FanIQ Blog http://FanIQ.com/blog.php FanIQ Blog en-us Fri, 4 Jul 2008 18:04:51 EDT Jose Reyes And Keith Hernandez Get In Fight On Mets Flight http://FanIQ.com/blog/Jose-Reyes-And-Keith-Hernandez-Get-In-Fight-On-Mets-Flight-Blog-10052 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:03:37 EDT As if things couldn't possibly get any worse for the Mets, we now have this. Word's leaked out today that Jose Reyes nearly got into a brawl with Mets announcer, and former player, Keith "Cokehead" Hernandez this past Sunday.

During Sunday's game against the Yankees Hernandez chided Reyes on air for throwing his glove to the ground moments after committing a throwing error in the seventh inning. Reyes said he threw his glove out of anger at himself and not in an effort to show up first baseman Carlos Delgado, who appeared to have a chance to catch the throw.

"Well, he's got to get over that," Hernandez said. "Enough babying going on now. He's a grown man. He's been around a long enough time. Take off the kid gloves."

Reyes a baby? There's no way he's a baby. Oh wait, remember how he reacted to being taken out of a game by Jerry Manuel? HUGE baby.

Anyway, Reyes took offense to Hernandez being so spot on and confronted him on the plane.

According to one account, what set Reyes off was when Hernandez allegedly responded to Reyes' concerns by saying: "I was just doing my job - you should do yours."

The two allegedly nearly came to blows and had to be separated by a group of Mets players. Which is too bad. I would have liked to have seen who would have come out on top. It'd have been even more enjoyable to hear Hernandez screaming "I'm Keith Hernandez!" while taking an elbow to the groin.

Skidding Mets A Real Fight Club [New York Post]]]> The Top Mixed Martial Artists in the World http://FanIQ.com/blog/The-Top-Mixed-Martial-Artists-in-the-World-Blog-9923 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:21:32 EDT In the sport of mixed martial arts, it takes more than being just a boxer, wrestler, or jiu-jitsu practitioner to succeed. A well-rounded, championship-level mixed martial artist has to be adept in not only those areas, but also in judo, Muay Thai, and conditioning. Other skills can also be used, but they are used to a lesser extent.

And there are four fighters in the world at this point that are above the rest of the heap.

The first fighter that must be mentioned is UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Silva, 33, hails from Brazil and is one of the most devastating Muay Thai strikers in the world. Silva also holds a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and he put his BJJ skills on display when he submitted former PRIDE MW and LHW champion Dan Henderson with a rear naked choke.

Silva also debuted in the UFC with an incredible 49-second knockout of Chris Leben, who was one of the fastest rising stars in the UFC at the time. The knee that Silva used in that fight is still shown on highlight reels, but Silva's next performance, against then-MW champion Rich Franklin is even more impressive. Silva's first-round domination of Franklin opened up some eyes - as if his KO over Leben already hadn't - and the former also-ran instantly became the number one middleweight in the world. And "The Spider" (21-4) hasn't relinquished that title since. Since the beginning of last year, Silva has defeated Travis Lutter (in a non-title fight), former King of Pancrase Nate Marquardt, Rich Franklin for a second time, and Henderson.

On July 19, Silva will look to take another step in his already-illustrious career, as he will move to the light heavyweight (205-pound) division to face striking specialist James Irvin. There haven't been many successful fighters who have moved up in weight class in the sport and remained dominant, but Dan Henderson is one of them. The UFC has hand-picked Irvin, because he will stand and bang with Silva. This should result in another highlight reel KO for the champ. Silva's future after this fight is up in the air. It remains to be seen whether he will go back down to middleweight or if he will stick at 205 and eventually face former champion Chuck Liddell or the winner of the Rampage Jackson/Forrest Griffin LHW title fight.

The next fighter on the list is Canadian Georges St. Pierre. GSP is a black belt in Kyokushin karate, and that experience is what leads to his unique striking style that has caused a lot of frustration in his opponents. With an impressive record of 16-2, GSP - who is still just 27 years of age - is already in his seventh year as a professional fighter.

Not only is he an experienced karate striker, but St. Pierre is also a skilled jiu-jitsu practitioner. GSP started his UFC career with an upset of Karo Parisyan in 2004, and he has had just two setbacks since. Losses to Matt Hughes and Matt Serra have both deterred his career, but Georges has responded to beat Hughes twice and he took his welterweight title back from Serra in April.

The reason GSP is a champ is because he has never stopped evolving. Georges has always been on of the best in the game at defending the takedown, but his complete domination of Matt Hughes - a former NCAA All-American wrestler and the most dominant welterweight champion in UFC history for the time being - in wrestling led to some fans acknowledging him as the best wrestler in MMA. And this is a guy who never once trained in wrestling until he began his MMA training eight years ago! Beware of this guy, especially if your name is Jon Fitch, who happens to be his next opponent in August.

The previous two fighters are impressive, but B.J. Penn is perhaps the most skilled mixed martial artist in the world. Penn was the first American-born black belt winner at the Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mundials, and he is also the current UFC lightweight champion as well as the former UFC welterweight champion (Randy Couture is the only other fighter to hold titles in two different UFC weight classes).

