Ross Tossed (Okay, She Asked to Leave)

Veteran boxing judge C.J. Ross has been granted a leave of absence by the Nevada State Athletic Commission amid continued controversy surrounding her scoring of Floyd Mayweather’s recent defeat of Saul Alvarez. Ross scored the Saturday night fight as a 114-114 draw, resulting in a majority-decision victory for the fighter known as ‘Money.’  The two other judges that scored the 12-round bout, which more resembled a technical demonstration by Mayweather, saw it as 117-111 and 116-112 for the winner. Despite initially standing by her scorecard...

The Greatest (Comic) of All Time

The fine folks over at Deadspin’s The Stacks recently put together a post on a pop culture time capsule, a 1978 DC comic featuring Superman and Muhammad Ali. The famed comic, entitled Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, was a 72-age oversize edition that was also reissued in 2010 in a hardcover form.  Part of a collectors’ series issues by DC, the comic included a wrap-around cover featuring the likenesses of many stars of the day -- and despite being a literary piece, it still strikes me as odd that Kurt Vonnegut was included, but he was a big...

Welcome to the Sci-Fi State

If you heard that ‘I told you so,’ it arose from the grave of the nearest deceased Sci-Fi writer in response to the recently leaked National Security Administration surveillance program. With the advent of great technology comes the opportunity to use technology.  And in the case of the United States government, technology and rubber stamp courts have provided the opportunity to monitor the private actions of citizens in the name of security. As reported by the Guardian and Washington Post, a program named PRISM is now the largest info...

The Reactionary Art of Prognostication

The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers series sits tied and the pundits are swinging wildly for the fences. Following an enthralling game one victory in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals by the Heat -- one that came in overtime and left experts questioning Pacers head coach Frank Vogel -- the prognosticators sang the praises of the defending champions from Miami. On ESPN’s flagship basketball program, its four-member panel of experts questioned if the Heat would decimate the Pacers at home in Game Two and would go on to sweep the series. And...

Kobe Didn't End My Fantasy Season

Kobe Bryant’s season-ending injury crushed the title hopes of many fantasy team owners. I didn’t flinch.  And no, I don’t have nerves of steel or a cupcake matchup.  I play in the league that should not be. Filled with nonexistent owners, minimal competition and a free agent pool abundant with opportunity, this fantasy basketball league is very pathetic.  But it allows me to recover quickly from what should be a devastating injury. I’ve consistently played fantasy football and baseball for many years, but I’m a relative novice...

TUF 17 Finale: Boy Wonder Wins Split Decision

TUF season 17 reached its conclusion on Saturday night with a card punctuated by spectacular fights and surprising results as the season champion was crowned in Las Vegas. The TUF Finale Fight Kelvin Gastelum was eager to throw blows with Uriah Hall, who seemed content to allow the smaller fighter chase him around the ring.   Kelvin began scoring with takedowns, but Hall turned the corner in the second round when he started reversing position on Kelvin and scoring on the smaller fighter -- including a stunning suplex late in the five-minute...

TUF 17 Ep. 12: Expect the Unexpected, and Expected, to Make the Finale

We quickly started the episode with a giant plug for Harley-Davidson as the coaches and fighters visited a local dealership to customize motorcycles that the winning coach and fighter will receive. With two fights on the docket, the action quickly transitioned to the first bout between Josh Samman (9-2) and Kelvin Gastellum (5-0). Josh appeared confident, but the younger fighter opened the fight by controlling the ring on his feet -- and then taking the Team Jones fighter to the ground.  Kelvin continued to ride Josh on the mat and control...

Still Dancing

Off to Alanta ... er, Atlanta ... for the Final Four. I find it unbelievable, but I’m still dancing. In a year in which many tried to two-step or go Gangham and fell flat, I continue to do the Spanish Fandango intent to ride the Louisville to the national title. My bracket is far from perfect.  But it was solid enough to wither the failings of top-tier teams in a horribly-seeded tournament. I’ve also managed to dance on despite shooting myself as soon as I stepped on the floor.  I took Gonzaga to the Final Four.  A perpetually...

