tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56013552011-07-08T03:16:43.066-07:00fishing, dragons, and screamingE.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.comBlogger5861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-60338901020217264142009-11-13T21:17:00.001-08:002009-11-13T21:17:35.102-08:00

To anyone who starts thinking about Christmas around this time each year: You do know it's still November, right? Christmas is not a season. It is a day. One day. We haven't had Thanksgiving yet, and some of you have been "preparing" for Christmas for weeks. You've got your lights up, right? You're already planning to cut down that tree, right? Many of you have already bought Christmas presents,

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-74817856799879877422009-09-12T13:43:00.000-07:002009-09-12T14:14:21.686-07:00

Let's review:For the 2003 season, I picked Indianapolis to defeat St. Louis in the Super Bowl. The Colts lost in the AFC Championship Game, and the Rams lost in the Divisional Playoffs.For the 2004 season, I picked Kansas City to defeat New Orleans in the Super Bowl. Both teams watched the playoffs the way I did...at home on the couch.For the 2005 season, I picked Indianapolis to defeat Atlanta

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-69893199599166415162009-08-25T11:46:00.000-07:002009-08-25T11:52:32.218-07:00

When, oh when, for the love of all things good and holy, are my teams going to stop being the victims in heartbreaking losses?We had a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the 14th last night at Coors Field, and suddenly, the Giants pitchers became massively retarded. A couple walks, including to the pitcher, and then a grand slam, and suddenly instead of being two games out in the wild card race

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-75630636409217062092009-08-11T08:27:00.001-07:002009-08-11T09:03:33.156-07:00

First things first: That was not a triple that Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki hit last night at Coors Field in Denver to complete a cycle. The Cubs' Alfonso Soriano, for the briefest of moments, bobbled the ball near the left field wall, giving Tulowitzki the slight window he needed to advance to third, or at least to make an attempt to. That is what is known as an error in Major League Baseball. Of

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-71495584030178444192009-07-31T14:39:00.000-07:002009-07-31T14:47:26.466-07:00

Man, I don't even think about this blog much anymore, much less write on it.I experienced my first no-hitter as a Giants fan on July 10 when Jonathan Sanchez, the least likely of any Giants starter to toss one, came within one batter of a perfect game. That was one of the greatest days of my life as a sports fan. I'd been waiting over 30 years to witness a Giant throwing a no-hitter. Thankfully,

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-16162868718044463052009-06-16T11:05:00.000-07:002009-06-16T11:12:35.682-07:00

Okay, so here I am putting an end to what I believe is the longest drought of posts ever on this blog. Basically a month and a half has gone by since I last wrote anything, and I'm sure people have been crying their eyes out. To be honest, I'm not sure how often I'm going to be posting in the future. Sometimes things just jump the shark, and maybe I have found that I have a cousin named Oliver.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-45182864576304984172009-04-30T15:13:00.001-07:002009-04-30T15:53:53.570-07:00

This week's theme on the world's biggest karaoke contest was "The Rat Pack." And who did they bring in as the mentor for the week? Jamie Foxx. ANd who am I bringing up from the basement? E.K. Nation's Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth". What up, dawg. Smooth: Jamie Foxx really makes me think "Rat Pack". Also, Tony Danza makes me think "Cirque du Soleil". Foxx actually seemed to give

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-66318955009235321082009-04-21T11:36:00.000-07:002009-04-22T14:51:31.681-07:00

Sorry about that, folks. I know you guys were all putting your lives on hold waiting for us to offer our reviews of American Idol. The last few weeks have been rather busy, but then again we also had a stretch of three weeks last year where we gave you nothing and you survived, so I'm assuming you're all alive and not dead. Anyway, let's bring E.K. Nation's Senior American Idol Correspondent "

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-10128955384719020382009-04-14T14:31:00.000-07:002009-04-14T15:31:17.280-07:00

I don't talk much about hockey on this site, for a couple reasons. One, my team, the Avalanche, sucks. Only two teams had fewer points this season. And two, I really don't know much about hockey, turthfully. ESPN lost its contract with the NHL a couple years ago and games are not as available on cable as they used to be. There are probably a dozen teams in the NHL that I can not identify one

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-9376811606474096302009-04-05T15:03:00.001-07:002009-04-05T15:10:32.726-07:00

Last year I picked the Red Sox to beat the then-longshot Brewers in the World Series. Amazingly, the Brewers did make the playoffs but were dispatched quickly by Philadelphia, and the Red Sox almost made it to the Series, losing in Game 7 of the ALCS to Tampa Bay. NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION CHAMPS: AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION CHAMPS: WILD CARDS: NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: over

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-40618504061135389032009-04-01T14:35:00.000-07:002009-04-01T15:13:00.751-07:00

For all you folks dedicated to checking in and finding out what we have to say about American Idol, we apologize unreservedly for not having our reviews up the past two weeks. I was unavailable two weeks ago and Smooth was unavailable last week, and it looks like we won't have a review this week, at least an extensive one. Never fear, kids! We'll be back to our usual form soon. In the meantime...

