Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 3/29/2009

March Madness is in full swing. The NBA regular season is winding down, headed for the playoffs. Baseball is also ready to get underway. While you watch the lack of underdogs in the Dance, notice the lack of parity in the NBA this year, and warm up to a long summer of scandal-ridden baseball here are some great links from around the web to keep you satisfied.


Alyssa Milano, Author and Scholar:
Friend of the Cartel, Alyssa Milano, has decided to take her love of the game of baseball and her love of its stars and turn it into a book. [Moon Dog Sports]

Brilliant Speech, But To No Avail
What if the coach from Hoosiers had spoken to the Boilermakers prior to Thursday's game against Connecticut? [Boiled Sports]

Bulls Finally Get Sidekick for Rose
John Salmons hasn't been in Chicago long after being traded from the Kings, but he has made the most of it so far and is putting up some solid numbers. [Pippen Ain't Easy]

Durant is a Beast, Says He Likes Oklahoma
Superstud Kevin Durant is pleased with the direction that the OKC franchise is taking. He sees a bright future, and as long as he wears one of those atrocious OKC unis, the Thunder could be dangerous.[The Boston Globe]

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Gold Stars for All (Except Gagne)

Baseball movings...

With the NFL season coming to an end, the NBA and college hoops in full swing, and the ongoing A-Rod scandal it can sometimes be hard to figure out what's going on with your favorite baseball teams and players. Here's a quick recap of some of the bigger moves that have occurred recently.

2/21/09 - Twins sign Joe Crede to 1 year deal. Crede had previously been with the White Sox.

2/20/09 - Braves resign Tom Glavine to a 1 year deal. Glavine was 2-4 with a 5.54 ERA last season. He is still recovering from the elbow injury that cut that season short.

2/19/09 - Mariners sign Ken Griffey Jr. to a 1 year deal. Griffey is returning to the team that he started his future HOF career with. He played with the M's from 1989-1999 prior to leaving for Cincinnati.

Brewers resign Eric Gagne to a Minor League deal. Gagne will also not be wearing his trademark goggles after having laser eye surgery.

2/15/09 - Angels sign Bobby Abreu to a 1 year deal. Bobby was one of the few people in baseball to not be offered a fat contract by the Yankees, though he put up a .296 average, 20 HR and 100 RBI in 2008.

2/12/09 - Nationals sign Adam Dunn to a 2 year deal. Dunn had been with the Diamondbacks at the end of last season after being traded by the Reds.

---

Other than the Gagne deal (Gagne hasn't mattered since his days with the Dodgers), I give all of the GMs that made these deals gold stars.

Dunn, Abreu, and Crede are going to improve the rosters of the teams that they head to. The Nats and Angels get sluggers (LA working to replace the power they lost in Teixeira) and the Twinkies get a solid all-around player in Crede (assuming he can stay healthy for once).

The Griffey and Glavine deals are more sentimental than practical, but I applaud them nonetheless. Griffey has only one more year in him, and it's nice to see him head back to the Emerald City rather than add another cap to his closet. Since he will likely don a Mariner cap on his HOF plaque, it's good to see him end his career there. Glavine is equally washed-up. However, if he is able to return to the Bravos, then perhaps he can end on a solid note for the team that he helped turn into a powerhouse of the 90's.
[Editor's Note: Braves are often considered the team of the 90's; Braves titles: 1 Yankees:3, including 2 over Braves...hmm?]

The nicest thing by far about all of these deals is that they are short-term. Rather than the long term contracts that the Yanks, Mets, and others were throwing around like candy this year these teams have chosen to play it conservatively and sign big names to short contracts. We all know that players play harder in a contract year. It's a fact. It looks like these GMs pay attention.

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 2/14/2009

My beloved Boilermakers eked out a win today in Iowa City. With Play like that they'll likely be slaughtered by the Spartans on Tuesday. With that said, and in honor of how crazy the Big Ten season has been, I've decided to keep a Midwestern flavor in my recap of the web's best.


