April 2 @ LA Angels - The Sosa debut is hyped all week long on ESPN as the Texas Rangers open their season on national television (ESPN2). The Rangers front office, who assumes Sosa has somewhat assimilated to the American culture after 17 seasons in the Majors, gives Sosa an itinerary in English. Naturally Sosa can't understand the document, misinterprets it as another Congressional hearing invitation, and nervously burns the paper...he also happens to miss the opening game of the season.

April 17 @ Chicago White Sox - After striking out on three pitches in his first at bat, 13 games into the season, Sosa connects with homers on his next two plate appearances. Although White Sox fans are upset that Sosa single-handedly beats the Sox, they all experience a bitter-sweet feeling knowing that Sosa is doing this with a team other than the Cubs.

May 3 @ New York Yankees - Since Sosa's three homer game against the Sox he has once again been shut out in the home run category. The drought comes to an end when Sosa hits #3 in Yankee Stadium as the Rangers outslug the Yanks 11-10. Following the game an irate George Steinbrenner demands a urine sample and the testing of his personal bats for cork from Commish Selig. Sosa's bat and urine are clean.



June 5 vs. Detroit Tigers - Sosa hits #7 of the season, but the real story happens before the game when stadium security officials spot Sammy Sosa and now Tiger Gary Sheffield comparing subpoenas in the visiting locker room.

June 19 vs. Chicago Cubs - It seems unnatural to see Sosa go up against the Cubs, but it certainly feels familiar for Sammy as Ameriquest Field is crowded with Cubs fans who have traveled from the north side all the way to Arlington, Texas in order to witness Sosa take on the Cubs. A Texas three-run first inning includes a Sosa long-ball that falls into the left field bleachers. Of all people, the ball lands in the hands of Steve Bartman, who has even come out of hibernation (apparently he has been hiding in Mexico this whole time). As Bartman "throws it back" the Cub heavy crowd not only embraces and forgives him, but Bartman proceeds to lead the crowd in a "Sosa Sucks" chant.



July 6 vs. Baltimore Orioles - The Texas allergies get to Sosa as he sneezes "violently" while in the on-deck circle. The game happens to be tied up in the bottom of the 9th and Sosa has to be pinch-hit for as he hits the ground with back spasms in front of a bewildered crowd.

July 13 @ Los Angeles Angels - The All-Star break has come and gone. Sosa has faired decently, but by no stretch of the imagination is he an All-Star. As the All-Star festivities occur, Sosa spends the all-star break at good friend Rafael Palmeiro's home. Sosa proceeds to hit home runs in 5 of next 7 games.



July 20 @ Cleveland Indians - Sosa is randomly tested for the 12th time this season and finally he fails his drug test. Sosa is immediately dropped by the Rangers and after serving out his suspension he is unclaimed on waivers.

September 1 - Sosa spends August training 8 hours a day, then joins buddy Mark McGwire in the pursuit of a PGA tour card, a sport which does not drug test.



February 4, 2008 - Celebrity Challenge @ Pebble Beach - After the whole Q school thing didn't pan out for Sosa or McGwire, they are partnered together in the Celebrity Challenge at Pebble Beach. A fuming Sosa leaves after the first hole, after feeling insulted when someone asks if he is McGwire's caddy.

Watch the video, then read...

According to Wikipedia:

The Plano East Senior High School football team won an ESPY award in 1995 for showstopper of the year: High school football: Incredible comeback/letdown, Plano East vs. Tyler [1] [2].

