Archive for May, 2009

The first player to be featured in a Mahoning Valley Thunder Profile is Quorey Payne.  The first time I met Quorey was after a home game in which he returned a kickoff for a touchdown which was called back because of an illegal block.  The next home game, Payne again returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and again, it was called back because of a penalty.  I joked with Quorey after the last game and said that the next home game, May 30 at The Covelli Centre, he would run one back and it would count.  In fact, I guarantee it.

Quorey Payne grew up in Florida and had a standout high school career before playing his college ball at Southern Illinois.  The former Saluki said he doesn’t follow his old college team much because his coaches are no longer there and he doesn’t really know any of the guys playing right now. 

Last week, Quorey did not return home to Florida during the bye week.  He opted to stay in Youngstown and try to make a few extra dollars moving furniture.  “Florida is just too far to drive, and I wanted to stay to keep working out”, said Payne.

Of all the Thunder players I have talked to, Quorey is the most polite.  Don’t get me wrong, the whole bunch of guys have been awesome.  It isn’t easy to put on a happy face to sign autographs for kids after the home games when you lose by 30 points, but Quorey and his team find a way to smile and get through it.  Payne is respectful, addressed every member of the media as “sir”, and is a very positive person.

In his spare time Quorey enjoys a good workout.  It is his ambition, to advance to a higher level of professional football someday.  The AF1 shutdown this year has only the CFL and NFL as possibilities.  AF1 might reload and come back next season.  Unfortunately for Thunder fans, Payne has 15 TD’s this year and is turning heads around the football world. 

Quorey watches The Ultimate Fighter and said a good fight on that show gets him “jumping all over the place” and pumped up.  We spoke briefly about last weeks episode when Team Bisping’s English fighter knocked out the teeth of Team Henderson’s American.  He is also an absolute addict for VH1 reality shows such as Tough Love and Rock of Love with Bret Michaels of Poison.  However, Sportscenter is dominant on his television and he says when the television is turned on, thats usually what is being broadcast through his one bedroom apartment.

Quorey likes to play video games and has a PS3.  “I like the NCAA and Madden games, but they aren’t out yet, I am waiting“.  Quorey said for now he is just having fun playing Street Fighter and Resident Evil 5.

Payne has interesting musical preferences.  He likes Anthony Hamilton, Usher, R Kelly, and Pretty Ricky.  He also admitted that he is a sucker for a good slow song.  In fact, he said he likes slow music better than anything.  I guess depending on his mood he would jam some beats before a game or during a workout, but slow music was his definitely his answer for my favorite music question.

Quorey just got out of a three year relationship and announced that he is currently single. 

I really like Quorey Payne.  He is the prototype of what the Mahoning Valley Thunder wanted to show off as a player to the general public.  He is well-spoken, polite, creative, and a spectacular athletic talent who will never quit. 

Don’t forget on May 30 against Kentucky at The Covelli Centre, I guarantee a kickoff return by Quorey Payne for a touchdown with no penalties.

Been a crazy and hectic week.  Sorry for a couple of days of nothing new, I will hit it hard over the next couple of days.  I attended The Mahoning Valley Thunder practice earlier today and did a few short interviews with players and coaches to be featured over the next few weeks.  Without further ado… here are some great stories from other sites!

Sidney Crosby Doesn’t Have A Dark Side Or Kick Puppies * PSAMP
Author Bill Reynolds Discusses 1978 And Boston Baseball * Hugging Harold Reynolds
Briny Baird Hits Bullseye From 300′ Elevated Tee * Steady Burn
NBA Rookies: Here Is The money , Don’t Talk During The Commercials * NESW Sports
Seperated At Birth: NBA Playoffs Part 2 * Fansided
The 5 Scariest Ice Skating Lacerations Of All Time * Total Pro Sports
Did The Celtics Choke Or Puke On Themselves? * Zoner Sports
Washington Nationals Having All Sorts Of Problems and more * Sports Rubbish
The Top-10 Undrafted NBA Players * Hoop Doctors
5 Things The Indians Have To Differently To Get Better * Sports2Debate
“The Happy Youngster” Needs To Be Real * Detroit4Lyfe
Nuggets And WWE In A Smackdown Over Who Will Be On The Arena Floor Monday Night * FOX Sports
Jon Gruden Newest MNF Announcer: Chuck In The Box * Gear Up For Sports
Athletes And Their Ridiculous Cars * YepYep
Will The Indians Trade Victor Martinez? * Tribe Daily
Whats Wrong With Jimmy Rollins? * Baseball Reflections
NBA Conference Finals Schedule * Talk Hoops
Penguins Hockey Coverage * The Program
NBA Photo Caption Contest * In Game Now
NBA Western Conference Finals Preview * Sharapova’s Thigh

Stories from other great sites!

