Thursday, August 30, 2007

George Parros takes the Cup to a Pig Roast

How can you not love "the Stache"??? (for the record, I'll never put a question mark inside my quotes. It looks ridiculous).

From the Observer-Reporter:

On this hot, summer night, the Stanley Cup was on display near a smoldering pig.

The National Hockey League's most precious and unique trophy was one of about 300 guests at Chuck Wonsettler's farm Friday evening, courtesy of nephew George Parros, who is a member of the Anaheim Ducks. The friends, family and well-wishers were on hand for the pig roast and to toast Parros.

A highstick to Mirtle and Duckswire for this one.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Ovechkin Beats Up Malkin's Agent?

Now I do not speak Russian, but apparently so. Thank you to my bud Humpzilla for finding this:

In second part of this russian sport newspaper article says that Alexander Ovechkin fought Gennadiy Ushakov, Malkin agent. Some days ago after nightclub party Ovechkin had heated dispute with Ushakov. Ushakov insulted the Caps forward and they started to fight. As a result Ovechkin injured Ushakov's jaw.

AO and Malkin would make for a good tilt. Of course we're all holding out for AO/Crosby... because, yeah, that'll happen.

Update - According to Japers', AO has denied being in a fight.

Thoughts - It sounds as if everyone is taking AO's words at face value. Since when did athletes start telling the truth?

Yes, if I were a betting man (wait a second...), I'd believe him. At the same time, who wants to be known as the "agent byatch slapper?"

Update Update - Tarik's source says its true. Funny side - one of my Devil's buds asked if AO checked him from behind. Hmm... I thought that was Cam Janssen's territory?

Update Update Update - False again according to McErlain.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Caps' Training Camp Schedule Announced

Two Minutes for Blogging was recently linked as a Caps' fan friendly blog (that's right, no cursing on this site... although sometimes I want to!). So I think some love is in order for my red, white, and blue.

The Caps announced the following information about practices, rookie camp, fan fest, and the much-anticipated training camp (will there be enough ice for all the defenseman???):

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals 2007 Rookie Camp and Training Camp at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., will feature practices and scrimmages that are open to the public and free of charge, as well as special events including giveaways and specific days dedicated to heroes in the community and the Capitals’ young fans.

Training Camp opens with Fan Fest on Friday, Sept. 14, after a one-week Rookie Camp and features a special pre-sale for 2007-08 single-game tickets available only at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Individual game tickets will go on sale to the public on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. at 202-432-SEAT, on WashingtonCaps.com and at all local Ticketmaster outlets, including the Verizon Center box office. Capitals season-ticket holders will have an opportunity to purchase individual game tickets prior to public sale.

Fan Fest will also feature autograph sessions with players, a town hall-style meeting with chairman and majority owner Ted Leonsis and a live broadcast by DC101’s Elliot in the Morning Show. For each of the first three days of camp fans can play interactive hockey games and four of hockey’s most prestigious trophies – the Calder, King Clancy, Norris and Vezina – will be on display.

Fan Fest also marks the first opportunity for fans to purchase the Capitals’ new jerseys. The jerseys available at Fan Fest will be Rbk Premier Replicas without names or numbers; fans will have the opportunity to order personalization that day.

Other special events take place throughout Training Camp. Thursdays during Training Camp – Sept. 20 and 27 – have been dubbed Red Thursdays, when all fans wearing red to Kettler Capitals Iceplex will receive a free ticket to a preseason game at Verizon Center.

Friday, Sept. 21, is Heroes Day at Capitals Training Camp, dedicated to honoring our local heroes in the military, our police officers, firefighters and first responders. The day will feature an on-ice recognition of local heroes, a skills competition between teams of police, military personnel and firefighters, as well as a special autograph session and an “Ask the GM” session held with vice president and general manager George McPhee exclusively for the members of these services. SportsTalk 980 will broadcast live from Kettler Capitals Iceplex for a portion of the day’s events.

Saturday, Sept. 29, is Kids Day at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, featuring the launch of the new Caps Kids Club. Kids Day will also feature a kids’ skills competition, a kids-only autograph session, face painters, caricature artists and a special giveaway.

This marks the Capitals’ first Training Camp at the new Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the Metro-accessible, inside-the-Beltway practice facility that features two NHL-sized rinks. All on-ice sessions at Rookie Camp and Training Camp – like every Capitals practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex – will be open to the public and free of charge.

