3.31.09 Obviously, when a Dolphins cheerleader stops by the show, everyone pays attention.
But when Missy from the Dolphins joined us on Dolphins Tonight to promote upcoming auditions we not only hung on her every word, we also gained a lot of respect for her.
As you can easily see in the pic, Missy has a birth mark along her right arm, a discoloration from shoulder to wrist.
Sure, she's a perfect ten no matter what, so you might say, "Who cares! She's smokin' hot! I'm not looking at her arm, D.A."
Fair. But in a cheerleader culture of self-image, how cool is it that Missy doesn't only accept it... she loves it. D.A. AUDIO: Listen to Dolphins cheerleader Missy on her birth mark from Dolphins Tonight.
Consider us impressed.
Plus, Team D.A. got its first crack after college in Ft. Myers, having worked at good ol' Sportsradio 770 on the Gulf Coast.
So, we know how killer that drive across Alligator Alley is.
Missy is our favorite Dolphins cheerleader.
Somehow that beauty mark makes her... hotter.
7 With (ahem) a Star.
Here's pics and audio of the interview with the magazine's models (click on the "bonus feauture" tab). Are they single? Youbetcha!
BTW J.D. is the MiamiLifeMagazine.com model on the left. She's 17. Yeah, don't get any ideas.
DA: The Swimsuit Issue.
2.17.09 If you were lucky enough to get your grubby paws on the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue last week, you saw the brilliance of Bar Raefeli and Brooklyn Decker.
You also drooled over local girl made good.
Boca native and FAU student Ashley Allen was part of the NBA dancer pictorial (her SI.com pic set is here).
Yes, she's hot.
Yes, she's an incredible dancer.
But here's the dagger: she lists Planes, Trains and Automobiles as one of her favorite movies.
Good lord. We're currently imagining sitting on the DA-z-boy with her and watching Steve Martin sneer, "I want my (bleep)ing rental car and I want it (bleep)ing now."
Heaven. D.A. AUDIO: Listen to Heat Dancer Ashley Allen with D.A. after her appearance in the SI Swimsuit Issue.
Simms & Simms.
2.10.09 Funny thing happened on the way to the Super Bowl.
The two were in town to watch the Roman Numerals Game at the Hard Rock Casino.
D.A. AUDIO: Listen to Phil and Chris Simms talk Super Bowl with D.A.
By the time our nearly twenty-minute chat was over Phil had barked about his distaste for Ronnie Lott, putting LT on the spot after a few cocktails and John Gruden's handling of his son.
Meantime, Chris talked reminisced about growing up the son of a Super Bowl MVP quarterback and Simeone Rice on what happened in Tampa.
Super Bowl XLIII ended up being one of the most memorable ever.
Same could be said for the interview that preceded it.
Swann Dive.
1.31.09 Yeah, it's been thirty-three years.
In January 1976, Lynn Swann etched his place in Super Bowl lore.
On a gorgeous SoFla winter afternoon, at the legendary pit known as the Orange Bowl, the Steelers wide receiver grabbed the Super Bowl X MVP award and became one of the most famous highlights in NFL history.
Credit NFL Films for A) capturing his "kangaroo catch" and "levitating leap" with incredible precision and B) replaying it on loop every January during Super Bowl week. D.A. AUDIO: Listen to NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl MVP Lynn Swann.
Swann dropped by the D.A. Show and rapped on the Pittsburgh's remarkable front office of the 1970s, minority hiring in the NFL and college and how the current Steelers would do against their dynasty predecessors.
Perfect Swann dive.
The Gator Chomp.
1.14.09 Now that's the way to celebrate.
Gator fans, fresh off four national championships in football and basketball over the last four seasons, can be insufferable.
Alas, Gainesville has earned it. We have never seen back-to-back hoops titles overlapping two of three rings on the gridiron (Duke may have even eliminated football back in '91-'92).
So, the perfection of Tim Tebow, the smugness of Urban Meyer, the Gator Chomp... it can all be, well, a little overbearing,
Thank goodness for AllieGatorUF.
Miss Thang posted her own personal victory dance to the Gators BCS won over the Sooners... complete with pole.
Unsurprisingly, her YouTube video has over 110,000 hits already. Why not. She's like the Percy Harvin of the pole.
Why that stripper's pole is firmly installed in her living room is anyone's guess.
She must be dating a fireman.
DA-SPN News.
12.03.08 Everybody should do it once.
Sportstalk radio begat "PTI," which begat "Around the Horn," which begat every local cable TV station putting two or more screaming sports media members in a room and letting them debate Tony LaRussa's use of the eighth spot in the lineup and Xavier's box-and-one.
The fourteenth generation of round-table sports fizz? ESPN News' "Air Check," which employs three sportstalk radio hosts to debate the stories of the day.
I was asked to jump in from the bullpen along with two talented guys, Carl Dukes from 97.3 in Houston and Paul Charchain of KFAN in the Twin Cities.
Ivory-bisque foundation was caked on the face, tie was knotted for a national television audience and the cam at CableLink in downtown Miami was blinking red.
Enjoy the sweet sounds of the bootleg version of "Around the Horn."
Medina Fever.
11.26.08 This Thursday, give thanks to the D.A. Show.
Without which, you would have no idea Channel 7 hottie Vanessa Medina was about to become a sky-diving pancake.
Yes, the WSVN reporter extraordinaire has gone sky-diving more than a hundred times.
The last jump, her chute opened five seconds from the ground. That's enough to make you think TV news directors aren't so bad.
She's an X-games athlete, awesome sense of humor (she returns her jail mail!) and totally hot.
On top of it, she was once an intern at Joe Rose's Channel 4. Was he helpful?
"Joe's very helpful to all the girls there."
Yeah. D.A. AUDIO: Channel 7's Vanessa Medina gets hit on at the job and answers her letters from prison!
Newest inductee to the Girls of the D.A. Show? Vanessa Medina.
Yeah, thank us before turkey this week.
Kimbo and Me.
11.12.08 Tuesday evening, I almost street-brawled.
Ok, no I didn't. But I felt like it.
At American Heritage's "Patriot Madness," Kimbo Slice, Royals first-round draft pick Eric Hosmer and D.A. made up the panel of slam dunk contest celebrity judges.
Too bad for the students only two of them qualified as celebrities.
Alas two out of three ain't bad, especially when one of those guys not long ago was considered one of the baddest men on the planet.
The star of the show was sweet-stroking shooting guard Kenny Boynton, who had baller written all over him when he laced up his first Stride-Rites.
Boynton is considered one of the best prep hoops stars South Florida has ever produced and will ply his trade for Billy Donovan next season in Gainesville.
Kid rocked the rim with a filthy tomahawk slam, which produced "tens" from the two celebrity judges and one mediocre talk show host.
But Hosmer warned us to look out for the diminutive point guard Ray Taylor. The American Heritage baseball alum (worth about $7 Mill after his rookie signing bonus) has watched Taylor regularly make fast breaks look like the And-1 tour.
