Here's my vote...

September 23rd, 2004....David Dellucci.

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

Rangers close to within two in West

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The way David Dellucci's luck had been going at the plate, he figured his hard-hit liner would be caught for the final out.

"I went from frustration to elation," he said.

Dellucci's hit was just out of the reach of a diving Jermaine Dye, and skipped into the right-field corner. The double drove home two runs to give the Texas Rangers a 5-4 win over Oakland on Thursday and a three-game sweep of the Athletics.

"We knew we had to do that," said Brian Jordan, who scored the winning run. "It definitely does a lot for our confidence."

Texas, a surprise contender after four straight last-place finishes, moved within two games of the AL West-leading Athletics with 10 to play. The Rangers have won five in a row and 10 of 13.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=240923113

Why did Tony Romo really throw to Sam Hurd on 3rd and 4th down, especially considering Champ Bailey was covering him?  Maybe because Romo got confused and thought it was only 1st and 2nd down when he made the throws?  Pretty F'ing Pathetic.

Watch this video right after Romo throws the incomplete pass to Hurd on 4th down.  

UPDATE: Here’s the statement the public relations department released:

As Tony was walking off the field after the fourth down play, he saw that the down marker on the Dallas sideline read “3.” As it turned out, the marker was in the process of being changed, sequentially, from the number “4” to the number “1” for the Broncos ensuing possession. The marker on the Cowboys side read “3” temporarily. When he saw the “3,” he thought there might have been the possibility of an error on the down count. After asking the officials (holding up three fingers), he then saw the down marker move through the progression from 3 to 2 to 1.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/100709dnspocownewsletter.2fdd967.html

Crappy ending to the Rangers season, maybe that means this is a time for some LSB communal bonding.  Here's some relatively new music I've recently come across that I think is good and worthy of sharing.  You got any new stuff you've been listening to that is any good?  This isn't 75 words so here's some more words until we get there.  

                                                                   Band of Skulls - I Know What I Am

                                                                                          Mew - Beach

                                                                               Washed Out - New Theory

                                                                             Deer Tick - Art Isn't Real

Rodney Harrison, now in the Sunday Night Football studio, has been really critical of a lot of people, most recently Terrell Owens and even Rex Ryan.  TO has retaliated and basically bitchslapped Harrison on Twitter.  In this performance enhancing drugs age, I can't recall anyone ever doing this to another athlete.   Yes TO has gone overboard with this, but who is Rodney Harrison to criticize anyone when he committed the ultimate sin and cheated the game?  Here are a few of TO's recent tweets:

I could less about Rodney Harrison! Anybody tht using steroids, yes STEROIDS rodney, is a cheater & cheated the game!about 18 hours ago from MogoTXT

Is tht Y u used steroids b/c u were worried about ur stats or ws it b/c u were losing it? Lol! U're a loser & a cheater? Got any steroid ...about 18 hours ago from MogoTXT

Hey rodney! Send me sum steroids 2 the Bills facility next week!about 18 hours ago from MogoTXT

Since I kno the media reads my tweets, will sum1 ask rodney how long the cycles take b4 I feel results of the steroids whn he sends em? Lol!about 3 hours ago from MogoTXT

So Rodney, I'm thinking if u overnite it 2day, I'll get em by 2morr @ noon. Better yet, mark it Priority!! I "really" wanna b a CHAMPION ...about 2 hours ago from MogoTXT

Hey Rodney if I really considered using them, could u please lv instructions on how & where 2 stick the needle just like u did 2 assure ...about 1 hour ago from MogoTXT

My bad Rodney! I hv been corrected by ur supporters, u used HGH nt steroids! So, every1 go ahead & use HGH!! Geez, I guess tht makes it ...about 1 hour ago from MogoTXT

Enjoy it.

http://espn.go.com/dallas/

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Opening Saturday...

Navy v. Ohio State

Georgia v. Oklahoma St.

Alabama v. Virginia Tech

And everything else........Discuss.

