What a Week

I do not know about you all, but it is hard to believe it is Friday already. This week seemed to fly by. Between "actual" work and the many hot-button news stories circulating through the sports world, the GameTime, TBD© office was in a constant state of chaos for the better part of the week.

Between Reggie returning the Heisman, the Jets harassing a "reporter", the TEA Party high-jacking the Republican Party, and the Lions getting screwed out of win last Sunday, the stories have been coming faster than the star quarterback on prom night. [Editor's Note: Yeah, that just happened.] These stories have garnered so much attention this week, we are going to try something new with this Link Dump: not take an official position on any of them. Well, that is kind of a lie; "technically" we took a position on Bush giving back his Heisman last week. We are choosing to pass on the other three major stories for a variety of reasons, namely: (1) a position on "InesGate" is not likely to end well for the Chief when he gets home to his Better Half tonight; (B) a position on the TEA Party might end the Chief's political aspirations before they have even really begun; and (iii) we do not think today is the day we should test the word limit of Blogger by letting the Chief get going on Calvin Johnson's game-winning (non-)touchdown. So, instead, we are just going to get right to the links and let others chime in:

• I never thought I would see the day: Bill Simmons has the most reasonable take of the week on "InesGate".
• You know whose opinion I would really like to get on "InesGate"? Jenn Sterger. Yes, the woman who dressed like this as a "reporter" for the Jets and . . . oh good, she decided to open her mouth.
• Regardless of whether Megatron's catch was or was not a touchdown, I firmly believe Jim Schwartz is the coach that will return the Lions to greatness. [Editor's Note: Wait, the Lions were once great?]
• These girls or so desperate to become Lions' cheerleaders, they are willing to accept not being Lions cheerleaders.
  
• Matt Forte: last season's fantasy bust, this season's fiance bust.
• You know, when I think of Jon Gruden, I usually compare him to Forrest Gump as well. Wait, what?
• It is only week three of the college football season and we already have our "Say It Isn't So" injury of the year.
• A Denard Robinson tribute song? Some might think it is a little early in the season for that. I say "Did you see the Notre Dame/Michigan game?"
• Here is a fun slideshow on baseball's oddest injuries.
  
• If this reporter is right, the McCourt divorce is going to do more damage to the Dodgers than we previously thought.
  
• Why am I not surprised that this guy is a Walmart patron?
• Looks like John Calipari is still up to his old tricks.
• Your bizarre but true story of the week is brought to you by: [*spins wheel*] Togo.

I am not going to sugar coat it; as great as this week was for large news stories, it was equally as bad for new entertaining videos. But rest assured, our dear readers, that we have saved a few in the vault for just such an occasion:

• By now, must of you are probably familiar with this entertaining news interview. However, you probably are not as familiar with the song it inspired.
• A word of caution to all you singers out there: do not lock your knees.
• Not positive, but I think that is a touch back.
• "This is a BET spin-off, Elementary School Musical."
  
• It has been a couple of weeks, but Jimmy Kimmel was finally back with a new "This Week in Unnecessary Censorship". [Editor's Note: Really Delaware Republicans? Christine O'Donnell?]
• "Imma fry this chicken in my han'."

Have a great weekend everyone!

Love Those Short Weeks

It is hard to believe, but we are approaching the Fourth Anniversary of the day The Chief started GameTime, TBD©. We have not finalized any plans for this momentous occasion, but I am sure there is something in the works. I know things have not gone quite like The Chief would have hoped, but we are still fighting. I am confident he will come up with some ways to make our fifth year of service to you, our loyal readers, the best yet. In the meantime, we will keep doing what we do, and that starts with our weekly Link Dump.

Before we get to the goods, I just wanted to take a brief moment to touch upon the "Should Reggie Bush give back his Heisman Trophy?" debate that was elevated in light of this week's report by Yahoo! Sports' that the Heisman Trust was going to take it from him. Well, the Heisman Trust has since denied the report (oops . . . sorry Yahoo! Sports, can't win 'em all), but that has not stopped the debate. And, so, we figured you all would want our two cents as well. No? Well tough. This is our site and we will do whatever we want (nan-ny, nan-ny, boo, boo).

