Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Driving ranges just aren’t golf courses (for a variety of reasons. Many of which you could already guess). Sure, you still get to swing your metal club at that little white ball and then get all pissed off after seeing where it went. That part is the same, but how many driving ranges have beer? Now that’s a driving range.
So, we came across this driving range called TopGolf that’s out in the Chicago area (Illinois, even). It’s in Wood Dale and they just opened a rooftop beer garden yesterday.
Photo Caption: I think someone needs a beer.
Now, most will hear about TopGolf and praise them for having uber technology, and they do. You get a ball with a microchip in it that is unique to you. You can track your shots and get points for hitting the ball near stuff. You can play with up to five people or just play the computer. It really is something else. Surely not your typical driving range.
The way it’s set up is that it allows even average players to not want to wrap their clubs around the wheel of a golf cart every time they hit the ball. And the fact that they have beer there too makes it so that I’d be able to drink and either A. Think I’m a decent player, or B. Not care about how bad I am. Everyone wins.
It’s $5 for 20 balls, which is more expensive than a normal driving range, but if you didn’t expect that then I’m not sure what to tell you. I’m ready to go home after 20 balls anyway because I either, A. Have blisters, or B. Am so irritated that staying isn’t an option. Of course, both A. and B. could occur simultaneously.
Tags: TopGolf
Posted in Golf | 2 Comments »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Practice disputes happen all the time in the NFL. Players don’t like being blocked or hit a spoken to a certain way, and they get pissy. But, rarely does the scuffle result in both men being sent to the locker room with the head coach for a period of time.
That’s what happened today at San Francisco 49ers practice. It probably would have been better if it wasn’t between two of the team’s superstars, but it was. Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree got into seriously enough that they had to be sent inside and Singletary followed them. Supposedly, Davis was verbally berating Crabtree at practice and the wide receiver didn’t care for it. And it sounds like this was something that’s been brewing for some time.
According to Singletary, “the elephant in the room has been exposed” and this argument was not about football. Uh oh! Is someone banging someone’s wife?
We doubt it, but we thought we’d throw that idea in the ring.
Singletary started his post-practice press conference like this:
“How many of you guys have families? … So you have kids, and every now and then your kids have misunderstandings or what have you. And they forget that there is a father at home,” Singletary said. “Vernon and Crabtree — just to let you know — I will not talk about the issue. But I will talk about this. They were both wrong. And we will not have distractions on this team. Vernon just forgot temporarily that this is not allowed. We don’t do that. We don’t treat family like that. We don’t disrespect each other. I just needed to remind him that’s not who were are.”
But, apparently Davis had the right idea, he just went about it the wrong way. Singletary said that Davis “did the right thing but did it the wrong way.”
Sounds to us like Crabtree needed to be informed of something but that Davis did it in dick fashion.
Tags: Michael Crabtree, San Franisco 49ers, Vernon Davis
Posted in NFL | 1 Comment »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Former Chicago Blackhawks goalie and Stanley Cup champion Antti Niemi has decided to accept a contract with the San Jose Sharks, a source tells ESPNChicago. It’s a one-year, $2 million deal.
This tells us even more about how much it means for an individual to win a championship. People rag on Dan Marino and Jim Kelly for not winning a Super Bowl. Well if winning it all was so important to the status of an individual, how come Niemi couldn’t get a job until September? Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl in 2000 and the team rewarded him by signing Elvis Grbac.
But, we digress. Niemi was awarded a $2.75 million salary from Chicago by an arbitrator. Great, right? Nope, they decided it was too much to pay him and they passed. In some fairness to the Blackhawks, they aren’t flush with cap room.
Tags: Antti Niemi, Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks
Posted in NHL, Signings, Transactions | No Comments »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Earlier today, PFT reported that the Arizona Cardinals locker room was buzzing with the news that Matt Leinart had been traded to the New York Giants. Florio acknowledged that he didn’t know if there was any truth to the rumor.
Well, Jay Glazer says that there isn’t any truth to it.
“Giants are not interested in trading for matt leinart. They are looking for a veteran backup who’s perfectly content w being eli’s backup,” Glazer tweets.
