Here’s a blast from the past. I’m pretty sure I haven’t even watched this video in a couple of years. It certainly predates Doin Work’s existence, so there’s no reason not to share it here. I’m not sure what made me think of it, although I have been watching a lot of Tru TV lately. Watch as this typical day at a California beach turns ugly, with some stellar commentary….
Author Archives: mceezy
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Is That the Giants Headed for the MLB Postseason?
It’s usually not a smart idea to post about a team returning to the playoffs when they haven’t clinched yet, but I’m an A’s fan, so if the Giants meltdown and fail to make the playoffs, I won’t shed any tears. At any rate, I’ve got to admit I’m a little excited about the black and orange returning to the postseason for the first time since they blew the 2003 World Series to the Anaheim Angels. Now, they’d have to get swept this weekend by the Padres to force a one game playoff for the division, but the way the two teams are playing right now, that doesn’t seem likely. So let’s assume the “G-men,” as the much maligned announcing duo of Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow call them, hold off the Pads to win the NL West. Contrary to Chappy’s sentiments, I’m pretty excited for the MLB Playoffs this year – on the NL side at least. The Phillies are pretty much a perennial postseason favorite at this point, but if things hold the way they are, we’ll see the return of the Giants, the Atlanta Braves, and most refreshingly, the Cincinnati Reds.
In all likelihood, the Giants will open the first round at home against the Braves, which should be an exciting series. Remember that the Giants knocked off the Braves in the first round in 2003 on their way to a World Series berth. But SF has the makings of a pretty dangerous playoff team. The pitching staff is unparalleled, led by Tim Lincecum of course. Throw in guys like 
Matt Cain, a revitalized Barry Zito, and quite possibly the hottest pitcher in the rotation, Jonathan Sanchez, and you can’t figure them to give up many runs. On the offensive side, though not the most dangerous lineup on paper, the Giants are ridiculously deep. It’s a huge collection of guys that can come through with the big hit at any given time. Buster Posey, Jose Guillen, Pat Burrell, Aubrey Huff, Edgar Renteria, Pablo Sandoval, Freddy Sanchez, Mike Fontenot, Cody Ross, Aaron Rowand….. I could go on for days. I guess I’ll put away all my green and gold and break out that one Giants shirt I have for the next few…. weeks, hopefully.
RFP of the Day: Matt Nokes
One of these things is unlike the others.
Tigers fans are probably cringing right now. Matt Nokes has got to be one of those names that just makes any Detroit fan shake his head. I may have been just a little whippersnapper in 1987, but I remember a pretty good AL Rookie of the Year race. Of course it would eventually go to my hometown hero, Mark McGwire, on the strength of 49 homers and 118 RBI. And first runner up may have gone to Kevin Seitzer of the Royals, but the guy I remember challenging McGwire for the trophy was Tigers’ catcher, Matt Nokes. Nokes was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 20th round of the 1981 draft. He spent a few years in the minors, made his big league debut in 85, went 11 for 53 and was dealt the following offseason to Detroit in a 
multiplayer deal that was essentially the swapping of poo poo platters between the Giants and Tigers. Nokes made just 24 plate appearance for Detroit in 1986, but then he broke out in 87. While batting .289, the Tigers new star player jacked 32 home runs and drove in 87 RBI, which earned him an All-Star berth, a Silver Slugger award, and third place in the AL ROY voting. He even got some clown to give him an MVP vote. The future looked bright for Nokes….. but it wasn’t. He never topped any of those numbers, and despite a slight resurgence in New York with the Yankees in 91-92, he never really made any noise. Those were terrible Yankee teams, so the numbers didn’t mean much. To be honest, I probably haven’t even thought of Matt Nokes in years. I was contemplating a feature on Glenallen Hill or Milt Thompson, and somehow I stumbled upon Nokes. Here’s to you Tiger fans!
Vincent Jackson’s Value E-mail Thread
In response to Michael Silver’s article on Chargers’ GM, AJ Smith vs. Vincent Jackson over on Yahoo Sports, the Doin Work crew sounded off on the San Diego dilemma. Should the Chargers continue to hold out for what they want for Vincent Jackson, or simply take what they can get and move on?
Chappy: Sure isn’t a fan of AJ Smith. Can’t say I disagree with his point of view though…
Dyslecix: I get both sides of this…in the end though, this falls on VJ….he didn’t hold the cards to play AJ Smith heads up, and he lost. That’s just business.
