Daddy's Sugar Ball

Today in Central PA Sports History - 1954

2010-03-13T16:00:00Z

Welcome to a new feature here at DSB...we can't promise we'll have one of these every day, but we hope when we do post them that you'll find them informative and fun.

March 13, 1954

On this date 56 years ago, the Penn State men's basketball team beat Notre Dame, 71-63, to advance to their first and only Final Four in school history. The Nittany Lions would lose to the eventual champions, the LaSalle Explorers, in the national semifinal less than one week later.

In his last season as coach, Elmer Gross guided All-American Jesse Arnelle (pictured) and the rest of the Nittany Lions to an opening game victory over Toledo, an upset of eighth-ranked LSU, and ended Notre Dame's 18-game winning streak to advance to basketball's final weekend in Kansas City.

For his efforts in the tournament, Arnelle was named the East Regional MVP and was also named to the 1954 NCAA All-Tournament team. The 6'5" center finished his career at Penn State as the Lions' all-time leading scorer and rebounder and is the school's only basketball All-American.

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

Random Thoughts from the Southern Outpost - 2010 ACC Tournament, Day 1

2010-03-12T14:00:00Z

Imagine if Larry King's meandering (and now defunct) USA Today column was raped by Andy Rooney's idiosyncratic airtime on 60 Minutes while Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback was being read softly in the background...that pretty much sums up the style of my Random Thoughts posts.

• Hey, Harrisburg Airport, just because you have two flights a day to Toronto does not make you an international airport. Oh, I get how geographically it does...but you're no more international than I am while I am sitting here at 2am drinking Modelo Especial out of a can.

• My flight out of Harrisburg was so freakin' early (even foursquare thought I was up late on a school night, instead of early) that the pilot had to do a series of tests on the aircraft before we took off. This amounted to something that felt like he was just revving the engine (ZJ could explain the specifics and need for this). But what it did do is caused such vibrations (not quite to Michael J.Fox levels) that I could feel the sensation somewhere around my taint and creeping up through my ballsack. Getting a chubby at 5am due to plane maintenance is something I never experienced before.

• Have you ever been watching a movie or TV show and a character's cell phone has the exact same ringtone as yours and you keep checking your phone every time you hear the sound? Down here in Greensboro, I never have to worry about that...I can't tell how everyone else around here does it though because every cellphone ring is a twangy country song and it all sounds the same to me.

• During a break in the action, the Greensboro Coliseum started to pimp their upcoming shows. Here are some of the more unusual ones: The “World Famous” Lipizzaner Stallions, Dixie's Tupperware Party presented as part of the Best of Broadway Series, and the North Carolina Rabbit Breeders Association Convention. The next time you think there's nothing to do in the midstate area, just remember that it could be worse...much worse.

• Here's another ad shown in the arena during the games. Clearly part of Toyota's new truth in advertising campaign.


                                           ...because the brakes don't work

• Yesterday's final game of the day pitted N.C. State against the Clemson Tigers. If you reread last year's Random Thoughts from the Southern Outpost, you'll see my utter disdain for N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe and the fact that I believe he's the worst basketball coach in D1. But last night Lowe actually outcoached Clemson's Oliver Purnell in a Death Cage match of Idiots. At times it looked like Lowe was alerted by the patrons at a Buffalo Wild Wings to send the game into overtime (more on this later), but it didn't matter because I'm pretty sure Purnell was asleep until there was 2 1/2 minutes left in the game.

• Speaking of alerts from Buffalo Wild Wings, the refereeing in the State/Clemson game was atrocious to the point that I thought the fix was in. If it wasn't for the zebras, the Wolfpack would have beat Clemson by double digits. Late in the game there was a flagrant foul called on State's Farnold Degand that was possibly one of the worst calls I've ever seen. I really don't believe there was a Donaghy-like situation, but it is just a painful reminder that the officiating seems to be getting worse each and every year.

• Here's a picture from our seats of the Clemson Cheer Team made up of cheerleaders and dance squad. First and foremost, do we really need both?!?!?! Secondly, look more closely at the cheerleaders in front...they're not even allowed pompoms. That's just sad and pathetic.

• If it wasn't for Georgia Tech mounting a comeback against North Carolina, all 4 lower seeds would have won the first-round games. And while the Big East's conference strength is proven by the numerous upsets in their tournament, here it is a product of some bad basketball being played. And there was plenty of that on display here yesterday.

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

The Jerk Store

2010-03-12T01:07:00Z

Welcome back to The Jerk Store. This time we welcome ESPN's Bill Simmons aka The Sports Guy...

Bill Simmons has had this coming for a long time. Deadspin’s comments section and KSK love to poke fun at him. Blogs everywhere love to point out when he is wrong or pounce on his Boston bias. He has become an easy target. It is fun to bring down the top dog. Simmons jumped the shark for me at least a year ago. Replaced by people that were actually fun and did not spend time trying to dream up inane sports and movie comparisons (That Celtics-Lakers game is just like the Boof and Scott Teen Wolf made out in the closet because…) Let me be clear; this is not about bringing down the most widely read sports “blogger” on the Internet or about going after ESPN as I have done in the past.
This is about giving Bill Simmons a label… Jerk. Frankly, there are three incidents over the course of the past month that have forced me to welcome Simmons to The Jerk Store.

