The Hague Sports

2011-12-19T18:26:00.000-06:00

Fairy Pitch

2011-07-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

I saw this picture about a month ago and completely forgot to post it. It's Texas Longhorns freshman pitcher Nathan Thornhill.

There are several ways to approach the topic, and it gives Aggies and Sooners fans some ammo, but I just have to ask one question: WHY?????

Of course there's probably not a valid reason behind it, especially since he actually wore the backpack during a game.In this pic, he's coming out of the bullpen after getting his name called.

I guess Tinkerbell is better than Hannah Montana, Justin Bieber or the Washington Redskins, but still, just embarrassing.

Did he lose a bet? Is he getting hazed? OK, that's more than one question, but they fall under the big question: WHY????

Sports Polygamy 101

2011-06-26T22:56:00.002-05:00

Friday night I went to see the Rangers and the Mets. It was a win-win situation because I had never seen the Mets before so I got to cross another team off the list, and the Rangers won 8-1. What happened in the rest of the series is irrelevant.

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World Peace Tech

2011-06-25T17:16:00.001-05:00

Perhaps the reason behind Ron Artest's name change to "Metta World Peace" is so he can hear people (like the beautiful women running for miss America) say his name.

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Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T09:39:00.001-05:00

The following post was posted for Fathers Day 2008, but I thought it'd be fitting to re-post it this year, partly because I can't think of another way to relate sports and Fathers Day and also because I have about an hour left before church and wouldn't be able to come up with any clever in time and it would be probably 9p.m. before I got around to it again.

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Mavericks' Celebration

2011-06-16T20:25:00.002-05:00

In the Heat of the Moment

2011-06-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

I've been overly excited and forgot to post about the NBA Finals. Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks, the 2011 Champions.
It's obviously extra sweet after the Decision which was followed by a parade to celebrate before the Heat even one a single game with the three clowns. In that celebration, Lebron guaranteed the team would win about eight championships and it's nice to know Dirk Nowitzki and company were able to prevent that from happening in their first year. It's also nice to know that every team that has ever won the finals have done it without Lebron James and Chris Bosh.
Nowitzki played out of his mind, earning the Finals MVP. Unfortunately for Dirk though, he has to go back to his ordinary normal life.
It's nice for Texas to have yet another championship, and hopefully the Rangers or Cowboys will be able to follow suit, but heck, this is something to celebrate. Who cares what the media thinks? The Mavs are 2011 champions.

The Three Clowns give a new meaning to "The Big Dance."

Call to the Hall

2011-06-11T12:36:00.001-05:00

The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced its 2011 class, and among its members is Sylvester Stallone. Stallone? Really?

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CSI Miami: Cry Scene Investigation

2011-06-10T19:54:00.002-05:00


James and Wade aren't playing peekaboo. They're taking their tears to South Beach

Lebron James and Dwayne Wade are the two least qualified guys to be making fun of Dirk Nowitzki being sick. Dirk had a 102-degree fever and still beat the Heat in Game 4 and came back and won handily in game 5.

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Game 3 Preview

2011-06-05T09:42:00.000-05:00

The Mavericks' comeback in Game 2 was the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history as the two teams head to the *American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Dallas has to win two out of three at home to stay alive in the series before going back to Miami, and can't afford to wait till the last seven minutes to crash the boards, follow through the shots and make easy layups. Everyone knows regulation is 48 minutes long, not 42.
Dirk Nowitzki has 51 points in the first two games, including the team's final nine in Game 2, and is perfect from the foul line in the series.
Reggie Miller holds the record for highest free-throw percentage with 97.8% so it will be interesting to see if Nowitzki is able to pass that record.
Game 3 tips off at 7 p.m. CT.

*You think American Airlines set up this matchup seeing as the Heat play in the American Airlines Arena and the Mavs in the American Airlines Center?

What's your caption?

2011-06-02T21:08:00.000-05:00

OK, I might not be very original or creative, but you probably are. That's why I'm stealing the idea of posting a photo and asking you to post a caption. Sorry, no major awards other than a ton of credit for a job well done.
Just leave your caption in comment form.
Here's the photo, give the caption:

Heat Stroke

2011-05-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

Mavs Drop Game 1

After Game 1, my confidence in the Mavs is pretty much shot, but not completely dead. There was some terrible officiating but that's no excuse for not being able to crash boards, missing easy jump shots and allowing Dwayne Wade and the heat to drive the lane untouched.
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The Rematch

2011-05-26T23:40:00.001-05:00

So the Mavs have shot at revenge against the Heat in the finals but it's going to be anything but easy. The Heat got the calls in the '06 finals so they'll likely have that going for but they've got no answer for Dirk Nowitziki.

Both Dirk and Lebron James are in search for their first championship ring, but it's more of a must win for the Dirk since it's been five years since he's been here and he's not exactly getting younger.
Here's the 2011 NBA Finals schedule:
Game 1, Tuesday: Dallas at Miami, 8 p.m.
Game 2, June 2: Dallas at Miami, 8 p.m.
Game 3, June 5; Miami at Dallas, 7 p.m.
Game 4, June 7: Miami at Dallas, 8 p.m.
*Game 5, June 9: Miami at Dallas, 8 p.m.
*Game 6, June 12: Dallas at Miami, 7 p.m.
*Game 7, June 14: Dallas at Miami, 8 p.m.

Monday Night Action

2011-05-24T00:19:00.001-05:00

Rangers vs White Sox

You can't script this game any better. Josh Hamilton returned after being hurt for about a month and a half and homered at his first at bat and his first swing. It makes you remember how big of a difference the presence of an MVP makes.
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2011-05-23T00:17:00.001-05:00

Texas Rangers fans have been waiting for this day with greater anticipation than an Oakland based group awaited for May 21, 2011.
Tonight is the comeback of the 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton who went down April 12 in Detroit. Fans have been holding their breath and now they’re taking a sigh of relief after the slugger spent time in Double A.
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Thunder Storm Warning

2011-05-21T12:56:00.002-05:00

First of all, why in the world do the Bulls and Heat get so many more days off than the Mavericks and Thunder? The Mavs have only one day off between games while the Eastern teams played Sunday, Wednesday and Sunday again.
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Thunder Storm Watch

2011-05-15T23:10:00.003-05:00

Regardless of what happens in the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Durants series, one thing that remains certain, and that is Texas is superior to Oklahoma. The sports along are proof of that. Even if OKC beats Dallas, they needed a Longhorn to do so.
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Laker Sweep

2011-05-08T21:57:00.001-05:00

Man oh man, who would have thought Phil Jackson would end his career by getting swept by the Dallas Mavericks?
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Home Court Advantage

2011-05-05T21:31:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a dream the Mavericks were coming home up 2-0 after beating the Lakers in LA, twice. Then reality set in and I realized I wasn't dreaming after all. I had pinch and slap myself so many times, but I eventually began to celebrate.
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NBA Playoffs: Round 2

2011-05-01T23:07:00.001-05:00

Mavs vs. Lakers:

I was worried about the Mavs getting past the Blazers in the first round, and now I'm even more nervous about them taking on the Lakers in the second, but who can blame me.
It is weird to think this will be the first time Kobe and Dirk will go head-to-head in the playoffs, but other people will have to step up as well.
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First Two Rounds

2011-04-29T22:47:00.001-05:00

The lockout situation has made this year's draft quite odd. Teams can't trade or deal players which is what makes it harder to fill the big gaps.
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Names to Consider

2011-04-26T22:44:00.001-05:00

There are some names you hear that just sound like a name of an athlete like Herschel Walker, Joe Montana, Shaquille O'Neal and others.
Then there are the names you hear and think "It's a good thing he's a professional athlete because nobody will dare mess with him," (e.g. Dick Butkus) and then there are those you think there is no way that's a real name.
The example of this is Grant Balfour. He's a pitcher, currently on the roster for the Oakland A's.
If he were to play any other position, it wouldn't be nearly as funny or as hard to believe.
It's a good thing he plays for Oakland because that means he's in our division and if he lives up to his name, good things are in store for the Rangers.
All I can say is a good thing Texas will soon have Tim Strikethree on the mound and I'm just waiting for the Yankees to sign Kevin Errors.
On a completely unrelated note, the Buffalo Bills are looking to make several changes and head coach Chan Gailey said it starts with their new kicker: Scott Wideleft.

Cowboys at 9

2011-04-24T20:45:00.001-05:00

Trying to predict what Jerry Jones will do on draft day is trying to predict the behavior of a pregnant woman. OK, maybe a bad analogy, but you get the point, it's a hard prediction to make.
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The Blame Game

2011-04-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

Everybody has probably heard the term, “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.”
Truth is I completely disagree with this saying.
The word “hate” is definitely a strong word, so I’m not going to hate the player, but I do blame him for things. In other words, the term should be “Blame the player, not the game.”
Do we blame the game when the player gets arrested after shooting a gun outside of a nightclub at 3 a.m.?
Do we blame the game for the player who runs into the stands? How can you possibly blame the fan who gets caught with bags of marijuana?
Granted, some athletes are faced with different types of pressures, some of which might drive an athlete to take steroids or drinking, but when all said and done, it’s the athlete’s choice.
If my job got real stressful to where I started drinking heavily or taking drugs, it would still be my fault. I can’t point to the job as the excuse. I didn’t take the proper responsibility and I have to own up to it. The same is true of athletes.
Apologies are another thing that make me laugh. Often they’ll say something like, “I’m sorry if I offended somebody, but……”
That just shows they’re only sorry they got caught.
However, regardless of what they’re “apologizing’ for, it was their actions, and they have no reason to blame the game but should point a finger at themselves.

Cowboys' 2011 Schedule

2011-04-20T00:05:00.001-05:00

So the NFL Schedule is officially out, and there's only 17 weeks listed.
The season will kick off when the last two defending Super Bowl champs go head-to-head when the Packers host the Saints on Thursday, September 8.
Opening Sunday will mark the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks, but what better way to remember the heroes of that day by kicking off a great tradition like the National Football League?
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Make it Brief

2011-04-19T00:31:00.000-05:00

I'll make it brief this week because the creative juices aren't flowing, and I'm lazy tonight:

Only taking one of three games in New York isn't exactly satisfying, but it's time to turn the page, and the Rangers have done that as they continue their unbeaten streak at home. It's even sweeter when you're going up against a division rival like the Angels. We'll see if they can continue that luck Tuesday night.

The Mavs are also home Tuesday night, trying to win their second straight game in the first round of the playoffs.

A lot of people predicted the Blazers to win the series so if that's going to happen, series changes must be made in Game 2. Mavs fans can at least be optimistic about the fact both the Lakers and Spurs lost their openers, but can't be too confident in that though. It is a seven-game series.

NBA Playoffs: Round 1

2011-04-15T22:38:00.001-05:00

Who's the real underdog in the Dallas and Portland series?
The Mavs are ranked No.3 in the west while the Blazers are ranked No.6 but pretty much everybody is taking the Blazers in the "upset."
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Another Hamilton Comeback?

