Masters and openers and the athlete you can’t stand to watch
Nappy says a chimpanzee could pick Tiger, Phil or Rory, so he's going with Westwood. I love how Nappy says the word "chimpanzee." I say "Chim-PAN-ZEE" -- each syllable more emphasized than the last. He says "Chim-PANZ-ee." Just rolls off the tongue.
-In today’s paper, Nappy picked Lee Westwood, Doughty picked Tiger and editor Steve Hemphill went with Ian Poulter. I stuck with Luke Donald, but you guys talked me into putting Bubba Watson down as my sleeper. If he wins…thanks!
ANOTHER ROUND OF BASEBALL OPENERS TODAY highlighted by Red Sox at Tigers at 1 p.m. on ESPN2. Also on the tube: Stephen Strasburg and the Nats at the Cubs (2 p.m., MASN), Marlins at Reds (4 p.m. ESPN2) and Dodgers at Padres (7 p.m. MLB Network).
-Per family tradition that dates back to Tom Niedenfuer’s heyday as a gascan Orioles reliever (“I think the O’s be Needin’ Fewer runs given up by this guy,” my dad used to say. My love of puns might have started then), I’ll be taking the wife and kids to Baltimore tomorrow for Orioles Opening Day. That dovetails into a vacation that will continue until the Salem Red Sox have their home opener next Friday. This’ll be the last briefing for this week and next. So…
I’M STEALING AN IDEA FROM THE SCOTT VAN PELT SHOW. I guess it’s not stealing if I give them credit — and I am, it’s a great idea. They were talking yesterday about the NBA player that they can’t stand to watch. Maybe he’s a ball hog or has an awkward shot or flops on defense — whatever, but it irks you. I know the NBA garners tepid interest here (myself included) outside of Travis and a few others, so we’re going to broaden it to…
Throw the ball over the plate, man!
-Instead, it’s his approach as the ultimate nibbler. You’re a closer for Pete’s sake! (Or at least he was last year.) Challenge somebody! And adding to the frustration of watching this is the announcers, whom I normally like, saying, “Gregg just refuses to give in to hitters.” No. He refuses to throw strikes. And it drives me nuts.
OK, YOUR TURN. Who is the No. 1 athlete you can’t stand to watch? You can throw in more if you want, too, but try to pick a No. 1.
Fancy toilet seat.
-The Sugar Bowl trip cost Tech $3.18 million, but the school is expected to more than make up that money in the end. Andy does a nice job breaking down the numbers. I just wish we could get our hands on the itemized receipts; you get a feeling there’d be some things on there that would make those $600 White House toilet seats seem like a bargain.
NAME THAT TUNE
-Tough one today.
I know how you feel, you get crazy inside
They say it runs in the family
I know just how you feel when you get crazy inside
Your mom she said that you are just like me
I can see it in your eyes
I can see your shaky hands
Yes, I think you think I’m stupid
You don’t think I understand
Yes, I see you and I see myself when I was a younger man
April 5, 2012 - 8:16 AM
AMac, have fun in Balitmore. I can’t wait until I can get up there this summer. Thanks for the Niedenfuer joke. Awesome!
I agree that I cringed every time Gregg came into a game last year. The guy was almost a guaranteed blown save. But, you made this an “all-time” list, so I’ll have to go with Deion Sanders. There’s no disputing his talent, but since I got out of the 9th grade, I’ve never been a fan of showboats, and in my opinion, mouthy, over-the-top bragging, show boats are the bane of all professional sports. There may heve been showbots before Deion, but he turned it into an artform. couldn’t stand to watch him play.
That’s a toughie.
I’ll go with LeBron James for his over-the-top “The Decision” debacle and for needlessly dragging on his decision to go to Miami. Kobe Bryant is my 2nd players I can’t stand to watch either. He’s a ball hog and he just grains on me for some reason.
And just about everybody that dons a tights for WWE (that’s if you want to call it a sport).
I`m not going to monkey around with my pick-still going with Phil. He swings from the trees as well as he does the fairways.
AMc, I can’t believe none of you guys picked Johnson Wagner, how could that be??? I’m surprised he isn’t the prohibited favorite, must be a mistake. I can only imagine if he finishes in the top 10, much less wins the thing. Almost would make me pull for Tiger Woods if I had to, but hopefully someone in the rest of the field will come through.