Penn, known for his incredible flexibility that translates to his superior Brazilian jiu-jitsu, started out as a hotshot lightweight in the UFC back in 2001, which is when he earned his nickname "The Prodigy." He lost in a title fight to Jens Pulver, and then fought Caol Uno to a draw in the finals of a tournament to crown a lightweight champion after Pulver left the company. Penn then went to his native Hawaii to fight Takanori Gomi, who was considered the best lightweight in the world at the time outside of Penn. Penn defeated Gomi, and then he went back to the UFC and jumped up in weight class to take the welterweight title away from Matt Hughes. Penn then signed with Japanese organization K-1, and the UFC stripped him of the welterweight title. Penn went 2-1 in K-1 (with his only loss coming to Lyoto Machida, a fighter who outweighs him by 50 pounds) and 1-0 in Hawaii before returning to the UFC in 2006. Penn proceeded to lose his first two fights back (to GSP and Hughes) before getting back on track with his retribution over Pulver, where all talk of his lack of desire to compete and love for the sport was stopped.

Then, at UFC 80 in England earlier this year, B.J. Penn defeated Joe Stevenson to become the UFC lightweight champion for the first time in his career. Penn then defeated former champion Sean Sherk (who was stripped of the title in 2007 after failing a drug test) in a much anticipated bout that Penn ended with strikes at the end of the third round. B.J.'s only setbacks in his career have been cardio and desire, but his cardio has improved and he is determined to become the best UFC champion ever. The rest of the lightweights - and just about everyone else - had better watch out. Either that, or get submitted (or knocked out).

The last fighter is Fedor Emelianenko. UFC President Dana White might not want to admit it, but Fedor is the top heavyweight in the world. It doesn't matter that he hasn't had a legitimate fight in a year and a half, because I haven't seen a deterioration of his skills. Fedor is possibly the most complete fighter in the world, and he reigns as a sambo (a variation of wrestling that is popular in Fedor's native Russia) world champion and he is also the last man to hold the PRIDE heavyweight championship. He held that title from 2003 until the death of the company last year, fending off foes like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman, Mirko Cro Cop, and Mark Hunt.

Fedor has dominant ground and pound, which is the devastating ground tactics popularized by former UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman. Fedor is also dominant in almost every other aspect of mixed martial arts, and he has little to no flaws. He transitions from each style as well as any other fighter in the world, and he can win a fight in just about any way that he chooses. He is no longer the top pound for pound fighter in the world - that title belongs to Anderson Silva now and Georges St. Pierre in the future - but he is still the top heavyweight in the world, and he has yet to be defeated fair and square (his only loss in 2000 was due to a cut).

Emelianenko is set to face former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia on July 19, and a win over the "Maine-iac" could bring some favor back into Fedor's corner. But don't expect Dana White to be on board.

Now some of you may be asking, "What about UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson? Did he not defeat both Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson in 2007?" And the answer is yes, he did defeat both former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former PRIDE light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion in 2007. But Rampage still has two losses to Wanderlei Silva and a loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua from his days in PRIDE that he has yet to avenge. Both of these guys are still around, and both are still at or near the top of their game. Rampage has to beat at least one of them to be mentioned on this list, in my opinion. Rampage is facing former Ultimate Fighter Forrest Griffin - who holds a win over Shogun - tomorrow at UFC 86, and an impressive win over Forrest could help Rampage earn a spot on this list. But he's not there yet.

Is it a coincidence that the four fighters on my list all hail from different countries (Brazil, Canada, America, and Russia, respectively)? No, it is not. This sport is truly universal, and the original question of finding the most dominant martial art in the world remains unanswered. But if you really want an answer now, then I'd have to say that the most dominant martial art in the world is the sport of mixed martial arts. A perfectly well-rounded fighter with no flaws has yet to be seen, but watch out when he (or she?) comes to the forefront.]]> Joey Chestnut Defeats Takeru Kobayashi In Overtime At Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest http://FanIQ.com/blog/Video-Joey-Chestnut-Defeats-Takeru-Kobayashi-In-Overtime-At-Nathans-Hot-Dog-Eating-Contest-Blog-10049 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT

I know this may sound ridiculous, but watching Joey Chestnut beat Kobayashi in overtime at the Nathan's hot dog eating contest was one of the more exciting things I've seen in a while. Hey, there's not a lot going on during the summer months, ok.

Anyway, Chestnut started out dominating the contest in regulation, but Kobayashi caught up to him, passed him, and Chestnut had to scramble to tie it up.

Chestnut then dominated the 5-dog overtime period. All told, Chestnut ate 64 dogs today. 59 in regulation, 5 in OT. That's ridiculous.

The good news is that the Nathan's mustard yellow belt of glory will remain in the US for another year thanks to Chestnut. Now get out there and enjoy the 4th of July.

USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!]]> Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest Chestnut vs. Kobayashi Preview & Live Thread http://FanIQ.com/blog/Nathans-Famous-Fourth-of-July-Hot-Dog-Eating-Contest-Chestnut-vs-Kobayashi-Preview--Live-Thread-Blog-10045 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:17:00 EDT

Following the colossal success of last year's Nathan's hot dog eating contest live thread, we're back to do it again. Face it, there's nothing better you could be doing right now. Watching grown men and women try eat as much highly-processed meat as possible is much more entertaining than your family and friends.

