Run Away, Run Away

We here at GameTime, TBD© acknowledge that this is us today:

On the bright side, Kate Upton was out there doing what she does best (read: looking hot in a bikini) earlier this week:

So, there that is.

Anyways, long story short, The Chief is headed off to San Francisco this afternoon for his fourth half marathon in the past year. [Editor's Note: *applause, applause, applause . . . trumpets, trumpets, trumpets . . . fanfare, fanfare, fanfare*  Thank you; you're all too kind.]  Unfortunately, that means we are short on time this week and will not be able to provide you with your weekly dose of entertainment, commonly known as the Link Dump (hence the boring picture of the moderately attractive female above).  But in our effort to never leave you completely empty-handed on a Friday (see, e.g., said picture above), here is a six-second video that provides the shock-and-awe response we like around here (shock, as in "Oh my!", and awe, as in "Awwwwwwwww-[censored], did that really just happen?").  I have watched this video at least twenty times this week and it still cracks me up.

As always, we appreciate your continued support and understanding on days like this.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Gone, But Not Forgotten

[Editor's Note: yup, the bathroom scene still gets me every time.]

Summer vacation was fun while it lasted, but it feels good to be back up and running at the GameTime, TBD© offices.  After an extended break like we took, you almost forget how much fun it is to review stories and videos with an eye towards the Link Dump for Friday.  So here we are, ready to go again. [Editor's Note: that's what she said!]

I am not going to lie, I did not have a good time watching the U.S. Women's National Team lose to Japan last Sunday.  It certainly did not help in my recovery from the wedding My Better Half and I had attended the night before (I think she was still drunk during the match).  Watching that game, it was hard to believe that we were only a week removed from one of the greatest moments in soccer (of any gender) history.  [Editor's Note: still gives me chills . . .]  But while the Women's World Cup may be gone, the women of the World Cup are certainly not forgotten.  Every where you look this week, someone from the USWNT is there.  So, we figured, why not cash in on some of the hype as well?  And, well, from there, it was fairly obvious (to us at least) how best to "cash in" on said hype . . .

That is right, dear readers, it is time for the next installment of GameTime, TBD©'s favorite game, Marry-[Censored]-Kill, the USWNT Edition.  Outside of Abby Wambach and her forehead, the two other players to receive a significant amount of attention over the past three weeks were goaltender Hope Solo and striker Alex Morgan, and it was not just because of their play on the field.  [Editor's Note: that depends on what "field" you're referring to, no? BIYOMBO!]  To the surprise of many onlookers, it turned out Hope and Alex are pretty easy on the eyes (I mean just look how excited a Washington State fan got for Alex, a Berkeley alum . . . that's saying something).  So, with two of our three contestants ready for a showdown, who should join them?  I am sure there are many people out there who find Abby attractive, but short hair is not really my thing which would make the choice too obvious.  We like out competition to be stiff.  [Editor's Note: yeah we did.]  So, without a doubt, we have to go with perennial USWNT hottie Heather Mitts, who missed the 2003 and 2007 WWCs due to injury.  With that being settled, we would like to know which of these soccer ladies you would marry, [censored], and kill: (1) Heather Mitts; (b) Alex Morgan; and (iii) Hope Solo.

Let me begin by saying it was difficult to find comparative pictures of all the ladies.  Alex Morgan has been a sports blog-favorite for several years, so her Facebook photos have been splashed all over the internet.  And Heather Mitts has posed for the Sports IllustratedSwimsuit Issue with her husband, quaterback A.J. Feeley.  Hope, on the other, burst on to the hotness scene during the World Cup, so the options were somewhat limited for her.  That is why, in fairness to all, we went with photos from a team photo shoot.  That being said, the photos do not really do any of these ladies justice, so do yourself a favor and run a search in Google images (you know, "research" the topic).  When asked to weigh in, The Chief threw us a wild card.  We "type-cast" Mitts for The Chief, and what does he do?  He goes out there and says "It's a sad day when an attractive blond has to bite the bullet."  Apparently, there is something about Hope's new brunette look that The Chief "can't explain, but [he finds] her shockingly attractive."  Plus, friend-of-the-program Ballgame is absolutely in love with Alex and her pink sports bra, so the Chief could not possibly take her from him.  But, sleep with her once?  Eskimo Brothers it is.