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A lot of Rangers related trade talk, per Joel Sherman....

We thought we had Garko, Blue Jays want 3 from our top-tier and we rejected a trade for Scott Kazmir.

In the late afternoon on Monday, the Rangers were convinced they were the front-runners to get Ryan Garko from the Indians. They were surprised when he ended up going to the Giants instead. Texas is still trying to find a righty-hitting first baseman.

The Rangers' No. 1 priority remains a starter, however, and they are very much part of the Roy Halladay sweepstakes. But at the moment Texas has two stumbling blocks when it comes to the Blue Jays ace: Toronto is emphasizing that three of the club's best 5-6 prospects be included and that group is all at either Triple-A or the majors (think Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland and Justin Smoak types) and the Rangers are very concerned about giving up so many high-ceiling, cost-effective youngsters ready to play in the majors now.

But the bigger stumbling block is finances. At the moment, the Blue Jays refuse to either take back a near counterbalance contract such as Vicente Padilla and or take on a chunk of the approximately $7 million left on Halladay's 2009 contract as a way to get into the Rangers' stacked farm system.

The Rangers turned down an offer to bring Scott Kazmir home to Texas. The Rays have shopped Kazmir around a bit, even calling the Mets, who expressed initial interest but nothing more. Tampa is trying to see if they could trade Kazmir, Carlos Pena and in the right blockbuster even Carl Crawford to free up dollars to make a bigger trade. The Rays are most focused on seeing if they can add Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez in one trade, though they continue to call on Halladay, as well.

I know this was posted as a fanshot early this morning but it isn't getting much attention hidden down there and I'm pretty sure this could turn into an interesting debate/discussion....

Per Buster Olney

 

Toronto Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi has spoken with Roy Halladay and prepared him for the possibility that he will bring trade possibilities to the pitcher in the weeks or months ahead.

Halladay, 32, has a no-trade clause that will allow him to dictate whether he will be dealt before he becomes eligible for free agency next fall.

"He's open to at least listening," said Ricciardi. "He's not going to be a guy who will let you do all the work [preparing for a possible trade], and then he's not willing to listen. If it makes sense, he will listen."

 

Alright, what package of young players/prospects are you willing to give up for Halladay?   I assume if we pulled off a trade for him, we would try to extend him immediately.  The Twins asked for Phil Hughes when they were dangling Johan Santana.  The equivalent of that would be Holland or Feliz.  Are you willing to part with one of those guys in a package for Halladay?  

Agree or disagree with the former Rangers' comments?  Would you have booed Manny?

Manny Ramirez wasn't welcomed back with open arms by everyone at Petco Park.

There was a particularly strong voice of dissent in the San Diego Padres' clubhouse, that of pitcher Chris Young. Young said Sunday that he "absolutely" considered Ramirez a cheater.

"How else can you view it?" Young asked. "There's no black and white."

Young, who is on the disabled list, said he was particularly disappointed with the ovations Ramirez received over the weekend.

"I think it sends the wrong message to kids," Young said. "Juan Pierre should be the one getting those ovations, in my opinion."

Asked if he thought fans were becoming increasingly indifferent toward the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, Young replied, "If so, there may be a problem. It speaks to the severity of the illegal drug use in the game. I think that if fans have become desensitized to it, it shows how severe the problem was. It should be something that still has that shock value. It should still be considered an extremely negative and immoral thing. It shouldn't be accepted."

Link

I love that JD and the Rangers aren't simply resigned to the fact that they can't outspend other teams for free agent Starting Pitching (not to mention that pitchers most likely don't want to come to Texas..or at least that was the mentality of old).  Instead, we've seen the Rangers wisely allocate their money toward pitchers in the draft or foreign players (even studs such as Iona, even though we didn't get him).  It appears we might see this again with Yusei Kikuchi.

