Recently in The Daily Dose Category

"the better you get at sports."
Great line.

I love Peyton Manning the football player and I'm secure enough to say I've got a man crush on the guy when it comes to his commercials (and skits). They make me laugh. And I'm guessing they make you laugh too.

So here are a few of my favorites.

This from SI.com:
The Yankees have interest in bringing back Johnny Damon -- "We need him," A-Rod said -- but could well get competition from at least the White Sox and Giants. The Cardinals, Braves and Red Sox are among other teams looking for a corner outfielder, though it's hard to imagine him going back to Boston. Before these playoffs, the Yankees were believed willing to go for two years and $16 million for Damon. But that was before his solo double steal in Game 4.

Why - why? - would the Sox be interested in a 36-year-old outfielder who can't throw and whose one plus skill (speed) is rapidly declining? (especially when they want to re-resign a 33-year-old outfielder who can't throw and whose one plus skill [speed] is declining).
Unless they can get him for 1 year and like $2 million, it's not worth not. Especially not for multiple years and many multiple millions of dollars.

I understand Damon has some value, but this isn't the late 90s/early 2000s anymore. Guys don't have career years in their late 30s anymore. Now players Damon's age are going to do what they did back in the pre-steroid era: break down and be bad.

Yes, the need for a leadoff hitter is great, and Damon might be worth it if the price is right...but if those contract numbers are somewhat accurate - no thanks.

what else would Usain Bolt adopt?

the more you see of this...

means you'll see more of this

As an Eagles fan, I really don't think Jay Cutler will be under center when my beloved Iggles venture into Soldier Field on Nov. 22...there's no way he will continue to get up from the pounding he is taking. He'll either be concussed, have broken ribs, or a separated shoulder by the time the Bears have finished playing the Cardinals and the 49ers.

Which is sad for Bears fans - they finally have a franchise QB but the franchise did such a terrible job in getting him an offensive line, they may well be looking for a QB to direct them for first half of the 2010 season while Cutler rehabs....

this video has been around awhile, but this is is the first 'extended' play version that has a little before and after ... watch the guy in the orange in the top left. Good stuff! And a lesson to all you distance runners - stay off the infield! (oh - and make sure your stitching is right)

It seems like an annual tradition, ripping the IHSA playoff football pairings, but 2009 proves yet again that the current system of geographic pairings is ridiculous.

Just look at Classes 6A and 7A....

The "upper" bracket of 6A is a who's who of the best in the state, with championship-caliber games happening as soon as the second round.

Same can be said for the subdivided "upper" bracket of 7A.

Back in the day the IHSA used to seed 1-32 (gasp!) but decided the travel times were too long for certain schools. But after covering volleyball in the west suburbs for years where the best teams always beat each other up just to get to a sectional final, and in football where the state title games are usually blowouts, most coaches and athletic directors would prefer to seed 1-32, travel be damned.

Said Oswego head coach Dave Keely:
"(Travel) is not all its cracked up to be. Take Edwardsville - they're coming all the way up to Minooka (in 7A). You have Richards going all the way to Rock Island. There's someone in the St. Louis area coming up this way in 7A also. I don't think it's that much of a problem.

I think most schools, if you did a straight 1-32 seed, the travel, in the long run, equals out because proximity is going to draw you back together again anyway."

Providence Catholic coach Mark Coglianese agreed:
"You need to kind of reward some of these teams that went 8-1 and even things out a little bit. I don't know all the (IHSA's) philosophies and theories, but I don't think this is real good division (of teams). I think going 1 to 32 would be better."