On the evening of November 26, 1994, Plano East was trailing against John Tyler 41-17 with 3 minutes remaining in regulation. Plano East had possession of the ball at John Tyler's 20 yard line. With a quick touchdown pass from Jeff Whitley to Terrence Green, the drive began as the score closed to 41-23 (failed two point conversion). On the ensuing onside kickoff, a member of John Tyler's team picked up the ball and fumbled it, and Plano East was there to pick it up. With the ball on John Tyler's 44, Whitley hit another pass to Terrence Green, taking them up to the 26 yard line with 2:24 left. On the next play, a hard blitz caused an errant pass from Whitley, however the pass was still caught and taken to the 11 yard line. 3 plays later, on 4th and 5 at the 5 yard line, Whitley completes a touchdown pass to John Braddick. The conversion was good, which took the score to 41-31. On yet another onside kick, Plano East yet again recovered possession when a John Tyler player let the ball bounce off of him. With the ball on their own 45 and 1:24 left, a screen pass to Green took the ball to the John Tyler 12 yard line, where he took the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. On the next play, Whitley completed yet another touchdown pass to Braddick. The failed conversion left the score 41-37. Plano East recovered yet another onside kick following the attempted conversion, which left them at midfield. On 2nd and 10, facing a hard blitz from both sides, another screen pass to Green took the ball to the John Tyler 22 yard line. With 31 seconds remaining, Whitley threw yet another touchdown pass to take the lead 43-41. After a successful extra point, John Tyler was ready to receive the ball with 24 seconds remaining. In yet another shocking play, John Tyler's kickoff returner went 98 yards for a touchdown, which led to the final score of 48-43.

3 minute summary for Plano East: Jeff Whitley - 219 passing yards, 4 TD John Braddick - 23 yards, 2 TD Terrence Green - 91 receiving yards, 1 TD.

This might be one of the most amazing sequence of events ever in the history of sports. The amazing comeback was once in a lifetime and to lose it in such a devastating way is really unbelievable. I think the events that transpired are even more bizarre and unbelievable than the Boise State/Oklahoma game. No matter how many times I watch this video, I am left in awe.

When watching professional athletes compete do we as fans ever sit back and really comprehend just how athletically freaky these guys are? Well the video above, of Arizona Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson, will not only humble you but also put things into perspective. In the clip, Wilson jumps a 66 inch bar after taking just a three-step start. It looks so easy. At the same time the effortless jump is more proof of why the players play and why us, the viewers, view from a distance.

Hasn't this gone far enough? You hire an offensive genius in Gary Kubiak and then pass on the obvious choice in Reggie Bush. I don't even want to think about how amazing it would have been to see Kubiak and Bush team up for the next ten years or so. Then you decide not to select homegrown playmaker Vince Young. And finally the shocker of them all, you take Mario Williams.

Well I hope Mr. Mario is working out for you, because apparently now you are shopping David Carr around the NFL. According to the Houston Chronicle's Jerome Solomon, who spoke with league sources:

"Two said they were aware of it, another said he had not been told that by any reliable source, but got wind of the talk at the Senior Bowl this week.

A pro personnel assistant said there is no way the Texans could get a third-round pick for Carr, but a conditional fourth-rounder probably isn't out of the question."



It is truly unbelievable that the Texans seem to be giving up on David Carr now. How can they have so little faith in Carr only a year after having so much confidence in him that you passed on taking Vince Young? I don't have a problem with the Texans choosing to sever ties with Carr, but why couldn't they have made this assessment a year ago, because if that were the case their current quarterback could be Vince Young! Instead they chose a defensive lineman who isn't even the best rookie on his team.

After passing on Bush and Young, if David Carr does indeed get traded for simply a third or fourth round pick, you have to wonder how the Houstons fans will react, or rather riot. All of this really makes you wonder how competent the Houston Texans' front office really is. As well as who is really in charge down in Houston? My guess would be Merrill Hoge, considering all things.

I vividly remember the evening my Dallas Mavericks drafted Robert "Tractor" Traylor. It was the 1998 NBA Draft and with the 6th pick my Mavs drafted a man so beastly that many believed the 6'8, 280 pound giant could have matched up with Shaq...and held his ground. Or at the least, he was another man who could shatter a backboard with a ferocious two-hand slam.

I was excited to say the least. Then less than an hour later the Dallas Mavericks traded recently drafted Tractor Traylor, who I thought could have been the savior to the franchise, for some goofy looking German the Milwaukee Bucks selected three picks later. I think the crowd's reaction to the Dirk pick in the youtube video above says it all. Not only who is Dirk, but what is a Dirk?

They say there are two sides to every coin, and if Dirk is heads than Traylor is certainly tails. While Dirk, at the age of 27, is already a 6-time All NBAer, and a five time all-star, Traylor has been not only bad, but extremely awful.

