SHOCKER! Josh Gordon Smokes Weed, Cares Less

Josh Gordon Didn't Give Full Effort in MNF Loss

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon (pending suspension) apparently did not satisfy his coaches with his play during Monday night's pre-season game against the Washington Redskins.  Head coach Mike Pettine stated that the staff felt that something was lacking…the drive just wasn't there.  NEWS FLASH:  Josh Gordon has failed like 11 drug tests all for marijuana (at least from what the NFL has told us).  There is a rumor circulating the Earth that weed tends to take the edge off as well as lower your desire to really do anything.  Again, that's just a rumor.  But the effects of bongs and blunts aside, maybe he just wasn't into it because he is 99.9% certain he will be missing the 2014 season because he is a repeat offender of the NFL's substance abuse policy…just maybe.  I am not saying it's right since I believe he is still being paid to play, but I get it, I really do get it.  What I do not get is how his coaches even felt the slightest desire to play him at all.  What good comes from that?  He could get hurt and miss more time.  He could do well and just remind everyone of what they are going to miss once he gets suspended.  He could do nothing and everyone just says, what is this guy doing here in the first place?  But seriously, Josh…enough with the weed.  There'll be time enough for smokin' when the career is over.

In other football related news, the NFL geniuses have run that statistics and found…wait for this one…that the experimental longer extra point kick (being spotted at the 15 yard line as opposed to the usual 2 yard line) was missed with greater frequency!!  No way!  It's harder to make a longer kick?  Stop.  That can't be accurate.  Run the numbers again!  You ran them 6 times?  Run 'em a 7th time!!  God!  I am so tired of the number monkeys at the NFL, I always have to tell them to run the 20 times a day…frustrating and tiring.

But really?  Is the NFL surprised by the stats here?  Spotting the ball at the 2 yard line is going to be an easier kick than spotting it at the 15 yard line every day of the week. Maybe not Tuesday (no football on Tuesdays).  This is like confirming that the closer you stand to an open flame the more likely you are to set yourself on fire.  NFL you have outdone yourselves again!  The rumor is that these longer PATs are on the not so distance horizon.  Works for me, I love added drama…sucks for the kickers though.

GRILLED CHEESE SPORTS WRAP UP!

++  Nick Fairley (Detroit Lions defensive end) has been demoted from starter to second string because he got fat(ter).  Pretty sure someone should call HR on the Lions front office!

++  Brian Hoyer beats out Johnny Manziel for the starting QB gig in Cleveland…Good luck to all players!

++  Curt Schilling declares tobacco use probably contributed to his mouth cancer…Yes, I agree.

++  It's Hump Day!  Enjoy!

Happy Watching!!

Johnny Foosball & Odd Sports Injuries

Johnny Foosball & Odd Sports Injuries

It's 2 for Tuesday today and man am I excited to get to some lighter stuff after a semi-depressing Manic Monday, which will only get worse once football season starts and the Jets and Giants are racking up losses with reckless abandon (well, I hope not…but probably).

As previously mentioned at Grilled Cheese Sports and just about every other sports website, TV show, water cooler or family BBQ - Johnny Manziel has been making headlines since being drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns in this year's NFL Draft.  Whether it's doing blow in the women's room, throwing money around like it's his last day on Earf or getting silly on social media he has been a very, very busy boy.  

During last night's Monday Night Football game (pre-season so no one really watched it) the Redskins played the Browns and it apparently got a little heated…at least in Manziel's head.  During one of the plays he ended up by the Redskins sideline and for reasons only known to him, he flipped the bird to the Redskins players.

Seems he did not take too kindly to the Redskins pointing out to him that this was not college and in fact was the NFL.  Not sure why that would get you fired up…pretty sure the uniforms that everyone is wearing has the NFL logo on it.  They said that the defenses were faster than him…again, not sure why that would make him flip the bird.  Everyone's 40 yard dash time is published on some website somewhere from their NFL combine days - Combine Database.  Not a mystery that he is playing in the NFL (not college) and that the defensive players are faster than many he faced in college and probably much faster than he is…BUT here's the thing, oh wait…there isn't a thing.  Johnny Foosball is just dumb.  He is some clown who is good/great (especially at the college level) and that's about it.  I am sure he will rise to the mediocre level the Browns expect of themselves but probably nothing more.  It won't be entirely his fault, as the Browns have holes all over the field…even more so with Josh Gordon most likely out for the season after his 14th drug related infraction.  Good luck Johnny - it's going to be a rough one!

Oddly Ridiculous Sports Injuries!

