My time filling in for TBL is officially over, as it is now Saturday on the West Coast. It was a very enjoyable experience. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and a big shout out to all those folks that left comments. Especially Bob, who called me “a gay douchebag”. That was honestly the highlight of my week.

If you enjoyed my random musings, feel free to check out my inconsistently updated blog as I’ve still got some crazy ideas in the hopper. Trust me, you’ll want to be there when the Action Movie 3-Ball Teams are announced.

So have a bitchin’ summer, stay sweet, keep in touch, etc. I’ll still be reading The Big Lead everyday and hanging around the Comments section, kinda like Wooderson from Dazed and Confused (only I’m not buying anyone beer and I’m not crazy about redheads or high-school girls). Especially if this craze of unearthing weird/embarassing pictures of college QB’s continues at this pace. I want to be the first to weigh in when we find out what Colt McCoy and John David Booty have been up to in the offseason (just using their names in the same sentence is unseemly). And Lord only knows what’s going to happen when it’s Jimmy Clausen’s turn.

Your favorite gay douchebag,
Jon Pyle

Live in the LA area and wanna hang out with yours truly tonight? I’ll be watching a very funny show or two (and enjoying the piece of eye-candy above) at Ultimate Improv. A bit off-topic, but that’s never stopped me before. (Ultimate Improv)

I miss football, so here’s a preview for Madden ‘08. It’s about time they curtailed what I like to call the “Super Keyshawn” factor circa Madden ‘00. Take that, Joe King! (IGN)

Brady Quinn is Tim Tebow’s Idol. Aren’t you glad you went to college before this compromising picture posting trend? (Every Day Should Be Saturday)

Have an excellent weekend, folks. There may be one more post before I ride off into the sunset, but don’t hold your breath. I enjoyed my time here, hope you did too!

JP

… because he might ask you about it’s most well-known city.

This isn’t exactly breaking news, but since virtually everyone in my life is a USC, UCLA or Michigan fan (myself included- USC Alum), I couldn’t resist.

I’ve seen questions about the authenticity of this photo (it looks legit to me), as if that will make Training Camp any less awkward for Quinn this year. Let’s just say no amount of trophy girlfriends/wives can make up for this one. Note to all future pro athletes and entertainers, just try to stay out of pictures all together. Especially ones where you grope your friends whilst outfitted in preppy attire and/or that perfectly reinforce everybody’s perception of you.

Funniest comment I’ve seen so far pointed out that the guy in the middle looks like George Michael from Arrested Development.

Thanks to the folks over at wearesc.com message board for posting this. You can also find this referenced at Deadspin and Kissing Suzy Kolber. As if those two need anymore promotion.

I’m off for an extended break. Continue to send those links and tips in.

JP

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

While this quote is quite old, I thought it was still relevant:

“I make love to pressure” -Stephen Jackson

Rarely has a quote been such a perfect representative of a person. It’s mildly crazy, but somehow completely true. Not only is he comfortable with pressure, he asks it out on a date, goes to dinner with it, buys it a few drinks (but not too many) and well, you get the picture.

Please share your favorite athlete and non-athlete quotes in the Comments.

JP

As you may have ascertained from the name of my blog that I’m shamelessly promoting, I enjoy making lists. So, I thought I’d bring a little of my flavor (”Why y’all gotta waste my flava? Damn!”) to the Big Lead.

With the huge De la Hoya-Mayweather fight this Saturday (Mayweather wins with a 6th or 7th round TKO), a lot of people have talked about this clash as boxing’s last hurrah as the preferred pugilistic sport in America. With the UFC rapidly gaining popularity among sports fans (particularly the all-important Male 18-35 demographic) and corruption and ineptitude running rampant, boxing is become less relevant and accessible by the moment. But, I think there is room for both boxing and UFC to prosper if done correctly. Here a few thoughts to rejuvenate the Sweet Science:

