Try Not to F*ck It Up O!!

Here is wishing O the best of luck on the BAR Exam that he is taking this week.  But don't do too well cause we would hate for you to become a high powered lawyer and neglect the Muffin.

New EliteXC Welterweight Champ Openly Lobbies to go to UFC

...at least that's what it sounded like to me. After submitting Nick Thompson with a guillotine choke in the first round of Saturday's fight, Jake Shields was awarded the EliteXC Welterweight Championship. In his post-fight interview with Gus Johnson, Shields said the following:

"I'd love to fight the winner of St. Pierre-Fitch to unify the world titles."

Only problem is, both Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch fight in the UFC and there's no reason for either to leave the Zuffa family in the near future. So the only way for such a fight to realistically happen would be for Shields to jump to the octagon. What a coup that would be for Dana & Co.

One more note - I gotta give some props to Shields' opponent, Nick Thompson. Thompson fought in Stockton, California tonight despite having to fly back to Minneapolis to take the Minnesota Bar Exam on Tuesday. Gearing up to take the California Bar Exam myself this Tuesday (and Wednesday and Thursday), I have no idea how he was able to prepare for both. For his sake, I just hope that he has better luck with the exam than he did with Shields.

Sasha Vujacic to Europe?

Latest reports are saying that Los Angeles Laker Sasha Vujacic is strongly considering a jump over the pond to play in Europe next year. Vujacic averaged almost 9 points per game during the Lakers' regular season run to their first NBA Finals since the days of Shaq. Vujacic, however, is probably best known for his tantrums and the self-given nickname, "The Machine." He's indicated he'll make the jump if the Lakers don't match the European offer.

Is it just me, or does it seem like more players are jumping to Europe this year? Josh Childress is the biggest name to leave the NBA when he signed a contract to play in Greece. Some other notables who have either made the jump or are considering updating their passport include Vujacic, Primo Brezec (Raptors), Carlos Delfino (Raptors), Juan Carlos Navarro (Grizzlies), Bostjan Nachbar (Nets), and Andris Biedrins (Warriors). High School star and NBA prospect Brandon Jennings has also decided to forgo a collegiate career at Arizona in favor of signing a contract with the Italian League.

So what's the deal - is this Europe's way of getting revenge for Beckham's defection to America?

Mariners to Ban Peanuts

The Mariners are so hard up for fans, they're now appealing to those with peanut allergies by banning peanuts in certain sections of the stadium for two upcoming games. Mariners management apparently thinks those with peanut allergies are deathly afraid of the legumes, and once they learn that Safeco is peanut-free, they'll flock to the stadium.

Ummm, OK Seattle. I'm sure the low attendance numbers have nothing to do with the dearth of talent or the 38-63 record. It's all about the peanuts. Or, is this just a ploy to change the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" lyrics to "buy me some Starbucks and Nintendo Wiis....."?

The Malice at the Palace Part II

And this one didn't even involve Ron Artest or flying beer...

UFC: Silva vs. Irvin Live Play by Play

8:43 p.m. Irvin has a nasty cut under his eye. I'm disappointed there was no guitar dance. But that's the only disappointment. I can't say enough about Silva - there is no question this guy is the best pound for pound guy in the game today. That will be further confirmed when Tim Sylvia beats Fedor a little later on the Affliction side. That's it from here - thanks for following along.

8:40 p.m. Anderson Silva certainly doesn't disappoint. Very impressive for the Spider. If you blinked, you missed it. Who does Silva get next? I say just give him Forrest right now. He's ready.

8:39 p.m. And that's all it took - one punch. Irvin is dropped. Silva lands a few more on the ground for good measure. But the fight is stopped almost as soon as it starts.

8:39 p.m. Silva seems to be feeling him out, dancing around But now he knocks Irvin to the ground

8:38 p.m. Silva's extra 20 pounds is noticeable.

8:28 p.m. Watching the Silva pre-fight highlights. Dude is amazing. I don't know how Dewey over at Yardbarker prefers Urijah Faber. The California Kid is great and all - but Anderson Silva is a killer.

8:25 p.m. Here we go!!! Silva and Irvin. We just received word that the Nevada State Athletic Commission gave Silva permission to kill a man.

8:18 p.m. The judges had it closer than I did, but Vera still comes out with the unanimous decision victory. Will Dana keep him around?

8:16 p.m. And that's it. I wasn't very impressed by Vera at all, but I still thinks he wins the match. Let's just move on - I'm ready for Silva and Irvin.

8:15 p.m. Vera gets some knees in, but Andy stays on his feet. Vera tries a headkick, but its blocked.

8:13 p.m. Word around here is that Rampage was released from psychiatric watch this morning - and he's at the Affliction fight. If that's true, expect him to be readmitted - on his own this time.

8:11 p.m. Vera looks good coming out the gate, taking advantage of his reach advantage this round. Reese tries to push the action, but doesn't do much damage.

8:10 p.m. Not a whole happened in that round, but I give it to Vera. Of the action that did happen, it was Vera who was pushing it. Vera is up 2-0. Not a whole lot of close fights so far - I think every fight that has made it into the third round has been a 2-0 situation.

8:07 p.m. I'm very unimpressed by Reese so far. I'm sure he would do well in Affliction.

8:06 p.m. Vera is grinding this one out. He won the first round, and he's taking this second one so far, but he's not inflicting a whole lot of damage. Not taking any, either.

8:02 p.m. Vera takes Reese to the ground. Megadeth is still playing on the Affliction side. Everyone here thinks Affliction advertised this as a Megadeth concert, with Megadeth headlining the event.

8:00 p.m. Reese slips and falls. Vera lets him back up. Not a whole lot of action yet.

7:59 p.m. Vera with a fast kick. Follwos with another one. But Reese takes him to the ground. Vera's height advantage is pretty apparent. Vera is back to his feet.

7:57 p.m. Megadeth is back out on the Affliction side. I'll take Bruce Buffer, thanks.

7:52 p.m. Next fight - Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy. I haven't checked the odds, but I gotta imagine Vera comes in a strong favorite.

7:51 p.m. The Enzyte commercials on Spike are more entertaining than the Affliction fights.

7:46 p.m. I think Pelechati gave up live blogging on the Affliction events. I don't blame him - it's been boring so far, and it's been a good demonstration why you need a cage in MMA. A few times, the fighters have fallen through the ropes - a couple times one of the guys had a choke sunk in. But they had to stand back up. Awful.

7:45 p.m. Frankie Edgar takes it by unanimous decision. No surprises there.

7:42 p.m. Franca throws some nice bombs from his feet, even hits Edgar with a knee. But Edgar keeps his senses, and takes Franca to the ground. Horn blows. I think Edgar takes the third round - doesn't matter though, because he definitely took both rounds 1 and 2.

7:41 p.m. Franca tries to get Edgar's arm again, but Edgar has none of it. He gets out of and puts Franca back on his back.

7:40 p.m. Whenever Franca makes it to his feet, Edgar just takes him back to the ground.

7:37 p.m. Franca looks good coming out of the gate in the 3rd round. Where was this before? But Edgar takes him to the ground again.

7:36 p.m. End of round 2. Edgar wins that one too. Franca needs a knockout or a submission. Judging by the first couple rounds though, I'm not optimistic for him.

7:33 p.m. Edgar is still controlling from the top. Franca is trying to get a submission in, but fails on every attempt.

7:31 p.m. Edgar takes Franca to the ground again. Franca's face doesn't look too good. It still looks better than Affliction's card.

7:30 p.m. Edgar took the first round - except for the arm scare, he controlled the whole round.

7:27 p.m. Franca got Edgar's arm, and it looked dangerous. But Edgar pulled out.