Bubba Watson as your sleeper isn’t a bad pick, I’ll Fred Couples or Sergio Garcia as my dark house…
Well played, Ralph. Well played.
I’ve got to go with Allen Iverson as most hated athlete to watch. He’s just a punk. I can’t sum it up any other way. He could play, but just something about him I can’t stand.
On Andy’s story on the bowl costs, nothing in there surprises me except the size of the traveling party. 665? Come on, there are 85 players that can travel, maybe a few more, 300 band members, about 30 cheerleaders, including coaches, let’s say 25 football staff/coaches (counting the Lester Karlin types). That leaves 225 more people. That’s absurd.
A portion of that are spouses, which the staff member does get taxed on the value of the trip, but I’d rather pay the tax on the trip than the trip itself.
The transportation cost is only about $400/head, which is cheap. The numbers are high because of the number of people. And, a sixth of the cost are the bonuses, which is just ridiculous, too.
Have a great time in B’more, have some crab cakes for all of us. I would say I’ll see you at opening day for the Salem Sox, but I’ve learned my lesson – never, ever go to the first game, especially not a Friday one. Geez, that place will be packed. Never go opening night or the 4th of July. Any other time is right enjoyable.
Did I mention the tarp in left field is gone? Because it is. That might be the best news of 2012.
Don’t like to watch the NBA at all. I went to a lot of O’s games in the late 70′s and early 80′s and one guy I loved as a player but hated to watch was Don (Stan the Man Unusual) Stanhouse. A closer who could really make the game close. Earl Weaver called him “full-pack” because he could smoke a full pack of cigarettes while Stanhouse was trying to finish the game. Those were some good if not great Oriole teams in those days, lots of characters. Wild Bill Hagy leading the O’s cheer from the upper deck. I miss the O’s of old.
No real pick for The Masters, but hope Phil wins. I have loved watching The Masters since the early to mid 60′s, it’s always been my favorite toooonimint. HD-TV makes it even better.
I lived in Philly during AI’s golden years, so I can’t agree with Rick H. on that one. He was a punk, but he also made the Sixers compelling (both on the court and off) during the run from 1998-2003. The 2001 team that lost to LA in the Finals was full of overachievers, and Iverson actually transformed himself into a “working man’s hero” at the time, giving his all and sacrificing his body for the win.
Here would be my list of athletes that I couldn’t stand to watch:
1. Bill Laimbeer. (jerk.)
2. Mariano Rivera. (throws one pitch, yet is disturbingly effective)
3. Scott Stevens (former NJ Devil)
4. Tim Duncan. (Boring)
5. Rasheed Wallace.
6. Bobby Hurley/Christian Laettner (they beat the Fab Five and the great UNLV team — probably the 2 most entertaining college basketball teams of my lifetime)
Going to Baltimore to cover the Orioles? The same team that just lost to a community college?
I forgot who else I don’t like – Terrell Owens. Man, what a showboat, and what a diva. He and Randy Moss are cut from the same cloth as Deion Sanders.
Eh, they just took the tarp off for the first game. It’ll be back. Don’t get your hopes up. If nothing else, I’ll just go sit up there, create some serious messes with peanut shells and empty beer cups, all by myself for a couple of weeknight games, and they’ll put it back just to avoid cleaning up that area.
RP, I’ll agree with you on Laimbeer – he’d be in my top 5, for sure.
I’ll have to give some thought on the other 3, though, to round it out. It almost certainly has to include a Dookie, though – what list of most hated anythings wouldn’t include a Dookie? There are just so many to choose from.
No, it’s down for good. Talked to the GM yesterday and he said a storm wiped it out in the fall, and they figured it wasn’t worth the cost of replacing it. God has spoken.
Any Duke point guard of the last 25 years. Just take your pick. Douche City!!!
Most disgusting player to watch alltime. Danny Ainge. Nobody epitomizes cheap shot cry baby as the total package better than him.
I’m always amazed at the generosity of people when spending money that isn’t theirs. Obviously, the team and coaches need to be there. I don’t have a problem with the band or cheerleaders, either, since they perform at several events leading up to the game. The idea of a nice vacation for the administrative staff AND their families is ridiculous. The families shouldn’t be going on the school’s dime, period. Weaver, Steger, and staff shouldn’t get a full week out of it. They’re tasked with running the school/athletic department in a fiscally responsible manner, but aren’t going to really point out issues like this because it benefits both of them.