2011-04-12T19:49:00.002-05:00

Everybody knows the story of Josh Hamilton, that is, if you’re talking about his past.
We’ve heard him about his faith and about how he’s grateful to God for several chances, but his story isn’t done yet.
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MLB's best

2011-04-10T20:10:00.002-05:00

So 162-0 didn't happen, so I guess we'll just have to accept 161-1.
OK, that's also not going to happen but I am loving the fact the Rangers stand with an 8-1 record, the best in baseball.
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Six games and counting

2011-04-07T23:32:00.003-05:00

So far so good, that is as long as you're a Rangers fan.
When was the last time (if ever) the Rangers were the last team to lose?
If you're a Cardinals fan,chances are you're not as excited. You might be feeling like walking out like Tony La Russa who walked out of the press conference.
Six games in is a little premature to walk out of a press conference, but hey...whatever floats your boat.
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The First Four

2011-04-04T23:05:00.001-05:00

Can you have a better start to the season than sweeping the Red Sox and beating the Mariners in the first of a three game series?
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Happy Opening Weekend

2011-03-31T20:45:00.000-05:00

This is one of the greatest weekends of the year and there aren't many better times to head to the ballpark than opening weekend.

The heats not yet overbearing so fans can enjoy a hot dog as their team starts fresh on a 162-game schedule.

It's the time when unrealistic expectations are still somewhat realistic, at least for the next couple weeks.

Last year, Taylor Teagarden's homer on opening day put the Rangers up over the Blue Jays after coming from behind. One could say that set the tone for the year as the Rangers made their way into the history books.

The start of baseball is actually sweeter this year than most.

With all the NFL CBA stuff happening now, it can actually be difficult to watch the NFL Network. I'm not trying to pretend these problems don't exists, it's just nice to have help from baseball to get through the tough times.

What can I say? America's Pastime is here.

AL West

2011-03-27T20:37:00.001-05:00

This post has been a long time coming, but before I break it down, I have something to say, and it's not going to be easy, and one thing that makes it harder is my competitive nature.
I lost. I lost the NCAA Bracket, and now I will have to pay the consequences. I'm willing to do so, and if I could, I would pay right now, but that's not how it works. I have to wait, which is even harder because there's more time for the thoughts to linger in my mind.
There's more time for it to eat me up inside.
An analogy I like to use is of a kid whose mom tells him to go to his room and wait for his father to get home.
That wait hurts and it hurts bad because he knows it's only a matter of time until he gets a beat down.
This is much worse than that though. It hurts much more than any beat down.
Perhaps your dad told you "this hurts me more than it hurts you." Well this one thing that hurts me and me only. There will be nothing about me wearing apparel of my rival team that will hurt anyone but myself.
Enough said about that. It's time to break down the AL West.
This is the smallest, yet one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. If you are in this division and want to make the playoffs, you have to finish first. Second place won't cut it.
The Texas Rangers won 90 games and represented the West in the 2010 postseason making an historic run into the World Series.
Repeating that performance will be anything but easy as the A's and Angels have made some additions and will be a force to be reckon with.
You might think that the team I have in first place and write about the most is my personal favorite, but lets not jump to any conclusions. If you do jump to any here, you're probably right, but don't just assume all the time.
Texas Rangers: Josh Hamilton was the AL MVP despite being hurt as a result of running into walls. He finished with 32 home runs, 100 RBI and 186 hits. Look for the slugger to do some more damage this year and lead the team to the top.
Hamilton is just one individual though, and the Texas will need more help everywhere else.
The team brought in Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli whose bats will add depth.
The biggest question marks surround the pitching staff after Cliff Lee bolted for Philly. Brandon Webb is currently hurt but hopes to return to the mound in the first month or so.
Natali Feliz has jumped back and forth between closer and starter, but looks like he'll remain as a closer for now.
Former closer C.J. Wilson worked his way to the front of the rotation and turned a lot of heads last year, but the question surrounding him is weather or not he's ready to be the starting ace.
Wilson is backed up by Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter and it looks like Derek Holland and Matt Harrison will earn the other starting positions.
Like last year, this year has already seen a few bumps and bruises. Chuck Greenberg is out as part owner and CEO. The team has dealt with injuries and other behind the scenes drama including that of Michael Young, but also like last year, they can overcome. Look for the antlers and claws because it is indeed time.
Oakland Athletics: A lot of people like this team to finish first or second in this division and the addition of DH Hideki Matsui, David DeJesus and Josh Willingham will give the team a lot of power behind the plate.
This team finished .500 last year but knows that kind of record won't be enough to lift them to the top this year.
Last year the A's finished with an ERA of 3.56, an AL high.
The team also added pitcher Brandon McCarthy who was released by the Texas Rangers.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (California on the west coast United States of America etc...): Sorry, I know I've made that joke before but I still can't take the name seriously.
This team finished 2010 with a record of 80-82 and came away in third place in the division.
Vernon Wells came over from Toronto and the Angels are hoping he'll be just what they need to compete for the west.
The slugger hi31 home runs and 88 RBIs last year, a high for him since 2006.
Those aren't bad numbers but if the addition of work out, consider Wells a bust because the team picked up his $80 million contract. He may be able to repeat last year and so can the team as they finish in third place.
Seattle Mariners: Last year, this team was surrounding by hype. Hype that far surpassed the team itself. The Mariners sacrificed bats for defense and now they're hoping for somebody, just anybody to step up.
They shipped off Cliff Lee to Texas right before the deadline last year and brought in first baseman Justin Smoak.
Felix Hernandez is probably the brightest spot on the roster but it won't be quite enough to lift Seattle out of the basement. Look for this team to finish right around last year's 61-101.

CBA/Podcast

2011-03-23T20:28:00.000-05:00

CBA:

Sometimes it's easy to ignore problems away, but I can't shake away the issues that are shaking up the NFL. In fact, it's only getting worse.

The owners are wanting to move the kickoff to the 35-yard line, and move touchbacks from the 20 to the 25. I hate this and I hope it doesn't happen.

Why make both these changes? The kickoff is already one of most interesting part of the game, and they're taking it away. Why would take it out of the end zone now if they get that extra five yards from the start?

Kickers will kick higher than normal, giving the kicking team more time to run down the field and lay a hit on the returner.

Does that really sound safer than what we've currently got?

I just hope they get this thing figured out soon. Otherwise, we could be in for a really strange and awkward NFL Draft.

Podcast:

Last week, we had Texas Rangers broadcaster and Hall of Famer Tom Grieve on the show. You can hear that in its entirety on the that episode.

If you listen to the episode aired on March 23, you'll hear our interview with Anthony Andros,Texas Rangers beat writer from the Fort Worth Star Telegram. That is followed by a replay of the Grieve interview.

We hope to get more big-named guests to follow.

Please tune in if you haven't yet. We always appreciate it.

NL West

2011-03-21T00:35:00.001-05:00

As we enter the Sweet 16, I can only pray for a miracle in hopes of not losing this year's bracket. I currently have two of my Final Four teams alive and I need big things from them both.
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The Merger

2011-03-16T20:38:00.001-05:00

First thing first; we at The Hague Sports and The Ranger Report podcasts are excited to announce we're merging. Many future episodes of the Ranger Report will be found at the Hague Sports channel of BlogTalkRadio, so you'll be able to hear it on the widget of of our podcast page.
This brings us to our next order of business: our Drama Queen Candidates.
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How to beat BYU

2011-03-14T00:15:00.000-05:00

Everybody knows about Brandon Davies by now. His decision to partake in sexual activities means he can't play for the rest of the season.
Davies' mistake of breaking the school's code of conduct shun light on the key to beating the Cougars; force them to break the code of conduct.
Drinking coffee, tea and alcohol is forbidden.
If Jimmer Fredette was seen walking out of Starbucks drinking a cup of coffee or coming out of a bar with a beer, would he be suspended? Obviously different actions have greater consequences than others but if the school was to be consistent, they'd have to at least slap him on the rist.
If someone were to frame Fredette by putting an empty beer bottle in his room, would he get in trouble for it?
Lawrence Taylor claimed in his book that he used to send non-virtuous women into the hotel room of the opposing running back in hopes of that running back being too tired to perform on the field.
If a team like Wofford (BYU's first opponent) wanted to test the Cougars' off-the-field morals, they may attempt to make them break this conduct code by pulling an LT.
However, many BUY students are older because they go on missions, and by that time, they likely have established a strong sense of character and morality along with the ability to resist temptation.
Regardless, if one is to at least try to frame a BYU student athlete, a cup of coffee might be the way to go.

Hague Sports bracket challenge

2011-03-12T15:27:00.000-06:00

The brackets are about to be out, it's just a matter hours, and this year, those of us on the podcast are opening up the bracket challenge to the readers and listeners.
Feel free to jump in and compete with us, and compare your bracket with ours. We'll send the winner a T-shirt and we might even add something like, "My bracket was the best on the Hague Sports."
Click here to join the Hague Sports bracket Challenge.

Haguelines

2011-03-10T00:41:00.000-06:00

We're starting a new bit for my podcast. The concept itself isn't entirely original but everything else will be. I guess there's no way of understanding what the heck that means without having me explain:
It's a bit we're calling Haguelines where we write mock headlines.
It's a concept you're well familiar with already. Every major talk show does it.
In fact, they're doing it on the Dan Patrick Show, and I apparently didn't listen to directions correctly.
I submitted three mock headlines for a contest to Patrick's show only to later realize what they wanted you to do was listen to the show in its entirety for three mock headlines on a particular topic. Once you got all three, submit it and if you're right, you have a chance to win a new HD TV.
Instead of doing things correctly I submitted my own.
The topic that particular day was about Michael Vick changing his mind and deciding not to make an appearance on Oprah.
Nonetheless, I was proud of my headlines that said the following:

Quarterback e-Vicks himself from Oprah
Vick calls audible, avoids X's and Oprah

Eagles go Winfree-less after Vick declines interview

I think you get the idea. We'll pick a topic or two before hand and come up with as many mock headlines as possible and present them on the show. Readers and listeners are not only welcomed, but encouraged to chime in on the topic. Let us know what you think.

Tiki or not Tiki, what teams will consider Barber?