7:27 p.m. Edgar stil on top. Landing some good fists, an elbow.

7:25 p.m. Edgar looks good coming out the gate, takes Franca to the ground. Edgar continues to pound from on top.

7:24 p.m. Big fight here - Frankie Edgar and Hermes Franca.

7:17 p.m. Cain is pounding O'Brien from the top. Not sure why this hasn't been called yet. He can't defend himself. Finally, the match is called. Velasquez pounds him out, and takes the match easily.

7:16 p.m. Velasquez is working from the top. We've been on the ground for most of the first minute.

7:15 p.m. Now we have Cain Velasquez and Jake O'Brien.

7:10 p.m. Very controversial end to this fight though. Johnson claims he got poked in the eye, and the replay shows that he was poked in the eye. Burns takes the win anyway. Shame.

7:09 p.m. Amazing end to the fight. Burns knocks Johnson out, and the fight is called. Burns gets the KO he needed.

7:06 p.m. The food is here - that means UFC is back on schedule - I'll let you know who wins the Johnson/Burns fight. Even though you probably already know.

7:05 p.m. I don't know what's worse - EliteXC's CBS debut, or Affliction's debut. There seems to be no energy in the Honda Center. I think people are filing out already.

7:00 p.m. We're wondering if Trump we'll give us our money back for this Pay Per View. Fedor better be worth all that hype. STILL waiting on the UFC fights to start up again. Sorry...we look stupid here.

6:57 p.m. Still waiting on UFC to start up again - in the meantime, we're watching Affliction - they suck. Heavyweights just aren't exciting most of the time. If you're going to spend $6 million on fighters, get some exciting fighters. The fighters just fell out of the ropes in the ring - another reason why the cage is necessary for these fights. Even the crowd is booing this garbage.

6:50 p.m. Someone here is going on a food run - he begged that we pause the UFC fights. Look, we're not ESPN here - we'll be back. The Affliction fights are still going on - check our live blogging of those fights until we're back.

6:47 p.m. About a minute into the 3rd round, Johnson takes it to the ground again.

6:45 p.m. Ref stands them up. But Johnson takes it to the ground - the horn blows immediately. Johnson takes round 2 - Burns needs the knockout now.

6:44 p.m. I can't see it, but Goldberg says Burns is bleeding from both eyes.

6:43 p.m. Another takedown by Johnson. He wants to make sure he takes this round with the judges. Burns looks to be working on an armbar - but gives up. Johnson on top.

6:42 p.m. VERY NICE head kick by Burns. Johnson looks tired.

6:41 p.m. Burns is not backing down, despite the punishment he's taking. Both are trading leg kicks, but Johnson follows with a punch.

6:40 p.m. Johnson follows with a flying knee, but doesn't look like he hit Burns flush. Still, Johnson is clearly in control.

6:39 p.m. Second round is underway. Johnson gets in a nice knee - follows up with some punches. Burns is definitely dazed, but stays on his feet.

6:38 p.m. Johnson takes the first round easily. Burns goes to his corner with a little blood.

6:38 p.m. Johnson isn't doing too much on the ground. I don't think Burns minds this match being on the ground. I'm sure he'd like to be in a better position though. They told to stand back up - this is how Johnson wants it.

6:36 p.m. We're only into the second fight, and already this is better than some PPV's I've seen.

6:35 p.m. Rumble with a nice slam. He's on top now (obviously)

6:35 p.m. Burns takes a hit to the nuts.

6:35 p.m. I'm dumbfounded here. Not by the fight - but because one of the guys here is wasted after a couple beers.

6:33 p.m. Here we go, fight is starting. They come out swinging.

6:30 p.m. Pelechati may be doing the Affliction live blog, but he's more exciting about "Rumble" Anthony Johnson on the UFC side of things.

6:25 p.m. Next on the Docket is Anthony Johnson v. Kevin Burns. Johnson comes in with a 5-1 record and a height advantage, while Burns is the more experienced fighter at 7-1.

6:23 p.m. Jesse Taylor looked good for most of the match (all of the 1st round), but Dollaway just proved too much and showed why he was considered the favorite in the last season of Ultimate Fighter. We'll see if Dana gives Taylor another fight.

6:21 p.m. This wasn't the first time Dollaway demonstrated the Peruvian necktie. He showed Rampage the same move during the Ultimate Fighter.

6:20 p.m. WOW! Dollaway wins the fight on submission. I've never seen this choke before - Rogan calls it a Peruvian neck tie. Dollaway could prove to be a force in the 185 division, a la Forrest Griffin in 205.

6:20 p.m. Sorry - my times to the left suck and are off. Oh well...Taylor misses on a punch, Dollaway takes advantage and takes the back.

6:20 p.m. This is a good fight so far. Some good groundwork from both fighters. Taylor is on top.

6:18 p.m. Dollaway nearly gets a mount. Taylor throws him off. Now Dollaway has the back, looking for the rear naked choke.

6:16 p.m. Dollaway just gave an illegal knee. Taylor was on his knees. Not good for Dollaway - sounds like he just got a warning this time.

6:16 p.m. Taylor is pushing this fight from the start. Dollaway is doing a decent job defensively. Dollaway just took Taylor to the ground.

6:15 p.m. Dollaway comes in 7-2, Taylor comes in 7-1. Taylor looks pretty good.

6:08 p.m. I love how UFC loads up every card - even if it's being shown on free TV. CB Dollaway vs. Jesse Taylor should be a war. They fought once before, with Taylor taking the fight in the last Ultimate Fighter (even though Dollaway was generally considered the more talented fighter). Both have a lot to fight for here - Dollaway wants to avenge the loss, and Jesse Taylor wants to show he belongs after getting kicked out of the UFC for Rampage-like behavior.

6:06 p.m. James Irvin came in a pound and a half over weight yesterday. He knocked in off in an hour. We'll see if he's got enough gas in him to keep up with Silva.

6:05 p.m. Anderson Silva is a "ballet of violence" and James Irvin is the human highlight reel. Should be a great fight, but I think Silva takes this in the first - maybe second - round.

6:01 p.m. Meanwhile, I can't get over the "production" of Affliction. $6 million on the fighters alone, and they bring in Michael Buffer and Megadeth. Enjoy it while you can, Affliction.

5:59 p.m. We're closing in on tonight's events. Gonna be a great night.

5:51 p.m. Randy Couture just popped up over at Affliction. Strange to see him anywhere besides UFC. He must be hoping that Fedor wins his fight against Sylvia. Otherwise, he loses a lot of incentive to fight Fedor.

5:39 p.m. We've got a pretty nice set up for tonight's fights - check it out:





5:32 p.m. Affliction fights in a boxing ring. That's lame.

5:28 p.m. We've got the old UFC fights on Spike going alongside the live Affliction fights. Those old UFC fights are tons more exciting. We're debating whether we should even bother with the Affliction PPV....

4:09 p.m. Today is a HUGE day in MMA - which means it's a big day for the Muffin. Here, we'll be doing some live blogging for the UFC event, featuring Anderson Silva's light heavyweight debut. Wanna get in on the action? Shoot us an email at thesportsmuffin@gmail.com. Give us your first name (or your preferred nickname) and where you're writing from, and we'll get you involved on the live blog.

Come back here at 6 p.m. PT when the action begins. Also, check out Pelechati's live blog of Affliction: Banned by clicking here.

Affliction Banned Live Play by Play

See you at 5pm Pacific for the beginning of once heck of a night of MMA



1:59 p.m. We here at the Muffin stop at nothing to give the best MMA coverage possible so tonight we will be live blogging the FSN coverage of this event along with the PPV.

