Public Service Announcement

Before we get to the good stuff, I just wanted to take a moment and point out the Chief got his annual Kings' Season Preview up earlier this week.  He puts an interesting spin on a classic movie moment and has some quality analysis of his boys in purple and black.  Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Here at GameTime, TBD©, we generally try to avoid talking about the most obvious news stories of the week because, let us be honest, after five full news cycles, mentioning it in our Link Dump would just be beating a dead horse.  But every now and then, a story comes a long that takes a life of its own, and we can not ignore.  As we were putting the final touches on last week's Link Dump, our (second) favorite sports blog, Deadspin, was busying posting a video of Brett Favre's non-infamous voicemails and dirty texts (or "sexts" as the young folks call 'em) to Jenn Sterger, who is about as much of a report as Ines Sainz (after all, her claim to fame was dressing like this at Florida State football games).  Like any hot topic, everyone is coming out the woodwork to comment on the "barrel of worms" Deadspin opened last week.  Some we agree with, some we do not, and some are just plain funny.  But to us, the Favre dong scandal (which happens to make the nut shot Favre took in practice this week even more funny) is just another example of an alarming trend that must be stopped.

That is why we here at GameTime, TBD© have decided to start the "A.S.S." movement.  Do not adjust your screen, you read that correctly, the "A.S.S." movement, or "Athlete's Shouldn't Sext" (we're also in favor of starting another type of ass movement, but that's a topic for another time).  The fact of the matter is, Favre is just another in a long string of dong incidents involving athletes.  I can neither confirm nor deny that I have ever sent or received a suggestive text message.  But were I to have sent or received said messages, the likelihood that these messages would have been sent or received by my Better Half is very, very high (read: someone I love dearly and have been in a long-term committed relationship with).  Athletes, on the other hand, tend to sext any number of individuals ranging from current girlfriends to road beef (read: girls who are likely to want to publish them when said athlete stops calling).  There have been enough scandals in recent memory to safely say that athletes believe they are entitled to live a lifestyle different than the rest of us are expected to live and, sadly, many wives of athletes are more than willing to turn the other cheek to keep the lavish lifestyle being married to an athlete affords them.  And while it saddens me that women are willing to make such a compromise (though, it appears Deanna Favre might not be one of them), it saddens me more that every time I check out Deadspin, I run the risk the of seeing man junk.  And while I have safely navigated my way around the Favre pictures, it will probably cost me thousands of dollars in therapy sessions to erase the likes of Grady Sizemore and Leg Greg Odom from my memory.  Seriously, if I wanted to see that, I would go watch some porn (though, that might not be an option soon).

So, we here at GameTime, TBD© kindly request that you take up our cause and join the "A.S.S." movement.  Together, we can stop the image of man junk from being seared into our eyes every time an athlete crosses a fame whore.  So, while we go put together some sort of sign-up sheet for you all to sign, here are some things you might have missed from this past week:

• The NFL apologizes to London for choosing two crappy teams for this year's International Series game by hiring Marisa Miller as spokesperson.  Congrats, London.  [Editor's Note: While it is true that we often reference suggestive pictures of attractive models and celebrities on this site, we are keenly aware that many young women struggle with body image issues as a result of society and the media's current definition of "beauty".  That is why we fully support this effort, and vow to refrain from making such references all next week.]
• Things go from bad to downright embarrassing for Tom Brady's hair.
• Well, this certainly is a first for the Lions.
• "And countless others will be home watching NBC with their porch lights off so they won't be bothered while the game is on."  If only someone would invent some sort of device that would . . . oh, I don't know . . . allow people to pause live television or something.  That just might save Halloween for the children of New Orleans.  [Editor's Note: Also, "The Treat Dats"? Really?]
• It turns out the Baltimore Ravens organization is not a fan of chicks being awesome.
• Remember that Delaware gambler from last week?  Apparently he missed the Sports Betting 101 class where they discussed how to properly hedge your bet.
• The second biggest story of the week (behind you-know-what) was the former-agent tell all in this week's Sports Illustrated. If you are not a subscriber to the magazine, here is the story.
•  If you are eating or have eaten recently, you might want to skip this story.
• Two things about Ole Miss's new mascot:  (1) ironically, the only bear native to Mississippi is the Louisiana Black Bear; and (ii) I suppose Rebel Black Bear fought for slavery and states' rights.  It is somewhat uninspiring to take your inspiration from the losing side in a war, is it not?
• You stay classy Internet commentors.
• What? LeBron James merchandise is not selling well in Cleveland? SHOCKING!
• Dear A.J. Burnett, The word "simulated" in "Simulated Game" is not meant to be taken literally.  Xoxo, Your Teammates.
• Sara Saco-Vertiz, who first stole your heart in the classic love story "I Got Hit By A Foul Ball in Houston When My Then-Boyfriend Dove for Cover", is back in the news.
• Roy Oswalt; good pitcher, better interview bomber.
• A table tennis story that does not suck.  Go figure.

