No do-over needed.
(Ideal 2012 Dunk Contest: Blake Griffin, LeBron James, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook, Monta Ellis… that’s right, going back to six.)
Sunday All-Star Game: A record night. Kobe Bryant went for 37 and 14 to win his 4th MVP (tying a record) as the West beat the East 148-143. LeBron James slapped up just the game’s 2nd triple-double (only Jordan had done it previously). It was a typical All-Star game other than that, long outlet passes, dunks, oops, open shots, tons of points, then about 2-3 minutes of “this is gonna be a game” at the end.
The four Celtics combined for just 28 points off the bench led by Ray Allen’s 12. More importantly Doc Rivers made sure to rest his guys. Kevin Garnett played a game-low 8 minutes, Paul Pierce just 11, Allen 17, Rajon Rondo 21.
All and all, it was a successful and enjoyable All-Star weekend, the best of all the four major sports. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the second half… well final quarter of the season.
-Keefe
Friday: Celeb Game. I will not mention the young boy who was voted MVP. I will however question how Michael Rapaport is still a celebrity. He was in one of my five favorite movies of all time, True Romance, which came out in 1993! Since then, he’s been in a lot of gems, 95% of things you’ve never heard of. But be sure to check him out in the current (?) TV show Pound Puppies. How many people were offered a spot in this game before they got to him, or does he get an automatic invite considering he’s never missed a celeb game?
It was good to see Scottie Pippen getting after it. I am a big Pippen guy, and clearly he still has the fire.
Rookie-Sophomore Game: I was shocked. Rookie for the 2nd year in a row? I know they had Blake Griffin and John Wall, but the Sophs had won 8 of the 11. The Wall oop to Griffin made the whole game worth while. How about James Harden, who was a late addition for the banged up Tyreke Evans, dropping a smooth 30 including a monster throw down? DeMarcus Cousins went for 33-14. I really should have considered the chemistry between Wall and Cousins before making a “friendly” wager. At least the over hit.
Saturday Night: Shooting Stars again? Come on. I don’t know what the worst part is. The NBA stuffing the WNBA down our throats. The retired player wearing a current jersey and looking sadly out of shape. Watching three people take turns missing a half court shot. Or the WNBA. Just get rid of this. I was on board for HORSE when they did that, it wasn’t good, but it made Shooting Stars look like a 1980’s Dunk Contest.
Skills Challenge: Great lineup. Chris Paul, Stephen Curry (who was my pick), Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, and John Wall. They clearly don’t give a crap about it, but I still like it. It’s a solid obstacle course and shows off some different things. Passing through tires? Yes please. Of course this is coming from a guy who will be watching hours of the NFL Combine coming up.
3-Point Shootout: I had Pierce, thought he would rise to the challenge and overcome the LA crowd. He seemed surprised by the boos. I understand he is from Inglewood, but you were the Finals MVP beating the Lakers less than 3 years ago. It’s not going to be a friendly atmosphere. Pierce should have gone from rack to rack in a wheel chair then given the finger the Staples Center. But he probably handed it better.
Despite not winning, there is no shame in the efforts put forth by Ray Allen and Pierce. The same can not be said for Boobie Gibson and Kevin Durant. Why was their a Cavalier allowed at All-Star weekend? Did we get an answer on that yet? No one else would shoot 3’s?
Dunk Contest: Very solid. NBA TV recently aired an NBA Slam Dunk Contest Marathon, airing every single Dunk Contest in order from 1984 to now. Needless to say, I got nothing done that day. (Side note: best part may have been the guys who didn’t win and maybe you forgot about like Stacey Augmon, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Ray Allen, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Kendall Gill, and the fact that Clyde Drexler was in it 5 times and never won.)
Fair criticisms about the event this year: only 1 star player/ guy casual fans have heard of, lots of gimmicks, the coaches, and the number of times it took most dunks to be completed.
I didn’t hate the coaches, but can understand those who found them annoying. I also thought the lineup was fine. Sorry people LeBron is not going to do it, Kobe isn’t coming back, and I think Vince Carter has disappeared in the Arizona desert. Michael Jordan was in it 3 times with his last being in 1988 (3 years before he won the title). It’s easy to look back and say all the stars used to do it, which is really part true. Yes Jordan was an All-Star and scoring leader, but he had not yet become a champion and owner of best player on the planet distinction.