5:15 p.m. First fight of the night Paul Butello against the late replacement for Emelienko. Fight is just going back and forth lots of standup. Big daddy is rocked around 2:50 by a knee. Butello going in for the kill around 2:30 in the clench throwing uppercuts, but tires and backs off. 2:00 minutes left lazy jabs, both guys looked gassed. Butello has the plumb again but backs off. Big Daddy is just exhausted, he should stick to arm wrestling.

I have to say the production value of this Affliction show so far has is awful. The announcing team FSN has been unimpressive. Anyway we are moving to commercial.

Babalu against Whitehead
Round 1 tough to call I'd argue you give it to Babalu for pushing the pace. No noticeable damage on Whtiehead.

5:31 p.m. Both fighters come out fast. Moving around the ring throwing jabs Martin seems to be the aggressore. You figure Martin knows he only has about 2 minutes of cardio before he's done.
Butello wins the fight unanimously.

5:21 p.m. Vitor Belfort against Terry "I prefer to professionally box" Martin

Vitor has on an Affliction sweatshirt that probably cost more than my college education, but it is so dark due to low attendance that I am not sure exactly Another commercial.

5:30 p.m. Terry Martin being introduced looks in good shape. Should be a nice standup war here. Clench work nobody landing anything major at 3:30 of the round.

5:37 p.m. Very boring first round, nobody landing anything significant. Vitor is landing a higher percentage of shots, but I think you still give the round to Martin.

5:39 p.m. Rounds 2. Martin is limping aorund a bit. Martin is out of cardio I think already. They fall to the ground with Terry on top. Vitor's guard is loose but Martin is landing many elbows.

5:41 p.m. Vitor Belfort knocks Martin out with a left hook MONSTROUS. This was a followup to sick flying knee.

VITOR TKO

5:55 p.m. Commercial Break. They are gearing up for the PPV now. They seem to really want to make this come off as a very official event with Big John, Frank "You Know" Trigg and Randy Couture appearances.

6:00 p.m. Live from the Honda Center its Affliction Banned! Michael Buffer introducing it.

6:03 p.m. Megadeath is on stage...the lead singer just took his metamusel. All the fighters are lining up Pride style. Little bit of Andrei, some Tim Sylvia and of course Fedor.

Fight Card for the PPV is as follows

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia @ HW

Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo @ HW

Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao @ MW

Ben Rothwell vs. Andrei Arlovski @ HW

Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead @ LHW

Mike Pyle vs. J.J. Ambrose @ WW

Gary Goodridge** vs. Paul Buentello @ HW

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin Dewees @ LHW


First fight of the night is Mike Pyle vs. J.J. Ambrose @ WW

6:10 p.m. J.J. is praying that Mike Pyle doesnt knock him out. Fight has started. Clench in the corner JJ is pushing the pace in the corner landing punches to Mike's back and trying to take him down. Scramble to the ground Mike has JJ's back with both hooks in. He is swinging from the back position landing some damaging blows. 3:11 left in the round.

6:15 p.m. JJ is taking a beating with Mike on his back. With both hooks in JJ is simply stuck taking damage. Read Naked choke finish with Mike Pyle taking it easily.


Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin Dewees @ LHW

6:20 p.m. Next fight up Nogueira against Edwin Rich Franklin destroyed me Dewees.

I pray for his safety.

6:25 p.m. Fight has begun. Edwin showing lots of kicks at Antonio but he is blocking them. Antonio has taken mount of edwin but is letting him up. 1:40 left in the round.

6:30 p.m. Nogueria wins it via strikes. Kicked Edwin's ass with strikes to the point Edwin collapsed and covered up.

6:36 p.m.
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao @ MW up next introductions occurring now.

6:43 p.m. Lindland and Negao coming up. Lindland takes him down quickly witha punch now has a choke. Legao is struggling he looks to be about done in the guillotine. HE BREAKS FREE. Lindland sinks it in again.

6:44 p.m. Lindland in mount dropping occasional punches not doing a ton of damage. 1:17 left and we are at a standstill on the ground.

6:50 p.m. Lindland is just landing bombs on him. Endless elbows and straight shots to Negao's head. Lindland with the takedown. Landing body shots and a few elbows to his head. 2:47 left in the round.

Round over on the ground give it 10-9 lindland.

6:57 p.m. This fight is painful. Both guys are exhausted. They both fell out of the ring. 10 seconds left Lindland puts his hands on his knees as a taught or either to catch his breath. Lindland 30 - 27 for me. We'll see what the judges think.

Lindland Winner.

Sobral against Whitehead
Round 1
The fighters open by trading. A kick from Sobral to Whitehead's lead leg is the first strike to land. Whitehead clinches and backs Sobral into the corner. Whitehead trying to grab a single-leg takedown, but Sobral defends with underhooks. Back to the center, Sobral ducks under a punch and tries a double-leg takedown that fails. Sobral pumps his jab, but no power shot follows. Another good kick to Whitehead's leg. The fight slows in the clinch, where neither man can gain an advantage. When they resume trading, Whitehead connects with an uppercut. Sobral retaliates with another kick, which prompts Whitehead to clinch. Seconds later Sobral ducks under another punch to get a takedown, but Whitehead gets up quickly. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 Sobral.

Round 2
Sobral works his jab to begin the second. Whiteheads shoots for a double-leg, but Sobral fights off what was a good effort. They begin to trade, and Sobral lands a good right hand to the body. Whitehead shoots for another double-leg, which Sobral stops momentarily before ending up on his back. Three minutes to go in the round. From his back, Sobral working on Whitehead's shoulder, perhaps for an omoplata. Whitehead frees himself but doesn't do any damage before the fighters are stood. Close round. 10-9 Sobral.

Round 3
Sobral hits an omaplata and continually pushes the pace on the ground 10-9 Sobral.

Sobral wins.

UFC Public Service Announcement

UFC Public Service Announcement from the Sports Muffin:

Just thought I'd get this info out there for all the West Coasters who plan on watching the UFC fights tomorrow (Saturday) night. Some cable companies - including Comcast - list the fights as being tape delayed and airing at 9 p.m. Turns out, this is NOT true! The fights will be airing LIVE at 6 p.m. PT.

So there you go - hopefully you won't turn on the TV at 9, and find that you missed all or most of the fights (which is what I would have done if someone hadn't emailed this information to me).

Enjoy Anderson Silva killing a man.

Anderson Silva, Version 205

Forget iPhone 2.0. Look at Anderson Silva 205. I'm impressed. I actually think he looks better at 205 - not quite as emaciated-looking. From Pelechati: "He's going to hit a lot harder. He may lose a few blips of speed but his power should be awesome." Hopefully he doesn't lose too much speed, since that's a big part of what makes him such a special fighter. But at the end of the day, I'm just glad I'm not James Irvin.


Pic came from MMAmania.com.

You Know Your Career Has Gone South When...

...you're Stephon Marbury and you check out ESPN.com this morning, only to find the following headline:

"Goodbye Marbury? Knicks to sign guard Roberson"

Now it wouldn't be so bad if that headline read any of the following:

"Goodbye Marbury? Knicks to sign guard Steve Nash"

"Goodbye Marbury? Knicks to sign guard Chris Paul"

or even "Goodbye Marbury? Knicks to sign guard Dan Dickau"

But Roberson? Honestly, I didn't know who Roberson was - I assumed a "T" was missing in his name. Apparently not - his name is Anthony Roberson. He played 20 games last year and averaged 5.6 ppg and 0.5 apg. Yes, Mr. Starbury, you're being replaced by a guy who cracked 10 points in a game just once last year...it also happened to be the only game where he registered more than one assist.

So there's your replacement, Stephon. In the meantime, you can cash in that $19 million per year paycheck, and reminisce about the days when you would pour in 20+ points a night, and dish out 8 or 9 dimes. A guy who should be in the D-League is running your team. How the mighty have fallen.