Taylor is listed at 5'7", but you get the feeling Mighty Mouse is closer to 5'5". Didn't matter. Kimbo immediately fell in love with the kid when Taylor climbed the ladder over one of the tallest guys on the team in his dunk attempts.
When a guy who once brawled in Miami backyards for a couple hundred dollars slams you on the shoulder and screams, "Did you SEE that???!!!" you throw up a ten.
You gotta give Kimbo props. Dude has been on network TV, had a multi-fight deal with a major promoter and had his face splashed across "ESPN The Mag."
He didn't have to show up to a crowded gymnasium in Plantation and watch high school hoops.
But he did. And he loved it. And signed every autograph in the house, plus gave the team some wisdom about the importance of college in the locker room.
So yeah, when I ripped off my collared button-down to reveal Kimbo's mug on my under shirt, it was Super Fan-ish.
But hey, he asked for a ten and I delivered.
A's, Beez and C's.
11.04.08 Let's hope Michael Beasley has the same dislike of Rip Hamilton and Lebron James as Jacob Pullen.
If you haven't heard of Beasley's arch-nemesis, it's all good. No one else has either. Pullen is a sophomore guard worth nine-and-three any given night against Iowa State.
Should Heat fans be worried the Beez seems like a loopy stoner at a high-school kegger watching re-runs of "Futurama?"
Not yet. The kid has still shown some innate natural scoring ability which simply can't be taught to a 19-year-old.
Plus, most guys his age are rocking "Guitar Hero," so we can't really jump on his flightiness already.
But it might be a good idea for Eric Spoelstra to start telling the Beez every small forward in the Eastern Conference has a little Pullen in him.
The More Things Change.
10.29.08 We are inching ever closer to radical change here in the United States.
An African-American male leads one presidential ballot, a female compliments the other.
We are finally waking up to the inevitable fossil fuel crunch, looking for alternative energies and cutting back our usage.
Americans have even made "going green" cool, somehow turning the old archetype of societal outcast green-thumbs into keen, progressive-thinking hipsters.
But the moment you think this country tis' a thee has truly bagged all of its old wardrobe, think again.
Chicks still dig quarterbacks.
Last year Gators signal-caller Tim Tebow lit the interspace on fire as pics of him alongside a... ahem... healthy brunette co-ed swept the web.
The accompanying digi-pic of seemingly the same female in all her wet bikini-glory created mass hysteria and a record number of "God, now I really hate Tebow" message posts.
Well, here we are again.
Tebow's potential successor as Heisman-winning QB is Texas' Colt McCoy. And his girlfriend has also shown up in a bikini (although, McCoy's chick is in a boat alongside one of her hot friends, so it's not TOTALLY the same).
Yes, we as Americans seem to be ditching the old adages frequently here in the new millenium. Although, one seems to hold true: The only certainties in life? Death, taxes and chicks love the quarterback.
God, now I really hate McCoy.
Rats = Bizonkers.
10.23.08 Gary Bettman has never been confused with Sammy Davis Jr., Joe DiMaggio or Justin Timberlake.
While cool has been defined by many others, Bettman stands as a virtual Mount Rushmore to dorkiness, predictability and snoozefests.
"I don't worry about this team into the future. When you think back at the history of this club, I remember in the Stanley Cup finals in 1995-96, Florida was absolutely bizonkers, if there is such a word, over the Panthers."
Granted, we're not always the definition of hip either, but has Bettman been listening to one too many Snoop Dogg albums?
Biz-onkers?
Maybe a better use of the word? Describing how a franchise misses the playoffs for seven straight seasons in a league where more teams make the playoffs than don't.
A quick Google search brings up a terrific piece on the flatline status of Panthers hockey in South Florida. An article via ESPN.com 18 months ago dissects the crash and burn of the once-white hot hype surrounding the Panthers.
"South Florida, it's fair to say, once loomed as hockey's new frontier. Now, it seems more like hockey's hinterland."
Now that's bizonkers.
Shame on the Florida Football Field.
10.13.08 Final score: Naples 91. Estero 0.
Yeah, that's bad.
Just two hours across the alley Friday night high school football saw some ugliness.
I used to work across the alley, landed the first job of my career over in Ft. Myers with Sportsradio 770 watching some good ol' southwest Florida high school 'ball.
Naples is and always was an annual powerhouse. Understandably, Bill Kramer has dealt with some angry fallout from parents.
Estero fans wondered why he had to run up the score (he DID lead 70-0 at the half). Sure, some of Naples' starters didn't even play. Yeah, they even took a knee towards the end.
But wouldn't 63? 77? Wouldn't 84 have said enough?
But the real shame should come from the Naples parents who thought Kramer should have played their kids MORE.
Kramer had emails from parents who wanted to see him pad the stats of their kids.
There is some ugliness in high school athletics. Unfortunately, the ugliest usually comes from mom and dad.
Like Tyson v. Douglas. Kinda.
10.06.08 The larger-than-life invincibility of Lord Kimbo Slice was popped in Sunrise, FL on Saturday.
In a startlingly brief encounter with a no-name replacement, Kimbo was pummeled into submission like a bully taking it on the chin from a quiet nerd on the playground.
While Seth Petruzelli isn't some pocket-protected geek, he was an anonymous fighter walking into the ring against one of the sport's biggest celebrities.
Seth joined us following the fight and was already exhausted by the overnight celebrity and media demands. The most interesting revelation? That the invincibility of Kimbo was through the eyes of the outside world. Petruzelli said he wanted a piece of Slice, just like every other fighter.
The question always looms: How much do lesser-known, more-experienced fighters resent Kimbo's success?
Veteran Dan "Hendo" Henderson battles in the UFC, but was on-hand as a spectator Saturday night. He joined us on the show to preview the fight and was diplomatic about Kimbo's commericial appeal.
But you get the feeling the MMA world chuckles to itself today (including this eulogy from Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel). It wasn't quite Buster Douglas knocking out an invincible Mike Tyson, but the image of a shockingly-mortal fighter was.
The Cowboys Dynasty. Yuck.
10.01.08 Author Jeff Pearlman is noted for his tackling of sticky subjects (Barry Bonds, the '86 Mets, John Rocker). But nothing quite oozes stickiness like the '90s Cowboys.
Pearlman joined us on the show and gave us some insight we loved (Emmitt was a greedy, self-centered S.O.B.) and some we really could have lived without (Charles Haley enjoyed Dave Campo's direction wayyyy too much).
All of it is fascinating, listen to Pearlman's inside info on the Cowboys, as well as an intense disgust with Stephon Marbury (Heat fans listen up).
Just be happy you never lived in the same subdivision as the Cowboys White House.
Traci's Headlock
Traci Brooks of TNA Wrestling (pun intended, I suppose) loves to eat "blue steak." Which, we at the DA Show are guessing is not at all related to the film "Blue Streak."
She also touched on her action figure that was supposed to be sold nationwide (dimensions were, ahem, in proportion) and some of the wrestling maneuvers she has a tough time enacting.