2011-03-08T23:14:00.002-06:00

When I first read that Tiki Barber is making a return the NFL, I thought I was reading The Onion. It just didn't seem real. It made me wonder if Herschel Walker called him and gave him some encouragement telling him, "Hey, if I can do it, you can do it."
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NL Central

2011-03-07T00:57:00.001-06:00

The NLC Central is is the largest division in baseball and we could see plenty of surprises there this year.
Cinncinatti finished on top in 2010 with a record of 91-71, five games above the second place Cardinals. However, familiar faces have left (see Houston) while a team or two attempt to keep a familiar face in town (see St. Louis) and others have added some already-familiar faces.
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AL Central

2011-03-03T00:10:00.002-06:00

Adam Dun inks a deal with Chicago

The AL Central was represented by the Minnesota Twins who got swept in the ALDS by the Yankees.
This year, the Twins have everything in place to make another run at it but it will be anything but easy as Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit have all reloaded and will be force to reckon with.This division could easily be a tight-four way race.
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NL East

2011-02-25T00:41:00.002-06:00

This is the second post of a six-post series (hence the number of divisions in the MLB) in which I break down each division and give my predictions as to how I think it will finish in order from best to worst.
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AL East

2011-02-22T20:39:00.001-06:00


Josh Beckett remembers his roots has he signals "Hook 'em Horns."

With Spring Training officially underway, and baseball season right around the corner (April 1st is opening day), I thought it was only appropriate to break down each division and give my predictions for the winner in each one, much like I do for the NFL.
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Carmelo trade/NCAA Rankings

2011-02-21T22:33:00.003-06:00

Well it's official, Carmelo is a New York Knick, as is Chauncey Billups, Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman.

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NBA Prop Contest

2011-02-20T20:44:00.001-06:00

The NBA's dunk contest is just too much now. It was cool when Jordan dunked from the foul line, and it was neat to see Spud Webb get up there, but the problem is there's no original dunk anymore, at least not without bringing in props, which makes it even more lame.
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Can't stay Young forever

2011-02-16T21:29:00.001-06:00

Nolan Ryan and John Daniels say they're preparing their team for Michael Young to be on the club despite the fact he asked for a trade about a week and half ago.
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Move up in the ranks

2011-02-14T22:50:00.001-06:00

The Kansas Jayhawks received one more first-place vote than the Texas Longhorns, but that 14th voter, along with a few others, are probably wishing they could take their votes back.
The Longhorns are the only other team to have knocked off the Jayhawks, so you might as well put UT on top.
Does the Big 12 no know it's a football conference? When was the last time two teams in this conference were No 1. and 2 in the nation in basketball? You'd normally expect it from the Big East or ACC, but not in the conference that will soon be non-existent.
K-State exposed and embarrassed Kansas, and I'm going to say right now that the Jayhawks have a repeat of last year. They may win two games in the tournament, but I wouldn't expect much more than that. They will not go to the Elite Eight.
Perhaps the Lakers should call the Jayhawks and tell them they know how it feels because the Bobcats handed the LA its worst loss of the year in a 109-89 final.
That's the second-straight loss for LA who's in the third place in the West, right behind Dallas who currently holds a record of 38-16.
The Mavs are set to host Sacramento Wednesday night and then travel to Phoenix to take on the .500 Suns on Thursday night.

Derek Holland Interview

2011-02-12T11:42:00.000-06:00

Ben Dieter of the Ranger Report and I had the opportunity interview Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland. You can listen to it by clicking on our podcast page and look for the blog talk radio widget or go to The Ranger Report podcast page.
Again, thanks for reading and listening.

Rangers ink Hamilton

2011-02-10T20:49:00.001-06:00

Josh Hamilton and The Texas Rangers and have come to terms on a two-year deal worth $24 million and avoided arbitration.

The 2010 AL MVP gets a $3 million bonus along with a $7.25 million salary for the 2011 season and $13.75 million in 2012 a year after hitting 32 home runs and 100 RBIs.

Just last year, his salary was $3.25 million.

Hamilton said he was relieved that the deal got done when it did.

"If two years gets done, it's a plus and takes some of the stress off and this whole situation doesn't have to happen next year," he said.

Dallas News and Notes

2011-02-10T01:11:00.001-06:00

Lucky No. 10
The Mavs win over the Kings Wednesday night marked the 10th straight win for the team as Dallas now holds a record of 37-15 and the second-place slot in the West.
Ten is also a lucky number for Dirk Nowitzki who's been named to hist 10th straight All-Star game. Seeing as the Mavericks are in second place in the west (with no thanks to Dirk's injury) it's pretty deserving.
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Emotional Roller Coaster

2011-02-07T22:42:00.003-06:00

After the Super Bowl, football fans are on an emotional roller coaster as we analyze what went right and what went wrong. We laugh and cry at how Christina Aguilera botched the National Anthem and hope that the Black-Eyed Pees don't make another Super Bowl appearance.
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Snyder buys another award

2011-02-05T21:20:00.000-06:00

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is suing a newspaper in Washington D.C. for "slandering" him and lying about him.
The column has this picture and that also made him mad, so much that he also sent us a letter, threatening to sue us. Because of this, Snyder earned himself another Drama Queen Award.

Dear Hague Sports,
I am suing the newspaper, and I’m not stopping there. In all the years I’ve owned my team, you’ve done nothing but ridicule me, insult me and cheer against me. Your impression of me is an exaggerated high pitch voice that sounds nothing like me, and is therefore a BIG FAT LIE.
That is the reason I’m suing the Hague Sports as well. Don’t think for one minute that you have chance to win this lawsuit. I’m pulling out the Top Gun.
My friend Tom Cruise will be representing me, and not even Jack Nicklaus could take him down. Let me just say, you can’t handle the truth.
So Get ready to show me the money baby.
Sincerely, Hail to the Redskins,
Danny Snyder

Hacked

2011-02-05T19:16:00.001-06:00

This morning, I discovered my site, www.thehaguesports.com was hacked by something or someone known as "Black Jaguar."
Not that there's a good time for this, but it sucks all the more that it happened the day before the Super Bowl.
Thanks for your understanding and please don't let this keep you from visiting the new site when it's back up and running.
Until then, I will post everything right here at www.thehaguesports.blogspot.com.

Super Bowl Festivities

2011-02-02T23:22:00.001-06:00

So far, even though I haven't been around for all the festivities leading up the big dance in Big D, it's been a blast. Listening to Mike and Mike, Dan Patrick and other big names come together in Dallas has been great.
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Top 10 Super Bowl XLV Party Rules

2011-01-31T00:12:00.001-06:00

The first time I posted my Bowl Party Rules a few years ago leading up to the Giants and Patriots Super Bowl, but I've made several small changes since then.

After years of enjoying (or trying to enjoy) different Super Bowl Parties, I realized it was time to lay some ground work.

CLICK HERE to read the rules.

OJ Energy Juice

2011-01-29T17:55:00.001-06:00

Until recently, I thought I had heard every excuse in the book in regards to failing drug tests.

"I didn't know what I was taking was illegal," or "I trust my friend, and I don't need to ask questions."

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War of words

2011-01-29T11:49:00.001-06:00

New York Yankees president Randy Levine had fighting words for Texas Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg, telling him to "stay off welfare," and calling him "delusional."
The comments were made in response to Greenberg saying the Rangers kept the bid for pitcher Cliff Lee just long enough for the Phillies to jump in and make an offer that was more tempting than that of the Yankees.

"I think Chuck is delusional," CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post.

Gone Fisher

2011-01-28T00:01:00.001-06:00

After the Titans announced their decision to release quarterback Vince Young, people were saying head coach Jeff Fisher won that battle in the eyes of Bud Adams.
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Food for thought

2011-01-25T22:29:00.001-06:00

So Chad Eight-Five announced he's going back to his maiden name, or his given name after two years. Although he probably wouldn't admit it, I think the reason he's doing this is because when he originally changed it, he didn't realize that Ocho-Cinco doesn't actually translate to Eighty-five and it has been eating him alive.
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Championship Picks

2011-01-21T00:43:00.001-06:00

Interesting stories surround the four quarterbacks left in the playoffs, and in the end, it's the experience that I believe will make a difference in the championship round.
Roethlisberger is a game manager. He keeps the mistakes to a minimum and earns the Ws. He's already got two Super Bowl rings and is competing for his third, and he's not even 30.
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Championship Week '11

2011-01-17T20:14:00.001-06:00

It's interesting that Brett Favre's two former teams are in the conference championship games, but enough about the old-gray-haired-crying man. We're one round away from the Big Dance in Big D, and before you know it, it will all be over.

Would the Jets please stop with the "respect" talk. You'll earn the respect you deserve if you win the Super Bowl. Yes, you're a good team. Yes you overcame the odds by beating the Patriots, but who cares what the media and the general think about you when you're winning games? Let your game do the talking.
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Get your foot in the door....

2011-01-14T21:25:00.000-06:00

If you're able to keep a foot count, let me know what you find.
The press conference is an instant classic in my mind.
Wes Welker is settle about it as he makes several foot references. Again, if you're going to the Pats Jets game or know anybody who is, make sure the shoes come off and make it visible to loud and obnoxious head coach, son of Buddy.

Wild Card Part 2

2011-01-11T20:25:00.001-06:00

The second half of Wild Card Weekend went a little more like most of us expected, although, the Packers and Eagles game was a little too close for my taste. Oh well, it’s over.

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Wild Card Part 1

2011-01-09T01:04:00.001-06:00

The first half of Wild Card was weird to say the least.
We saw both Super Bowl teams from last year fall, as the defending champs fell to a 7-9 team. The fact that a team is with a losing record even made it is very strange and shouldn't be allowed.
I think I know how the next the key to a win for whoever takes on the Jets: have the fans in the front row take their shoes off, and hang them over the wall.
To read the rest of the article, click here.

Remove the tag

2011-01-06T23:30:00.001-06:00

Jason Garrett getting the interim tag removed and officially becoming the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys came as no surprise to anybody, but I wish him the best, and not because the worth of my football will increase.
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Rangers sing Beltre, Young to DH

2011-01-06T23:02:00.000-06:00

As a Rangers fan, I’ve got mixed emotions about the Adrian Beltre signing.

He’s obviously a phenomenal third baseman, but I hate the thought of Michael Young not playing that position. It won’t be the same watching the former Golden Glove playing primarily as a DH.

Click here to see the rest of the interview the video for this story.

The what bowl???

2011-01-04T00:06:00.001-06:00

I don't like the direction we're headed with all these ridiculous bowl games.
The Beef O' Brady's Bowl, the Papajohns.com Bowl, the Pinstripes Bowl and more have me thinking that my one time joke about the Cialis Bowl might not be too much of a joke after all.
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Week 17

2010-12-31T18:18:00.000-06:00

Week 17 will go a long way in determining
the future of Jason Garret and the 'Boys

Last year, the Colts pulled their starters in the final two weeks of the year, and they got criticized for it only because they had a shot at a perfect season.

Jim Caldwell, however, decided to play it safe and not risk any injuries, but still, many people whine and complained about it, stating it was wrong.

Now, some teams are pulling their starters, and we're not hearing a thing about it even though, after last year, Roger Goodell implemented a rule stating that every NFL game in week 17 must be a divisional game.

How dare the Eagles pull Michael Vick, and robbing the chance for thousands of fans to see the MVP candidate work his magic.

Obviously the Eagles don't want to make the injury worse, but if the Eagles were 15-0 right now, nobody would care what the reasons were behind not starting Vick.