Slow Times at the Muffin

To those who check the Muffin on a regular basis (there might be a couple of you) - sorry things have been slow at the Muffin over the past week or so. I'm getting ready to take the dreaded California Bar Examination at the end of this month, which I'm told is to practice law, not serve alcoholic beverages (unfortunately). Meanwhile, the Hairy Guate had an iPhone glued to his hand, making it hard for him to type, and Pelechati has been slaving away over at Yardbarker.com (they pay him more than we do). All the other Muffin authors have no excuses.

In the meantime, re-enjoy (or re-suffer through) some of our older stuff.

Don't Mess With a Man and His iPhone

Wladimir Klitschko Retains Heavyweight Title

.....but who cares?

If you do, it was by 11th round knockout. But if you really did care, you knew that by now. Sorry, it's been a slow past few days at the Muffin. We're too preoccupied with the 3G iPhone.

10 Worst MLB Trades in Recent Years

Today, the Oakland A's traded ace Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to the Chicago Cubs for four minor leaguers. At first glance, I thought Oakland and Billy Beane got fleeced - c'mon, Billy, you couldn't land Felix Pie? No Josh Vitters? You couldn't hold out until the Rays were forced to overpay to keep the magic going? I mean, as an Angels fan, I think this is great...but still, what gives?

But then reason set in - it might seem like Oakland got the short end of the stick, but Beane rarely disappoints. So I guess we need to wait and see how this one pans out.

But this got us thinking - what were some of the worst MLB trades in recent years? We've given (most of) these ones time to pan out, and they were flat out awful.

10. Texas Rangers trade John Danks, Nick Masset, and Jacob Rasner to the Chicago White Sox for Brandon McCarthy and David Paisano.

This goes at #10 only because we should probably give it more time. But after the time we have given it, the pitching-starved Texas Rangers look terrible. John Danks has been spectacular for the White Sox, sporting a 6-4 record, 2.52 ERA, 86 K's, and 1.17 WHIP. Nick Masset hasn't been too shabby himself coming out of the bullpen with a 3.58 ERA. But Brandon McCarthy? 5-10 record with a 4.87 ERA, 59 K's, and 1.56 WHIP.

9. St. Louis Cardinals trade Dan Haren, Kiko Calero, and Daric Barton to the Oakland Athletics for Mark Mulder.

I might have put this one higher on the list, except the fact that this trade resulted in a World Series Championship for the St. Louis Cardinals. I'll give the St. Louis front office some credit for that. But where has Mark Mulder been these days? Meanwhile, Dan Haren put up three very solid years for Oakland, going more than 200 innings each year, Kiko Calero put up a few good seasons for the A's (before being released about a week ago), and Daric Barton...well, let's just go back to Dan Haren. Even though Haren finds himself in Arizona now, the A's were able to parlay him into guys like Dana Eveland (7-5, 3.50 ERA) and doubles-machine Carlos Gonzalez.

8. Oakland Athletics trade Mark McGwire to the St. Louis Cardinals for T.J. Matthews, Blake Stein, and Eric Ludwick.

Sure, I'm a little reluctant putting this one here because I understand the A's wanting to get something - anything - for McGwire before he hit free agency. But that's the best you could do for a guy who would go on to hit 220 homeruns for the redbirds, juiced or not?

7. Tampa Bay Devil Rays trade Bobby Abreu to the Philadelphia Phillies for Kevin Stocker.

Kevin Stocker's career numbers - .254 average, 23 HR, 248 RBI 45 SB, .338 OBP

Bobby Abreu's career numbers - .299 average, 231 HR, 1,040 RBI, 307 SB, .405 OBP

.......Any questions?

6. New York Mets trade Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Bartolome Fortunato and Victor Zambrano.

I think this was a head-scratcher the moment it happened. Except for a 50 inning campaign in 2001, Zambrano never posted a sub-4.00 ERA year. Meanwhile, Scott Kazmir is going to the 2008 All-Star game with a 7-3 record, 2.69 ERA, 84 K's, and 1.13 WHIP.

Despite all of Kazmir's time on the DL, he's out-K'd Zambrano 701 to 529 in their respective careers. And Kazmir is still only 24.

5. Texas Rangers trade Chris Young...

We've already established the Texas Rangers have been pitching-starved for a while now. But you're telling me that in addition to John Danks and Edinson Volquez (if they didn't bring in Josh Hamilton - can't say that was a "bad" deal, though), the Rangers could have ALSO had Chris Young?

...and Adrian Gonzalez to the San Diego Padres for Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka, and Billy Killian.

And they could have had Adrian Gonzalez to fill in for the departing Mark Teixeira?!?!? And all they got was a crummy combination of Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka?

4. Seattle Mariners trade Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek to the Boston Red Sox for Heath Slocumb.

Heath Slocumb? He posted a 4.13 ERA in just more than 28 innings in 1997, and a 5.32 ERA in nearly 68 innings.

Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek? I think you know how that one panned out.

3. Montreal Expos trade Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Lee Stevens to the Cleveland Indians for Bartolo Colon, Tim Drew, and cash.

It's not that Bartolo Colon was a bad pickup...it's that he won the Cy Young award - with the Angels. Fast forward to 2008, and the Indians have a guy who could bring home his own Cy Young hardware this year in Cliff Lee, and a potential 40-40 guy (and maybe MVP if the Indians make an unlikely playoff push?) in Grady Sizemore. Brandon Phillips didn't turn out too poorly either, as he's become one of the best offensive second basemen in the National League for the Cincinnati Reds.

2. New York Mets trade Nolan Ryan, Don Rose, Frank Estrada, and LeRoy Stanton to the California Angels for Jim Fregosi.

This one really isn't a "recent" bad trade. But it's hard to forget about the fact that the Mets traded away a fireballer who would become arguably the best pitcher in the history of the game for pennies on the dollar. (I'd go even lower than that and say pesos on the dollar, but these days I can't be certain that is indeed lower). At least Mets fans had to endure Fregosi's terrible performance for only 146 games over parts of two seasons.

1. San Francisco Giants trade Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan, and Boof Bonser to the Minnesota Twins for A.J. Pierzynski.

I don't think it gets much worse than this. And it's not that A.J. Pierzynski is a bad player - he's probably among the top tier catchers in the game today. But it's the fact that the Giants had him for only a half of a season before he bolted for Chicago. And, boy, did the Giants pay dearly for him. If your dream rotation has Tim Lincecum-Matt Cain-Francisco Liriano-Jonathan Sanchez-Boof Bonser with Joe Nathan shutting things down, you can thank Giants management for killing that dream. But they got you Barry Zito, Giants fans - doesn't that make up for it?

2008 All-Star Snubs and Flubs: NL Edition

Yesterday, Major League Baseball announced its rosters for the 2008 All-Star Game to be played on July 15 at Yankee Stadium. If you missed it, check out our dissection of the American League All-Star roster.

Now we're going to take a look at the National League roster, to see who doesn't deserve to go and who got shafted. We don't have quite as many problems with the NL Roster as we did with the AL roster; that likely has something - if not everything - to do with the fact that the Yankees and Red Sox aren't in the NL. So let's jump right in.