Exhibit #1: Bill Simmons’ February 5, 2010 Mailbag

Q: Is there anything more ludicrous than shared e-mail accounts for married couples? What are these morons thinking? What possible good could come from this? The only thing more ludicrous is Brad Childress getting extended midseason.
--Marty, Minneapolis
SG: For the record, I got that e-mail two months ago (well before the 12 Men In the Huddle Game). See, I'm all for the shared e-mail account for married couples. It's an uncomplicated way of announcing to your friends, "We tell each other everything, so if you confide in one of us, just know you're confiding in both of us," and if you want to dig deeper, there's a little "I caught him cheating on me and/or found hundreds of hours of Internet porn on his computer, so the only way I'm allowing him to even use e-mail anymore is if we share an account from now on." Or as it came to be known in 2010, the Elin Nordegren Woods.

How Simmons can justify telling other men to share email accounts is stupefying. God forbid if anyone’s wives were to actually read Simmons’ column. This is the most colossally stupid piece of advice that Simmons has ever provided to a reader. I believe this is grounds for his man card to be revoked. Please, I beg of you our loyal DSB followers, never seek advice from the Sports Guy. It has been brought to my attention that this might all be a joke but I doubt it. He plainly states his position in the second sentence of his response. This is completely unacceptable. I do not have time to explain to you all the ways that this is horrible, horrible advice.

Exhibit #2: Bill Simmons’ ongoing feud with Keith Olbermann

Simmons during a February ESPN.com online chat said some really stupid things about Tiger’s return to golf and the need for a career comeback. Simmons stated that not only would Tiger’s return be more difficult than the Ali exile during Vietnam and return to boxing but that “[During his comeback] Everyone was rooting for Ali.” Also the Sports Guy glosses over that whole racism and religious persecution thing for Ali. It was all very smoothly done and then he went and as Deadspin said “Doubled Down on The Stupid” via a nearly 3,600 word column where he defended his prior retardary of comparing Tiger’s need to bang pornstars to Ali skipping on an unpopular war based on religious fundamentals. The Simmons pile on was underway and none other than ESPN abortion Keith Olbermann (who I freaking hate with every fiber of my being) came out and made a reasonable and accurate retort to Simmons stupid and offensive comparison. I had to actually agree with something Olbermann said. I was nearly beside myself. I felt like my hair was on fire. I showered but I still could not get the dirt from this experience off. My soul is damaged.

Exhibit #3: Bill Simmons’ Twitter Account:

During the Oscars Simmons was providing a running commentary on the awards show and the selections by the academy. Simmons even listed Jeff Bridges top five roles. Guess which one did not make the list; Bridge’s career defining role as The Dude in The Big Lebowski. This had me believing that either Simmons was baiting his twitter followers or he was trying to be funny by leaving off The Dude. No instead moments later to what I am sure what a flood of tweets attacking his obvious omission, SportsGuy33 responded “Never saw Big Lebowski if only b/c it's driven readers crazy since 1998.” Wait what? Simmons who defines his writing style based on the every man perspective and pop culture references has not seen The Big Lebowski? Worse he is actively choosing not to watch it? There are no words.

Verdict: Jerk Store

Thanks for coming and suckling on Daddy’s Sugar Ball…
Bearcat

The Snooze Button: 3/11

2010-03-11T12:00:00Z

Every morning, DSB will give you a post entitled The Snooze Button. Some sites will give you a Wake-Up Call or The Morning Meat...instead we give you just enough to occupy the first 9 minutes of your day.

Site News

By the time you're reading this, I'll either be 40,000 feet in the air or I'll already have touched down in Greensboro, North Carolina. That's right...welcome to the 2nd Annual DSB Field Trip to the ACC Tournament. While I'm away, I'll do the usual Random Thoughts from the Southern Outpost. Otherwise, Bearcat will be here to guide you through the rest of the week...God help us all.

Link o' the Day

What's the craziest thing you've done while driving? Men...have you broke out the electric shaver on your morning commute? Women...have you applied your makeup in the rearview mirror? Or have you been on the giving or receiving end of road head? Whatever you've done, it can't even compare to this.

Pic o' the Day

via Warming Glow

Song to Wake Up to:

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

Entertainment News The DSB Way…

2010-03-10T20:00:00Z

You’re So Vain…You Probably Think This Commercial Is About You:

Lindsay Lohan is suing E*Trade because of emotional distress and harm caused by the E*Trade Super Bowl commercial featuring a "milkaholic" baby named Lindsay. Lohan is suing for 100 million dollars (that’s Dr. Evil-type money). Dina Lohan (Momma Lohan) said shortly after the advertisement aired that Lindsay called sobbing and saying "Mommy, help me. This is wrong. How can they do this?" Lindsay is reportedly extremely upset and disturbed by the commercial. DSB after reaching out to legal experts regarding the damages has determined that 100 million dollars was requested since that's the cost of her lifetime coke habit...adjusted for inflation, of course.