Chappy: I think having his team blacked out on TV on the home opener might be making him reconsider not giving in… His business should be to fill up the seats…
Dyslecix: I can’t speak for Charger fans…but Dre and a ton of posts in the comment section sure make it seem like there happy he didn’t give in.
Chappy: That’s true, dre was pretty bitter… I guess the weather is just too good to go to football games that cost $100 for crappy seats…
Anonymous Broncos Fan: i don’t think vj has a leg to stand on in the whole situtaion, but they should’ve traded him. 2nd round picks become starters in the nfl…
Cali4Dre: I disagree with what this guy is saying, AJ Smith is not acting “misguided” here, it’s definitely the player
This isn’t the first time AJ Smith has gone head to head with someone else in the organization, and he’s fried much bigger fish than the other Vincent Jackson (See: Schottennheimer, Marty). Football is a business, Players are assets, and the Chargers are one of the shrewdest teams in the league when it comes to trades (See #1 pick (Vick) in 2001 for picks that tuned out to be LT and Brees; see: see #1 pick (Manning) in 2004 for picks that turned out to be Rivers, Kaeding, and Merriman in 2005). Let’s not forget the Chargers spent a #2 pick on Vj, so it’s not like they signed him as an undrafted FA or something. They kept him on the sidelines until he was ready and in the next couple of years VJ will cash in on how the Chargers groomed him. You’d think he would have a little bit of gratitude towards the Chargers, but instead he turns into a punk and goes out and gets a DUI not once but twice and decides he’s bigger than the teams 3.2M offer to play out his original contract.
Chappy: Since you’ve followed it every step of the way, I’ll take your word for it
MCeezy: Are we sure Vincent Jackson is really that good? You know I’m the last to admit Philip Rivers is good, but maybe VJ is just a product of having a good QB? He could easily go to another team and completely disappear. I think they should take whatever they can get for him and move on with Floyd and Nanee, or whoever else they can sign
Dyslecix:69 catches is his high total, and 8 TD’s. Mehhhh
Chappy: Slightly better than Heyward Bey
MCeezy: OH, well in that case he’s a stud!!!! hahaha.
Cali4Dre: Point is he’s valuable to the Chargers because he knows his their system and he moves the chains. I saw a stat that said he averaged the highest percentage of catches for a first down in the league last year, and the highest average YPC. He’s big, fast, and can out-jump any corner in the league for a ball in the end-zone, so while he might not have racked up say 100 catches, he didn’t need to. They have Gates who catches more balls than most TE’s, and Floyd caught his fair share. The Chargers also spent a lot of time leading in games so they didn’t need to pass as often.
MCeezy: I agree with every bit of that. That’s why I think Jackson’s expendable. I know VORP is a baseball term, but I feel like they’re good enough offensively that they can plug in someone else and be just fine. He’s not worth the headache, or holding out for a 2nd & 3rd round pick
Anonymous Broncos Fan: obviously not THAT valuable.
Dyslecix: Expendable and not worth the money he was asking for.
Chappy: Don’t need to pass a lot!?! They were ranked 31st in rushing last year…
Dyslecix: What was there passing rank?
Chappy: 5th http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/passing/year/2009
Cali4Dre: Point will missed on rushing when leading games, I would expect that from a Raider fan. I agree he’s easily expendable, but the Chargers aren’t going to let a punk or the rest of the league strong arm them into dealing their Pro-Bowl WR for something they don’t want…
Chappy: Ranked 19th in attempts and are 32nd in YPC… I guess when your ahead 3 and outs are acceptable…
Why Is Bob Geren Still Here?
That’s a rhetorical question. Bob Geren is still here because he’s Billy Beane’s BFF. I just really wish the A’s would try to find a good manager instead of apathetically letting the GM’s buddy run the show. Today, the Oakland Athletics exercised the option on Bob Geren’s contract for 2011, meaning he’ll be back for another year at the helm. It’ll be his 5th year as manager and he has yet to top 76 wins. Granted, he’ll most likely top that this year, but the guy hasn’t even managed a .500 season in his tenure. He has a career record of 302-334. What club actively brings back a manager after four consecutive losing seasons? It’s not like they’re a struggling franchise like the Royals where a 70 win season could be considered a success. This is a team that had EIGHT STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS, capped by an ALCS berth. Then the Geren era began, and it’s been all losing ever since. Sometimes I feel like Lou Wolf and the A’s ownership are recreating the classic film, Major League – I probably allude to that every time I write about the A’s – except Lou Brown would probably do a better job.