You know, because of those dimensions.
So Traci's headlock is kinda like clutching three heads...
Whoops.
For all of the times we heard about playing smart, efficient football this off-season, you could surely expect a different Dolphins effort on Sundays, right? Right?
Nothing frustrates a fanbase more than saying one thing and acting another. Right now, you have a coaching staff not practicing what it preaches.
That was the one thing Parcells, Ireland and Sparano promised. Smart football. Well, we didn't get a glimpse of that football Sunday.
The Immortal Kennedy James
Model Kennedy James has posed for Playboy. She's been voted a "Student Body" on its official website. She's being auctioned off at Pure Platinum on Thursday for a date with a Super Hottie.
But she's never been on "The DA Show." Now, her resume is complete. The 23-year-old Miami native stopped by the studios on Friday and created quite the uproar.
Not only did she leave nothing to the, um, imagination (niiice). She is the first member of this very exclusive club to do the interview in her underwear.
Well played, Kennedy. Well played.
The Bright Side
You have to love Miami.
And the direction once-respected newspapers are going.
However, nestled among action shots of Brett Favre's TD passes and Ricky Williams dashes around left end, was this Pulitzer winner.
Oh, and the Sun-sentinel.com just happened to use this pic as its cover shot for the album.
What it has to do with the Dolphins lack of running game, I haven't the foggiest.
But for crying out loud, if you were sitting behind her Sunday, who the hell cares if the Dolphins lost again?
If you know her whereabouts, email us. She is an immediate inductee into The Girls of the DA Show.
Traffic. Hurricanes. Crime. There's plenty of reasons to be dismayed by South Florida. This shot, however, reminds you why you stay.
Hello, Falcons? Screw you.
No matter when Joe Horn picks up a phone (end zone or otherwise) it seems to be entertaining.
After being rumored to have interest in joining the Dolphins, we tracked him down last night on the show.
Never one to go quietly into the night, Joe blasted the Falcons coaching staff on his way out the door, saying new coach Mike Smith lied to him about his role on the team.
Would Joe be cool with Parcells asking him to be a third-option behind Ted Ginn Jr. and Derek Hagan?
"I respect that more than to be lied to and say it's my job to be taken. That wasn't the case... When a coach tells me it's my job to be taken and then I go out on the football field and there's other receivers in front of me? That's disrespectful and they're telling me it's time to move on."
Joe says he's been asking for his release all off-season and Atlanta refused to oblige, one of the reasons he didn't show up for off-season workouts. When I asked him if he regrets not attending? "No. Not at all."
Joe Horn is like that annoying Verizon guy, constantly asking, "Can you hear me now?"
Yes, Joe. But I gotta go.
Ringside Insight
Forget Teddy Atlas or Larry Merchant. The greatest ringside analysis we've ever gotten on The DA Show? Roseanne the Ring Card Girl.
It's likely the first ever "Girls of the DA Show" induction on remote, but once you listen to Roseanne's interview you'll understand why we were left no choice but execute immediate ballot-stuffing.
Did she suggest she got her "brains" because she grew up in Alabama? Well, I guess Saban has his pick of Rhodes Scholars down in Tuscaloosa these days.
Camp Tuna: The Blog
Lymon's and Parmele's and Glymph's, oh my!
So many new names + so many position battles = blog-tastic.
Daily musings from the absurdity which is Dolphins training camp. Is there a quarterback shuffle or science? Was Jay Feely punished because he's too loquacious? Is my main man Junior Glymph actually going to make this first cut or is he just a classic Camp Champ?
We peer behind the curtain.
(Remember to catch Kieth Sims and I on Fins Final after Saturday's pre-season game against the Chiefs. We're live at Hooters Pembroke Pines. Cha-Ching.)
Saving the Olympics
The air is brown, activists are picketing and violence has already spilled into the streets.
Who's ready for Beijing?!
The 08.08.08 Olympics have a depressing vibe and we haven't even reached the Opening Ceremonies yet. Imagine the fun still in store!
Indeed, Brazil brings us the beautiful game. They will not compete in Beijing, but give us a reason to watch SynchSwim qualifiers anyway.
Joga Bonito.
D's... as in Dynasties
Meet Kenya, Natalie and Jackie. They are part of the greatest team in SoFla. Miami Heat Dancers. Three years. Three "Best Dance Team in the NBA" titles.
Dynasty.
The newest inductees into the "Girls of The DA Show" H.O.F. tell us they don't appreciate the whistling and catcalls at the AAA (we're looking at you popped-collar guy in the 17th row).
BUT the good news: They DO like being approached by guys around town. So next time you see that smoking hot Heat Dancer in the frozen foods aisle at Publix, throw game.
Throwing Manny Back
You don't want this guy holding down the three-spot in an already formidable lineup, giving gorilla-sized protection to HanRam, Uggs and Jacobs? You couldn't use a huge jolt to an apathetic fanbase yawning with 14,000 of their closest friends?
If so, it's a good thing the Marlins balked at trading for Manny. Because chemistry wouldn't have been a problem. Manny is hellbent on proving the Red Sox organization is bonkers for moving him. The "problem" of moving Josh Willingham to RF is about as serious as gameday traffic on Ives Dairy. It's Manny-freaking-Ramirez people!
If the Fish said no because the Sox wouldn't pitch in more of his salary, that's too bad. I'm not Alan Greenspan, but I'm pretty sure Manny could help offset an extra $3 Mill by selling a few more tickets and t-shirts.
If they balked because the price was too steep, it's short-sighted. Ryan Tucker shouldn't be untouchable, Mike Stanton is in Single-A.
Hey, Larry Beinfest took a $21 Million roster and made them contenders. Hopefully he's smarter than he looks tonight.
Flipper Fever
Dol-Fan is already having a hard enough time sorting through Josh McCown's chainsaw-sliced index finger. They don't need white-hot Lilly distracting them as well.
Too bad.
Miami's 20-year-old cheerleading co-captain will appear in Maxim's upcoming NFL preview issue for the second time. If the first shoot is any indication, Lilly will rep SoFla better than Chad Henne ever could.
The Piper H.S. (Sunrise, FL) grad stopped by the studios as "Girls of The DA Show" has its latest inductee. Boys, she told us she doesn't mind pleasantly plump as long as you have a solid sense of humor.
You may begin clicking feverishly now.
Winni-Pegged
In July '92, the Amendolara clan loaded up the Suburban and trekked to the far reaches of the Canadian Rocky Mountains on summer vacation.
With no Kieth Tkachuk Jets jersey to be found, we stopped by a Canadian Football League store (think the NBA Store, but with moose outside) and I grabbed a slick Winnipeg Blue Bombers t-shirt.
For 16 years, I had no real idea why my 13-year-old instincts led me to choose the Bombers over such national favorites as the Rough Riders (both of them) or Eskimos (home of Gizmo Williams).
Now I know.