It is never easy, is it?  For some of you, it might take a while to "research" the topic and mull over your options.  Others of you will probably just fire from the hip.  So, it is best that move on to the links for those of you who have already decided:

• The eighth and final season of Entourage premieres (premiered?) this week.  So, to help you get ready, here is a look back at the hottest girls from seasons one through seven.
• I must say, it is not very often that someone can upstage Kate Upton in a photo shoot.
• If you are in Boston and have seen the Stanley Cup, please notify Nathan Horton's wife.  She would like to have her day with the Cup. 
• Let us all hope that the second time is the charm for the LAPD.
• Seattle only lost by a touchdown?  Wow, looks like Pete Carroll has that team headed in . . . What is that you say? Wrong football? Oh.
• If you are interested in carrying Tiger's woods and balls, he is hiring.
• Hey Lute, ever heard of a little thing I like to call karma?
• There is nothing like a good, judicial verbal lashing that makes me proud to be an attorney.
• You stay classy, parents of twelve-year-old softball players.
• Speaking of softball, remember that one time Meatloaf was a softball coach?

Well, it appears that many of you enjoyed the video-heavy Link Dump we went with last week.  So, we figured, why not do it again?  After all, there are quite a few videos out there that we did not get a chance to post during our summer vacation.  So, here is another extra-large dose of videos for your viewing pleasure:

• A time-lapse video that is almost too beautiful to be real.  But it is.
• It was only a matter of time before Jim and Alec's rivalry affected innocent bystanders.
• I feel like Steve Nash and I would have a lot of fun together if we were friends.  Steve, consider this an open invitation.
• Chad Reed is rested and recovered after . . . oops . . . might need some more rest and recovery.
• A little rough on the landing, might have to settle for the bronze . . .
• . . . which means this guy might be out of medal contention altogether.
• The answer is no, you are not smarter than a fifth grader.
• It is nice to see J.T. feign humility for at least two second.
• Something tells me Susan Hendricks does not need dolls to mimic that.

Have a great weekend everyone!

One Game Down, Down One Game

Here are some of things we learned from last night's opener of the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Shark's playoff series:

1. The Kings are down one game to none.
2. It is going to be a great series.
3. Thirty seconds into the game, My Better Half had the nerve to say: "They're good.  I mean, no offense, but that was a nice play."
4. According to random homeless guys in San Francisco, "75% of teams that have won the Stanley Cup lost game 1."*
5. There is a very real possibility that the Chief can not be friends with any of his friends/family members who are San Jose Sharks fans for the next two weeks, give or take a couple of days.  The real question is: will they want to be friends with him when it is all said and done? Mostly said though . . . 
6. Three twenty-two ounce beers with an alcohol-by-volume of 9.5% or more will render a grown man relatively useless the next day.

Indeed, the Chief walked into to work looking like a man whose team lost an overtime playoff game last night.  It truly was a sight to be seen.  When asked for comment on the game he responded: "Shhhhh, do you have to yell?  I'm right here."  I guess the body does not recover like it used to when you are an old man.  And then I had to do something I am not proud of.  I said: "Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion!"

His first look made me think I was going to lose my job.  But then we caught a glimpse of the Chief we all know and love.  He chugged his venti coffee, took a deep breath, and gave us his analysis.  He was pleased with the Kings effort, blah, blah, blah.  Glad they did not get down on themselves after giving up that early goal, yada, yada, yada.  And then he touched the third rail, saying "there is no way that Jarret Stoll should be suspended for the second game", which is a rumor circulating on Twitter right now.  He claims to have watched the hit one hundred times since the game ended (we wouldn't doubt him), and he maintains that it was an unfortunate result of Ian White being in a bad position at the time of the hit.  It is unfortunate when a play like that ends in an injury, but Stoll is not a dirty player.  That being said, the NHL, like every other league, is trying to crack down on "hits to the head" and I would not be surprised if the league sat Stoll for a game.  The Chief acknowledged he would not be surprised if that happened either but maintained his position that it was not warranted and also pointed out that, "if Stoll is suspended for one game, then Sharks defenseman Jason Demers should sit for a game for his non-penalized hit on Ryan Smyth.  Last time I checked, leaving your feet is charging, and throwing an elbow at a player's head would seem to constitute a 'hit to the head' in my book.  The only difference I can see is that Smyth was not hurt on the play while White was."  Pretty impressive that the Chief can link to sources while talking, is it not?  Oh, and he makes a decent point too.