John Paxson ousted in the Windy City:
With the Bulls being basement dwellers practically ever since His Airness left town, everybody saw this coming. Here we have a good recap of his stellar moves and signings.
[Luol's Dong]

AL Central Preview
Even though it's only February, diehard baseball fans are already looking towards the the upcoming season. I have to agree with picking the Twins, though the ChiSox may give them a run. With the AL East as stacked as ever, there will only be one playoff spot coming from the Central. [Midwest Sports Fans]

Tom Crean Continues to Bring Respectibality to Bloomington
The Cartel has long been a fan of Crean. We loved what he did at Marquette and hoped that he might help heal IU after the disastorous exits of Knight, Sampson, and to a lesser extent Davis. It seems that he might be living up to this reformer hype. Though we will never be IU fans, we are glad to see this kind of action. [Larry Brown Sports]

Bears Make Roster Changes
Long time Bears will be seen elsewhere next year. Mike Brown and Marty Booker were not offered new contracts. Also it appears that John Tait will retire. [Chicago Sun-Times]

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 1/15/2009

NBA News - Eastern Conference Edition

Danny Granger, Pleasant Surprise:
New Mexico isn't usually known for producing superstars, nor is the 17th pick in the draft. However, Danny Granger has risen to be one of the premier players in the league and is in the top 5 in scoring. [Indy Cornrows]

The Hawks of Old?:
Joe Johnson tells us why his hawks are playing like this, rather than like this.
[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

Motown Math:
A look at how Detroit's performance stacks up now that they've switched to "small ball".
[Detroit Bad Boys]

Improved Magic Shooting:
During the first 18 games of the year, the Magic couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Since then, their shooters have lit up and are complementing Superman. [Third Quarter Collapse]

Charles Oakley!
Charles Oakley now has an internet cooking show. The fact that this is not the most shocking news I've heard this week just goes to show what a crazy world this is.
[Posting and Toasting]

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 1/10/2009

A sunset over the Pacific. Due to Indiana's crappy weather, The Siets & Billynho are both wishing we could go back to Cali.

NBA News - Western Conference Edition

Spurs Mid-Seasonish Recap:
Are the Spurs' roleplayers studs or simply playing out of their minds as of late?
[Pounding the Rock]

Nuggets Not Done Trading:
Denver made headlines with the AI for Chauncey trade, but they've continued to deal and might not be done. [Rocky Mountain News]

Oden's O-Fon:
Our favorite Portland big man is releasing a special edition phone. [Blaze of Love]

Christmas Comes Late in Utah:
A fan blew a loud whistle in Salt Lake City causing the Warriors to stop play... a Kyle Korver dunk ensued. [Ball Don't Lie]

Mutombo! Mutombo!
Mutombo gives his take on the current state of the Rockets. [BallerBlogger]

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Just Read These Two Funny Pieces

If you like this site, you have to read these. There's really not anymore I can say. These were the first two things I read when I woke, and I couldn't stop laughing out loud to myself.:

The headline lured me in. And how could it not? Who is this guy!? I'm either creeped out or really impressed, I can't decide which yet. Against my better judgement, I'm leaning towards the latter. Tony Romo Takes Homeless Man to Movies

Hahahahahahahahahah!............. hahahhahahaahahahah.......... I could look at these pictures all day. Try it; you'll like it. The Art of the Sports Columnist Photo by Joe Sports Fan

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 11/20/2008

Now that college basketball has officially begun, The Siets and the rest of the staff here at the Cartel couldn't be more excited. For one thing, our Boilers are looking sharp in the preseason NIT and are headed to NYC. Secondly, is there a more exhilarating sport to watch than college hoops? About the only way college hoops could get better is if some drastic change were made.

Nonetheless, this week has already caused some interesting basketball news to hit the internet and we're here to show you the best...


