By now I've well and truly ceded this duty to Scruffy, seeing as I disappeared (I used to be Manteo - see for instance here where I outed Shrug as a rock star) like over a year ago.  Damn, it's been a while.

But as the guy who invented the video preview, I'd like to offer this up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkZ8kOMWTdI

New format - eventually I'll figure out how to embed video again.  Meanwhile, I'd just like to point out the lesson here:  you may gain some yards on the ground, but eventually Lofa will end up biting you in the ass.

Actual quote from the video:

"This epic battle between predator and prey lasted for more than two hours.  It could have gone either way until the very last moment.  I felt sorry for the buffalo, he fought bravely - but he'd had a good life."

GO HAWKS!

There's a lawyer on tv, with a moustache, telling me to call 1-800-LAWYERS.  I just may do that.

It's Friday night, I've had a couple beers, and I've been lurking reliably without commenting for the past several months. I haven't filed a video preview in like a year. Thankfully Scruffy has more than made up for that.

My point is, shouldn't the Hawks bring back the old blue-green-silver unis as an alternate?  They looked so good.  Or is the Blue Man Group look just such good luck that we can't risk it?

So I thought, where have all the Vikings gone?  You just don't hear about them making any kind of noise these days, whether along the European coasts or in the NFC noise.

Where have the Vikings gone?  They've become the Danish.  And, clearly, it's a miserable existence: judging by the video evidence I could find, the Danish are gluttons for punishment.  Which explains why they'd be willing to play a game at the Q.

Evidence below the jump:

Continue reading this post »

Our favorite Carrie Underwood fan has had kind of a rough start this season, what with instability at the long snapper position and Ryan Plackemeier's Adventures in Holding (TM).  But the dude has now hit two game-winning field goals on the road.  In the end, he's money.

Josh Brown, I salute you!

Josh!  Call me!!

Julian Peterson gets to Grossman again, and - Oh, Julian, what are you doing to him?!  For the love of God, Julian, hasn't he suffered enough??

(Random 300-character fact: you'd be surprised just how many cat-humps-teddy-bear videos there are out there.  I guess it's like bestiality for furries.)

Per Sando, so you've probably all seen this already: Shaun says the power of prayer may have healed his foot 4-6 weeks ahead of schedule.

For diplomatic purposes, count me as an agnostic on the power of prayer to affect NFL rushing totals.  I do believe, however, in the power of NOT MAKING YOUR DAMN FOOT ANY WORSE.  Which is aided by the power of STAYING ON YOUR DAMN CRUTCHES FOR A COUPLE WEEKS.

But if God took the Hawks to beat the spread at Soldier Field, who am I to argue?

I believe this was put together to help Eli prepare for his encounters with Darryl Tapp and Julian Peterson on Sunday:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0W1VY4b9IQQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param></object>

Perhaps the good folks of Colorado Springs have cast the devil out of Kaz Matsui, who is "4-for-8 with three walks in three games since being called up" to the great ballpark in the sky.

(By which, I mean Coors Field.)

Dear Kaz,

I write you in spite of years of silence.  You've cleaned up, found Jesus: things are good, or so I hear.

So the weird war of karma between the Hawks and Vikes takes another twist, as Koren Robinson is picked up for DUI and faces a possible full-season suspension, in light of the suspensions he already served in Seattle.

Deadspin, of course, is having some fun with it too, especially after Joe Theisman's effusive praise on Monday night for K-Rob's rehabilitation efforts.  (At least I think that's what the Deadspin piece was about - couldn't really concentrate what with the American Apparel ads on the page.)

I'd just like to take a quiet moment of thanks for Ruskell's focus on players' character.  It sounds cheeseball, but then it makes a difference when you don't lose your number one receiver for the season, or, if you're the Bengals, find that half your starting lineup is currently wearing orange and/or stripes (and not the orange and stripes you had intended.)

So, yeah.  K-Rob!  Now here's hoping Nate Burlson stays well away from the water this year.

So I don't know if any of y'all are thinking of turning up for this thing, but it sounds like it could be a laugh.  Or it could be two thousand sweaty frat boys stuffed inside a midtown bar watching the Mets get shut out by John Leiber.

But life is what you make of it, and cheap beer is cheap beer.  I'm thinking of going - anyone else?

Not that I know what the hell I'm doing here (how do ya shift gears on this here blog machine?).  But I notice there's no game thread yet.  So maybe this can tide us over until somebody pays Eric's bail or whatever....

Also, I maybe have to fill some more space here, 'cause this diary's too short, so, um . . . Let's see if this works. [moved from diaries - anonymous. Also, go Mets!]

[editor's note, by kingcritical] Sorry guys, I forgot the game was early today and I'm swamped at work. Maybe I'll get the pitching matchup up there in a few. -kingcritical

Follow the game online (opens in new window):
- MLB.com Gameday
- Yahoo! Box Score
- ESPN.com Box Score
- CBS SportsLine GameCenter

Other Game Chatters...
- MetsGeek.com
- Baseball Think Factory
- Gaslamp Ball

There are some folks in the Mets blogosphere talking about how they'd like to see the Amazins make a trade for old Gil.  I think the most likely scenario is that the Mets stand pat and don't make any trades at all - but if they do anything, they're looking for one more arm in the middle of the rotation.  A short-term rental, maybe.  

If Meche figures in a trade to Queens, who would you all want to see involved?  Obviously Milledge and Pelfrey are out of the question, but who else might be possible?  What is Meche's trade value like these days anyway?

Just swiped this from the news feed.  Looks like Daniel Stegal might have decided that $100 grand plus college money beats picking on Wake Forest DBs.

Stegall, who was the Mets' first position player taken, was unavailable for comment, but on Wednesday he told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette: "I haven't talked to [Miami ] yet, but if the bonus is what I expect it to be, I'm going."

From what I've read about this guy, he sounds like a stud.  From The Metropolitans:

"He struck out 89 in 53 innings with a 1.63 ERA while topping out at 93 mph with his fastball. For good measure he hit .562 and had a 3.91 GPA."

We were supposed to lose him to the Seventh Floor Crew - if he comes to New York instead, our draft just got quite a bit better.

Via metsblog, Dan Graziano of the Star-Ledger has a piece looking at the Mets' options for adding a starter this summer.  His take is that Livan Hernandez is the most likely option, and would cost the Mets the least.

I think I like the idea.  Not only would reuniting the Hernandez brothers be cheaper than the other options, it would seem to make the most sense -  rather than grasping at over-priced "aces" like Willis or Maddux, the Mets would be getting what they need: a quality third starter.  They could move Trachs to fourth, where he belongs, and have their pick among Soler, Bannister, Maine, and Pelfrey at number five.

What do y'all think?  And who would the Mets have to deal for Livan?