And to prove that the Chief we know and love is still in there, he finished with "Now, get that Link Dump done so we can go grab some beer and wings; I could really use a little hair of the dog."  Ask and ye shall receive:

• Allow us to introduce you to the sport of Hurling with such phrases as "fractured eye socket," "had the finger reattached," and "shattered one testicle, had to have half the second removed".
• "Oh yeah, the Great Bambino. Of course! I thought you said the Great Bambi." 
• Major League Baseball looks at the data and discovers that, apparently, high-definition television are not going anywhere anytime soon.
• Your "Uplifting Story of the Week": prognosis good for partially-paralyzed outfielder.
• Hmm . . . did I ever bet on a University of San Diego basketball game?
• But what happens to the statue when he has to return the Heisman in two years?
• NFL Network trades Joe Theismann and Matt Millen for Mike Mayock and an announcer to be named later. 
• Did you mean "train wreck", Matt?
• Want to miss the cut at the Masters?  This yardage book should help.
• Speaking of missing the cut, I am going to go out on a limb and say it will take an impressive second round out of Kevin Na for him to make the cut after this. 
• I would not mind having Sophie Horn in my next foursome . . . wait, what?
• Should be much easier for Mike Tyson to eat those children now.
• Clijsters got hurt how?
• British courts are not afraid to order gagging as part of affairs? Kinky.
• Taking the phrase "sex sells" to a whole new level.

So, anyone interested in joining us for beer, wings, and whatever sports happen to be on television right now?  Ha, trick question.  You are all too busy reading this Link Dump, enjoying those links above, and getting ready to enjoy the videos.  But, if you would like to join us, drop us a line . . . once you have watched these:

• Have you watched the intro video to Kate Upton's website?  No?  You. Are. Welcome.
• Am I supposed to be surprised an unmanned tractor wreaked havoc in a Walmart parking lot?  
• Good to see the Royals organization's ability to fail extends beyond just their baseball team.
• As the title of the video suggests, is this even human?
• If you missed the first episode of Norm McDonald's new sports show (conveniently titled "Sports Show with Norm McDonald"), then you missed this.
• And if you missed opening day at Wrigley Field, then you missed this.  Of course, you might just have been too drunk to remember.
• Sounds like Mayor Viaragosa has some interesting plans for Los Angeles moving forward.  

Have a great weekend everyone!


*No homeless people were hurt in the making of this blog.

In the Dark, There Is Light

As you may recall from last week's Link Dump, the Chief decided to run a little "investment" experiment with the Red Sox.  Something about betting on them to win every game I think.  In that gem of a post, he provided the following commentary:  "Worst case scenario, Red Sox start the season in a slump and early profits are not high enough to offset the losses and the nest egg dries up."  For those of you following along at home, the Red Sox have yet to win a game.  Ouch.

But the night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promised the Chief, the dawn is coming.  For starters, the "brain trust" is out today, so the Chief has already lined up wings, beer, The Masters, and the late innings of the Red Sox/Yankees game during his lunch hour.  By my calculation, that right there gives the Chief more wins than the Red Sox.

And then we thought we would help cheer up the Chief a little more with one of his favorite things: attractive women.  The Chief's dad is a very successful businessman and his role model (bare with us, we're getting to the ladies).  One strategy the Chief learned from his dad, and which he has incorporated into his running of this website, is how to make people feel like they are making decisions while actually doing what he wants.  He is sneaky like that.  It goes like this: (1) the Chief asks you your opinion on what should be done; (b) the Chief "thinks about" the options he was presented; (iii) the Chief chooses his idea.  To top it off, he is so polite about it, you do not even realize he has totally disregarded everything you said until much later.  So, what does this have to do with attractive women you ask?  Simple.  In our March Madness Link Dump, we mentioned Esquire magazine was asking its readers to help it select 2011's "Sexiest Woman Alive".  It is the second straight year they have run this NCAA tournament-style bracket.  So, in April of 2010, the readers voted Brooklyn Decker the Sexiest Woman Alive.  Not our top choice, but we would hardly complain.  And what did Esquire do? They stole a play straight out of the Chief's playbook and, in November of 2010, declared Minka Kelly the Sexiest Woman Alive.  So, this year, when they ran the 2011 "Sexiest Woman Alive" bracket, they made the slight change of asking readers to help determine "your" (the reader's) Sexiest Woman Alive, meaning that, come November, we can expect them to tell us who they think the Sexiest Woman Alive is.  So, even though 30 Rock hottie Katrina Bowden pulled off the upset over defending champion Decker, we can expect someone new in November.