If you just saw the completed dunks from this year’s contest, it was as good, if not BETTER, than any other. I do believe that the number of attempts hurts the WOW factor, and that is my biggest criticism of this year’s event. In 2000 did Vince have any re-dos? I don’t think so. In the same event, in fact, I remember Steve Francis picking himself off the floor at one end of the court; kinda stretch his legs while dribbling toward half court then just tossing a crazy high pass down court, letting it bounce before catching it and throwing down a sick dunk (below 5:30 mark). It looked like he just woke up and then he brought the place down. It was nuts. No do-over needed.
I loved both of DeMar DeRozen’s dunks, although the number of attempts and likely Darryl Dawkins, hurt his chances. Serge Ibaka did a TRUE free throw line dunk, which no one seemed to care about. JaVale McGee did something I have never seen (also one that is hard to practice for you 7 footers with bounce out there.) Blake won, and that’s fine with me. I wonder what he was really going to do on the Kia dunk as Kenny Smith did say the pass from Baron Davis wasn’t where it was supposed to be. Maybe we’ll find out next year…
(Ideal 2012 Dunk Contest: Blake Griffin, LeBron James, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook, Monta Ellis… that’s right, going back to six.)
Sunday All-Star Game: A record night. Kobe Bryant went for 37 and 14 to win his 4th MVP (tying a record) as the West beat the East 148-143. LeBron James slapped up just the game’s 2nd triple-double (only Jordan had done it previously). It was a typical All-Star game other than that, long outlet passes, dunks, oops, open shots, tons of points, then about 2-3 minutes of “this is gonna be a game” at the end.
The four Celtics combined for just 28 points off the bench led by Ray Allen’s 12. More importantly Doc Rivers made sure to rest his guys. Kevin Garnett played a game-low 8 minutes, Paul Pierce just 11, Allen 17, Rajon Rondo 21.
All and all, it was a successful and enjoyable All-Star weekend, the best of all the four major sports. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the second half… well final quarter of the season.
-Keefe
Saturday, February 19, 2011
All-Star Saturday Night
Make your picks for All-Star Saturday Night. We just saw the Rookies with a surprise win over the Sophomores last night where John Wall set a Rookie Challenge record with 22 assists including some crazy ones to Blake Griffin (posted below). DeMarcus Cousins went for 33-14. In a losing effort James Harden (who was a late replacement for Tyreke Evans) dropped a smooth 30.
Business picks up tonight with 3 more events. Here are the participants with my winner in bold.
Skills Challenge:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Derrick Rose, Bulls
Stephen Curry, Warriors
John Wall, Wizards
3-Point Shootout:
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Kevin Durant, Thunder
James Jones, Heat
Dorrell Wright, Warriors
Boobie Gibson, Cavs
Slam Dunk Contest:
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Serge Ibaka, Thunder
DeMar DeRozen, Raptors
JaVale McGee, Wizards
Should be a great night.
-Keefe
Business picks up tonight with 3 more events. Here are the participants with my winner in bold.
Skills Challenge:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Derrick Rose, Bulls
Stephen Curry, Warriors
John Wall, Wizards
3-Point Shootout:
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Kevin Durant, Thunder
James Jones, Heat
Dorrell Wright, Warriors
Boobie Gibson, Cavs
Slam Dunk Contest:
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Serge Ibaka, Thunder
DeMar DeRozen, Raptors
JaVale McGee, Wizards
Should be a great night.
FYI Sports Brief fans, coming soon the first Sports Brief Podcast. Terms are currently on the table for the debut pod. Stay tuned...
-Keefe
Thursday, February 17, 2011
RIP Uncle Leo
Len Lesser, the actor who portrayed Jerry Seinfeld's Uncle Leo on the greatest sitcom of all time, has passed away. Uncle Leo may have been a minor character but some of his scenes and lines are the most memorable. Whether it was his eyebrows, the watch he found, or his high praise for his son Jeffrey, Uncle Leo brought the laughs. The quality is terrible but here are a few clips of the man in action.
-Keefe
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Rock Is Back!
So after I went to the Royal Rumble a few weeks back I half-jokingly said I was going to start watching wrestling again. Two nights ago I was flipping through the channels around 10:45pm EST and I stopped on Monday Night Raw. Let's see what they're up to, I said.
"We will finally reveal the Wrestlemania host, next...." I didn't realize that the Wrestlemania required a host, but you never know. Before they got to commercial they showed a woman getting out of a limo, just her feet. Ok, maybe it's Stephanie McMahon, Trish Stratus, Sable, whatever I'll wait and see who it is.
