Since most people in the country don’t even know that hockey exists anymore, an Austin, TX ad agency, Door Number 3 and the Dallas Star have teamed up to make some pretty darn funny billboards supporting the Stars. Plus I’d have to think with the Cowboys and Mavericks plus the Rangers, the Stars might not be the strongest attraction in the Dallas area. So they came up with some creative marketing.

The billboards were aimed to be humorous but also to go with their “Come into the cold” marketing campaign. The best of the bunch were “The only thing our refs shave is the ice” and “One game a week? Is the N in NFL for Nancy?”

Even Mark Cuban the Dallas Mavericks owner, with whom the Stars share the American Airlines Center with, liked the campaign.

“I think it’s hysterical,” Cuban said. “Good for them. It’s a fun ad.”

The Stars even took a shot at their owner Tom Hicks, who also owns the Texas Rangers, with the “Maybe baseball should stop using the word sacrifice” billboard.

To me this is a brilliant campaign. There is no number to call. Just the DallasStars.com website address. A nice use of “viral” marketing.

A look at the rest of the billboards after the jump.

Continue reading →

Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees was suspended 2 games and fined an undisclosed amount for what MLB termed “inappropriate actions.” If you saw the game yesterday, you saw Joba send two pitches over Kevin Youkilis’ head. Here is a look at the video courtesy of Texy from Center Field.

This suspension really doesn’t hurt Joba at all. As I just said in comment:

Like his suspension really matters. According to the Joba rules, since he pitched two innings (well 1 1/3), he would have sat out tonight and tomorrow anyways. The fine and two game loss of pay might hurt a little even though he’s making a prorated salary from the MLB minimum of $380,000.

I could be the only Red Sox fan who thinks it wasn’t intentional. I do know there’s going to be some serious fireworks in two weeks up at Fenway.

[Hat tip to Sam and Texy for the tip]

With the 2007 NFL season upon us I decided to take a look at the teams and make some pre-season predictions. The records you see below were actually compiled by me going through the week-by-week schedule and issuing a team a win or a loss. Then I assigned the 12 playoff teams and picked the winners for the Wild Card games, Division games, Conference Championship and finally Super Bowl XLII in Arizona which will feature a rematch of a recent Super Bowl.

Continue reading →

Johnny Demon’s 2-run home run in the 7th inning was the difference as the Yanks beat the Sox 5-3 Tuesday night in the Bronx. The win for the Yanks brought the lead down in the AL East to 7 games. Andy Pettitte was good for 7 innings and Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect 9th inning for the save.

The Yanks got on the scoreboard first as Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka got himself into some early trouble. Demon led off with a single and went to second base on Derek Jeter nubber down the line that Dice-K picked up and got DJ on a close play at first. Bobby Abreu worked a walk and then Dice-K loaded up the bases for fellow countryman Hideki Matsui when he plunked Alex Rodriguez in the back with some heat. Matsui brought in a run when he hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Demon and retired AROD at second. Hip-hip Jorge Posada brought in the second run when he crushed a double. Dice-K got Robinson Cano to fly out to end the inning with the Sox losing 2-0.

Manny Ramirez got the Sox back in the game as he led off the 2nd inning with an opposite field home run, cutting the lead to 2-1. Pettitte then got the next two Sox batters out before walking Jason Varitek. He did get out of the inning without the walk hurting him as Coco Crisp struck out swinging.

The Sox tied it up in the 3rd inning as Julio Lugo hit a Pettitte offering into the gap in center for a triple. Dustin Pedroia couldn’t get the job done as he grounded back to the mound for the first out. Youk then worked a walk. Big Papi tied the game with a sacrifice fly to Demon in left to tie the game at 2.

Dice-K had settled down as he only allowed a walk to AROD in the 4th. In the 5th though, he was touched for a run with two outs. Derek Jeter broke an 0 for 13 skid as he cranked a home run into the seats putting the Yanks back on top 3-2. Bobby Abreu grounded out to end the inning.

Pettitte had been pitching pretty well after the third. He allowed singles in the 4th, 5th and 6th but nothing came to fruition for the Sox. Pettitte had come back out in the 7th and gave up a lead-off homer to Varitek tying the game back at 3. Pettitte settled back in and set down the Sox after that.

With Dice-K’s pitch count at 94, Terry Francona elected to bring him back out for the 7th. This would prove to be the fatal mistake as Dice-K got into trouble again. Andy Phillips led off with a single to start the inning and was pinch-run for by Wilson Betemit. Shockingly, Melky Cabrera laid down a bunt and he was able to sacrifice Betemit to second. Dice-K then left a fastball over the plate that Demon barely put over the wall in right for a 2-run homer and a 5-3 Yanks lead. The fence is 314 feet and the ball went 315 feet. Dice-K then walked Jeter and that ended his night. Javier Lopez came into face the lefty Bobby Abreu. Lopez did his job as he got Abreu to ground into a fielder’s choice. That would be the only batter Lopez faced as Francona went to the bullpen again, this time for Manny Delcarmen. Delcarmen came in and got AROD to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Yanks phenom Joba Chamberlain came in the 8th and maybe had a little bit of nerves as his 3-2 slider to Youk went about 57 feet. Chamberlain then got Big Papi to fly out. Eric Hinske came into pinch-hit for Bobby Kielty and looked helpless as Chamberlain was throwing gas. He got Hinske to strikeout on a nasty-ass slider. Mike Lowell was able to manage a single but Chamberlain got J.D. Drew to strikeout on another 3-2 slider. Chamberlain hit 99 mph on the gun at points during the inning. He’s the real deal folks.