In the interest of full and fair disclosure, we are UCLA people, so we have never been too fond of Reggie Bush. He has, since day one at USC, been one of the most arrogant and selfish players out there (though, it was nice to see that arrogance bite him in the butt against Texas). We like him a lot more now that he single-handedly brought the full force of the NCAA Sanctions Committee down on the USC football program, but as a person, he still sucks. All that being said, he should get to keep his Heisman Trophy. Quoting from the Heisman Trust website (which, I remind you, is not associated with the NCAA): "the Heisman Trophy Trust of New York City, will award the annual Heisman Memorial Trophy to an individual who deserves designation as the most outstanding college football player in the United States." As much as I hate the guy, it is hard to deny that Reggie Bush was the "most outstanding college football player" in 2005. Yes, Vince Young made the USC defense look silly in the National Championship game, but over the course of the season, Reggie Bush was rather impressive. Believe you me, his 260 yards and two touchdowns against UCLA that year were not fun to watch. Yes, he violated NCAA rules. However, to the best of our knowledge, none of the extra benefits the Bush family received enhanced Reggie's performance on the field. If it turned out he was taking steroids or some other form of PEDs, then you might have a case for stripping him of his trophy. But the trophy is about on-the-field performance, not the character of the player off the field. Otherwise, the Heisman Trust better spend the time and energy doing background checks on all past winners and future winners (the NCAA would probably appreciate that). Besides, some dude named Orenthal James Simpson is still listed as the 1968 winner of the Heisman Trophy . . .

Alright, enough with that. I typed the letters "USC" three times in that paragraph and not once was it immediately followed by the letters "sucks" or immediately preceded by the letters "[expletive deleted]". Now I just feel dirty. So while I go shower off, here are some things you might have missed:

• The best 2010 NFL preview you will read.
• We have an injury report update for Week 1 of the NFL: Chris Berman (mustache) listed as awesome for Sunday's NFL Countdown.
• High-Definition Televisions 1, Ridiculously High Ticket Prices 0.
  
• Last week we talked about the return of college football and somehow failed to mention what it means: the return of the University of Oregon cheerleaders. [Editor's Note: We apologize for this inexcusable oversight. Those responsible have been identified and . . . um . . . "let go". It was for their own good.]
• Speaking of cheerleaders, the "Is it or is it not a sport?" debate continues.
  
• What is the going rate for a game-used college football jersey these days? A four-game suspension.
• Meanwhile, the NCAA kindly request you buy these non-game-used jersey so that they can exploit college athletes for even more money. Would you look at that; A.J. Green is the only number available for Georgia fans. Weird.
• Tennessee football is getting back to fundamentals.
  
• I am sorry, it costs how much?
• I smell Disney movie. You know, one where the 63-year-old fat dude is played by George Clooney and the Can-Am League is suddenly the Majors and we are told it is "based" on a true story.
• Who knew Corey Pavin (Go Bruins!) had out kicked his coverage?

[*Yelling from shower*] Still feeling dirty . . . scrubbing round five . . . enjoy these videos in my absence:

• POW! Right in the kisser. [Editor's Note: and just like that, I am hooked on The Amazing Race.]
• Sometimes, parodies are good. Sometimes, you get this.
• "At [the PGA Tour], we're better than you, and we know it."
• INCOMING!
• Warning: this video arrived in our Inbox this morning and we can not stop watching it.
• A wise blogger once said: "You can never go wrong with a clip from Wedding Crashers." Spoiler Alert: that blogger was me!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Full On Double Awesome All The Way

[Editor's Note: if you don't get the title, you don't remember some of the best stuff this site has provided you. You should be ashamed of yourself. But, because I'm a nice guy, here it is again.]

There is nothing quite like the Friday before a holiday weekend. For all we know, our avid readers could have decided to skip town early. Why have a three-day weekend when you could make it four? Regardless, we do not do this just for our avid readers. We created GameTime, TBD© to make the world [wide web] a better place, one post at a time.

Not to brag, but I can not even begin to tell you how awesome this weekend is going to be . . . but do not think that will stop me from trying. So awesome is this weekend going to be, I think it deserves a name. Henceforth, Labor Day weekend 2010 shall be known as the "Weekend of Awesomeness". [Editor's Note: Wow, someone drank the creative juice this morning.] When bestowing on something a nickname as awesome as "Weekend of Awesomeness", some explanation is necessary. Allow me.

