David Ortiz Is a Punk and a Disgrace to Baseball

So, here's the deal. Steroids are bad blah blah blah. Everybody knows that steroids shouldn't be in Major League Baseball and the MLB is currently doing their best to get their game clean again. The reason for this is not because a few players took steroids in the early 90's, it is because a shit ton of players took steroids in the early 90's. When David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez reportedly tested positive for steroids in 1993, they were part of a list of 100-plus players that also tested positive - that's a lot of players from a lot of different teams. So to say the Red Sox championship is tainted is bullshit, however, the legacy of two of its big stars may be tainted forever.

Ramirez is a steroid user and continues to be a steroid user as evidenced by his 50-game suspension this season while a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nobody gives a shit about Manny because he never denied using steroids. The big story is Ortiz because he declared himself clean. He even argued that those found on steroids should be banned from the game for a year. The reason is because he is now off the juice and as a result can't hit shit.

I have always had my suspicions about Ortiz and his steroid use, and I even wrote a piece on it earlier this year. It was pretty obvious when a sub-par hitter that couldn't turn on an inside fastball in Minnesota becomes a monster of a hitter that can turn on an inside pitch like the best of them when he started playing for the Red Sox. Since the MLB has upped its drug testing, Ortiz all of a sudden can't hit the inside fastball and ironically makes endless statements about not being a user and how it would bring disgrace to his family's name and all that nonsense.

The reason he said all those lies is because that list of 100-plus players that tested positive was supposed to be destroyed and he never thought his name would get out. That list should have been destroyed and it is a real shame it wasn't destroyed. All the players that were on that list were lied to, and it is a real shitty situation for those players and the MLB as a whole.

I feel bad for every player on that list except for Ortiz. He either should have admitted to using them while they weren't banned, or he should have kept his damn mouth shut. Nobody likes it when a hypocrite makes bold statements and Big Papi opened up a whole bag of trouble that he will carry on his back for the rest of his career.

Movie Theater Releases July 31

Are you thinking of going to the movies tonight? Here are the new movies for July 31, 2009:

Aliens in the Attic

An animated movie that was co-scripted by one of the dudes that wrote Madagascar and Wallace and Gromit. This will be another "take the kids" movie.

Funny People * Knox Animal Pick of the Week

In this star studded movie, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen team up with director Judd Apatow in hopes of making the next great comedy. The plot is based around a famous comedian that has a near death experience. This will probably be the movie that I end up seeing from the bunch. I'm not entirely sold that I will be seeing it on opening night, but I will definitely end up seeing it.

The Collector

Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer's country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps. This sounds like another failed attempt at an action thriller, but who knows it could surprise some people. The idea of this movie sounds cool, so it could be good.

Thirst (Also known as Bakjwi)

A failed medical experiment turns a man of faith into a vampire. This movie will be released in limited locations. It sounds pretty shitty to me.

Ramirez and Ortiz Tested Positive for Steroids in 2003

The year the Boston Red Sox broke the world series drought, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez reportedly tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Baseball first tested for steroids in 2003, and the results from that season were supposed to remain anonymous. But for reasons that have never been made clear, the results were never destroyed and the first batch of positives has come to be known among fans and people in baseball as “the list.” The information was later seized by federal agents investigating the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes, and the test results remain the subject of litigation between the baseball players union and the government.

This is just another negative baseball story, but I don't believe anybody can sit there and say that they didn't have their suspicions that these two were on steroids that year. Evidence fact number one is that Ramirez tested positive this season and served a 50-game suspension. Evidence fact number two is that Ortiz can't hit the side of a barn right now and at that time, he was one of the most dominant hitters in the league.

This will become a huge distraction for the Red Sox and turned what was a great story in 2003 to one of the most tainted world series champions in major league baseball history.

Source

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/sports/baseball/31doping.html

American Idol is Fixed: Says Ex-Contestant

Season 8 contestant Ju'Not Joyner is speaking out against American Idol. According to Examiner online, Joyner let loose his frustrations with the show on his online chat with Idol Now.

Joyner claims that he was labeled a trouble maker since he questioned the contract he signed when trying out for the show. Because of this he was cut from the show. He further went on to claim that the show's producers tried to exploit his hood background. After getting off that soapbox, Joyner said that Idol wanted Kris Allen to win all along-to make it a dark horse ending. he then offered his opinion on allowing the public to ultimately choose the winner by stating, "Do you think a billion-dollar enterprise is subject to the whim of the public?"

I'm guessing by these statements that Joyner is a little bitter about his time on Idol.

Orioles Win in Tillman's Debut

The Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 Wednesday in rookie pitcher Chris Tillman's major league debut. The 21 year-old earned the no decision in his 4.2 innings of work.

Tillman gave up three homeruns, all solo shots, in his short outing. Despite the long balls, the rookie showed signs of brilliance. I wouldn't call it an impressive outing for the youngster, but I would call it a nice building block. Tillman's command struggled at times as evidenced by the three homeruns. He had only given up five long balls in his 18 outings in AAA this season. Once Tillman learns to keep the ball down on a consistent basis, he could become a very good pitcher in this league.

Tillman gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out two before being pulled in the fifth inning. He was the fifth Orioles rookie starter to make his pitching debut this season, and was the only one that failed to register a win. However, I would expect better things to come from the youngster.

Phelps Bounces Back, Wins 200-meter Butterfly

After losing yesterday for the first time in four years, USA phenom swimmer Michael Phelps got his revenge today by winning the 200-meter butterfly.

Phelps beat his own record in the event by setting a new world record with a time of 1 minute, 51.51 seconds -more than a half-second ahead of his previous mark of 1:52.03 he had in the 2008 Olympics. This is Phelps' 34th world record as he broke another Mark Spitz record.

When Phelps is on top of his game, he is the best ever. Now that he has sufficiently been pissed off enough by losing in the 200-meter freestyle yesterday, he will probably never lose again. Phelps doesn't like losing and that was proven today as he smoked the competition.

MLB Trade Deadline Update

With the MLB trade deadline winding down, several teams made some big moves today:

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired starting pitcher Cliff Lee (pictured) and outfielder Ben Francisco from the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Carlos Carrasco, pitcher Jason Knapp, shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson.

This is a hell of deal for the Phillies, who acquired a top notch pitcher in Lee without having to give up their top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek. It was known that the Phillies really wanted to acquire Roy Halladay from Toronto, but Philadelphia didn't want to part ways with Drabek. Lee isn't the same caliber of a pitcher Halladay is, but he is still one of the premier pitchers in the game today.

The Seattle Mariners made a splash today as they acquired pitcher Ian Snell and shortstop Jack Wilson from the Pittsburgh Pirates for five players including former number one pick, catcher Jeff Clement. The other four players are shortstop Ronny Cedeno and pitchers Nathan Adcock, Brett Lorin and Aaron Pribanic.