Last year, Joey Chestnut, American Hero, took back the mustard belt from Takeru Kobayashi of Japan by eating 66 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes? Will Chestnut repeat as champion? Will Kobayashi regain the title he held for so many years prior? Will someone choke to death on a hot dog? The drama will unfold at high noon Eastern on ESPN.

While many people have been talking about how technology is making swimming world records obsolete, nobody is talking about how hot dog eating world records are becoming obsolete. In 1991, Frank Dellarosa at 21.5 hot dogs to set a new world record. Kazutoyo "The Rabbit" Arai ate just over 25 in 2000. Just 7 years later, Joey Chestnut set the latest bar at 66. Imagine if someone had followed up Roger Bannister's 4 minute mile just a few years later by running a 2 minute mile, and you have some idea of just how this record has fallen.

Bodog has the following odds listed for the event:

Joey Chestnut 5/7
Takeru Kobayashi 11/10
Field 13/4

For those curious about who they get with those 13/4 odds, here is the complete field, courtesy of the International Federation of Competitive Eating:

Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti
Tim "Eater X" Janus
Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas
"Humble" Bob Shoudt
Hall "Hoover" Hunt
Tim "Gravy" Brown
Rich "The Locust" LeFevre
"Patrick "Vandam" Vandam
"The Lovely" Juliet Lee
Juris "Dr. Bigtime" Shibayama
Eric "Badlands" Booker
Erik "The Red" Denmark
Arturo Rios "Grande"
Pat "From Moonachie" Philbin
Allen "Shredder" Goldstein
Crazy Legs Conti
"Nasty" Nate Biller
"Pretty Boy" Pete Davekos
"Double-0" Kevin Ross

As for me, my hypothetical money is on Chestnut. Any other pick on this day would be un-American.

The lineup is set. The hot dogs are cooked. You've got nothing better to do. Let's get this live thread started!]]> Star Mangled Banner: The Worst National Anthem Renditions Ever http://FanIQ.com/blog/Video-Star-Mangled-Banner-The-Worst-National-Anthem-Renditions-Ever-Blog-9987 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:24:00 EDT

As anyone who is happy to have a four-day work week knows, Friday is Independence Day. On this Fourth of July, we'll take a moment to reflect - reflect upon how awful some attempts at singing the National Anthem have been. What's more American than subjecting people to public ridicule and shame?

It's not easy singing the National Anthem, especially with bad sound and tens of thousands of drunk sports fans watching. While O Canada sounds like a drinking song, the Star Spangled Banner is tough for even an experienced singer to master. What's interesting though is that the Star Spangled Banner is actually set to the tune of an old British drinking song. Maybe a pint or two would have helped some of these singers.

While the clip of Leslie Nielsen singing the National Anthem as Lt. Frank Drebin/Enrico Pallazzo in The Naked Gun is for a laugh, all of these other singers were unfortunately actually trying their best.

The first example is one of the worst renditions of any song ever, nevermind the National Anthem. Carl Lewis should have had his Olympic medals taken away for his 1993 attempt during a game between the New Jersey Nets and Chicago Bulls.



Next up, we have Cuba Gooding, Sr., who serves as additional proof that a lack of talent won't keep anyone in his family from performing, whether it's in some horrible movie or singing the National Anthem at some basketball tournament.



Moving outdoors, this is Roseanne, ensuring that no eardrums were left unshattered in San Diego before a Padres game in 1990. She was so bad that President Bush called her "disgraceful."



Another disgraceful performance comes from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith at the 2001 Indianapolis 500. On Memorial Day, Tyler honored American veterans by pissing a lot of them off. He starts with some inexplicable harmonica playing, and it only gets worse from there. Not only was his singing bad, he manged a couple of the words, then capped it all off by closing the song with the words "home of the Indianapolis 500."



While this rendition from no-talent ass clown Michael Bolton isn't entirely awful, he does forget the words, while giving an excuse to use some Office Space quotes. Why should I change? He's the one who sucks!



A lot of National Anthem singers might screw up once. Canadian singer Caroline Marcil manages to do it 3 times at a hockey game. She messes up, starts over, messes up again, then leaves. She comes back, falls down on her ass on the ice, then wisely decides to just give up.



We close with a National Anthem rendition that could have gone as one of the worst ever, but ultimately ends up being one of the best. Natalie Gilbert won a contest to sing the Star Spangled Banner at a Portland Trailblazers game during the 2003 NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately, she had difficulty with the worlds. Enter Coach Mo Cheeks, who guided her the rest of the way along with some help from the crowd.



