Best Favre Thing Ever

Pretty safe to say that right now, there is no more dominant playoff pitcher than Cliff Lee.  Lee was absolutely filthy last night in shutting down the Tampa Bay Rays with a complete game, 11 whiff effort, and the Rangers were 5-1 winners to take the series 3-2, the first series they've won in franchise history.  The home team was winless in all five games of that series.  They Rangers will host the New York Yankees in the ALCS starting Friday night.  As for Lee, his timing couldn't be better - he's a free agent this off-season and word is he's after CC Sabathia money: 8 years, $160 million, give or take.

Another day of Euro 2012 qualifying went down yesterday, and the story of the day might have been England,  held at home to a scoreless draw by Montenegro, who aren't exactly a powerhouse, and a tiny country of only 620,000.  But it is not.  The story of the day is for a game that didn't end up taking place, thanks to Serbian fans rioting in Genoa, Italy ahead of their game, led mostly by fans of Red Star Belgrade who were sour the national team was starting a goalie who went from them to rival Partizan Belgrade.  A few death threats and fake obits at the team hotel were merely the start.  Mix in some flares lobbed pre-game, including at the Italian goalie, some fascist salutes and chants, and the officials had little choice but to shut it down.  But at least the Serbian fans aren't taking things too seriously (end sarcasm).  Italy will likely be awarded a 3-0 win.  Video below, some pictures here.   The rest of the qualifying wrap here.

A New York Jets fan set out to the tailgate on Monday night with pictures of Brett Favre's "Little Gunslinger" planning to show the pics and see what people's reactions were.  Worth every minute you'll spend watching, check this out. Not safe for work, for language and the title of the page.  Also, Bukkake passed on a link to Favre's official site with a holier than thou rebuke from a Darren Grossman blasting Deadspin.

LeBron James left last night's Heat game with what they're calling a muscle cramp.  Give my voodoo doll some credit, won't you?

The Pittsburgh Pirates interviewed former Toronto Blue Jay manager John Gibbons for a managerial position Monday.  Yeah, that ought to get the fan base thinking the last two decades or so of futility are about to come to an end.

How pimp is the Tampa Bay Bucs backfield with a Blount and a Cadillac?

Tough NFL betting in 2010. Most fans tend to bet faves, but check out the underdog records against the spread by week: (1) 7-7-2, (2) 10-5-1, (3) 11-5, (4) 9-5, (5) 9-5.  That's 46-27-2 so far, or a smoking 63%.

If the Philadelphia Phillies go to World Series, Game 1 will take place across street from Philadelphia 76ers' opener vs. LeBron James and the Miami Heat.  Loved hearing that Shaq O'Neal is referencing the Heat's "Big Two", and refusing to refer to Chris Bosh by name.  Of course, it would've been funnier if O'Neal wasn't deep into the back nine of his career.

L.A. NFL stadium developers are working on a stadium design to also host World Cup soccer action, with the U.S. a strong contender for 2018 hosting rights. 

Check out the neck ink of Denver Nugget Chris Anderson.  Scary.

Speaking of ink, when you're getting ready to get some done, and the tattoo artist shows it to you in a mirror and it shows up backwards, that means it is in fact, backwards, as this knucklehead found out the hard way when getting a Chicago White Sox tattoo.

Loonie tune Elizabeth Hasselbeck has a conspiracy theory - surprise! - on the Brett Favre Pecker Pics escapade.   She's surprised that the pics and voicemails would leak just ahead of a Vikings visit to the Jets?  Come on, what better time for them to leak!?

James Sharman of The Score offers up his take on Toronto FC's (latest) big winter.

Other than any divisional series win celebration, here are 20 overzealous sports celebrations, complete with video evidence.

I'm off on holidays for the next few days so you won't be seeing any updates.  Back Monday, but first, a couple vids to close things out, 

Check out the Serbian fans run wild in Italy yesterday in their Euro qualifier.  Classy.





Your "luck" may be changing, Buffalo Bills fans.  Here's a look at Andrew Luck, Stanford QB, who could well be the #1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.  Note: he's the guy blowing up a USC player after a fumble.