The Blue Bombers cheerleading squad has an album of naughty photos circulating the intraweb, suitable only for a 110-yard field (and an NC-17 audience). Salute our sisters to the north: Honorary members, Girls of the DA Show. Hosers.
The Herm File
All of it true, all of it solid 411 from the B-Jax. As for that pesky Herm thing? Yeah, it never stops following us. For those with a passion for flashin' and a need to know, here's the scoop on the now infamous "confrontation."
May 2007: Trent Green knew the next Chiefs era had moved on without him and asked for a trade. GM/ President/ King Horse's Ass Carl Peterson told his agent to seek out a deal with another team. Trent's agent did with the Dolphins.
But Carl continued to play cat-and-mouse, refusing to trade him, telling the media he would actually start come September and running public misdirection everywhere Chiefs Nation turned (which is apparently his only gift).
Unfortunately, it eventually roped in usual straight-shooter Herm Edwards, who was forced to play the same P.R. game with a city wondering the future of its franchise quarterback. Trent suggested in one of his rare interviews (at the height of his frustration) that both Herm and Carl had lied to him about his future with the Chiefs.
The following day, kicker Lawrence Tynes was traded to the Giants, just weeks after being offered a long-term deal with the Chiefs. Tynes appeared on my show that morning and I asked him if he also felt misled and lied-to by Carl and Herm. Tynes, who always was a Herm supporter, said no. He felt that Herm had been straight with him through the entire situation.
As the Chiefs front-office is so talented at doing, they circulated the rumor throughout Arrowhead that I had "called Herm a liar." (So, keep this in mind as you read "news releases" and "team stories" at their official website).
That afternoon, I was covering OTAs and the rest is blogosphere history. TV cameras and local reporters caught Herm chewing me out because "someone told me that you had a player on your show and you called me a liar." Once I withstood the initial fury, I asked Herm if he had actually heard the show in question. He responded, "No, I don't listen to that stuff!" (Ironic that an entire organization could get this twisted from "stuff" that no one admits listening to).
I explained to him the exact exchange I had with Tynes and we ended up spending fifteen minutes breaking down the quarterback question, Trent's future and how old would be too old for an NFL head coach to kick a young journalist's ass.
No, I don't receive a card from him during the holidays, but he has an open invitation to The DA Show. He's a good dude, caught working with an absurdly dated G.M. Hey, HE PLAYS TO WIN THE GAME. Hello?
Kissing Your Sister's Pants
If a tie is like "kissing your sister," finding the pants of the guy who forced you to kiss your sister tastes worse. A woman in Alabama has found the long-sought-after pants of ex-con Pat Dye in the lake behind her house.
Here's the audio from the show.
(Editor's Note: Dear Orange Nation, DA will begin hosting a Syracuse-centric daily blog like the one featured here later this summer. It's the only way we can survive another two-win football season. Details to come).
The Heir to Nowhere
The usually sane Cote is suggesting the rebuilding 'Phins bring in Favre for one year until the next franchise quarterback is ready. The story is even highlighted by a doctored photo of Favre in aqua-and-orange (although attention to detail was at a minimum: modern helmet with retro threads?).
Might Green Bay want to trade for Jason Taylor? Sure. Would they give up Favre for a one-year rental/soon-to-be actor? Uh, no.
But worse, the mere idea that Miami should put its QB-quandry on hold as the battered Favre attempts a comeback is lunacy. Have we learned nothing from the Trent Green debacle last year? Is it rational to want yet another temporary band-aid on the long-standing quarterback dilemma?
Of course, this will now be a convo-topic since 'Phins is still front-page news. So get ready for your next Favre news-cycle (ugh). Boy, have we missed ya.
Tina Miller: Miami Golf Hottie
Tina Miller was scorned by catty opponents on national TV. She almost gave up golf because her ex-boyfriend was a complete jerk. She's still grinding just to land a spot on the LPGA tour.
Ex-Cane Tina endeared herself to the QAM nighttime bugs by opening up about anything and everything (with a decent chipmunk-voiced show promo, to boot). Sure, she got booted off the Golf Channel's "The Big Break." But she's engaged to an NFL player (ok, he's a kicker... mere details.) and totally hot. Plus, she's smacked a 300-yard hole-in-one with a three-wood. Burn!
Next up: A bikini shoot with the DA Show. Accepting intern applications now.
Another Fish Tale
The Marlins infamously stated (with a straight face) that their marketing budget for 2008 was a colossal $10 Million, or about half the payroll.
What does $10 Million buy you these days? Apparently not much, what with gas prices and all. This weekend marked yet another "Super Saturday Concert Series" with KC & (note the ampersand) the Sunshine band playing in shallow center field.
Fish Bonuses: A bizarre version of the "Star Spangled Banner" (Hendrix it's not) and allowing the fans to stand on the infield dirt to get an up-close feel. Dan Uggla is not happy.
Next up "The Bangles" take the Dolphin Stadium stage. Let's hope Susanna Hoffs gives the same sweaty, too-tight jersey treatment.
Hey, at least we've heard of KC & The Sunshine Band. The rest haven't been as (ahem) famous. Alas, it's better than "Boyscout Sleepover Night." Not only is that reminiscent of Adam Sandler's demented "Cabin Boy" skit, but it can get lonely in that big ol' empty stadium on gameday.
Beez & Bias
It's impossible not to get emotional about the death of Len Bias. His passing creates an unending cascade of incredible basketball what-if's. Another decade extension of the Celtics dynasty? A twenty-year curse on Boston hoops? The kingpin of the most-cursed draft class of all-time?
It's also especially poignant for Heat fans who, like the Celtics in 1986, await an extraordinarily talented power forward who could reshape the Eastern Conference over the next decade.
The similarities are eerie. Beasley, like Bias, plays an athletic big man, powerful enough to gobble boards like a 5, nimble enough to drop down from from the arc like a 3. They're both built like thoroughbreds and both had to answer questions about dedication to the game before the draft. Beasley, like Bias, is likely to be taken second-overall.
This is not to predict some tragic turn for Beasley. Personally, this guy should be 20-10 for the next 12 years. His work ethic is underrated and his accomplishments in 10 months of college ball are otherworldly.
South Florida is wondering whether the Marlins pay their roster in food stamps. It's not pretty when the Twins are big spenders. The Mets? That's just "Brewster's Millions" stuff. But $138 Million doesn't buy you happiness. Just headaches, controversy and ill-timed firings.
In New York, the Mets HAVE to spend money. They HAVE to win division titles. Willie Randolph was fired at ONE game under .500. Fredi Gonzalez could lose 90 games for the rest of the decade and it might not prompt much of an outcry. Eh. Is Jason Taylor in camp, yet?
Down here, the Fish are seen as the little engine that could. In the Big Apple? The Mets are seen as classless and clueless for their dismissal of Big Willie Style.
Only in the Five Boroughs could you get skewered for HOW you fired a guy.