Here is the NL All-Star roster:

Starters

C - Geovany Soto, CHC
1B - Lance Berkman, HOU
2B - Chase Utley, PHI
SS - Hanley Ramirez, FLA
3B - Chipper Jones, ATL
OF - Ryan Braun, MIL
OF - Kosuke Fukudome, CHC
OF - Alfonso Soriano, CHC

Pitchers

Aaron Cook, COL
Ryan Dempster, CHC
Dan Haren, ARI
Brad Lidge, PHI
Tim Lincecum, SF
Ben Sheets, MIL
Edinson Volquez, CIN
Billy Wagner, NYM
Brandon Webb, ARI
Brian Wilson, SF
Kerry Wood, CHC
Carlos Zambrano, CHC

Reserves

C - Russell Martin, LA
C - Brian McCann, ATL
1B - Adrian Gonzalez, SD
1B - Albert Pujols, STL
2B - Dan Uggla, FLA
3B - Aramis Ramirez, CHC
SS - Christian Guzman, WAS
SS - Miguel Tejada, HOU
OF - Matt Holliday, COL
OF - Ryan Ludwick, STL
OF - Nate McLouth

Initial Impressions
We have a lot of Cubs going to New York, but I'm OK with that. Unlike the Red Sox and Yankees who litter the AL roster, the Cubs are in first place. Another thing I notice is that the NL roster looks a lot better than the AL roster. It's kind of an interesting dynamic between the NL and the AL - in my opinion, the NL has better star players, and more of them, making them the favorites in a game like this. However, I think overall the AL is much deeper with talent, which in the end makes the AL the slightly superior league in regular play.

But the biggest question - where are all the New York Mets???

The Flubs
Let's start with Geovany Soto. Like I said above, there aren't too many problems with the NL roster, so I'm going to be picky with a lot of these choices. I like Soto a lot and he should definitely be in New York next week. But I have Russell Martin (.305, 9 HR, 42 RBI, 9 SB) ranked slightly ahead of Soto (.289, 15 HR, 52 RBI). But the Cubs had a great first half, and that probably gave Soto the decisive edge. Brian McCann has also put together a solid year (.293, 15 HR, 48 RBI), but like the fans, I put him just behind Soto.

First Base
Next, First Base. It's hard to find flubs here - again, you've gotta be picky. You can't argue against the starter, Lance Berkman, who's put up .349, 22 HR, 69 RBI, and 12 SB. But the reserves is where things get complicated because there are so many deserving players. I have Adrian Gonzalez, who will be in New York, come in as my #2 NL first baseman with some gaudy numbers, .284, 22 HR, 70 RBI. Right behind him, I have Derrek Lee (.306, 15 HR, 53 RBI, 4 SB), who didn't make the All-Star team. So who made it over Lee? Albert Pujols, who I have ranked as my #6 NL first baseman. Usually, that would scream FLUB! to me. But I actually don't have any problems with Pujols going because its tough to argue against .350, 18 HR, 48 RBI, and 3 SB. The other players I have ranked ahead of Pujols are Ryan Howard, whose .223 average is likely keeping him away from the midsummer classic, but its his 23 homeruns and 70 RBI that have me sweet on him, and Mark Teixeira, whose average is below average for him, but the 16 homeruns and 66 RBI are still solid.

Second Base
No flubs at second base, the voters got this one dead on - Chase Utley (.294, 24 HR, 67 RBI, 9 SB) to start, with Dan Uggla (.289, 23 HR, 58 RBI, 4 SB) coming off the bench.

Third Base
Again, you have to be picky to find problems at third base. Chipper Jones (.388, 18 HR, 50 RBI, 2 SB) is right where he should be, and that's starting at the hot corner for the NL. Aramis Ramirez, who will be on the bench, has also put together a very solid year, with .283, 15 HR, and 60 RBI. But where's David Wright??? More on this in the snubs...

Shortstop
If we had AL-like voting here in the NL, we'd see someone like Jose Reyes or even Jimmy Rollins starting at shortstop. But thank God, we don't have Yankees and Red Sox fans flooding the ballot boxes here. As a result, we have the RIGHT choice with Hanley Ramirez (.304, 21 HR, 43 RBI, 21 SB) getting the starting nod at shortstop. On the bench, we have Tejada - who, while he has had a nice year (.283, 10 HR, 44 RBI, 7 SB), it's not quite the year Jose Reyes has had (.297, 9 HR, 38 RBI, 31 SB). Christian Guzman also cracked the All-Star roster as Washington's lone representative. I guess I can't knock Guzman since the Nationals have to send SOMEBODY.

Outfield
FINALLY! We've got some bona fide flubs! And I'm talking all 3 of the starting outfielders! Let's start with Ryan Braun. He's had a great first half - .284, 21 HR, 59 RBI, 8 SB - but I'd put him on the bench in this game, because I've got 4 outfielders ranked above him. The real crime? 3 of those 4 didn't make the roster - more on them in the snubs below. Next, we have K-Fuk, who seems to be benefiting from the Ichiro factor. I have 11 NL outfielders ranked ahead of the Japanese import - I even have guys like Corey Hart and Fred Lewis ranked ahead of Fukudome. How can you pick a guy whose line reads .287, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 8 SB to START, while you leave a guy (Pat Burrell) with a line of .279, 21 HR, 53 RBI in the cold? Finally, I'm befuddled - yes, befuddled - by the fact that Alfonso Soriano gets the start in this game. Here's one guy who I actually have ranked BEHIND Fukudome. In fact, I've got Soriano ranked as my #35 NL outfielder. Unfortunate for Soriano, he's injured and he won't be playing in the All-Star game; fortunately for us, however, we'll probably see someone like Burrell or Carlos Beltran get the deserving nod.

As for the reserves - I reluctantly agree with Nate McLouth. McLouth had an amazing first couple of months, but has really cooled off since then. Matt Holliday has been excellent, hitting .343 with 14 HR, 49 RBI, and 11 SB. Looks like the line of an All-Star starter, to me...Finally, Ryan Ludwick (.290, 17 HR, 58 RBI, 4 SB) has had a nice year so far, but like McLouth, is capitalizing off of a hot couple of months.

Pitchers
I certainly see more problems with the NL pitching than I did with the AL pitching. Why is Aaron Cook here? He'd be fine if the Rockies needed their one representative, but they're already adequately represented by Matt Holliday. The 11 wins are nice, but the 3.66 ERA and 64 K's makes me wonder why the NL couldn't find anyone better. Ryan Dempster is another guy I kind of scratch my head over. It's not that he's having a bad year (9-3, 3.24 ERA, 93 K's), but I think they could have found someone better. Finally, Brian Wilson should NOT be here as long as Lincecum will be representing the Giants. I understand Wilson has an NL-leading 24 saves, but that 4.37 ERA suggests Giants fans should be thanking their lucky stars they're only 5 games out of first, not sending Wilson to New York as an All-Star.

The Snubs

First Base
I have Derrek Lee (.306, 15 HR, 53 RBI, 4 SB) ranked as my #3 NL first baseman, but he couldn't crack a tough group of Berkman, Gonzalez, and Pujols. That really is a brutal group. Mark Teixeira (.276, 16 HR, 66 RBI) also deserves some attention. I'm also surprised the Philly fans didn't get Ryan Howard into this game, whose batting average may leave a lot to be desired, but those 23 homeruns and 76 RBI are top-notch.

Second Base
Utley and Uggla were spot on, but Brandon Phillips also deserves some consideration, after putting up .292, 14 HR, 56 RBI, and 18 SB in the first half.

Shorstop
One of the biggest snubs here, which is surprising because he plays for New York. I have Jose Reyes ranked as my #2 shorstop, right behind All-Star starter Hanley Ramirez. I'd take Reyes' .297, 9 HR, 38 RBI, and 31 SB over Tejada and Guzman any day of the week.

Third Base
Obviously, it's hard to argue against Chipper starting this game. But if you were to argue against it, David Wright (.286, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 9 SB) would be your best case in point. So how does he not even make the team? Better yet, how does he put up those numbers, PLAY IN NEW YORK, and not make the team? Where are all the Mets fans? Are they still in shock after last year's collapse? How do the Red Sox get guys like Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz in the starting lineup, while the Mets can't get Reyes and Wright even on the bench?