And now things have gotten worse in Tractor Traylor's life, as he has plead guilty to tax fraud. But the story is far worse than just tax fraud...

"Traylor's name was used to make it appear that he purchased two Detroit rental properties, but the properties were actually bought and owned by Quasand Lewis, a convicted drug trafficker and money launderer, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen Murphy's office.

The 29-year-old Traylor admitted in his plea that the properties were listed in his name to conceal Lewis' ownership from police. Traylor also admitted claiming a false loss of more than $205,000 from the properties on his 2004 federal income tax return."

Taylor faces up to 14 months in prison and it is really unfortunate that Traylor had to resort to this type of behavior in order to make an extra buck or two. The man had so much supposed potential but he never amounted to much on the court. If he was really that desperate for money, maybe instead of involving himself in organized crime he should have just asked Dirk for a loan.

Super Bowl Sunday is without a doubt the greatest single-day event in sports each calendar season. It isn't just the game but the event itself. In the past this has included frogs, a nipple, and even a great play or two.

But in all honesty, the event is much more than just Super Bowl Sunday. It includes the week before the game, as you break down the teams, give predictions, and plan where you will watch the game. Further, after the game you will spend the next few days discussing the best and worst commercials, and maybe even the game, if it was a good one. However, you will must likley be at work, not home, as you discuss all of these extremely important issues. This act of preparing and reviewing must result in some sort of lack of "work" productivity at the office, right? (Not like we really give a damn)...

According to the research firm Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, the discussion of Super Bowl related items by each individual spanning just 10 minutes a day the week before the Super Bowl is estimated to cost U.S. firms a total of $800 million. Specifically, "According to the calculations, for every 10 minutes the 57.1 million employed Super Bowl fans spend at work chatting about the game or surfing the Internet to compare starting line-ups, it costs employers $162.1 million."

Also discussed in the study is the Super Bowl of lost productivity. Chicago dominates Indiana in this match-up, as the city of Chicago is expected to lose $73 million due to unproductive work time during the week leading up to the Super Bowl, as oppossed to only $12.5 million for the city of Indianapolis.

On a positive and somewhat comedic note, the study also states that, "the lost productivity also can lead to unity around the office." Yea...good luck with that.

Image 1

Image 2

As I was about to post on my blog I noticed something bizarre. Something very bizarre. As I was gazing at my computer screen I suddenly became frightened as I realized Kim Etheredge was starring right back at me. Yes, Kim Etheredge was advertising, via Google Adsense, on my blog.

I am sure many like myself have wondered what Etheredge has been doing since Terrell Owens went Donald Trump on her ass and fired the woman who was a joke of a publicist, to say the least.

Well after spotting her on our blog, we at WBRS Sports decided to go on an all out investigation and well, let us be the first to introduce you to Mixed Chicks...



Yes, apparently Kim Etheredge is the co-founder of a shampoo and conditioner company, named Mixed Chicks.

A little synopsis on the product:

"finally, a curl-defining system designed for "us." whether you're black, white, asian, latin, mediterranean, or any glorious combination of the above, you'll love the way these non-sticky, lightweight, products leave your hair inviting to touch as they define and lock moisture into every curl. be a proud part of our multiracial movement, show your curls and radiantly roll with mixed chicks."




This photo from the Mixed Chicks webpage shows Kim and her friend Wendi Levy, the two who established Mixed Chicks together. Under the "Who are we?" section of the website, Kim gives an exciting biography about her life, although she never does mention that she is was a publicist for the most famous wide receiver in the NFL...

"i grew up in los angeles, entertainment capital of the world. sun, water, fun, convertibles...the west coast is a beautiful place, but it is hard on hair. participating in all of these everyday activities was a privilege, but try blow-drying your hair to style — now that was a nuisance, not to mention bad for my hair. in a place obsessed with looks, my life was hell. my hair is naturally curly, but i could never wear it out because i had to use too many products to get the right look. i had to search from one end of the store to the other to concoct a combination for my "unruly, kinky, wild hair." that was not only a pain, but expensive too! lucky for me i met wendi."

So there you have it. Maybe little Kim was a little bit awe struck and out of her element at TO's press conference simply because being a publicist isn't the highest priority in her life. We will congradulate little Kim on this though...at least she wasn't having a bad hair day.

