A Day of Carpetblogging

Love For the Owls

As any regular reader should know, we here at A Fantasy Life hold the Temple Owl Basketball team, players, and alumni as the highest of the high. Temple Basketball was always the one team that I rooted for, and therefore it's always good to see some of them getting their just desserts. So it was with great joy this morning when I checked ESPN and saw Ric Bucher's article on former Temple Point Guard and current NBA journeyman Rick Brunson. Brunson was the point guard for the Owls teams that featured wing players Aaron McKie and Eddie Jones. Bucher details Brunson's constant effort to remain as an NBA player. Take a look, it's a good read.

Every Year It's the Same Thing

I don't know when sportswriters will get it. Somehow everyone knows not to mention a no-hitter during a game. But sportswriters will never learn not to mention how good Ken Griffey, Jr. looks. It's amazing and made even worse because somehow the guy's always on my fantasy team. Last year, Griff had 20 homers before the All Star break and Eric Neel of Page 2 wrote an article talking about his great comeback. Then he blew out his knee. This year, he'd made it even longer, taking a +.300 BA and 35 home runs into September. Then Jerry Crasnick decided to write an article extolling the virtues of Griffey. Last night, Griffey left the Reds' game in the 12th inning with a sprained foot and is out day-to-day. Not only that, but it's the first week of the playoffs and I could really use the guy in my lineup. Thanks Jerry.

Naive Morning Quarterback

Gregg Easterbrook, known as TMQ (Tuesday Morning Quarterback) on NFL.com is a very popular football writer. He uses a great deal of humor, pop culture references, and science stories to spice up perhaps the longest weekly football article to be found on the internet. However, as entertaining as he can be, it's also a little bit infuriating to read. Easterbrook has gone on record with his article blasting both baseball and basketball, talking about how they are poorly run and poorly played. Then he will go on extolling the virtues of football in all ways, with never a bad thing to say. And every once in a while it makes him sound like an idiot. So this year, I will be going out of my way to point out any idiotic statements TMQ makes. This past's week's was a pretty good one.

In it, Easterbrook was speaking of the growing weight problems exemplified by NFL starting lineman and said...

Pro football players gain muscle mass by relentless pumping of iron and by force-feeding themselves steaks, tuna, protein shakes; steroids are not a factor, as the NFL tests for them regularly. Via weight lifting and heroic eating, bulk can be gained the old-fashioned way, without drugs.

Which is naive if only because recently 5 members of the Super Bowl Runner Up Carolina Panthers were caught as to having steroid subscriptions, but also because John Welbourn, a member of the Kansas City Cheifs offensive line (whom TMQ has many times applauded) was suspended for 4 games for failing the NFL's Steroid Policy.

So a special note to Mr. Easterbrook, it's OK if you want to be a football fan. It's another to be naive and stupid. For further articles, please do your research, I'm watching you.