I think the Hokie Club needs to become less entangled with the athletic department. If you compare it to a business, the Hokie Club is the equivalent of the shareholders, except in this case, they seem to represent the employees over the “owners.”
Don’t bother telling me the fans don’t own the athletic department. If you’re footing the bill, you own it.
Yankees at the Orioles May 14 and 15!! Three generations of Yankees fans going.
I don’t have a problem with the number of people travelling to bowl games. These people work together as a team and should be rewarded. It’s not just what goes on on the field. There are a lot of behind the scenes tasks that add to the success of a program. They’re not losing money. I have no problem with what they are doing with my Hokie Club funds.
Stack boy, if you’re going to be a troll jerk, at least use the correct word; it’s “prohibitive.”
The Gregg Williams audio that came out today should really put a rest to the argument that the NFL suspensions for the Saints were not warranted. Williams should get a lifetime ban and Payton is really lucky he did not as well. Too many sounds bites to list here but it is worth a listen if Aaron wants to link it up.
The Shark. You know disaster is just around the corner. Amen Corner. Plus, he was naughty to Chris Evert. Golf’s second biggest Heel.
Nick Faldo. Don’t know why. No reason. I like him as a commentator and just hated him as an active tournament player.
Fred Couples. Jim Nance always roots for him since they were roomates at UT. I like Fred but know he can’t hang anymore. Watching him against the 20 somethings is suspensful because you know the train wreck is coming.
Tom Watson. Same thing.
John Daly. His clothes hurt my eyes.
Same with Sergio.
Same with Fowler.
Golf coverage is so intimate that it is easier to get a feel for any individual player than it is in team sports.
In team spots I can’t watch the US Soccer player Altidore. I think his game is much better suited for defender than striker and watching him screw up perfectly good offensive chances makes me angry. I just don’t know what they see in him that keeps him on the team.
And AM. Baltimore may be historically bad this year. Their only hope is i60+ rainouts. 20 years in Camden Yards (the best park in baseball) and the Angelos family proves that success in personal injury law does not bring success elsewhere (see also: Edwards, John).
I had hopes that Angelos would be a great owner. Shows what I know.
Shaun. Thanks for the heads up. Just listened to it. I’m not gonna link it here because of the language, but it’s easy to find. What a classy coach…What do you think Frank Gore thinks when he hears that? Think he wants to get in a room alone with Williams and make him “decide”?
Xman, my bad, didn’t proofread, thanks for pointing that out to me…by the way, +7 through 16…must not set up too well.
My all time least favorite athlete to watch is hands down, show boating Deon Sanders. Hated him at FSU more at Dallas and Ten times that amount as a Redskin. Can’t stand to see his mug to this day, though I find him dressed in that little Tinker Bell outfit in his most recent Direct TV comercials totally appropriate…dressed like a fairy.
Has nothing to do with the way he plays basketball, but Kentucky’s Anthony Davis needs to do something to that damn unibrow…ain’t nobody got the guts to tell that kid how rediculous he looks? That is hard to look at without LOL. Maybe when he bolts for his NBA millions he’ll have the funds to do something with it.
Part of the reason that so many people go to the bowl games is because the bowls make schools buy a certain allotment of hotel rooms, just like they do tickets. As for Weaver, Steger, etc. they actually conduct business while down there.
I don’t have any issue with the amount of people that go to the bowls. There is a huge difference in going to a BCS bowl and going to the smaller bowls. FAR less people go to those. Lots of the time, the whole band doesn’t even go to the minor bowls. The stays are shorter, just about everything is much more reduced.
Schools really lose money in virtually every bowl except the BCS bowls. I suppose VT would be okay going to the Charlotte Bowl, but even trips to the ChikFilA Bowl lose money for us.
Well I normally hate the best player on every team that is playing against my team! I know he is not a player but I can not stand BOBBY KNIGHT calling college basketball. His voice is so lazy & he repeats himself over & over for the entire game, it just drives me crazy!
I still stand by Deion, but some of the other comments got me to thinking about some others. I would definitely agree with Laimbeer, a jerk and nasty. Ricky Henderson in baseball, all that talent in such a big jerk, couldn’t stand to watch him. And the Dookie I hated to watch the most, Greg Paulus, no explanation necessary.