Unfortunately (for a Cowboys fan) the Eagles have won the NFC East and are in the playoffs.

It's an understatement to say that the Cowboys' season has been disappointing, and neither team in this week 17 matchup has all that much motivation.

I think the Cowboys should be more motivated than the Eagles. They're playing for Jason Garret's job, and it's a big opportunity for Stephen McGee, a former Aggie, to step up and maybe get noticed by another team who will be desperate for a quarterback next year.

Things like this are what make week 17 kind of like preseason. Some teams are trying to iron out the kinks and will play the starters while the other team won't play anybody. There's nothing to play for right now. You're either preparing for the playoffs, or already preparing for next year.

Hopefully the Cowboys can take advantage and try to figure some things out for next year during this last game, and hey, a win over the Eagles is much desired by the Cowboys fans. I'd hate to end the season on the opposite spectrum.

Unsportsmanlike salute

2010-12-31T13:06:00.000-06:00

This is just getting worse and worse.

Not only is the Pinstripe Bowl extremely ridiculous, but did you see how it played out?

Kansas State and Syracuse were head-to-head at Yankees Stadium when K-State senior wide receiver Adrian Hilburn saluted the crowd.

He was penalized for the act.

To negatives (the bowl game itself, and the bad call) do not equal a positive in this point.

I get the fact you don't want these athletes to be unsportsmanlike. I understand you want them to know it's about more than these athletes as individuals, but what's wrong with a simple solute?

Quite honestly, it's a lot more classy than what others are doing.

Would you rather Hilburn score, than spike it? Should he have thrown the ball into the crowd? Did you want to see him pretend the ball was a baby, or pull out a cell phone? Maybe he should have flipped into the end zone? What about a Lambeau Leap?

There are so many way worse acts of taunting or unsportsmanlike conduct than a solute.

What would John Elway's Broncos think?

They had class-act guys who, after they scored, gave a solute and headed back to the sidelines. We didn't hear any complaints about it then.

Maybe we need a Real Men of Genius commercial for this ref.

The penalty is too subjective, and is all up to the mood of the official. You better just hope he didn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

Hilburn wasn't so lucky.

2010 Year in Review

2010-12-28T16:03:00.000-06:00

What a difference a year makes.

This past year has been a crazy one in sports as we’ve seen some athletes take a major fall (Lebron James) and others rise to the top (Stephen Strasburg).

We saw firsts (Texas Rangers) and we saw what we can only hope to be the last (Brett Favre).

Some of the things that happened this year seem like forever ago while others seem like just yesterday, which isn’t entirely impossible.

(Hey not to mention, I launched my new site.)

If there was such thing as a “hot tub time machine,” I’d say jump in, but there’s not, so as we look back on this year, we’ll just have to find other ways to stay warm.

The year 2010 started on Jan. 1, just like every year, and that was also the day Gilbert Arenas brought guns into the locker room as a prank, later to be suspended, but named the Hague Sports Drama Queen of the Week.

Fans in Texas gasped a week later when Longhorns’ senior quarterback Colt McCoy went down in the National Championship game against Alabama. By the time Garret Gilbert got the butterflies out of his stomach, it was too little too late, and Bama…well, you know the rest.

Three days after that, Mark “I’m not here to talk about the Past” McGwire finally admitted to having taken steroids. Apparently he could only hide the fact his head had grown five hat sizes for so long.

Super Bowl Sunday fell on Feb. 7 and saw the Saints bring their first Lombardi Trophy home to the Big Easy, but it was anything but easy against Peyton Manning.

Ten days later, Tiger Woods “apologized” to the nation, and said he plans to return to golf soon.

On March 19, in the heat of March Madness, the Kansas Jayhawks were upset, as were all the fans who had them going all the way on their brackets.

It didn’t take long for Tiger to return to the course, but on April 12, he showed he’s not back in full swing.

Phillies’ Roy Halladay pitches a perfect game, the second for any MLB pitcher on the year, and the fifth no-hitter on May 31.

Two days later, there should have been yet another perfect game by Armando Galarraga, but a bad call in the ninth inning by Jim Joyce ruined it. Joyce apologized and admitted to making a mistake, and the cries for instant replay increased significantly.

With all the talk about that nearly perfect game, more MLB talks rose the next day when Ken Griffey Jr., announced his retirement.

On June 10, Stephen Strasburg's 14 Ks turned a lot of heads, but not those of his Nationals teammates.

Warning: if you are Rex Ryan or anything like him,
please look away

On June 12, the Big 12 lost Nebraska to the Big 10, which already had 11 teams, making Nebraska’s new home the Big 12? Confused? Nebraska will play in the same conference as Ohio State and Michigan.

Phil Jackson got his 11^th NBA Finals ring when the Lakers beat the Celtics in seven games. I guess Jackson will start a toe ring collection?------------------------->

July 3 saw the longest tennis match in history.

July 4 Americans every celebrated the 234^th birthday of their great nation, many of which did so by going to baseball games (hey, I had to find some way to tie into sports.)

On July 5, instead of holding a 10-second press conference, Lebron James earned himself a Drama Queen of the Week Award by holding a 13-hour special titled “The Decision” to say the word “Miami”. To top it off, that’s how he told his “good friends” in Cleveland that he was leaving. You might still be able to buy the special for a late Christmas present, but you better act now.

As part of 13 hours, you can see the party James held with his new friends in Miami as they were lifted on a fork lift, wearing their Miami Heat Jerseys. This took place on July 8.

Two weeks later, after a long break from the Tour De France, Lance Armstrong proved he probably never should have left, or should never have returned.

August 7: The NFL’s All-Time-Leading Rusher, and All-Time Leading receiver are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yes, I may have teared (for some reason, that word “teared” is underlined in red) up a little.

After a much long, and anticipate wait, Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg pulled off a deal to buy the Texas Rangers on August 12.

Shortly after the NFL had kicked off, Saints running back Reggie Bush gave back the Heisman Trophy on Sept. 15.

Roy Hallady made his name known again with another no-hitter. Cliff Lee, then of the Texas Rangers, threw a pretty good game himself to beat Tampa Bay 5-1 on Oct. 6.

Oct. 12, The Texas Rangers beat the Rays in five games for their first-ever-playoff series win. There was no such thing as home sweet home in this series though.

Four days later, The Rangers beat the Yankees in Game 2 of the ALCS 7-2. It was a beautiful thing to see the Yankees fans leave early.

Oct. 18, the Rangers struck back again, and shut out the Yankees 8-0. It was a beautiful thing to see the Yankees fans leave early.

The next night, the Rangers were unable to shut out the Yankees, and had to settle for a 10-3 win. Despite that, it was a beautiful thing to see the Yankees fans leave early.

On Oct. 22, the Texas Rangers defeated the New York Yankees to advance to World Series for the first time in franchise history. It was a beautiful thing.

You know what happens after that, and for the sake of a happy ending, maybe we should leave it at that.

At least Josh Hamilton got AL MVP.

To sum it all up, the Giants win the World Series, the Cowboys collapse as do the Vikings and their stadium. Rex Ryan is even weirder than we realized and Tom Brady still needs a haircut.

The Oregon Ducks will take on the Auburn Tigers in the National Championship game, but that’ll be in 2011.

NFL's Greatest Ever; Part 2: NFC

2010-12-25T16:48:00.000-06:00

If you're not sure what this post is about, read the previous post, but overall it's pretty obvious.

I'm just naming the best player I think to have ever suited up for that franchise.

Some teams are difficult than others to determine this because of the greatness we've seen and others are alike trying to determine the best Meg Ryan movie because there just aren't any great ones.
Because some teams haven't been around long (see Texans, Jaguars and Panthers), you obviously have to give it more time, but I'm just going by what we've seen up until this point.
OK, it's time to stop stalling. Here's what I've got for the NFC:
East:
Dallas Cowboys: Emmitt Smith (Hard to argue against the NFL's All-time Leading Rusher, but then again there are so many other great ones. No, I'm not a homer, just saying.)
New York Giants: Lawrence Taylor (The real LT, and the best linebacker ever, despite his latest sack)
Philadelphia Eagles: Reggie White (The Minister of Defense, most sacks in NFL history)
Washington Redskins: Darrell Green (he was there for what, 20 years?)
North:
Chicago Bears: Walter Peyton (Also considered many others such as the Fridge, Mike Ditka, and Mike Singletary.
Detroit Lions: Barry Sanders (Probably the easiest one to decide)
Green Bay Packers: Brett Favre (Also considered Bart Starr.
Minnesota Vikings: Fran Tarkington
South:
Atlanta Falcons: Deion Sanders
Carolina Panthers: Steve Smith
New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Warren Sapp
West:
Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner (Also considered Larry Fitzgerald)
St. Louis Rams: Erick Dickerson (Also considered Marshall Faulk)
San Fransisco 49ers: Jerry Rice (Just beat out Joe Montana because Rice is hands down best WR ever, but you can only make this argument at QB for Montana.)
Seattle Seahawks: Steve Largent

So there you have it. It'd be interesting if we could find a way to come up with an All-Time Pro Bowl roster, but we'll see.

NFL's Greatest Ever; Part 1: AFC

2010-12-25T11:59:00.000-06:00

While sitting on the couch watching TV the other day, I began to do some more in-depth thinking. I wondered, if I went through the entire NFL and picked the best player in history to represent each franchise, who would it be.

Of course some teams were hard because there are so many great players for that team, and other teams were hard because the best to come out of that team is a punter.

I than began to think about what it would look like to have an all-time pro bowl, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Keep in mind, this was done on the top of my head because I was too lazy to do research, but here's what I've got for the AFC:

East:

Buffalo Bills: O.J. Simpson

Miami Dolphins: Dan Marino (It was a tossup between him and Bob Griese)

New England Patriots: Tom Brady (Despite the hair)

New York Jets: Joe "I just wanna kiss you" Namath

North:

Baltimore Ravens: Ray Lewis

Cincinnati Bengals: Anthony Munoz
Cleveland Browns: Jim Brown
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mean Joe Green
South:
Houston Texans: Andre Johnson
Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning (tossup between him and Johnny Unitas)
Jacksonville Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew (you have a better idea?)
Tennessee Titans: Earl Campbell
West:
Denver Broncos: John Elway (the team's only HOFer)
Kansas City Chiefs: Derrick Thomas
Oakland Raiders: Marcus Allen
San Diego Chargers: Lance Alworth (Also seriously considered Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Kellen Winslow)

Drama Queen of the Year 2010

2010-12-24T23:59:00.001-06:00

In case you missed it, we handed out the Drama Queen of the Year Award on the last podcast.

Although Brett Favre came in at a close second, Lebron James decide to take his talents to the North Pole, and like always, Santa delivered, because after all, who can turn down such a convincing letter from a king? Take a look:

Dear Santa,

This year has been a tough one for me.

I took a fall, a hard one, and now, I feel like I’m a microscope. Everything I do is being watched.