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-55347372882977234622009-03-18T13:57:00.000-07:002009-03-18T14:15:59.791-07:00

Here is the first-ever perfect bracket:In the Midwest's first round, the winners will be Louisville, Ohio State, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia, North Dakota State (yes, upsetting defending national champ and #3 seed Kansas), USC and Michigan State. Second round winners will be Louisville, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Michigan State. The regional final will be Louisville defeating West

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-48124297252386627932009-03-11T13:27:00.000-07:002009-03-11T15:00:42.543-07:00

This week on American Idol the theme was songs from the catalog of Michael Jackson. And that's never not going to be a tad creepy. Last year David Cook found a way to completely transform "Billie Jean" into something all his own; that isn't easy to do with a Gloved One song. Shall we see who "made it their own" this week? I shall now bring in Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth", who I

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-36981656868749538462009-03-05T16:59:00.000-08:002009-03-05T17:07:04.300-08:00

The Portland Trail Blazers are back, ladies and gentlemen. I haven't often written about my hometown NBA team, or the NBA in general, simply because I've typically not been much of an NBA watcher until the playoffs start, particularly since the founding of this blog back in 2003, which was basically the last time Portland had any semblance of a decent team (at least play-wise...character not so

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-70909372833785092142009-03-04T13:07:00.000-08:002009-03-04T14:59:52.949-08:00

The last of the three semifinal rounds happened last night on American Idol, and here's E.K. Nation's Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth" to help us run through the details.Smooth: The first song of the night was kind of a weird arrangement for Von Smith ("You're All I Need To Get By"); it's quite a bit lower than the original, and slightly low for Von in the beginning. He is definitely a

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-17735046511534026272009-02-26T12:00:00.000-08:002009-02-27T11:21:24.041-08:00

Our review of A.I. is a little late this week, seeing as how we've already witnessed who went through to the top 12. But sometimes the world just doesn't work out the way we want it to. So, I've decided to end the blog right here. Good night everyone! No, wait. Let's not do that. Dumb thing to do. Skip that. Let's go to work and bring in E.K. Nation's Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth",

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-97558061241895712009-02-22T12:58:00.000-08:002009-02-22T13:00:26.569-08:00

After further review, Viola Davis' feet were out of bounds. The result of the play is that Penelope Cruz wins Best Supporting Actress.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-68493391743080299222009-02-18T16:10:00.000-08:002009-02-18T17:06:24.774-08:00

For our first take on American Idol, let's bring in E.K. Nation Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth". What up, dawg. Smooth: Well, hello again. E.K. My comments are going to be a bit truncated because I don't have a whole lot of time.Smooth: That's fine, 'cause I got tons to say. First up was Jackie Tohn. She kind of annoyed me during previous appearances on the show, and that trend

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-22675409352874325642009-02-17T13:12:00.000-08:002009-02-20T13:10:10.434-08:00

This is a very worrisome year for me. The Best Picture Oscar will go to a film that is not good. The last time the Academy got the Best Picture correct was 1993, when it rightfully awarded the Oscar to Schindler's List. Since then, it has continually misfired. I know it's tough to judge something as unquantifiable as films and acting and whatnot, but you'd think that 15 years would not pass

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-48713646083594437712009-01-28T14:51:00.000-08:002009-01-28T15:14:45.956-08:00

We're still a few days away from the Super Bowl, but I don't need to wait any longer to get my pick in. Much has been said about the matchup between Arizona's offense and Pittsburgh's defense. Forget about that, though. What is glaring is that the Cardinals' defense allowed more points during the regular season than anybody except the Lions, Rams, Chiefs and Broncos, the first three of which

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-90716502087750754892009-01-19T15:40:00.001-08:002009-01-19T15:42:10.632-08:00

Well, I was going to say take Arizona and Baltimore yesterday, so I would have gone 1-1. But I never made it official here, so my record for 2008 remains at 3-3. Tonight we have a couple of NBA games on the board: Go ahead and take the points with the Cavaliers (+5) at Staples against the Lakers, and lay the points with the Blazers (-6) at home against Milwaukee.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-81390895779272123712009-01-08T15:55:00.000-08:002009-01-08T16:03:10.355-08:00

For entertainment purposes only, go with Florida tonight and lay the six points. For the weekend's NFL action, lay the points with Carolina (-10) and Tennessee (-3) and grab the points with the Chargers (+6) and Philadelphia (+4).Basketball bonus tonight: Grab the 8 points you'll get by taking the Knicks tonight against Dallas.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-29436921341523616262009-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:002009-01-01T20:01:29.489-08:00

In two days the NFL playoffs begin, without the New England Patriots but with the 8-8 San Diego Chargers. Really? Does anyone think the playoffs will be more interesting with a .500 team in there? Something's gotta be done. But hey, can't fault the Bolts; they did all that was necessary to get there. And I think justice was served: San Diego was jobbed out of a win against Denver in Week 2 and

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-47827477945712259542009-01-01T19:34:00.000-08:002009-01-01T19:36:34.917-08:00

I don't really have a name for these awards. Maybe that's because I haven't given out too many of them. Usually it's been just "Man of the Year" but I'm expanding it a bit this time. The Ekies? Meh. I dunno. Maybe a name will stick. MAN OF THE YEAR: It would be obvious to say Barack Obama, but we’ll cover that elsewhere here. Tina Fey has that great show, 30 Rock, and once she returned to

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-84223752911306841952008-12-22T19:40:00.000-08:002008-12-22T20:53:54.882-08:00

• First things first: The overtime procedure in the NFL sucks! How long will it take for the league to recognize it? My guess is, until a Super Bowl is won by a team who wins the coin flip and kicks a 45-yarder to win it on the first possession of OT, that's what we're stuck with. NFL, please: Go to the Kansas plan, or some form of it.• Now, let's examine what St. Louis needs:With nine minutes

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-54661623657234822052008-12-11T14:06:00.000-08:002008-12-11T14:11:12.403-08:00