You can find video of the kid here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3CjpwaP2E8

Per NPB Tracker:

According to Nikkan Sports, the Rangers had two scouts watching high school lefthander Yusei Kikuchi on May 21st. Kikuchi didn’t appear in his team’s game, the first of an Iwate Prefectural tournament, but the Rangers watched him work out with a long toss exercise. Kikuchi was quoted as saying, “I’m happy to get this attention but I can’t consider how to proceed until the end of summer”. The Dodgers had assistant GM Logan White watch Kikuchi in a practice game in March, and he appears on the draft lists of all 12 NPB teams.

Per MLB Trade Rumors:

Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a Nikkan Sports article indicating the Rangers sent two scouts to watch high school lefty Yusei Kikuchi.  Newman notes that the Dodgers had Logan White watch Kikuchi practice back in March.

Kikuchi is highly regarded, but how does he compare to Junichi Tazawa?  Newman told me:

The way I look at it is, Kikuchi is younger, taller, and lefthanded, whereas Tazawa was a older, more polished and had faced better competition. Kikuchi appears to have similar velocity to Tazawa. Tazawa was definitely closer to the big leagues; you wouldn't sign Kikuchi and have him start the season opener in AA. But Kikuchi is a better prospect than Tazawa was when he was 18. So Kikuchi may have a little more upside, but I don't think he would command the same kind of offers Tazawa got. A key difference is that Tazawa had basically made up his mind to come to America by the time I started writing about him. We don't know what Kikuchi's plans are.

Trade Deadline a few days from now, there hasn't been much discussion about it on here lately...so lets get to it.

Personally, I'd like to trade Jerry Stackhouse for Mike Miller.  Not sure if that move is big enough to make the Mavs a contender (could be like Korver in Utah last year) but I think it makes the team better.  Stackhouse's contract expires so it makes sense for Minnesota, and Miller's contract expires before 2010 season so we will still have plenty of room to try to sign Bosh or Wade.  John Salmons is also another option but I'd prefer Miller.  If you make this move you could then consider dealing Howard for another piece that would make sense.

Sure it would be interesting to bring Shaq in here but I don't think that's realistic because if we trade for him, Cuban would have to pay $40 million for him next year (because of the luxury tax).  

It's possible there might be another Pau Gasol-type trade this year, especially because of the economy.  If so, I'm sure Cuban would capitalize on it.

What do you think the Mavs should do?

via img241.imageshack.us

Does anyone own these?  If so, do they actually work?  Is it that much better than a regular pushup?

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via his interview I just saw on ESPN.  Here's a link to an article about the interview.

He didn't use in Seattle and when he got to NY (with McNamee, Clemens and Pettitte there) he stopped using.  I call shananigans on that though.

Our locker room is gaining quite the notorious reputation from back then.

Here are quotes:

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez told ESPN's Peter Gammons in an interview in Miami Beach, Fla. "Back then, [baseball] was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time.

 

"I did take a banned substance. For that, I'm very sorry and deeply regretful."

 

"Overall, I felt a tremendous pressure to play, and play really well" in Texas, the New York Yankees third baseman said. "I had just signed this enormous contract I felt like I needed something, a push, without over-investigating what I was taking, to get me to the next level.

 

"I am sorry for my Texas years. I apologize to the fans of Texas."

 

Rodriguez said he stopped taking substances after injuring himself at spring training in 2003 with the Rangers.

"It wasn't a real dramatic day. I started experimenting with things that, today, are not legal," he said, "that today are not accepted ... ever since that incident happened, I realized that I don't need any of it."

 

He said the culture earlier this decade of taking performance-enhancing substances was "prevalent." "There were a lot of people doing a lot of different things," Rodriguez said, noting that he wasn't specifically pointing out the Rangers.

 

Rodriguez said he was told by Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the MLB Players' Association, that he might, or might not, have tested positive in the 2003 survey. A source told ESPN on Saturday that Rodriguez knew he had failed the test.

"I had never heard anything since," he said. "Whatever I was experimenting with in Texas might have been OK."