Everclear – Sunflowers
Sean swoops in and scores on the tough one. Nicely done. Good song, by the way.
I got to meet Deion at Cowboy’s Cafe in Dallas one weekend before a game. He acts totally different in person. His personality on tv and the football field is for entertainment nothing more. I guess you either love or hate him. How about Jose Canseco for athletes I hate to see.
just got home from work and perused rt writer’s picks on masters…..shout out to Napie! his 3-some was combined -7 on first day, led by Westy….and gotta love his pick on Miquel Angel Jimenez, the ponytailed, cigar-smoking 48-yo Spaniard who posted 69 and showed playing partner Tiger a thing or two….according to my math, editor Hemphill checked in 2nd as his trio was a collective -1 for day….meanwhile, the asst editor and ex-golf writer, Doughty, who tabbed Woods as his pick to win and was labeled a chimpanzee by napie — gotta love that one! — didn’t have nary a player under par. D-square off rocker now he’s turned 60, boys …and aaron, great pick on Bubba (-3), and The Donald let you down, brother.
#4 Stack never fails to disappoint, picking perhaps the most successful VT golfer ever but the same one who was polled the most popular player on the Nationwide Tour his final year there. Oh, BTW, the poll was of his fellow players. Never heard a single negative about Wagner. But I’m sure stack heard his sister’s best friend’s cousin was once suspected of littering…
My pick is TW. Full time, unadulterated (or should I say adulterated?) jerk.
Go O’s !
May be taking a mulligan here. Jason Dufner. Perfect name for a golfer. Plus love his demeanor…and his waggle.
The O’s lost to their AAA team, the Norfolk Tides, gonna be a long season.
Go Happy and beat that Scooter!!!!!!!!
Looks like Aaron had a good time at the O’s game today:
http://deadspin.com/5899925/camden-yards-streaker-was-clad-in-undies-and-a-cape-update-it-may-have-been-batman/gallery/1
Late Saturday at Augusta: Bubba making a charge..$5000. Phil,well, being Phil..$10,000. Tiger at the Waffle House with the Tin Cup crowd..priceless.
And, who picked Bubba? This guy did! Me and him, we’re drinking a PBR at some bar where we’d get our butts kicked, if only I could find me a green jacket.
That double eagle from Oosthuizen was pretty remarkable, but Bubba’s shot from the pine straw on the second hole of the playoff was pretty Nicklaus like, too.
Started watching the Masters about 2:30-after Tiger got out of eyesight and earshot I did not hear a single cuss word or temper tantrum from all those golfers. I used to like Tiger but his act is wearing thin now. Had that been Tiger on No. 4 instead of Phil, the FCC might have become involved. Bubba, Louie, Phil-all those guys were refreshing to watch. You can have your Alabama LSU rematches and your March to the pros Kentucky players, I`ll take ” a tradition unlike any other” any day-and twice on Sunday if I could get it.
Who wouldn’t love a Master’s champion named Bubba. I’m a little prejudiced, I’ve always pulled for Americans to win. Not many foreigners named Bubba.
Bubba does golf.
Bubba came. Bubba golfed. Bubba won.
Coming soon to a shelf near your local Wal-Mart – Bubba Bath! Completed with a mini green jacket to commerate the victorious Masters.
I celebrated by having a drink from my 52 oz Bubba mug. Even has a built-in bottle opener, score.
Bubba wants to know when the briefing will return.
Along with a neck brace, I couldn`t help but notice that Bobby Petrino also had an AllState Sugar Bowl hat on. Boy, wouldn`t he have gotten a seat on the bus.
I agree about Deon Sanders, he is a horrible example of a sports commentator. Doesn’t belong in front of a camera; was a jerk when eh was playing and is now a bigger jerk on the NFL network.
I hate it when Nadal beats Federer because it is more youth than talent, but Nadal is a great player and going through the same thing with Djokovic now, so I feel silly about it. Lebron James might be a great guy, but his leaving Cleveland show was very off putting and I have trouble getting past it, despite his talent. My no. 1 though is not a particular athlete, but football players who do end zone dances and the like. By the way, I now root for Tiger Woods, as, his failings were human, not criminal, and the media pile on was disgusting.