Now, about those attractive women.  If you have not already noticed, what we did right there is list three women; three women that, within the last twelve month, have all been named the Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire.  And when there are three women in play, there is only one thing for us to do.  That is right, dear readers, it is time for GameTime, TBD©'s next installment of M-F-K: the Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive Edition.  So, we would like to know who of these sexy ladies you would marry, [censored], and kill: (1) Brooklyn Decker; (b) Minka Kelly; and (iii) Katrina Bowden.

While the Chief mulls over his options, here are some things you might have missed from the previous week:

• Some people have a lot of extra time on their hands.  We here at GameTime, TBD© appreciate when they put that extra time to good use.
• Now THIS is customer service.
• New season, new foods to take years off your life.
• Troy Tulowitzki continues to be baseball's MVP of walk-up music.
• If you are a fan of the giveaways, mark these dates on your calendar.
• That trial regarding the former NL West outfielder (no, not that trial, the other trial) is getting a little weird.
• Speaking of extra time, when you are a back-up hockey goalie, you have a lot of extra time on your hands during games.  It is good to see Marty Turco putting his time to go use as well.
• For those of you worried about how Aaron Rogers would handle the NFL lockout, he seems to be doing okay; after all, he has a date with Destiny . . . [Editor's Note:  hardy-har-har]
• We always try to give you at least one feel-good story each week.  This week, it is the story of a ring large enough to be a bracelet.
• If arrest lasts longer than four hours, seek immediate medical attention. 

Ok, the Chief has "mulled" it over and believes the answer is clear.  He loves him his blonds and fears what diseases Derek Jeter might be incubating within his jock; talk about tainted goods.  So, Minka must go.  Also, as you may recall from our last M-F-K installment, the Chief has an unnatural fear of large boobs and the damage they might cause in the throes of passion.  While he is willing to offer Brooklyn a ride, he is worried about long-term brain damage from constant blows to the head . . . wait, what? [Editor's Note: concussion and bedroom sports, it's time to get serious].  So, Brooklyn gets the [censored] of her life and is shown the door.  Which leaves him with Katrina.  I mean, just look at that butt.  How could you not want to come home to that every night? [Editor's Note: truth be told, I already do.]  Winner, winner, chicken dinner.  Speaking of winners . . . 

• You. Are. Welcome.
• Rest assured, ladies, these men DO NOT speak for everyone.
• You can always count on The Onion to tell it like it is should be.
• I know I railed against April Fools jokes last week, but this one was actually worthy of being shared. 
• This commercial is only made better by the fact the Red Sox currently sit winless.
• And the whiff.
• Floor remains undefeated in epic battle with human heads.

Have a great weekend everyone!

All In The Name Of Science

Well, it is with great sadness that I, the Chief, must announce this is final Link Dump and post that will ever grace the pages of GameTime, TBD©.  Sadly, things back in the real world have gotten a little too complicated and we are going to have to close up shop, for good.

APRIL FOOLS!  Hahahahaha; oh man, that was classic.  You should have seen all of your faces.  Man, I kill myself sometimes.

Sadly, that is far from the lamest April Fools joke we have heard/seen today.  Even more sad, we did not even have to try to make it better than some we have seen.  Look, if you are still in college or younger, feel free to pull as many April Fools pranks as you would like.  But please, people, let us put April Fools Day onto that list of things people should no longer care about once they grow up.  Besides, we have more important things to talk about . . . WINNING.

So, I was pretty confident that the Chief's degenerate gambling ways were behind him, but one weekend-long run in Vegas, followed by a dinner with a fellow recovering degenerate gambler, has brought us to this:  The Chief's 2011 "Investment" Experiment.  You may recall last October we alerted you to the epic journey of one man, who bet on his beloved Pirates to lose, every game, to the tune of a 9.8% return on his "investment" over the course of the season.  Well, with the baseball season upon us (Opening Day was yesterday . . . you know, just in case you live in a cave and the only website your iPhone allows you to visit is this one), and that got the Chief thinking about running a little experiment of his own.  Now, for starters, the Chief cares about baseball only to the extent he has a player on his fantasy baseball team.  He does not have one favorite team that he follows at all costs.  Also, unlike the guy who "loves" his Pirates so much he could stomach to bet on them to lose every game, the Chief is an eternal optimist, who believes his team will always triumph (see, e.g., his beloved Kings, no way he could bet on them, he freaks out enough already).  Lastly, what is the fun of betting on someone to lose every game?  Would you not enjoy it more if you could turn a profit by betting on someone to win every game?