Have a fun and safe Fourth of July, and if any of you will be singing the Star-Spangled Banner at any sporting events, please remember to videotape it all for us.]]> Kobe Bryant Takes a DeLorean To Nike Hyperdunk Marty McFly Shoe Release http://FanIQ.com/blog/Kobe-Bryant-Takes-a-DeLorean-To-Nike-Hyperdunk-Marty-McFly-Shoe-Release-Blog-10039 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:49:00 EDT

Yeah, another Nike post. But if they're going to have Kobe Bryant show up to promote the new Nike Hyperdunk shoes in a DeLorean, it's impossible to say no. Even if we did say no, I know that wouldn't stop Kobe or Nike.

I realize that Nike is purposely making this a limited edition release for collectors, eBay resellers and losers who have nothing better to do than wait in line for hours to get a shoe based on Back to the Future II, but they still could have gone to all this promotional effort for a larger release and let more people get their hands on them. I haven't worn a Nike shoe in years (Converse doesn't count), but even I would have been intrigued since those are some really sweet shoes.



Still, if it had been a larger release, we wouldn't have had people like this guy going nuts about not getting a pair, so it's all worth it.

that was the biggest bullsh*t ever. my crew waited all day…kobe shows up an hour late (sh*t was suppose to start selling at 4pm, by the time they did the raffle it was easily 7:30pm, kobe arrived in a delorean and stayed 10 minutes, f*ck that dude). . .  F LINECUTTER WEASELS, F UNDEFEATED, F WUSSY SECURITY, F KOBE, F NIKE.

Ah, Fourth of July weekend, what a better way to celebrate than freaking out with your crew about not getting some material good that some other guy got.

HT: [Hypebeast via Gizmodo]

For more from the guy who owns the DeLorean, check out his MySpace post about the event.]]> FanIQ Week In Review http://FanIQ.com/blog/FanIQ-Week-In-Review-Blog-10040 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:44:00 EDT When a fractured testicle and A-Rod's marriage are the biggest stories of the week, you know it's time to begin the countdown to football. Here's what happened, or rather, what didn't happen this week in sports...


You didn't need me to tell you this, but there's not a whole lot going on this weekend. Tomorrow, Jon will be covering the Hot Dog Eating Contest (seriously) and we'll be posting sporadically throughout the weekend. We're actually going to try to separate ourselves from these computers. We're told that's healthy.

Enjoy your 4th. Happy Birthday, America and thanks for giving us a day off to celebrate such an occasion.]]> Nike USA Basketball Photo Shoot Conspiracy; Dwight Howard's Adidas Logo Is Covered http://FanIQ.com/blog/Nike-USA-Basketball-Photo-Shoot-Conspiracy-Dwight-Howards-Adidas-Logo-Is-Covered-Blog-10038 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:44:00 EDT

Take a look at this picture above. Anything about it seem weird to you? If you said, 'Coach K is sitting down' you're partly right. If you also said 'everyone's aligned by height except for Dwight Howard' you're also partly right.

But do you know why those two things are occurring in this photo? Here's a hint: Guess who's the one player on the USA Basketball team who isn't sponsored by Nike. Yep, Dwight Howard.

Darren Rovell of SportsBiz explains:
Coach K is sitting. When a team stands, a coach normally stands. Why is this significant? Because Coach K's left foot just happens to be blocking the adidas logo on Dwight Howard's left foot.

Every player is in height order, with the exception of Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh ... What does this allow for? It gives Howard an excuse to hold the ball and be the only player to not have his hand behind his back. This conveniently helps Howard cover the Nike logo on his shorts.
So, in other words, it's a double block. Howard's blocking the Nike logo for Adidas, and Coach K is blocking the Adidas logo for Nike.

Nike claims that this was all pure coincidence, but you'd have to be a moron to believe that. This photo was clearly set up so both shoe companies blocked each other out.

Also let's keep in mind Nike spends hundreds of millions of dollars on these guys and they sponsor USA basketball, so there's no way they want another company's shoe appearing in a picture like this.

By the way, you may be wondering then why Dwyane Wade, who wears Converse, doesn't have his shoe covered. That's because Nike bought Converse for $305 million in 2003.

There's no hiding from this, Nike. You're clearly guilty here, you greedy pigs.

USA Basketball Team Photo: Artistic or Logo 'Conspiracy' [SportsBiz] via [Fanhouse]]]> Tampa Bay Bucaneers Rookies Aqib Talib And Cory Boyd Fight At NFL Rookie Symposium http://FanIQ.com/blog/Video-Tampa-Bay-Bucaneers-Rookies-Aqib-Talib-And-Cory-Boyd-Fight-At-NFL-Rookie-Symposium-Blog-10036 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:14:00 EDT Every year NFL rookies are required to go to a series of symposiums designed to help them with various life skills, like how to handle money, how to comport yourself, and how to deal with women in a respectful manner. Obviously the symposiums are working well because every year half the players in the NFL seem to be in and out of prison and the other half are broke. And don't even get me started about the domestic abuse problems.

Plus these are probably the first classes for these guys in years, since they never went to any in college.

So naturally, this next sentence shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Pro Football Talk is reporting that Aqib Talib, the Bucs' 1st-round pick, and Corey Boyd, the Bucs 7th-round pick, got into a full scale beatdown at the rookie "budgets and finance" meeting. The two had been jawing at each other all day, which I'm sure the lecturers loved, and it ultimately boiled over right in the middle of the session. Apparently Boyd wanted a higher tax rate for the wealthy while Talib was vouching for a flat tax. And of course fights are always how these disagreements are solved. Trust me, I know. I worked on Capitol Hill. Ted Kennedy has a right cross that you wouldn't believe.