That’s the problem. Leinart is delusional and thinks he should be a starting QB for someone (UFL?). He’d just be a headache to anyone who traded for him strictly as a backup. This isn’t USC anymore, Matt.
Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Matt Leinart, New York Giants
Posted in NFL | No Comments »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Good news, Austin, TX! You are getting a brand spanking new Grand Prix racetrack. And based on what we are seeing, there are a few different objects that designer Herman Tilike may have used for inspiration.
Is it a huge bong as Jalopnik suggests? Is it a microscope? How about a dildo (sexual assault with a concrete dildo??)?
Ah, but nonetheless, there is a new $200 million racetrack coming to Texas and it’s supposed to be pretty sweet (if you give a rat’s ass about auto racing). The 3.4-mile track that’s not far from Austin sports 30 turns, 133 feet of elevation change and a 0.75-mile long straight. Again, awesome if you care about auto racing.
We’ll say this: we’d rather watch Formula 1′s go around a bong-shaped track and actually have to shift gears and speed up and slow down than watch NASCAR races that just go in an oval. We’ve tried very hard, but we still don’t get NASCAR.
Tags: Austin, bong, Grand Prix, Racetrack, Texas
Posted in Formula 1 | 1 Comment »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Michael Perry
If you haven’t been following the Matt Leinart saga, let me catch you up to speed. The Arizona Cardinals and former USC quarterback can’t play football, so the Cardinals are trying to trade him because two rookies are going to make the football squad over him, John Skelton and Max Hall.
Lucky for Matt, it seems three football teams are interested in trading for him. Yes, actual National League Football teams.
PHOTO CAPTION: Matt nurses a hangover in a 2008 Cardinals game
“Three teams have discussed trading for QB Matt Leinart — Bills, Raiders, Giants,” Adam Schefter tweets. “Now we wait to see if any pull trigger by this weekend.”
If Leinart is traded, he would be nothing more than a third string quarterback. Even in Buffalo, Brian Brohm would most likely be the back-up quarterback.
And can you imagine watching Matt “Pretty Boy” Leinart play in the cold weather if somehow he sees the field in New York or Buffalo? He played his college ball underneath the warm sun in the PAC-10. Football is a little different in the Northeast, it’s where the real men play.
Tags: Adam Schefter, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Matt Leinart, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders
Posted in NFL | 1 Comment »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Michael Perry
The New York Mets find themselves only 12 games back out of first place in the National League East and nine games back in the wild card. So, with 30 more games left in the season it was time for the Metropolitans to make one last move to give them that extra push in hopes of making the playoffs.
Tuesday night the Mets found that help. They traded for second baseman Joaquin Arias, who some say has the eye of an eagle and the patience of a cheetah in an African hunt.
PHOTO CAPTION: Arias was named after his mother’s favorite actor of all-time, Joaquin Phoenix
“He’s the younger version of a Dominican Chase Utley who bats right handed,” someone once said.
In return, the Texas Rangers landed right fielder Jeff Francoeur, who the Rangers hope can help extend their 8.5 lead in the American League West. Obviously, the trade was made to benefit Texas, not New York. Jeff gives them another right-handed bat coming off the bench for the post season.
Frenchie is batting .237 with only 11 homeruns this year, but maybe a change of scenery will help him get back to performing the way Major League fans expect him to perform. Playing in New York for the Mets only helps a player accomplish two things: getting hurt and becoming awful.
The fact that Mets GM Omar Minaya got anything in return for Francouer is somewhat amazing. Earlier in the day, the St. Louis Cardinals offered New York tickets to next seasons premier of Last Comic Standing.
Tags: Jeff Francoeur, Joaquin Arias, New York Mets, Texas Rangers
Posted in Baseball, Trades, Transactions | No Comments »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Contrary to public opinion, the New England Patriots aren’t very good on the defensive side of the ball. Lately, they’ve been weak in the secondary and don’t have a great pass rush. Now, things have gotten worse.
The Patriots have sent their top cornerback Leigh Bodden to injured reserve. That’s huge. He has a torn rotator cuff and won’t be able to play this year. That’s a killer for the Patriots.