Who Is Your NBA Dream Team? * King James Gospel
The Greatest Movie Hoopers Ever (Jesus Shuttlesworth All-Stars) * Ed The Sports Fan
Michael Phelps Jumps Back In The Water * In Game Now
The Angels & Demons Of The Sports World * Fansided
The Weirdest Last Names On Sports Jerseys * Fan IQ
Kobe And Lebron Championship Rings Muppet Commercial * NESW Sports
Chuck Liddell And Chris Cooley Sing With Journey * Total Pro Sports
Bye Bye Ducks * The World Of Isaac
Derrick Rose Talks About His Tattoos * Docksquad Sports
Jim Leyland Ejected After Protecting Magglio’s Honor * Detroit4Lyfe
Jim Leyritz Hospitalized After He Threatens To Kill Himself * FOX Sports

Thanks for reading and bet the #9 horse Saturday!

The field and opening odds for the 134th running of The Preakness Stakes was announced.  Rachel Alexandra was cast as the early favorite with starting odds of 8-5.  Rachel Alexandra will be led by Calvin Borel (above), who opted to ride the filly rather than the horse he piloted to a Kentucky Derby victory, Mine That Bird, earlier this month.

Below is a complete listing for the Preakness race:

PP      Horse                          Jockey                    Odds

1. Big Drama                    (John Velazquez)                10-1
2. Mine That Bird             (Mike Smith)                       6-1
3. Musket Man                 (Eibar Coa)                          8-1
4. Luv Gov                    (Jamie Theriot)                  50-1
5. Friesan Fire                  (Gabriel Saez)                     6-1
6. Terrain                          (Jeremy Rose)                    30-1
7. Papa Clem                    (Rafael Bejarano)                12-1
8. General Quarters         (Julien Leparoux)               20-1
9. Pioneer Of The Nile    (Garrett Gomez)                  5-1
10. Flying Private               (Alan Garcia)                     50-1
11. Take The Points           (Edgar Prado)                    30-1
12. Tone It Down                (Kent Desormeaux)           50-1
13. Rachel Alexandra         (Calvin Borel)                      8-5

Lots of talent in this race!  I believe Rachel Alexandra, the favorite will finish in the top 3, so make the filly a trifecta staple.  I like the 2, Mine That Bird, and the 9, Pioneer of The Nile in either order to win.  Its a solid box trifecta bet – 2, 9, 13.

My pick to win the race is the 9 – Pioneer of The Nile. 

Thunderstorms forecast in Youngstown all day.  Good day to check out stories by some great bloggers!

Jockey Suspended After Giving Female Colleague Condom Filled With Urine * Sports Rubbish
Remembering The Terrorlawn – Horror Stories From The Preakness * Steady Burn
TV Photography: Scott Kazmir Loves Cotton Candy * Bugs & Cranks
Denver Nuggets Advance To Western Conference Finals * Hoop Doctors
Charles Charles MaGalls Plays Dwayne Wade, Video * NESW Sports
Reggie Bush In A Red Bull Air Race Plane Video * NESW Sports
100 MPH Isn’t All That * Zoner Sports
Fake Umps Call Balls & Strikes From Stands * Hugging Harold Reynolds
Softball Pitcher Takes Comebacker To Head * Total Pro Sports
Around The Bigs: Will This Be Albert Pujols Biggest Season Ever? * Sharapova’s Thigh

Thanks and look for my feature pieces with Mahoning Valley Thunder players and coaches starting next week!

It is just accepted by sports fans that baeball players chew tobacco.  Over the years, and all of the countless hours of baseball I have watched, I can’t remember a game where I didn’t see at least a few players spitting tobacco juice all over the field.  As a chewer of Copenhagen, it doesn’t offend me.  I have been chewing tobacco for over 20 years so I just accept it as part of the game.