I was forced to leave my hometown, and it sucked so bad, and make matter worse, I got criticized for it.

My intentions were good, and but that’s not how my fans saw it.

My hour long special was for the kids, but everybody saw it as me trying to get attention.

Life is hard when you don’t have any rings. Everywhere I go, people yell at me, telling me that I will never win the big one, and the worst part was, they were right, that is, had I stayed.

And you think it was an easy decision to make? No, it was the hardest thing I ever did. It was like telling my long-time girlfriend it was over, in a nice and easy way, and again, it was to help the kids.

After my arrival in Miami, my new teammates and I celebrated. We had finally arrived together on the same team, and we were happy about it, but nobody was happy for us. They continued finger pointing and name calling.

The criticism I took was worse than anything anybody has ever experienced, and nobody except Rev. Jesse Jackson came to my defense.

The Rev. pointed out the fact that everybody was racist, including the Cavs owner (Dan Gilbert), who went out of his way to use caps in a very mean letter.

I have no idea why I’m telling you this because you know who has been naughty and who has been nice. I guess if there’s one thing I want for Christmas more than anything else, even more than a championship ring is the Drama Queen Award.

Not even Kobe Bryant has done that. Thank you Santa, and fly safe.

The King

LBJ

I wish I was color blind

2010-12-21T22:52:00.000-06:00

No, don't adjust your computer screen, you're looking at actual football fields.

You know how we've got way too many ridiculous bowl games like the "Beef O Brady's Bowl?" Well, some college football programs are taking it to a whole new level, and it's getting ridiculous. Somebody seriously needs to put a stop to it.

We all know about Boise State's field, often referred to as the "Smurf Turf" but the Broncos aren't the only team trying to get cute by blinding fans.

What can be said about Easter Washington's field? If a picture is worth 1000 words, the words coming out of this picture are not favoring the red-stained ground.
After watching about 10 seconds worth of highlights on this field was enough for me. I have as about of a good chance of getting through a game in its entirety as Brett Favre does getting through a press conference without crying.
University of Texas at San Antonio is getting a team next year, and the roadrunners will be coached by Larry Coker who's got an impressive resume, but if if had anything to do with the orange field, I can only respect him so much.
I love San Antonio, and I think the city deserves a solid football program, but gosh, I hope they don't actually go with that ugly thing.
If there's any end in site to the madness, it's certainly not found in Madison who for one reason another, decided to go with a purple field. Why?
If my Alma Matter, Stephen F. Austin State University ever went to a purple field, it would be more humiliating to the football program than its 0-11 season in 2007.
I just hope we don't have a pink field next year.
This problem is a serious one, and unfortunately, it extends beyond football. Just look at Boise States basketball court.
That's another topic for another day, but as for football goes, I never thought I'd say this, but I think everybody should go green.

Don't act surprised

2010-12-18T23:36:00.002-06:00

Why in the world are people the least bit surprised about Donovan McNabb being benched? He's only started all 16 games since 2003.

He get hurt often and his average play has put him on the bench more times than I can count.

I said over and over, whether it was on the blog, podcast, or just in any conversation that his trend of not playing all 16 games would continue, and in fact, I would have been shocked had it been any different.

Things in D.C. are obviously a disaster.

Owner Dan Snyder probably tried to make it look as though he and his quarterback and coach had patched things up and that's why they gave him a "contract renewal."

I just don't understand how somebody couldn't see this coming.

Obviously the Cowboys can only play the spoilers, but I look forward to them beating the Skins to get revenge from week 1.

Maybe he should send his resume to Minnesota.

Where did we go wrong?

2010-12-14T21:05:00.000-06:00

Dear Cliff,

I know it's over between us, but I just want to know, where did we go wrong? Was it the slow start? Was it the fact we lost the World Series? Were we too dependent on you that it made you want to leave? Where did we go wrong?
I thought we had some good times when you were here. We welcomed you with open arms, and you we made history together. Heck, you even beat those dang ol' Yankees to put us in the World Series.
I should have known it was too good be true. Everybody wanted you, and we had you. Even New York was after you, and you turned them down.
Once you did that, I thought you were here to stay. I didn't know there was a third party in the picture. I didn't realize you were going back to what you once had. I had no idea there was any interest on the part of those who let you go before.
Now, I'm left here, listening to the same song over and over, remembering what the good times were like, and hoping to repeat them one day.
Unfortunately though, I'll have to enjoy those without you.
It still hurts to be honest. I had high hopes, but apparently they were false.
I do wish you well, but I can only hope that we are the one's to make you pay. Other than that, have a nice life, and I hope to see you in October.

Starts at the top

2010-12-12T15:06:00.000-06:00

The roof of the Metrodome is a perfect analogy for the team.

Both the roof, and Brett Favre are old, cold and collapsed. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings do at Ford Field in Detroit.

Maybe this is needed to happen for the Vikings to leave the Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Favre said he probably won't play Monday, but I think we've heard that song before. Yes, Tavaris Jackson obviously gives his team a better chance to win than the old guy, but I can easily see the 74 year-old Favre coming in for the first play, handing it off and walking off the field (or maybe via stretcher for the dramatic effect) just to extend his record another game.

If he does indeed do this, it will remind me of the King of the Hill episode titled Bills Are Meant To Be Broken.

In this episode, Bill's High School football touchdown record gets broken by Ricky Suggs who's has a cast on his leg, and everybody moves out of his way to allow him the "honor."

Heck, just bring Favre out on a wheelchair, put him in the shotgun, and snap the ball to the running back to take it up the middle, and his streak continues.

Yeah it'd be in pretty poor taste, but as we all know, Brett Favre is all about Brett Favre.

Dandy Don passes

2010-12-06T21:45:00.000-06:00

When I got to work Monday morning, I logged online to read the sad news about Dandy Don's passing.
What I wouldn't give to see someone like him line up behind center for the Cowboys, or heck, to get somebody in the broadcast booth on Monday night would be outstanding.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Meredith's family, and please know, he will be extremely missed.
I'm guessing the Cowboys will somehow honor next game, maybe by putting a decal on their helmets.
Let's hope Sam Hurd takes good care of that No 17.

Operation Enduring Criticism

2010-12-02T21:52:00.000-06:00

In my very first post on www.thehaguesports.blogpsot.com, I talked about how it's completely appropriate to boo professional athletes.

Fans have every right to boo, especially when they pay big bucks for tickets and their team doesn't play up to par.

If a player doesn't want to hear the boos, he should play well in front of his fans. If they do boo you, don't cry over it.

Look, I'll gladly get booed by NFL fans any day if it means I get their salary.

This is a lesson for New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle to learn.

Another lesson he could have learned is the saying "If you can't say something smart, don't say anything at all."

Rolle's immaturity and stupidity showed when he compared those playing a game with those risking our lives, and fighting for our freedom. What's up with these athletes lately?

"They want to make it that guys paid this much money for a ticket," Rolle said. "Yeah, I understand that, I understand completely. We risk ourselves out there on the field each and every day also. When soldiers come home from Iraq you don't boo them. I look at it the same way. I take my job seriously."

It seems like they're making an effort to win the Hague Sports Drama Queen Award. At least Osi Umenyiora has the right perspective.

"That's just the way the fans are. They have every right to be that way, they are paying $120 a ticket to come watch us play you can't go out and stink it up like that," Umenyiora said. "Especially in New York. As long as they are coming to watch us play, they can boo, they can do whatever they want to do. That's well within their rights to do that."

Why can't Rolle say that? Don't boo him, he's fragile.

Horned Frogs are Big East-Bount

2010-11-30T23:02:00.001-06:00

TCU moving to the Big East doesn't make any sense whatsoever, and trying to just it by pointing out that the Cowboys are in the NFC East is (for lack of a better and stronger word) RIDICULOUS.

First of all, the Cowboys are a team in the National Football League.

NFL athletes have multi-million dollar contracts, and they only play three road games within the division. This is their job. This is all they have to worry about. They don't have homework on the road.

Athletes at TCU are student athletes. They don't get paid multi-millions (at least not legally) and they're supposed to be focusing on things other than sports.

Every athletic program at the school will be playing on the multiple games on the road, more than just three.

When you think of it, it's completely hypocritical of the school and NCAA to allow this.

One of the arguments against a playoff system was that the athletes are students, and they shouldn't be on the road too much, but this just shows they're out of excuses.

Let's not sugar code this. We know the reasons behind it are money driven.

Sure, it'd be nice for TCU to be part of a new conference with these schools, and it'll help keep the conference alive, but when all said and done, it's all about the money. Let's not pretend otherwise.

DQ Tweet

2010-11-28T23:10:00.000-06:00

Steve Johnson had a God-given opportunity, but he screwed it up.

Then, instead of apologizing to his teammates, (particularly to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who placed the ball in perfect position) or Thanking God for the opportunity at hand, he blamed God Himself.

Moments after the game, Johnson tweeted the following:

"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."

Where do you begin with this?
The guys is playing in the National Football League. He gets paid millions for a career that kids (and adults for that matter) dream of having, and that in itself is definitely reason to praise the One above.
When he says "I praise you 24/7", isn't that pretty egotistical?
To me, it's like saying, "I'm perfect. I never mess up, and my relationship with you is perfect on my end."
Then, as you can see, he said, "And this how you do me!!"
Let me just say, stop with the all-caps and constant explanation points.
The way I see it, He does you just fine.
Again, you have a great career, and had an unbelievable opportunity to win a game in overtime over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and YOU DROPPED IT. GOD DIDN'T. NOR DID HE KNOCK IT OUT OF YOUR HANDS.
How are you expected to learn from this?
Well, I'd like to think that after a "tragedy" like this that you'd be all the more prepared for next time. I'd hope that you feel bad for letting your teammates down, and tell them it won't happen again. I'd also like to think that you learned what not to do to let it slip out of your hands. Maybe that's just me.
You know who else will never forget this? The fans for one, or two (or however many they've got), and quite honestly, Fitzpatrick likely won't forget. When driving down the field, looking for an open receiver, he'll be hesitant to throw to you because of what happened in Week 12 of the 2010 season in overtime.
As for saying thanks, why the sarcasm? Why not thank God for the great career you have? Thank him for supplying your needs financially. Thank him for the fact you still have a job
Look, if you want more Steve, how does a Hague Sports Drama Queen Award sound? I can guarantee, nobody is more deserving of it than you, and I don't think I'll ever forget it.

College Nation

2010-11-28T20:30:00.001-06:00

So the shades might be off a little bit, but you get the idea.

Or do you not?

I colored each state based on one of the colors of the most dominant school in that state when it comes to sports.

Some are definitely up for debate which is what makes it more interesting.

Florida has the Seminoles, and the Hurricanes, but I went with the Gators.

Some states, like North Carolina for example, are more known for sports other than football, so I just went with the basketball.

Obviously most schools have multiple colors, but since I only chose one for each, it made it very difficult to choose for one color to go with for the Oregon Ducks, Hawaii (Rainbow) Warriors, and others.