Outfield
Just about anyone would have been a better selection than K-Fuk and Soriano. But the guys who deserved legitimate consideration are Carlos Beltran - HELLO? NEW YORK?!?!? (.264, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 14 SB), Jason Bay (.285, 17 HR, 45 RBI, 6 SB), Pat Burrell (.279, 21 HR, 53 RBI), and Carlos Lee (.292, 19 HR, 67 RBI, 4 SB). And, hell, if we're going to be completely irrational about some of our All-Star selections, why not consider Ken Griffey, Jr. as the "feel good" selection?

Pitchers
Perhaps the most glaring omission here is the absence of Cole Hamels (9-5, 3.22 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 110 K's). I'd take Hamels over Cook and Wilson without hesitation. And what about Francisco Cordero (4-1, 18 saves, 2.43 ERA, 44 K's) and Jon Rauch (4-2, 17 saves, 2.44 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 40 K's)? Tim Hudson is another guy who deserves some consideration, after posting a 9-6 record with a 3.19 ERA and 73 K's. Finally, where's Johan Santana? I can't even blame the Mets fans for this one. His 7-7 record may be a bit disappointing, but what's wrong with the 2.96 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 109 K's?

2008 MLB All-Star Rosters Announced: AL Flubs and Snubs

The 2008 MLB All-Star rosters were announced today. The All-Star Game will be played on July 15, 2008 at Yankee Stadium, with the league winner securing home field advantage in the World Series. We'll take a look at these rosters, and pick them apart - Who doesn't deserve to go? Who got the snub? Because we know most of our readers likely suffer from ADD, we'll do this in two parts. This article will address the American League roster, and later we'll address the National League roster.

So here's how the AL roster looks:

Starters
C - Joe Mauer, MIN
1B - Kevin Youkilis, BOS
2B - Dustin Pedroia, BOS
SS - Derek Jeter, NYY
3B - Alex Rodriguez, NYY
OF - Josh Hamilton, TEX
OF - Manny Ramirez, BOS
OF - Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
DH - David Ortiz, BOS

Pitchers
Justin Duchscherer, OAK
Roy Halladay, TOR
Scott Kazmir, TB
Cliff Lee, CLE
Joe Nathan, MIN
Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
Mariano Rivera, NYY
Francisco Rodriguez, LAA
Ervin Santana, LAA
Joe Saunders, LAA
George Sherrill, BAL
Joakim Soria, KC

Reserves
C - Dioner Navarro, TB
C - Jason Varitek, BOS
1B - Justin Morneau, MIN
2B - Ian Kinsler, TEX
SS - Michael Young, TEX
3B - Joe Crede, CWS
3B - Carlos Guillen, DET
OF - J.D. Drew, BOS
OF - Carlos Quentin, CWS
OF - Grady Sizemore, CLE
DH - Milton Bradley, TEX

One look at this roster - particularly the starters - and you'll notice that this AL team has a Boston/New York feel to it, as 6 of the starters come from the Red Sox and Yankees. Which would be fine, if they all got there by merit. But not all of them did - they got there because All-Star voting is a popularity contest, providing further evidence why fans shouldn't be given the exclusive right to vote. I mean, seriously, there are 6 All-Stars in the Red Sox lineup? Really? Six of them?!? And this is before Jacoby Ellsbury will be added in as the Fan's Final Vote, because I'm sure he will be. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration. It could be Mike Lowell.

Who Doesn't Deserve to be There?
Let's start with Red Sox 1B, Kevin Youkilis. Sure, maybe he can find a spot as a reserve on this roster. But if we're going by merit, how does the Greek God of Walks get the nod over Justin Morneau? Morneau has hit for a slightly better average, and he's knocked in 12 more runs than Youkilis. Morneau also doesn't have some of the same table-setters as Youkilis has, and he certainly doesn't have the same kind of protection batting behind him.

Next up is Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia. Sure, he's had a nice first half - .313 average, 9 HR, 39 RBI, and 9 SB. But there are a handful of other AL second basemen who have had a comparable, if not better first half - and most of them didn't even make it as reserves. What about Brian Roberts (.293, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 22 SB)? Or B.J. Upton (.275, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 26 SB)? And how on earth does Ian Kinsler NOT get that starting position?!? How is a line of .328 average, 14 HR, 53 RBI, and 23 SB's NOT good enough to get the nod over Pedroia?

Next we have Derek Jeter. Look, I understand this game is being played in Yankee Stadium, and that this is the last season to be played in Yankee Stadium, and I understand what Derek Jeter has meant to this franchise. Maybe that alone gives him the starting nod. But he does not start this game because of his production. I've got three AL shortstops (Michael Young, Orlando Cabrera, and Jhonny Peralta) ranked ahead of Jeter - only 1 made (Young) made the roster as a reserve.

Manny Ramirez. Notice a trend here? Any other year I'd have no qualms about Manny making the All-Star team, because any other year he deserves it. This year's .279 average with 16 HR and 53 RBI, however, just aren't up to snuff. I've got 10 AL outfielders ranked ahead of Manny - only 6 of them made the All-Star team. In fact, I've got Manny as the lowest rated OF on this AL squad; usually, you're "worst" player doesn't start the game.

Ichiro Suzuki. I don't mind Ichiro getting a spot on this roster (thanks to his 34 SB), but he shouldn't be starting this game. Not over a guy like Grady Sizemore, who has a shot at putting up a 40 HR-40 SB season. That right there blows my mind - how does a potential 40-40 guy get stuck on the bench?

Finally, David Ortiz. The fact that Ortiz not only made the squad, but made it as a starter is overwhelming evidence that fan voting is terrible. I know David Ortiz is injured, so he won't be playing, anyway. I'm still just as disgusted. I know he doesn't play on the east coast, but what about Milton Bradley? Hell, just about everyone on the reserves deserved to be named a starter over Ortiz.

There are some reserves that should get the boot, as well. Well, just one, actually. Jason Varitek - I'm sorry, a .219 average hardly screams "All-Star."

Who Got Snubbed?
C - A.J. Pierzynski probably deserves a spot over Dioner Navarro, and certainly over Jason Varitek. Even Ivan Rodriguez deserves some consideration. And if we're going to take Varitek's .219 average, why not Mike Napoli? His .204 average is pretty pathetic, but those 12 homeruns are more than Navarro (4) and Varitek (7) combined.

1B - Jason Giambi has put together a solid first half. I'm not too torn up over this one, because there's more than a good chance Yankees fans will vote him in as the final All-Star. I'd also like to include Miguel Cabrera and Casey Kotchman here, but they just haven't done enough to really argue they deserve spots over Youkilis and Morneau.

2B - B.J Upton has had a great first half - .275 average, 6 HR, 42 RBI, and 26 SB. Did I mention the Rays are leading the AL East? Yeah, there's a team in that division that's not from Boston or New York. Wanna know something else? There's a couple other teams in that division, too. Brian Roberts plays for one of them. In fact, he's put together an All-Star caliber year at second base - I put his .293, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 22 SB first half above Pedroia's. But the real crime? I still don't get how Ian Kinsler does not start this game...

3B - Here's one position the voters got right...well, somewhat right. Surprisingly, it's the New York choice (Alex Rodriguez) I'm fine with, but the Chicago choice (Joe Crede) and Detroit choice (Carlos Guillen) I have problems with. I've got Aubrey Huff (.279, 17 HR, 53 RBI), Evan Longoria (.281, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 6 SB), and Adrian Beltre (.250, 16 HR, 44 RBI, 7 SB) ranked ahead of both Carlos Guillen (.292, 8 HR, 44 RBI, 7 SB) and Joe Crede (.260, 15 HR, 46 RBI). Hell, I've even got Boston 3B Mike Lowell (.302, 13 HR, 54 RBI) ahead of Crede. Kansas City 3B Alex Gordon (.255, 11 HR, 42 RBI) also deserves some attention.