Least Surprising News of the Day:

Eighties teen heartthrob Corey Haim was found dead in his Oakwood, California apartment this morning. Haim appears to have died of a drug overdose. DSB reached out to Corey Feldman, who will always be connected to Haim like no other, for a statement. Feldman, who was obviously shocked by the news stated: "Looks like this is the end of Haim and I using the line "Are you bi-Corey-ous?" to pick up women…"

More Least Surprising News of the Day:

                                 \

Sean Hayes, who is best known for playing the flamboyant and obviously out of the closet Jack McFarland on the hit TV series Will & Grace, finally came out of the closet himself in the out-coming issue of The Advocate. DSB reached out to Hayes’ publicist for additional comment on why it took so long for him to tell us what we already knew. Hayes responded that, "As a method actor, being Jack was just too gay. It took years for me to get back to a reasonable level of homosexuality. I have spent the past few years drinking Old Milwaukee, eating rare steak and reading Playboy. Only now am I am able to tolerate myself."

Breast is Best:



Andy Richter sat in for Regis Philbin on yesterday’s Live! With Regis and Kelly and joked about taking the fill-in gig because he "has children and needs the work." Ripa asked Richter if he harbors ill feelings towards Leno and NBC to which Andy responded, "Yes. Yes I do." BREAKING NEWS: Andy too is pissed at NBC!!! Richter and Ripa then quickly moved on to discuss the day’s news and sampled some cheese made from the breast milk of a NYC chef's wife. I am not making this up.

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...
Bearcat

The Snooze Button: 3/10

2010-03-10T12:00:00Z

Every morning, DSB will give you a post entitled The Snooze Button. Some sites will give you a Wake-Up Call or The Morning Meat...instead we give you just enough to occupy the first 9 minutes of your day.

Link o' the Day
Is it me or is JetBlue's customer service getting a little touchy-feely these days? (from The Daily Bunch)

Pic o' the Day

Here's Cookie!!!!

Yesterday's Winner: Michael Vick

On the day the Philadelphia Eagles picked up his option qualifying him for a $1.5M roster bonus, Vick was one of 32 NFL players to receive the Ed Block Courage Award. "I'm very humbled to be here," Vick said before the award ceremony. "I'm blessed to be voted by my peers, to be here, and this is an opportunity that I will take advantage of and cherish forever...The Eagles picking up the roster bonus, it's a blessing for me, a blessing for my family."

Yesterday's Loser: Joe Nathan

Yesterday the Minnesota Twins announced that tests performed on Nathan's right elbow revealed a significant tear in the ulnar collateral ligament. After consulting with Dr. James Andrews on a second opinion, a decision will be made regarding Tommy John surgery which takes 12 to 18 months to recover from. Over the last six seasons, Nathan has the most saves in the major leagues (246).

Song to Wake Up to:

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

The Big East's Top 10 All-Time Players

2010-03-09T19:00:00Z

So last night, blogger Dan Shanoff caught the SNY show, Beasts of the Big East: Top 10 All-Time Players, celebrating 30 years of the Big East's existence. That got Dan thinking...so in this morning's edition of the Wake-Up Call on The Sporting Blog he threw out his top 10 players in Big East history.

Nostalgia: I was watching a show last night about the Top 10 players in Big East history, and it got me thinking who would make my list: (1) Ewing, (2) Carmelo, (3) Mullin, (4) Pearl, (5) Coleman, (6) Iverson, (7) Mourning, (8) Donovan, (9) Douglas, (10) Allen. Apologies to all snubees.

All due respect to Mr. Shanoff who is a respected writer and maybe even a nicer person (a mensch if you will), but he has some glaring omissions, questionable inclusions, and distorted rankings. Shanoff is well-known for being quick to superlatives and to crown the latest to be the greatest, but I really don't mean to make this a rant against him. I understand that the purpose of any list like this is meant to discuss and argue those on it and is inherently debatable. I also understand that this is but a small section of his otherwise large WUC (done daily), so I doubt he put hours and hours of research into his categorization. And in all fairness, I can't find the original list featured on the SNY program to balance and contrast his rankings against.

Below I have laid out a couple of comparisons between two players who played similar positions. In each case, one of the players is on Shanoff's list and the other isn't. Who would you rather name to the all-time top 10 players in Big East history?

Player A: 1 season, 22.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.6 spg, NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1 National Championship
Player B: 3 seasons, 21.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 2x Big East POY

In this first comparison, I'll concede that the numbers are pretty similar. The only differences seem to be Player B's career of three solid seasons compared to Player A's stunning run in the NCAA Tournament on the national stage. What if I told you that Player A didn't even win Big East POY in his only season playing? I'm open to discussion whether Troy Murphy (Player B) or Carmelo Anthony (Player A) had a better Big East career, but at the very least Melo should not be anywhere close to #2 on this list.

