As Good as Youtube Gets

   

This is the state championship game from J.J. Redick's senior year in high school. I love this man. He parties, he's cocky, and he has unlimited range (my three favorite traits in a human being). Don't be surprised if he shows up on the "Most Eligible Bachelors in Sports" list either.

Shinskie, 25, Commits to BC

LOOP - David Shinskie, a 25 year old who has been playing minor league baseball player for the last 6 years, has committed to Boston College, and is their leading candidate for the starting quarterback job. Shinskie hasn't played organized football since the East-West Shrine game in June 2003. He had originally signed a letter of intent to play football and baseball at Delaware but was drafted by the Twins in the 4^th round of that year, pitching in AA there for 6 years before joining the Blue Jays’ league farm system. Shinskie was released three weeks ago by the Jays, but still wanted an opportunity to compete in athletics. "I've always been a competitive guy," he told ESPN.com. "I've been playing sports my whole life. When a door closes and another opportunity opens, I'm just going to try my best when I go there." Good to hear, Dave. You're really giving Eagle nation a lot to look forward to, citing the fact that you’ve played sports your whole life as a motivating factor for being our man under center in the ACC next year.

This is the sketchiest college football situation since Greg Paulus, arguably my least favorite athlete and/or person on this planet, told the world he would be playing football at Syracuse in the upcoming season. Shinskie is 25 and he’s going to be a freshman? (Lebron James is 24... yeah). First of all, my sincere apologies to all BC male freshman, on a count of this 25-year-old QB is going to be setting the bar pretty high in the eyes of your female counterparts. I suppose this is a positive for the Eagles, considering the only QB on the team with any experience at all was forced to transfer for academic reasons, and next in line were Codi Boek, a former junior college transfer who was playing fullback just a year ago, and Justin Tuggle, a red shirt freshman. It’s just going to be hard for me to get over the fact that I’m a grade above a football player who’s old enough to be the father of my little sister.

Eligibility guidelines have always intrigued me, and this is just a great example of why. However, big Dave is really using them to his advantage, and is setting one hell of an example for how we should all try and go about our twenties. The fact is “Living your Life Between 18 and 30 Like and Absolute Legend: The David Shinskie Story” is going to be a New York Times best seller.

Observations from a Mets Game

PINNO - Went to a Mets game last night. They were facing one of the best teams in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Usually this might be a good ball game, but considering the Mets' lineup is worse than my diarrhea after eating two bean burritos, the game wasn't too competitive. Final score: 11-2. Regardless, still a great time at Citi Field, here are some random observations:

-It's hard to get excited about your team when Nick Evans is your starting left fielder and Livan Hernandez your starting pitcher (Livan has allowed 15 earned runs in two July starts).

-Randy Wolf is definitely a legal midget, there is no way he is taller than 4'11 and I will stand by that fact.

-Fernando Tatis hits a pop fly to 2nd Basemen Orlando Hudson. I'm pretty sure in the new Yankee Stadium it would have been a home run.

-Wow, Fernando Tatis is our starting 1st Basemen and is hitting 5th.

-Omir Santos's beard rivals that of Vince's in the premeiere of Entourage season 5.

-Instead of handing out a free Mets t-shirt at the game, they handed out "G-Force" trading cards. "G-Force" is the new Disney movie coming out soon about guinea pigs who are secretly government spies. Needless to say, I'm going the night it comes out.

-Reyes is at bat! Reyes is a bat! He's not injured anymore! Oh wait, that's Argenis Reyes, the tweener Triple-A/Major League infielder. He looks like a hispanic/uglier version of Mark Whalberg. p.s. never a good sign for the real Reyes (Jose) when in a response to why Reyes isn't playing, the owner sarcastically states: "his leg hurts."

-Luis Castillio came out to the song "Make Me Better" by Fabolous. My respect for Luis has changed as much as Clay Aiken's sexual orientation (never). But still, good song.

-The "Kiss Cam" might be the greatest thing they have to offer at Citi Field. During the middle of the 5th, they show random couples on the Globotron, and they have to kiss while the whole crowd watches. I have seen my share of funny Kiss Cam moments: two girls making out, two 80 year olds making out, but never have a seen a make out of this intensity. They showed a couple, and they just attacked each other's mouths with ferocity.

-Keith Hernandez is the greatest. When his 'Just for Men' add comes up on the Globotron and it shows his great black moustache, I just get all giddy inside. Similar to the way Ruben Studdard feels when someone tells him that they loved the album: "I'm Sorry for 2004".

-Orlando Hudson gets hit by a pitch around the pelvic region. A drunk fan blurts out "IT MUST HAVE HIT THE TIP". I chuckled.