It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if they had someone who could rush the passer. For christ’s sake, the New York Giants won the Super Bowl in 2007 with a lousy secondary, but, their front four was so filthy that it didn’t matter. The Patriots don’t have that luxury.
Bodden was signed to a four-year, $22 million contract this offseason, so this can’t be thrilling for New England. It looks like will thrust Devin McCourty into the starting lineup. They better hope he can play.
How is the arm feeling, Tom? You’re going to need it.
Tags: Devin McCourty, Leigh Bodden, New England Patriots
Posted in Injuries, NFL | 1 Comment »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
This is a huge shocker. According to Jay Glazer of Foxsports.com, the Arizona Cardinals are actively shopping dud QB Matt Leinart. Leinart has been absolute garbage this preseason and we can’t imagine why anyone would want to trade for him.
“Cards have been contacting teams today shopping qb matt leinart, according to several sources. Unclear what compensation they r looking for,” Glazer tweets.
What in the world would a team give up for Leinart? No only has he shown that he’s not very good at football, but he doesn’t seem to have the leadership qualities necessary to play NFL quarterback. He’s also due $2.5 million this season, so good luck getting someone interested.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the Cardinals are in big trouble this season.
Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Matt Leinart
Posted in NFL | 1 Comment »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Texas Rangers stud Cliff Lee is among the best in the business. If he’s not the best left-handed starter in the majors then we’d love to know who is. But, this month has not been going his way.
Lee gave up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings to the Kansas City Royals today, and four of those runs were earned. He now has now allowed 27 earned runs in his last five starts. Very un-Cliff Lee-like (we have no clue if that’s appropriate use of hyphens. Don’t bother us with details).
He ends the month of August with a 1-4 record (we hate W/L as an official stat…very misleading) and a 6.35 ERA (whoa! that’s not!).
Because the Rangers are kicking the ever-loving snot out of everyone else in the AL West, this isn’t a huge problem right now. But, it is a priority to get Lee right for the playoffs. He could be the difference between winning and losing a playoff series.
Tags: Cliff Lee, Texas Rangers
Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment »
Sep 1st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Have you heard about Aroldis Chapman yet? He’s the Cuban kid that the Cincinnati Reds just brought up from AAA Louisville. Oh, and he hit 105 mph on the radar gun last Friday night.
Well, the Reds brought him up to be a reliever for them down the stretch run, and so far it’s paid off. Sure, he’s only pitched one inning, but he was perfect in that frame and hit 103 mph on the gun.
So far, so good?
We can’t wait to actually watch Chapman in a game. 103 is nasty. Filthy. We’ve heard that he has control issues, but when you throw that hard, it could actually help you. Remember when John Kruk wanted no part of an at-bat against Randy Johnson in an All-Star game? We have to believe that’s what is going through hitters’ minds at the plate.
Juuuuuuust a bit outside…..he tried the corner and missed.
Tags: Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
Posted in Baseball | No Comments »
Aug 31st, 2010 by Micah Warren
Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was sentenced to 30 days in jail when he decided to drive after pounding some Early Times whiskey. We don’t know for sure that he was drinking Early Times (we sure hope it was), but he definitely had too much of some kind of booze.
Khabibulin was found guilty on August 27th of driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol count of .08 or more, excessive speeding and extreme driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content of .15 or more.
We don’t think extreme drinking and driving is as fun as it sounds. We’re thinking Mountain Dew type of extreme DUI. Probably not that kind of fun and probably doesn’t involve a kayak or a skateboard.
So anyway, he was sentenced today to 30 days in jail. He’s appealing the sentence so for now he’s free to walk amongst the non-lawbreaking citizens of Canada.
Tags: DUI, Edmonton Oilers, Nikolai Khabibulin
Posted in DUI, NHL | 2 Comments »
Driving ranges just aren’t golf courses (for a variety of reasons. Many of which you could already guess). Sure, you still get to swing your metal club at that little white ball and then get all pissed off after seeing where it went. That part is the same, but how many driving ranges have beer? Now that’s a driving range.
