Connie Mack and Vin Scully

post from Baseball Analysts on 17 December 2009 03:40:00 AM. © Baseball Analysts

At an inconsequential Spring Training game in Florida in 1950 the torch was passed. In the broadcast booth for the Brooklyn Dodgers was a nervous youngster who at the ripe old age of 22 was about to begin his big league broadcasting career. On the field[...]

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Dave Cokin’s Hardcore Football 12/17/09

post from Dave Cokin's Hardcore Football on 17 December 2009 02:46:00 AM. © Dave Cokin's Hardcore Football

The first of the bowl games is the eagerly anticipated New Mexico Bowl featuring Fresno State and Wyoming. Okay, maybe it’s not so eagerly anticipated. In fact, chances are that outside of those with ties to the two schools and perhaps some locals in Albuquerque, the only people giving a hoot about this contest will be those who have a wager on the line. Perish the thought of this meaningless exhibition game falling by the wayside due to a lack of interest if a college playoff were to be implemented. But the BCS and the great tradition of games such as the New Mexico Bowl needs to be preserved. Just ask Ari(diculous) Fleischer and the other BCS shills who evidently believe we’re all stupid.

As for the game itself, Fresno State is the better team but Wyoming seems to be approaching the clash with a little more excitement. The Cowboys are limited offensively, but if they can avoid turnovers, their defense may be good enough to keep them in the hunt. Double digit bowl underdogs are a substantial long term winner, which is another edge for Wyoming. I’m still very reluctant to get involved here, as the Cowboys can’t match scores with a pretty high octane Fresno offense. If the dog falls behind early, they could be in a heap of trouble. Nevertheless, if I do play this game, Wyoming plus the points would be the choice.

My 14-0 run on the games I sell online came to an end on Wednesday night. Richmond fell apart down the stretch in their game at South Carolina and ended up on the short side of a misleading blowout. The good news is that my personal service plays were on the money and the free opinion on UAB was an easy winner as well. Tonight’s comp play is on the Knicks-Bulls hookup and it’s on tape now at 1-888-712-6800.

Finally, if you’re up for getting my best stuff in the bowls, leave your contact info in the comments section (don’t sweat, it won’t be published, sold or traded) and I’ll be in touch directly.

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http://cokin.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/dave-cokins-hardcore-football-121709/

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More Like Hibernation Season than the Hot Stove
Season for the Cubs

post from ChicagoCubsOnline.com on 17 December 2009 01:12:00 AM. © ChicagoCubsOnline.com

Be very, very quiet ... Jim Hendry and the Cubs are sleeping. While most of baseball is attempting to make their clubs better for 2010, the Cubs, so far, have not addressed their biggest needs or their number one priority this winter ... dealing Milton Bradley.

It is only December 17 but at some point, Jim Hendry must begin scratching items off his to do list. Granted the Cubs re-signed John Grabow and hired Rudy Jaramillo but unless taking Mike Parisi in the Rule 5 Draft was one of the Cubs' goals this winter ... then two down and several more to go.

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9.php

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Freedom in Exile

post from Dear (Tommy) John Letters on 17 December 2009 12:11:00 AM. © Dear (Tommy) John Letters

I recently read the 14th Dalai Lama's autobiography entitled, Freedom in Exile. It provided a nice supplement to what I already knew about the Lama from the movie Caddyshack (he is long off the tee and a very generous tipper... spiritually at least, not financially). In all seriousness, this is the first autobiography I've read without knowing anything about the subject. Barnes and Noble pulled me in with their 'buy 2 get books get the third one free' program, and this was book number 3.

Probably the most surprising thing about the book was how incredibly normal and accessible the Dalai Lama seems. He recounts tales of childhood mischief that are very humanizing. He feels like the ideal bridge between the culture of Tibetan monks and Western Civilization. Perhaps that is why he has been able to recruit international help to combat the brutality in Tibet.

I'm not going to write a book review here - I wrote this post to share the following quote. It's from a highly underrated movie called The Tao of Steve. The movie is about an overweight and unattractive man that uses his mastery of Eastern Philosophy to pick up women. Aside from the poor acting and the cheesy ending, it's pretty entertaining. The quote that the autobiography disproved for me..:

"You think all Buddhist monks are like the Dalai Lama? I mean, you don't think there are guys in Nepal, right, who are like, "What should I do? Should I carry packs of heavy s#%* for Westerners up to the top of the base camp on Mt. Everest, or should I stay down here in Katmandu and maybe just chant all day and check out chicks and pretend to be holy?"

Isn't there just a small part of you that always kind of thought that too? Like the whole chanting in a monastery thing sounds a little bit like a vacation?

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Yanks Speak to Nick Johnson About DHing

In a move that could end the career in pinstripes for Johnny Damon, the Yankees appear to be talking to Nick Johnson about filling their ever vacant DH role.If Nick Johnson comes back and fills that slot, he will be able to spell Mark Teixeira at first base on occasions if need be. Also, Nick doesn’t strike [...]

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http://zellspinstripeblog.com/2009/12/17/yanks-speak-to-nick-johnson-about-dhing/

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100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before
They Die

[Editor's note: In conjunction with Stan Opdyke's guest column on Connie Mack and Vin Scully, author Jon Weisman has granted us permission to publish "Vin," the number two item in 100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. As a lifelong[...]

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http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2009/12/100_things_dodg.php

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