Player A: 19.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.4 apg, Big East POY
Player B: 19.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2x Big East POY, NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1 National Championship

Player A and Player B both played three season and have virtually identical statistics. Shouldn't one more Big East POY and a National Championship MOP be the tiebreaker? I'm not sure who Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun would choose, but I'm going with Rip Hamilton (Player B) over Ray Allen (Player A) any day.

Player A: 10.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 4.5 apg
Player B: 21.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2,632 career points (1st in Big East history), 2x Big East POY

Here is clearly the most egregious slight and inclusion in the list. How can Player A possibly be considered for this list? What if I told you that he didn't have the benefit of the three-point line (which he would have taken advantage of)? Would it matter that he didn't play that much as an underclassman? How about averaging over 20 ppg while carrying his team to a Final Four appearance in his senior season? Yeah...all of that still doesn't matter to me either. How Billy Donovan (Player A) makes Shanoff's list and Troy Bell (Player B) doesn't is beyond me. I didn't realize that Shanoff's love for Tebow and all things Florida also wrote revisionist history for Donovan's playing career at Providence.

I'll end this post with my list so I can give everyone the same benefit of picking my rankings to shreds. Feel free to rip me in the comments...

1. Patrick Ewing
2. Chris Mullin
3. Derrick Coleman
4. Allen Iverson
5. Alonzo Mourning
6. Rip Hamilton
7. Troy Bell
8. Pearl Washington
9. Troy Murphy
10. Sherman Douglas
11. Carmelo Anthony

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

Today in Central PA Sports History - 1991

2010-03-09T16:00:00Z

Welcome to a new feature here at DSB...we can't promise we'll have one of these every day, but we hope when we do post them that you'll find them informative and fun.

March 9, 1991

19 years ago tonight, a standing room only crowd at Hersheypark Arena hosted "Frank Mathers Night" to honor the Bears' great. Mathers led the team as a player-coach, from the bench as head coach, and in the front office for 35 years that saw the Bears capture six Calder Cup trophies.

After a nostalgic and emotional 39-minute ceremony, a banner officially retiring his #3 jersey number was raised to the rafters. Among those in attendance for the momentous night were his ninety-year old mother from Winnipeg, one or more players from each of the six championship teams, and numerous friends and hockey representatives from all over the world.

Mathers' contributions to hockey while remaining generous, respectful, and honest earned him election to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

The Snooze Button: 3/9

2010-03-09T12:00:00Z

Every morning, DSB will give you a post entitled The Snooze Button. Some sites will give you a Wake-Up Call or The Morning Meat...instead we give you just enough to occupy the first 9 minutes of your day.

Quote o' the Day: In honor of Women's History Month
"(My girlfriend) is writing a book on contemporary feminist theories and she let me read the manuscript. I gotta tell you...it's pretty good...for a girl." - Zach Galifianakis during his SNL monologue

Yesterday's Winner: Connecticut Huskies

Last night the Connecticut Huskies set the record for women's basketball with their 71st straight win when they beat Notre Dame, 59-44. UConn topped the previous mark set by the 2001-2003 edition of the team. In this amazing 71 game streak, the Huskies have only been behind for 86 minutes. God, I loathe Geno Auriemma...

Yesterday's Loser: Allen Iverson

2010 is not shaping up to be AI's year. Iverson's season with the Sixers is over and he has been away from basketball to deal with his daughter's serious medical issue. Just last week his wife of over 8 years filed for divorce seeking full custody of their five children, child support, and alimony. Now, Stephen A. Smith is reporting that Iverson "will either drink himself into oblivion or gamble his life away." Smith is also reporting that Iverson's gambling problems are so bad that he has been thrown out from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City. What does it take to get banished? The casinos like it when you consistently lose shitloads of money...so it's either because of bad behavior or not paying off your casino markers.

Song to Wake Up to (Cover Song Tuesday):

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

Blonde or Not?

2010-03-08T18:00:00Z

If you've read any of the entertainment rags otherwise known as Us Weekly or People, you'll be familar with segments like "Who Wore it Best?" or "Fashion Police". Considering our wildly successful Entertainment News the DSB Way has made us a force in the showbiz game, we'd be remiss if we also didn't join in on the opinionated, shallow exercise of judging celebrities. So, now we give you our second installment of Blonde or Not? (here's the first) where we'll reveal pictures of stars and then Bearcat, ZJ, PJ, and Max Power will let loose with their judgments and no holds barred snark. Onto the pettiness and small-mindedness...

Scarlett Johansson...Blonde or Not?