The first, and perhaps most obvious, reason this weekend is going to rock: the return of college football. For all intents and purposes, my Better Half has the next fourteen Saturdays all to herself. Thankfully, she will choose to spend some of those Saturdays with me, and not bankrupting our family on an entirely new wardrobe and hanging out with her best girlfriends, but for the most part I will be spending my Saturdays (1) glued to the couch, (b) at the Rose Bowl, or (iii) both (1) and (b) between now and the first week of December. Try as she might to convince me to do something else [Editor's Note: oh, she has her ways . . .], I need only point to section II, paragraph 4, sub-paragraph (G)(ii), clause 5 of our only slightly technical prenuptial agreement, which I am confident she read as thoroughly as our Congress reads legislation before voting on it, that states: "the Better Half hereby agrees that, beginning with the first week of college football season and lasting until the later of (1) UCLA's last game or (2) the National Championship game, the Chief shall be excused from performing any and all marital duties on each and every Saturday during the above defined period and any and all necessary travel days to accommodate UCLA's football schedule . . . ." It, of course, goes on to list the penalties for violation of this provision, but there is no need for bedroom talk here. [Editor's Note: If only Frank McCourt had asked me to draft his Marital Property Agreement . . . but I digress . . .] So if you need to reach me on a Saturday over the next four months, you should probably just try to get in touch with my Better Half instead.

The return of college football, while enough to make this a "Weekend of Awesomeness", is not the sole reason we are amped for this weekend. In fact, I will be taking my UCLA watching on the road to Chicago, to hang out with my Better Half and BFF. If you have been to Chicago, no further explanation is necessary. If you have not, well, sucks to be you. We are taking the red-eye out tonight and will be spending the weekend hanging with the BFF, her boyfriend, and her adorable baby girl. Throw in rubbing elbows with some professional athletes [Editor's Note: MLS players are considered professional athletes, right?], staying with Agman and his wife, and fulfilling one of my life-long dreams of finally getting two chicks in bed at the same time to see a baseball game at historic Wrigley Field, and you can see just why Labor Weekend 2010 is the official "Weekend of Awesomeness".

Regardless of how awesome my weekend is going to be (did I mention it's going to be awesome?), we still have to get through the rest of this Friday together. So while I go make sure I have all my travel documents ready, here are some things you might have missed to help you pass the time:

• This is not the first time Rachel Uchitel has been black-balled in the past year. [Editor's Note: Hey-OH!]
• It is good to see that the Nitty Lion mascot is already in mid-season form.
• Instead of the normal cupcake opponent that many major schools schedule for the first week of the season, LSU gets UNC's second team.
• If you are attending the Colorado-Colorado State football this weekend, make sure you leave the sizzurp outside.
• This kid's dreams of earning a Division I football scholarship end on account of being an adult.
• I feel like a 2.5 karat diamond would stick out on a football field, no?
• No, no Terry, tell us how you really feel.
• Did not respond to the lawsuit? I would have thought its lawyers knew "truth" is a defense to a libel claim.
• Gary Bettman wants players to stop accepting those ridiculous deals being offered by his GMs and owners. Cause, you know, it is the players' fault.
• "Well I can think of three things I'd like to do. One would involve some ice cubes and a nine iron. Two would include a buffalo, live or stuffed; preferably stuffed for safety sake. And three, we bring back some of those ice cubes and switch it over to a pitching wedge [and throw in a 25-acre fire.]"
• Here is a story for all you golfers to remember the next time you "forget" about that ball you hit out of bounds.
• Kid Rock is still alive? AND singing?
• When people have too much time on their hands, *stuff* gets weird.

Still with us or totally jealous of how awesome our weekend is going to be? Look, it is only natural. We do not blame you. So, to help ease the pain, here are some videos to help you get throw those last minutes of your pre-holiday-weekend Friday:

• One good Billy Madison reference deserves another.
• We are suckers for any sort of trick-shot compilation. This week? Super Cool Bowling Awesome.
• A lot of people felt the need to get punchy this week [Editor's Note: we can neither confirm nor deny they heard about the "Weekend of Awesomeness" immediately prior to the events you are about to see]: (1) finally, an MLB fight that does not suck (Gaby Sanchez, for the win); (b) mullet-wearing fan of "the U" believes he can fly (Spoiler Alert: he can't); and (iii) New York tool versus the rest of the U.S. Open crowd (who you got?).
• Sean Penn goes between two ferns.
• Is Roger Federrer the new Peyton Manning of commercials? [Editor's Note: Don't you dare talk about my man crush like that; Roger Federrer will never match this, this, or this, just to name a few.]
• Epic. Football. Fail.

Have a great weekend everyone!