1. One title per division- This is so obvious that I won’t go any further.
2. Consolidate power- Another obvious one, but you need one guy to run it all. That man is not Don King.
3. Make your TV exposure count- There are boxing matches on TV everyday but nobody really cares about any of them. While the Contender is nice for Sly Stallone to pretend he’s Rocky all over again or allow the bitter boxing rivalry of the USA vs. the UK to continue, it can only contribute to boxing the way American Idol contributes to music. Boxing needs to have one flagship show to anchor it’s PPV’s and promote it’s not-ready-for big fight talent.
4. Cut PPV cost- PPV buyers have been skeptical of boxing since the 1 and done Mike Tyson era. You have to win back their trust so that homes become the gathering places for fights again instead of bars.
5. Sell your live product- I’ve always heard there’s nothing like a good boxing match live. Too bad nobody in my generation has ever gone to fight, in sharp contrast to our Fathers and/or Grandfathers before us. Making it affordable and accessible for people to get tickets and providing a better product will draw a crowd.

What UFC and Boxing can both learn from the WWF, er, WWE- Consciously work on the interview skills of your athletes. That’s a big part of what makes wrestling so enjoyable to watch. You can create a persona without becoming a character or detracting for the sport’s credibility.

JP

Or as I’ll be calling it today: LINKovich Chumofski (bonus points for recognizing the reference- Encino Man, excellent work RomanWarHelmet), unofficially sponsored by Tina Fey.

At least Mavericks fans are taking this well. (The Psychology of Soul Clapping)

An interview with JE Skeets (The Big Picture)

“Is there a reason your 1st Quarter earnings are below expectation, Terry?”
“Yes, sir. Gangbangers….. I mean the wonderful NBA fans! Mayor could you stop waving that gun around please.” (Signal to Noise)

A double helping of Steroid Nation. The question is which do you read first: Dodger batboy/clubhouse boy spills the beans or transsexuals in sports? (Steroid Nation)

Say it ain’t so Matty! (Sports by Brooks)

Best celebrity sighting from the Warriors game? Snoop Dogg (the official sports good luck charm) or La Bamba from Conan O’Brien? You decide.

JP

Golden State Warriors 111
Dallas Mavericks 86

ESPN already has the huge front page graphic for this one, but let’s keep this in perspective. Repeat after me: this is not the biggest upset in NBA history. Surprising, yes. Shocking, no. The Warriors implemented the time-tested “steal one on the road and win your home games” theory to perfection in this series. Stephen Jackson was an absolute beast with 33 points (7-8 on 3’s) and his menacing defense continued to take Dirk out of the game. Baron Davis showed some excellent leadership, playing through a hamstring injury and hitting a huge, leaning three-pointer in the 1st half when the game was still close. Why Dallas didn’t exploit him on D by isolating Devin Harris on him, I’ll never know. Dirk continued to pout his way through this series like he was planning on starting a German Dashboard Confessional cover band. He was more off than the time stamp for this website. Look at the bright side, more time to play Peyton and Kenny Part 2 with Hasselhoff.

Utah Jazz 94
Houston Rockets 82

This series has been pretty lackluster so far. For the most part, the basketball has been less than entertaining and there haven’t been many good storylines either. Hopefully after tonight that will change with Juwan Howard, Mehmet Okur and Charles Barkley’s worst nightmare Dick Bavetta getting a little fiesty. Game 7 should be solid, as Game 7’s have the habit of being: T-Mac vs. AK-47: Will T-Mac win a Playoff series? Howard vs. Okur: Could this be our 1st Playoff fight? Regardless of who wins, I don’t think anyone wants to play the GSW hoop right now.

I’m off to bed. See you with some more in a few hours.

… Jon Pyle

I’m pretty sure I’ll be the last JV scrub blogger filling in for The Big Lead until they return. But, I don’t actually know since I’ve been locked in a basement with a bag over my head since last Friday. Try not to think of me as trying to replace TBL’s power in the lineup, think of me more like a pinch runner. That is, if you want to replace the high quality journalism and blogging of The Big Lead with the random inanity and musings of someone you’ve never heard of. Essentially the team manager that passes out the water bottles coming in for a 5-tool star player. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now, my theory about how a team of Rugby players would throttle the Boston Red Sox in baseball…

Well guys, it’s been fun. I had no idea it would be so much work, but I sincerely had a lot of fun doing it. A big thanks to the boys for even considering me. I can’t imagine doing this 5 days a week, but hey, that’s why The Big Lead is 4 guys. I heard the French Riviera is nice this time of year and hopefully they are living it up.