If there is one thing that the Cartel can't stand in sports, it's cheating. After all, we hated Kelvin Sampson long before he started coaching in Bloomington. Dana O'Neil, writing for a site you might have heard of, brings to light how shady and conniving some college coaches have become. My dad always says, "whenever a program starts to win, you don't have to wait long before the evidence starts to prove they were cheating." Looking at some of the teams that Ms. O'Neil cites, it seems like my dad might be right again. [ESPN]

New Jersey Institute of Technology is not a very good basketball program. In fact, they are one of the worst programs ever (at least as of late). Some records should never be broken. [ABC-11 Raleigh/Durham]

Matt Painter proves his genius once again! Only a mastemind of his caliber would have had the foresight to see that stud recruit Tyler Zeller would break his wrist and miss the entire season. I'm glad we got Lew Jack instead. [FOX Sports]

A very bizarre situation occurred the other night during the NIT Season Tip-off. Loyola's coach found a very creative way to avoid ejection, seemingly having to deal with a biased and unprofessional ref (based on Patsos' story). [SportingNews]

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 10/27/2008

It's here. Actually it's been here for awhile now, I just write articles too sporadically. The it that I am referring to? The Fall Classic of course. So in today's installment of the best of the web, we look exclusively to that greatest of pastimes and take one final look at what's being said about baseball on the internet this season.


A Braves' fan rooting for the Phils? Next you'll tell me that Guy Ritchie has season tickets next year for Yankee Stadium along the third base line. Actually this is one extremely well written piece if you are a National League enthusiast, hate indoor ballparks, or just like your franchises to be old enough to vote. [The Launching Pad]

Counter the above article with a Rays' fan who has conceded defeat, but doesn't regret a thing. [DraysBAY]

Could ESPN be breaking up John and Joe on Sunday Night? Whether you love them or hate them (or hate how one always compares every great team to the Big Red Machine), there is no denying that it would be weird to see a change after almost 20 years. [NY Daily News]

It always amazes me how when there is a big name on the market, everybody (and this article proves that I mean everybody) feels they have a shot. Guess what? Johnny Damon wasn't leaving the Red Sox to go to Minnesota, Santana wasn't going to play for the Nationals, and Peavy will not have a KC on his hat come April either. [Royals Mailbag]

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 10/8/2008

The internet is abuzz with all things sport lately, which makes writing articles like this fairly easy. In fact, I was able to churn this out in about the time it took Kimbo to get knocked out (too soon?).

Read on to see the best the internet has to offer (at least for the time being).

Baseball:

The ALCS and NLCS are set! Games will begin on Thursday in Philly. The superbly written and designed Phillies Nation points out that usual stud Chase Utley has been less than stellar so far in the playoffs. For the Phils' sake, I hope he can rebound. [Phillies Nation]

One of the Cartel's favorites, Core-Pat, will be looking for work. [Red Hot Mama]

Apparently it's not just Prince Fielder and CC. Baseball Reference tells us that the big leagues are getting even bigger as of late. [Baseball Reference]

Football:

My buddy pointed out to me that the 'Cats of N'western are undefeated, but only after a cupcake first 5 games. With that said, they may stun the superior Spartans and there is no doubt that they'll knock off my Boilers in Evanston. As for their schedule to date, check it out. [ESPN]

BYU is rolling. But, will the Cougs stumble even before they play their toughest on-paper opponent (not to mention hated rival) in Salt Lake City? [Salt Lake Tribune]

Marvin Lewis may be a bad coach, but this little gem makes us chuckle. [Stripe Hype]

Billynho and I watched the 'Aints lose to the Vikes last night and we couldn't help but slightly disagree with some of the officiating decisions. Looks like the NFL is sending their cleanup crews around to tidy up this mess, including the Saints' homepage. [ProFootballTalk]

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 10/1/2008

Baseball:

Playoffs begin today! Wednesday's games include Boston@Anaheim, Dodgers@Cubs, and Milwaukee@Philadelphia [MLB]

Looks like Charlie Hustle might have been right to always slide head-first. [LiveScience]

Padres say that stud pitcher Jake Peavy could be wearing a new uniform next year, if the price is right. [San Diego Union-Tribune]


Basketball:

It should have probably been expected, given their horrible name, but OKC's unis are awful. [Ball Don't Lie]

A look at the beginning of the Michael Curry era in MoTown, probably the least heralded of all the coaching changes that occurred off-season. [True Blue Pistons]

Dr. J-Water is making me doubt that he actually holds an advanced degree. The reason? He thinks the Nuggets are legit. Maybe one of his fellow Hoop Doctors is a shrink and can hook him up with some meds. If you boys and girls are lucky our own sage, Billynho, might just weigh in on the Nuggets himself. [Hoop Doctors]

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 9/26/2008

Contrary to what another writer on this site has alluded to, people besides Billynho do still contribute to The Cartel.