WFAN's Big Two, Mike and the Maddog, put Omar Minaya in the crosshairs. (Personally, I loved when Minaya asked, "You guys are successful, right?" Francesa very confidently answers, "Yes." Thanks for the humility, Mike.)
There's endless drivel devoted to ripping apart soccer. It's boring. More flopping than Manu Ginobli's grandmother. It's patently "un-American." Basically, most of the anti-soccer noise comes off as mere Fox News Channel orange-terror-alert, "hate the weirdos that don't look like us" fear garbage.
Look, it's hard to argue it's an entirely riveting two hours of your life. With the world's second largest tournament going on this month, I can "watch" the Euro Cup 2008 by turning around from surfing the web once every 20 minutes when the announcers get excited about a potential scoring opportunity.
Listen to the non-call above. If the goat of the night is FSN, the MVP is the guy who grabbed the historic HR. Reportedly, he carried a dummy ball into the stadium, dropped it in the aisle as he caught Griffey's and walked out untouched as the scrum battled over the wrong rawhide.
Hey, guy's got balls.
The Harkleroad Less Traveled
It's too darn bad Ashley Harkleroad couldn't have made an impulsive decision like this two months ago. If she had, I could've shook her hand.
Harkleroad reached the third-round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne back in April, but it was just recently she posed nude for the August issue of Playboy.
The Harkster becomes the first tennis player ever to appear in Playboy and one of a select few current female athletes that have owned the guts to do it. And Ashley is the perfect trailblazer (because she's hot -- check out these pics).
Ashley just might be the Jackie Robinson of female athlete nudity. Now is time the rest of the WTA to follow her brave lead. Hey Russians, are you listening?
The Cold Fish War
The nuclear winter (summer?) of J.T. vs. The God-Tuna has just hit peak season. So, now we have Tony Soprano, er Sparano, basically blasting his best player as an opening salvo at the start of camp? Gooood luck with allll that...
Here's the deal: Tuna is playing the hardest of hardball. He's rooted in old-school, where superstar does not put himself above team for dancing and Hollywood and other superficial crapola. Yes, L.T. got away with more than most players. But L.T. at his core was a football player, who wanted nothing more than to obliterate Ron Jaworksi's blindside.
Hopping a red-eye and ducking camp to (cough) appear on "Good Morning America?" Not something Parcells can comprehend. So yesterday read as a big, fat "SCREW YOU" love note to the J.T. camp.
The flip? J.T. took some liberties with this one. He wasn't supported by the organization throughout this process (where was the team-sponsored watch-party every Monday night? Answer: Siberia). He wanted to be stroked (like he has been everywhere else in his life) and wasn't. So he started saying ridiculous things like his acting legacy was more important than his football one, at least partially out of insecurity and spite.
The best breakdown of the Cold Fish War has come courtesy of Yahoo! Sports Jason Cole, who has been in the middle of the fray for months. The end result? Ugly will only get uglier.
Mr. Belvedere... is Grossed
There are many perks to living in SoFla. The women on South Beach. The food in Little Havana. The poker at Hard Rock.
Of course, we all have to put up with some of the less-inspired qualities of tropical living. Language-barriers, traffic, humidity... and elderly athletes-turned-sit-com fathers poolside in boy shorts.
Congrats, Bob. You made me want to drink Miller Lite AND you starred in a ludicrous 1980s fam-com that lasted a staggering 117 episodes. But, please stop scaring the kids.
The DA Show Jinx: Again
Last year, Taylor Tankersley was nails. This season, he's been nailed.
Tank was one of the best setup men in one of the league's best bullpens as the Marlins lost 90 games. Now, the team finds itself in first place with one of the best records in MLB and Tank has been rocked. Go figure.
TT threw two matzo balls down the pike on Monday, leading to a pair of Reds tater tots and an 8-4 lead the Fishies could not overcome.
Next month, Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley will be featured. I caught up with him to see if being a Hollywood bachelor was treating him well. If C-Bill starts getting lit up (uh oh, spies say he already has), we know the Jinx has legs.
Scrooge McMarlins
Upon waking up Saturday morning, surfing the web and reading the Marlins were locking up do-it-all shortstop Hanley Ramirez to a six-year/$70 million deal, I had the same reaction as most of SoFla.
Holy Spit.
Wait, the penny-pinching Fish? The franchise that has dealt entire All-Star teams away because of refusals to pay market cost? The same team that has a $18 million payroll and a $10 million (cough) marketing budget for fat guys in tutus?
Uh... hooray? (not convincing, huh?)
How did Scrooge McFish turn into Mr. Money Bags? You'd like to believe it's because they recognize the value of a perennial All-Star in his early-20s, a true turning point for the organization.
Maybe it's to sell seats at the new ballpark. Maybe it's to start righting past wrongs. Maybe they're less irresponsible with fan devotion than we thought.
It's the smartest baseball move we've seen in this town for awhile. It's only positive. It's a breath of fresh air.
It's just hard to jump for joy while you're scratching your head.
Marlins Go Hollywood
Friday night, Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson took in (what I'm guessing was) their first Marlins/ Padres tilt. The two have been filming a movie in Miami over the last few months, spotted around town casually, as seen above.
But Club B.E.D and Joe's Stone Crab are a far cry from watching Burke Badenhop from section 128 with 8,000 of your closest friends on Bark at the Park Night.
Hollywood taking over our sports? Scary. Scarier? How a mausoleum Marlins game looks on the big screen. Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore were in a sold-out Fenway Park for "Fever Pitch." Aniston and Vince Vaughn filmed a scene for "The Break Up" in a typical SRO Wrigley Field.
Friday night, Marlins/ Padres? Better have that CGI working.
Fun with Weather
Unfortunately for 15,000 screaming junior-high students, they were forced to sit through a Marlins sweep at the hands of the Dodgers Thursday afternoon. The bullpen once again let the Fish down and the good vibes from a 15-10 start had devolved into concern for a young team's resilience.
Fortunately, the kids got lessons in Hurricane Season Preparation!
The CBS4 Weather Team sponsored Weather Day out at the stadium, teaching kids about storm fronts, cumulus clouds and dew points (although using the wave to demonstrate how the jetstream works is a bit of a stretch).
Weather Wizard and former Miss Florida Lissette Gonzalez stopped by the DA Show to take us inside the eye of the Weather Day storm.
Beautiful, funny and totally into weather? Way hot. I'm blushing.
Dolphins Draft Grade: N/A
The Dolphins aced Draft Day 2008, earning an A+ for selecting future Hall of Famer Jake Long, a bedrock at left tackle for 13 glorious seasons, and 2013 Super Bowl MVP Chad Henne, which solved the franchise's desperate need for a Pro Bowl signal-caller...
The Dolphins string of fruitless drafts continued in 2008, earning the franchise another F, as Jake Long was continually overmatched at left tackle during an inglorious six-year career and Chad Henne moped through four injury-plagued seasons and never showed the promise the franchise had hoped...
