Media Watch goes to the bottom of the list this AM so that you can experience the top-most link below: A certifiable First Ballot FanHouse HoF post. Or dozens of posts crammed in one. I present to you, A-Rod's very own, very immersive, Choose Your Own Adventure.
From The Cave of Time:
Choose Your Own Rodventure: The Saga of Alex Rodriguez: You've now opted out of the remaining three years on your contract, three years that would have netted you about $90 million. You are a free agent with limitless earning potential.
You can:
1. Decide to call the Steinbrenners and apologize for the opt-out while offering to negotiate a deal that brings you back to New York at a higher price than your contract, but a lower price than the market's. This, you think, would be a really nice thing to do, and would help get you back in New York's -- and baseball's -- good graces.
or ...
2. You can test free agency. Scott tells you that lots of teams are interested, including the Angels, Dodgers, Cubs, Tigers ... heck, maybe even the Red Sox! Plus, you've been through the ringer in pinstripes. You've seen that nothing -- short of a World Series -- will endear you to fans, and the organization really doesn't seem to care for you too much either. If you choose free agency, really choose it, you may be able to say goodbye to New York forever.
College Basketball:
Video: Remembering Robert Goulet's Best Work: Damn. Robert Goulet passed away. Elvis may not have liked his stylings, but any college basketball fan should hold fond place in his (or her) heart for Mr. Goulet. Simply because of the epic promo/commercials he did for ESPN and college basketball. As MJD pointed us to last December, you can view all of them here at the Goulet site.
MLB:
Johnny Bench Will Celebrate His Birthday Whenever He Pleases: What are the chances that the President was set to drop into the same place where former Red Johnny Bench was celebrating his 60th birthday ... especially since Bush was being hosted by current Reds owner Bob Castelini? Only one problem: According to Bench's official website ... his birthday is December 7th.
The Dugout: Jim Thome and the DH Gang: In a sense, we at the Dugout cherish the offseason. Baseball news comes at a slower pace, which means a lot more screwing around on our part. May a Winter of Jim Thome talking in uppercase and Manny Ramirez befriending inanimate objects keep you warm.
NBA:
Clippers, Spurs Already Getting Desperate to Sell Tickets: I received an email this morning begging me to buy offering me the opportunity (let's keep it positive) to purchase opening night tickets at a whopping 50% discount. What I love is the sales pitch in the email, letting me know that this is "expected to be the first sellout game of an exciting season." Really? Why slash prices for the first home game if it's going to be a sellout? Exactly --- it's not going to be, unless people buy up the upper level seats at this discounted price.
Video: Kevin Garnett Explains His Competitiveness: To reiterate the fact that Kevin Garnett brings it night in and night out is more or less becoming a straw man argument: there's no denying it. When we last saw Dime's interview with KG, we saw the jovial side, but in their next installment, Garnett gives us insight into how he can remain in constant attack mode: it's because he doesn't immediately befriend everyone (unlike other players that are fond of each other).
NFL:
Garrett Reid Fails a Drug Test, Headed to Jail... Again: I can't keep track anymore of what Andy Reid's sons are up to these days. A few weeks ago we told you that Andy Reid's son Garrett failed to appear for a drug test and spent some time in jail. Turns out he failed a test this past Friday when he tested positive for opiates and is headed back. According to 6 ABC:
Jon Kitna Has to Have the Best Halloween Costume in the NFL: Kitna dressed as a naked man (with a Lions visor), while his wife appeared as a Wendy's employee, perhaps as a humorous nod to defensive line coach Joe Cullen's incident of a year before. Well played, Kitnas. I guess devout Christians can have a sense of humor, after all. I wonder what Cullen's reaction looked like gazing upon the Kitnas for the first time.
Tony Romo on Britney Spears: 'I Wasn't Partying With Her, That's for Sure': essica Simpson? Check. Carrie Underwood? Check. Sophia Bush? Check. But Britney Spears? No, Romo insists that despite reports that he was out partying with her, he most certainly was not.
Media Watch:
Meet The Press: Matt Ryan for Heisman: Check out the image at right of one grinning Tim Russert and his Ryan for Heisman shirt. Not bad for a quarterback at a private Jesuit school in pro sports mad Boston. Beat Miami on a Hail Mary to Kevin Challenger and he may really be onto something. As for Russert, well last I checked he still has a Berman-esque affection for his hometown Buffalo Bills. Yet it's nice to see his interests expanding into the college game.
Scoop Jackson: Blogs Can Kill the NBA: Scoop isn't being malicious; it's clear he just doesn't understand blogs (which is a shame, since he has one of the best basketbloggers in the business two hyperlinks away). He knows blogs are an important part of new media; he's heard the Deadspin Hype Machine. But he doesn't understand where we're coming from... he doesn't understand we write about basketball for the same reason he started: WE LOVE THIS GAME.