Let's take a stroll through Bloggers Way and get the lastest news from different parts of the Blogosphere...

Coaching vacancies and arrests, aka the NFL [Insomniac's Lounge]

Oh yeah, we also have a Super Bowl coming up [Jason's Sports Blog]

Is Houston Nutt a legit candidate for the Cowboys head coaching job? Who is Houston Nutt? [Just Call Me Juice]

A detailed and lengthy Yankees preview already...[Oriole Post]

How one gets to talk in the booth for a living. [Sports Talk]

The state of Sidney Crosby's Penguins. [Signal to Noise]

Maybe the MLS can be successful. [Sports Agent]

Somebody likes ice skating way too much. [Shot to Nothing]

According to Ben Maller of Fox Sports, the Oakland Raiders are interested in trading for Michael Vick. Maller claims that, "the Oakland Raiders are preparing to make a run at Falcons QB Michael Vick, according to NFL sources. The Raiders package would include receivers Randy Moss and Jerry Porter plus the No.1 overall pick in the 2007 draft for Vick and the Falcons first round pick (10th overall)."

If this trade comes to fruition, it certainly would go down as the biggest trade the NFL has seen since Herschel Walker was dealt by the Cowboy to the Vikings back in 1989. Let's take a look at what a deal like this would mean to each team...

If Vick did go to the Raiders, he would single-handedly change the dynamic of the team's offense. He would find himself in a similar situation to where he currently finds himself in Atlanta, one without any playmakers around him. Perhaps the Raiders could draft Teddy Ginn Jr. or Dwayne Jarrett with the #10 draft pick they would receive from Atlanta. Regardless, even the Atlanta Falcon's Michael Vick would most definitely improve a Raiders team that went an abysmal 2-14 this year. That was in large part to one of the worst offenses ever, an offense so bad that the team only managed two victories with a defense ranked third in yards allowed (yea that is an awful offense).

Although already a 6 year veteran in the league, maybe Oakland could successfully utilize Vick's combination of having both deadly speed and a rocket arm, something Atlanta wasn't really able to do. If aging owner Al Davis wants to see the Raiders return to their winning ways of the past asap then a trade for Vick would make much sense. This is of course opposed to drafting Brady Quinn or JeMarcus Russell with the first pick in the draft and waiting a few years as he developed into possibly a stud quarterback. The trade of course would also allow the Raiders to sever ties with both underproductive Randy Moss and disgruntled Jerry Porter.



From Atlanta's perspective, the past few seasons could be best characterized as wishful thinking, as they hoped Vick would transform back to the 2002 version, the one that lead the Falcons to an NFC Championship game. But since then Vick has struggled mightily and has been heavily criticized. In my opinion, this trade has the potential to push the Falcons all the way to the top of the NFC. It might not, but it has the potential. If Matt Schaub is really as good as everyone says he is than he should be able to succeed in an offense that would include perhaps the best receiving group in the NFL, in Moss, Porter and tight end Alge Crumpler. The #1 pick Atlanta would acquire from Oakland could be used on OL Joe Thomas out of Wisconsin, or the Falcons could even consider trading down.

It is also possible that Moss and Porter, both who have large egos and notorious personalities, could mess things up in Atlanta, a la Terrell Owens in Dallas, Philly or San Francisco. But Atlanta finished 7-9 this season and 8-8 a season ago. Sure Vick is arguably the most athletic football player ever, but the bottom line is that lately Michael Vick and the Altanta Falcons aren't winning ball games. I think the potential reward involved in getting Moss and Porter dramatically outweighs the risk involved in such a transaction.



Thus, looking at this potential trade it seems to make a great deal of sense for both franchises. Oakland suddenly acquires a player so special that in the right system he has the potential all by himself to turn the team into a contender in a very short time. Meanwhile, Vick's recent immoral actions give the Falcons an excuse to trade their high-paid, franchise quarterback who can't seem to carry the team over that last hurdle to the Super Bowl. They would then be able to start the "next Tony Romo" in Matt Schaub and he would have the weapons in Porter, Moss, and Crumpler to succeed immediately and perhaps lead the Falcons to a Super Bowl.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team was 1-11 in 2002 with their only victory coming against Army (who was also 1-11 that year). As most know this past year Rutgers finished an amazing 11-2 and were at one point in the BCS Championship game talks.