Reality always lies somewhere in between, but grading this draft 24 hours later is a science in being dumb. What do we know about these kid's ACLs and Wonderlic scores? How do we know if they fit perfectly into this plan or bust out of the league by the end of the decade?
We know little, but we know this: The Dolphins avoided a scene like last year by inheriting instant street cred with Tuna and not flooring fans with a rash decision of a punt-returner with a Top-10 pick.
It was a safe and seemingly smart 48 hours for the Dolphins brass, filling needs at LT, QB, DE and OG. As for taking two runningbacks for a team whose only arguable strength is in the backfield? Get back to me in 2010.
The fact is, the cheers were mostly just elation in not having to boo again.
Fruit Nostalgia
Egads.
It was inevitable that Mets zealots would begin their sappy, love-affair send-off to the crummy, ceramic apple in centerfield of Shea Stadium in the ballpark's last season.
But more startling than waxing nostalgic about an over-sized fruit is the movement to BRING the apple to new Citi Field next season.
(I especially enjoyed interviewing Darryl Stawberry about the apple. What do you think he was paying more attention to in the mid-80s? An over-sized fruit or coke and groupies?).
Shea was my first big-league ballpark. At just ten years old I trekked with the Amendolara clan clear across Queens, parking somewhere near Massapequa and traveling by foot into gleaming, historic Shea Stadium to watch Kevin McReynolds and Dave Magadan lead an underachieving Mets team to an uninspired loss against the Giants.
(It should be noted, Shea Stadium is not gleaming nor historic, most of the reason its being ripped down with much glee).
Since then, I have spent more than my fair share of brutally cold April nights and insufferable hot, humid August days along the LaGuardia landing strip. In fact, me and my buddies chose to spend the bulk of our tenth-grade summer at Shea instead of much cooler, much drunker keg parties with classmates (BUT we did get to experience Fat Eddie from Hempstead inhale seven Hebrew National hot dogs and curse Tim Bogar in front of his six-year-old son on a regular basis).
Any sane Mets fan is excited about the move out of Shea. It lacks the legacy of Yankee Stadium. It has none of the memorable quirks of Fenway Park. It smells like urine.
Lugging that old, beat-up apple across the parking lot is like Linus bringing his blanket with him freshman year of college (ironically, that smells like urine, too).
Sink the old apple into Sheepshead Bay. For $600 Million, we should probably grow a new one.
Giving a Hoot
FAU must be wondering today where exactly it ranks on the college basketball totem pole. With news arriving that coach Rex Walters will be introduced as the lead Don at San Francisco University Tuesday, the Owls are going through empty-nest syndrome.
It is not as though this was merely a case of Rex leaving for his dream job. He was itching before, just two weeks ago flying to Macon, GA and interviewing for the Mercer job. Yes, Mercer.
If there is any event which would make you question your place in the universe, it would be your coach leaving for Macon.
Sure, Walters is a Bay Area native, growing up in nearby San Jose. But the Dons went just 10-21 in the hoops powerhouse West Coast Conference. Mercer was 11-19 in the Atlantic Sun, widely considered the ACC of the low-majors (they do however have a co-ed air rifle team, which earns bonus points).
Walters was not exactly flirting with basketball blue-bloods here (heck, he wasnt even flirting with mid-majors). The search for the next FAU coach must now begin at the Broward County high schools.
Not So Fast Lee
We all know that Lee Corso revels in playing the fool for ESPNs College Gameday crew. But, he may be taking his role as a lovable foil a little too far.
On Sportsradio 560 WQAM Thursday afternoon, listen as Corso breaks down the upcoming draft and the Dolphins quarterback needs.
Matt Ryan? Nah. How about Michigan signal-caller... Chan Henne, uh, Chad Henning, er, Dan Henning?! (Well, at least he knows who the Dolphins new offensive coordinator is).
How does Corso know the Dolphins need a quarterback? Just look at what the Manning brothers have done for their franchises or the impact a former Longhorns legend has made... ladies and gentleman, Vince Long!
That analysis certainly makes us say, oohoohoohoohooo!
A Star is Born
There is an impending empty-nest syndrome washing over South Florida sports fans right now. Two of the citys brightest young athletes could be headed out of town unless team officials lock them up soon.
Heat dynamo Dwyane Wade will have a decision to make in 2010: stay with the franchise that drafted and developed one of the most marketable stars in the NBA or relocate after enduring one of the worst seasons in league history?
Marlins swiss-army-knife shortstop Hanley Ramirez has quickly grown into the most explosive player at his position. But will Florida shell out the money to keep him around? Or will Marlins fans watch another budding superstar traded to a team with deeper pockets?
There is one soon-to-be-household name, however, that appears locked into Miami for the long haul. Tiny from the Marlins Manatees. This 400-pound behemoth burst upon Opening Week at Dolphins Stadium like a beer-bellied Haleys Comet.
The dance-troupe, comprised exclusively of overweight and un-athletic dudes, all seem larger than life. But Tiny quickly impressed as a fan favorite during the series with the Mets and Pirates, acting as the carb-laden sun in a galaxy of jiggly planets. With a boatload of charisma and stirring comparisons to a modern-day Rerun with his popping and locking, Tiny became an instant focal point.
Best of all, the Marlins have the only all-male, overweight dance team in the league... meaning there are no greener pastures than right here.
Horton Hears a Playmate
Thursday morning, Panthers winger Nathan Horton dropped by the show. Outside of the usual line of questioning (another playoff-less season, backup goalie Craig Anderson is the man, etc) I asked him about growing up in Welland, Ontario.
Wikipedia lists Nathan as the second-most famous native of Welland. The first? Playboy Playmate Tammy Plante... and with a little research I found out Tammy is Canadas #1 Promotional Model. Nate MUST have heard of her, eh?
The 22-year-old forward began coyly, admitting he knew who Tammy was, but she was older and they did not attend Canadian moose-hunting school together. However, that was as far as Nate could make it.
With a little probing, LISTEN
as Horton admits HE IS MARRIED TO TAMMY (anybody that plays this down is infinitely cooler than Ray-J).
Once again, being an NHL player is the greatest occupation alive (minus the broken jaws, missing teeth and vulcanized frozen rubber you have to stop with your trachea). More money than you can spend. Play the game you love for life. Can still walk through Publix unnoticed. And Playmates.
Becoming a Lacrosse School
This must be what it feels like to watch your neighbors get divorced.
My alma mater, Syracuse University, is plummeting towards athletic irrelevance and Im wondering who will get the QVC Presidential Collectible Coin set in the settlement.
First, the family vacation gets nixed (this happened as soon as the intuitive Orange Powers That Be hired Greg Robinson to coach the football program). But why WOULD you fire a coach after another two-win season?
Second, Christmas becomes strained and uncomfortable (this is the feeling of every Orange fan this March as the basketball program has now been partaking in the national embarrassment known as the NIT for two straight seasons). Things became truly surreal last night, when SU slipped by Big Tobacco at the Dome, an 87-81 nail-biter over Robert Morris (really?).