Some of the lines aren't up where I catch them, so I'll just get tonight's game out there, which is:New Orleans (+3) over CHICAGO.There. Now my silence streak is over. Hadn't posted anything in several weeks. Hate to see my loyal readers hanging in suspense.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-39740942712225216012008-11-21T17:07:00.000-08:002008-11-24T20:55:26.210-08:00

Sad day in Blogdom: Fire Joe Morgan is no more. That deserves a "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"Question to Donovan McNabb: What exactly did you think the "T" stood for that's right next to the "W"s and the "L"s in the standings?Well, looky what we have here: Britney Spears is hot again. When did that happen?And let's see here. Two weeks ago the Rams were down 40-0 and kicked a field goal. Last week the 49ers

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-70736858450335079532008-11-11T12:18:00.000-08:002008-11-11T12:43:18.744-08:00

Football teams still punt from the opposition's 36-yard line. Football teams, when trailing 40-0, will kick a worthless field goal to make it 40-3.Your friends will wonder how you can be upset when someone on your fantasy football team scores a touchdown to give his actual team a late lead against your own favorite actual football team. ("But dude, you have Boldin! He just scored! You got points!

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-18316488623669236072008-11-07T13:57:00.000-08:002008-11-07T14:30:22.004-08:00

Yeah, we've been suffering a little bit here in Portland for the last few years. Even when things started looking up, we lost Greg Oden for another month or so. But last night's clutch shot by Brandon Roy, well, it just made me really happy. Yippy, Blazers!Here's another clip worth watching. Some guy, I have no idea who he is, created a really cool four-part a cappella song about Star Wars using

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-66099877558740388042008-10-28T11:44:00.000-07:002008-10-28T12:29:46.548-07:00

Watching the rain fall last night in Philadelphia, I was thinking how ridiculous it is for Major League Baseball to revamp its schedule so that Game 7 of next year's World Series would fall on November 5 were it to be necessary. November 5! Look, I know that it can always rain in the middle of October, but newsflash: The weather gets colder as you move deeper into fall, and it most places it

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-15932134181217251222008-10-18T11:12:00.000-07:002008-10-28T12:34:33.434-07:00

...what the hell Lovie Smith was doing on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta? Do you really mean to tell me that with just a few seconds left in the game and a one-point lead, you're going to do one of those ridiculous pooch-squib kick things, giving the Falcons the ball much, much closer to field goal range when they get the ball back than they would be if you just booted it to the goal line? Really?

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-4102985803135095212008-10-08T15:04:00.000-07:002008-10-08T16:16:47.744-07:00

First things first: The Chicago Cubs have now failed to win the World Series 100 seasons in a row. Okay, that does deserve a "wow." But can I say this, namely that they are not cursed? Who are all these goofballs saying that they haven't won anything for so long because they are the victim of a curse? There is no such thing as a curse. They just don't happen. There is no such thing as lifting a

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-63774156476242360352008-09-20T16:29:00.000-07:002008-09-20T17:25:08.585-07:00

What is it that goes on inside a football player's head that would make him decide to drop the ball on purpose one yard before scoring a touchdown?The hilarious part about DeSean Jackson's gaffe on Monday night in Dallas is that he realized how stupid he'd been about a second-and-a-half after dropping the ball. Did you see him turn for just a brief second as if to say, "Holy crap...I let go of

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-74999555693164165722008-09-13T17:01:00.000-07:002008-09-13T18:40:17.233-07:00

First things first: I am sick and freaking tired of coaches making stupid decisions. Here's a quiz:Trailing the Cowboys 21-7 and facing a 4th-and-2 from the Dallas 43, Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel decided to:A. Go for it, seeing as how the Browns were behind by two touchdowns and had a very short distance to get the first down. And why not? They were already in Dallas territory. B. Punt.C. Admit

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-24087496770633180462008-09-06T17:21:00.001-07:002008-09-06T18:41:24.886-07:00

We're already 1-0 on the year, getting the Giants in the victory over the Redskins. Here come the rest of the picks:SUNDAY MORNING: (team listed first is the pick, home team in caps)Cincinnati (-2.5) over BALTIMORE. Not sure Joe Flacco is ready yet. But I will say this: Chad Johnson is a tool and I will not refer to him by his new stupid-ass name.N.Y. Jets (-3) over MIAMI. The Dolphins still suck

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-24746179904608730322008-09-04T13:36:00.001-07:002008-09-04T13:37:25.511-07:00

Gotta get this one in on time. Giants win big over the 'Skins tonight. Take the Giants, give the points. The rest of the picks will come later.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-29125567586537285452008-08-30T13:53:00.000-07:002008-09-04T13:36:05.703-07:00

Never in the history of E.K. Nation have any of my pre-season Super Bowl predictions been accurate; the only time in the last five tries that a team I picked to make it to the Super Bowl actually made it was last year, when the Patriots lost (I had predicted that they would win). So silly are my picks sometimes that I look back in the archives and just shake my head (Chiefs and Saints in 2004?