From the looks of this trade, the Mariners just improved their team greatly. Yes, they had to give up could-be talent, but they acquired two players that can help them now.

The latest on Halladay is that teams are still interested. The Blue Jays have gone on record by saying that today is the deadline on Halladay, but that of course doesn't mean that a deal will get done today, it just means that if a deal is going to get done, Toronto would like to have it done by today. The Red Sox look to be the front runners right now for Halladay, but that as we know can change at any given time.

Check back for news on more deals that happen before the MLB trade deadline on July, 31.

Orioles Prospect Chris Tillman Set To Make MLB Debut

Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Chris Tillman is set to make his major league debut tonight against the Kansas City Royals. Tillman, 21, was one of the four players that was acquired from the Seattle Mariners last year for Erik Bedard.

The Orioles have high hopes for Tillman, who was ranked behind Matt Wieters as the number two overall prospect in their farm system. Tillman started for the U.S. team in this season's All-Star Futures Game and is 8-6 with a 2.70 ERA this season at Class AAA Norfolk.

The Orioles sure got the better deal in that trade as they have received four solid players for the often injured Bedard. Also in that trade was closer George Sherrill, 2009 All-Star outfielder Adam Jones and reliever Kam Mickolio. Look for Tillman to become a stud at the major league level and become a very productive big league pitcher.

Eagles Legendary Defensive Coordinator Johnson Dies

Philadelphia Eagles longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson lost his battle with cancer Tuesday. Johnson, 68, was the Eagles defensive coordinator from 1998-2008.

Johnson played two seasons for the Buffalo Bills in 1963-1964, but went on to have a much more successful coaching career. He began his coaching career at Notre Dame from 1977-1983 as a secondary coach, then moved to defensive coordinator. He then moved on to be the defensive coordinator of the Oklahoma Outlawz of the USFL in 1984 before moving onto the Jacksonville Bulls the following year. He made his NFL coaching debut in 1986 with the Arizona Cardinals as a defensive line and secondary coach. He stayed in Arizona until moving on to the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 to become their defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He stayed their until he got his gig with the Eagles in 1998.

Johnson leaves a legacy of being a defensive genius. His defenses annually wrecked havoc on opposing offensives, using his unique ability to create undetectable blitz schemes. After years of watching Johnson's defenses shut down my Redskins, I always loved to hate Johnson. That hate was actually a great compliment for Johnson as he continuously out-thought the Redskins offensive coaches. Even though I loved to hate Johnson, it was actually because I admired the guy and really wanted him to be the defensive coordinator for my team. He will be missed not only by the Eagles, but by the entire league.

Source

http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/football/other_nfl/view/20090729eagles_defensive_coordinator_jim_johnson_loses_his_battle_with_cancer/srvc=home&position=recent

Is Randy Johnson's Career Over?

San Francisco Giants pitcher Randy Johnson has been diagnosed with a partially torn rotator-cuff in his left throwing shoulder. He injured the shoulder three weeks ago in an at-bat against Houston Astros' Roy Oswalt.

For a 45 year-old pitcher that will turn 46 by year end, this could be a career threatening injury. Johnson has been ordered to rest the shoulder for three weeks and then it will be re-evaluated then, giving it a chance to avoid in-season surgery and hope of pitching another big league game.

This is why pitcher's shouldn't hit. This is a prime example of why veteran players benefit playing in the American League. Old hitters can DH without playing the field and old pitchers don't have to overexert themselves by stepping in the batter's box. Nonetheless, if Johnson was going to have a serious in-season arm injury, this couldn't have happened at a better time. He notched his 300th career win this season and will surely go down as one of the greats to ever pitch. Johnson's career record sits at 303 - 165, which is downright awesome in this day and age. His career ERA is 3.28, which is equally impressive since the majority of it came during the steroid era. It always is tough to end a career with an injury, but at least the injury didn't come after win number 299 - that would have sucked even more.

Brett Favre Tells Vikings He Will Stay Retired

Just when we thought it was a sure thing that Brett Favre would un-retire and join the Minnesota Vikings, the quarterback decided it is in his best interest to stay retired.

After injuring his biceps tendon last season, Favre underwent surgery in may to repair the injury. A few months ago, Favre said he would wait and see how the shoulder felt after the surgery before making a decision on whether or not to un-retire again. Despite reports of Favre throwing well, it must not have felt right to Favre. It's not easy to make it through a NFL season and when you are 39 years old like Favre - it may have been damn near impossible.

By retiring for good, Favre solidifies his legacy as being one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. That was a reputation he didn't want to tarnish by playing a half-ass season in Minnesota. If Favre could have done it, he would have as evidenced by his past comebacks. For now, Favre will be remembered as a great quarterback that loved the game. However, when it was all said and done, he did know when to hang it up.

Phelps Lost?

The unthinkable has happened to United States swimming phenom Michael Phelps as he was beaten by Germany's Paul Biedermann in the 200-meter freestyle at the world swimming championships today.

Not only was this Phelps' first major individual loss in four years, Biedermann also took away his world record, too by finishing in 1 minute, 42.00 seconds, which knocked off Phelps' world mark of 1:42.96 from the Beijing Olympics.

This is quite an accomplishment if you ask me. It seemed like nobody would ever beat Phelps, yet alone break one of Phelps' Olympic records. Phelps was pretty pissed about it after the race and didn't even acknowledge Biedermann. I understand his frustration because Biedermann did the unthinkable, but Phelps needs to grow up and show a little respect. Either that or focus a little more on training.

Source

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=4360589

Vols Get Commitment from Receiver Ambles

The Tennessee Vols received a verbal commitment from receiver Markeith Ambles of McDonough, Ga.

The 6-foot-2 receiver caught 53 passes for 933 yards and 13 TDs as a junior. He will sign in February with the class of 2010. He was being recruited by Alabama and Auburn as well.

Ambles is rated by Scout.com as a 4-star receiver, the 15th overall at the position. Rivals.com ranks Ambles as a 4-star and the seventh best receiver.

This is a very good pickup by the Vols. Ambles can be a difference maker and could also help the Vols land a quarterback in the class. It never hurts to add talent to your team, and the Vols did that by getting a verbal from this kid.

CD and DVD Releases July 28

Here are the CD releases for July 28, 2009:

There are no Knox Animal suggestions this week.

Angus Khan - Black Leather Soul
Fabolous - Lose's Way
Howling Bells - Radio Wars
Kleerup - Kleerup
Sax Ruins - Yaqiquo
Ashley Tisdale - Guilty Pleasure

Melinda Watts - People Get Ready

Kristina DeBarge - Exposed

Owl City - Ocean Eyes

Here are the DVD releases for July 28, 2009:

The Knox Animal pick of the week is in Bold.