However, there are those rare instances when a chewer gets cancer of the mouth and has to have a portion of his face removed.  I sympathize with those who have had the misfortune of being in the unlucky category with their habit of choice.

Baseball will probably be pressured into banning players from chewing during games someday, it is inevitable.  They currently encourage teams not to, but I have noticed many more chewers on the fields these last couple of weeks.  If you don’t believe me, watch a game and look for it.

Athletes in other sports usually don’t chew tobacco.  I have compiled a list of reasons why with each sport.

1. Basketball players would have nowhere to spit.  If Rajon Rondo threw some Skoal in his mouth, he would have to keep running over to the bench to grab his spit cup off of Big Baby every couple of trips down the floor.  This would cut into the shot clock and make it harder to run the offense.
2. Hockey players would spit all over the ice, but the non-chewing players would get grossed out if they got checked and fell into a puddle of saliva.  Goalees might be able to get away with it, they could put a spit cup on the net next to their squeeze bottles.
3. Football players have to wear a mouthpiece.  The worst experience a chewer has is when their snuff “floats” because it was either packed loosely when inserted or it becomes unpacked and and scatters throughout the mouth.  Football players can always revert to bandits or pouches and probably do.  The mouthpiece is the biggest drawback to why we don’t see more football players chewing tobacco during games.
4. Boxers also have the mouthpiece thing to deal with.  It would be funny to hear Larry Merchant interview a fighter who has to keep spitting.  Merchant would be grossed out and retire.  Getting punched around the oral cavity would diminish the chances of keeping a tightly packed chew in place.  A fighter has enough problems with the jaw and getting teeth knocked out to chew.
5. MMA fighters can bleed anywhere they want but Dana White would probably blow a gasket if someone on The Ultimate Fighter spit in his octagon.  Now if White chewed, it would probably be mandatory that all UFC participants must chew during fights.  In reality, these guys wear mouthpieces and it would be too hard to pass someone’s guard while chewing and needing to spit.
6. Golfers don’t wear mouthpieces so they could chew.  They could spit all the way up a hole if they wanted to.  I have never seen a PGA golfer chewing on television.  It would be great TV to watch Ernie Els load up and start spitting all over a green while paired with Tiger Woods.  He would probably lose his card.
7. NASCAR drivers have one drawback, they wear a helmet.  As hot as it gets in those cars with those suits on, they could create a real mess inside that helmet.  I am working on developing a device to enable drivers to spit with a helmet on.  The device will cleverly allow the spit to be hosed through the bottom of the car and onto the track.  I would bet about 80% of these guys do chew and wish they could during a race.  Some probably do and just don’t spit.
8. Soccer players would easily get lightheaded from constantly running and spitting.  I could see one of those fiesty Manchester United players getting a red card for spitting on an opponent.  I don’t think smokeless tobacco is as popular overseas as it is here in the states.
9. Tennis players are another group who could probably get away with it.  If two players both chew it wouldn’t be an issue as they could spit freely without having to worry about grossing an opponent out.  I would pay good money to watch Roger Federer watch an incoming volley lob land in a spit puddle and squirm in disgust, failing to return the shot.

Playing baseball is like being in the garden.  There is dirt and grass everywhere and spit is well hidden in that setting.  Spitting has its rightful place in between pitches, a perfect break.  Isn’t it ironic that a “spitball” is a term used in the only sport where players spit?

Tressel leading The Buckeyes onto the field… we need college football back soon.  In honor of Ohio State, I would like to congratulate Sam & Allison Sandusky, who recently found out they will be having a future recruit for Coach Tressel.  The “I’m having a boy” text I got from Sam was short in length but long in meaning.  Without further ado, here are the stories that are linked and loaded…