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-30398432732540845392008-08-26T16:06:00.000-07:002008-08-26T16:28:35.172-07:00

I woke up this morning to the news that former Trail Blazer Kevin Duckworth has died at the age of 44. Kevin Duckworth played a key role in the first Game 7 the Blazers ever played, in 1990, during their run to the NBA Finals. It wasn't necessarily what he did on the court, but what happened a few minutes before the game that I'll remember. I was sitting in the second row behind the hoop on the

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-88048256380280736122008-08-07T17:55:00.000-07:002008-08-07T18:49:00.078-07:00

Jim Caple on ESPN.com wrote this article on the overrated-ness of closers in baseball, and if you haven't seen it yet, it is a gem. I am fairly certain that every single word in it is true, even if some of it is merely opinion, i.e. such phrases as "messed up" and "If so, sanity...will rule the world again." I must say that it is not the pitching talent of closers that is overrated but the stats

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-41252830103407674022008-07-31T15:32:00.000-07:002008-07-31T15:35:10.211-07:00

This is almost certainly of no interest to anyone else besides me, but after almost five years of playing poker, I finally got my first royal flush. Last night at the Sports Page, I had Qs-Jd, the flop came Jc-Ks-Js, my opponent went all-in with something like A-7 off and of course I called, and then dealt it myself: the 10s on the turn, and the As on the river. Royal, baby. Woo and might I add

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-17887060714868303862008-07-29T16:04:00.001-07:002008-07-29T16:46:11.655-07:00

I am sick to death of hearing Brett Favre's name or reading it in print. The media are absolutely killing me with it. So let's just do this once and for all and this should satisfy anyone who cares and can we call it good? Brett Favre's name 20,000 times -- the two in this paragraph, and 19,998 more times. Here we go: Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-7052181312534634652008-07-25T14:35:00.001-07:002008-07-29T16:03:44.384-07:00

My blog turned five years old this week. To commemorate the occasion, I decided to sit down and interview myself. So, why do you have this blog?I'm doing this blog solely as a creative outlet for myself and myself only. I could write stuff down in a journal, but it looks better on a webpage, my hands get tired easily when I write with pens or pencils, and a blog takes up no extra space in my home

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-73268562677690267812008-07-10T14:52:00.000-07:002008-07-10T15:24:20.720-07:00

Nobody wants Barry Bonds. Nobody."I am not talking to any club about Barry Bonds because they all made it very clear to me they are not interested in him. Every club," [Bonds' agent Jeff] Borris told USA Today..."I can't believe he doesn't have a job...No one has offered even the minimum salary. He made the All-Star team last year, and there's no reason to believe he wouldn't have a repeat

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-34836441201252822962008-06-25T12:09:00.000-07:002008-06-25T14:01:07.167-07:00

June 24, 1978: Roger Metzger slapped a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the San Francisco Giants a 2-1 victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves at Candlestick Park. That was my first major league game, 30 years ago yesterday. I became a Giants fan in April of that year, when I decided I needed a favortie team. I asked my dad who he rooted for, and he said the Giants.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-60845607733897435292008-06-03T12:10:00.000-07:002008-06-03T12:38:11.665-07:00

I know that the NHL has done a crapload to get people to become totally disinterested in the sport of hockey. So if you're a former fan who has been disillusioned, I can at least understand, and if you have never liked it, well, you're probably not Canadian, so I guess I'll give you a pass there too. But anyone who watched the three-overtime Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals last night (and this

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-34764221003281868962008-05-22T12:31:00.000-07:002008-05-22T12:56:09.398-07:00

Here is Albert Pujols last night, turning on a Chris Young pitch and changing Young's face from an actual human face to a meal of mashed yeast and beet juice. That's gonna take a lot of Tide. Oh, and then two batters later, Albert chugs around third, slides home and turns catcher Josh Bard's left leg into a bag of Twisty Stix. Maybe they should just rename Petco Park "Cloverfield." Just think

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-8482060406019829382008-05-21T14:40:00.001-07:002008-05-21T14:44:17.392-07:00

Just got done watching the shootout to determine the winner of the Champions League, and it turns out that deciding a championship on free kicks (it can't be "penalty kicks" because being tied is not a penalty) is a lame-ass way to determine to wins a soccer game. Anyway, there was a team wearing red jerseys with "AIG" on them, and they beat a team wearing blue jerseys with "Samsung" written on

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-3976751165468174262008-05-19T21:32:00.000-07:002008-05-19T21:44:48.277-07:00

Jon Lester, who battled back from a spell with cancer not too long ago, pitched a no-hitter tonight for the Boston Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals. And I don't have a clip yet of the last out, so what I'm going to do is post the last inning of Don Cardwell's no-hitter at Wrigley Field on May 15, 1960 against St. Louis. YouTube is quite the amazing project. If enough people hear about

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-86703959263119773962008-05-14T17:31:00.000-07:002008-05-15T16:14:34.195-07:00

E.K.: Going through my mind right now is how when the Top 12 was announced I said that Syesha would be the first one eliminated. Congrats to her for making the final three, and congrats to the two Davids for their upcoming finals appearance. Smooth: We started out with judge's choice songs, which were delivered to the contestants in the most contrived ways imaginable. David Archuleta did "And So

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-20921983075094129792008-05-13T11:20:00.001-07:002008-05-21T14:54:22.278-07:00

Here's last night's unassisted triple play by Asdrubal Cabrera. Looks like he didn't know how many outs there were for a moment, because after the second out, he almost starts to run off the field, then he realizes he can tag the runner and get one more out. Nice play. But you gotta know how many outs there are.On YouTube, we're finding several clips by The Batting Stance Guy. He's got some 3-to-

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-23406522270748924352008-05-07T16:30:00.000-07:002008-05-08T13:21:59.791-07:00

E.K.: Here we are with yet another American Idol recap, and I must say, the themes this year have been ridiculous, in that they've hardly gotten to do any songs from this decade, let alone the last couple of years. Somebody singing "Proud Mary" or "Love Me Tender" doesn't mean a whole lot if there isn't a balance there. Anyway, Smooth, start us off with David Cook.Smooth: His first song was "

