Sports Talk: Hottest MLB Fans Pick Best Teams & More
Published: Thursday - April 3, 2008
Words by Mike Monson
One of the hottest fans in baseball. (Photo: SI.com)
MLB
Opening day has come and gone. Here are the top 10 teams according to hottest fans in baseball (ShoutMouth.com).
Barry Bonds: The steroid king's last homerun ball, #762, was put up for auction on Monday (March 31). Some expect it to reach $1 million by the end of the 13-day auction. No bids have been placed as of pres time though.
Mets: Pedro Martinez limped off the field in the fourth inning, then limped out of the stadium late in the Mets' 5-4 defeat to the Marlins on Tuesday night (April 1). The Mets still got one ace in the rotation -- Johan Santana. A medical examination on Wednesday (April 2) determined that the 36-year-old right hander did not have a tear. The Mets are cautiously optimistic that he will return to action within 4-6 weeks.
Yankees: The team won their season opener at Yankee stadium for the last time. April 18 1923, Babe Ruth homered against the Red Sox in front of 74,200 fans on the day Yankee Stadium opened. Right after the final out, Mariano Rivera grabbed the ball and handed it to his new manager Joe Giradi, "Here you go, Joe, a souvenir to treasure." The Yanks will begin playing in their new stadium next season.
Dodgers: Third-base coach, Larry Bowa, was suspended for three games and fined by the commissioner's office Wednesday (April 2), following a wild argument. Bowa was ejected from Tuesday night's (April 1) game against San Francisco in the sixth inning by umpire Ed Montague, who had told him to keep within the boundaries of the coaching box. MLB created a new rule that restricts all base line coaches from leaving the boundries of the box. "I did it all spring, nobody said a word," Bowa said after the game. "I did it yesterday, nobody said a word. It's impossible to coach third and stay in the box with a runner at second." I agree with Bowa.
Topps Cards: The long-running card company announced recently, as an April Fool's joke it had been playing on baseball card collectors: The 2008 Topps Baseball Series 1, which was released on Feb. 6, saying it included a card for a Japanese high school pitching phenom named Kazuo "The Uzi" Uzuki. "The Uzi" was said to be known for his devastating 104 mph (167 kph) fastball and was on his way to becoming the first high schooler from Japan to jump straight to the major league in America. As many collectors suspected, "The Uzi" was a fabrication. One clue: Kazuo Uzuki means "the first son of April" in Japanese. "The Uzi" rookie card is limited to one out of every 72 packs of cards. IF you got an "Uzi" you should hold on to it.
NBA
Lakers: Pau Gasol, who missed nine games because of the injury, played on Wednesday night (April 2), when the Lakers took on the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. The Lakers were 5-4 with out Gasol and have dropped from the no. 1 seed down to the no. 3 since his injury. With him back, they managed to record an notch in the "W" column.
Knicks: It's official, Donnie Walsh is taking over the New York Knicks. It's up to him on what he is going to do with Isiah Thomas. Walsh hired Thomas to coach the Indiana Pacers in 2000 and said Wednesday (April 2) that Thomas "has a great basketball mind." He also said he needs to talk to players -- like Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry before deciding what futures they could have with the team. What is there to decide? New York hasn't won a playoff game under Thomas' leadership, so everyone needs to go. "I'm not the great new hope. I'm just a guy who's going to come in and try to create a team." Walsh said. "And it's not going to happen overnight, so I don't want any illusions. But I think it has to get better right away." Good luck, the Knicks got a bunch of players no one wants and the highest payroll. Not even the great Jerry West could help this team "right away."
Mavricks: Nowitzki returned to the line-up Wednesday night against the Warriors, helping lead them to a blow-out victory over the run-and-gun Bay Area team. Although Dirk's shots looked flat at times, he put out a solid effort, helping lead them to victory. However, Kid was the star of the night, tying his season-high 17 assists, as well as 11 rebounds.
NFL
Cardinals: Internet photos surfaced of Matt Leinart partying at his Chandler-area home over the weekend with his homie Nick Lachey and some chicks that were pretty average. If I was a NFL QB, there is no way those chicks get into my pad. One of the photos showed Leinart holding a beer bong while a woman drank from the other end and there was also a chunky chick in the picture. "Matt called me Monday morning and we spoke for a while," Arizona's headcoach Ken Whisenhunt said in a statement from the NFL owners meetings in Florida. "I reiterated to him the type of behavior that we expect at all times from our players." If I was coach Whisenhunt, I would expects hotter chicks at all times from my players.
Falcons: Owner Arthur Blank said he has been in touch with Michael Vick. "Michael has written a couple times. I've written him back," Blank said. I wonder if Mike Vick has told Blank about Top Ramen, spreeds and burpees? (All my locked up homies know what I mean)
Cowboys: There's a difference of opinion between the Cowboys and Titans in trade talks involving Adam "Pacman" Jones. The Cowboys see a troubled player down to his last strike, so they don't want to overpay for his services. The Titans see two playmakers -- a shutdown cornerback and an elite return specialist -- and don't want to just give away such a unique, young talent. Sources said the Titans have asked for two mid-round draft picks, one in 2008 and the other in 2009. The Cowboys were offering one second-day selection in 2008. One draft pick might be sufficient compensation for the 24-year-old's cornerback skills, but the Titans need that second pick as payment for his return abilities.
Fisher added a new twist to the negotiations when he said the Titans have not eliminated the prospect of bringing Jones back themselves, if he's reinstated. (Dallas Morning News) If I'm Jones, I want to be in DallASS!!!
MMA
Strikeforce has a new middle weight champion. Cung Le beat Frank Shamrock when Shamrock could not continue due to a broken hand he sustained from the punishing kicks he received during their fight.
Tim Sylvia: The former UFC champion signed with Adrenaline MMA, formerly known as M-1 Global, former home of Fedor Emelianenko. M-1 Global failed to put on one show. Sylvia stressed that while he's looking forward to the new opportunities that await him, he in no way left the UFC on bad terms. It's a good thing he left the UFC on good terms because all these new promotions get these fighters to leave there promotion and promise big fights with big money and it never happens.
Beyond Hip-Hop Shopping Guide: August 2008 Here's our August installment of the shopping guide for all your avid BallerStatus.com visitors who love the newest ... full story
Digg It
Del.icio.us