Now, the lone consolation comes in the form of an awkward peck on the cheek at a cousins wedding. I am left waiting for... (cough)... lacrosse season to start.
Oh jeez.
The Kimbo Slice Effect
The Rav-4 Crew dragged me to countless UFC watch parties over the past year. Hard to imagine, the boys enjoyed throwing down beers while watching two combatants pummel the brains out of one another. Full disclosure, I started to enjoy it.
I embodied the girlfriend who had never watched a football game before, asking what a prevent defense and illegal cut block were. But I slowly grasped the nuances of grappling and submission holds, realizing this just a real-life version of Mortal Kombat (minus the spears and bloody hearts).
However, taking in the Kimbo Slice- Tank Abbott brawl at BankUnited Center at the University of Miami provided me with an entirely different appreciation of M.M.A.
Is it brutal? Yeah. But when you watch Kimbo, with cement-mixer fists and sequoia-built legs, come flying at you from 30 feet away, its a whole different ballgame, Johnny.
Here is a clip of the fight. Pretty fascinating stuff. Consider me a full-time member of the Kimbo Nation (which appears to include an entourage from the porno dynasty Reality Kings. Classy).
Yes, I bought a Slice t-shirt (complete with glitter gold teeth) and next time I engage in a backyard, street-fight for cash, I will have to embrace my inner Kimbo.
The Big Tradable
With a Shaq-sized fever pitch around South Florida after the trade of Daddy, the King of Overexposure regained his crown. Here is the story NBC-6 ran on the morning of the deal, complete with DA Show behind-the-scenes flavor.
With Big Poppa heading to Phoenix, reviled Riles, in one fell swoop, has magically turned the Heat from also-ran into can-run.
Expunging the $20 Million owed The Big Divorce Proceedings over the next 26 months allows the franchise to seek free-agent help this off-season, add a dynamic small forward in Shawn Marion and with the potential Top-5 draft pick, look ahead instead of behind.
Shaq did his due diligence in South Florida, delivering a ring and saving cats from palm trees. But the franchise was waning with his gaudy number on the books. Twenty years of Heat may have just turned up the thermostat.
Featured
Audio Clips
BEST OF: The Panthers Dancers stop by and don't stop talking for twenty minutes. Wait, you're home schooled? BEST OF: Heat legend Glen Rice in studio on dropping 56 on the Magic, Final Fours and MMA. BEST OF: "The Obama Guy" now has D.A.'s old job! He asked the Prez a question, then he joined the show. BEST OF: Phil and Chris Simms drop by the broadcast to rap about dad's career and son's future. BEST OF: Why so few minority college coaches? DA answers with one word: Boosters. BEST OF: When a Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Famer talks, you listen. The immortal Lynn Swann. BEST OF: TNA Wrestling's Traci Brooks on being blessed with, ahem, great dimensions. DA LOVES THE KIDS: After Marlins summer-camp day, the next gen of Fish Fans might be in trouble. DA LOVES THE KIDS: Part 1 Heat charity camp shows us D-Wright's defense needs a little work.
DA LOVES THE KIDS: Part 2 Not everyone is thrilled with the hiring of Eric Spoelstra. INSTANT CLASSIC: Free-agent Joe Horn blasts his old coaches and asks for Dolphins forgiveness, all live on the show! INSTANT CLASSIC: The man who took down Kimbo Slice: overnight celebrity Seth Petruzelli talks about the fight that stunned the fight world. BEST OF: Author Jeff Pearlman on the controversial Cowboys dynasty. Uh, ew. BEST OF: Heat rookie Mario Chalmers needs help hot-boxing. Cough, cough.. BEST OF: DA is named a Godfather. Can he handle the responsibility or will he sleep with the fishes? BEST OF: DA witnesses the greatest kids game ever. Rock, paper, scissors, space! STAR WARS GEEKS: Part 1 DA goes where no sportstalk host has gone before: Star Wars premier night.
STAR WARS GEEKS: Part 2 Will DA make it out alive or turn into an extra from the Cantina Bar? INSTANT CLASSIC: Legend of the MMA Dan "Hendo" Henderson on the circus attraction to Kimbo and the rise of UFC. BEST OF: New UFC Champ Forrest Griffin on the belt and bouncing out of fighting while the gettin's good. INSTANT CLASSIC: Zo's youth clinic brings us immediate joy: Heat Kids Say the Darndest Things BEST OF: Miami boxer Joey "Twinkle Fingers" Hernandez found himself on the streets. How he got his mojo back. BEST OF: CBS4 Weather Wizard and Miss Florida Lissette Gonzalez on the jet-stream and the wave. BEST OF: Marino delivers a commencement speech and DA's own graduation horrors. INSTANT CLASSIC: Cats winger Nathan Horton is married to a Playmate? Oops. INSTANT CLASSIC: What does JoePa really mean at pressers? Ask Penn State 101. INSTANT CLASSIC: St. Patty's Day means celebrating Irish sports legends: DA Show style. INSTANT CLASSIC: Canes Big Man Dwayne Collins has his Aladdin DVD stolen. The Horror! INSTANT CLASSIC: Dontrelle says peace to South Florida with DA. Here's his Top-3 movies of all-time. SUPER BOWL XLII: NYG's Lawrence Tynes stops by after the ticker tape parade. INSTANT CLASSIC: Is Shaq becoming M.C. Hammer Jr? Say it ain't so. INSTANT CLASSIC: DA melts down as his alma mater brings brings back the dimwitted Greg Robinson for more SU pain. INSTANT CLASSIC: This placed DA squarely on the Chiefs blacklist forever. DA and King Carl in THE Battle Royale. BEST OF: Where it all started: Herm
and Carl agree... Damon is a nice name. SUPER BOWL XL: D.A. does his best investigative work ever. It's the field turf press conference from Detroit. INSTANT CLASSIC: The Mark Mangino Montage tastes better than ever! INSTANT CLASSIC: The 2007 Herm-Gasm. 'Nuff said. INSTANT CLASSIC: The Chiefs Dept. of Misinformation is at it once again. Are the Chiefs wearing white or not? Don't ask them. INSTANT CLASSIC: Chicago's legendary Mike North joins DA to preview Chiefs- Bears. Da Bears! INSTANT CLASSIC : The annual DA Show NBA Mock Draft is here... with a return from Stormbot. FEATURED AUDIO: Royals legend Denny Matthews has bought his first cell phone. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as 6-4-3. FEATURED AUDIO: A fond DA Show farewell to Buddy Bell. He really was "Our Buddy." FEATURED AUDIO
: Lauren Nichole has made quite an impression with her traffic reports. Great or gross? You decide. The
one, the only, Zach Greinke from Royals Spring Training. The
2007 One NIT NIT Moment.
The 2006 Caller Hall of Fame Track One: Christopher Walken's legendary roast
of the new class
First the staff. Then listeners. Now LJ has the Herm-gasm? Crazy
Ray sings the Growing Pains theme song. The
Royals 70's jingle that puts a smile on your face during another horrid season
in KC. The
local TV anchors slip up on the broadcast and luckily the D.A. Show was rolling
tape. 6-6-06:
The Crypt Keeper's Holiday Crazy
Ray displays his talent for singing. Could he make a run at the next American
Idol? Oklahoma
takes it on the chin with this famous call from R.B. Missed
any of the NIT NIT action? Check out the recaps of the games and a special
edition of The One NIT NIT Moment. We
couldn't leave Alex the Intern out of the mix, check out the drunk dial message
Alex left for D.A. The
D.A. Show tribute to Alan Thicke.