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-51074225874091788552008-05-03T14:47:00.000-07:002008-05-03T15:51:56.615-07:00

Well, those of you who just watched the Kentucky Derby heard the sad news that Eight Belles had to be euthanized almost immediately after the race due to two broken front ankles. That sucks. Here are some things I found on the interwebs today. • Paula Abdul's batshit-crazy comments after the first round of American Idol songs on Wednesday night. She tells Jason Castro what she thought of his

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-19189028874479445392008-05-02T11:57:00.001-07:002008-05-02T12:20:44.950-07:00

You're playing in a poker tournament along with, say, 5,483 other contestants. Day 1 goes by and you've survived, Day 2 comes and goes and you're still stockpiling chips, Day 3 arrives and you start barreling over your opponents with your chip stacks, and pretty soon you find yourself at the final table. Nine players left. You feel like you're on the roll of a lifetime; you're playing the rush,

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-77221808565420233162008-04-30T19:59:00.000-07:002008-04-30T20:22:44.754-07:00

We're pressed for time. Smooth, go!Smooth: I didn't like either song by Jason Castro that much. He did OK, better than some of the last few weeks. It was kind of cruise-shippy, partially a product of the theme I think.E.K.: We're seeing the same performance from him every night. And it was doubly boring, because of the two songs. Smooth: I thought David Cook was the best of the night, although

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-56234091681315175042008-04-23T15:58:00.000-07:002008-04-23T16:31:26.989-07:00

Smooth: Well, going in I thought this was the Worst Theme Ever. Seriously, Andrew Lloyd Webber has written some well known stuff for Broadway, but nothing in his repertoire is at all relevant to what any of these kids would do if they cut an album. E.K.: No kidding. The themes this season have just completely sucked. Has anyone gotten to do an actual relevant non-Mariah Carey song from this

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-1649877926697345912008-04-17T15:32:00.000-07:002008-04-17T16:24:19.958-07:00

E.K.: Well, last night we said goodbye to the first singer who became a favorite of mine this year, Kristy Lee Cook. I called her a "refreshing lime wedge" in my first write-up of the season, if only because on that audition show she followed a guy who sang badly like a foul shot of tequila. At times Kristy displayed a nice voice, but then she had her bad weeks, and now she gets voted off right

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-25492654074502512092008-04-11T11:32:00.000-07:002008-04-11T11:54:42.208-07:00

Listen. Here's the thing: Whenever I think of American Idol, I always keep it in perspective. It's entertainment and entertainment only. It's not intended to determine, really, who the best singer is. Sometimes the best singer wins, but more often than not he or she does not win. Because this is true, it's not a pivotal thing, societally speaking. It's just a nationally-televised karaoke contest.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-79114406594565150512008-04-09T15:31:00.000-07:002008-04-09T16:19:55.248-07:00

Smooth: A'ight, since we last visited this fine program, we had a second, much more awful Beatles night, Dolly Parton's face scared the crap out of me, and a few contestants have departed: David H. (never stood a chance), Amanda (didn't even want to be there), Chikezie, and Ramiele (both of whom I liked but had bad weeks). Also, David Cook dropped a few awesome performances, Kristy Lee managed to

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-2566047651238603692008-03-30T13:14:00.000-07:002008-05-19T21:13:06.359-07:00

My streak of correctly picking World Series winners ended at one year in a row in 2007, when my pick of the New York Mets did not come to fruition. Now, I am back and ready to begin a new streak. Check out who's going to the playoffs this season, kids, and go to Vegas with this information. NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION CHAMPS: AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION CHAMPS: WILD CARDS: NATIONAL LEAGUE

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-34657617874760349182008-03-16T13:28:00.000-07:002008-03-16T14:05:53.262-07:00

The Mt. St. Mary's Mountaineers overcame an 0-4 start to the season and won the Northeastern Conference title, beating Sacred Heart 68-55 for the NEC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Coppin State Eagles had a much worse start to their campaign: They were 4-19 at one point but rallied with a streak of 12 wins in 13 games, and then, as the #7 seed in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-88501002127632323532008-03-12T18:34:00.000-07:002008-03-12T20:42:01.198-07:00

E.K.: I've had E.K. Nation Senior American Idol Correspondent Smooth locked in the basement for a while, and he's ready to come out for another Idol discussion. Hello, Smooth!Smooth: Hello! Well, as you know, I am a bit of a Beatles fan, and by that I mean I LOVE THEM 4EVA OMG!!!! I must say that I was completely dreading this night going in. Even though we have a solid contestant pool this year,

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-7566866911066827632008-03-07T03:29:00.000-08:002008-03-07T04:36:08.499-08:00

E.K.: Once again, let's bring in E.K. Nation's Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth" to discuss what happened this week. We know now that Luke, Danny, Kady and Asia'h were voted out. The one surprise about Thursday's vote show is how sad Danny was to anticipate being voted out and then being voted out. I would have thought he'd have shrugged it off as though it were nothing; turns out he

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-10020322860073065722008-03-05T11:36:00.000-08:002008-03-05T13:17:56.237-08:00

E.K.: All right, let's bring in E.K. Nation's Senior American Idol Correspondent Smooth to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of last night's show.Smooth: First off, not feeling your hatred of Alexandrea last week. I liked her personality and her vocal wasn't the grease fire you made it out to be. Also, you're still way too high on David Archuleta's vocal last week. Yes, it was good, but go

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-34578885652355296612008-02-27T11:21:00.000-08:002008-03-03T15:51:37.334-08:00