Obviously this is a bit of a black eye for the NFL, having two rookie teammates brawling during a what is essentially a life skills session.

Also, as MJD at Shutdown Corner points out, even Pacman Jones and Chris Henry managed to get through the rookie symposiums with starting fights.

But hey, they seem like good guys. Talib’s draft stock fell due to repeated positive drug test results while at Kansas. Meanwhile, Boyd was suspended in 2005 and then said "I'm back, back like cooked crack" on TV after scoring a touchdown in 2006.



Should be action packed careers for Talib and Boyd. I'm sure Jon Gruden is thrilled.

The Budgets and Finance meeting is a good place to fight [Shutdown Corner]
Symposium sluggers identified [Pro Football Talk]]]> Technology Making World Records Obsolete http://FanIQ.com/blog/Technology-Making-World-Records-Obsolete-Blog-10034 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:40:04 EDT When I was in grade school, I was an unadulterated dork. I dressed up as anything from Captain Kirk to Peter Pan during Halloween, and regardless of the fact that I’ve traded Captain Kirk for Captain Morgan and Peter Pan’s youth and innocence for Peter Pan’s peanut butter and jelly, I remember those days fondly. I was into math. I was into English. I was into history and I was into science.

But in 1996, I was into mythology. I was into speed. I was into thinking that Michael Johnson was Hermes.

Remember those gold shoes? They glided across the grounds of Atlanta that year, putting on an air of invincibility. He owned the 400m. He defined the 200m. He became an American legend whose reputation has been subsequently secured as clean. For those three summer weeks, he was more than an Olympian—he was a bona fide Olympic god. To me and many others, the man was, indeed, the god of speed, donning footwear worthy of only a deity.

But here’s the thing about those gold shoes—they didn’t help him win the 200m, nor the 400m, nor anything else. Those gold shoes were a perhaps playful and perhaps ironic symbol befitting an athlete whose natural skill transcended his time. Now, instead of the gold shoes on the gold feet, we have the sleek swimwear on the sleek bodies. And this swimwear is not for show.

Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel characterized the $500+ Speedo LZR (pronounced “laser”) Racer as “a full-body suit made from a seamless fabric that has the hydrodynamic characteristics of shark skin.” People from NASA worked on this thing. Since its introduction to swimming in February, 19 long-course and 4 short-course world records have been set. All but one record-holder wore the LZR. We might as well start handing out jet-packs to basketball players and Iron Man suits to running backs.

U.S. Olympic swim coach Mark Schubert said, “I wouldn't be surprised to see every world record broken at the Games, and hopefully we’ll get a big percentage of those.” Read that again: “…every world record…” There’s no other word to describe the LZR other than “tragic.” It’s fine for technology to supplement the athlete; for example, golf clubs have become more powerful and accurate. However, as the golf clubs have become bigger, so have the golf courses on which the golfers compete. It used to be a 250 yard drive on a 400 yard Par 4. Now it’s a 300 yard drive on a 450 yard Par 4. It’s becoming ever closer to a 350 yard drive on a 500 yard Par 4. The technology has advanced in golf, as have the athletes and the golf courses. It’s a perpetual progression that every facet of the game has undergone in mostly proportional fashion, not just driving the golf ball.

In swimming, the 50m freestyle is the 50m freestyle. The pool cannot be made to include barracudas as obstacles. As such, the meaning of what it is to be a “world record-holder” has been diminished, because the viewing public is entirely justified in wondering, “What would Mark Spitz have done in a Speedo LZR Racer?” This technology does not merely supplement the swimmer—it completely enhances the swimmer in ways that are unfair in the spirit of the competition. If every competitor wears the LZR at the Olympics, fine. Perhaps the playing field will be as level as it was sans-LZR, but the records will not mean a thing.

How is this swimwear different from steroids? In today’s ‘roid-laden competitive culture, there are those who would question the integrity of sprinters Tyson Gay and Usian Bolt, arguably the top two 100m competitors on the planet. Here’s an unassailable statement: if Gay and Bolt are someday found to be juicing, their records mean nothing. The steroids don’t merely supplement the sprinter—they completely enhance the sprinter in ways that are unfair in the spirit of the competition. And on we ago again in the same vein as the LZR should be approached.

I like swimmers who swim and sprinters who sprint. Give Michael Phelps a regular Speedo. Give Ben Johnson nothing but a weight room, a track, and Gatorade. Let’s see what these guys can do when the records are determined by the athletes and not the supplements. Unfortunately, any hope of such days hasn’t really existed in quite some time, and any sliver of hope that still lives is as good as dead.