Bearcat: Blonde…and with as much cleavage as possible.
Max: She's the real-life version of the chick in She's All That...watch The Horse Whisperer or Ghost World and tell me you had any inkling she'd become this. But only as a blonde is she va-va-va-voom.
PJ: Frankly Scarlett you should be a blonde, and I do give a damn!
DSB Consensus: Blonde

Jessica Alba...Blonde or Not?

PJ: Jessica Alba is a brunette! The blonde makes her look like Casper the "Washed Out" Ghost.
Max: If they would have kept her as a brunette, I would have been engorged to my entire Fantastic Four inches
ZJ: I get that she’s hot, but for me...her eyes are too far apart, like a goldfish. As a blonde, she looks like Nemo.
DSB Consensus: Not

Rachel McAdams...Blonde or Not?

Bearcat: A brunette…all the way
PJ: She should always remain a brunette. The blonde hair makes her ordinary and ordinary she is not.
ZJ: Infinitely cuter as a brunette. Rachel, DON’T MESS WITH NATURE!!!
DSB Consensus: Not

Lindsey Lohan...Blonde or Not?

Bearcat: She is a ginger. Lindsay has got red hair and her skin looks like she was catching shit through a screen door. Own it. Also she needs to put on 10 lbs so that she doesn’t look like she is doing coke 24/7 anymore.
ZJ: Better when she was jailbait and better when she was natural.
Max: This picture is the apex of Lohan...I'm shocked I didn't see her in the In Memoriam section of the Oscars telecast last night..
DSB Consensus: Not

Pink...Blonde or Not?

Bearcat: I refuse to vote on Pink…she is gross and putting her on the DSB webpage offends me on multiple levels. She is basically a dude.
ZJ: I’m with Bearcat on this one. Don’t let it happen again.
Max: You know how I know I'm gay? I think Pink is sexy...
PJ: I am scared of her. She literally scares me to death. I don't wish to comment on her hair color as I fear for my life.
DSB Consensus: Who knows...we never got that far

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

The Snooze Button: 3/8

2010-03-08T12:00:00Z

Every morning, DSB will give you a post entitled The Snooze Button. Some sites will give you a Wake-Up Call or The Morning Meat...instead we give you just enough to occupy the first 9 minutes of your day.

Quote o' the Day
"As you all know by now, this is the 51st annual Academy Awards. Two hours of sparkling entertainment spread out over a four-hour show." - Host Johnny Carson, Academy Award ceremony 1979

Pic o' the Day

Yesterday's Winner: Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker

Bigelow bested her ex-husband, James Cameron, on the way to becoming the first woman to win an Academy Award for Directing. The Hurt Locker also beat out Avatar and eight other films to win the night's Best Picture award. While it wasn't the best picture I saw last year, I'm happy it beat that egomaniac Cameron's retelling of Pocohantas.

Weekend's Winners: Hershey Bears

Over the weekend, the Bears beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday and the Adirondack Phantoms on Sunday to run their home winning streak to 23 games. With these historical wins, Hershey set the record for the longest home winning streak in pro hockey history as they topped the previous record held by the 1965-66 Muskegon Mohawks. The victory also put the Bears over the 100 point mark on the season.

Song to Wake Up to:

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

Today in Central PA Sports History - 1991

2010-03-07T15:00:00Z

Welcome to a new feature here at DSB...we can't promise we'll have one of these every day, but we hope when we do post them that you'll find them informative and fun.

March 7, 1991

19 years ago today, the Penn State men's basketball team captured the Atlantic 10 Tournament title to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Their appearance in the Big Dance marked the first time the Nittany Lions had been there in 26 years.

After the first three rounds of the A-10 Tournament were held at the historic Palestra in Philadelphia, the championship game was moved to the highest remaining seed's home floor (Rec Hall on Penn State's campus). Led by the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Freddie Barnes, and the raucous home crowd, the Nittany Lions topped George Washington University 81-75.

A little over one week later, Bruce Parkhill's team would fall in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Eastern Michigan, but not before upseting the #4 seeded UCLA Bruins in the first round.

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

Putting on the Foil: The Trade Deadline and The Weekend That Will Be

2010-03-05T20:00:00Z

Wheelings and Dealings

Wednesday was a busy day for most teams as 3pm was the trade deadline and teams are now set for the playoff run. I figured I would to start off this week’s edition of Putting on the Foil with the updates to our local teams that took place this past week.

Pittsburgh:
• Acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2010 second-round draft pick
• Acquired forward Alexei Ponikarovsky from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Martin Skoula and minor leaguer forward Luca Caputi from WB/Scranton

Washington:
• Acquired forward Scott Walker from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2010 seventh round pick
• Acquired forward Eric Belanger from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2010 second round pick
• Defenseman Milan Jurcina rejoins the Caps from the Columbus BlueJackets for a 2010 sixth round conditional pick
• Acquired defenseman Joe Corvo from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Brian Pothier, a 2011 second round pick, and minor league forward Oskar Osala from Hershey

Philadelphia:
No trades or deals

Putting on the Foil's take:
Pittsburgh added a little bit of depth to their roster to look for the repeat run. From what I have read on a few different sites, many people are looking at Washington as the big winner for Trade D-Day as they stacked up all over preparing for a run at Lord Stanley. And as for Philly…apparently they are ok with what they got.