High School Lacrosse Coach Charged With Selling Cocaine * Sports Rubbish
Roger Clemens: “I didn’t take steroids, my dog had a steroid related stroke” * Sharapova’s Thigh
Leo DiCaprio Almost Gets Faced At The Rockets-Lakers Game * Steady Burn
Streaker Strikes At Mets Citifield * My Sports Rumors
Call The Doctor, A-Rod Needs A Shot * Total Pro Sports
ACC Conference Tightening Belt On Budgets * The Fifth Corner
Cheapshot Elbow By Niedermayer After Game Ends * The World Of Isaac
Charles Barkley And Craig Sager Showing Their Taco Meat Video * NESW Sports
Is Michigan Ever Going To Contend Under Rich Rodriguez? * Sports2Debate
A Little Off Base: No Manny, No Problem * FOX Sports Fantasy
Jesse “The Body” Ventura Imitates Ben Franklin And Keith Olbermann * Hugging Harold Reynolds
Kevin Blackistone Compares Big Baby To Obama * Joe Cool And The Outfield
Little Lord Varlamov * Josh Q. Public
And Here We Go Again * Tribe Daily
2009 NBA Playoffs Recap (Day 25) * The No-Look Pass
Pens vs Caps Game 7 Simulation * The Program

So far the 2009 NBA Playoffs have been a cake walk for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  They have swept Detroit and Atlanta and are awaiting either Orlando or Boston in the East Finals.  Both teams had some success against Cleveland this season.  In one of their last regular season games, the Cavs pounded a Kevin Garnett-less Celtics team.  Orlando blew out the Cavs in Orlando.

When looking at potential matchups, I would rather see the Big Baby / Scalabrine led Celtics than Dwight Howard.  Right now, Howard is establishing himself as a big-time inside force.  For this reason I think the Cavs would much rather play Boston. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think either series will be tough for Cleveland.  Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and now Stephon Marbury are playing well and Big Baby Davis is playing way above his expectancy.  However, I just feel that the Cavs match up much better with the Celtics than they do with Orlando.  Offensively, Lebron James will make or break this team in the end.  He can kick out to Delonte West and Mo Williams who have repeatedly hit big shots, but ultimately, James shooting, and more importantly, shot selection, will be crucial in either series.

Cleveland lacks that big guy who can post up and get to the hoop.  Big Z thinks he is a guard sometimes and Ben Wallace was never a weapon on offense.  Anderson Varajeo is about the closest thing there is on this years team.  If Orlando wins and Howard is patroling the paint, it diminishes the Cavs arsenal to Lebron and the outside shooting of the rest of the team.  Against Boston, Cleveland would have some success in the paint.

These are just my thoughts, please comment if you agree or disagree.

Read that headline closely… Pittsburgh Overpowers The East.  I’m sure Sports Illustrated has a big stack with the same heading ready for delivery after Pittsburgh’s great start this year.  Instead of Willie Stargell, Adam LaRoche graces the cover… Sigh.   They won a game this month, I can dream can’t I?

Mark Cuban Apologizes To K-Mart’s Mother.. Is Twitter Next? * Steady Burn
Give Tiger Woods Credit Not Grief * Zoner Sports
Nick Kappel’s Fantasy Baseball Focus: Buy Or Sell Part 2 * Baseball Reflections
Is Michael Phelps The New Joe Namath? * Josh Q. Public
Alex Ovechkin Is Unoriginal And Stupid * PSAMP
NCAA Champion Tar Heels Visit White House * The Fifth Corner
Seperated At Birth: 20 NBA Playoff Pairs * Fansided
Baba Booey Throws Out First Pitch, Nearly Kills Umpire * Sports Rubbish
Tigers Sweep Indians To Let The City Of Cleveland Know That Detroit Is Still Your Daddy * Detroit4Lyfe
Mo Williams To Lebron James Alley-OOP * NESW Sports
Ken Griffey Jr. Hits Subway $25K Sign To Win A Fan Money * Total Pro Sports
SI.Com Releases List Of Best And Worst Owners- Let The Debate Begin * Hugging Harold Reynolds

The Kelly Pavlik vs Sergio Mora fight was supposed to take place on June 27 in Atlantic City.  Pavlik management has said that their fighter has an infection and will not get to train enough to be ready for that particular date.  The two sides were close to finalizing a contract last week when talks were put on hold due to Pavlik’s injury.

I’m not sure what this does to the proposed November 7 fight against Arthur Abraham in New York City.  The Pavlik-Mora fight might be rescheduled for September which would obviously put the Arthur Abraham fight into 2010. 

One thing I am sure about is that Jack Loew will not rush his fighter into a match unless he is 100%, which obviously Pavlik is not right now.  Loew made that point clear in an interview I conducted with him last month.  You can see the entire Jack Loew interview from Paneech.com.

I will post more information on this turn of events as it becomes available.