And that brings us to the details of the Chief's newest "investment" experiment.  Two guys, two hundred dollars each, betting twenty dollars that the Boston Red Sox will win every game this year.  Yes, that is one hundred and sixty-two (162) individual bets, all in the name of science.  How did these two groundbreaking scientists decide on the Red Sox you ask?  Well, for starters, the Chief wanted a team that he could tolerate that was expected to win significantly more games than they lose this year.  So that eliminated the New York Yankees.  Then, because they are only making a single straight wager every game, the Chief had to figure out what winning team was likely going to have the best average odds over the course of the season.  Looking at the Phillies and Red Sox (the only other two teams expected to win a statistically significant number of games more than they lose), the Red Sox play in the much more competitive American League East, and the American League in general seems to more competitive across the board.  So it was decided that the Boston Red Sox would be the guinea pig for this little experiment.  So, for example, today the Chief has the Red Sox money line (-125) versus the Texas Rangers in their season opener ($20 to win $16).  But to ensure that the average odds stay as close to minus-110 as possible (other gamblers understand this), when the Red Sox face lesser opponents or a team's fifth starter, the Chief will consider taking the run line over the money line.  Yes, that means that, in theory, the Red Sox could win but the Chief will still lose, but we are talking about science her people . . . and WINNING.

Should be a wild ride.  Worst case scenario, Red Sox start the season in a slump and early profits are not high enough to offset the losses and the nest egg dries up.  Best case scenario, the Red Sox set a new major league record for wins (currently 116 by the 2001 Seattle Mariners and 1906 Chicago Cubs).  The most likely result, however, is that Red Sox do as expected and the Chief is able to eek out a five to ten percent profit over the course of the season.  And it all starts today at 1:05 p.m. (PST).  So, while we go enjoy the start of the Chief's experiment, here are some things you might have missed from the week that was (and we promise, no April Fools links):

• Kate Upton is modeling for Guess? I guess I am okay with that.
• You know it is baseball season when [spins wheel]: Dodgers fans show just how classless they truly are.
• You know it is baseball season when [spins wheel]: the Washington Nationals can notanything right, even on Opening Day. do
• Let us take a look at the New York Mets payroll . . . for players no longer on team.  And, just for kicks, here is a closer look at what they still owe Bobby Bonilla.
• Pitcher's perfect game is good enough for a mention in the seventh paragraph . . . of an eight-paragraph story.
• What? A BCS Bowl is corrupt and abusing the money it receives?  Get right out of town.  I hope the BCS committee does the right thing when all is said and done.
• I wonder if he regrets titling his autobiography "Touched"?
• Congrats to all of you who took Wichita State in your NIT brackets.  [Editor's Note: the what?]
• From "Tomorrow Night's Mantra: Keep Your Cool and Respect Yourself" to "Dear TEAM CHI OMYGOD", this story will make your day.
• Thirteen-year-old has already perfected the "I never knowingly . . ." defense.  Sounds like he is ready for the big leagues.
• This story is the perfect bookend to the way we started this Dump . . . maybe not.

If there is one thing you do not want read right before you settle in for start of your "investment' experiment, it is probably something like this:  "[Texas starter] CJ Wilson was 3-0 with an 0.86 ERA in his three starts against Boston last year. The Red Sox hit only .157 against him with 20 strikeouts and only two runs in 21 innings."  And so it begins.  So, how about those videos now:

• Study up, we will be holding tryouts to fill out the Team GameTime, TBD© roster next weekend.
• "And then I was all, talk to the palm cause you ain't the bomb."
• I have something Kaley can practice with . . .  
• The only good thing about VCU's Final Four song is that it allows me to re-post one of the greatest music videos ever made.  [Editor's Note: Did you know The Hoff helped bring down the Berlin Wall? True story.]
• Oh fail, how I have missed you.
• With The Hangover II right around the corner, it is always fun to remember some of Alan's finer moments in Vegas.
• Apparently a lot of important people said a lot of inappropriate things this week.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bite Your Tongue

