Archive for June, 2009

The Six Degrees Of Fatpickled

Six Degrees of Fatpickled is a rundown of 6 items that I have enjoyed. Make sure you check them out.

The Washington Times have been conducting a countdown of the 20 greatest players in Gary Williams 20 years at Maryland. They confirm what I’ve said all along, #1 Juan Dixon. (Wash Times)

Here’s a video from the locker room of the 1982 NFC Champion Washington Redskins…ahh the glory days. (Hogs Haven)

From NESW SPORTS, The Top 10 Sports Movies That Make Men Cry. I personally am ok during most of these except Hoosiers(a small tear, when Hackman tells the team he loves them,) and Field Of Dreams(a big cry, when Costner has a catch with his dad.)

Cheers and Hail

Favorite All-Time Baseball Card: Bill Ripken 89 Fleer

This is one in a series of posts that I am writing about my favorite things. What’s your favorite things? Tell me in the comments section or email me from the main page of the site.

I was 14 years old when I heard about the Bill Ripken error card. Was it real, was it an urban legend? Word on the street was there was a Bill Ripken card out there that had a vulgar word written on it. There was no Internet back then to “google” it. There was no EBay back then to purchase it. All you could do was try to find the card in your local card shop (no chance,) or try to find a picture of it in Beckett magazine (if you could find one.)

I opened many Fleer packs that summer, even got a couple Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards…but no B Rip F&*k Face cards. None to be found at Pete’s Card Shop, none at Grandpaw’s Attic (the 2 card shops in my hometown in 89.) But, what would I do if I found one anyway? I could only look… at it’s height the card was going for $500 bucks.

I eventually purchased the card in 2006 for $7 dollars. It’s a mint condition card that I had Billy sign. Eventually, Fleer put out 12 different 1989 Bill Ripken cards, but 1 stood out the most. The mystery surrounding the card and how F&%k Face got on the handle was divulged in this interview with Bill. Yes, on the 20th anniversary of this card, it’s still the best out there. It’s the error card of all error cards. You can have your cards with pieces of uniforms, bats, and bases…give me F&*k Face.

Apologies to Cal’s rookie card, Eddie Murray’s rookie card, and all my signed Nick Markakis cards.

Cheers and Hail

Gridiron Gala: Party Like It’s 1991!

Cheers and Hail

Peyton Manning: It’s Hip To Be Square

(photo courtesy of On That Note)

Peyton Manning may just be the coolest dork in history. He keeps popping up in cool places, with cool people, but…looking like a CPA. Last off-season was dedicated to commercials and SNL. This year, he’s partying in Key West and New York with rock stars!

Last March, Manning became the first person in the history of civilization to sing a David Allen Coe song wearing a polo and khaki shorts. He earned a trifecta by performing his karaoke at Sloppy Joe’s in a duet with Kenny Chesney. So, he’s way cool for being in Key West at Sloppy Joes, singing with Kenny Chesney…but he’s the only person in the joint wearing my uncle’s favorite golf outfit.

Cut to Friday night in New York. Better Than Ezra (one of my favorite bands) is rocking the house. During their performance of “King of New Orleans,” they bring out the Manning brothers. What kind of outfit are the Manning brothers working for the big show? What any one of us would…your standard button up shirt and blazer. They proceeded to fire some footballs out into the crowd (cool) and look very awkward moving to the music. So once again, cool for being there…but very dorky.

Sounds like the story of my life.

Cheers and Hail

Favorite Player To Hate: Donovan Mcnabb

Choking on the Super Bowl?

This is one in a series of posts that I am writing about my favorite things. What’s your favorite things? Tell me in the comments section or email me from the main page of the site.

My favorite player to hate is Donovan Mcnabb. A pretty impressive feat by Mcnabb…beating out Terrell Owens, who’s played for both the Cowboys and Eagles in recent years. But, Mcnabb (to be referred to from now on in this post as Mcribb,) just irks me in too many ways.

A great point for me is the recent contract Mcribb just signed. How does an aging Quarterback with declining skills and can’t win the big game get a new contract? Was there a clause in his old deal that if he bounced more than 50 passes at his receivers feet last season, they’d renegotiate?

Apologies to T.O., Michael Irvin, and pretty much any player who’s played for the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, or Yankees.

Cheers and Hail

Favorite All-Time NFL Player: John Riggins

This is one in a series of posts that I am writing about my favorite things. What’s your favorite things? Tell me in the comments section or email me from the main page of the site.

My favorite football player of all-time is John Riggins. Despite the fact that he has been retired for nearly 25 years, no other player has been able to unseat Riggo from this title. Of course, there’s never been another player that was quite like Riggo. Standing 6’2” and weighing 230lbs, he was a huge running back, but he had a personality even larger.

What a lot of people don’t know about John Riggins… he was FAST. People saw the big body, the “3 yards and a cloud of dust,” and thought he was slow. NOT! He was twice the 100 yd dash state title holder in high school. He also broke the state record, until then held by a guy by the name of Gale Sayers.

Everyone remembers and sees the highlight of Riggo’s 43yd TD, probably the single biggest play in Redskins history. What I remember is that play capping off the single best performance by any athlete, in any sport, in playoffs history. I defy anyone to tell me a better performance than Riggins in the 82 playoffs. He carried that team on his back. Here’s a quick look at his stats from those playoffs.
OPP ATT YDS TD
DET 25 119 0
MIN 37 185 1
DAL 36 140 2
MIA 38 166 1
For the those of you without a calculator, that’s 136 carries for 610 yards and 4 TD’s in 4 games. WOW!

As far as Riggo’s personality, great quotes, and funny stories, I highly recommend a google search.
Apologies to Art Monk, Darrell Green, Dexter Manley, and Gary Clark.

TRIVIA – On the day my grandmother retired from bartending John Riggins stopped by to give her his congrats. He also asked for a 6 pack to go

Cheers and Hail