That ten year-old boy in me still thinks that Michael Johnson is Hermes. And no matter how fast anyone sprints from here on out, he will never be supplanted. In this culture, the race is no longer sacred. Hermes never needed a syringe.]]> Blog Patrol http://FanIQ.com/blog/Blog-Patrol-Blog-10035 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:06:02 EDT

In tribute to the now Oklahoma bound Sonics, here are the 11 best players in Sonics history. [Brahsome]

There's a shoe conspiracy afoot for the USA basketball team. [Fanhouse]

Your jersey of the week. A Dodgers coconut bra. [Home Run Derby]

Faceless people in the Wimbledon crowd, literally. [With Leather]

10 things more likely than a Brett Favre retirement. [The World Of Isaac]

Getting caught up with Rick Ankiel. [The Legend of Cecilio Guante]

The Bucks' GM talks to a blog. [Brew Hoop]

Wayne Gretzky's daughter is kind of hot. [The Big Lead]]]> Roger Federer's New Nike Tennis Ad With Murray From Flight Of The Conchords http://FanIQ.com/blog/Video-Roger-Federers-New-Nike-Tennis-Ad-With-Murray-From-Flight-Of-The-Conchords-Blog-10032 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:31:22 EDT

There's been a lot of discussion over the last couple months about Roger Federer's game and whether he's over the proverbial tennis hill at age 26.

His straight set pummeling at the hands of Rafael Nadal in the French Open was stunning, no doubt, but meanwhile Federer continues to tear through opponents on grass which will set up the inevitable Wimbledon Championship showdown.

Roger's doing just fine. And who says he's getting too old?

One thing Nike has always excelled at is making their endorsed athletes "cool" with their trendy marketing campaigns and always trying to mix into some pop culture with song or personalities. With a lot of talk about Roger Federer being boring lately, I think you know what Nike had in mind when they put this entertaining ad together with Murray from Flight of the Concords.

Good stuff. And good practice for his next Rafael Nadal forehand down the line.]]> Kansas City Chiefs Clarify Rule Against Standing: No Excessive Standing http://FanIQ.com/blog/Kansas-City-Chiefs-Clarify-Rule-Against-Standing-No-Excessive-Standing-Blog-10031 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:27:15 EDT Brodie Croyle Sacked AgainArrowhead Stadium in Kansas City is home to some of the loudest fans in the NFL. Although, I've never experienced it first hand, the Chiefs offer arguable one of the best game experiences the league has to offer.

Earlier this week, we caught wind of one experience that will no longer be tolerated inside the Arrowhead gates: standing. Yes, the terribly disrespectful act of standing up from one's seat was listing under the Fan Code of Conduct as being prohibited:
• Standing and/or obstructing the view of other fans
As you can imagine, this has caused quite an uproar amongst Chiefs and NFL fans alike. Local radio stations have blitzed with calls from angry fans questioning not only this new policy, but an added rule that will allow those in attendance to text message tattle tale on individual they feel are violating the Fan Code of Conduct.

I think the Chiefs have this backwards. Isn't tattling via text at a pro football in violation of the fan code?

In response to this backlash (that the Chiefs blame on misunderstanding bloggers), the organization has amended it's policy twice in the last two days. The first change stated that rules prohibit excessive standing and/or obstructing the view of other fans. Today, it was noted by FanHouse that the wording has once again been altered to read "continuous standing..."

So basically, the Chiefs would like for you to keep your standing minimal. I feel pretty confident this policy will take care of itself, seeing as how the offense will be led by Brodie Croyle, who imposes unto himself a similar rule limiting time spent in an upright position.

CHIEFS FAN CODE OF CONDUCT [KCChiefs.com]
]]> Kansas City Wizards Employees Sued For Sexual Harassment http://FanIQ.com/blog/Kansas-City-Wizards-Employees-Sued-For-Sexual-Harassment-Blog-10029 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:41:05 EDT The MLS season is going on right now, isn't it? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I really have no idea because it's MLS soccer. I'd rather watch paint dry.

But apparently I should be paying more attention. It seems that a few employees of the Kansas City Wizards have gotten themselves into some trouble for sexual harassment. You mean high level executives for sports teams would have sexist attitudes towards women? I'm shocked! And by shocked, I mean not shocked in the least.

Kathryn Carver, who last worked as executive assistant to the president of the Kansas City Wizards, filed a lawsuit late Monday against the team’s ownership group, OnGoal LLC; Greg Cotton, executive vice president and general counsel for OnGoal; and Robert Thomson Jr., the company’s vice president for marketing and communications.

Her claims are, uh, sort of damaging.
  • Cotton and Thomson would review the Facebook and MySpace sites of prospective female employees to determine whether they were “hot enough” to be hired.
  • Cotton allegedly said of one employee, “She is the dumbest person I have ever met, but she is worth keeping around for the scenery.”
  • Male employees held “drafts” of young female employees with whom they would want to have sex.
  • During a team-sponsored trip to Las Vegas, Thomson told Carver she was “hot,” complimented her physical attributes and said he wanted to have sex with her, she alleged.
Well, I guess those claims aren't that damaging. I mean who the hell pays attention to the Kansas City Wizards anyway, right? I just hope she winds up winning and getting rewarded the $128 in profits the Wizards have pulled in this year.