Mariano worked a perfect 9th inning as he struck out Coco, Varitek and got Lugo to line out to Cano at second for his 21st save of the season.

Tomorrow’s game features a matchup of Josh Beckett vs his idol, Roger Clemens. Gametime is 7:05 PM.

Continue reading →

Last Friday, the girls at Inside Track reported that Tom “F’in” Brady and ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan had named their baby Jonathan Brady. Well today, Moynahan’s rep announced the baby’s name.

Not only is the name not Jonathan but there’s no mention of Brady as Moynahan has decided to name their son John Edward Thomas Moynahan. Obviously she’s a just a tad upset with Brady for him not being there during the pregnancy. But Tom had a good excuse. He was on vacation or hanging out with Victoria’s Secret model Gisele Bündchen.

And it got me to thinking, John Edward Thomas Moynahan. JETM. Take away the M and it’s JET. TFB plays for the PATS. Don’t ask me where I am going with that because I don’t have a clue.

I really wonder if TFB had any say in this matter. Anywho, congratulations again to TFB and Moynahan.

Unless you’re watching professional baseball or one of the several NCAA sanctioned summer wooden bat leagues, like the New England Collegiate Baseball League, chances are when you watch a baseball game from tee-ball through college the players are using metal bats.

Back in March the New York City Council voted 40-6 to ban metal bats for city high school games. It’s a law that supporters say will make the game safer for the city’s high school athletes.

In May the bill’s opponents filed a lawsuit fighting the ban.

A lawsuit against New York City was filed by USA Baseball, a Raleigh, N.C.-based national governing body for several baseball associations, and The National High School Baseball Coaches Association, based in Tempe, Ariz., along with four sporting goods companies and several fathers of ballplayers.

In April New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed the bat ban but it was overwhelmingly overturned by the city council.

Today a judge ruled that it was constitutional for the city to ban the metal bats. U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl said the new law fits the purpose of legislative bodies like the City Council to protect the public health and safety.

The ban was instituted because of claims that today’s metal bats make the ball travel farther and faster thus increasing the chance of injuries to players.

Opponents, including Little League Baseball and sporting goods makers, say there is no scientific evidence proving metal bats pose more of a risk than wooden bats. An American Legion Baseball study in 2005 found no substantial scientific proof that wooden bats are safer than metal bats.

Mike Lowell and David Ortiz were named Bank of America American League co-players of the week for the week ending August 26th. The award is Lowell’s third overall and first as a member of the Boston Red Sox. For Ortiz, this is his 4th award.

Lowell was 14-28 (.500) with 3 doubles, a home run and 11 RBIs. Ortiz was 11 for 23 (.478) with two doubles, a triple, 3 home runs and 8 RBIs.

The award comes on the heels of a 6-1 start to the 10-game road trip the Red Sox are on. Congratulations to Ortiz and Lowell on the honor.

I know you’re sitting there asking yourself, “Ian, why are you still writing about Michael Vick?” The reason is it is big news. The Attorney General of the United States steps down but is reduced to a small link on most news websites right now. The other reason is that I am a pet owner (well sort of, parents have a dog they got when I lived at home) and a dog lover. I’d do anything for my pup.

So in watching the statement Vick gave, I didn’t feel that Vick was sincere. While it did come from the heart, I felt it came more out of the shame and embarrassment of being caught and the fact that he’s losing millions of dollars. I think that as he spends time in prison, he will truly realize his actions. He’s admitted he was wrong but I just don’t think it was sincere.

You be the judge.

The Syracuse SkyChiefs, the Toronto Blue Jays Triple A farm team, looked like Kelly Leak and the Bad News Bears on Sunday committing 10 errors in a 12-10 loss to the Ottawa Lynx in 10 innings.

It was the most errors in the International League since Rochester made 10 on May 11, 1964.

“We’re embarrassed. Our players are embarrassed. There’s nothing you can say after a game like this,” Syracuse manager Doug Davis said.

First baseman Chad Mottola, committed four errors, two on throws. Former Red Sox farm hand John Hattig had three errors at third base, left fielder Adam Lind, center fielder Wayne Lydon and catcher David Corrente each committed one error apiece. Mottola, Hattig and Lind all have limited major league experience.

The ten errors miraculously only led to two unearned runs.

Who’s up for some early infield?

We all know that Julian Tavarez has a nickname of “Yo-Yo” and has had his looks compared to those of A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger. If there was ever pure photographic evidence about this, this picture from Sunday’s game against the White Sox confirms it.

And now for comparison.

You decide.