Is
Crazy Ray really crazy? Take a listen to find out.
A
D.A. Show Investigation reveals color commentators handing out the pink slip
to local college coaches.
Quinner's
feeling a bit down. We ask, what's wrong with Quinn Snyder? Herm Edwards gave us quotable material right from jump street. He gets a montage based on his introduction presser. A
staple of any good office party. It's the Dick Vermeil montage XP: final edition.
Duh, ok.
DA's Hometown Hottie contest created controversy throughout KC. Radio superstar Johnny Dare stuck his nose in the middle of it. The
callers finally had their own chance to put their stamp on the Vermeil montage Why
do the sista's hate the show? It all started here: Yvette's call of the day The original D.A. Show parody of Jim Rome's smack-off (circa '04). The '05 D.A. Show parody of Jim Rome's smack-off, complete with a certain national columnist. The '06 smack-smack, which brought all the D.A. Show legends together for one fab event. You asked for it. We delivered. DA Show icon Alan Thicke's first appearance.
3.31.09 Obviously, when a Dolphins cheerleader stops by the show, everyone pays attention.
3.05.09 Miami Life Magazine.com reached out to Team D.A. and asked if we would 
2.17.09 If you were lucky enough to get your grubby paws on the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue last week, you saw the brilliance of Bar Raefeli and Brooklyn Decker.
2.10.09 Funny thing happened on the way to the Super Bowl. 
1.31.09 Yeah, it's been thirty-three years. 
1.14.09 Now that's the way to celebrate.
12.03.08 Everybody should do it once.
11.26.08 This Thursday, give thanks to the D.A. Show..jpg)
11.12.08 Tuesday evening, I almost street-brawled..jpg)
Boynton is considered one of the best prep hoops stars South Florida has ever produced and will ply his trade for Billy Donovan next season in Gainesville. .jpg)
Taylor is listed at 5'7", but you get the feeling Mighty Mouse is closer to 5'5". Didn't matter. Kimbo immediately fell in love with the kid when Taylor climbed the ladder over one of the tallest guys on the team in his dunk attempts. .jpg)
He didn't have to show up to a crowded gymnasium in Plantation and watch high school hoops. 
10.29.08 We are inching ever closer to radical change here in the United States. 
The accompanying digi-pic of seemingly the same female in all her wet bikini-glory created mass hysteria and a record number of "God, now I really hate Tebow" message posts. 
10.23.08 Gary Bettman has never been confused with Sammy Davis Jr., Joe DiMaggio or Justin Timberlake. 
Maybe a better use of the word? Describing how a franchise misses the playoffs for seven straight seasons in a league where more teams make the playoffs than don't. 
10.13.08 Final score: Naples 91. Estero 0. 
10.06.08 The larger-than-life invincibility of Lord Kimbo Slice was popped in Sunrise, FL on Saturday. 
10.01.08 Author Jeff Pearlman is noted for his tackling of sticky subjects (Barry Bonds, the '86 Mets, John Rocker). But nothing quite oozes stickiness like the '90s Cowboys. 
For all of the times we heard about playing smart, efficient football this off-season, you could surely expect a different Dolphins effort on Sundays, right? Right?
Model Kennedy James has posed for Playboy. She's been voted 
You have to love Miami. 
No matter when Joe Horn picks up a phone (end zone or otherwise) it seems to be entertaining. 
Forget Teddy Atlas or Larry Merchant. The greatest ringside analysis we've ever gotten on The DA Show? Roseanne the Ring Card Girl. 
Lymon's and Parmele's and Glymph's, oh my!
The air is brown, activists are picketing and violence has already spilled into the streets. 
Dol-Fan is already having a hard enough time sorting through Josh McCown's chainsaw-sliced index finger. They don't need white-hot Lilly distracting them as well. 
In July '92, the Amendolara clan loaded up the Suburban and trekked to the far reaches of the Canadian Rocky Mountains on summer vacation. 
The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson has penned a look at SoFla's newest sportstalk radio personalities. 
If a tie is like "kissing your sister," finding the pants of the guy who forced you to kiss your sister tastes worse. A woman in Alabama has found the long-sought-after pants of ex-con Pat Dye in the lake behind her house.
Look, the Favre comeback story is hard enough to swallow. Heck, we might need Tony Gonzalez on the premises if 
It's impossible not to get emotional about the death of Len Bias. His passing creates an unending cascade of incredible basketball what-if's. Another decade extension of the Celtics dynasty? A twenty-year curse on Boston hoops? The kingpin of the most-cursed draft class of all-time?
South Florida is wondering whether the Marlins pay their roster in food stamps. It's not pretty when the Twins are big spenders. The Mets? That's just "Brewster's Millions" stuff. But $138 Million doesn't buy you happiness. Just headaches, controversy and ill-timed firings. 
There's endless drivel devoted to ripping apart soccer. It's boring. More flopping than Manu Ginobli's grandmother. It's patently "un-American." Basically, most of the anti-soccer noise comes off as mere Fox News Channel orange-terror-alert, "hate the weirdos that don't look like us" fear garbage. 
It's too darn bad Ashley Harkleroad couldn't have made an impulsive decision like this two months ago. If she had, I could've shook her hand. 
There are many perks to living in SoFla. The women on South Beach. The food in Little Havana. The poker at Hard Rock.
Last year, Taylor Tankersley was nails. This season, he's been nailed. 
Upon waking up Saturday morning, surfing the web and 
Friday night, Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson took in (what I'm guessing was) their first Marlins/ Padres tilt. The two have been filming a movie in Miami over the last few months, spotted around town casually, as seen above. 
Unfortunately for 15,000 screaming junior-high students, they were forced to sit through a Marlins sweep at the hands of the Dodgers Thursday afternoon. The bullpen once again let the Fish down and the good vibes from a 15-10 start had devolved into concern for a young team's resilience.
Egads. 
FAU must be wondering today where exactly it ranks on the college basketball totem pole. With news arriving that coach Rex Walters will be introduced as the lead Don at San Francisco University Tuesday, the Owls are going through empty-nest syndrome. 
We all know that Lee Corso revels in playing the fool for ESPNs College Gameday crew. But, he may be taking his role as a lovable foil a little too far. 
Thursday morning, Panthers winger Nathan Horton dropped by the show. Outside of the usual line of questioning (another playoff-less season, backup goalie Craig Anderson is the man, etc) I asked him about growing up in Welland, Ontario.