       USA & Buffalo Sabre goalie Ryan Miller is doing just fine for himself...on and off the ice



Onto The Weekend That Will Be: Hockey Edition for the games on hand...

Pittsburgh Penguins: The Pens have jumped right back into things after the Olympic break. One fun fact you might like to hear is that Tuesday’s much anticipated rematch of Crosby and Miller in the 'Burgh saw an unusual twist by Pens' fans. They greeted Ryan Miller with a standing ovation in recognition for his play with team USA and actually turned their backs on one of their own and booed Sid the Kid. I wish I could’ve seen it, it was quite the talk of the town here in Buffalo on Wednesday morning. Pittsburgh has two home games ahead to round out the week. Saturday they will face the Dallas Stars. They are 5-4-1 in their last ten played, and were blown out in both games they played this week. 5-1 on Tuesday and 6-1 on Thursday. Sunday the Pens take on the Boston Bruins. Boston is 5-2-3 in their last ten. They split their return games this week, losing 4-1 Tuesday and winning 3-2 on Thursday. It should make for an interesting set of games at Mellon Arena this weekend.

Prediction: While I think the Stars are no match for the Pens, Sunday may play a different way. I think the weekend will be split. W over Dallas, L to Boston.

Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers have two games this weekend and they have reverted right back to their seesaw results dealing with games. Winning Tuesday 7-2 and losing Wednesday 7-4. Tonight they are in my neck of the woods, or better yet said, the land of melting snow…They will be in downtown Buffalo facing the Sabres. Miller and his boys are 2-6-2 in their last ten, losing both return games this week. I would look to see a challenge for this evening as the Sabres were very disappointed in their play Wednesday against Washington. On Sunday, Philly will return home and welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs into town. Toronto is 2-6-2 in their last ten, losing both return games this week as well. Toronto finds themselves standing in the doorway of the basement of the league in second to last place. The Maple Leafs seem to be nothing but a slight bump in the road for most teams lately.

Prediction: Once again I see another split weekend of games. I see an L on the road in Buffalo, and a W at home over Toronto.

Washington Capitals: Much like the Penguins this week, Washington plowed right through this week’s games not missing a beat. With the added additions to the Caps’ scoring arsenal, newly added players see these moves as a possible chance to win the cup in our nation’s capital. Here are Scott Walker’s own words on being traded to Washington, "I’d buy my own plane ticket there." Walker backed up those words by showing his excitement at bearing the Red, White, and Blue by scoring twice in a three minute span in the third period to capture the W. The Capitals find themselves with only one game on hand this weekend. Saturday they welcome the New York Rangers to the "Phone Booth". The Rangers are 5-4-1 in their last ten, splitting their return games this week. While this game might not seem like any indicator for the rest of the season, you’re always in for a show of hockey at the sold out Verizon Center.

Prediction: I see the "Washington Wrecking Ball" smashing forward. W over the Rangers.

Hershey Bears: At this point in the season most AHL fans find themselves wondering if their team can keep going. When the trade deadline rolls around, it is usually the farm club that takes the biggest punch in losing key players and saying "now what?" This year, Hershey seems to have dodged the bullet, and while we must bid our goodbyes to Oskar Osola...one player is still just one player. Osola leaves Hershey with 15 goals in 53 games played this season and appearances in two NHL games last season. It has also been reported that shortly following the trade, he was assigned to the Albany River Rats so Bears fans will see him again...just no longer wearing the Chocolate and White. Onto Hershey’s games this weekend. The Bears have two games this weekend. Saturday against the in-state rival WB/Scranton Penguins and ex-instate rival (now newly moved way north) Adirondack Phantoms. The Bears overtook the Baby Pens in the last meeting via a shootout and suffered a road loss to the Phantoms in their last meeting. Hopefully the boys of the Chocolate and White can continue on with their amazing homestand winning streak that currently sits at an AHL record 21.

Prediction: While I want to see Hershey get both Ws this weekend, a split in the games would not be a surprise. But I am going with the 2 Ws. Yes Bearcat, I am such a Hershey homer…

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

The Snooze Button: 3/5

2010-03-05T12:00:00Z

Every morning, DSB will give you a post entitled The Snooze Button. Some sites will give you a Wake-Up Call or The Morning Meat...instead we give you just enough to occupy the first 9 minutes of your day.

Quote o' the Day

"My passion is as passionate as ever" - Former Duke point guard and Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus discussing his dreams of playing pro football

Pic o' the Day

Yesterday's Losers: Brett Favre & Jay Leno

Last night, Favre appeared on the The Tonight Show and didn't commit to any plans for the 2010 season. Really? No shit? Absolutely NO ONE saw that coming. "Well Jay, it's only been a month, and I know now that I'm just not going to say anything anytime soon, just going to kind of sit back, relax, enjoy the offseason," Favre said on the show. Al-Qaeda must be asleep at the wheel - - I can't think of a better time to unleash suicide bombers than yesterday in Burbank.