Admittingly, I had to google some of the states to see what school was the most dominant.

How else was I supposed to know about schools in Rhode Island or Alaska?

Anyway, because I had a long post last time, I'll keep this short.

Not to mention, if a picture is worth 1000 words, this one has should be worth plenty.

Let me know what you think. Where did I go wrong, and what would you do instead?

Football Horiscope

2010-11-26T15:24:00.000-06:00

I have to admit, I love the single life. I love my freedom and independence, especially when it comes to sports. My weekends during football season involves watching as much football as I can all day, and I never get sick of it.

Saturday morning's consist of waking up and watching Game Day, and even after the Sunday Night Game, I'm still watching highlights.

Granted, there are a few married guys that do the same, but just a few.

I've known sports much, much longer than I've known any possible future woman prospect, and I know I will always have that to fall back on when needed.

You might say I have high expectations for women, but heck, why change if I'm happy with the situation?

Anyway, I do hold some expectations for women when it comes to sports.

I wouldn't expect her to be into sports like I am, but she can't be a die hard fan of the Eagles, Redskins, or Giants, that's for sure.

Not only do my Cowboys play those teams twice a year, but even when they're not going head-to-head, they're battling for the division, so it would cause constant turmoil, and maybe bring down the relationship.

I could go on with a few more rules, but let's explore NFL and see what teams are unacceptable, and which might get a pass.

We'll start in the NFC, and every team in the NFC East other than the Cowboys is out for obvious reasons, so let's start with the west.

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals: To steal a phrase from How Annoying Is It, I'd say it's "Mostly Harmless." The Cardinals and Cowboys used to be in the same division, so there's some what a history there, but Arizona had just as many Cowboys fans as Cardinals fans.

The Cards were dominated, so I wouldn't say there's a rival.

I would like to know why she's a Cardinals fan though? What's the history there.

Overall, as is the case with other NFL teams' fans, she has to be pretty darn attractive for me to take an interest in a Cardinals fan.

The Catch is still hard to grasp to this day

St. Louis Rams: I really want to say no here, but I can't think of why. They were bad for so long until Kurt Warner showed up and helped make The Best Show on Turf.

There never was a rivalry between the Cowboys and Rams, and because the Rams were never good until well after they moved from L.A. to St. Louis, I have to say this one is acceptable.

~~San Fransisco 49ers~~: Heck no, not a chance. This is one team that would be totally unacceptable, and if you're wondering why, you probably didn't watch football in the 90's. The Cowboys and Niners met multiple times in the NFC Championship, and they're the only two teams with five Super Bowl rings. Man, I'd get tired about hearing about "The Catch."

~~Seattle Seahawks~~: Even though there's not much of a history here, I'm saying it's unacceptable. Even though it was a while ago, the botched snap was still recent enough. Call me bitter, but I don't want to keep hearing about it. I could bring up the game where Emmitt broke the rushing record, but if she's a real die-hard fan, she'd mention the fact the Seahawks won. I can't have that. Come talk to me in a couple years, and I might be over it, but until then, no.

NFC North:

They're not here to cause any trouble. They're just here for
the Super Bowl Shuffle.

~~Chicago Bears~~: As of right now, I'm saying no. I respect the history. I like Iron Mike Ditka. I couldn't have more respect for Walter Payton, Refrigerator Perry and guys like that, but that's just a good piece of history. I was 2 years old at the time, so any women my age certainly won't remember that.

I can't say I'm a big fan of Jay Cutler who claimed to have a stronger arm than John Elway. I like Lovie Smith and the fact he's from East Texas, but it'll take a little more than that for me.

Once again, it kind of boils down to why she's a fan, but again, I'm taking a pass on the Bears.

Detroit Lions: As I type this about the Lions, Thanksgiving is only alive for five more minutes, and I think about the fun, entertaining games the Lions have provided on Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately though, the Lions themselves stopped being fun to watch after Barry Sanders retired.

All right, that's only mostly true. They were entertaining during their 0-16 year, just not if you're a Lions' fan.

That being said, the Lions are pathetic enough to where it's OK. It'd be fun to make fun of her team and know I've got her beat in this regard. The ongoing debate we'd have is the obvious Emmitt-Barry debate.

~~Green Bay Packers~~: Can't do it. I just can't be with a cheesehead. We've got quite a history in the 90's, and not to mention, the Ice Bowl. I don't want to hear about those things, and not to mention, as great as Vince Lombardi was, I'm a big fan of Tom Landry. Just saying...

~~Minnesota Vikings~~: After having spent some time in Minnesota, I'm not quite if a "Die-Hard-Vikings fan" really exists.

If there is one, he's still upset about the first Hail Mary, despite the fact the Vikes had four other chances to win the Super Bowl and yet failed at every single one.

It'd be fun to make fun of her team for that, and the fact that Tony Dorsett broke the record for longest run from scrimmage against Minnesota, but overall, can't do it.

Here's what it really boils down to: the more I hear about the Vikings, and their quarterback particularly, the more I dislike them. That's pretty much all I have to say about that.

NFC South:

~~Atlanta Falcons~~: No, I can't take the dirty bird. I don't know if it's sad or funny to think of Chris Chandler and Jamal Anderson as legends.

I realize the Falcons have moved on from Michael Vick to Matt Ryan, and I'm thankful for that, but there's still a bad taste in my mouth for Vick.

I realize that's not a great reason to exclude them, but in my mind, the dirty bird is.

Carolina Panthers: They came into the league as an expansion team in '95, so you have to figure, 15 years isn't enough time to build a rivalry. I'm saying they're mostly harmless. Heck, when they came into the league, they took away some Redskins fans away, so you have to appreciate that.

~~New Orleans Saints~~: This would actually be harder than you'd think. Knowing they've got Sean Payton, and he should be ours (thanks Jerry) really hurts.
The fact that we gave them their first loss last year, and they still won the Super Bowl still hurts. Not to mention, I'd get tired of hearing "Who Dat!" over and over. N.O. for New Orleans.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I'll say Tampa is mostly harmless as well. Tony Dungy turned them around and John Gruden finished what Dungy started by winning a Super Bowl with them.
Before Dungy, the Bucs were terrible, and so were those ugly orange jerseys they used to wear.
When I think of those jerseys, I think of Vinny Testaverde.
Not that that has anything do with it, but I'll say the Bucs are OK, for now.

AFC:

AFC West

~~Denver Broncos~~: If you go by history, it's fine. If you go by right now, not so much. I don't really care for Josh McDaniels, but it's a good thing they got rid of Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler.

John Elway is one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time, and it hasn't been the same in Denver without him. Ever since he left, they've filled their team with guys who are hard to like.
It all really depends on her outlook. If she tries to defend McDaniels and Kyle Orton, it's just not going to work out. To be honest, I have to take a pass, because Elway is the only thing going for the Broncos, and quite frankly, they need more than that. I pass on Denver.

~~Kansas City Chiefs~~: In the court of law, you're innocent until proven guilty, but I think the opposite lies true for the Chiefs. One thing I don't like about the Chiefs is that every once in a while, they wear their throwbacks from when they were the Dallas Texans. I love the helmets and admire the fact they're willing to embrace history, but that's so long ago now.

Nobody cares that they were once in the Lone Star State. Quite honestly, I don't see the point.

Like a few other teams we've mentioned already, I want to say no, but can't come up without a definitive reason for that, but at the same time, I can't come up with a definitive yes either.

Al Davis is enough to make the Raiders unlikeable

As it stands, having Texas on thei

~~Oakland Raiders~~: I don't hate the Raiders, but it'd be really hard for me to say yes a to die-hard Raiders fan. Al Davis doesn't help with that. The Black Hole certainly doesn't do any good, and the fact they've gone through coaches and quarterbacks like paper towels has made them a laughing stock.

I think Davis is enough for me to take a pass on this team. The way he's handled personnel moves recently is distasteful. Not to mention, being an Oakland fan would make her emotional roller coaster that much bumpier.

~~San Diego Chargers~~: I'll start by saying no from the beginning, and reasons are similar to that of the Raiders. General Manager A.J. Smith has handled decisions very poorly. He let go of Drew Brees after assuring him he was their guy of the future. He let go of Ladanian Tomlinson and tried to replace him with a rookie. I realize LT's not in his prime, but did anybody think this was a good idea.

Again, it's not going to help her emotional state, and I don't know that I can deal with it.

AFC North:
~~Baltimore Ravens~~: I've mentioned for several teams that I want to say no, but I couldn't find reasons for it, but this is almost the exact opposite.
Not that I want to say yes to the Ravens, but if I did want to, it'd be hard to find a reason.
They were the worst Super Bowl winning team in history led by Trent Dilfer. Art Modell spit in the faces of the fans by moving them out of Cleveland to Baltimore.
Also, Ray Lewis doesn't exactly help the situation, so Baltimore is a no.

~~Cincinnati Bengals~~: What kind of drama queen would she have to be to be a Bengals fan? It would be quite sad to see her wearing a Chad Eightfive or T.O. jersey, or any Bengals jersey at all for that matter. Those things are the ugliest jerseys in the league, and it's pretty fitting for a team that will give Adam "Pacman" Jones another shot.

Maybe that's what makes Marvin Lewis a better man than me, because I'm not so willing to give as many chances, and in this case, I don't think I could even give it one shot. I'm taking a pass here.