Fans can get the best possible available seating location and price by signing up today for full season tickets and save up to 51.4% off the gate price. The Capitals also offer a 19-game Weekend Plan and a You Pick 11 plan, in which fans select the games they wish to attend. All plan holders can take advantage of the Caps PowerPay option – interest-free monthly payments with full season plans starting as low as $66 per month.
I for one will be taking in a day or two at the new Kettler Ice Rink. Please follow the link above for exact dates and times of scrimmages. As soon as rosters come out, I'll post them here. Personally, that is how I decide when to attend.

A Couple of Thoughts on Mr. Vick

So I was listening to my morning sports radio show, the Junkies, on the way in today. I so wanted to call in and go off on some of the callers; ah but I ride a commuter bus and 90% of the riders are asleep on my trek in to DC; so no dice.

But IF I were a caller, this is what I would have said.

First, I am sick of tired of people trying to justify Michael Vick's actions by comparing dog fighting to deer hunting. I don't hunt at all; but I recognize two very important differences between the dog fighting and deer hunting. One, killing a deer is typically done in a quick and humane way, by a bullet or pellets from a shotgun. Dog fighting is a disgustingly violent method of killing an animal, a pet no less, that can reportedly take up to an hour. Two, hunters either eat their kill or donate the meat for others to eat. We don't eat pit bulls the last time I checked.

Second, I am firm believer that many of the problems we see in today's youth start in the home. That being said, what kind of an example was set by Michael and Marcus Vick's parents when they were growing up? While good parents were busy spending time with their children, helping them with their homework, making them eat their vegatables, washing behind their ears, and sending them to bed at a proper time, I wonder what Mr. and Mrs. Vick were doing. Something tells me they weren't the best role models.

Regardless, as Charles Barkley said over the weekend, at some point we all have to make a decision whether or not we want to be men. It looks like Vick was more concerned about holding on the hood rather than moving forward as a man.

Question, are you surprised Michael Vick found Jesus in two weeks? I'm not. It seems like people go to Jesus when they need something from Jesus, doesn't it?

Vick, even though he sounded contrite in his apology, has made business decisions to protect his rear end up until now. He lied to Arthur Blank and Roger Goodell. He then entered a plea; but sugarcoated the plea by saying he didn't personally bet on the fights or personally kill the dogs. So do you really feel that Mike is being genuine in his apology? Or is he just a good liar that is proceeding with covering his arse and starting the path to rebuilding his shattered rep?

Finally, even if Michael Vick doesn't play another snap in ANY football league, he'll still be financially secure. And I will give you two words to explain why... book deal.

More from Michael Wilbon at the Washington Post, including some juice of Vick's money grubbing father. And I'll do a quick cut-and-paste of this thought from Wilbon to conclude:


Personally, I'd like to see Vick locked in a cage with six to eight of those pit
bulls and nothing but his hands to use in his own defense.
Reference:

VICK PLEA AGREEMENT 8-24-2007
VICK SUMMARY OF FACTS 8-24-2007

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Fantasy Studs versus Fantasy Gambles

If you picked Edgerrin James in 2006, chances are your fantasy team didn't make the playoffs. On the other hand, if you were lucky enough to snatch up Maurice Jones-Drew, there is a good chance some fantasy bucks came your way at the end of the year!

So how can you tell who is going to be a stud and who is going to be a bust? You can't! A best guess is all we have.

And that is why I am going to take a look at some possible studs versus gambles... with a little bit of help from Fantasy Football Toolbox that is!

Edgerrin James:

James should significantly improve his numbers from last season with the additions of Levi Brown, Mike Gandy, and Al Johnson to the offensive line. Coach Ken Whisenhunt is emphasizing a run first offense, so James will see plenty of carries as the feature back for Arizona. Edgerrin James will be a huge gamble on draft day for fantasy owners in 2007; but if he slides far enough, he is worth the risk because he could break out behind the Cardinals rebuilt offensive line.

My take - I'm shying away. James has looked rough in his first couple fantasy games.

Shaun Alexander:

Shaun Alexander clearly benefited earlier in his career from the road-grader blocking of Steve Hutchinson. Without the outstanding Left Guard paving the way, Alexander is unlikely to repeat the success he had in 2004 and 2005. He's still a stud running back, and one of the few who plays in a system where he doesn't split time in the backfield; but fantasy owners need to keep their expectations to a realistic level.

My take - A safe #6 to #12 pick. Alexander has upside. But the injury bug worries me just a bit.