Fast & Furious

Dragonball: Evolution

Miss March

Big Man Japan

An American Affair

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

Bart Got a Room

Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America

Keep Football in a Football Stadium

A week after Notre Dame announced that it would be playing Army at New York's Yankees stadium, University of Illinois coach Ron Zook is lobbying to get his team a chance to play Northwestern at the Chicago Cubs' stadium, Wrigley Field.

What is going on? Since when did sports play sports at venues that host different sporting events. Hockey began doing this by playing at outside stadiums and it was acceptable because nobody really cares about hockey. However, people do care about football and this is getting ridiculous. Army is likely to hold more games in Yankee Stadium in the next few years, with Rutgers and Syracuse as possible opponents. No future games have yet been announced. Why can't we keep football games at football stadiums?

According to recent reports, Northwestern has been trying to schedule a game at Wrigley Field, but such issues as potential opponent, finances and field dimensions have complicated the situation. Zook hopes that his team can fill the void as the Illini are scheduled to play Northwestern in 2010.

Why would Illinois even be given a shot at a game like this? They aren't even a big time football school. Does the thought of Illinois playing Northwestern more appealing at Wrigley Field? Zook you are an idiot.

Source

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/news/story?id=4358676

Michael Vick Reinstated... Sorta

Michael Vick was partially reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday and could play in regular season games by October. Obviously, Vick needs to be signed to a team if he is going to participate in anything.

Vick is eligible to participate in camp, workouts and even the preseason. He can participate in practice throughout the season, but cannot play in games most likely through week 6. At that point, Goodell said he would reconsider Vick's full reinstatement.

Goodell could be testing the waters about how Vick is received in the league by both players and fans. It is also very well speculated that Goodell doesn't want Vick to take any attention away from the start of the NFL season - so that is the reason for the week 6 date. This also could add some breathing room for Vick's new team that may feel pressured to play Vick right away. If Vick is going to be a quarterback in this league, he will need to learn a new offense, so the chance of Vick playing right away wouldn't necessarily happen anyway. Let's not forget that Vick hasn't played in a couple years, so the adjustment process might take a little time and it will be interesting to see if fans realize that.

Source

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4359354

Mean American Idol Contestant Killed

Two-time American Idol contestant Alexis Cohen was killed over the weekend in a hit and run accident. Cohen, who auditioned for "Idol" in seasons seven and eight, became well known for her clashes with Idol's judge Simon Cowell. Cohen was terrible in both auditions and failed to make it through the tryout stage - nonetheless it was entertaining.

Cohen was struck by a car early Saturday morning in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, and found around 5:00 a.m. about 350 yards away from her car, which was parked nearby. She was pronounced dead two hours later at the Community Medical Center in Toms River, New Jersey. Autopsy results showed that she had suffered chest, head and abdominal injuries.

This is crazy news, and it will definitely be crazy not to see Cohen this year on American Idol. Police have arrested a 23-year-old New Jersey man who is believed to be connected with the incident.

Source

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1616969/20090727/index.jhtml

T.O. Thinks Vick's Suspension Should Be Over

While I don't agree with Terrell Owens very much, the outspoken Buffalo Bills receiver offers several valid points on the Michael Vick situation.

Vick has served a 23-month prison sentence for his role in an illegal dogfighting ring and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is considering reinstating the former NFL quarterback. There has been talk of giving Vick a four game suspension this season if he is reinstated, but many, including T.O. feel that that punishment is unnecessary.

"A lot of the guys around the league need to speak up. I think the players' union needs to step in because the guy's already suffered so much, and to add a four-game suspension onto a two-year prison sentence, I mean, that's ridiculous," Owens said.

As much as I hate to agree with T.O., I can't help myself in this situation. Vick did a terrible thing, there is no question about that. However, he served his time. There are plenty of players in the NFL currently that have done some pretty bad things, and haven't served time in jail and are still playing in the league. Vick has been out of the NFL for two years, isn't that a long enough suspension? If a team wants to sign the free-agent Vick, he should be able to play week one.

Source

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4356802

Lazy Sunday Links: July 26 Edition

These are the links that have caught our attention over the week. Some are good, some are cool, some are just dumb.

Whoever made this app is an idiot...
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/zombie-school/

Buehrle is perfect... Thanks to his racist coach...
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/guillens-racism-saves-buehrles-perfect-game-25235

Yo Quiero Taco Bell Dog will talk no more... Because he died.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-quick23-2009jul23,0,4725645.story

Rapper has charity event, result= shooting...
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1616802/20090723/story.jhtml

NFL Draft goes Primetime... What the hell for?
http://withleather.uproxx.com/2009/07/get-ready-to-hate-the-nfl-draft

Lebron James likes weed too...
http://withleather.uproxx.com/2009/07/lebron-was-the-mvp-but-then-he-got-high

Vols Officially Sign Juco QB Nick Lamaison

JUCO transfer Nick Lamaison is finally officially a Tennessee Vol. Everybody knew that Lamaison would be a Vol, but now he can be officially added to the lonely quarterback depth chart.

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said Friday that the rising sophomore from Mt. San Antonio College in California is expected to enroll at UT for the fall semester and take part in preseason drills.

Lamaison is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound signal caller from Walnut, Calif. The junior college All-American threw for 3,479 yards and 36 touchdowns last season, with an efficiency rating of 166.5. He led the Mounties to a 12-2 record and to the state title game.

It's good news that the Vols signed a quarterback, but it's also a little too early to start making predictions about what this means for the Vols team. Whether Lamaison can make enough of an impact to play this season will be determined and the future beyond that is unknown. It never hurts to bring in players for your team and from what I have heard about Lamaison, he is a winner. If he is willing to compete and work hard, he might just impress coaches enough to earn a shot to show what he can do.

Source

http://blog.al.com/press-register-sports/2009/07/tennessee_gets_its_qb_signee_f.html

Affliction Cancels Entire "Trilogy" Card

After learning earlier this week that Josh Barnett tested positive for steroids, Affliction cancelled the entire card altogether.

Barnett was scheduled to fight MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, who is ranked as the number one heavyweight in the world, in the main event of the August 1 Affliction: Trilogy show.

According to Sports Illustrated, "Affliction Entertainment vice president Tom Atencio began making calls with the news Friday morning to fighters scheduled to appear on the Aug. 1 card."

This was sure a dramatic series of events. At the beginning of the week, people were talking about how great this fight could be. Then there was talk about finding a worthy opponent for Fedor. I guess that is where everything went wrong. It's not easy to find a worthy opponent just 10 days before a fight - not to mention a fight of this magnitude. I can't blame Affliction for not wanting to throw Fedor in there against anybody. Now that the card got scrapped, it can be built back up and Fedor's new opponent will be hyped up more than Barnett was. Yes, it sucks that we won't be seeing Fedor fight August 1, but it will be that much sweeter the next time we do see him fight.