Two things can occur after a historic season such as the one experienced by Rutgers transpires...Either A, the head coach and even some of his assistants move on to other universities, accepting more prominent job offers from schools that can offer them greater salaries. When this occurs, in seasons to come the team continues to play well, but not at an 11-2 level. Then there is option B, the one that allows a university like Rutgers to continue to play top notch football. This involves offering the current coaches bundles of cash to stay together and turn an 11-2 season into a consistent outcome for many seasons to come. It appears Rutgers University seems set on the more appeasing "option B". But with this choice comes consequences, not all of which are positive...

Apparently Rutgers' state aid was cut $80 million this past year and it was recently announced that this lost money will force the university to dismiss 825 employees and cancel approximatley 459 course sections. Further, AD Robert E. Mulcahy III stated that the school will cut "six high-performing Olympic sports that cost a combined $800,000."

Meanwhile, as the school attempts to cope with this lack of funding they are showing their students, alumni and fans that a winning football program is extremely vital to the university. During this time of financial restraint rather than decreasing funding for the football program, the school is taking that "option B" and increasing spending by nearly $3 million.

"Most of Schiano's six-figure coaching assistants got double-digit raises even as the university reeled under state budget cuts that forced the elimination of 825 jobs...Salaries for nine coaches now range between $115,000 and $185,000, according to the contracts obtained by The Record under the state's Open Public Records Act. Each also gets a $7,200 annual car stipend and an additional one month's pay -- a bonus for getting the Scarlet Knights into the Texas Bowl."



Specifically, below are the new salaries of nine Rutgers' assistants as well as their percentage increase in their new salaries compared to their old:

Jay Butler, Strength and Conditioning Coach
$125,675 (10.1%)

Chris Demarest, Defensive Backs Coach
$143,000 (10%)

John McNulty, Asst. Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/ Wide Receivers Coach
$160,000 (23.1%)

Kyle Flood, Offensive Line Coach
$122,500 (22.5%)

Joseph Susan, Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
$144,000 (15.2%)

Cary Godette, Defensive Line Coach
$143,000 (10%)

Darren Rizzi, Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers/Special Teams Coach
$145,750 (10%)

Robert Jackson, Running Backs Coach
$115,000 (9.5%)

Craig Ver Steeg, Offensive Coordinator
$185,000 (7.8%)


The raises were not 100% successful as a small turnover still occurred as a raise of 28.6 percent to $90,000 was not enough to keep Phil Galiano, who has taken over as the defensive coordinator at FIU.


In end, I applause Rutgers for their actions. Yes I imagine the university will receive heavy criticism for increasing the football budget in a time in which the school is suffering from $80 million in funding cuts, however the school's actions show just how much of a priority consistently having a great football team is to them. Maybe an academic university's highest priority shouldn't be football but rather academics. It is a delicate situation, one that schools like Rutgers has to experience, and big schools like Texas, Oklahoma, Miami, Florida, etc don't have to. If Rutgers stays consistently great then in 5 years the team will be producing a significant profit from bowl appearances, ticket sales, and alumni donations. It appears that is the school's goal, as AD Mulcahy said, "If you want to be excellent you have to be competitive and that's what we're doing. It's all part of my plan to get to a point where we're consistently in the Top 25." At that point I imagine certainly some of that money could and would be put back into the university.

Well...we should all be working for ESPN really. Or at least that was the case last weekend when we all did better with our NFL picks than most of the ESPN supposed "experts".

Here are the standings from last week:

Mini Me 4-0
Easy 4-0
Twins15 3-1
Turetsky 3-1
Sanchez 3-1
MC 3-1
Jason 3-1
Danny 2-2


But that is the past and this weekend there is the potential for two great games. And with that our picks are below...