I think it’s time for the A’s to do what the other Oakland teams did and bring back an old coach that had success. The Warriors brought back Don Nelson and before you knew it were back in the playoffs. The Raiders brought back Art Shell and they only gave up 332 points – their lowest in a season to date since the Super Bowl season in 2002. They went 2-14 but that’s neither here nor there. It’s time to bring back Art Howe. Maybe Ken Macha will be available after the Brewers finish the season. Shoot, Don Wakamatsu, former A’s bench coach, is available. Oh 
wait, we’re locked in on Geren for another sub-.500 year. I guess the A’s are just going to milk another revenue sharing season and let attendance dwindle even more so they can continue to build their case to leave Oakland. I’m fed up with this charade. The fanbase is there, but this ownership regime continues to alienate. I’m the biggest A’s fan I know, but it’s hard to support a group that simply can’t compete. Sure, there are some great young players, and the future is bright, yada yada yada. But Get Carter had a great cast and that doesn’t make it a good movie. Anyway, I’ll sit through one more year. It’s not like they signed Geren to an extension; they just exercised his option. That’s same thing as someone putting on Get Carter, so you sit through it, as opposed to going to the theater and buying a ticket. I’ll tell you this much though, if the A’s buy a ticket to Get Geren next year, I’m done. But by then they’ll probably have a deal in place to move somewhere so I won’t really care…..
Old Guys Getting Up and Throwing Down
Ahh, how I love taking a trip down memory lane. It seems like the NBA is on its way back to being an exciting game, but until that day comes, there’s always youtube, where the legends of yesteryear are back in their prime. Enjoy some of the top dunks from the 1994-1995 season. Anyone else remember Sean Elliot getting up as much as he does in #9? Dude’s head was above the rim. That’s a big deal these days, and I didn’t know he was doing it 15 years ago….
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
The life of an elite NFL feature back is getting shorter and shorter. I don’t mean that they’re dying at a young age, just that a guy can be the man on his team for just a handful of years, and that lifeline seems to be getting shorter. It seems like just a few decades ago, it’d be the same handful of guys racking up 1,000 yard season for years on end. Now a guy is likely to have one or two, and then be replaced by the next young, healthy back. It’s evident this season when you watch guys like Ladanian Tomlinson and Marion Barber no longer getting the bulk of their teams’ carries. It seems like just yesterday guys like these were dominant on the field, and now are relegated to sharing duties with younger guys. In other sports, you could look at league leaders from five years ago and the majority of those guys are still putting up numbers. I took the top ten rushers from 2006, and it looks like all ten of those guys would be lucky to total 1,000 yards combined this year…
SHAUN ALEXANDER, SEA. 1,880 yds: 2005 was Alexander’s 5th and final 1000 yard season. He donned the cover of Madden 07, but failed to tally as many yards as he did in 05 over the next three seasons, his last in the NFL. He totaled 1612 yards over his next two years in Seattle, before adding 24 more in 2008 on the Redskins. That was his final season.
TIKI BARBER, NYG. 1860 yds: Barber totaled 6 1000 yd seasons over a span of 7 years, and though you could argue he retired still in his prime, it was clear that Barber’s days were numbered, which probably prompted his retirement somewhat. Barber’s last season was 2006, but he knew Brandon Jacobs was the back of the team’s future.
Other Guys Who Should Give Back Their Heisman
I’m still not sure what the purpose of making Reggie Bush give back his Heisman is. It just reminds me of when the sucky kid doesn’t get picked on the playground, so he throws a fit and takes his ball home. Perhaps Bush received illegal benefits, but did it really give him an advantage on the field? He would’ve won that Heisman wherever he played, and probably by a more lopsided vote, since he surely split some votes with teammate Matt Leinart. Mack Brown thinks Vince Young should get the award. Are we sure his decision to go to Texas was all on the up and up? Sure, he’s from Houston, so why wouldn’t he go play for Texas? But then again, why not A&M, or Houston, or LSU? Reggie Bush was from San Diego, who’s to say he wouldn’t have ended up at USC anyway? Look, I can name quite a few college athletes who received illegal benefits, and some didn’t even go on to a professional career in their respective sports. The point is, the NCAA can keep targeting USC all they want, e.g. Bush, OJ Mayo, but clearly this goes on at every university in the country. I wonder how long until they cry foul on Demar Derozan. It’s common knowledge he went to SC because they let his buddy Lil Romeo tag along. This whole mess has got me thinking about other players who went to a certain university, where there’s no way there wasn’t foul play. I know they don’t have Heismans per se, but you get the idea. Let’s start pointing some fingers…..