Source

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/07/24/affliction.trilogy.canceled/

St. Louis Cardinals Trade for Matt Holliday

What St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony Larussa wants, Larussa gets as the Cardinals traded for outfielder Matt Holliday.

Holliday, 29, who starred in Colorado before being shipped off to Oakland is back in the National League and Larussa and the Cardinals couldn't be happier. Holliday fits in the middle of the batting order, packaged either before or behind Pujols.

In exchange for Holliday, the Cardinals gave up Brett Wallace and two other Minor Leaguers, Triple-A right-hander Clayton Mortensen and Double-A outfielder Shane Peterson. It was a steep price to pay because all three of those players are stud prospects.

Oakland may have gotten the better end of the deal long term, but right now, Holliday could be the missing piece for this team. He is currently hitting .286 with 11 home runs, 54 RBIs and 12 steals, but he is eligible for free-agency after the season. It was a gamble for the Cardinals, but if he can help steer them to World Series then it was worth it.

Source

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090724&content_id=6030782&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Movie Releases for July 24, 2009

Here are the new movies that will be in theater's July 24, 2009:

G-Force

This is a Disney movie where a specially trained squad of guinea pigs is dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world. I don't think I will be seeing this movie, but if you are a kid or a fan of Disney movies, it might be alright.

In The Loop

The US President and the UK Prime Minister want a war, but it is widely opposed. This sounds like a very boring movie.

Orphan

A husband and a wife that recently lose their baby, adopt a nine-year-old girl that turns out to be a little different than they thought she would be. This movie looks scary as shit and there is no way that I will be seeing this in theaters. If you like scary movies, I would check this one out.

Shrink

After going through a personal tragedy, a shrink is unable to cope with life. He turns into a pothead and loses interest in helping his patients. This movie looks interesting and I am intrigued. I will definitely end up seeing it, but I will probably wait until its on DVD.

The Ugly Truth

A romantically challenged morning show host is teamed up with a hardcore TV personality and the two attempt to figure out what makes each other tick. The movie stars Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler, making it the most star studded movie release of the week. This sounds like a typical chick flick date movie and this is the movie I will probably end up seeing out of the bunch because my fiance digs these kind of movies.

Mark Buehrle Is Perfect

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle tossed a perfect game today as the White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0. Buehrle is the 18th pitcher in Major League History to accomplish the feat.

With no outs in the top of the ninth, Rays Gabe Kapler blasted a ball over the center field wall, but was robbed by defensive replacement Dewayne Wise, who caught and juggled and maintained possession of the ball to give Buehrle and the White Sox the first out in the ninth. The final two outs were far less exciting.

Buehrle is very quietly putting up very solid numbers during his career. The 30 year old lefty has 133 wins since his debut in 2000. He threw a no-hitter in 2007, but this is a much cooler feat. This adds to the list of accomplishments for the four-time All-Star. I would say that this is probably the single best feeling he has had since being in the Major Leagues, but he did also win a World Series ring with the White Sox in 2005 - another awesome accomplishment.

Jesse Scroggins Picks USC

Coveted Lakewood High School quarterback Jesse Scroggins verbally committed to USC today, ending the multiple-month debate of what college he will be playing for in 2010.

Scroggins, 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, chose the Trojans over Tennessee and Florida.

With Florida pretty much ruled out weeks ago, the real choice came down to USC and UT. Then it came down to weighing pro's vs. con's. USC has been one of the top teams in the country for the past decade, so it's obvious that they would attract the in-state standout Scroggins. UT on the other hand has depth chart on their side. After Jonathon Crompton graduates this year, the Vols will only have senior Nick Stephens, sophomore Mike Rozier and transfer Nick Lamaison on its depth chart at the quarterback position. None of those quarterbacks are worthy of starting in the SEC. USC on the other hand has heaps of talent each year and next year will be no different.

However, Scroggins obviously felt like he can compete against the other USC quarterbacks and will follow in the footsteps of Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Matt Cassell, John David Booty, Mark Sanchez into the NFL.

This leaves the Vols and first year coach Lane Kiffin in a hell of a spot. The need to find a quarterback of the future is imminent and the Vols don't have very many options remaining. The best bet for the Vols would be to keep an eye open for previously undiscovered talent that has a solid senior high school season. With the current cream of the crop all committed, it's up to the Vols and their new staff to prove that they can recruit when their backs are against the wall.

Alright, Who Didn't Vote For Tebow?

With the SEC Media days underway in Hoover, Ala., the big question is who didn't vote for Tebow as the first team All-SEC quarterback?

Since SEC coaches can't vote for their own players for the preseason team, so a unanimous selection means the player got 11 of 12 votes. That means Gators coach Urban Meyer couldn't vote for Tebow. The other quarterback who got a vote was Mississippi's Jevan Snead. So if you go ahead and mark Meyer down for Snead then that leaves one mystery - who didn't vote for the All-Everything Tebow?

UT coach Lane Kiffin obviously was the first everybody pointed to as the suspect, but Kiffin confirmed that he voted for Tebow during an interview yesterday. With all the other coaches that have sat in the spotlight at media day already confirming they voted for Tebow also, that leaves only three coaches to be questioned - Auburn's Gene Chizik, LSU's Les Miles and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier.

We all know who the original instigator was before Kiffin arrived and that was Mr. Spurrier. Even though it is a mystery right now, if I was a betting man - I would be putting all my chips in for the ole ball coach. Either that or it was just some mistake and somebody that thought they voted forgot to vote.

Source

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4350661

Floyd Mayweather is Scared To Fight MMA

Floyd "Money" Mayweather is known for his big talk and he has backed it up in the boxing ring. However, Mayweather is talking trash about a game he doesn't know anything about. Sure, Mayweather (39-0) may prefer boxing, while the majority of us fight fans have moved on to the intricacies of Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC. However, Mayweather needs to respect MMA because his words make him look like a little boy that is scared to take the plunge into a big boy sport like MMA.

In a recent interview with CBSSports.com, Mayweather, who obviously feels threatened by UFC 103 which is on Sept. 19, the same night of his next bout against Juan Manuel Marquez said, "UFC is for beer drinkers, boxing is for everybody.” Mayweather later said, “You can’t take my shoes off, and take my shirt off and throw me in a cage. You do that with animals, you don’t do that with humans,” said a bold Mayweather. “It takes true skills to be in the sport of boxing.” Just when you thought that he couldn't top that statement, Mayweather has to pull out the race card. "In boxing, we know who's dominating. Black fighters and Hispanic fighters is dominating in this sport,” Mayweather continued. “And this is not a racial statement but there's no white fighters in boxing that's dominating, so they had to go to something else and start something new."