In all honesty though, this is pretty bad stuff. People constantly wonder why more women don't get involved in the sports industry - by which I mean the business or braodcasting. Well, because pro sports is still a world that's dominated by ignorant machismo. Hell, we've seen Erin Andrews sexually harassed by Rick Sutcliffe on air. And remember how Kevin Garnett hit on Michelle Tafoya after winning the NBA championship?

Frankly, it sucks. And the sad thing is, most of these women have to deal with it, otherwise they'll likely be fired or they'll burn down all bridges by suing for sexual harassment.

And the worst thing is, there's no way this is going to change anytime soon.

Former Wizards employee sues team [Kansas City Star]]]> Chinese Anti-Terror Police Use Segways http://FanIQ.com/blog/Chinese-AntiTerror-Police-Use-Segways-Blog-10028 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:46:39 EDT With the Olympics just a little over a month away, China is ramping up its security forces to deal with any potential terrorist threats. Which is understandable, since you want to be as prepared as possible.

But you probably don't want to look this stupid in the process.

China seems to have decided to do everything possible to make their anti-terror police look like absolute imbeciles by putting them on Segways. I'm not sure how hard it is to unload a clip while you're flying around on a Segway, but I'd have to imagine it's somewhat difficult.
Members of the country's armed police unit practised on the Segway models that have been re-named 'Anti-Terror Assault Vehicles' in the eastern province of Shandong.

Officials have bought 100 Segways and painted some in military camouflage to patrol airports and sporting venues during the Games.
Camouflaged Segways? They should work wonderfully at the airport. No one will ever see the police coming. And even if they do, they'll be paralyzed by laughter.

Plus I like how they've been renamed "Anti-Terror Assault Vehicles." I guess that means I can call my bike a "Terrorist Destroying Cruise Missile Thingamajig."

And, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't escaping from these things be rather easy? It's like the Chinese police assume terrorists have never learned how to hop over a fence.

These Segways combined with the toilets that pop out of the ground, the hilarious Chinglish signs, the lack of Western style toilets, and the rampant pollution should make this one hell of a Games. I can't wait.

[HT: Deadspin]]]> Indiana Hoosiers Hoops "Disciplines" Itself By Taking Away Scholarships That Wouldn't Have Been Used Anyway http://FanIQ.com/blog/Indiana-Hoosiers-Hoops-Disciplines-Itself-By-Taking-Away-Scholarships-That-Wouldnt-Have-Been-Used-Anyway-Blog-10026 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:03:20 EDT It's been a rough year for the Indiana Hoosiers basketball program, and while the rebuilding process has begun, the 2008-2009 season may as trying as it's even been in Assembly Hall.

Tom Crean will enter his first season as head coach with one returning scholarship player in Kyle Taber, a former walk-on who isn't expected to take the Big Ten by storm. Since college basketball programs are allowed 13 scholarships, this left the former Marquette coach with more openings than he could possibly fill with capable bodies.

The incoming class of Hoosiers includes two junior-college transfers and five high schoolers. In addition, IU accepted the transfer of Jeremiah Rivers from Georgetown which despite the fact he can't play this fall, he will still absorb one of the allotted scholarships.

Some challenging math reveals that Indiana will have nine scholarships taken this season. What to do with the other four? Creative self-imposed discipline, of course.

Indiana announced on Wednesday that in addition to taking away one scholarship this year as a self punishment for Kelvin Sampson's rule breaking, it will take away two others in anticipation of penalties resulting from the Hoosiers low grade in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate.

How noble.

Bobby Bowden is even impressed, who's known for disciplining his best players against the Chattanooga State powerhouses of the college football world.

These three self-imposed penalties hardly qualifies as discipline. Indiana had no chance of fulfilling these final spots, being that we're into July and the recruiting period has long since been completed. Sure, Crean could hand some spots out to a few tall kids on campus, but that doesn't serve the greater good of the program. The 2008-09 season will be a wash, so might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Since Indiana is one of the more prominent basketball programs, you can bet the fine folks at the Indianapolis headquarters will merely applaud this move. You have to love the NCAA.]]> Seattle Sonics And Clay Bennett Officially Moving To Oklahoma City http://FanIQ.com/blog/Seattle-Sonics-And-Clay-Bennett-Officially-Moving-To-Oklahoma-City-Blog-10024 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:17:00 EDT

The Sonics are now officially free to move to Oklahoma, and just to rub it in they're already stating that they're going to Oklahoma next season on their web site.

In case you missed it, Seattle will be paid $45 million up front and Sonics owner Clay Bennet will pay an additional $30 million in five years if the city is unable to secure another NBA team. Dictator Stern released a statement saying that the NBA will look for a replacement team for Seattle but I seriously doubt that.

Either way you look at this sordid affair, both sides were guilty of nefarious activities. Bennett and crew were always planning on moving the team to Oklahoma, while Sonics supporters did some less than awesome things to try and keep the team.

But now that the dust has settled, what will the Sonics be named once they move to Oklahoma? If you think Bennett will keep the name "Sonics" after this complete mess, you're out of you mind.

In fact, the team is already taking suggestions. Three other names they have are the Thunder, the Thunderbirds, and the Twisters. They sure like thunder in Oklahoma for some reason. But, you can also add in your own suggestion, which I advise you to do.