It seemed like 5 minutes went by of just lights dim to lights off in the arena. And just before everyone was about to freak out we heard it.... "If Ya Smellllll... What The Rock... Is Cookin!!!" Yes sir, it was The Rock, he was back.
The People's Champ received an unreal ovation. By the time he got to speak I thought he would have like 2 minutes, but he bumped the Raw end time of 11:05 to 11:18. Not only is The Rock the Wrestlemania host, but he is straight up back.
He called out The Miz and John Cena, spending some time ripping on the latter. I'll tell you what... if The Rock is back, so am I. See you at Wrestlemania!
-Keefe
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Fedor: Over & Out
The once indestructible Fedor Emelianenko lost last night in the 1st round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix to Antonio "Big Foot" Silva. The fight was called due to a doctor's stoppage following the 2nd round. The picture above (thanks to Yahoo! Sports) shows you why.
Fedor has now lost his last 2 fights. He did not have 2 losses in his first 32 fights. Dana White is certainly smiling right now. His losses (Fabricio Werdum & Silva) came against good not great heavyweights. His chances against Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez? Not good.
But don't forget just how dominate Fedor was. It's rair to retire in the fighting biz on top of your game. If you think you still have something you go into the cage/ring, but it doesn't take long to find out the truth. Even Muhammad Ali didn't retire on top.
Like Chuck Liddell, Fedor is likely done (at least as a #1 fighter) but his legacy should live on. If you aren't familiar with Fedor as a top guy check out some of the old PRIDE fights against the likes of Big Nog, Cro Cop, Coleman, Herring, and others. He was the best.
Also in the Strikeforce tourny, Andrei Arlovski lost to Sergei Kharitonov. I thought Overeem was going to win the whole thing to begin with so I feel pretty good about that.
Norris Cole Everybody!
This 6'2 guard from Cleveland State just slapped up a 41 point, 20 rebound, 9 assist game against Youngstown St. 41-20-9? My God. What a game. It's the last 40-20 game in college since... Blake Griffin. Pretty good company. Remember this dude when filling out your brackets next month. (Assuming Clev. St. goes back to the dance.)-Keefe
Friday, February 11, 2011
Jorge Rivera Brings It!
UFC Middleweight and Massachusetts native Jorge Rivera has ripped off 3 straight wins and will square off with Michael Bisping in just a couple of weeks at UFC 127. Jorge is a hell of a fighter but he might even have a better sense of humor. He's put out a bunch of videos and this one may be his best. Enjoy.
-Keefe
-Keefe
Bruins Don't Take No Mess
14 goals were scored, but more importantly 180+ penalty minutes were given out in the Bruins win over the Canadiens. Even the goalies got into a "fight." Check out all the crazy moments from the garden below.
-Keefe
-Keefe
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
3-Point Shootout Participants
Paul Pierce will defend his 3-point shootout title this upcoming All-Star weekend in LA, and his toughest competition will likely be from his teammate Ray Allen. Here are the "sharp shooters" invited to take part.
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Boobie Gibson, Cavs
James Jones, Heat
Dorrell Wright, Warriors
Well you got 3 All-Stars and 3... others. What about Kevin Martin or Mike Bibby? I'd rather see Reggie Miller dust himself off and get in there over the Gibson-Jones-Wright 3-headed monster.
Some history on the 3-point shootout. It began back in the glorious 85-86 season where, surprise surprise, Larry Bird won. In fact Bird took home 1st place in the first 3 (why not) competitions. Dale Ellis got a win in the 4th year, then sharp shooting, never playing Craig Hodges of the Bulls ripped off 3-straight.
Mark Price captured back-to-back titles, Glen Rice, the obnoxious Tim Legler was in there, Steve Kerr, Jeff Hornacek (2), Ray Allen in 00-01, Peja (2), Voshon Leonard (remember him?), Q-Rich, Dirk, Jason Kapono (2), Daequan Cook (the Gerald Green Dunk contest winning parallel), and then Pierce last year.
I'll tell you what, the dunk contest with Griffin, McGee, DeRozan, and Ibaka will definitely be the highlight of the night, and maybe the weekend, but I'm down to watch Pierce and Ray go head-to-head in a 3-point shootout, throw the league's leading scorer in there as well and I don't even care about the 3 also rans.
I'll find a way to enjoy the shootout, probably not as much as the picture above though.