More drunks

With the growth of international events, almost feels like UFC is becoming a weekly thing. Tonight, "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine faces Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC96. As a fine service from RM to you, check out mmahacks.com if you're looking to watch from the comfort of your PC, free...hot on the heels of yesterday's photos of drunken athletes comes word that Chelsea's John Terry and Ashley Cole are in hot water with manager Guus Hiddink after Cole was arrested after a drunken night out with Terry in London...and speaking of athletes drinking - still - good to hear former NFLer Brian Bosworth was busted for driving under the influence. On his Harley...limited EPL schedule this weekend with the FA Cup fifth round on the go...Canada hosts the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic today at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Meaningful baseball has returned, spring is here again...Dwayne Wade is making a hell of a case to be in the MVP conversation this year after dumping in another 42 in a Miami Heat win over the Toronto Raptors...an SI.com poll of NBA players had 45% of players call San Antonio Spur Bruce Bowen the most annoying defensive player - a compliment, obviously. Here's guessing a poll of favorite defensive player would see Josee Caleron rated tops among competitors...Carey Price finally had a strong game in goal for the Montreal Canadiens, but remains winless in eight. The Habs have scored 1 goal in the last 8 periods of play...sometimes NHLer Steve Downie must be insane. How else do you explain a guy who slashes a linesman? Video here...Frank Mir is out of UFC98 due to injury, so no rematch with Brock Lesnar unfortunately...check out this great history of Shaq's emasculations of other players and coaches over the years. So good...have a great Saturday, don't forget to vote in the poll at the top right.

Drunk Athletes Unite

Sean Avery came back to the NHL last night, this time with the New York Rangers, and as usual with him in the lineup, they won. But, it was the New York Islanders, so the Canyon of Heroes shouldn't be planning a parade quite yet...not a great day yesterday for yours truly. Terrell Owens gets bounced by the Dallas Cowboys, as did Roy Williams - the safety -and tests reveal A-Rod could miss up to four months of the Yankees season if he goes the route of surgery. I've never understood how these athletes can know they've got a problem - as it has been said the Yankees and A-Rod knew last May - and not take care of it immediately after the previous season so they're good to go. That said, I'm waiting for the conspiracy theorists to call it a 10-week suspension..living dangerously on the PTP with a third consecutive narrow win, but we'll take it and build one it with your pick later today...Chris Bosh responded to Shaq calling him RuPaul declaring that it wasn't funny or professional. Not sure about the latter, but hell to the yes it was funny...here's a massive collection of drunk athlete photos. Way too fun seeing some of these pics. Brady Quinn and Dirk Nowitzki are multiple entrants, Chris Bosh a surprising one, Michael Jordan a cross-eyed one. Enjoy...hungry? How about a bacon, cheese and burger stuffed pizza, courtesy of Bukkake, complete with instructions on how to make your very own. This must be seen to be believed...Soccer By Ives files this look at Toronto FC for the 2009 season. Optimism abounds, folks...there is rumbling south of the border that the U.S. government may look to repeal the ban on online gambling of all varieties and heavily tax winners. Welcome to 2009, it took you that long to figure out that possibility?...River Avenue Blues floats the idea of Derek Jeter as a possible fill-in at third if A-Rod is out. Yeah, great idea. Take a guy who is horrible going to the left and make him have to go predominantely to the left...anyone interested in a used Roy Williams #31 (the safety) Cowboys jersey? If you want it authentic, I'll even work in some burn marks on it. Available cheap...have a great Friday.

CB4 = RuPaul?

Shaquille O'Neal dubbing Chris Bosh the RuPaul of the NBA might be the funniest thing in a string of funny from Shaq. Not sure if it was the hair, the cheekbones or his occasionally soft game that set off Shaq, but that's good stuff. Bosh best not fire back, nobody wins a war of words with Shaq...with the next round of the FA Cup on the go in England this weekend, the English Premier League will resume its hectic schedule with a full slate of games the next two days...Manchester United is said to be eying Bayern Munich's French star Franck Ribery as a replacement should Cristiano Ronaldo leave to Real Madrid this summer. Not sure you could fully replace CR7, but Ribery is an awesome player...any team that is willing to pay Kurt Warner $14 million per season - like the San Francisco 49ers are said to be - will live to regret that move...GBVH looked into tickets for Saturday's World Baseball Classic game in Toronto where Canada will host the United States. Plenty of good seats in the 100 level can be had. Guess when the media is covering who isn't playing more than who is, you've got a problem...the New England Patriots could have had the 12th overall pick for Matt Cassel but instead went for the 33rd overall pick. Make of this what you will, but sure seems more than a bit odd...Bill Simmons (aka "The Sports Guy") at ESPN Page 2 mentioned this came out at the NBA all-star game in Phoenix: "of all the wildest predictions I heard in Phoenix, the craziest came from a connected executive who predicted that fifteen NHL teams would go under within the next two years (and was dead serious)." I'm sure Gary Bettman will say that it isn't nearly that bad, and is only 12. Thanks to TS for that link...the latest, and likely final, word on David Beckham is he'll stay with AC Milan through the end of the season in May and then immediately return to play for the LA Galaxy in MLS. That's a lot of miles to put on his legs...have a great day, we'll look to get off the schneid on the PTP later today.