I am going to make this one into a list because the hilarity doesn't really need that much color (all of which led to missing games) - 

1.  Marty Cordova - missed time due to a severe sunburn because he fell asleep in a tanning bed
2.  Wade Boggs - strained back while pulling on his cowboy boots
3.  Ricky Henderson - acquired frostbite from prolonged exposure to…you guessed it, an ice pack
4.  Matt Cain - sliced hand open while cutting crust off of sandwich, actually crust was removed…cut hand while cutting bread into triangles
5.  Sammy Sosa - pulls muscle in his back after a violent sneeze (I think it was a 'roid sneeze)
6.  Joel Zumaya - missed 3 games with an injured wrist from of all things playing Guitar Hero

That about wraps it up for today!

Was just about to sign off for the day but I figured I would drop this one on you…you're welcome! - Suarez Claims "No More Biting!"

Happy Watching!!

Johnny Manziel Repents & A Quick Look at The 4-6-3 DP

Johnny Manziel Repents & A Quick Look at The 6-4-3 DP

Welcome to Saturday! It's so nice to see, and not a minute too soon.  You feel like a summertime shady place, a warm embrace and...well that is about as far as I can get it.  Finding your missing shoe lace?  In times of need, seeing a friendly face?  Wait, that last one wasn't that bad...put that one at the end.  Ok, so Saturdays are about to ramp up - NCAA Football (Rutgers' first season in the BIG14, it's dumb to call it the BIG10 there are 14 teams in it) and the beginning of the Barclay's English Premier League (EPL) season.  Soccer doesn't end with the World Cup, it only gets feistier because everyone is playing for lands, titles and money. (bad Braveheart reference).  Let;s dive into it and see what's going on in the world of sports this Saturday.

1.  "Johnny Football" Johnny Manziel has been a naughty boy (again) and was photographed rolling up a $20 bill in a bathroom in Las Vegas.  I assume it was to make it fit as efficiently as possible into the bathroom attendant's pocket.  More space equals more money, and Johnny can avoid to slip the bathroom attendant a crispy Andrew Jackson (is it ever all about the Jacksons?  Maybe that one time they had that E! True Hollywood story about Tito and Jermaine).  BUT the Cleveland Browns organization, who drafted him this past April, did not think he was being a good tipper and a model newly minted millionaire...oh no!  They took this photo to mean that he was crushing copious amounts of cocaine into his face with this rolled up twenty dollar bill.  As far as I know, there is no evidence either way (should have been a lawyer), it's just all about how you look at it. The old adage is that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Maybe I am wrong here and probably so...Johnny has reportedly apologized for "rookie mistakes".  Is he already paving the way for when he reads the defense wrong and fires a sick pass into the waiting arms of the free safety for a pick 6?  I hope not!  Come on Johnny - Cleveland needs you...a lot.

2.  6-4-3 Double Play - for those of you who do not know what this means, it is when a batter in baseball hits a ground ball in the infield (with a runner on first) that is then fielded by the shortstop (6), thrown to the second baseman (4) who gets a force out at second and then fires the ball over to the first baseman (3) to get the batter out at first.  When executed properly it is majestic, the perfect combination executing what you practice and finely honed individual skills.  One of the best things about this play is that more often than not the most grateful player after the aforementioned play is over is the pitcher (1).  He may have walked the player on first or given up a sharply hit ball up the middle and feels like garbage about either play.  He is relieved to have the bases cleaned up and loves his infielders for it.  On the other hand, the manager of the other team is far from happy and doesn't give a damn about how flawlessly the second baseman turned on a dime and fired a strike to the first baseman.  He just fired his chaw at the batboy and headed into the clubhouse for a breather.

What am I getting at?  Good question - The board who oversees the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame has announced that they will reduce the number of years of ballot eligibility from 15 to 10.  While this seems to the casual follower of baseball to be not a big deal...that whole do your business in the pot or get off thing, what it really means is that players who enjoyed the Steroid Era or JUICE BALL, now have less time to politic and rework their image in the public's eye (I'm looking at you Mr. McGwire and your batting coach gig).  The thing is 10 years is a ton of time to get inducted into the Hall of Fame anyway. It shouldn't take the Baseball Writer's Association of America 10 years to figure out if you are "Hall-worthy" or not.  Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens you have been put on notice and it doesn't look good.  Not to belabor the point, but the Hall of Fame inductee with the highest voter approval rating...not Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron or Cal Ripken Jr...nope Tom "Tom Terrific" Seaver.  Yep, you got it.  Deal with it.  

Moving along as this is getting quite long winded, let's wrap up what's new in the 'hood.

Mets - win 3-2 over Brew Crew.  Yanks - win 6-4 over Bluebirds.  Both play today at 7PM and 1PM respectively.  Jake Peavy to the Giants (making that playoff push I guess).  Red Bulls play Arsenal FC tonight at 5PM in Harrison New Jersey - Get out there if you can!  See the RBs and some of the EPL's greats.  Outside of that, enjoy the summer Saturday and keep it real.

Happy Watching!

-Shaun