First of all, I'm pretty sure that plenty of beer flowing at both events, so obviously Mayweather is an idiot. Secondly, Mayweather just admitted that we was scared to fight in a cage by saying that he wouldn't do it. Third of all, even though there are more white fighters in MMA than in boxing, who the hell cares? What does that have to do with anything? Mayweather just needs to admit that he is scared and that he isn't up to the challenge of fighting MMA.

Source

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jul/21/mayweather-badmouths-mma-arum/

Lebron James Dunked On Tape Reveals Itself

When word first came out that Lebron James got dunked on at his own camp and then he along with Nike officials confiscated the tapes, I was intrigued to see the tapes like everybody else.

Now that TMZ.com reportedly bought the tape for a ridiculous dollar amount and published it on their website, I don't see what the big deal was about. I laugh at TMZ because ebaumnation.com also published a version of the dunk - a much better one. James was off to the side when Xavier's Jordan Crawford drove down the lane and dunked. Yea, James was there, but it wasn't like Crawford jumped over him and threw it down on his head.

James and Nike made a huge mistake in this situation because nobody would have really looked into it or cared had the tape been immediately released. But, by confiscating it during the game, the hype was magnified. The worst thing that could have happened was that a few people would know that James is human. Now that the hype has grown, a lot more people know that James is human.

Josh Barnett Tests Positive For Banned Substance

Affliction fighter Josh Barnett has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance, forcing the August 1 match-up against Fedor Emelianenko.

Fedor will still fight in the bout and his opponent remains unknown at this time although two names to be floating around as possibilities are Vitor Belfort and Bobby Lashley. This is a big blow for Affliction as news of this breaks just 11 days before the scheduled bout between the two heavyweights.

This isn't the first time Barnett has tested positive for banned substances. In 2002, after beating Randy Couture to take the UFC title, Barnett received a six month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for steroids. To this day, he denies taking performance-enhancing drugs in advance of the fight with Couture.

We will see how this plays out, but it doesn't look good for Barnett. Positive tests for banned substances are taken seriously in MMA, especially when it isn't the first positive test.

This pisses me off greatly because I was looking forward to the Fedor vs. Barnett bout, however all will be forgiven if they lock up a Fedor vs. Lashley fight.

Source
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/update-fedor-barnett-bout-in-jeopardy-18663

Portugal. The Man Interview

With the release of their fourth album, The Satanic Satanist, Portugal. The Man has planted itself as one of the most unique and entertaining alt/rock bands in the music industry today.

The Satanic Satanist, released July 21, 2009, demonstrates the band's maturity as well as being their most structured album to date. With songs like "People Say," "Lovers in Love," "Work All Day" and "Do You", Portugal. The Man is surely going to please current fans as well as gain the respect of many more.

Portugal. The Man's Zachary Scott Carothers, bass, was cool enough to answer a few questions ranging from influences, to festivals and the impact of The Satanic Satanist for Knox Animal readers.

KA: Who were your musical influences growing up and what inspired you about them?

ZSC: All the music my parents showed me was obviously a huge influence. Bands like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Neil Young... Plus a bunch of pop like Michael Jackson, Hall and Oats... Then after a while I started to find music on my own. Band's like Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine and The Beastie Boys really helped me find my self musically and completely paved the way for me to find bands that I love..... Oh yeah... Wu Tang Clan....Awesome.

KA: What current artists do you listen to?

ZSC: A lot of the bands i listen to now happen to be friends of mine. There's a something completely different and amazing about listening to a band that you have a personal friendship with. Band's like The Builders and the Butchers, Hello Electric, Doctor Helicopter, Minus the Bear, and Circa Survive. As for new bands that i don't have the pleasure of knowing well, I'm big into the Mountain goats, The Decemberists, 31 Knots, Grizzly Bear, and The Black Keys.

KA: What has been your most memorable performance so far?

ZSC: There are a few that really stick out, but it's hard to choose a favorite. This year's set at Bonnarroo is certainly a top contender. For our first major open air festival, things could not have gone much better. The band before us missed their flight due to the storm, so we had the most relaxed soundcheck. not too mention the anticipation that built up in the crowd while they were waiting for over an hour with thunder and lightning going on. It was far more people than we have ever played for in our lives and smiles didn't leave our faces for weeks. Another one was the first time we flew to Europe. Our first show was in Konstanz, Germany. We could not believe how many people showed up to see us. Despite having been awake for almost 36 hours and feeling the effects of some gnarly German beer, we felt like the luckiest boys in the world. My third experience was the first time we flew home to Alaska to play a show. We formed the band there, but moved down to Portland to tour and gig around the city. Finally, playing for our family and friends after all we had done felt really good.... And there is no crowd more crazy than an Alaskan crowd... So much fun.

KA: I saw you guys at Bonnaroo and you were awesome. Did you guys enjoy Bonnaroo? Did you get the chance to catch any other shows while you were there?

ZSC: Ha... i Obviously didn't read this question before i answered the one above... Yes. We had such an amazing time. We were so excited to be a part of something like that. I think we were the first band to check in. At the catering tent in the morning before anyone else was there, everyone was looking at us like we were the nerds that show up to a house party at 8:30. Just happy to be invited. We were those nerds. It was a little hectic... We were lucky enough to get a bunch of interview and such, but we didn't get to see many bands. In fact, the only set i watched all the way through, was our friends Dirty Sweet and the True music tent. I've seen them a hundred times. Ha.

KA: What do you think of the whole festival vibe? How does that compare to single shows?

ZSC: They are both so different and awesome in their own ways... I love the festival crowd because of the drunken love for music in the air... Everyone is there to be dirty, intoxicated and to dance like they will never get to again. Music does some amazing things to people and it is very clear watching the crowds at those festivals. On the other hand, club shows are so much fun... I guess it's a little more relaxed. We have time to set up and get a proper sound check, time to mingle and meet people after the set instead of being rushed off stage. It's also much more personal... Instead of a barricade holding people ten feet back from the stage, I have people stealing sips of my beer from next to my fucking pedal board! Awesome. That shit is really fun. I don't think I can choose which I like more...

KA: You guys are known as a fairly experimental band. Is that because you are always looking for new ways to reach your audience, or do you truly strive for variety in your music?

ZSC: Not to sound selfish, but yeah... We just like to do what we do. We appreciate our fans so much and we know that we could never do this without them. We will always go above and beyond to make them happy, but as far as song writing goes, that's something you have to do for
yourself. The second you start thinking too much about pleasing other people, whether it be fans, press, mom, or people that have never heard of us, you start to lose the soul and love in the music that first caught people's attention. Since there's no real money in music anymore, at least at our level, that's the only way to sell out. And we're not going to do that... Punk rock. ha.