Maurice Jones-Drew:

Based simply on the numbers Jones-Drew should be drafted at the end of round 1 or early round 2, but his numbers seem a little inflated. In 2007 he wont be taking any teams by surprise as they will come into the game prepared for him. The fact that veteran's Fred Taylor and Greg Jones will be back this years, means that Jones-Drew will be splitting carries and wont get enough touches to be a consistent top tier RB. Let someone else jump the gun and take him well before he deserves.

My take - I agree. 14 TDs was inflated and he will be lucky to see half that this year. He's a sexy pick; so expect some dope to jump on him early this year. Just don't let that dope be you.

Cedric Benson:

With Chicago splitting ties with Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson inherited the starting running back job. Early last season, some people speculated that Benson would take over for Jones at some point during the season. However, Jones was relentless in his fight to keep his starting job. This season it will be different. Benson will get his shot to prove his durability. At this point, even with Benson's history of injuries, he will be an interesting draft day pick, as he will get a lot of touches and who knows how productive he could be. As a starter, Benson should be good for over 1,000 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.

My take - an early to mid second round guy. Benson should thrive being the only back. And he doesn't fumble either.

Thomas Jones:

The acquisition of Thomas Jones has to be one of the biggest moves this off season. When the Jets began last season, there was hope Curtis Martin would return. As the season progressed, that hope turned to dismay as we watched Martin sit on the sideline. New York did the best they could patching together a running game with whoever was rushing best that day. This year however, the running game shouldn't be a problem. Jones is a solid rusher in the prime of his career. In a well balanced offense, he should have no problem hitting 1,000 yards. Thomas should be a solid fantasy back all season.

My take - Jones is injury prone. But Leon Washington should take some of the load off. Again, a mid-second round pick. I got him in the early third (see post below).

Willis McGahee:

Even factoring in that McGahee missed two full games (the only missed games of his career) and significant parts of a third, 2006 was arguably his least productive season. He finished with 990 yards -- the first time he failed to reach the 1,000 yard barrier over his three-year career -- and his six touchdowns were well shy of the 13 scores he had his rookie season . He averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and his career-high is just 4.0 per carry.
McGahee has shown the ability to be a top level back, but not on a consistent basis. He had just two 100-yard games in Buffalo a season ago, but those numbers should rise now that he is playing behind one the league's top offensive lines and veteran quarterback Steve McNair.

My take - I like McGahee late in the first this year. He has a huge offensive line and better weapons around him to take the pressure off.

Ronnie Brown:

There's little doubt Brown will hit the 1,000 yard mark again this season. The only question is can he stay healthy enough to play all 16 games? If so, he could easily rush for 1,200 yards. Ronnie should be a starting back in every league.

My take - I'm not a Ronnie Brown fan at all. The Dolphins O-line is horrid and Brown will have a tough time getting into the end zone this year.

Travis Henry:

In 14 games last season in Tennessee, Henry rushed for 1,211 yards on 270 carries, had an average of 4.5 yards per carry and scored 7 touchdowns. Minus his rookie season, Henry has rushed for over 1,000 yards in any season, which he has played more than 10 games. Jay Cutler's ability to throw downfield should open up for the run and Henry has the ability to put up big yardage and make the defense pay. Travis should return to prime form this year in Denver as Mike Shanahan's offense concentrates on the strength of the running scheme. Look for him to get the majority of the carries with Mike Bell as his back up.
I am changing my rating of Henry as his nature to be injury prone may be upon him once again. I think he might be a high risk choice at RB as there are many other options out there that could have very high potential as sleepers or RBs on the move.

My take - Henry is the sexy pick of 2007 because he is a good RB running in Denver's system. I'm going with an early second round pick. He could pay huge dividends this year for your club.

Mock Draft #1 Complete

The fantasy football draft accounts for 60% of the success/failure you will have during the year. So draft wisely! The other 40% comes from trades, lineup strategy, and just dumb luck... I actually won the Superbowl of one of my leagues last year by a tie break!

To prep for a draft I like to read and partake in mock drafts. Last night was my first and here are the results. I was Team B. Feel free to leave comments. I'll only post the first 10 rounds too. Note the last player drafted!