Song to Wake Up to (Local Friday where we'll spotlight bands with local ties):

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

DSB Exclusive - Who Do You Think You Are?

2010-03-04T18:00:00Z

If you've watched any NBC shows recently, you'd have to be blind if you missed the commercials for their upcoming reality show Who Do You Think You Are? Well if you've been holding your breath waiting, you can start to exhale as tomorrow night at 8pm the show has its series premiere. Here is the description from NBC:

Viewers are invited to take an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities with NBC's Who Do You Think You Are?

The seven-episode program will lead celebrities on a journey of self-discovery as they unearth their family trees that reveal surprising, inspiring and even tragic stories that are often linked to crucial events in American history. Each week, a different celebrity takes a journey into their family's past, traveling all over the world. Viewers are given an in-depth look into their favorite stars' family trees, and each episode will expose surprising facts and emotional encounters that will unlock people's emotions -- showing just how connected everyone is not only to the past, but to one another.

I have been giddy with anticipation over watching this show. Don't get me wrong, I could care less that Spike Lee has a white cousin (burn!!) or that Matthew Broderick had family that lost their life on D-Day (so did a lot of other people, asshat).  But the celebrity's ancestral story I am most looking forward to is featured on the premiere episode when we get to see Sarah Jessica Parker investigating her family's history. The crack research staff of chain-smoking capuchin monkeys at DSB have obtained the WORLD EXCLUSIVE on the first set of photos from Parker’s "big reveal" and we are proud to share them here with our loyal readers.

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Parker's American roots can be traced back to her great-grandfather, Duke, who immigrated to this country when he was a young stud. Here we see Duke standing next to other immigrants by the boat's rail at Ellis Island in 1907.



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Parker's relatives worked the land during the Great Depression and they only survived the bleak economic times because her great-uncle Rusty literally pulled the family through the fields behind him. Here is a family portrait of them around this time in 1929 (Rusty is the one in the center).



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Through research, Parker discovered a long history of distinguished miltary service by her family. Here is a photo of Trigger, her aptly named distant cousin, right before the Battle of Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War



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It also turns out that Parker has had relatives at most of the cultural touchstones of the 20th century. Here's her Uncle Red kicking out the stable doors with rock and roll during Woodstock's 3 Days of Peace and Music.

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

The Snooze Button: 3/4

2010-03-04T14:00:00Z

Every morning, DSB will give you a post entitled The Snooze Button. Some sites will give you a Wake-Up Call or The Morning Meat...instead we give you just enough to occupy the first 9 minutes of your day.

Link o' the Day

Here's a great feature on MLB journeyman Chris Woodward who chose his family over joining the Red Sox last year for a postseason run. (via Big League Stew)

Pic o' the Day

Yesterday's Winner: Greivis Vasquez

On Senior Night, Vasquez led the Maryland Terps with 20 points over Duke, 79-72, last night and moved into a tie for first place in the ACC standings. Vasquez also probably locked up ACC Player of the Year in the process as he outplayed Jon Scheyer (it shouldn't have taken this game to decide that...Greivis has clearly been the best player in the conference this year). The victory was also Maryland's first in the last seven tries against the Blue Devils.

Yesterday's Losers: Terp fans

Storming the court for beating the #4 team in the country? Really?!?

Song to Wake Up to:

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

Entertainment News The DSB Way…

2010-03-03T18:00:00Z

Time for Entertainment News as only DSB can bring it to you:

Because Wearing Ed Hardy Makes People Hate You:

Reality TV Dad and D-Bag Jon Gosselin has come out against ex-wife Kate’s upcoming appearance on Dancing with the Stars. In a move that surprised no one, Jon said that the commitment to the dancing reality TV show will take Kate away from their children for several days a week yet he will not receive any additional custody. Nannies will watch them instead of Jon. DSB ran a highly scientific poll and determined that the American people by a score of 96% to 4% believe that Charles Manson would be a better fit to watch Kate’s children than Jon.

In “Put Out or Get Out” News:

Bachelor runner-up Tenley Molzahn is claiming that she is still stumped as to way the Bachelor Jake Pavelka told her that they had no connection before dumping her in Monday’s finale of the ABC hit show. DSB has reached out to the Bachelor star Jake Pavelka for a response. After several phone calls Jake told us that “Tenley had a low gag reflex; if you know what I mean…” Enough said Jake. We totally understand.

Lady MacBeth Has a Better Reputation:

Yes, that is Naomi Campbell attacking a camera...