~~Cleveland Browns~~: I can admire their history, but their winning history expired a long time ago. Guys like Jim Brown and Paul Brown are hard not to like. I'm a big fan of Colt McCoy for obvious reasons, but that's about all they have going for them.
The Browns fans are extremely loyal, but despite that, I'm saying no. I've been told Cowboys fans live in the past, but we at least remember the Super Bowls. The Browns have never been there, so she has no glory days to remember.
I'd get tired of hearing her tell Jim Brown stories like she was there. It's sad that all she would have to brag about with her team happened as long ago as it did.
~~Pittsburgh Steelers~~: This might be the most definitive no in the AFC. Yes, we beat them in Super Bowl XXX, but the fact the Super Bowls of the 70's would get brought up all the time doesn't make things any easier.
The Steelers got their fifth ring with the help of the refs against the Seahawks, and a few years later, they became the first team to win six rings. It's just a shame. I'm not a big fan of Ben Roethlisberger either so that doesn't help. NOT A CHANCE!!
AFC South:
Houston Texans: Mostly harmless. You can never go wrong with a good ol' Texas team, and after spending a year in the Houston area, I've met some good people, both men and women, who happen to be Texans fans. So as long as they don't make more out of it than necessary and think there's a rivalry between us, everything should be half-way decent.
Indianapolis Colts: Part of me wants to say no to the Colts since they beat us on a controversial play in Super Bowl V. However, that was in 1971, and they were the Baltimore Colts then, so it's time to move on.
I could talk about Peyton Manning being one of the best QBs of all time and that's what makes me want to say yes, but the real reason is; well, why not? If you're not against them, the Colts are mostly harmless.
~~Jacksonville Jaguars~~: Do they have die hard fans? I really don't like the fact Florida has three teams. I especially don't like the fact Jacksonville has a team. It just doesn't seem right, and many people tend to forget about the Jags, which is interesting considering they came into the league in '95 with the Panthers.
They don't have a history, but because of that, there's no reason to be a die-hard fan. Because of that, and the fact I don't think they'll last too long in Jacksonville, I'm saying no.
~~Tennessee Titans~~: I loved watching them when they were the Oilers, but that seems like so long ago now. They're gone. It's over. Houston has moved on, and so should I.
The Titans are a mess. They keep flip flopping QBs and Bud Adams isn't the smartest decision maker when it comes to football. To date a Titans fan is kind of like dating your friend's ex-girlfriend; they're off limits.
AFC East:
Buffalo Bills: OJ Simpson bring's the Bills' stock down, but she likely won't defend him.
I'm going to say Buffalo is OK because the Bills have nothing on us. I won't always mention the numbers 52-17, 30-13, nor will I constantly mention the words, "Wide Right".
I'm OK with it, but I imagine there's not a Bills fan that would be.
~~Miami Dolphins~~: At first glance, it seems mostly harmless, but when you think about it, it's really not. I have respect for Dan Marino, but I'd get so tired of hearing about the '72 Dolphins being the only unbeaten team to win the Super Bowl. I already hate hearing about members of that team popping open the champagne bottles, and dating a Miami fan would make it that much worse. Miami is a no-go.
~~New England Patriots~~: Spygate doesn't help, neither does the fact they won three Super Bowl in four years. Put it this way; Cowboys fans actually kind of rooted for the Giants in the Super Bowl against the Patriots, and that's saying a lot.
In case you can't tell, the Patriots are a definite no.

~~New York Jets~~: Or as Rex Ryan might say, the "New York f***n Jets". The loud, obnoxious coach in his stupid guarantees and hot head make the Jets a lot easier of a team to hate. It's in his blood. Just ask his dad.
Also, I'm not a Joe "I just wanna kiss you" Namath fan. Any team from New York City is hard for me to really like.
So there you have it. I was actually a little surprised myself by the amount of teams in the AFC that are unacceptable in my books. Let me know what you think. What teams are unacceptable to you?

Mr. MVP

2010-11-23T21:42:00.001-06:00

Nobody is more deserving of the MVP award than Josh Hamilton.
"An MVP is somebody who excels at their position and at the plate, but most of all, does things consistently right and does whatever he needs to do to help his team win," the MVP told www.texasrangers.com. "Hopefully, I did that the majority of the season when I was playing."
Well, apparently the voters certainly thought so.
Even though he missed 29 games due to injury, he had a batting average of .359, 32 home runs and helped the Rangers win their first playoff series in franchise history before taking them to the World Series.
Hamilton was humbled by the award and gave credit where credit is due.
"It's obviously a great honor, he said. "There are a lot of deserving players. I give all the glory to God. Without him, it wouldn't be possible."
As much of an honor it is, Hamilton says it's a greater honor to help his team.
"It's awesome, but I said during the season that if I could give up the MVP and instead go to the playoffs and win in the playoffs, I would do just that," he said. "To be able able to accomplish both is awesome."
The Texas Rangers are a young team, and many, Hamilton included, believe they'll be a threat for a long time.
"Obviously, going to the World Series was great but also how we got to that point," Hamilton said. "We got to that point by having the same common goal and believing we can accomplish that common goal. That's hard to find at the Major League level. That's very rare. Hopefully, we can maintain that for a few more years."
Hopefully that is the case for Hamilton's sake.
According to Hamilton, because of his competitive nature and the things he accomplished this past season, he's hungry for more.
"My relationship with Christ will keep me from being content," he said. "I want to be better in all areas of my life. As a competitor and and athlete, the way I'm wired, I want to do better and be the best I can at all times.
"I work hard at practicing and getting ready for games," he said. "I've seen it in players in the past who have all the talent in the world but didn't have the work ethic. The Lord has blessed me with the ability to work as hard as I can to show the talent He gave me to play the game."

Need more space

2010-11-20T10:50:00.000-06:00

Not that anybody cares, but in case anybody has wondered why there hasn't been a podcast in so long, just know it won't be too much longer.

I could use the excuse that I got a new job, moved locations, and am in the midst of launching my new website but quite frankly, those are just plain weak excuses. So please know, if you listen to the podcasts, I appreciate it, and there will be on up before too long. In fact, we'll be up and running before Thanksgiving.

Since that's now out of the way, did you see how the football field was laid out at Wrigley? It didn't meet NCAA regulations, so the offenses shared one end zone the entire game because there was about only one foot of space between the other end zone and the back wall. The goal post came out of the wall. It seems a bit much, and I think there was a better way to lay out the field.

The idea of sharing an end zone kind of sounds like backyard football, at least from my memory.

Perhaps you remember the term "losers walk," meaning the team that gave up a touchdown would have to walk down the other end of the field for the kickoff.

Not to mention, a creek runs through my backyard so we normally attempted to score on the other end to avoid having to go retrieve a wet football.

The layout at Wrigley just seems unprofessional, but then again, it's not professional football, and the BCS has already shown us that 1000 times.

Where have you been?

2010-11-15T22:30:00.000-06:00

I can't help but wonder where this team came from? Was it the coaching change that motivated the Cowboys to a 33-20 win? These guys are NFL players, multi-millionaires, they shouldn't need more ambition.

What about the fans who pay an arm and a leg to see you guys play? They buy your jerseys, watch every game, and stick with you through thick and thin. Isn't that motivating enough?

What about the fact you had a chance to make history by becoming the first team to play the Super Bowl in its home stadium? Isn't that motivating enough?

So if it wasn't motivation you needed, what was it? Why didn't you play like this sooner? Why does it seem like you gave up, and where have you been all season?

I was at the Week 3 game in Houston for the Cowboys' first win of the season, and the talk was about that being the turning point of the year.

Then the Boys went into their bye week, and have won only once since then.

Now they'll prepare for the Lions, a team they should beat, but you can't assume anything, especially since they've yet to win at home.

It only gets ugly from there.
Thanksgiving Day's game is against the Saints, and the Colts after that. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are going to torch the extremely week secondary of the Cowboys.

It'll be interesting if the Cowboys can save Garret's job.

Bill Parcells told Tony Romo, "Don't let good enough be good enough," but what is good enough to keep Garret around according to Jerry Jones?

Will guys like Bill Cowher be up for the job, and will Jerry be wiling to hire someone like that and give up control of the team?

More importantly, will he be willing to to give up his GM title?

I hope so but don't see it happening, however, if he does, I won't be able to help but ask, "where have you been all this time."

Oh, one more thing, why did in the world did the Redskins give Donovan McNabb a five-year extension? Just last week Mike Shannahan pulled him because he said Rex Grossman gave the Skins a better chance to win in the final two minutes.

After being slaughtered by the Eagles Monday Night, the Redskins bonehead move looks even dumber.

At the Helm

2010-11-08T18:36:00.001-06:00

So Jerry Jones finally let go of Wade Phillips, but it's really no surprise, especially after the 45-7 massacre against the Packers.
I think we all know that Jason Garrett will be gone next year. The cards are just stacked too high against him, and there's no way to turn this team around.
It's pretty sickening to think that a team that many people had in the Super Bowl is getting rid of its head coach after starting off 1-7.
Just think of how bad that is.
Even if the Cowboys pulled out a miracle beyond miracles and won out for the remainder of the season, they would finish with a 9-7 record which isn't as good as most people thought. That's just gross.
I'm curious to see how Jason Garrett does as head coach, but I have my doubts. Same thing goes for Paul Pasqualoni who was promoted to Defensive Coordinator.
Well, hopefully the remainder of the year isn't too much of a disaster. It certainly can't get much worse if any.
Hopefully we get a good new head coach next year.

New Commercial, New Site

2010-11-08T01:05:00.001-06:00

We're all excited about the new site (www.thehaguesports.com) which is currently under construction but will more than likely be launched in the next week or so. Pleased stay tuned for more updates.
In the mean time, check out our first youtube commercial and let us know what you think.

In the dumps

2010-11-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

A lot has happened since my last post. Randy Moss became a Titan.Shawn Merriman became a Bill, and the Cowboys are still eager to start the regular season.
Rangers let go of Vlad, but re-signed Ron Washington.
Seeing Texas lose the World Series was definitely disappointing but it was a good run at least.
I know I'm jumping all over the place, but let's get back to football:
Mike Shanahan told us what he thinks of Donovan McNabb's two-minute drill, and to say he hates it would be an understandment.

The veteran head coach didn't say that word for word, but he put in Rex Grossman (yes, that Rex Grossman) and said later that the pick throwing, ball fumbling QB gave the skins a better shot at winning in the final two minutes than "I didn't know a game could end in a tie" McNabb.
Speaking of quarterbacks, it's about time for the old guy in Minnesota to retire. I believe he's only staying in to patch up his all-time starts record, and for no other reason.
The Vikings are also a mess, (granted, not as much as that team in the nice stadium), and are better off without him. An injured, gray beard, old man can't do as much as a younger and healthier Tavaris Jackson. Besides, we know the 50-year veteran isn't the future of this team, so give experience to the next guy in line to see what he's got. Yes, the same thing should happen in Dallas.
The Cowboys are great at making anybody look unstoppable. Aaron Rodgers puts up fantastic numbers and will torch the Dallas defense, and John Kitna will make the Packers defense look like the '85 Bears.
I was at the one game the Cowboys won in Houston, and many people were predicting that to be the turning point of the season for the 'Boys.
Funny how things work out, or don't work out in the long run. I guess the next thing to look forward to is college basketball.
Not long after that, catchers and pitchers will report to spring training, and baseball season will be underway.
I wonder if the Rangers can make it back to the World Series.

No Moss

2010-11-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

Randy Moss was suddenly cut by the Minnesota Vikings.
We all knew he was a disgruntled receiver, but who thought his second stop in Minnesota would only be a few weeks? It will be interesting to see where he ends up next.

What Should I do?

2010-10-30T20:52:00.000-05:00

By now, you may have seen Lebron James' 'Rise' commercial, and chances are, it didn't chances are it didn't change your opinion of him. If anything, it just confirmed your thoughts.
In the commercial, James kept saying "what should I do?" and apparently, before Nike picked up the commercial, James was in the middle of preparing for a commercial for the Hague Sports Drama Queen Award, and our ind-depth reporters did what they always do; investigative reporting.
What they found was a script of the commercial had it been sent to us before it was picked up by Nike.
As far as we know, there was no audio or video of the script, but we do have the transcript. Let us know what you think:
What should I do?
Should I do it all over again?
What would I do differently?
Have I not been more deserving of the award then them?
Should I not have spit in the fans of Cavs fans? Too late now.
Should I have retired two, three times and wait until the last minute to make up my mind?
Apparently that's deserving of the award.
Should I not have blamed my criticism on race? Well, tough, it is what it is.
Should I have brought a gun into the locker room, or hang out at nightclubs?
Yeah, those are the type of people who get the award.
Should I leave voice mails and text messages that are inappropriate?
What should I do?
What more can I do?
I believe I'm deserving of the Drama Queen Award.
Don't you?