JAMARCUS RUSSELL, LSU: I know it’s not too far fetched for a kid from Alabama to choose LSU, but we all know what kind of guy Russell is, there’s no way he didn’t go play for the highest bidder. Why would he choose LSU over other SEC schools like Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia, or Tennessee? Les Miles and the boosters surely offered him the iciest #2 platinum chain of all the competition.
USF AD Stepping Down, Forcefully
USF athletic director Debra Gore-Mann is resigning to pursue other opportunities. The school said Friday that Gore-Mann’s resignation is effective Sept. 17. Charles Cross, USF’s vice president of business and finance, will assume interim athletic director duties while a national search is conducted to find a replacement. Gore-Mann leaves less than five months after making the high-profile hire of Jennifer Azzi as women’s basketball coach. In June, the NCAA placed USF on probation for two years after more than a dozen athletes spent more than $13,000 in scholarship money to improperly buy textbooks. USF didn’t receive a postseason ban.
Talk about ironty. After all. Debra Gore-Mann is the one who handed head coach Jesse Evans resignation papers.
In Defense of Matt Barnes
I don’t like Matt Barnes. I should. He’s from Sacramento, he’s multiracial, his name’s Matt, and he’s played for the Kings and Warriors. But aside from my sophomore year in high school when we literally rooted for him against our own varsity team in our own gym, I’ve never really cheered for him. Simply put, I’m not a fan.
When I saw the news this morning that Barnes was arrested last night for domestic violence, my gut reaction was “not surprising.” However, after reading some other gut reactions from others online, I had to put assumptions aside and give him the benefit of the doubt. Sure, he’s 6’7″ with a crazy haircut, lots of tattoos and half-black, but that doesn’t automatically make him a wife-beater. Like he tweeted, “9 times out of 10 the man gets arrested.” Ask any police officer, they’ll openly tell you. If the woman has a single mark, whether it be a bloody knuckle from punching the guy or a scraped leg from tripping over the futon while chasing him with a knife (these are both real life examples I’ve heard of), the man is going to jail. Many people scoffed at his text saying he was the victim. They said “sure, a 6’7″ guy was the victim.” Well, being the victim doesn’t mean he lost a fight, it just means he was the one who was attacked. It’s amazing how in the land of ‘guilty until proven innocent,’ domestic violence crimes don’t apply. Matt Barnes will forever be considered a wife beater, while Ben Roethlisberger and Kobe Bryant have never really been considered rapists. You tell me which is worse.
So ultimately, I don’t know if Matt Barnes is innocent here, but let’s put snap judgments aside. He may be a loose cannon on the basketball court, but it doesn’t mean he would put his hands on a woman. If there’s one thing people close to him will vouch for, it’s that he was very close to his mother, who passed away a few years back. I’ve got to believe he was raised better. That’s not to say I’ll be surprised if it turns out he beat the hell out of this girl, but until that day, I think the guy deserves a break. I think we’re more likely to see the charges dropped, and he’ll be riding around Sac in an Indy Car rather than posting up at 651 I Street.
Upgrading The Man Cave
The football season is upon us, though it looks like someone forgot to tell the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since the Raiders aren’t in last place yet, I’m pretty excited for the season right now. Chappy and I did some shopping online for some essentials to enhance our Sunday afternoons, and here’s some exciting products that will help you cheer on your team….