TUF 17 Ep. 10 and 11: Working Down to the Final Four

@SaidSimmons Well, I suck.  You’re getting two episodes in one because I managed to leave a post sitting idle in my Drafts folder thinking it was published.  Sorry about that and because of the mistake I have tried to shorten each post into a more digestible single article … but we’re covering FOUR fights! Tuf 17 Ep. 10 Blow by Blow We made it to the semi-finals and the episodes are moving at a much quicker pace. The first one started with Coach Jon ‘Bones’ Jones talking to Bubba McDaniel, who is apparently scared as all hell to...

TUF 17 Ep. 9: Almost Time for Quarter Pounders

With just one fight remaining before the quarterfinal bouts, TUF 17 Ep. 9 delivered a impressive wild card matchup between Team Jones’ Bubba McDaniel and Team Sonnen’s Kevin Casey that set the stage for the next round of action. The Blow by Blow Determined in the previous episode, the wild card match pitted Bubba (20-6), a training partner of Jones in Albuquerque, N.M., against Kevin (5-1). Leading into the fight, Kevin admitted he did not perform in his last moment of pressure, but he also understands that the coaches believe in him.  Because...

Hetfield Says Yeah? Yeah

Give a ‘Yeah’ of approval for the track below. In an ode to the greatest metal band in history, a SoudCloud user has collected Metallica frontman James Hetfield’s entire catalogue of ‘Yeahs,’ the growly call the singer proudly owns.  (But he's also known for a few ‘Yos’ and ‘Heys’ in live shows along the way.) If you’re not a Metallica fan, you’ll probably make it through 30 seconds, laugh and move on.  If you’re a Metallica fan, enjoy more than 3:00 minutes of Hetfield in his zone. (And, for fans, you probably will find yourself...

TUF 17 Ep.8: One For The Bag Guys

TUF 17 Ep.8 featured the final bout first round bout between Team Jones’ Dylan Andrews and Team Sonnen’s Zak Cummings before the stage is set for the wild card contest. I don't think it counts for much, but Zak Cummings wins the fight for better hair -- and creepier gaze. The Blow by Blow Par for the course of late, we begin the episode with more discussion about the wild card fight and Bubba McDaniel wants the spot for Team Jones.  Adam Cella makes an argument for Bubba in a confession piece and described how the veteran fighter just...

#TheHobby Has Grown Up

*@SaidSimmons:  The following is an opinion piece written by a newbie baseball card collector (me) who was reintroduced to the hobby within the past year.   You can still find a pack of baseball cards for $2.00.  But you’d be lucky if you can find a pack of 2012 Panini National Treasures Baseball for less than $400. Holy crap!  Is that Ty Cobb AND 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson on the same card -- with pieces of their bats from 1911?! With that in mind, the baseball card industry seems to be robust and healthy after the collapse...

GSU: Yours Truly in the AJC

As was recently covered here -- after stealing the meat and potatoes from the AJC -- the Georgia State Panthers could end up with an in-state rival in the Sun Belt Conference. With the conference realignment rumor mill always in full swing, the mid-major focus has now fallen on Georgia Southern and Appalachian State potentially moving to the Sun Belt. Georgia State beat writer Doug Roberson of the AJC put out a Twitter request for State and Southern fans to express their opinions about the possible move.  And apparently I was the only...

TUF 17 Ep.7 Recap: Styles Decide Fights

Because you missed another episode of TUF and need to get a quick rundown before this afternoon’s water cooler talk, here’s an abbreviated synopsis of TUF 17 Ep.7 featuring Team Jones’ Clint Hester vs. Team Sonnen’s Jimmy Quinlan. (And, dang, you seem to be missing a lot of episodes lately.  What gives?) The Blow by Blow This week’s episode opened with more talk about the potential wild card spot, with Bubba McDaniel eyeing the opportunity.  And Uriah Hall’s continued assholery is discussed with Jon Jones. But enough with the...