I shall now welcome back E.K. Nation's Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth" to discuss with me the latest American Idol happenings.Smooth: Glad to be back.E.K.: So we know who got voted out: Alaina, Alexandrea, Jason Y. and Robbie. First let's discuss the guys.Smooth: Michael Johns was first, and this was definitely the worst we've seen him. He didn't even look dressed up. This was an

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-65329450742085133172008-02-23T14:50:00.000-08:002008-02-24T12:48:01.209-08:00

BAD MOMENTS IN BEST PICTURE HISTORY:I'll start this section by saying that the Academy seems to always have trouble giving the Best Picture Oscar to the actual best picture. In my estimation, the last actual best picture to win the award was Schindler's List, back in 1993. But I'll try to highlight the real doozies:How Green Was My Valley, 1941: Disclaimer: I have never seen How Green Was My

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-75405698806405936802008-02-21T14:02:00.000-08:002008-02-21T16:22:37.110-08:00

E.K. Nation Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth" has the day off.I had high hopes for Kristy Lee Cook, based on her original audition and her Hollywood Week efforts, but as the first girl to sing live this season she fell incredibly flat. It just seemed like she was going through the motions, trying very hard not to miss a note, and even though she didn't miss any, it was just dull and

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-88896208526483017152008-02-21T06:36:00.000-08:002008-02-21T14:02:29.881-08:00

Let the celebration begin! It's live show time! And with that, I'd like to introduce the first ever guest writer on this blog, E.K. Nation Senior American Idol Correspondent "Smooth".Smooth: Hello.E.K.: And with that, you are now in second place in the category Most Words Written Directly For The E.K. Nation Blog. Congratulations, and welcome!Smooth: Charmed.E.K.: Let's talk about the first

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-25054882432214957752008-02-14T03:25:00.000-08:002008-02-14T04:11:09.769-08:00

Here's the show where they bring each singer, one by one, into a room and let them know whether they have made it to the live shows or not. Let's keep it short and to the point for now, because Simon had something extraordinary to say on Wednesday's show and I should focus on that.I knew Carly Smithson would make it, and she did. She's E.K. Nation's official pick to go farther than any other

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-59752993010697446102008-02-13T00:57:00.000-08:002008-02-13T01:40:28.073-08:00

Okay, so I've been sick for much of the last seven days and didn't get around to writing anything about the last couple hours of A.I. auditions. You'll just have to remember in your head, and your mind, and your brain, too, how well I did in past weeks and judge me from there.So the big change in Hollywood Week this year was the addition of the option to play a musical instrument during the early

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-26661590925888800502008-02-05T23:17:00.001-08:002008-02-05T23:47:03.172-08:00

We've seen it replayed a thousand times on SportsCenter and all those other shows that recapped the Super Bowl. But for posterity, here it is one more time. This clip I'm posting here contains the most important play in Super Bowl history.You might know that a 49ers fan is talking to you. I could very well say that Montana-to-Taylor is the most important play in Super Bowl history. But I won't. I

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-82761084420626156412008-02-02T15:03:00.000-08:002008-02-02T15:14:00.927-08:00

We all know the Patriots are going to win, right? How could they not win? It just feels like it's a done deal. Nineteen-and-oh is going to be in the books, right?But the Giants are a good team. They've particularly done well when they were away from their home stadium. They had a long road winning streak in the regular season and have gone into Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay in the playoffs and come

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-62410990372206119572008-02-01T01:44:00.000-08:002008-02-01T03:03:53.372-08:00

They decided to start the Miami audition episode with the Miami Vice theme song and then they showed the auditioning hopefuls singing along to "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" by Miami Sound Machine. God, the producers are brilliant. How did they come up with that?The featured auditions began with a girl named Shannon McHough, who works at her parents' meat market. And she also belches, loudly and often

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-60206894581137338482008-01-24T14:58:00.001-08:002008-02-14T04:11:40.961-08:00

A sexy girl named Tetiana in a smokin' reddish dress came out and gave a smoky rendition of "Someone To Watch Over Me" to get the San Diego auditions underway in fine style. Then there was Perrie Cataldo, whose wife has been suffering from death for a while because she was in "the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people", and after he solicited three yes votes from the judges he

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-74961611879298266862008-01-23T23:06:00.000-08:002008-01-23T23:14:40.096-08:00

VS. ANA IVANOVIC vs. MARIA SHARAPOVAOkay? I'm just sayin'.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-63237856529709802662008-01-22T12:20:00.000-08:002008-01-22T12:38:20.454-08:00

Pop quiz, hot shot:It is the championship game of the American Football Conference. You are coaching the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers trail by nine points with nine minutes and 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Your team faces fourth-down-and-10 at the Patriots' 36-yard line.Whaddaya do?Now, remember, it's you dear reader, doing the coaching in this not-so-hypothetical situation. If

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-24282352362311883092008-01-20T10:23:00.001-08:002008-01-20T10:24:49.338-08:00

Almost forgot to do this. Let's get right to it, and make it simple. The Patriots will defeat the Chargers but they will not cover, 35-24. The Packers will defeat the Giants and cover, 27-17. You are now free to go to Vegas.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-12099257508505936622008-01-17T11:56:00.000-08:002008-01-17T13:03:55.751-08:00

First up was Jessica Brown, a Debbie Gibson lookalike who used to do meth and get into trouble. But she's turned her life around and now, thanks to a nice rendition of The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You", she's off to Hollywood, where she just might encounter drugs again. Not going to Hollywood is roller-coaster enthusiast Paul Stafford, who did not render a splendid version of Elliott Yamin's "