Wildon Home Foxton Bar
I’ve produced and seen some pretty impressive spreads at Super Bowl parties and such, but always felt like a dining table didn’t quite suffice. Sure, the food looks nice and all, but you still had to get your beers from the fridge. You know what I always felt was missing? A BAR. I just assumed one would have to own a house that had one, but that is not the case! Apparently you can purchase a stand alone bar, at a pretty decent cost. This one was the best one I found, but there are surprisingly a good handful of options for right around $500. This one, and others, can be found at http://www.diningroomsdirect.com/
Wincraft Keg-a-Que
I’ll admit, this caught my eye because I thought it was a keg. It turns out it’s a portable BBQ, but that might even be better! At least I’d probably be likely to use it more. Most people already have a grill for home use, but what about tailgating AT the game? I had a pretty trusty portable bbq for years, but it was red and black. How am I supposed to feel good about myself using that in the parking lot of the Oakland Coliseum when the Chiefs, Cardinals, or 49ers are in town? Well, here’s the solution. These steel, keg-shaped portable grills come in propane and charcoal models, and are available in all teams at http://www.nflshop.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=2415724&ab=Tailgating_BSpot_Grilling_072210
Panasonic 3D Active Shutter Eyewear
The ESPN 3D era is here, and I’ve got to believe Monday Night Football is going to be the centerpiece of their offerings. There’s been good (Avatar) and bad (Alice in Wonderland) in terms of 3D thus far, but I don’t see ESPN bothering with this if they weren’t going to make football games amazing. Let’s hope they have cameras in the end zone seats so those Lambeau Leaps will come right into your living room. I’m also looking forward to coaches’ gatorade showers and those wire cams figure to play a key role. Granted, you’re going to need a new TV and cable box, but start with the glasses, because you can at least rock them in public in the meantime. These badass shades can be found at http://www.rcwilley.com/Electronics/TV-Video/Video-Accessories/TY-EW3D10U/2361744/Panasonic-3D-Active-Shutter-Eyewear-View.jsp
Tailgate/Ping Pong/Beer Pong Table
They call this a tailgate table on the site, but it’s pretty much essential in my book for any mancave. Besides being easy to store, it has a plethora of other uses. Whether you’re playing beer pong in the mancave because your team is behind by 28, and you no longer care about the game, or you’re tailgating right before the game with the Wincraft Keg-A-Que it will be perfect for any football sunday. Apparently you can also turn this into a ping pong table, but looking at the dimensions, I’m not so sure you’d want to play doubles. This is already making me want to get a beer pong game going right now… I wish it didn’t take a week to get here! Check it out here http://www.csnstores.com/Tailgate-Toss-TPN-D-122-TAI1440.html
GAME FACE
I’m far from the most intimidating guy in the world, and sometimes random Charger friends end up stopping by to rain on the Raiders party, which hasn’t been that hard recently. This year I’m going to be prepared for them with my game face! Just to make sure the new people don’t think us Raiders fans are soft. This new look will surely garner some respect. I’m not sure I can hang wearing vinyl for three hours, but sometimes it takes that kind of dedication from a fan. http://www.csnstores.com/Franklin-Sports-6991F22-FKS1289.html
This Was Actually Fun????
I love my vintage sports games, there’s no denying that. NHL 94 is STILL fun and the mere presence of Brass Bonanza will keep me going back for years to come. Tecmo Bowl also plays well nearly 20 years later and any football game as far back as 10 Yard Fight can be appreciated. But how in the wide world of sports could Bulls Vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs ever have been fun?? I won’t lie, I played the hell out of that game, but seriously, this looks atrocious. I know the main thing it had going for it was actual NBA rosters, but there’s nothing memorable about this game whatsoever. I know some players had signature moves, but all that comes to mind is Derrick Coleman throwing it off the backboard to himself and Tom Chambers taking off from the free throw line and throwing down a two hand jam. Oh and I remember the All-Star games being held in San Mateo, CA, which was pretty cool for a NorCal kid. After I watched the video below though, I really am left with no clue how this game ever entertained me…..
Employer Nails Maid
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A Sri Lankan maid returned from her job in Saudi Arabia with 24 nails inside her body — the result of torture by the family who employed her, according to a doctor and a government official.
L.G. Ariyawathi’s body is riddled with needles and nails, which are scheduled to be removed Friday, a doctor confirmed.
Ariyawathi, 49, returned to Sri Lanka on Saturday from Saudi Arabia and was hospitalized the next day with severe pain at a facility about 100 miles away from capital, Colombo, according to media reports.
She told a local newspaper that her employers tortured her with the nails as punishment.
I’m pretty sure when you take a job as a housekeeper in Saudi Arabia, you can probably throw out your OSHA handbook. I wouldn’t expect the working conditions to be ideal, but being impaled with 24 nails seems a bit extreme. Click here for the full story, if nothing else, to see the x-ray pictures.
The Dream Vs. The Admiral
Don’t ask me how this one started. The last thing I remember is going to Youtube and this video was on the front page. It’s crazy watching two slender, agile 7-footers doing battle with quickness and athleticism. This clip will surely have you saying, “they just don’t make em like they used to.” Anyway, in this clip, it appears that Hakeem Olajuwon feels a little slighted watching David Robinson hoist the MVP trophy. That postseason, over 22 games en route to a second consecutive NBA Championship, The Dream averaged a ridiculous 33 pts, 10 reb, 4.5 asts per game. I never would’ve classified Olajuwon as underrated, but looking back, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. Michael Jordan is regarded as the best player in the history of the game, but who won the title both years he was away? Hakeem was at the top of his game, and he didn’t need Semmi to get there.
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