-Keefe
Sunday, February 6, 2011
UFC 126 Results
MAIN CARD:
- Champ Anderson Silva* def. Vitor Belfort via KO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:25 (retains middleweight title)
- Forrest Griffin def. Rich Franklin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jon Jones** def. Ryan Bader via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 4:20
- Jake Ellenberger def. Carlos Eduardo Rocha via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
- Miguel Torres def. Antonio Banuelos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
UNDER CARD:
- Donald Cerrone def. Paul Kelly via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 3:48
- Chad Mendes def. Michihiro Omigawa via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Demetrious Johnson def. Norifumi Yamamoto via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Paul Taylor def. Gabe Ruediger via knockout (strikes) - Round 2, 1:42
- Kyle Kingsbury def. Ricardo Romero via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 0:21
- Mike Pierce def. Kenny Robertson via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 0:29
*Silva remains undefeated in the UFC and will now likely face Georges St. Pierre if GSP beats Jake Shields.
**After the win Jon Jones was informed that will be given the next title shot, as Rashad Evans is injured. Jones will facs Shogun Rua in March.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Super Bowl Picks & Props
Two weeks of hype and we are finally ready for Super Bowl XLV from Cowboys Stadium on Sunday night. Who will win? Does it matter? Only if you have cold, wet, stinky cash on it. And why just bet the game when you can win money based on how long Christina Aguilera holds "brave" during the anthem or what will Fergie wear to start the halftime performance? Besse and I took it all in, and came up with the following props, as all as the winner of the game and MVP. Feel free to parlay!
Big Time Value Prop:
Besse Likes: Aaron Rodgers throw 4+ TDs (+550)
Keefe Likes: Will Fergie be dressed as a Cowboys cheerleader at any point of the halftime performance. Yes. (+450)
Keefe Also Likes: Will Shaun Suisham miss a Field Goal (+400)
Other Props:
Besse & Keefe: Ben Roesthlisberger* runs in a TD (+275)
Besse & Keefe: James Harrison tackles & assists over LeBron James assists (-105)
Besse: Mike Wallace over 3.5 receptions (-125)
Besse: Mike Wallace over 67.5 receiving yards (-130)
Besse: Donald Driver score a touchdown (+200)
Besse: Aaron Rodgers completions +1 over Dwyane Wade points (-105)
Keefe: How many times will Brett Favre be mentioned on the Fox broadcast; over 2.5 (-175)
Keefe: Will any player do the Lambeau Leap after a touchdown? Yes. (-120)
Keefe: Ben Roethlisberger* over 1.5 TD passes (-105)
Keefe: Will a Steeler do the Aaron Rodgers belt celebration? Yes. (EVEN)
*Accused rapist.
Game & MVP
Besse: Packers 27 Steelers 23; Aaron Rodgers MVP (3/2)
Keefe: Packers 31 Steelers 27; Greg Jennings MVP (12/1)
Enjoy the anthem, game, half-time show, commercials, food, friends, and whatever else you do on Super Bowl Sunday.
NBA All-Star Reserves Revealed
A record tying 4 Celtics were named as reserves for the Eastern Conference All-Star team tonight. The C's and Miami Heat combine for 7 of the 12 roster spots in the East. Here are the squads starting with the newly announced subs...
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Al Horford, Hawks
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Chris Bosh, Heat
Starters: Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Amar'e Stoudemire, Dwight Howard
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Manu Ginobili, Spurs
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Deron Williams, Jazz
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Starters: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Yao Ming*
These were the All-Stars I picked last week with two exceptions. I had Danny Granger over Joe Johnson in the East. Johnson is the smarter pick as he is on a far superior team, and that is clearly important in the East as all 12 All-Stars are on the Top 6 teams. Johnson has picked it up after a slow start while Granger's Pacers are struggling big time.
Meanwhile I also had Kevin Love as an All-Star for the West, and that can still hold true. David Stern has not selected his replacement for the injured Yao Ming yet. There is a deep pool of snubs in the West including Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Zach Randolph, and Lamar Odom, just for big guys. Also All-Star worthy were/are Monta Ellis, Steve Nash, and Tony Parker.
I'll be rooting for Kevin Love who leads the NBA in rebounding with 15+ to go along with 21+ points a night.