Paging Roger Goodell...

Lose to the Toronto Maple Leafs repeatedly and you're bound to lose your job, which is exactly what happened to Pittsburgh Pens coach Michel Terrien. The Empties Crushed blog weighs in: "This is too bad. I liked Mike. Thought he was one of the better coach the Penguin organization has had in long time. It's a shame the player didn't step up for him and win more game." If you've read that closely, you're probably on the floor howling like I was. Well done, GS...NBA all-star over under? 264. Total? 265. Incredible. Lost by a single point. The Anaheim Ducks, on the other hand, were not so accommodating in losing 6-2 and giving PTP its second straight loss. Fortunately, had a big enough wager on Man United to offset the other two. Back in the saddle later today, and can't wait for the return of the NBA tomorrow. Also, if you can find a line on when YF wagers next, take the under, no matter what it is...the Shaq/Kobe sharing of the MVP was vomit inducing enough, their interviews together after even worse...David Beckham says his future is out of his hands. Welcome to professional sports, Beck's. His AC Milan lost an electric 2-1 game to Inter Milan...you know how sometimes you just see a guy's act and you get that feeling "this will end badly"? That's the feeling I had when I saw the grilled up Buffalo Bill Marshawn Lynch a couple years ago. Then in the last off-season, he drops a hit and run on somebody. This past weekend, he mixed in a fellony gun possession charge. Memo to Marshawn: Roger Goodell, on line one...San Diego Padres reliever Heath Bell is coming into camp more fit than years prior, 25 pounds lighter. He'll need to be at the top of his game for a very poor Padres rotation. How did he get fit, you wonder? Was it the Pudge Rodriguez "*wink* no more burgers *wink*" diet? No. Wii Fit, of course...have a great Monday.

The only part of the NBA All-Star game worth watching...

I think I've figured it out. If the stock market has risen this year, I've won my pick for PTP. If it has gone down, so has the PTP. Weird...returning with an all-new version tonight on the The Comedy Network - no joke - "The Gong Show". Hope they have a reprise of the famous Popsicle Twins...okay, Jerry Jones, the joke is over. Fire Wade Phillips already...Shaquille O'Neal is starting to hit his free throws after reviewing tape of his form as a teen, going 12 of 12 at one point and not missing over the course of two games, only the second time he's managed that in his career. Shaq has glossed himself "Shaqavic," saying guys whose last names end in "ic" all shoot well. Here's hoping Toronto Raptor Roko Ukic finds a consistent shot to make that more accurate...LaDanian Tomlinson - a religious man by all accounts - likens his treatment by the San Diego Chargers and they're contemplating trading him to being "crucified". It's a good thing LT isn't taking himself too seriously...Philadelphia Eagle Brian Westbrook missed practice yesterday because of a bum knee. I'm releasing my Sunday Prime Time Pick today and got down on the Eagles at -3.5 -107. Seldom have I liked a team more at this stage. They've got the secondary to limit Larry Fitzgerald and more importantly, turn the ball over their way. The Eagles will not self destruct the way the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers did and should pound them. Get in. Get in now at Pinnacle...best thing of this Toronto Raptor season regardless of how it ends: Andrea Bargnani is legit...could Terrell Owens be on his way out of Dallas? It could happen, if ESPN's Ed Werder and his typically anonymous sources are to be believed...turns out Man City's trillions can't buy Kaka - literally. Brazilian star Kaka has rejected a mammoth offer to move to City from AC Milan...Michael Irvin had someone in another vehicle pull a gun on him, only for them to not rob him when they realized who it was. I'm sure Irvin's "cousin's" crack pipe feels safer as a result...the NHL is looking at the Rose Bowl in California and the Vegas Strip as possible sites for the next Winter Classic. What says "winter" more than California or Nevada, after all?...the MLS draft goes today, and Toronto FC have three first round picks to use or package. I'd prefer the latter, myself...be back with tonight's Prime Time Pick later this afternoon, 4pm at the latest...saw an ad for the new episode of The Office tonight. Dwight and Andy fight - literally - to see who gets Angela after Andy hears his fiancee has been sleeping with Dwight. No doubt hilarity ensues...have a great day.

Prime Time Pick: Tonight, how about a load of fun? We're playing the Grand Salami "Under" 57.5 -106. For those unawares, that is an over/under total for all the NHL games combined. Always fun, and the under has been a generally good play of late, particularly when they're giving you 5.75 goals per game. Note: the stock market was up today. Just sayin'.