I present to you some cool stuff living on the interwebs:

Baseball:

Video of a young Jason Giambi swinging for the fences. [Today's Big Thing]

My pick for the NL West, the D'Backs, finally got eliminated, humorous analysis ensues.
[AZ Snakepit]

To add further insult to my Yanks not making the postseason, the stud sabermetricians over at Baseball-Reference point out how historically futile the Hughes-Kennedy experiment has been to date. [Baseball-Reference]

Football:

The best take on the awesome upset last night in Corvallis. [MoonDogSports]

In honor of the 2008 Lions and Rams, a look at some of the worst NFL teams ever. [Page 2]

Ty Willingham thinks the Huskies will play in a bowl game?[Seattle Times]

Basketball:

The Cartel's favorite Rocket, Carl Landry, is staying in Houston and getting PAID! We love to see Boilermakers dominating the bigs. [Inside Hoops]

Kornheiser's Cartel loves retro tees (more on this in the future), but until then check out these sweet Grandma-ma shirts. [Breezy Excursion]

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 9/8/08

Baseball-

As we head towards the playoffs, here's 10 reasons to hate Red Sox fans.

Quentin definitely didn't hit a wall, just his bat. In addition to shattering his wrist, he may have also shattered the South Siders' chance at playing in October.

Texas could hold on to one of their All-Stars. Now if they weren't worst in the MLB for team ERA, maybe they could challenge the Halos out west.

Football-

ECU looked really good against West Virginia. They were more physical, their offense was more in sync, and it looked like Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium was rocking. Hopefully they can continue to have success despite their head coach having some unfortunate ties to an idiot and Rece Davis' stupid nicknames.

Speaking of idiots... Why is the world so afraid to admit that "mighty" Notre Dame is awful. Every program goes through its down periods. Although I am the furthest thing from a Notre Dame fan, even I'll admit that no program can truly match their legacy. However, pieces like this and the comments of former coaches only cheapen that legacy by trying to account for or ignore this current bad team.


Basketball-

Here's one of the best recaps of the San Antonio Spurs' offseason moves: "surplus awesome", hilarious.

When are athletes going to learn that it is their bodies that make them all that fat cash. I get tired of hearing stories like this, when guys like David Teague are struggling to find a gig.

 

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 9/6/08

Couple quick links to help get you through this mundane slate of college football games:

A tidy summer transfer recap from Norman Hubbard. Sunderland's next expenditure was greater than Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham's combined. [ESPN Soccernet]

Cornrows has the scoop on Danny Granger's trip to Indonesia. I wonder where Jamaal Tinsley took a goodwill trip to this summer? [Indy Cornrows]

Our old friend Usain Bolt ran a ridiculous 9.77 seconds 100 meters yesterday in poor conditions (cold, wet, headwind). [The Telegraph]

Stephen A. Smith says white dudes who play fantasy sports are nerds. I believe him, because he obviously knows nerdy. I doubt Marshawn Lynch begins every sentence with "quite frankly." [Joe Sports Fan]

Make sure you read the comments after this hilarious post by Ken Tremendous roasting Rick Reilly. They're even funnier than the piece. [Fire Joe Morgan]

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Conquering the World (Wide Web) - 9/5/2008

Apparently,

-watching sports is good for your brain.

-Kobe Bryant makes more money than me.

-ESPN is so in love with Lou Holtz that they are supporting his delusions of becoming a shrink.

-Samuel L. Jackson is a stickler for realism in film.

-Beanie Wells' injury was worse than originally thought.


Who knew?

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