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-623655757680872842008-01-16T01:13:00.000-08:002008-01-16T15:19:11.325-08:00

Off we go! Season 7 started with auditioner Joey Catalano, who, we're told, lost 204 pounds, pretty much changing from Ruben Studdard to Jordan Catalano (My So-Called Life reference). Two hundred and four pounds? That's an entire me! Anyway, he got the season off to a good start with a smooth rendition of Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning" and...well, we're off and running. American Idol, Season 7. Yeah

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-59904374462543856552008-01-14T16:23:00.000-08:002008-01-15T17:59:50.756-08:00

It all starts with Simon Cowell.Save for the night Kelly Clarkson was crowned, I missed the entire first season of American Idol: The Search For A Superstar (its original title, at least Stateside). It seemed like a big deal to everyone else watching, so when Season 2 rolled around, I started watching from the beginning. And that's when I came upon the brilliance of Simon. No holds barred, he

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-76425965260531599642008-01-11T12:49:00.000-08:002008-01-11T19:09:51.297-08:00

Damn those oddsmakers. They have managed to create four splendidly difficult lines to decipher. AFC Divisional Playoffs: • Some folks are thinking that Jacksonville will go into Foxboro and take down the unbeaten Patriots. I was thinking that too, for a while. Then I managed to get some blood back to my brain. Yes, David Garrard has done a solid job of leading the Jags to where they are. Yes,

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-83506420894800460172008-01-04T17:03:00.000-08:002008-01-04T17:39:29.404-08:00

I'm going to spare you the horror of my pre-season picks for the NFL playoffs. Let's just say that I did have the New England Patriots winning the Super Bowl...against Philly. And Philly wasn't even close to my biggest miss(es). My projected wild-card teams won exactly 19 of their 64 combined games. Yikes. I should do a lot better with the playoffs. I did go 103-71-5 against the spread for the

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-84880738720844942212007-12-29T08:33:00.002-08:002007-12-29T09:23:50.582-08:00

Actually, it's Men of the Year, plural. It's the New England Patriots. Simply because I've never seen anything like it. Even if they lose tonight in their quest to go 16-0 for the season. They've just been so workmanlike in their destruction of their opponents, and really, they've been rather quiet about it. It's everybody else that's up in arms over their season, whether they love 'em or hate '

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-61727402163352349392007-12-19T11:00:00.000-08:002007-12-19T12:40:31.587-08:00

Before I get to this week's picks, I would like to congratulate Michael Spurlock, who this past Sunday broke the all-time Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise record for kickoffs returned for touchdowns. That franchise record is now...wait for it...one. Thirty-two years, 498 regular season games, and 1,865 returns before the team finally got its first TD. That, my friends, is truly amazing. In contrast

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-55990607350321098492007-12-12T13:12:00.000-08:002007-12-12T14:01:57.411-08:00

More on this Monday Night Football's broadcast: I was watching when Falcons owner Arthur Blank joined the broadcast team in the booth for some comments about Michael Vick and what he faces once he gets out of his much-deserved-but-way-too-short prison term. Blank speculated that Vick might miss three seasons -- the rest of 2007, plus 2008 and 2009 -- and then added:If he doesn't watch himself, he

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-44941372274064870912007-12-11T15:57:00.001-08:002007-12-11T16:04:04.376-08:00

Anyone else get sick and tired of hearing the Monday Night Football broadcasting team's sympathetic look at the problems Michael Vick will face once he gets out of prison?Awww, so he might be out of shape.Awww, so NFL teams might not want him.Screw that.Michael Vick is in prison because he deserves it. Frankly, he got off easy, having just a 23-month sentence handed to him. And you can ask any of

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-55131582913410424862007-12-06T08:20:00.000-08:002007-12-06T14:03:47.886-08:00

First, a word about the Ravens-Patriots game on Monday night:A lot of people seem to be saying the Ravens got jobbed late in the fourth quarter with all those crazy penalties, that the refs (and thus the league) had it in for them because they wanted New England to remain undefeated or what have you. There are others who will say that the Ravens did themselves in with those stupid, seemingly

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-8120353611454904862007-11-28T11:48:00.001-08:002007-12-02T10:56:57.612-08:00

Ed.: I don't have access to the Wednesday Oregonian spreads yet, but I have a pretty good indication of whom to pick, using other lines from other sources. The Oregonian spreads will be the official ones.Ed.: Okay, the spreads are up now.THURSDAY (team listed first is the pick, home team in caps)DALLAS (-7) over Green Bay. Looks like a shootout is coming, and 41-31 isn't out of the question.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-50281901538555149922007-11-21T13:22:00.000-08:002007-11-28T12:18:03.778-08:00

THANKSGIVING DAY (team listed first is the pick, home team in caps)GREEN BAY (-3.5) over Detroit. If Detroit were still playing well I might go that way. But Favre & Co. are too strong right now.DALLAS (-14) over N.Y. Jets. ***SURE LOCK FIRE*** The Jets are horrible, and in Dallas I gotta go with the Boys. Dallas in a laugher.Indianapolis (-12) over ATLANTA. The Colts will get back on track after

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-78902377782708081952007-11-16T16:30:00.001-08:002007-11-18T11:49:18.282-08:00

SUNDAY MORNING: (team listed first is the pick)JACKSONVILLE (-3) vs. San Diego. ***SURE LOCK FIRE*** Thinking that Taylor and Jones-Drew can tear up the S.D. run defense.INDIANAPOLIS (-15) vs. Kansas City. The Colts can't lose three straight. It's just a matter of winning by how much?MINNESOTA (-5) vs. Oakland. A pretty crappy matchup, to be sure.Cleveland (-3) at BALTIMORE. The old Browns beat