Round 1

# Team Player
1 A LaDainian Tomlinson
2 B Steven Jackson
3 C Larry Johnson
4 D Frank Gore
5 E Shaun Alexander
6 F Joseph Addai
7 G Brian Westbrook
8 H Rudi Johnson
9 I Reggie Bush
10 J Laurence Maroney
11 K Willis McK
12 L Peyton Manning

Round 2
# Team Player
1 L Willie Parker
2 K Steve Smith
3 J Travis Henry
4 I Tom Brady
5 H Maurice Jones-Drew
6 G Carson Palmer
7 F Edgerrin James
8 E Chad Johnson
9 D Clinton Portis
10 C Cedric Benson
11 B Drew Brees
12 A Larry Fitzgerald

Round 3
# Team Player
1 A Marvin Harrison
2 B Thomas Jones
3 C Torry Holt
4 D Terrell Owens
5 E Anquan Boldin
6 F Roy Williams
7 G Ronnie Brown
8 H Reggie Wayne
9 I Adrian Peterson
10 J Randy Moss
11 K Carnell Williams
12 L Antonio Gates

Round 4
# Team Player
1 L Marques Colston
2 K Andre Johnson
3 J T.J. Houshmandzadeh
4 I CHI Defense
5 H Donovan McNabb
6 G Donald Driver
7 F Jamal Lewis
8 E DeAngelo Williams
9 D Brandon Jacobs
10 C Hines Ward
11 B Marshawn Lynch
12 A Deuce McAllister

Round 5
# Team Player
1 A Calvin Johnson
2 B Lee Evans
3 C Jeremy Shockey
4 D Plaxico Burress
5 E Fred Taylor
6 F Marc Bulger
7 G Javon Walker
8 H Todd Heap
9 I Tony Gonzalez
10 J Deion Branch
11 K Vernon Davis
12 L Jerious Norwood

Round 6
# Team Player
1 L Chester Taylor
2 K Matt Hasselbeck
3 J Tony Romo
4 I Santana Moss
5 H Marion Barber
6 G BAL Defense
7 F Reggie Brown
8 E Matt Leinart
9 D Chris Cooley
10 C Jon Kitna
11 B Alge Crumpler
12 A Vince Young

Round 7
# Team Player
1 A Kellen Winslow
2 B Darrell Jackson
3 C Nate Kaeding
4 D Philip Rivers
5 E Bernard Berrian
6 F Laveranues Coles
7 G Braylon Edwards
8 H Joey Galloway
9 I Donte Stallworth
10 J Brandon Jackson
11 K Adam Vinatieri
12 L LaMont Jordan

Round 8
# Team Player
1 L Chris Chambers
2 K SD Defense
3 J Jason Witten
4 I L.J. Smith
5 H Ahman Green
6 G Benjamin Watson
7 F Eli Manning
8 E Ladell Betts
9 D Kevin Curtis
10 C NE Defense
11 B CAR Defense
12 A Jeff Wilkins

Round 9
# Team Player
1 A JAC Defense
2 B Jay Cutler
3 C Julius Jones
4 D Warrick Dunn
5 E Matt Schaub
6 F Randy McMichael
7 G Tatum Bell
8 H Derrick Mason
9 I Ben Roethlisberger
10 J IND Defense
11 K Kevin Jones
12 L Devery Henderson

Round 10
# Team Player
1 L Jerricho Cotchery
2 K D.J. Hackett
3 J David Akers
4 I Jason Elam
5 H Vincent Jackson
6 G LenDale White
7 F Matt Jones
8 E Terry Glenn
9 D DAL Defense
10 C Chris Henry
11 B Michael Turner
12 A Michael Vick

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Fantasy Football is Just Around the Corner

Are you ready for some (fantasy) football!!!???

I am. Actually I haven't been studying near as much as I should have. It seems like every year around this time, I start googling up free sites that offer player rankings and mock drafts. From there, if I feel up for it, I start diving into depth charts, bye weeks, and even strength of schedule.

By the time it is all said and done, I have a trsuty notebook that I take to my drafts, of which there are three this year.

I'm not gonna sugar coat this... I'm pretty good. Last year, I won a 12-team league and finished third in a 10-team league.

This year, I will be playing in three leagues. Two draft online and one drafts at a player's home with a board. In two of my leagues, I offer post-draft analyses of how each team did. That is just how into it I get.

That being said, here is my projected top fourteen picks in my CBSportsline league...