Wow, I did not realize how much good stuff went down [Editor's Note: that's what she said!] this week because of all the coverage Brett Favre's dong was getting.  That is why we really hope our "A.S.S." movement gains some momentum sooner rather than later.  Speaking of movement, here are some moving picture, commonly referred to as "video", clips we thought might make your Friday a little better:

• Ever wonder what it would be like to parachute in with the game ball in front of huge crowd?  Turns out it would be pretty freakin' awesome.
• Some scientists did a study on my life and The Onion is here with the results.
• Your "Fail of the Week" is brought to you by [*spins wheel* . . . . click click click click . . . click click click . . . click click . . . click]: Guy Mounting Elephant!
• I flunked out of sign language class. Can someone please translate for me?
• We have long been a fan of Steve Nash's ability to make great videos.  His recent commercials for FIFA Soccer 11 with Landycakes are no exception.  So here are parts one and two.
• This one goes out to all my readers who are also San Francisco Giants fans . . . all two of you.
• I always knew Dora was a slut.

Have a great weekend everyone!

A New Experiment

We here at GameTime, TBD© are not the first, nor will we be the last, people in this world who find ourselves asking "Where does the time go?"  I am sure it will come as no surprise to our avid readers, but we clearly have not had as much time over the past few months as we would have liked to dedicate to our little corner of the world wide web.  As frustrating for us as that may be [Editor's Note: believe that would fall under the category "very".], it has not stopped us from trying to find new and improved ways to make our site more accessible to our fans and also attract new readers.  After all, the more profitable this site becomes, more greater the possibility we could actually do this for a living.

To that end, we have taken the plunge and joined Twitter.  For those of you who are already members on Twitter, you can click on the "Twitter" button up there to your right, or, if you are reading this on some sort of mobile device, you can search for "GameTimeTBD" via your Twitter for iPhone, Twitter for Blackberry, or Twitter for Android application.  If, for whatever valid reason, you are not a member but have been thinking about joining, you should.  We had been pretty hesitant to join for a long time and had bounced back and forth on the idea over the past couple of weeks.  As it turns out, it is actually pretty cool.  Do not worry, we made the Chief promise he would not "tweet" from the bathroom or do anything weird like that, but we figure it allows us to at least give our two cents about breaking sports and pop culture news (assuming our two cents can be summarized in 140 characters or less).  Plus, it turns out some people are pretty fun to follow.  Our favorites thus far have been Stephen Colbert (funny/random comments), Barney Stinson/Neil Patrick Harris (great bro advice), and SI Swimsuit (sneak peeks of the 2011 Swimsuit Issue on location).

We are still trying to figure out all the ins and outs of the site [Editor's Note: that's what she said!], so it may be a while until we are fully up and running.  In fact, we are expecting a link to this post to be our first official tweet.  Look at that, you are all a part of history.  So, while we go make sure we understand exactly how to shrink a link [Editor's Note: I've heard cold water works well . . . ba-ZING!], here is an extended Link Dump featuring girls, humor, more girls, and some sports:

• Though you have probably already seen it, we could not pass up the greatest sports photograph of the year.
• I can not say I have ever heard of 944 magazine, but any magazine willing to feature Marisa Miller is fine by me.
• As part of the Pac-10, Arizona State plays UCLA.  Ergo, this story is relevant . . . somehow.
• Apparently Playboy did not have the guts to pick the Lions to make the playoffs.  Since they are 0-4, I guess that seems like a smart decision.  So, if I have to pick one, I say "Go Ravens"!
• If you ask me, there is a simple solution to this problem: select hotter cheerleaders next time.
• An obvious prank? Yes.  Still funny?  You betcha.
• Along those same lines . . .
• And, it might be a while until New Mexico State University officials have to deal with a similar problem.
• Early in the baseball season, Deadspin ran this story. His results?  A $324.34 profit.
• To hedge or not to hedge, that is the question.  Though, the answer should be fairly obvious.  [Editor's Note: I once had a $2 ten-team parlay come down to the over/under of Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals. Foolishly, I did not hedge my bet.]
• Just another reason for Cleveland fans to hate Cleveland.  [Editor's Note: don't they have enough already?]
• Dear Ben Roethlisberger, Commissioner Goodell already reduced your suspension to four games.  Your fake remorse is no longer necessary.  Xoxo, The Chief.
• Dedicated fan or one crazy dude?  [Editor's Note: Anyone else think this article was about Mark Dantonio, Michigan St.'s head coach, at first?]
• Pole reveals female reporters should stay out of NFL locker rooms . . . strangely, male reporters okay in Niners locker room.
• Say hello to your 2010 Tour De France champion, Andy Schleck.
• I need Verizon to get the iPhone . . . STAT!  
• You love sports. You love Saved by the Bell. Ergo, you will love this Saved by the Bell sports quiz.