Facing the Giants

2010-10-25T22:37:00.004-05:00

The Cowboys were on life support going into Monday night's game, but the Giants pulled the plug on Dallas' season.
When Tony Romo got hurt, the Cowboys said goodbye to the season, and this scenario is exactly why the Cowboys should have been throwing all along. Because of how pass-heavy an offense as the Cowboys are, they were way too dependent on Romo, and now that he's gone, they've got nothing and it's too late to get the running game going.
The last time Jon Kitna saw any action was in Detroit, and Lions went 0-16, and it he's playing almost as well as he did then.
I can't help but think they might as well throw in Stephen McGee to get some snaps.
Either that, or just lineup in the wildcat because the season is over, you might as well experiment with what's left.
I'm obviously really proud of the Rangers for making the World Series, but it's a shame the Cowboys' season is over before the Rangers'.
Hopefully the Giants don't pull the plug on the Rangers, and I don't think they will. My prediction is that Texas will beat San Fransisco in six games, but the least amount the better.
San Fran's club isn't the first team of giants the Rangers beat to get here seeing as they knocked off the media favorite Yankees and the Rays.
Wednesday's match will be a great showdown of pitchers between Cliff Lee and Tim "Boyband" Lincecum as the Giants are favored by 1.5 runs.
That's because the Rangers are on the road, but that's also where Lee plays best, and therefore, the tables should be turned, and the Rangers should really be the favorites.
Oh well, I'm looking forward to the World Series but it's a shame baseball season has to come to an end so soon.
I guess I might have to get an early start on basketball season. Anybody want to invent a sport?

World Series

2010-10-23T00:11:00.003-05:00

Hamilton was named ALCS MVP

Man, it doesn't feel real, but if this a dream, I want to keep sleeping.

THE TEXAS RANGERS ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES!!

Just let that sink in for a minute. All those years of being a Rangers fan is finally paying off, and it's a good thing too because this team is full of great stories, and it'd be ashamed for them to go untold.

If you pitched the scripts of these stories to Hollywood, they'd never buy it.
Who's going to believe a story about a guy who just came back after recovering from drugs and alcohol, breaks the record in the home run derby, and two years later, he's in the world series? Really?

What about the owner's story? Would you believe that a Hall of Fame pitcher is interested in buying his the team he used to play for, then as an owner, not only wins the first playoff series in franchise history, but beats the New York Yankees in the ALCS to go to the World Series? I just sounds made up.
Ron Washington's story is amazing also. He was ready to turn in his resignation after admitting to using cocaine, but he was also given a second chance, and now is a true candidate for manager of the year.

The stories don't end there either.

Think about C.J. Wilson. He was a closing pitcher who worked his butt off to become a starter, and now look where he is.

Tie that in with Cliff Lee, who will pitch in his third straight World Series. Pretty phenomenal.What about Vlad? The Angels didn't want him, the Rangers did, and it paid off for both the Rangers and the slugger.

Now it's time for the story to unfold in a best of seven World Series against either San Fransisco or Philadelphia.
Regardless of the outcome, it's hard to find stories as good as those surrounding the Texas Rangers.
IT'S TIME!!!

Homecoming

2010-10-21T22:33:00.000-05:00

This is it. The Rangers have got to win Game 6 of the ALCS, because Game 7 will put too much pressure on a Texas team that has never been there before against the defending champs who have been here way too many times.

Granted, Cliff Lee would start in Game 7, but we want to give him rest. We want to have him start in the first game of the World Series.
Friday night's game will star Colby Lewis (1-0) against Phil Hughes (1-1).
I really don't have that much more to say other that. We'll just let the Rangers game speak for itself, and hopefully they'll be in the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Again, like I, along with every other Rangers fan, have been saying, "It's time."

It's time

2010-10-19T00:07:00.001-05:00

Thank goodness for the Rangers because the Cowboys are taking the year off apparently.
What's better than the Rangers beating the Yankees in New York? How about shutting them out? Still not good enough? What if I told you it was during the ALCS?

Watching Texas beat New York 8-0 in the Big Apple couldn't have been more satisfying. A nice cherry on top would be a no-hitter, but heck, this thing is already sweet enough.

Cliff Lee's 13 strikeouts led him to a 7-0 record in the postseason, and Tommy Hunter will take the mound in Game 4 Wednesday night.

The Yankees only got two hits while the Rangers got 11. Man, how sweet it is!

One thing I could've done without though was the Yankee-suck up by the announcers, but to tell you the truth, that was also one thing that made the this one that much sweeter.

A motto for the Rangers all season has been, "It's Time," and that couldn't be more true. It certainly is time.
It's time for America to unite, through its pastime in hopes of watching of the of the biggest upsets of time.
It's time for the antlers and claws.It's time the Rangers got the recognition they deserve. It's time for the Yankees to be dethroned. It's time to bring a first-ever Rangers' MLB victory to the state of Texas.
It's time.

Daily Drama

2010-10-16T20:24:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I was looking at ESPN.com's headlines when I thought to myself, "maybe everybody is campaigning for a Drama Queen Award."

On this week's podcast, we gave it to a certain quarterback in Minnesota, and in my opinion, rightfully so, but since then (two days or so ago), more candidates have risen.

Terrell Owens is no stranger to the always coveted award, and he has to be considered for it once again.

The NFL fined the former drama queen for tweating right before the game.

His excuse was that he had left his phone at home and had his assistant bring it to him, and by the time he got it back, there was only 45 minutes until kickoff. The league rules forbid its players from using an social networks within an hour of game time.

He can also be in a two-for-deal with the award.
He and teammate Chad Eightfive will appear in a new reality show titled "The T. Ocho Show: which will air on the Versus Network.

One scenerio I can see easily happning is the two Drama Queen receievers talking about their great new show during practice, getting chewed out for focusing on it instead of football, then going and telling the media (while in tears of course) that their coach is mean. In fact, I'm not entired sure this hasn't already happened.

The final candidate is Gilbert Arenas who faked an injury.IT'S NBA PRESEASON!!!
Seriously, it would be bad enough if it had of been early in the regular season, but why in the world?
To make matters worse (or just more dramatic) the locker room gunslinger really did (or maybe faked it again) get hurt. Either way, by the time we hand out another Drama Queen Award on the podcast, we should have plenty of candidates.

ALCS Game 1

2010-10-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

Obviously, losing is never fun, but it's even harder when you blow a 5-0 lead in the eighth inning. It's even harder when you're at home, and once again, it's even harder when it's against a team like the New York Yankees.
After seeing Josh Hamilton go deep for a 3-run homer, I liked our chances, and of course, after Young's 2-run double, I thought we had it, but before you knew it, the Yankees came back and stole the 6-5 win.
I was excited about going into Game 2 with a 2-0 lead, but now it looks like we'll be playing from behind as we go to New York.
We'll need Cliff Lee to be huge once again. He's undefeated (7-0) in the postseason but we're going to need a heck of a lot more than just him. All oPublish Postf our pitchers, from top to bottom, are going to have to step up, throw more pitches than usual, and not crack under pressure.
C.J. Wilson was brilliant in that first game Friday night, but the exact opposite is true of those that followed him.
The bullpen has crashed lately, and will make the difference between winning and losing
Saturday's game is a must win. If you drop two games at home before going to New York, you're season is pretty much done, and you might as well hope the NL wins the World Series.
Thankfully though, we still have a few hours until then. We're like a fish out of water, it's just a matter of a wave coming in and picking us up and putting us back into the ocean. We need a miracle.

Bring on the Yankees

2010-10-13T00:37:00.007-05:00

Elvis Andrus scores in the first inning

Call me a hypocrite if you want because I tried to do what I've been saying is impossible, and once again, I proved it was impossible.
I had to work during Game 5 of the ALDS so I turned off my phone so that the score wouldn't be spoiled for me, but there are other sources.
It got spoiled a few times, but hey, I can't complain about the results.
Despite the fact I know the Rangers won 5-1 to advance to the ALCS against the Yankees, I'm watching the game right now, and I can enjoy it. I can watch the highlights over and over and it never gets old.
Cliff Lee was huge, striking out 11 batters. Why couldn't our other pitchers have gone through all nine innings this weekend?
Ian Kinsler's 2-run homer in the ninth came at the perfect time, and added that much more breathing room.
The Rangers win Tuesday night marks the first time in history where only the road team won, but hopefully that won't be the case in the next series against the Yankees.
On behalf of all Rangers fans, and the Rangers organization itself, I'd just like to thank all baseball fans in advance for rooting for our team in the ALCS.
We all want to see one thing, and that is for the New York Yankees to go down, and I'd be honored if it's the Texas Rangers to be the team to take them down.
I'd like to thank you for giving the Rangers the recognition, and support they deserve, and also for the Yankee hatred.
Please realize, the Texas Rangers are complete opposites than that of the Yankees. The Yankees are, well Yankees, and you can't get much more southern than Texas.
The Rangers have have guys of character, and are easy to like, but the Yankees, well, A-Frod (A-Roid), Jeter and Teixeira are easy to dislike.

Rangers celebrate by pouring Ginger Ale on Josh Hamilton

Now look at the Rangers.
Everybody knows Josh Hamilton's story, and he's a class act. David Murphy is the same way. He's a quiet guy, but works hard and has played really stepped up. Just this season, Michael Young became the team's all-time hit leader, and he just lets his game do the talking. I could go on, but I don't want to sound like I'm drooling, but you get the idea. We're nothing like them.
I know, Yankees fans are saying, "Yeah, you don't have the championships either," and that's true, but we don't go out and bye our rings. Once we do finally win it all, we will have truly earned it. We will have done it with guys who built their careers here.Our guys didn't get good somewhere else first, then come here for the money.
Anyway, back to my original thought, I just looked at the schedule and realized the Rangers play Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
Shoot, that sucks for considering I have to cover games at both those times. Do I dare try the impossible? Who knows, the stars may line up, and hell could freeze over, and....oh who am I kidding? There's no way I'll be able to go without finding out the results ahead of time.

The Hague Sports-Stickers

2010-10-11T15:23:00.000-05:00

About seven months after Luke "Ochocinco" lost the March Madness tournament bet, Nathan Hague and Stephen Todd make him pay up finally, but they had to do the dirty work since Luke didn't do it himself.
Luke took off one of the four stickers, and left three hoping his sentence would be cut down to a third, but the others say no way, because the interested built over time, and the fact he didn't take initiative himself and pay for the stickers, time should really be added.
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