Sunday, January 21

New Orleans @ Chicago 3:00 ET, FOX
New Orleans - Mini Me, Young Daniel, Easy
Chicago - MC

New England @ Indianapolis 6:30 ET, CBS
New England -
Indianapolis - MC (via a Adam Vinatieri game winning field goal), Young Daniel, Easy, Mini Me

Give us your predictions in the comments section!

Hawaii QB Colt Brennan has decided to come back for his senior season. After seeing how Timmy Chang performed in the NFL, or lack of performed, you have to wonder if like Chang, Brennan is merely a product of the Hawaii Rainbow Warrior system.

I think he is, and that is why I find it unbelievable that Brennan, who has been projected to go in the end of the first round in some mock drafts, would return to college for his senior season. I'm not sure if Brennan's stock could be any higher, and good luck matching your 53 touchdowns you threw this season.



Do you think it was a smart move for Colt to return for his senior season? And do you think he will have any success in the NFL?

If you take a look at Sammy Sosa's career numbers, you will see that he began his baseball career playing for the Texas Rangers. Well things have come full circle for Sosa, who appears to be on the verge of making a return to baseball via a minor league contract with those same Texas Rangers.

So let me welcome you to the Home Run contest, where you, the contestants, guess how many home runs you think Sosa will end up with. You could guess 0, if you think he won't even make the big league roster. Or you could guess 66, that's how many he hit in 1998, back in the day when steroids weren't technically against the rules. (wink, wink)

But in all honesty, how many home runs you think he will hit will depend on how many games you think he will play with the Rangers and how well he will play in those games.

So tell me, how many home runs will Sammy Sosa hit in this upcoming season?

(Make sure to turn up the sound to hear and see how late Tony Allen makes his move after the whistle is blown)

Well if you haven't seen the Tony Allen injury please watch the clip above. Allen tore his ACL and will be out of action for at least six months as a result of the injury. But the crazy thing about it is that Allen's injury was maybe as unncessary as Bill Gramatica's famous celebration injury.

The whistle is clearly blown before Allen makes his move, but decides "what the heck?" I'll dunk it. And with that obviously uneccessary play, Allen's season is over. But then again maybe delayed dunks three seconds after the whistle is blown are necessary in Boston...the fans need something to cheer about.

An NFL recap in case you spent the past weekend under a rock. [Complete Sports]

Who needs Adam Vinatieri? The Pats don't, for now at least. [Jason's Sports Blog]

A conversation with Barbaro. [The Big Picture]

Impressions and analysis of this past week's playoff games. [The Sports Pulse]

College girls gone wild...this isn't what you think it is. [The Big Lead]

Young Daniel, MC, Easy, and I have given our picks below for the four NFL playoff games this weekend. As the regular season pick 'em champion I feel that my picks have a little bit more credibility than MC or Young Daniel's, but that is just the Champ speaking his mind...

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Indianapolis @ Baltimore 4:30 ET, CBS
Baltimore - Danny
Indianapolis - Mini Me, MC, Easy

Philadelphia @ New Orleans 8:00 ET, FOX
Philadelphia -
New Orleans - Danny, MC, Mini Me, Easy


Sunday, January 14, 2007

Seattle @ Chicago 1:00 ET, Fox
Seattle -
Chicago - Danny, MC, Mini Me, Easy

New England @ San Diego, 4:30 ET, CBS
San Diego - Danny, MC
New England - Mini Me, Easy


Give us your predictions in the comments section!

After I and fellow WBRS Sports Bloggers MC and Easy discovered on Tuesday that Terrell Owens fired notorious publicist Kim Etheredge, we watched the improbable "25 million reasons" press conference a few times just to remind ourselves how bad of a publicist Etheredge really was.

Did she really say "when I see a man of his statue"?

When asked if she took pills from Terrell's mouth did she actually state "It's been a really long night, I can't remember everything"?

And did she really utter the now famous words "Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive"?

We weren't sure if Kim could have handled this press conference any worse than she did...which got us thinking, is Kim Etheredge even a publicist? Is this her real job? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But we do have a reason as to why she seemed a little rusty on her publicist skills during the TO press conference...

Let us be the first to introduce you to Mixed Chicks...



Yes, apparently Kim Etheredge is the co-founder of a shampoo and conditioner company, named Mixed Chicks.