Serial assaulter Naomi Campbell attacked her chauffer while he was driving her Cadillac Escalade. She apparently was pummeling him in the back of the head while he was driving because he refused to snitch on Campbell’s boyfriend about his apparent cheating. The chauffer whose head was beaten about also banged his head on the steering wheel and has bruising about the head and face. DSB reached out to Campbell’s boyfriend for comment but Vlad Doronin (actual name) refused to comment sighting that he was afraid of the repercussions should he talk negatively of his “Dear, sweet Naomi.” DSB in an effort to protect our readers suggests that if you see Naomi Campbell that you run for your lives. That woman is one mean bitch and she will totally eff you up.

In John Mayer Hit That News:

Jessica Simpson will appear on the Oprah Winfrey show today to discuss the fact that she was once John Mayer’s drug of choice and her often criticized weight. We don’t have any news to report about this, but it seemed like a good opportunity to use the pictures you see above.

Thanks for coming and suckling on Daddy's Sugar Ball...
Bearcat

The Snooze Button: 3/3

2010-03-03T12:00:00Z

Every morning, DSB will give you a post entitled The Snooze Button. Some sites will give you a Wake-Up Call or The Morning Meat...instead we give you just enough to occupy the first 9 minutes of your day.

Shout Out o' the Day

Our friends at The Gally Blog have started a new music site, Tone Def!. We added a link to our sidebar or you can just check it out here.

Link o' the Day

Twenty years ago tomorrow, Hank Gathers collapsed on the basketball court and passed away. Clay Travis does a nice job looking back on the life and death of Gathers.

Pic o' the Day

Yesterday's Losers: Bubble Teams

Three teams in desperate need of big wins may have seen their NCAA Tournament bubble burst when they all lost last night. Illinois got smoked in the second half and 7th ranked Ohio State won by 16 at home. 9th ranked Villanova went into Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati and eked out a victory, 77-73. And Vanderbilt swept the season series against the Florida Gators for the first time in 13 years as they prevailed 64-60.

Song to Wake Up to:

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

Today in Central PA Sports History - 1962

2010-03-02T16:00:00Z

Welcome to a new feature here at DSB...we can't promise we'll have one of these every day, but we hope when we do post them that you'll find them informative and fun.

March 2, 1962

48 years ago today, Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA single-game scoring record by scoring 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks at the Hersheypark Arena. As part of a few games each year the Warriors played in Hershey, 4,124 spectators came for an exhibition basketball game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Colts and then a regular season matchup between the two NBA rivals. The Knicks came into the game at the bottom of the standings and without their starting center, Phil Jordon, who was back at the team hotel sick. This allowed the Warriors and Wilt to attack the post against the Knicks' frontcourt reserves, Darrall Imhoff and Dave Budd.

Earlier in the season, Chamberlain had set the single-game record when he tallied 78 points against the Lakers in a triple overtime game. On this momentous night in Chocolatetown, he scored his 79th point with 7:51 still remaining in regulation. With the fans chanting, "Give It To Wilt! Give It To Wilt!", Warriors coach Frank McGuire instructed his team to keep feeding Chamberlain on every trip down the floor. Realizing the futility of the situation and fearing the humiliation of Wilt scoring 100 points on them, the Knicks began fouling every other player on the Warriors to force them to shoot free throws instead on giving Wilt the opportunity to score. The Warriors responded by using any means necessary to get Chamberlain the ball. With 46 seconds left in the game, Warriors guard Joe Ruklick passed up an easy layup to feed Chamberlain on the basket that would top the century mark. The fans in the arena erupted and they stormed the court to celebrate. After a nine-minute break, the game was resumed and the remainder was finished with Chamberlain standing in the middle circle just waiting for the game to end.

Chamberlain's line on this historical night was 36 for 63 from the field (both NBA records) and 28 out of 32 from the foul line from the career 51% free throw shooter. Said Chamberlain, “The 100-point game will never be as important to me as it is to some other people, because I’m embarrassed by it. After I got into the 80s, I pushed for 100 and it destroyed the game because I took shots that I normally never would. I mean, 63 shots? You take that many shots on the playground and no one ever wants you on their team again.”

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...

The Snooze Button: 3/2

2010-03-02T12:00:00Z

Every morning, DSB will give you a post entitled The Snooze Button. Some sites will give you a Wake-Up Call or The Morning Meat...instead we give you just enough to occupy the first 9 minutes of your day.

Link o' the Day

He sure looks like he's had more practice "sweeping" than she has...between the camera angles and the “Here it comes…here it comes!”, I have to think this was somewhat of a setup. (via Sportress of Blogitude)

Pic o' the Day

Yesterday's Winner: Syracuse Orangemen

With the top three teams in last week's poll losing over the weekend, Syracuse became the latest college basketball team to occupy the top spot. In the past week, the Orangemen beat Providence and then #8 Villanova in front of an NCAA on-campus record crowd of 34,616 at the Carrier Dome. This lofty ranking marks only the second time in school history that Syracuse has been ranked #1 in the coaches' poll (the first time was the final poll in 2003 after winning the National Championship).

Song to Wake Up to (Cover Song Tuesday):

Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...