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-80379781169659868432007-11-15T15:42:00.000-08:002007-11-15T15:59:25.729-08:00

We call this a Brokeback Mountain game, because there's so much penetration and kickouts.--Phil JacksonReally? A Brokeback Mountain joke? What, is it 2005 already?Look, there shouldn't be so much controversy over this joke. It really shouldn't be all that offensive. The only question is, why isn't it a Basic Instinct joke? There was certainly penetration involved in that story too. I guess it's

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-67063294428943638232007-11-09T14:34:00.000-08:002007-11-10T15:05:16.419-08:00

SUNDAY MORNING:Jacksonville (+4) at TENNESSEE. Just a hunch.KANSAS CITY (-3) vs. Denver. Again, the Chiefs are stronger than you think. They almost had the Packers.Buffalo (-3) at MIAMI. ***SURE LOCK FIRE*** Lee Evans alone will outscore the Dolphins. Despite him being on my fantasy team.Cleveland (+10) at PITTSBURGH. I can see this one being 35-27. That's not a cover for Pitt.St. Louis (+12) at

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-63061532545056811432007-11-06T13:00:00.000-08:002007-11-06T13:22:42.238-08:00

Really, Don Shula? The New England Patriots deserve to have an asterisk put by their 9-0 (and possibly 16-0) record because they cheated? Or by their Super Bowl wins? Come on. Damn, I am sick and tired of people trying desperately to find reasons not to acknowledge the successes of someone else. Nobody wants to acknowledge Barry Bonds, nobody wants to pay the Patriots any compliments. And we need

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-60491277962988353242007-11-02T14:51:00.000-07:002007-11-02T15:10:07.959-07:00

SUNDAY MORNING:Washington (-4) at N.Y. JETS. The Jets are in shambles right now.KANSAS CITY (-2) vs. Green Bay. Again, the Chiefs are stronger than you think. Trap game.TAMPA BAY (-3.5) vs. Arizona. I like the Bucs' chances at home against AZ.Carolina (+4) at TENNESSEE. Titans have covered just one out of their last four.ATLANTA (-3) vs. San Francisco. It's the 49ers!!!NEW ORLEANS (-3) vs.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-64485234721021935152007-10-30T15:38:00.001-07:002007-10-30T15:45:52.074-07:00

One little strike from a blindfolded kid and this prediction could break open, leaving little candy bars all over the place. In the Western Conference finals, San Antonio will defeat Dallas, while in the Eastern Conference finals, Detroit will defeat Chicago. In the NBA Finals, the Spurs will defeat the Pistons in five. Keep in mind, I know nothing.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-10381270410568495222007-10-29T17:57:00.001-07:002007-10-29T18:02:16.350-07:00

Forget the Sox winning, forget all the NFL and college games going on. This clip contains probably the wildest play in the history of football (with apologies to Cal and Stanford, 'cause even Cal fans know the last lateral was illegal, despite there being eighty-eight Stanford students on the field at the time):This was a Division III game between two teams called Trinity and Millsap, I believe.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-10190860474874725932007-10-26T18:34:00.001-07:002007-11-02T14:51:34.793-07:00

Gonna do some NFL picks, plus a couple college ball picks just for the hell of it. Now that I am no longer The Cooler (I'll write something up on this in a bit. I seriously had a case of the Bernie Lootzes).SUNDAY MORNING:Cleveland (-3) at ST. LOUIS. I couldn't pick the Rams. Could you?CHICAGO (-5.5) vs. Detroit. Griese, you've done a heckuva job!Indianapolis (-7) at CAROLINA. ***SURE LOCK FIRE**

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-80841007737362307002007-10-19T14:36:00.000-07:002007-10-19T15:10:46.097-07:00

It's been a while since the Cal Bears lost that ridiculous game to Oregon State. I've barely been able to talk about it since. I'll sum up my feelings henceforth (is that a word?):It would have been much easier to take the loss if, when trailing 31-21, they just couldn't convert that long fourth-down play and if OSU had just run out the clock. Or if they couldn't get into field goal range on the

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-87806453387650663142007-10-05T13:29:00.000-07:002007-10-05T13:46:49.843-07:00

I used to pick NFL games on this blog when it was in its infancy. Haven't done it in a while. It's back! I know you're all rushing out to Vegas right now with this info (home team in CAPS). Also, I will pick three "Sure Lock Fires" a week (a friend of mine once said that instead of "surefire lock", and it's pretty much stuck in our circles. He also once said during a poker game, "You can't bluff

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-17559487662615341782007-10-03T12:24:00.000-07:002007-10-03T12:32:58.667-07:00

Once September rolled around, I was starting to feel good about my World Series prediction. Last year I picked St. Louis to win it all, which they amazingly did despite my every effort to cool them by picking them to win, and a few weeks ago it was starting to look like my pre-season pick of the New York Mets was looking fantastic. Oops. Just three of the eight teams I predicted to make the

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601355.post-26115414735437109762007-10-03T10:06:00.000-07:002007-10-03T10:09:33.595-07:00

Dude, I have no idea. I didn't follow hockey extensively last year. I can barely name five goalies. Picking the eight playoff teams from each conference would be an exercise in futilitousness. So this is what it's going to come down to: the Calgary Flames will defeat the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup next spring. As you were.

E.K. and Big Smoothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309242285791727423noreply@blogger.com0