A little synopsis on the product:

"finally, a curl-defining system designed for "us." whether you're black, white, asian, latin, mediterranean, or any glorious combination of the above, you'll love the way these non-sticky, lightweight, products leave your hair inviting to touch as they define and lock moisture into every curl. be a proud part of our multiracial movement, show your curls and radiantly roll with mixed chicks."




This photo from the Mixed Chicks webpage shows Kim and her friend Wendi Levy, the two who established Mixed Chicks together. Under the "Who are we?" section of the website, Kim gives an exciting biography about her life, although she never does mention that she is was a publicist for the most famous wide receiver in the NFL...

"i grew up in los angeles, entertainment capital of the world. sun, water, fun, convertibles...the west coast is a beautiful place, but it is hard on hair. participating in all of these everyday activities was a privilege, but try blow-drying your hair to style — now that was a nuisance, not to mention bad for my hair. in a place obsessed with looks, my life was hell. my hair is naturally curly, but i could never wear it out because i had to use too many products to get the right look. i had to search from one end of the store to the other to concoct a combination for my "unruly, kinky, wild hair." that was not only a pain, but expensive too! lucky for me i met wendi."

So there you have it. Maybe little Kim was a little bit awe struck and out of her element at TO's press conference simply because being a publicist isn't the highest priority in her life. We at WBRS Sports Blog congratulate little Kim on her new project and wish her the best in the shampoo and conditioner industry, however we aren't sure how successful she is doing at the moment if she has to rely on advertising on our blog.

This picture might sicken some Ohio State Buckeye fans to see, but perhaps if it weren't for this team celebration things might have turned out differently in the BCS Championship game with Florida. This is Ted Ginn Jr. celebrating with two teammates after he returned the opening kickoff of the game 93 yards for a touchdown. The result of the celebration? A sprained left foot, and perhaps Ginn's last game as a Buckeye if he does indeed decide to turn pro.

"Ginn Jr. injured his foot when his teammates jumped on him in celebration after he returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in Ohio State's 41-14 loss to Florida on Monday night in the national title game. He noticed the injury while running a route on Ohio State's first offensive play and was sidelined the rest of the game."

Bill Gramatica's injury was just silly, but this was just unfortunate.

Is Tony Romo all to blame for his botched field goal hold and consequently the Dallas Cowboys playoff lose to the Seahawks this past Sunday? Maybe...But maybe not. After the Romo miscue, players have come out and claimed they hate the K-Ball, the ball used during special teams plays.

Apparently, although ordinary game balls can be practiced with throughout the week by NFL teams, K-Balls, "are off limits until shortly before kickoff." Since the balls are brand new they are especially slick and slippery.

"They're slicker than the plastic balls my kids play with," injured Philadelphia Eagles long-snapper Mike Bartrum said Tuesday.

So why do the K-Balls exist in the first place if everyone hates them?

The NFL introduced the K-Balls eight years ago after the competition committee decided teams were abusing their privileges and taking unusual measures to condition balls to fly higher and travel farther. Kickers and punters were accused of using strange methods to soften the leather, spread the seams and inflate the bladder. Rumors included instances of balls being put in microwave ovens, dryers and saunas.

Even David Akers empathizes with Romo..."Kicking balls are very, very slick," Akers said. "They have a lot of wax on them because they are brand new. You don't get to work them in very much, and you see a lot of that happening."

The 2006-2007 sports season could be remembered as "The Year of the Hated Balls", first with the NBA composite leather ball and now with the K-Ball.

Regardless of the slickness of the K-Ball, 99 out of 100 times the snap and hold are successful. That 1 out of 100 times was Tony Romo's fumbled snap and he has nobody to blame but himself, and he hasn't tried to blame anyone or anything but himself.

Just a day after a heartbreaking defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round of the NFC playoffs, disgruntled Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens fired his notorious publicist Kim Etheredge. Etheredge is remembered for concluding TO's overdose press conference by stating, "Terrell has 25 million reasons he should be alive." After that botched handling of the media, you have to wonder if Etheredge will find a job again as a publicist. If she doesn't, I hope her small commission Terrell paid her is enough reasons why she should be alive.