I am not going to lie, I was a little stressed out this morning during my train ride into the GameTime, TBD© office.  The Chief usually wants to know what the Link Dump introduction subject matter is going to be first thing in the morning so he has the necessary time to research the topic before making the final edits and sending the post "to print".  Well, so many things happened this week, I was having trouble picking one.  Do I go with commentary on college basketball officiating or the latest controversy in the NHL regarding dangerous hits?  What about UCLA's complete failure to show up last night versus a lesser opponent?  To be honest, I was leaning towards the UCLA introduction.  For starters, officiating is an issue I could beat to death, revive, then beat to death again, and I would still feel unsatisfied and the Zdeno Chara hit might be a little too heavy for a Friday afternoon.  Plus, under those two topics, I am liable to say something that finally puts GameTime, TBD© on the map . . . for all the wrong reasons.  So I thought it best to bite my tongue and go with UCLA because, after all, in reliving the nightmare that was last night's game, at least I would get to reference Oregon's cheerleaders.  But then a funny thing happened while I was standing in line at Starbucks waiting to get my morning coffee . . .

I am always amazed by what people are willing to talk about while out in public.  As you know, one of the the Chief's biggest pet peeves is when people talk on their cellphones in elevators.  It is not just because he is stuck in a tiny cube and forced to listen to someone yakking away that drives him nuts; it is often the conversation the people are having.  You might recall the time he was forced to listen to a woman discuss her friends . . . errr . . . "exploits" from the previous evening (which include such classic lines as "And he just thought you'd let him stick it there the first time?").  Nasty.  Or there was the girl on the treadmill next me telling her friend all about how she was going to seduce the father of the kids she served as part-time nanny for.  Charming.  And I can not even begin to go into the ridiculous conversations I hear on the train.  I wish I could claim I was a compulsive eavesdropper, but unfortunately people just talk loud.

Which brings me to this morning, in the lonnnnnnnnnnnng line at Starbucks, where I had to listen to the woman in front of me talk to her co-worker about her ex-husband's mission to buy their child's love.  Any thing that child wants, his father buys him: video games, sports equipment, clothes, blah, blah, blah.  And she did not think it was fair because he was the big-shot executive with all the money.  How could she compete?  After about five minutes (did I mention it was a lonnnnnnnnng line?), I almost felt like I was entitled to give my opinion on the subject.  It was, after all, your classic tale of man bones secretary, wife finds out, man hires better divorce attorney, you know the rest.  For what it is worth, I thought perhaps the husband felt guilty about the trouble he brought on his family and was trying to make it up to his kid, albeit with material things.  But before I could get there, I got Captain Over Share's opinion (and I quote): "Do you think he found out I've been sleeping with Steve and is now trying to turn [our son] against me?  I mean, I know he's good friends with Steve, but Steve promised he wouldn't say a thing." You stay classy, random woman at Starbucks.

Look people, I am very familiar with the "these are all strangers, I'll never see them again, so what do I care what they hear?" line of reasoning.  But strangers or not, there is such a thing as common courtesy.  And I want to hear about your personal life about as much as you want to hear about mine.  There is so much going on in the world to talk about, why not save the personal stuff for the privacy of your office or your car? So please, random people of the world, learn to bite your tongue . . . or you might find your exploits being posted on a random blog for all my avid readers to enjoy.

Speaking of things for my avid readers to enjoy:

• In non-sports related news, apparently the internet has made it more difficult for people to hide their "I used to be a porn star" pasts.
• Your "No duh!" link of the week: apparently we should be paying more attention to women's surfing.  [Editor's Note: for the sake of . . . ummm . . . journalistic integrity, we have confirmed that, yes, Alana Blanchard doesn't mind showing a cheek or two while surfing.]
• Oh, NCAA, if there is one thing you do so well, its hypocrisy.  [Editor's Note: read both the main article and then the supplement reaction from the author.]
• Come on, Bill James, you can never completely eliminate the human element from an equation.  [Editor's Note: or, as long-time friend of the program Ballgame put it, the "crapping the bed" element.]
• Wow, it sucks to be from the Ohio Valley Conference.
• “[Stanford] accommodates athletes in the manner that they accommodate students with disabilities.”
• Apparently it has been a rough spring training for players' rides.  [Editor's Note: anyone else think we should start using the word "purloined" more often?]
• Well, I am glad we got that all cleared up.
•  For all those people out there who think it is crazy for the NBA to talk contraction, I present you with this:  Blake Griffin is able to sell out a New Jersey Nets game while Kobe and Lebron play to a half-full arena in Miami.
• Maybe he liked the view?
• I think Aston Villa should change their mascot to the "Hermit of the Holte End".
• He must be crazy. A love-hate relationship with the McRib?