1) Ladanian Tomlinson - runs and catches.
2) Steven Jackson - runs and catches.
3) Larry Johnson - he just signed today; however, he will take a beating this year because the Chiefs are thin at QB. This is the most difficult to pick to have in the draft.
4) Frank Gore - beast
5) Brian Westbrook - not flying under anyone's radar this year
6) Joseph Addai - tough pick because he is young; but with no split time this year, he will be the chief recipient of ground TDs.
7) Shaun Alexander - #2 or #3 pick in year's past; injury trips him to #7 where he could pay huge dividends should he stay healthy.
8) Willie Parker - Slick Silly Willy is always set for a huge game.
9) Willis McGahee - he has a lot to prove after being a fantasy bust last year. The Ravens have a beefy O-line to help Willis out though.
10) Laurence Maroney - no Corey Dillon
11) Reggie Bush - still splitting carries with Deuce; but he will see an increase in touches this year. Still a bit too much of a gamble for me this early on though.
12) Rudi Johnson - Rudi is good for 80 and a TD a game it seems like.
13) Maurice Jones-Drew - if Fragile Fred goes down, Drew could be the steal of the draft... again! He's also good for a couple of KO return TDs too.
14) Travis Henry - can he benefit from "the system?"

Good luck to everyone this year. I may post some of the results of my drafts on the blog for comment.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Video of Jose Offerman Swinging His Bat at a Pitcher

Well slides... http://extras.connpost.com/offerman/

But it is the best replay of the incident around.

Selig Does the Predictable

Accoring to published reports, Yankees slugger Jason Giambi will not be punished for doing "that stuff." ESPN.com reports that:


The New York Yankees slugger has cooperated in former Sen. George Mitchell's investigation into steroid use in baseball and met with Mitchell and his team last month to answer questions about his experiences using banned substances. He agreed to speak with Mitchell after Selig threatened to discipline him if he refused to cooperate.

"Jason was frank and candid with Senator Mitchell," Selig said in a statement. "That and his impressive charitable endeavors convinced me it was unnecessary to take further action."

This is very interesting news to me for a number of reasons.

First, I have maintained that MLB/Selig will never do anything to past users because it is a huge can of worms that they do not want to open up. I would venture to say that over half of MLBers have used steroids at some point in the past, including big name stars.

Second, this is yet another example that money buys forgiveness. If Selig is sincere in his remarks, it is quite clear that he believes charitable donations are enough to clear one's name of steroid use... that's right, no asteriks for Jason because he donated $50K to the RBI Club!

Finally, and most importantly, this is a tell tale sign that an asteriks will never appear behind Barry Bonds' names in the records books.

So because of this decision, does it matter if baseball players tell the truth or lie about steroids? Either way, they did them. And either way, the record books will not be noting that they cheated on the game.

More from the blogosphere:

The LoHud Yankees Blog
American Legends
The Biz of Baseball
Ballbug
Rumors and Rants
National Lampoon Splog!
Lattice of Coincidence

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Montoya Versus Harvick



A couple of thoughts:

Kevin Harvick is a loser and one day he is going to shove the wrong guy and get his skinny rear end popped.

I'm giving Montoya the win in this slugfest. One of those pushes landed flush to Harvick's helmet sending the Bean Pole backwards.

Take off the helmets! Maybe they do that in the Busch series ala minor leaguers shedding the lids more so than the NHLers. Either way, lids do damage to knuckles; so be gentlemanly and shed them next time.

Mike Ricci Retires

Mike Ricci announced his retirement today from the NHL. The last of the great mugs is gone. A few pics will speak volumes:




And some YouTube for a class veteran. Congrats Mike and best wishes for your retirement.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Barry Bonds... Who Cares?

A couple of notes about the new "Homerun King."

Seriously folks... don't get your panties in a bunch. Alex Rodriguez will surpass Barry Bonds in another eight years or so and Barry will be a name of the past.

I like what Costas said, Barry is the homerun king of his generation. Hank was the kind of his. And the Babe was the king of his.

Did anyone see the ESPN poll about who the best homerun hitter of all-time is? Pretty close race for first and second. But the order is actually reversed from the numbers. Babe takes first. Hank in second. And Big Head comes up in third. I think the fans got this one right. The Babe did it in fewer at bats I believe. He most certainly didn't have the advantages hitters have today, specifically smaller ball parks.

I love the post-game question asked of Bonds about Greg Anderson... of course Bonds didn't have a message for Greg. But if he did really say what was on his mind, I'm sure it would be something like, "Don't worry Greg. I'm good for the payoff. You'll be taken care of when you get out of jail."