 Surprising exactly none of you, the Chief when ten-for-ten on that sports quiz.  Also surprising exactly none of you, we are following up our extended set of "news" stories with an extended set of videos to really make those last few hours of your work week fly by.  And, yes, I promise we are not including the Brett Favre dong video.  You.  Are.  Welcome.

• Supwitchugirl follows up their break-out 2009 classic, "I Love My Ducks", with a sure-to-be 2010 hit, "Return of the Quack".
• This video did not go viral until after we went to print last week.  That means, you get to enjoy it all over again this week.
• Wait, what is going to happen on 10.10.10? WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON 10.10.10?!?!?!?!?
• Ever wonder what touchdown celebrations are like in the Lingerie Football League?  Pretty much exactly like you would expect.
• "The Jersey Shore RPG" . . . enough said.
• We have shown a lot of impressive soccer goals on this site.  This one may take the cake.
• Some of the writers from 30 Rock decided to make this "tribute" to John Lennon for what would have been his 70th birthday.
• Well, what would you expect with a question like that?
• Approaching lift off in three . . . two . . . ouch.

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's All About Product Placement

When we first introduced GameTime, TBD© to the world a little under four years ago, our goal was to provide you with an interesting spin on all things sports, pop culture, and hot chicks. And to say the Chief's mind has an "interesting" spin on things is . . . well . . . an understatement. But with our limited resources, over time we have refined the direction of the site and made the focus sports and hot chicks (I mean, the two practically go hand-in-hand, right?) and pop culture was moved to the back burner. We did not want to eliminate it completely, but it certainly has not been a focal point of our little corner of the World Wide Web for quite some time. But today, we have decided to go back to our roots, and use our Link Dump introduction to bring you a little piece of pop culture gold.

By now you all know that one of the Chief's biggest weaknesses is reality television that highlights the worst of American society. And there is no denying that MTv cast out a large hook with its release of Jersey Shore in 2009. The Chief valiantly tried to resist but, ultimately, the bait was too tempting and he got hooked. And the Chief was not the only one; in fact, we have first hand knowledge that several of you, our dear readers, could not resist the temptation either (there goes your aspiring political career). In fact, the American public's new-found infatuation with the "guido culture" has been quite astonishing. So infatuated has the American public become [Editor's Note: thanks, Yoda], a publishing company approached the founder of GuidoFistPump.com, Guido DiErio, and asked if he would be willing to write a book that helped provide the American public world with a better understanding of the guido culture.

Willing he was . . . minus that whole writing thing. So Mr. DiErio enlisted the help of his college buddy, and a good friend of the GameTime, TBD© family, Rick "The Happenstance" Marinara, and together they created what is sure to be the breakout book of 2010: Fist Pump: An In-Your-Face Guide to Going Guido. Though its official release date is Tuesday, August 24th (like, next Tuesday), if you follow that link to Amazon, or if you swing on by Urban Outfitters' website, you can order yourself a copy today and have it before then. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to piggyback on someone else's success, we caught up with Mssr. Marinara yesterday during his whirlwind publicity tour for the book (read: on gchat during his day job) to get his thoughts on the book. Though he had much to say about his excitement for the book's release ("It finally made it to [Urban Outfitters] . . . its natural home."), Mssr. Marinara is most proud of the prominent position he expects his masterpiece to hold in your book collection: "Fist Pump is sure to provide an interesting wrinkle to your coffee table . . . ok, let's face it, this is destined for your bathroom."

Believe you me, we here at GameTime, TBD© love quality bathroom reading material. We have ordered our copy and anxiously await its arrival (also, the arrival of Kick-Ass . . . afterall, how can you pass up free super saver shipping?) early next week. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy for your home and [Editor's Note: spoiler alert to GameTime, TBD© staff members with upcoming birthdays] a couple for your friends with birthdays right around the corner. Once you have done that, come on back and check some things you might have missed from this past week in the world of sports:

• The third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published on Thursday. Highlights of the 2,000 newest words and phrases to make the big book are "bromance" [Editor's Note: got one], "buzzkill" [Editor's Note: yes, you are], and "vuvuzela".
• We really dropped the ball by not providing you all with weekly updates of the McCourt divorce for the past few months. We start now with this weeks fireworks: (1) how Frank milks even more money out of the organization; and (B) how Frank falsified the ownership documents.
• With confidence at an all-time high after their successful perjury prosecution of Barry Bonds, the Feds look to keep the gravy train rolling along.
• If you are compiling a list of people we should be feeling bad for during this recession, do not forget to include ticket scalpers.
  