-Keefe
Coming soon Besse and I will make our pick for the Super Bowl, game MVP, and plenty of other exciting props that will make you want to reactivate your online account.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Al Horford, Hawks
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Chris Bosh, Heat
Starters: Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Amar'e Stoudemire, Dwight Howard
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Manu Ginobili, Spurs
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Deron Williams, Jazz
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Starters: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Yao Ming*
These were the All-Stars I picked last week with two exceptions. I had Danny Granger over Joe Johnson in the East. Johnson is the smarter pick as he is on a far superior team, and that is clearly important in the East as all 12 All-Stars are on the Top 6 teams. Johnson has picked it up after a slow start while Granger's Pacers are struggling big time.
Meanwhile I also had Kevin Love as an All-Star for the West, and that can still hold true. David Stern has not selected his replacement for the injured Yao Ming yet. There is a deep pool of snubs in the West including Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Zach Randolph, and Lamar Odom, just for big guys. Also All-Star worthy were/are Monta Ellis, Steve Nash, and Tony Parker.
I'll be rooting for Kevin Love who leads the NBA in rebounding with 15+ to go along with 21+ points a night.
-Keefe
Coming soon Besse and I will make our pick for the Super Bowl, game MVP, and plenty of other exciting props that will make you want to reactivate your online account.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My Experience at the Royal Rumble
From the ages of 6 to 16 I was a die hard wrestling fan. On Monday nights I was glued to the tube flipping back and forth between WWF's Monday Night RAW and WCW's Monday Nitro. I loved it all. The gimmicks, the fights, the characters, the soap opera aspect, didn't matter. I found out it was fake, fine, I was still hooked. But like most of us the middle of high school comes and you have different priorities and you move on. Thanks wrestling.
Well last Sunday I attended the Royal Rumble at the TD Garden in Boston. Always my favorite event of the year back in the day, there was no chance I was passing up the opportunity even though I would know roughly 5-6 of the 40 (that's right 40) wrestlers taking part in this year's Rumble.
My buddy DA (from the DA Show, weeknights 6-11pm on 98.5 The Sports and on twitter @theDAshow) was offered two tickets to the event, and he asked if I wanted in. I'll tell you, the fact I haven't followed wrestling in a decade did not even cross my mind. "The Royal Rumble?" I said. I'm there.
So on Sunday I witnessed my first live wrestling event since 1997 while DA was finally able to scratch something off his extended bucket list.
We grabbed our tickets from will call and made our way to our seats, which happened to be Row 3 in the Loge. (I sat 3 rows from the ceiling back in '97). I was overwhelmed by the crowd. This was a true sellout. No fudging the numbers here, every seat was occupied, or in most cases had a fan standing in front of it.
Side note: I was at UFC 118 at the Garden back in August, which they also billed as a sellout, and the crowds looked nothing alike.
As I understand the now WWE (its been forever but I still hesitate wanting to call it the WWF) is broken up into two shows and two rosters, Raw and Smackdown. I arrived at this conclusion a few years back when my buddy Shark and I were playing the video game for 360, wisely titled Raw vs. Smackdown where you battle the opposing brand for top ratings. One catch is the big Pay-Per-View events use guys from both. I knew this going in, and for the purpose of the Rumble what do I care if Edge is in Raw or Smackdown.
Speaking of Edge, he hit lead off on the night putting his World Heavyweight Title belt on the line against Dolph Ziggler. (At this point I am 1 for 2 as far as knowing dudes is concerned. One difference however is when I knew Edge he essentially was a Vampire and part of the stable "The Brood." Now he is the Rated R Superstar. Whatever. Good for him.) He won what was actually a very entertaining match against Dolph. Some really ugly chick was backing Dolph and must have some kind of power as she told Edge he couldn't use his spear or he would have lost the title. But both that bitch and the ref got knocked out, so guess what happened? Edge speared the crap out of Ziggler and got the 1-2-3. Sick match. Great start.
The second match was for the WWE Championship. Confused? Me too. World Heavyweight Title and WWE Championship? Gotta be the brands. Moving on. The Miz (from MTV's Real World, Season 10: Return to New York) is the champ. Pretty incredible. Who had that 5 years ago? He squared off against Randy Orton. (I am a surprising 3 out of 4 knowing guys, or course 1 out of 4 I met while he lived in a house with 6 strangers.)
This match was entertaining, well the parts I saw. DA and I made an amateur mistake and hit up the concourse for some food right after the Edge win. I ended up talking to a friend from college who was there and missed half the Miz fight. Shame on me, I know. And the real kicker is the final match before the Royal Rumble was a Divas Match. At least I didn't have to wait in line for my hot dog and nachos.