KA: Tell me about your new album, The Satanic Satanist, how does it compare to your previous albums?

ZSC: Well i feel that this is our most mature and prepared album to date.. We actually took time to focus on the songs as a whole before we went into the studio. Something we've never done before. I think we were a little intimidated working with such amazing producers. We've always worked with friends on our previous recordings and being a little scared to go in with people we didn't know drove us to work really hard beforehand. This is our most straight forward album as far as the structures go, but the most experimental as far as the synth and production. We focused a lot on trimming the fat, taking advantage of all the inspirations we have had in the past... 50's and 60's song structures, vintage equipment from the 70's and 80's, with a 90's style production... Paul, Adam and Antony did an amazing job.

KA: What message are you trying to get across to your fans through your music?

ZSC: We're not a very preachy band... We'll leave that to people that are good at it. Henry Rollins, Rage Against the Machine... Those guys got it covered... If we say anything, it'll just be a message of love and respect for yourself, those around you, your community, the world and anything that means anything to you.

Eric Berry 4 Heisman Campaign Launches

The University of Tennessee has launched its official Heisman campaign for star safety Eric Berry.

Vols Coach Lane Kiffin announced Tuesday morning that the Vols were officially launching their Heisman Trophy campaign for junior safety Eric Berry, who ranks among the best players in college football. If you missed the link, it's http://www.berry4heisman.com/.

I must say, the website is pretty cool. It features a bio, stats, video and other stuff to convince you that Berry is the best player in college football. However, there is one crucial element that plays an important role in the Heisman race - your team has to be good. While Berry might be the best defensive player in college football, the Vols need to win a lot of games for Berry to even be considered a legitimate candidate for the Heisman trophy.

CD and DVD Releases July 21

Here are the CD releases for July 21, 2009:
The Knox Animal most intriguing release of the week is in bold.

The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
For The Fallen Dreams - Relentless
Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweets - Under The Covers, Vol. 2
Ian Hunter - Man Overboard
La Roux - Bulletproof [EP]
Kenny Loggins - All Join In
Demi Lovato - Here We Go Again
Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine
Our Lady Peace - Burn, Burn
Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist
Rescue Signals - Indecisions
RX Bandits - Mandala
Jordin Sparks - Battlefield
Sugar Ray - Music For Cougars
Wye Oak - The Knot

Here are the DVD releases for July 21, 2009:
The Knox Animal most intriguing release of the week is in bold.

Coraline
Watchmen
Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer
Echelon Conspiracy
The Great Buck Howard
Sherman's Way
Unknown Woman

Citizen Cope Coming Back To The Valarium October 7

Citizen Cope is making his second trip to Knoxville this year as the artist announced on his Myspace page and website that he will be performing at the Valarium on October 7.

Citizen Cope, who's real name is Clarence Greenwood, was last in Knoxville for a show in February of this year, also at the Valarium. Greenwood is set to release his forthcoming album, "The Rainwater LP" in February 2010.

This will be Greenwood's third trip to Knoxville in two years, so if you haven't checked him out yet, I recommend doing so. This will be my sixth time seeing him and I haven't been let down once.

Austin City Limits Reveals Its 2009 Schedule

The time all Austin City Limits festival goers have been waiting for is finally here. After an impressive lineup was revealed, the only question that remained was the time slot that each artist was scheduled to play in.

With every festival lineup schedule there are the dreaded conflicts, but I am pleased to announce I am only pissed off about one conflict. That conflict occurs Sunday at 6:00 as Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 take the stage the same time as The Dead Weather. However, I can deal with this conflict even though it sucks because I managed to see Ben Harper and his new band at Bonnaroo. However, this is my only gripe about the schedule, so well done ACL... Well done.

Check out the schedule for yourself at http://www.aclfestival.com/.

Paula Abdul Not Offered New American Idol Contract

Paula Abdul, who has been an American Idol judge since the show's beginning in 2002, reportedly won't be offered a new contract from the show for its upcoming season nine.

With that report, it appears that the somewhat predictably and worthless judge will not be back on the show. Abdul was known for her comments about appearance and often used terminology that confused the audience as well as the other judges. It's a sad sad day in reality TV land... Well maybe not that sad.

Source

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Television/story?id=8126477&page=1

Beastie Boys Adam Yauch Has Cancer

The Beastie Boys' album and summer tour have been postponed after band member Adam Yauch disclosed that he is suffering from cancer.

Yauch posted on the Beastie Boys website that he has a cancerous tumor in his left salivary gland. He will undergo surgery and is expected to fully recover. To give Yauch time to recover, the Beastie Boys have cancelled its upcoming shows and delayed the record release.

The new Beastie Boys album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part I" was due to be released on 15 September.

This is a bummer for fans hoping to check out the Beastie Boys this year. I just saw them at Bonnaroo and they were awesome. I was going to see them at Austin City Limits later this year, but that date most likely has been cancelled. Another notable festival that has been impacted by this is Lollapalooza. However, the Beastie Boys will be back according to Yauch and until then we wish him the best in his recovery.

Source

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2009/07/beastie-boys-cancel-lollapalooza-date-for-adam-yauchs-cancer-surgery.html

Shaq Can Beat You In Anything

Cleveland Cavs big man, Shaquille O'Neal is set to challenge other stars of other sports in their own game. In a new reality show featuring Shaq, the 7 foot 2 big man will compete against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in football, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, boxer Oscar De La Hoya, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, tennis star Serena Williams, and Olympic Volleyball gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor.

The series titled "Shaq vs." will premiere August 18 at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

What the hell is Shaq thinking. There is no way in hell he is going to beat any of these athletes at their own game. Just the thought of Shaq swimming or playing tennis is hilarious. I'll be tuning in just to see if the big man can swim.

Source

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4341098

NCAA Football 10 Rosters Are Up!

Thanks for those that contributed on naming the NCAA 10 rosters for the rest of us. I have been monitoring BlockO & GatorBait's thread on Operation Sports and they have completed Version 1 of their PS3 rosters.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that EA Sports completely jacked up these rosters, so their work was tough and greatly appreciated. According to the corrections thread Version 2 should be completed shortly and they will have numerous fixes. In the meantime, BlockO's Version 1 rosters for PS3 can be found on PSN: buckeye02 and GatorBait2006NC.

As for XBox 360, the best rosters are from Lanteri and they can be found using gamertag: Lanteri87.

Thanks a lot for your hard work and everybody that contributed to these rosters. It is very much appreciated.

Jesse Scroggins To Choose Between USC and UT Wednesday

Highly touted quarterback prospect Jesse Scroggins is scheduled to announce which school he will be attending this Wednesday. The California prospect was originally supposed to announce his choice this weekend at the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp, but elected to announce before that.