-Joe Torre comes out to console Hudson. Great to see him. Miss him, even though I'm a Mets fan. He seems very happy with his decision to go to L.A.

-Ball Boy's favor girls/kids. If you're above the age of 16 and you are male, you will never get a ball tossed to you by a ball boy.

-When I was going to my seat, a girl held open the door for me. I was pleased that she had and said thank you, she was pleased that I had thanked so she smiled and said you're welcome. Everybody wins.

-During the game, the Mets dugout is a somber as Mark Cuban is after a full day goes by and he realizes: "I didn't piss anyone off today. Damn it."

-Jeremy Reed is as qualified to be in the MLB as Turtle from "Entourage" is to be a C.P.A.

-For those of you keeping tally: that is now two references from American Idol Season 2, as well as two Entourage references. Last season of Entourage premieres Sunday and I am quite excited.

-Manny doesn't give a shit about anyone and I love it. He wears #99 to chafe everyone, and I'm convinced his junk swings way below the knees. He's so good: 2-2 with 2 rbi's and two walks. So valuable.

-The only player on the Mets that would start in the Dodgers lineup is David Wright.

-The Mets have a lot of work to do.

Top 10 Most Eligible Bachelors in Sports - #10 - Adam Scott

We kick off our "Top 10 Most Eligible Bachelors in Sports" countdown with Australian golf stud, Adam Scott. Not only does Scott keep his attire on the course fresh at all times, but he also holds his own with the best in the game, reaching a world ranking of third in 2007 (although he has dropped off a little since then). He is one of only two golfers born in the 1980s to crack the top 5 of the Official World Golf Rankings, the other being Sergio Garcia. He is often compared to former Australian great, Greg Norman, and although Scott has never won a major, he's been as close as 3rd in the P.G.A. Championship, 8th in the Open Championship, and 9th at the Masters.

Scott attended UNLV, meaning he likes the nightlife and partying. Couple that with the fact that his career earnings are at a healthy $19 million, then you got yourself a very desirable bachelor. Scott broke up with his longtime girlfriend in 2008, and is now on the rebound. He dated actress Kate Hudson for a few months, and now is with Serbian tennis star Ana Ivanovic. Despite his recent relationship, we still deem Scott a bachelor because this relationship just started and considering he's on the rebound, it doesn't seem too stable. Also, what girl doesn't love that sexy Australian accent? Adam Scott: young, good-looking, well-dressed, great golfer, our #10 for most eligible bachelor in sports.

Tomorrow comes #9.

Not a Good Omen if You're a Marlins Fan

*you can skip ahead to about the 1:15 mark for the purpose of the video

Wake Up, Wake Up on a Saturday Night…

LOOP - Tim Wakefield is an all-star. He’s 42 years young, this is his 17^th season in the big leagues, he has more Fenway Park starts than any man in history, and finally he’s made it to the midsummer classic. I’m officially letting my first-born son only throw a baseball with his knuckles. He’ll thank me. Next to Brody Jenner, Tim might have the best life of any person on earth. He’s 42 and still capable of making the all-star team, his contract renews every year automatically with new incentives depending on how he pitches, and his job puts almost literally no strain on his body or his life. Typing this article is probably tougher than what he does. This man is just everything the Red Sox are about. He’s been with the club for 15 of those 17 seasons, he rides the T (subway) to and from work every day, and he just does not look like an MLB player (Pedroia, Bill Mueller, Varitek, Youk, Drew, Kevin Millar, Mark Bellhorn are some others who fit that mold). You put together most of the guys from the last decade of Sox squads, and what you have looks more like a construction team working on a public middle school than the Boston Red Sox. I just don’t understand what’s not to like about this guy. Someone like Burey would probably try and invalidate his success with some sketchy math and awkward MVP baseball references, but would undoubtedly come up short. There are no foul notes in the ballad of Wake.

Wakefield is also one of those guys in sports who will just seamlessly make the transition from player to coach (Avery Johnson definitely suited up the night before his first coaching appearance). Other players in this group: Bruce Bowen (Bruce BROwen), Brian Scalabrine, Shaun O’Hara (Shaun BRO'Hara), and Jamie Moyer. The fact is as long as Timmy has a right arm and can stand on his own two feet he’ll have a spot in that rotation, and when he’s 83 and can no longer pitch effectively, he’ll be in the dugout, and no one will have noticed the change in job description.

He’s also one of the MLB’s most charitable players, he has a pretty good-looking older woman for a wife, and he plays the guitar. In other words, he wins the award for most sketchily fresh player in baseball.

By the way, for any of the slower readers, the title of the article is from a Hillary Duff song, hence the first link. Step it up.