Gotta love this; first bout was a singles match, went just over 20 minutes, second bout also a singles match went just under 20 minutes. The Divas busted out a Fatal Four Way Match for the strap (3 title fights!) and lasted 5 minutes. The WWE hasn't lasted this long by making bad decisions. DA and I are the ones with the bad decision to eat during a good match then come back for all of the Divas, but it didn't matter we were still genuinely jacked up for the Rumble to start.
After two rival gangs err stables rushed the ring to start the Rumble, order was restored with the two true combatants. CM Punk (sort of heard of) drew the #1 spot while Daniel Bryan (no clue) took #2. (They ran some vignette with this guy Bryan and an Asian chick and two twin chicks they all ended up in a brawl.) Both of these gentlemen were prepared for a battle as Bryan lasted over 20 minutes and as DA pointed out on several occasions had a "big heart."
Punk is the leader of one of the aforementioned stables called the New Nexus. It got to a point where he was and 3 other members of this crew were the only ones in the ring, and they just waited for the next entrant. 7 dudes must have come and gone at the hands of this 4-on-1 assault. DA and I were ready to crown these guys the champs... who could possibly stop them?
Many tried, but it was Massachusetts own John Cena who put an end to the New Nexus. When he tossed Punk and a couple of his lackeys over the ropes DA and I literally high-fived and yelled with excitement. We were hooked. That was the highlight of the night, but definitely not the only memorable moment.
The WWE will trot out older wrestlers in the Rumble, something I remember from watching years ago. And Sunday was no different. Booker T returned to the ring and he did so behind thunderous applause. Now I have been to Bruins games, I have been to Celtics regular season and playoff games, and as I said I was at the first ever UFC event in Boston, but I have never heard the New Garden as loud as when Booker T's music hit the speakers. I thought the roof was going to come off. The excitement was short lived however as Booker managed to last just over 1 minute and half of that was spent break dancing in the middle of the ring. You can't have everything.
The other old timer to come back? None other than the 1995 Wrestler of the Year, Diesel. I was legit pumped to see him as he walked out to his old school music and jumbo screen montage. Just great stuff all around. He did not last long either, but had a very cool moment as when he was walking off The Big Show was entering. The two squared off in a classic stare down. Lot of bad blood there going back to WCW when it was the Giant vs. Kevin Nash. Rematch? I don't want to get ahead of myself.
It looked like it was going to be a predictable finish as only four fighters remained (well really 5 cause we later find out 1 asshole was hiding under the ring the whole time) but it was John Cena, Randy Orton, and a couple of dudes I never heard of. The Miz, who wasn't a participant, comes in and eliminates Cena (you guessed it the ref wasn't looking). Next thing you know Orton is out too and friggin Alberto Del Rio (who drove to the ring earlier in sick car) wins the 2011 Royal Rumble. Fans left the Garden irate and looking for answers. Why? Does Del Rio deserve to main event Wrestlemania? Who am I to question the WWE after decades of success?
Like me, fans come and go for the WWE, but they just keep banging out an entertaining product. I went in with no expectations, just hoping for a few laughes and some "holy crap" moments (which definitely took place, most of which from Rey Mysterio who is still getting it done.) I left the night saying, maybe I'll turn on Raw tomorrow for a few minutes, see what's going on.
I thought wrestling was no longer popular, mainly because my friends and I had stopped watching it. Maybe there aren't as many characters who interest me (I do like this John Morrison guy and CM Punk seems to be a great heel), but I'll be damned if its not still an entertaining product. People are still watching this stuff. I feel that the WWE's biggest problem now is that they have really eliminated all of the competition, therefore they have to rely strictly on themselves to improve. Now I don't think this is better than the late 90's, but it doesn't suck and its not going away.
Rick Rude, Owen Hart, The Junkyard Dog, Brian Pillman, Big John Studd, Kerry Von Erich, Andre the Giant, Fatu, Test, Crush, Chris Benoit, Bam Bam Bigelow, Luna Vachon, Earthquake, Mike Awesome, Eddie Guerrero, Big Bossman, British Bulldog, Hercules, Crash Holly, Road Warrior Hawk, Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Perfect, The Sheik, and Yokozuna may all be dead, but wrestling is still alive and well. (Jesus that's a lot of dead wrestlers, and there are many more.)
-Rich Keefe
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