The 6-foot-3, 200 pound prospect has narrowed his choice to USC, UT and Florida, however many feel that Florida has been eliminated from contention.

While it seems that Scroggins will be headed to USC, the Vols have the depth chart card to play and it might be enough to get the four star recruit in Knoxville. USC has a loaded depth chart, where as the Vols are lacking any real opposing threat at the QB spot, making it a legitimate possibility that Scroggins could be the starter from day one.

The million dollar question remains will the Vols finally land a premier quarterback for the 2010 class, or will they be left in the dust again just like when Jake Heaps (BYU), Andrew Hendrix (Notre Dame), Blake Bell (Oklahoma) and Chase Rettig (Boston College) all chose other schools.

Source

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2009/jul/19/scroggins-announce-wednesday/

Josh Selby Has Commitment Problems

Josh Selby, one of the nation's top men's basketball prospects in the 2010 signing class is wavering on his commitment to the University of Tennessee.

The 6-foot-2 point guard has been committed to the Vols since September, but announced that he was de-committing from the Vols on his Facebook page, according to CBSSports.com.

Selby is rated the No. 2 point guard and No. 7 overall prospect in the nation.

The news of this comes only two months after Aaron Craft, another point guard de-committed from the Vols and committed to Ohio State.

What the hell is going on in Vols country? What do these prospects know that we don't know? Has Bruce Pearl lost his touch with recruits? Whatever the issue may be, Pearl and company better find a way to fix it. I may not be a genius, but if the Vols keep losing top notch recruits, it's going to be pretty hard to win games. Vols fans better hope Pearl has a plan, because right now it seems like he is losing his focus on recruiting.

Source

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11969210

Photo by David Molnar

Lazy Sunday Links

It's Sunday and we are lazy once again. Here are some links from the week to get you through the day.

Holy crap dude...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/07/shredder-death.html

Jon Gosselin's new girl is way more fun than Kate...
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/07/exclusive-jon-gosselins-new-girlfriend-her-wild-drug-photos

Microsoft Office 2010 sucks big time...
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/168308/is_office_2010_really_the_best_microsoft_can_do.html

Some athletes are just weird...
http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#1hRdDB/online.wsj.com/article/SB124640412099376447.html/

Jon escapes Kate and moves into a sweet new crib...
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20291947,00.html

Rock Band Network Set To Rock Us All

Just when you thought Rock Band couldn't get any cooler, the game series is developing the new Rock Band Network to rock our worlds with. A public beta test hopes to get released in late August for the new network.

The Network will rely on Microsoft's XNA game development platform, but a Rock Band representative confirmed that the tracks will appear on the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii as well as the XBox 360.

With this new network, gamers will be able to upload and submit tracks for review by the community. According to the site, approved tracks will be made available in the Rock Band Store and artists get a cut of each purchase.

This sounds like an awesome idea, and thank God somebody is monitoring what songs will be available in the store. The last thing we need is every kid that can talk to create shitty songs that the rest of us would have to search through if we wanted to use this new feature. Then again, like I always say, if you don't like it, don't use. If everybody took that advice there would be a lot less bitching in the world and everything would be all peachy.

Source

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/07/68494746/1

Ryan Howard is Fastest to 200 Home Runs

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is the fastest player in Major League Baseball history to ever hit 200 home runs. The milestone was reached last night in sixth inning of a 4-0 win over the Florida Marlins.

Howard's 23rd home run of the season broke Ralph Kiner's record of being the fastest to achieve the feat. Kiner played in the big leagues from 1946-1955 and finished his career with 369 home runs. The question is how many will Howard finish his career with.

Howard, 29, has had 2405 major league at-bats and achieved the feat in his 658th game. Kiner hit No. 200 in his 706th game.

This is a nice accomplishment for Howard. However, at 29 years old, the slugger will have to keep up his current pace if he wants to make the 500 home run club. It sure puts in perspective how great of an accomplishment 500 home runs really is. For example, Albert Pujols is also 29 years old and is in his ninth major league season. Pujols has 351 home runs compared to Howard's 200, who is in his sixth big league season. They both have won World Series rings (thanks Don), so the real question is who will win the most rings. Howard's Phillies have a strong chance this season to make a run at the title as they are sitting at the top of the NL East, while Pujols' Cardinals are sitting at the top of the NL Central. Personal numbers don't mean anything unless you help your team win games, and both of these first basemen not only put up big personal numbers, they also help their teams win.

The Ghost of Jimi Hendrix Still Likes Playing Guitar

By: Solo Assassin (Knox Animal contributor)

The ghost of Jimi Hendrix has been making a comeback through the bodies of little kids.

On NBC's America's Got Talent, 9-year-old Tallan Noble Latz rocked some blues guitar like he has been playing the instrument for years. Then, on the Ellen DeGeneres show, 9-year-old Yuto Miyazawa played a cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" like the Prince of Darkness himself. In his performance, he had one of the sickest guitar solos I have ever witnessed.

I don't know what everyone else was doing when they were 9 years old, but I was playing with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures, watching Steve Urkel and trying not to catch cooties. Other than the fact that Latz has a serial killer three-name and Yuto can't speak English yet (even though he still tries to sing the words to "Crazy Train," these two young guitar-playing phenoms are well on their way to being true guitar heroes.

Check out the following videos of Tallan Noble Latz on America's Got Talent season 4 and Yuto Miyazawa on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

America Hates David Beckham

When LA Galaxy (sometimes star) David Beckham returned to the MLS last night at Giants Stadium in New York, the fans treated him like an overpayed has-been. The Galaxy beat the NY Red Bulls 3-1, but nobody actually cares about the score - it's all about "Becks".

The England midfielder's every touch was booed by the crowd and he was greeted with fake dollar bills when he walked through the tunnel. Becks claimed to use the boos as motivation, but we all know that he was crying like a little baby inside.

The crowd was down 50 percent from last year's match between the two squads as only 23,238 fans were in attendance. "I don't know. The first year was impressive, but we are in a recession, maybe that's part of it," Beckham said according to NYdailynews.com.

Silly Englishman, Becks thinks the poor economy had something to do with it, but in reality it was probably that nobody really likes soccer in America and more importantly nobody likes the MLS.

Source

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/07/17/2009-07-17_david_beckham_has_worn_out_his_welcome_.html?page=0

Liquor Review: Red Stag by Jim Beam

By: Solo Assassin (Knox Animal contributor)

I know this product has been out for a little while now but I feel it is my duty to express how much I enjoy Red Stag by Jim Beam.

Upon hearing about how Jim Beam was thinking about infusing their four year old whiskey with black cherry flavoring I was extremely skeptical. Why taint the great bourbon flavor with some crap fruit flavoring?