 

Rodriguez also said of his 2007 interview with Katie Couric on "60 Minutes," when he denied ever using steroids, that "at the time, I wasn't being truthful with myself. How could I be truthful with Katie Couric or CBS?"

 

On a related note, This is an unbelievable article in which Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll sits down with one of the biggest steroid dealers in the game today. This article has provided me with amazing perspective on just how sophisticated PEDs and the market for them has become. Always one step ahead of the tests, I doubt they will ever be able to be eliminated from the game. 

Pretty embarrassing...a 60 year-old dude sliding all over the stage at the Super Bowl like he's at Woodstock. That halftime show sucked big time. He mumbled the whole time.  I'm sick of watching old performers who put on lame shows.  Get some youth in there please.

James Harrison should be castrated for being such a douche.  I’m also disappointed that Jesus let down Kurt Warner in the Super Bowl.

Agreen07’s favorite commercial:

http://www.hulu.com/superbowl/55646/super-bowl-xliii-ads-doritos-crystal-ball#s-p12-sr-i0

Per ESPN

DALLAS -- Terrell Owens hopes to score with a new cable reality show.

The Dallas Cowboys' controversial wide receiver will star in his own show on VH1 this summer, giving fans a look into his life off the field.

VH1 announced Monday that the series takes place in the offseason, and T.O.'s best friends and publicists -- Monique Jackson and Kita Williams -- will help him re-examine his personal life. The two will work as "matchmakers and therapists" for Owens.

Owens, who caught 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, was prominently featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks" that tracked the Cowboys in training camp last year.

I'd love to see the Cowboys cut him and he finds out while on camera.

Maybe this should be a fanshot but I honestly don't care because I think everbody needs to read this and fanshots often get ignored.

105.3 FM was/is broadcasting live from Fan Fest all day today, interviewing players (Kinsler, Feldman and more) and others (including Jamey).   After listening to Ben & Skin talk Rangers so much over the past few weeks, I don't want it to end.  The Cowboys and the Mavs get this kind of attention from the local media and it's finally nice to see the Rangers get talked about...and 105.3 even seems to know what they're talking about.  

What's my point exactly?   For those that haven't checked it out, please try to listen.  For those that do listen, keep listening.  It's a new station and I just don't want to see it go under due to poor ratings because I'm loving this Rangers talk way too much.  Good day gentleman.  

Obviously, you're not a golfer. 

via content8.flixster.com

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Per Baltimore Sun:

Word around the NFL is that the Dallas Cowboys are very interested in obtaining Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis if he becomes a free agent. The speculation is that the Cowboys are willing to give Lewis a three-year deal worth between $27 and $30 million, with $25 million guaranteed.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones believes his team is in the serious hunt for a Super Bowl title next season, and that Lewis could help solve some of the team's problems inside the locker room

I do think Lewis could help with some of the chemistry issues but that's a lot of money for a LB who's 33 and is in his decline.  I think this is Jerry being Jerry.  It adds one more intriguing personality to the mix and certainly would help sell some seats in the new stadium.  Maybe it's a good move from a business perspective but I'd rather allocate that kind of money somewhere else in free agency.  

If it were me, I'd cut TO and make signing T.J. Houshmandzadeh priority #1.  If Jerry can somehow sign both TJ and Ray Lewis, that would work for me too.

Thoughts on Lewis in a Cowboys uniform for $25 million guaranteed?

Per ESPN RADIO's Andrew Marchand:

Freddy Garcia hopes to decide by next week whom he will sign with. Garcia is choosing between the Mets, Yankees, White Sox and Rangers. His agent, Peter Greenberg, tells 1050, "They all have their pros and cons."

Garcia is only 34 and if he can stay healthy isn't a bad arm to have here.  I wouldn't want him taking an opportunity away from one of the young guys but considering how many injuries our pitchers tend to get, it might not be a bad idea.  Of course, I assume if we get Garcia we are out on the Sheets talks.

In Garcia's 10-year career he has only had an ERA+ under 95 once, in 2007 when he only pitched 58 innings.