30 seconds of beating and a Mets' fan comes away with the ball. Truly, this has been the most interesting part of the whole homerun chase. When the Yanks came to town last weekend, I was definitely positioned in left field should ARod decide to pop the 500 cherry. I certainly wouldn't dive on top of people as one idiot did in San Fran. But I definitely would have made a respectful attempt to catch that ball. Let's face it folks... you're in for a pay day if you catch that ball. And no amount of memorabilia should ever stop a fan from not getting paid. These athletes make millions of dollars. You might as well make $50,000 or, who knows, $500,000!

By the way, Todd McFarlane awaits with an open check book for Barry's last career homerun. Expect millions to paid.

So will there ever be an asterick next to Barry Bonds' name? No chance. Bud Selig hasn't blown Barry out of the water because he is afraid too. Why would Bud be afraid? Because I guarantee you that there were more players on juice at some point then not. It just so happens that the juice made a great player, in Barry Bonds, into a freak of nature whereas it typically only makes an sub-par player into an average player.

But Bud doesn't want to open that can of worms. It would spell disaster for MLB. Do you honestly think that Bud Selig was not aware of the steroids problem in baseball? No chance! Bud was aware... and he let it go on as television ratings skyrocketed as balls were rocketed toward the bleachers in record numbers a few years ago.


Funny videos

How about this one? A record number of fans just turned out to see a guy that some might consider to be the most genuine player in baseball be inducted into the Hall of Fame last week. Did you know that Cal Ripken used to work out with Brady Anderson, a ball player that some instantly point to as a probable juicer? And you're going to tell me that Cal knew nothing about steroids when he played?

Again, this is way bigger than most think. So don't count on Barry being knocked off the record books at any point. If you want that to happen, become an ARod fan and start saying prayers for his health.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

What Ever Happened to Gregg Alexander?

Remember this tune?



Of course you do. "You Get What You Give" was written by the New Radicals' fontman Gregg Alexander.

Alexander and the New Radicals produced a whopping one album. And if you haven't checked it out, you don't know what you're missing. Youtube is your source from some of the other hits on the CD:







So what ever happened to Gregg Alexander? According to Wikipedia:
Since disbanding the group in summer 1999, Alexander has written and produced songs for artists including Ronan Keating, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Enrique Iglesias, Hanson, Geri Halliwell, Melanie C, and fellow ex-New Radical Danielle Brisebois. Most noteworthy was the song "The Game Of Love" by Santana and Michelle Branch, which earned a Grammy in 2003.

All Music Guide's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described him as "the catchiest, smartest professional mainstream pop songwriter of the early 2000s."

Now here is the mystery that is Gregg Alexander:

In 1998, they released Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. It went on to become a minor success in the late nineties mainly due to the smash hit single, "You Get What You Give".

It was not long before Alexander became tired of the constant media attention and exhaustive touring schedule. In July of 1999, "Someday We'll Know" was announced as the band's second single. However, several days later Alexander announced he was disbanding the New Radicals to focus on production work.

He said that "the fatigue of traveling and getting three hours sleep in a different hotel every night to do boring 'hanging and schmoozing' with radio and retail people is definitely not for me". After a big fight with MCA Alexander finally agreed to shoot a video for "Someday We'll Know" but with the band now defunct, the song got little attention and the New Radicals were forever confined to the one-hit wonder hall of fame.

[After the New Radicals], Gregg Alexander wrote and produced "The Game Of Love" by Santana and Michelle Branch as well as four songs on Enrique Iglesias' album 7 under the pseudonym Alex Ander.

He is also believed to be, along with Rick Nowels, The Party People, who produced Justin Guarini's song "Inner Child", which is a rewritten version of "Inner Smile", the song Alexander and Nowels co-wrote for Texas.

It is often said but unconfirmed that his real name is Greg Aiuto, and thus Gregg Alexander itself is an alias.

Any way you slice it, Alexander was, and apparently still is, a unique individual with a talent for writing songs. And although I am sure he is happy living in obscurity writing songs for stars that crave the spotlight, I can't help but think what could have been if Alexander stuck with New Radicals and continued to pump his own music.

Kevin Hatcher was pretty good with the fisticuffs

Sorry Stars fans... only Kevin Hatcher in the red, white, and blue in these clips. Hatcher was actually my brother's favorite fighter growing up. He used to always bring up that Hatcher took boxing lessons when younger. Well, that is confirmed in this first clip...