It feels good to be back up and running at full capacity post-vacation.  We were planning to spend part of this Link Dump apologizing for our lack of a full Dump last week, but word on the street is that Ms. Upton was a sufficient apology.  Should we be offended?  While we debate this in the privacy of our office, here are some videos to help you make that final push to the weekend:

• WINNING!
• Tom Brady proudly invites you to "Dance Party, U.S.A."!
• Worst. Sportscast. Ever.  At least have the common decency to drop a catch phrase that will live forever, fellas.
• If being stuck in the office all day has got you down, here is a four-minute walk across the Appalachian Trail.  If nothing else, it is a beautiful look at the longest foot trail in America.
• Call the travel, ref!
• This is fantastically fake (I hope) . . . but also a reminder to be careful when stealing someone's parking spot (you know, like put your top up).
• Nothing like an awesome mash-up to get our weekend started off on the right foot.
• Someone could create a video of Jennifer Aniston sitting on a park bench reading and I would probably still post it here.  But, thankfully for you, SmartWater made a funny video with "Jen" Aniston instead.  [Editor's Note: and, yes, I would have gladly auditioned for the role of "Nut Shot Guy" . . . too much?]

Have a great weekend everyone!

Site News: What Happened to that Vacation?

[Editor's Note: as you all know by now, anytime the words "Site News" appear in the title, bad news is coming . . . ]

A funny thing happened last week: we went on vacation. It. Was. Marvelous.  Eighty-one and sunny in late-February?  Yes, please.  But you know what was crazy?  Apparently the rest of the world felt the need to keep on working.  Did they not get the memo?  Vacation.  [Editor's Note: well, apparently the LA Metro maintenance workers got the memo because my 20-minute delay on the train ride into this office this morning certainly didn't help our chances of getting anything of substance prepared for you.  Seriously, though, don't they know I have readers to entertain? . . . but I digress . . . ]

So, while we were on vacation, enjoying the sun, a cocktail or two (or twenty), and thinking of new and great ways to improve GameTime, TBD©, the rest of the world was acting out in pure jealousy.  Ever wonder what the Leaning Tower of Pisa looks like in person?  Well, I could have saved you the expensive plane ticket to Italy.  The stack of work waiting for me when I returned defied the laws of physics.  That said, I have been forced to spend the week catching up on more work than I care to admit, all while putting out the fires that manage to pop up on a weekly.  If ever there was a week I really wanted to win the lottery, this is it.

Unfortunately, that means we will not be able to provide you with the one thing you look forward to most every Friday.  What? No, calm down people.  The weekend will still get here.  And to be honest, I am a little insulted (yet, also flattered that you think we here at GameTime, TBD© have that much power). No, no.  We are unable to provide you with a full Link Dump.  Epic. Fail.

But you also know by now that we are never willing to leave you completely empty-handed.  That is right, per usual, we hope to make it up to you with a hot chick and some funny videos.  We figured that by now you were tired of picture after picture of attractive blonds like Marisa Miller, Kristen Bell, and Blake Lively, so we decided to mix things up this week and go with a picture of . . . well . . . attractive blond Kate Upton, the blog-o-sphere's consensus pick as the hottest new addition to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue:

Seriously though, any one else think their guidance counselor failed them by not mentioning fashion photographer as a career option?

As for the videos, we obviously have many to catch up on, seeing as with missed a whole week.  So you can bet that next week there will an extra long video portion of the Link Dump.  But for now, we hope these seven will do:

• In case you were wondering, America's dominance over Canada extends all the way to soccer.
• As if this course was not crazy of enough for a BMXer, the throw in a dog.
• Remember that dude who got dumped by his girlfriend after he let her get hit by a ball at an Astros's game last summer?  It was probably for the best.
• Anyone else think The Onion managed to hire actual pedophiles for this news piece?
• Holy cheerleader spazz out, Batman!
• Any guess at who the slowest runner at the NFL combine was?
• It is the new workout we should all be doing, especially with those who are already doing it.

Have a great weekend everyone!