Nate Tharp Archive
Nate Tharp, Writer, The Drubbing, was born a Royals and Chiefs fan and raised a Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots fan. He writes about website design and development on natetharp.com. You can email him at nate[at]thedrubbing[dot]com.
2009 PGA Skins Game Canceled
, Friday, May 8, 2009 at 4:50 PM Comments (0)
In the latest edition of “Professional Sports Getting Things Right”, the PGA has decided to cancel the 2009 Skins Game. This will be the first year, since it’s inception in 1983 that the Skins Game will not be held. The PGA plans to start the event back up again in 2010.
The Skins Game had struggled to attract “top-tier” talent and rating had slid as well in recent years. So as the economic downturn worsened, it wasn’t a big surprise that their title sponsor LG didn’t renew and no one else has stepped up to fill the spot.
While the decision to cancel the event this year may have been motivated by financial performance reasons, the end result shows a little sensitivity to the plight of fans around the world that are struggling financially. Everyone knows that professional athletes are well-paid. But it just doesn’t look good when the winning golfer takes home anywhere between $500,000 to $1,000,000 or more for a single round of golf, when there are millions of Americans out of work and losing their homes to foreclosure.
Additionally, maybe this layoff will give the event organizers some time to improve the field. The star power of the first year when Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player competed really hasn’t been matched since. And the biggest star of the game, Tiger Woods, hasn’t played since 2005. Better luck next year.
D-Wade gets snubbed once more
, Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 6:56 PM Comments (1)
So that's how Kobe made NBA All-Defensive first team
First he got passed over for the Defensive Player of the Year award, in favor of Superman, Dwight Howard. Then his team got bounced from the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks. Next he got beat out for the MVP award by The King, LeBron James. In the most recent pimp-slap levied against the Miami Heat star, today Dwyane Wade was left off of the NBA All-Defensive first team. Flash made it onto the Second Team, which is a bit of a back-handed compliment for the runner-up in steals.
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Rajon Rondo fouls Brad Miller, NBA officials make correct call, Chicago fans cry like they play for the Spurs
, Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 10:30 AM Comments (2)
The final moments of game five of the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls series has created quite a storm. And I understand why, but I don’t understand why. The play/call that’s been questioned the most is the foul by Rajon Rondo on Brad Miller, which wasn’t necessarily the most-questionable call of the game.
As we all now have seen, Miller ended up wide open in the middle of the court, drove to the hoop, got swatted in the face by Rajon Rondo as he went up and flipped a shot up at the rim that ended up not even being close. Miller subsequently stepped up to the line, after getting his oral bleeding under control, and missed the first (unintentionally) by a mile, and missed the second shot (intentionally) and didn’t even hit the rim. All while in some pain and discomfort, and doing a fantastic acting job to appear severely disabled by the blow to the head.
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Lipstick on a Lion
, Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 5:00 AM Comments (0)
What do you do when your team fails to win a single game during the entire season? New coaching staff? Naturally. New training staff? Nah. New playbook? No. Add leadership through free-agency? Nope. New logo? Hells yeah! You’d think they’d go with a completely new team name, new colors, new everything, so that maybe the world would forget the Detroit Lions and what happened last year. Instead they just changed the font, altered some lines and let it rip.
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Chuck fails at eating
, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 10:00 AM Comments (0)
I never thought I’d see the day, but Charles Barkley has failed an eating contest. This one is right up there with the saltines challenge, and the Friendly’s Jim Dandy™ challenge. Allegedly only a special few have been able to down a piece of bread in 25 seconds. Chuck is not one of them.
The Basketball Jesus Rankings: Week 25
, Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 2:20 AM Comments (0)
It’s a sad, sad day, but the final installment of this years Basketball Jesus Rankings are upon us. I’ll cut to the chase because it’s no surprise who finished in the top spot. There wasn’t much time to move up or down in the short week, so LeBron easily held onto the number one position.
The Basketball Jesus Rankings: Week 24
, Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 2:10 AM Comments (0)
After a month filled with NCAA basketball, this first week of April has been leading up to the NCAA Championship tonight. But once that’s over, the focus will quickly shift to the NBA Playoffs, Where Amazing Happens.
Ironically enough, we actually have two players in the rankings this week that played for one of the teams competing for the NCAA title. Vince Carter in the number 14 spot and Antawn Jamison in the number 7 spots both suited up in Carolina blue for the UNC Tar Heels. Will that bode well for their alma mater, only time will tell. Now on to the rest of the players in this weeks Basketball Jesus Rankings.
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Changing of the [point] guard
, Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 8:00 AM Comments (0)
29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists. 36 points, 11 assists, 12 for 12 from the stripe. 27 points, 7 assists, 10 for 17 from the field and 5 for 8 from behind the arc.
These aren’t the stat lines of Jason Terry, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups and Jason Kidd. These are the stats of Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose and Aaron Brooks. Two of which won their first game of their playoff series, the exception being Rondo.
There’s a new cast of point guards wreaking havoc throughout the NBA, many of them made it to the playoffs this year, and now they’re leaving their mark.
Speaking of leaving their mark, Dorris Burke continues to be a blemish on the NBA landscape with an abysmal performance during the Portland/Rockets game tonight. So I guess it’s more of a skid mark. The next time ESPN or ABC is thinking about having Dorris Burke do color commentating for a game, don’t. Please call me. I’ll fly myself to the game and I’ll do it for free. Even if I don’t say a thing the entire game, it won’t be quite as bad as having to listen to Doris. They learned their lesson quickly with Kara Lawson. She did one game before getting the ax.
Best line of the night
This has been a great day of basketball, as we break the seal of the NBA playoffs.
- Mike Terrico
Worst line of the night
Ron Artest goes into the stands [to save the ball]!
- Dave Pasch
I love this game.
Andrew Thomas Gallo isn’t a monster, just an irresponsible coward and a killer
, Friday, April 17, 2009 at 10:00 PM Comments (2)
The media has come down hard on Andrew Thomas Gallo, the young man that allegedly killed Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Nick Adenhart, Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson as well as injuring Jon Wilhite. The circumstances of the Major League Baseball player’s death have thrust this incident into the national spotlight and Andrew Gallo and his family have been beaten down with the negative press. It’s been so bad that Gallo’s family has temporarily relocated because of death threats, presumably from idiot Angels fans.
But Gallo’s family isn’t doing him any favors, sticking with the same game plan that got him here in the first place. In the family’s first public interview, Andrew’s father, Thomas Gallo told the press, ”People think my son is a monster. He’s not.” Gallo’s mother added that ”It was an accident. He never meant to hurt anybody, ever.” What a relief. Let’s just forget it all happened.
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Enough is enough, Isiah Thomas needs to go away
, Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 10:00 AM Comments (3)
Where do you find ties this long?
Just when we thought we’d heard the last out of Isiah Thomas. He’s back. Now as the head coach of the Florida International men’s basketball team. In charge of teaching young men how to be better basketball players, and better citizens of the world. Perfect.
As a gesture of goodwill, he’s voiced his intent to donate his first year salary back to the athletic department at Florida International. The terms of his contract have not been released, but I’m sure he’ll really miss whatever they’re paying him.
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