Much to my surprise this combination actually works. The cherry flavoring kind of acts as a natural chaser making this whiskey very easy to drink for those who do not like to shoot or sip pure bourbon whiskey. This liquor can be enjoyed by bourbon enthusiasts as well as people who are just looking to drink something that tastes good and doesn't have that alcohol burn.

Basically this shot is money. It actually has great flavor balancing the whiskey and cherry in a way where you can appreciate the whiskey and yet it doesn't burn going down. Just throw a few shots of it in a freezer or a cooler if your out on the lake and they will go down easy. This shot will get you going faster than seeing Megan Fox in a bikini – maybe not, but then again nothing is that good.

I give it 9 out of 10.

Red Stag Drink Suggestion: Brass Buck

3 parts Red Stag by Jim Beam™ Infused Bourbon
4 parts Ginger ale
Lime Wedge

Fill a highball glass 3/4 with ice. Pour in Red Stag by Jim Beam™ and ginger ale. Garnish with lime.

http://www.theredstag.com/

Redskins Take Jarmon In NFL Supplemental Draft

University of Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon was chosen in the third round of this year's supplemental draft today, the only player chosen.

Jarmon was declared ineligible for his senior season by the NCAA because he tested positive for a banned substance. He said the result came from a dietary supplement. The 6-foot-3, 278-pound Jarmon projects well in the Redskins 4-3 defense. Jarmon can play every position on the defensive line and adds depth for an already crowded line.

Jarmon was second-team All-SEC last year after posting 4.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for lost yardage. In 2007, he was first-team All-SEC by Rivals.com and second-team All-SEC by the league coaches when he had 62 tackles, including 13.5 TFL and nine sacks. He had 17.5 sacks in his career, third in school history.

The Redskins will have to give up their third round choice in next year's NFL draft because of the selection.

Jarmon was definitely the most talked about player heading into the supplemental draft this year. He was basically thrown in there because of being suspended for the year, and it was fairly certain that he would be selected. He was projected as a fourth round pick in the NFL draft and we basically went mid round in the supplemental draft. The biggest upside for Jarmon is that he could gain 25 pounds and play inside on regularity. Even though this isn't a dire position need, Jarmon was too good of a player with too much potential to pass up. I like this pick by the 'Skins.

Source

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/redskins/2009-07-16-jarmon-supplemental-draft_N.htm

Phil Ivey Among 2009 World Series of Poker Final Table Set

By: Never Punt (Knox Animal contributor)

The 2009 World Series of Poker's main event is nearing its end. The starting field of almost 6,500 contestants, each buying in for $10,000, has reached its final nine.

Play stopped late last night when the tenth place finisher Jordan Smith busted holding a pair of aces to the chip leader Darvin Moon's three 8's. The play will not resume until November 10, leaving the remaining nine to rack up endorsements and recognition over the following months. Each of the remaining nine are guaranteed at least $1.25 million and the big winner will take home just over $8.5 million. The last nine in order of most chips are Darvin Moon, Eric Buchman, Steven Begleiter, Jeff Shulman, Joseph Cada, Kevin Schaffel, Phil Ivey, Antoine Saout and James Akenhead.

The one man that most poker fans will be rooting for is Phil Ivey. He has been named the Tiger Woods of poker, for his colleagues consider him to be one of the best to ever play the game. Also, he bears a slight resemblance to the all world golfer. If he can come from behind and win he will cement his name among the top poker players of all time and his wallet may even get a tad heavier. Good luck to all.

http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/

Chad OchoCinco Still Plans to Tweet During Games

Cincinatti Bengals receiver Chad OchoCinco (Johnson) plans to tweet during games despite being warned of a possible fine by the NFL if he was to do so. The receiver is known for his random and sometimes insightful tweets on his Twitter.

“There’s a lot of things they (NFL) don’t want me to do. I do it anyway. They know that. I don’t know why they even fussing about it. … When I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it, regardless of what they say.”

It must be nice to have the kind of money that you can blow by paying fines to the NFL. Oh well, at least we will get confirmation that Bengals suck from Chad during the game in addition to watching them play.

Source

http://www.daytondailynews.com/

Harry Potter Is Stupid

I have never understood the fascination with Harry Potter. The new movie "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" brought in $22.2 million in midnight movie ticket sales, destroying the previous record of $18.5 million set by Batman: "The Dark Knight". The movie made a total of $58.4 million on opening day.

Over 4,500 midnight showings were sold out on its premiere Wednesday, and the majority of those in attendance were dressed like freaks that you would normally only see on Halloween.

For as popular as he is, Harry Potter has got to be the worst wizard in the history of wizards. He can't do anything without his sidekicks, who are always bailing him out of trouble. For a legacy of the wizard association or whatever the hell it's called, he isn't too impressive. For anybody to make millions of dollars off this creation is amazing.

While I will never understand the fascination with such non-entertainment, it has me thinking of ideas for Knox Animal to create the next cult hit across the globe. But then again, I'm not well versed in thinking up stupid things and apparently stupidity is what brings the real money in.

Source

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-harry-potter16-2009jul16,0,1136148.story

www.knoxanimal.com Is Born

We over at Knox Animal have made the plunge into the big world of owning our own .com. In what used to be http://knoxanimal.blogspot.com/, is now http://www.knoxanimal.com/ .

It may take a day or so for everything to sync up, but be sure to update your feeds and bookmarks for the new address.

j9yeph23q6

Richard Jefferson Dumps Bride Just Before Wedding

Former New Jersey Nets star and current San Antonio Spur Richard Jefferson and onetime Nets dancer Kesha Ni'Cole Nichols were set to marry at the Mandarin Oriental last Saturday, NYPost.com reports. However, Jefferson had other ideas and called the wedding off just before the weekend.

Nichols informed guests that the wedding was off immediately, but Jefferson failed to tell several of his friends until only a couple hours before the wedding and had already arrived at the wedding.

"He called about two hours before the wedding. It was nuts," said one Jefferson pal.

Talk about cold feet. Some people just don't want to get married, but most don't wait until the last second to tell their bride to be. Jefferson at least paid the expenses for the the guests that arrived. I bet they still had a good time.

Source

nydailynews.com

Terrell Suggs Is Getting A Lot of Money

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs agreed to a six-year, $63 million deal to make him the richest linebacker in NFL history.

Suggs, 26, will receive signing bonus and option bonus money that will total $33.1 million in 2009 and 2010, according to ESPN. That is believed to be second only to Peyton Manning's $34 million signing bonus.

That is a hell of a lot of money, but if anybody is worth it, I would say Suggs is. He has been a solid contributor in the league since being drafted out of Arizona State in 2003. With Ray Lewis aging, Suggs will be counted on to anchor a stellar linebacking core long after the Lewis era is over. Locking up Suggs long term was a very smart move for the Ravens, unfortunately they may not have any money left to pay some playmakers on the other side of the ball.

Source

ESPN