And to help you, let's take a look at some of the suggestions floating around the web today.
  • POINT GUARD has died of typhoid
  • Oklahoma City Trails of Tears
  • The Oklahoma Dirt Farmers
  • The Basketball Team Formerly Known as the Sonics
  • The Seattle Runoffs
  • SoonerSonics
  • The Only Black People In Oklahoma City
  • The Flaming Oklahoma Rainbow Pansies
  • Oklahoma City Backstabbers
  • The Oklahoma GoodLuckGettingAFreeAgentToComeToYourCrackerAssCity
Personally, I'm partial to "POINT GUARD has died of typhoid." Who wouldn't want to play for a team with that name?

Feel free to add your suggestions below.

Source: (seattletimes.nwsource.com)]]> Cynthia Rodriguez Dumps A-Rod For Lenny Kravitz; Alex Free Continue Late Night Visits With Madonna http://FanIQ.com/blog/Cynthia-Rodriguez-Dumps-ARod-For-Lenny-Kravitz-Alex-Free-Continue-Late-Night-Visits-With-Madonna-Blog-10020 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:06:00 EDT I deserve a fractured testicle for writing about this, but it's what our sports world has come to. Cynthia Rodriguez has apparently dumped Alex for rocker Lenny Kravitz. You can't make this stuff up people.

I'm not sure what's worse for A-Rod, that he's opted to spend his late nights with Madonna, or that his wife honestly left him for Kravitz?

It's only fitting that we link to the honorable New York Post for the down and dirty:
"A-Rod's wife, Cynthia, has been shacked up with rocker Lenny Kravitz in Paris.

The stunning news emerged a day after revelations that Alex Rodriguez has been paying late-night visits to Madonna's Upper West Side apartment.

The game of musical celebrity beds has effectively ended the randy Rodriguez's already-shaky marriage, even though divorce papers have not been filed, sources said.

Cynthia Rodriguez, 34, has been in Paris for at least the past four days visiting Grammy-winner Kravitz.

C-Rod was seen outside the 44-year-old Kravitz's pad in the romantic City of Light as recently as Tuesday night."

Riveting. Why do we, as a whole, care about this stuff? I'll never understand.

What I really enjoyed about the Post's gossip dump, is how they slid this in at the end:
"Rodriguez, whose $275 million Yankee contract makes him the highest-paid player in baseball history, has delivered all-star seasons for the Bombers, but has followed those with mediocre postseasons."
OK, now back to today's other juicy topics like Brett Favre. Is it July 4th yet?

A-ROD WIFE GOES DOWN SWINGING [NY Post]
]]> Michael Barrett Fouls 95 MPH Fastball Back Into His Face http://FanIQ.com/blog/Video-Michael-Barrett-Fouls-95-MPH-Fastball-Back-Into-His-Face-Blog-10018 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:36:00 EDT

I'm not going to say Michael Barrett had this coming, but he had this coming. While I loved both cheap shots he gave to A.J. Pierzynski and Carlos Zambrano, it was just a matter of time before karma made it's way back around.

Thanks to The Fightin's we've got video of Barrett gruesome foul ball off an Ubaldo Jiminez pitch that somehow manage to redirect right up into his grill. It takes a unique talent, the same talent that is batting .202, to pull off this feat.

Barrett was taken to a local hospital for examination, where the preliminary diagnosis was poor hitting and a fractured nose.]]> Brett Favre Has "Itch To Play Again," And Has Contacted Green Bay Packers About Coming Back http://FanIQ.com/blog/Brett-Favre-Has-Itch-To-Play-Again-And-Has-Contacted-Green-Bay-Packers-About-Coming-Back-Blog-10012 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:57:00 EDT This hardly qualifies as breaking news, in fact, I wrote this post in the days after Brett Favre announced his first retirement on March 6th.

Even though Favre broke down into tears, which was admittedly convincing, I'd have put the percentage of NFL players that truly believed his announcement at five. Favre just can't quit football and more than anything, he can't let his fanbase suffer through an Aaron Rodgers season.
Is it merely coincidence that Favre slipped his "itch" to "sources" the day after Rodgers demanded that fans hop on his bandwagon? Doubtful. Favre has seen Rodgers in practice and knows he's not ready more than anyone.

But that's not why the great No. 4 is coming back. It's the same competitive fire that might only be matched by Michael Jordan. It ate away at MJ every day after his first second retirement. He knew he could still play, and play well, so why hang it up with any regrets? His constant back and forth may be annoying to the rest of us, but it's also hard for any of us to imagine being in those shoes.

The real question in all this back and forth mess is whether or not that disgusting kid from Connecticut will put his Brett Favre jersey back on?

UPDATE: Favre has responded and said ESPN's story "is all rumor." However, ESPN is sticking by their story and cornerback Al Harris also reiterated on NFL Live Wednesday afternoon that he heard Favre wants to play again.

UPDATE #2: ESPN has confirmed their original story, citing a Packers source who said Favre has spoken with coach Mike McCarthy about a return, but nothing has gotten to a substantive stage. Favre's brother said Brett has been working out and that his likelihood of returning is 50-50.]]>