Thanks to all you readers for the nice comments. I must have done something wrong or been too bland since I never got any smack from Jay The Most Hated. I guess we’ll meet again in the comments section. I’m off to tend to the cows and the agriculture fields. Maybe I’ll ball, shot-call, and stomp on the yard if I have time.

Just remember, you can’t say “pulling a Jeter” in good faith if Vance Law did it first.

Say hello to your mothers for me, okay?

Nick

As you may have heard, author and journalist David Halberstam died last week in a car crash. I first came across Halberstam in college, when a professor strongly encouraged me to read October 1964 because I was such a “baseball nut”. He told me it was a great baseball book that dealt with The St. Louis Cardinals and The New York Yankees, two teams I absolutely despise. After he kept badgering me about it, he brought me in his own copy, and I read it. It was definitely a great book, and it lead me to further investigate Halberstam’s other works. It’s always great when someone recommends you something that you truly enjoy, which is for me, sports books. Here are some of my favorite sports books. Hopefully you’ll enjoy a few of them!

Loose Balls by Terry Pluto
I’ve read this baby about three times, and it never gets old. It chronicles the ups and downs of the ABA and some of its players and executives. The book is absolutely hilarious and many of it’s stories are damn near unbelievable. From Bob Costas tripping up and saying “blow job” on the air to players getting cold-cocked by way of a coach-issued bounty, this one is again, damn near unbelievable. Best basketball book ever.

Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn
Talk about a dream job: a young newspaper writer gets to cover his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers for two seasons in ‘52 and ‘53. Then in the 70’s, he catches up with the players he covered and what they were up to then. It’s a great book about baseball and a look into the life of an athlete, both during their playing career and after.

The Miracle of St. Anthony by Adrian Wojnarowski
Kind of like A Season on the Brink, except for high school basketball. The author follows the championship season of a low income, inner-city high school team in Jersey City, NJ. You get a sense of what makes the players survive the tough discipline of legendary high school coach, Bob Hurley, Sr.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Professional climber and Outside Magazine journalist Jon Krakauer details his 1996 attempt to scale Mt. Everest. The first part of the book deals with the commercialization of Everest and the concerns of longtime climbers that something needed to be done. Krakauer takes us through his journey up the mountain, and then through the horrific tragedy that left 12 climbers dead.

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
It’s a fairly simple story on the surface: a father and two sons like to fish. After reading this novella, you see it’s so much more. Maclean uses fishing as a metaphor and follows the normal brother, Norman, and the wild brother, Paul. Great prose and vivid descriptions of Montana, you’re hardpressed in finding a book that matches the language. Also was one of the few books made into a movie that did a good job in the translation from prose to film.

Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich
Black Jack meets M.I.T. geeks who devise a plan on how to hit it big by counting cards. The “secret club” at M.I.T. takes millions from Vegas…and Vegas doesn’t like it. Very fast paced and hard to put down. A case study in mathletics.

Moneyball by Michael Lewis
Give this book a chance before you judge it. It’s gotten a lot of negative press from baseball “purists”, but it makes me think they haven’t even read it. Billy Beane’s philosophy isn’t about reinventing the game, it’s about an economic approach for small market GMs to find undervalued qualities in players. Well researched and well written.

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
No, not the awful movie adaption that sets it in Boston. This is the original piece about the author growing up around his favorite football soccer team, Arsenal. Hornby talks about his passion as a boy and also as a man. More of a comedy than a true autobiography, it will keep you turning pages even if you don’t like soccer. Also the author of High Fidelity.

I hope you enjoy them, there are many great ones out there, but I’m basing these on the re-readability factor, if that is a word.

Smell you later,

Vance Law’s glasses