• The Tampa Bay Rays truly travel in style.
• Seems like the right thing to do.
  
• ESPN is sick of all the "drama king" athletes and their constant need for media attention . . .
  
• . . . which is why they spend so much time covering Brett Favre and LeBron James and not stories like this.
• Looking for the perfect gift for that someone special (well, besides Fist Pump of course)? Here is an idea for you.
• Maybe I should pick up a copy of Madden 11 after all.
• "Time was when they wouldn’t allow you to bring a soda into the stands at the high school gym for fear that you might spill it." Times, they are a changing.
• They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Apparently Eva Longoria's butt is worth twelve eyes.

Did you order your copy of the book yet? If you did, you may proceed to the next section of the Link Dump. If you have not, kindly click here, follow the instructions, return to GameTime, TBD©, and proceed to the fine clips we have collected for your viewing pleasure:

• Jimmy Kimmel is taking over late-night television. His weekly "This Week in Unnecessary Censorship" segment certainly does not hurt.
• Here is your weekly dose of uh-mazing local commercials.
• And for Antonio Cromartie's next trick, he will list the names of his baby mamas. [Editor's Note: how did that phrase not make the OED?]
• Cause a seven-pound rubber sex toy to the face is bad for your health.
• This week's edition of "Real or Fake?" is brought to you by [*spins wheel* . . . click click click click click, click click click, click . . . click . . . . . click] Roger Federer.
• You might think this video deserves the "Real or Fake?" tag as well, but, if you watch golf, you know these guys can do a lot with a club and ball.
• Stephen Colbert pulls a Brett Favre, only after making fun of Brett Favre. How many more times can I say Brett Favre? Brett Favre.

Have a great weekend everyone!

And Scene . . .

For the most part, we here at GameTime, TBD© try to avoid clichés and the like, but sometimes it is inevitable: Thank God It's Friday! Just to be clear, I am talking about the actual week day "Friday", not the restaurant or the block of some of the greatest situational comedies ("sitcoms") that aired on ABC from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Friday nights. I hope you all had a great Fourth of July holiday weekend. I did, and I have been paying for it all week. Needless to say, I am glad the weekend is here; I am looking forward to kicking back, relaxing, and catching up on some much needed sleep. But as the main (read: only) contributor to the world that is GameTime, TBD©, I refuse to let my little pity party keep me from my duties: to entertain you, my dear readers, as the last few hours of the work week click away.

Before we get into the goods, a note to my female readers: you will find no references to the Brett Favre/Green Bay Packers saga in this weeks Link Dump. You can thank my Better Half for that. Every Sunday morning in the fall, when I turn on a football game, the first question out of my Better Half's mouth is "Are the Packers playing?" It is not like she is a Packers fan . . . oh, no . . . she just wants to know if she will be bored for the next three hours or if she will get to gaze longingly at the legend that is Brett Favre for the next three hours. I will be the first completely heterosexual male to admit that Brett Favre is a good looking dude, but talk about a punch to the gut. I am getting a little queasy just thinking about it. So, without further ado, here are some non-Favre related things you might have missed:

• As much as I hate the evil empire, I really do love their e-Ticket features.
• Gretzky versus Montana for the right to throw to Smith? Ah, only in my hometown.
• If you are willing to make the down payment, I am willing to let you stay in one of the guest houses for a night . . . but just one.
• If you build it, the lawyers will come.
• It looks like I am going to have to upgrade my DVR before my honeymoon if I am going to be able to enjoy all of the coverage when I get back.
• An interesting look at the Pac-10 as fine wines; the Big Ten as beer; and the SEC as liquor.
• While this is reason enough to get a Wii, I think I will stick with actual beer pong.
• In an effort to increase female viewership, Desperate Housewives star and Tampa Bay Rays third-baseman (I personally think that's a little sexist) Eva Longoria selected to the American League All-Star team.

Of course, the week would not be complete without a little something for your viewing enjoyment. It was a slow week in the video department (unless you're a big fan of people getting injured while riding their bike), but I still found a few treats to help you get through the afternoon.

• For all you California drivers, I hope you remembered to get your new hands-free device.
• If this was 1998, this kid would never get laid. Lucky for him, it is 2008. (eds. note: this video is 8 minutes long, but will be appreciated by anyone who has played Guitar Hero on any level.)
  
• Since my intro got my reminiscing about TGIF, here is a little number you might recall.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[Update: Just found one more article that is really touching. If you only have time for one link this week, make this be the one.]