SS - I already mentioned these above in my slamming of Derek Jeter. Orlando Cabrera has put up respectable numbers (.269, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 12 SB), and Jhonny Peralta has been mashing the ball for 12 HR. I put them both ahead of Jeter's subpar year. Still, it's Michael Young who should be starting this game.

OF - The grossest mistake made here is having Grady Sizemore on the bench. As I mentioned above, this guy has a shot at a 40-40 year. But there are a couple guys in particular who have good arguments in their favor, but weren't given the nod. The first one is Nick Markakis, who has put together a solid year: .293, 12 HR, 44 RBI, and 8 SB. The other guy is Carl Crawford, who plays for the AL East leading Rays and is hitting .285, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 22 SB. Other guys who deserve some consideration are Jermaine Dye and Bobby Abreu, both of whom I have ranked ahead of starter Manny Ramirez.

Pitchers - Not too many problems here, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that these are not picked by the fans. I think Seattle starter Felix Hernandez deserves strong consideration. But I'm sure Seattle management doesn't mind the snub, as it will give young King Felix a little time to rest and recover from an ankle injury.

Top 10 Rampage Jackson Videos

No one is looking forward to UFC 86 and the beatdown Rampage is gonna give to Forrest more than the Muffin. Here's our Top 10 Rampage videos.

#10. Rampage visits the troops.


#9. Rampage, doggy-style.


#8. "Don't UNNHH!!"


#7. Rampage on Kimmel. This video inspired me to name my first daughter, Rampagah. Mrs. "oflarity" didn't like the idea, but with time, it will grow on her.


#6. Rampage's dancing is better than the video quality.


#5. Rampage goes shopping.


#4. Rampage shows off his inner-Chuck.


#3. Rampage could teach Shaq a thing or two.


#2. "I'm a blogger! I'm on the internet!"


#1. UFC 86 Preview Video

WAMMA Heavyweight Belt

Contrary to initial impressions, this belt will go to the WINNER of the Fedor Emelianenko-Tim Sylvia fight, not the loser.

Fedor and Sylvia will fight on the Affliction: Banned card on July 19 in Anaheim, California. Most people will be watching UFC Fight Night, instead.


Pic is from MMAMania.com via GoWamma.com

Andrei Arlovski to Try His Hand at Boxing

According to ESPN, former UFC Heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski will make his professional boxing debut on September 13. The match will be on HBO PPV as part of the undercard to the Joel Casamayor v. Juan Manuel Marquez lightweight championship bout in Las Vegas.

Arlovski seems to be taking the jump pretty seriously, as he's enlisted the services of top-notch trainer Freddie Roach. Roach was named the Trainer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2003, 2006, and 2007. Roach currently trains Lightweight and Super Featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao, and was in Oscar De La Hoya's corner for his fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Does this mean The Pitbull could be leaving the cage for the squared circle for good? Probably not. Despite being dropped by the UFC, it's not like Arlovski has struggled recently to find MMA success. He's currently riding a three fight win streak, two of which came by TKO. He's also scheduled to be on the July 19th Affliction: Banned card and his opponent, Ben Rothwell, is no slouch - Sherdog currently ranks him as the #10 best Heavyweight fighter in the world. Sherdog has Arlovski at #5. Finally, while it may not mean much for training-mate Randy Couture, Arlovski is under a three-fight contract with Affliction. So wethinks that this boxing match is just a detour for Arlovski's MMA career, and that he'll be back in the cage.

The Worst National Anthem Performances

Happy 4th of July, everyone. We here at the Muffin thought the best way to celebrate would be look back at some of the worst national anthem performances in sports. But before we do that - we understand that each of the following performers has more balls than we'll ever have. With that said, these are pretty terrible renditions of the Star Spangled Banner.

Carl Lewis. The CLASSIC.




Very Confused Police Officer. Sure, it's not a sporting event. But it's still pretty bad.


R. Kelly. Wow. Only R. Kelly. Since when do we clap during the National Anthem?


Disability Awareness Day at Fenway Park. Alright, we do feel kinda bad including this among the "worst." But it's not like it's done well, is it? If we say it's "inspiring", are we off the hook?


Nicole. That's it, apparently. Just Nicole.


Natalie...um...who? Eh, screw it, Mo Cheeks stole the show.


"Forgetful Hockey Woman" from Canada. Ice is slippery.


Roseanne Barr. We have absolutely no qualms calling this awful. It's AWFUL.


Cuba Gooding, Sr. I don't know what's worse - his singing, or the turn his son's acting career took.


Jimi Hendrix. And, finally, we have to include this one. But not to be among the worst. On the contrary, it's the best. We just needed something to make us proud of being American again. And, yes, we realize it's not from a sporting event. Oh well, not every list can be perfect.

I Like Rock Music

Sorry, nothing to do with sports, but I have to engage in some self-indulgence and promote one of the best rock bands of the past 10,000,000 years, Local H. If you like rock, you should definitely check out their latest album, 12 Angry Months.

Local H - "24 Hour Break-Up Session" on Carson Daly

Why You Should Wear a Cup in the Pole Vault

Kobayashi Gets Schooled by a Bear

In anticipation for the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th, here's a video of Kobayashi getting schooled by a bear. This was before the 2007 hot dog eating contest when Joey Chestnut brought the Gluttonous Gold back to the USA, where it belongs.

The Muffin loves Joey, but we're pullin' for Deep Dish Pat Bertoletti this year.

2008 Beijing Olympics Elimination Bracket: The Fiber-Filled Four

Things are winding down as we head into the Semifinals. #4 Synchronized Swimming continues to roll over the competition, but they're not the only Cinderella's at this dance. Darkhorse #6 Table Tennis pulled out the "decisive decision" over #1 Swimming in what became the biggest upset of the Tournament as far as seeding goes (I'm still floored by Synchro getting past basketball). Finally, 16 years after the '92 Olympics, Dan and Dave finally won something as #1 Track and Field coasted by #3 Volleyball. Click on the image below to see what the bracket looks like:


So here we are, at the end of the Road to the Fiber-Filled Four. Let's get it on.


#4 Synchronized Swimming v. #6 Table Tennis

This one should be a real deathmatch. Not much can be said about these two that hasn't been said before. One focuses play around bouncing balls, and the other won't let you compete in the Olympics if you've got them.




#1 Gymnastics v. #1 Track and Field
It's funny how this bracket worked out - on one side, we've got the overachieving underdogs, and on this side, we've got the two powerhouses who were supposed to get to this point. But, really, doesn't this all come down to whether Allison Stokke will be in Beijing? I don't think she will be, but I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to post her picture.





Voting will close Monday at Midnight.

How to Get the NBA Free Agent of Your Dreams

Apparently this is all it takes to get an NBA free agent to come to your team. Expect to find similar songs about Elton Brand and Gilbert Arenas cropping up all over YouTube.

Earthquakes strike Moneyball?!?

According to the Rocky Mountain News, A's wizard GM and all around baseball genius Billy Beane could be leaving the GM position as early as 2009? To do what you ask?