Two months ago Tony Romo took the world by storm, leading the Cowboys to wins in five of his first six starts, and getting linked romantically to Jessica Simpson. It turns out Romo's performance over that time wasn't the only thing that was blown out of proportion. Sources are now saying that Romo and Simpson have never even met, and the rumored reason why the two were linked is that Simpson's dad was using her name to try and get free Cowboys tickets. Romo is now dating pop star Carrie Underwood and Simpson is...well...I'm sure she's making a commercial or something.

Last evening I returned to the States from a 5-day Christmas vacation in the Bahamas full of rolling an excessive amount of 7s, tearing up the rough at the Ocean Club golf course, and laying out by the beach sipping on Bahama Mamas. Meanwhile, the amount of celebrity sightings was beyond ridiculous, to the point where I believe Nassau is either a celebrity safe house or the host of this year's annual Scientology convention. The celebrities included Jessica Alba, Wesley Snipes, James Gandolfini (aka Tony Soprano), Shane McMahon, and Mayor Giuliani.

But the most memorable experience of the vacation was without a doubt meeting Ken Griffey Jr, who was also vacationing the island. Not only did I meet "The Kid", but I spoke for thirty minutes with the player most believed would one day break Hank Aaron's home run record. After admiring a boat parked in the marina adjacent to the Atlantis hotel property, suddenly Ken Griffey Jr. himself appeared from the interior of the boat, armed with a cast on his left hand, he introduced himself to me as "Ken...Griffey".

Beginning by asking about his 115 foot boat, Griffey predominately carried a half an hour conversation with me, discussing a myriad of topics. Griffey told me that he comes to the Bahamas about 3 or 4 times a year, and usually travels to Nassau during the all-star break. In fact, he even told me that while he used to get excited about participating in the all-star game, he no longer cares for the event as the players are so busy it isn't even a break at all. He also stated that each team should have 40 players in order to prevent another All-Star game tie.

Griffey then discussed steroids and the fact that the tests were not random at all. He said he was tested five times last season, and eight the season before. In fact, Griffey said he had to inform Major League Baseball that he was vacationing in the Bahamas, in case they decided they wanted to administer another random test on him. My father, who was also there, discussed the fact that he and I are from Texas and he remembered Sosa being so skinny on Texas but then in Chicago his body suddenly mirrored the Hulk. Griffey responded by saying, "Yea I remember when he was this big...(and held up his index finger)."

Griffey then reminisced on what it was like to play with his father during the 1991 season in Seattle. While he said it was an amazing time, it was also a little bit stressful. He said things were hard at times though especially during the beginning of the season when he would curse and then awkwardly turn his head over and see his father watching and listening.

Griffey discussed umpires, and the fact that umpires that make bad calls aren't trying to send a message and show up the players, but simply many umpires aren't that good. Griffey said he doesn't bother wasting too much energy arguing with umpires but instead just stares at them for a few seconds after a bad strike call. Griffey informed me that he has only been ejected in three games in his baseball career, including once during a spring training game after the umpire made two atrocious strike three calls, one of which almost hit Griffey. After being ejected that day, Ken said he left the ballpark to play golf with Mark O'Meara and Payne Stewart, not a bad day if you ask me.

Griffey also discussed pitchers and how to distinguish between if the pitcher is going to throw a curve ball or fast ball. He said Pedro cuts his sleeves in a way so that the flap on his sleeve hides his hand which makes it more difficult to determine what he is about to throw. he also advised if I go to a high speed batting cage, not to move my feet to much but swing a short swing if I wanted to try to make contact with the ball.

Griffey also seems like a great family man. He said he enjoys going to the Bahamas so he can spend time fishing with his children. He said each of his children, as well as his wife, have a boat named after them, while he does not own a boat named after himself! He said none of his children are too interested in playing baseball, but prefer basketball and football.

Overall, there is not a doubt in my mind that Ken Griffey Jr. is the nicest celebrity or athlete I have ever met. It wasn't as if I were pestering him with questions, but rather he seemed to enjoy sharing his stories with me, a fan of his, yet a complete stranger. With this, Ken Griffey Jr. is now one of my favorite players and I will cheer for him for as long as he continues to play baseball in the Major Leagues.