Apparently the rumor is that David Forst, currently Beane's protege and assistant GM has turned down every offer placed before him to GM for other teams around the league. And the reason he's holding out supposedly is that Beane is stepping down after this season to focus on his true passion, soccer. See the owners of the Oakland A's, headed by Lewis Wolff don't just own the A's, they're also the owners of the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. Additionally the A's majority owner and GAP heir John Fisher is also a minority owner in Scotland's greatest football club, Celtic FC. And both Fisher and Beane are apparently nuts for soccer. So much so that Fisher shaved his head during the last world cup and painted the US flag on it while walking around Germany. And Beane apparently spends most afternoons watching the Premier League in the UK while planning his next blockbuster baseball trade. So as the rumor goes, Billy Beane will be leaving the A's to GM for the Earthquakes and will try his luck at applying Moneyball to soccer.



Now this idea isn't as insane as you think, part of Moneyball has always been about getting the most out of your aquisitions and players for the least cash. And soccer with it's infinitely smaller salaries and salary cap might just be a place to try this approach out. Additionally Beane doesn't even have to leave the organization he's in now to do so since the A's own the Quakes. But here's why it won't happen....

First, this entire rumor is based on the idea the Forst doesn't want to take a full GM position yet. I can think of one reason why right off the bat, Paul DePodesta. You may remember Paul from his days as... wait for it.... Billy Beane's assistant GM and protege. More than likely however you remember him from his disasterous tenure as Dodger's GM from which he was fired. Wonder what he's doing now? He's a lowly office assistant for the San Diego Padres. If you're Forst, looking at what happened to the last guy who left Beane's shadow, would you want to rush out and get burned? I know I wouldn't. I would stay right where I am learning from the master and waiting until I'm damn good and ready.

Second reason you won't see Beane abandon the A's GM spot (at least not full time), two words, Cisco Field. The A's new stadium is slated to open in the next 3-4 years by 2012. Right about the time all those recent aquisitions that Beane took heat for in the off season come to fruition. Also the new stadium has been said by the owners to be the impetus for a sizable payroll bump for the A's. Billy with money, will there be anything scarier to the rest of MLB? And it is yet another new situation for Billy to enjoy after years of toiling under the A's current limited budget. Not to mention did you know Billy is part owner of the A's, why would he leave HIS team to someone else?

The last reason this won't happen is that Moneyball might be a fun experiment in soccer for a while, but in the end it won't work. Soccer has never been the game of stats that Baseball has always been. And the heart of Moneyball is stats and statistics. So no matter how much passion for the game Billy has personally, his methods would ultimately fail. And ultimately the Quakes would have to fire Quakes GM John Doyle, whom they just gave the job to this year to bring Billy in because Billy Beane doesn't play second fiddle to anyone if he's full GM. That's why if you see Billy get involved with soccer, it will be a part time dabbling assisting Doyle while continuing his GM duties with the A's and continuing to work toward his ultimate vindication with the A's, a World Series ring.

NL Rookie of the Year

After getting hammered for my NL MVP pick I needed a few days off to regroup. Now I'm back to give my top 5 list for NL Rookie of the Year.

1. Geovany Soto (CHC): .284 BA, 13 HR, 47 RBI
Soto has been a huge upgrade at the catcher position over Michael Barrett and Jason Kendall. He is making a huge push for a spot on the All-Star team, but has some stiff competition from Russell Martin, Brian McCann, and even Bengie Molina. Out of all the halfway awards this was the easiest to pick.

2. Jair Jurrjens (ATL): 8-3, 98.0 IP, 2.94 ERA, 69 SO
Jair has been a pleasant surprise for a Braves rotation that has endured countless injuries. So far it's looking like the Braves stole another pitching prospect from the Tigers (ala John Smoltz). Jair should be a solid number 2 starter for this team for many years to come.

3. Kosuke Fukudome (CHC): .296 BA, 6 HR, 34 RBI, .404 OBP
I have never really liked the idea of players who have played multiple seasons of professional Japanese ball being considered for ROY, but since they are I'll have to put K-Fuk here. He is not only posting solid numbers in his first MLB season, but he also provides an emotional lift for the team and really gets those Cubs fans going.

4. Joey Votto (CIN): .280 BA, 12 HR, 38 RBI,
Votto has made a solid contribution for a Reds team that has one of the better collections of youth in the Majors this season. By seasons end his teammate Jay Bruce may end up higher on this list, but as of now Votto has has more ABs and thus better numbers.

5. Johnny Cueto (CIN): 6-8, 98.0 IP, 4.68 ERA, 83 SO
After a sizzling debut for the Reds this season in which he posted 10 SO, Cueto has come back down to earth. He is still putting up respectable numbers for a 22 year old in a hitter-friendly park. He should get to about 12 wins by the end of the season and between him and Edinson Volquez, Reds fans should be pretty excited about the possibilities of a ridiculous 1-2 punch.

Honorable Mention: John Lannan (WAS), Hiroki Kuroda (LAD), Jorge Campillo (ATL), Blake DeWitt (LAD), Jay Bruce (CIN)

L.A. BOOM!

By now you've heard the great news - Baron Davis verbally agreed to a 5 year deal with the Clippers worth an estimated $65 million. This coming less than 24 hours after he shocked Warriors fans when he opted out of a contract that would have brought him a little more than $17 million next year.

Sorry, Warrior fans. But honestly, this probably worked out for the best. The Dubs still need to extend guys like Monta, and Baron's contract made it extremely difficult for management to make any roster improvements. If the Warriors ended up extending Baron's contract, they'd only find themselves deeper in the hole. Now with Baron out of the Bay Area, they've got some breathing room, and they still keep a young core of Monta Ellis - Marco Bellinelli - Al Harrington, not to mention second-year forward Brandan Wright and rookie Anthony Randolph. Who knows? It might seem like a longshot, but maybe they'll find themselves in position to make a play for someone like LeBron James or Dwyane Wade when they hit free agency.

Now that the Warriors fans have been consoled - or just hate my guts - how about those Clips?!? The reason I love this move is because it was the ONLY rational move the Clippers could make. It's not often the Clippers make rational moves. Look, I know, fans shouldn't be overjoyed when their team does little more than make a "rational" decision. Let me see if I can explain this...

When your franchise has competent management - the A's who have GM Billy Beane, for example - any time a "rational" decision is made, that's just another Tuesday. But when you're a Clipper fan? "Rational" decisions are like Christmas if Christmas only came on leap years. Remember when everyone got so excited about that autistic kid who hit a few 3's in a high school game? Do you think everyone would have been excited if he wasn't autistic, but rather a 6'5 physical specimen? Of course not. But signing Baron Davis makes the Clippers look like that autistic kid, only if he was also blind, an amputee, and narcoleptic. In fact, I think Disney is picking up the phone right now to buy the movie rights to this contract.

Will Baron lead the Clippers to a championship? Probably not. But they should get into the Playoffs, as long as everyone stays relatively healthy - as Clipper fan, I'll accept Playoffs...baby steps. As much as the Clippers have become the butt of every joke in the NBA, this is a talented roster. I mean, they made the Playoffs just a couple years ago with Sam Cassell running the point. I don't care who you are or what planet you're from, but Baron Davis >>>>>>>>>>>>> Sam Cassell. Assuming Elton Brand re-ups following the Boom signing, this is what the starting lineup should look like:

PG - Baron Davis (2007/2008: 21.8 ppg, 7.6 apg, 4.7 rebounds)
SG - Cuttino Mobley (2007/2008: 12.8 ppg, 2.6 apg, 3.5 rebounds)
OR SG: Eric Gordon (2007/2008: 20.9 ppg, 2.4 apg, 3.3 rebounds)
SF - Al Thornton (2007/2008: 12.7 ppg, 1.2 apg, 4.5 rebounds)
PF - Elton Brand (2006/2007: 20.5 ppg, 2.9 apg, 9.4 rebounds)
C - Chris Kaman (2007/2008: 15.7 ppg, 1.9 apg, 12.7 rebounds

There's not much to NOT like there.