Deja Vu

On May 4th, a rare occurrence took place on our planet. It was if all of the stars were aligned ever so perfectly, which allowed 4 of my favorite teams to win on the same day. Well less than a week later, it's happened again.

Today on Saturday, May 8th 2010 the following events took place and made me one happy camper:

The Padres beat the Astros, 2 to 1.
The A's beat the Rays, 4 to 2.
The Lakers beat the Jazz, 111 to 110.
The Sharks beat the Wings 2 to 1.

Good night everyone!

Sports Card Bust #5: Akili Smith

First Tim Couch... now Akili Smith? Yep... 1999 was the year of the quarterback in the NFL draft. An amazing five QB's (#1 Couch, #2 McNabb, #3 Smith, #11 Culpepper, and #12 McNown) were taken within the first twelve picks. You're probably thinking that 1999 was a terrible draft year, but in fact out of those first twelve picks, eight have played in at least one Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, three of the four that haven't are QB's. I assume you've figured out the three, but just in case you haven't: it's my original sports card bust (Mr. Couch), my newest sports card bust (Mr. Smith), and possibly a future sports card bust pc addition, Cade McNown. Actually, McNown doesn't fit into my PC criteria since he's not a top 5 draft pick.

Well, back to Mr. Smith. Did you know that Akili Smith actually played baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system for three seasons? He eventually quit and focused on football. Akili was a junior college transfer student who football stud his senior year at the University of Oregon. As a Duck, he quacked his way to 3,763 passing yards, a 58% completion rate, and 32 touchdown throws in 1998. Although most considered Couch the top pick, there were some (ex. NY Times) who felt Akili could be the top QB. In the end, both are considered busts in my book. Akili started a total of 17 games in his four year career in the NFL. He threw 5 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and was sacked 59 times. He threw for a total of 2,212 yards and has a career passer rating of 52.8.

It crazy to think that the Saints offered the Bengals nine draft picks for that #3 pick, but the Bengals passed on the offer. Unfortunately for the Saints, the Redskins didn't. However, that's another story.

Mr. Smith went on to play in the CFL, but only lasted one season. Recently, he was hired by UC Berkeley as an administrative assistant on their coaching staff.

Akili's Minor League Stats

Thank You Chase Headley!

It's 11:45pm and I'm getting ready to climb into bed. But before I do, I want to thank a few athletes tonight for making this day special.

First, I'd like to thank Patrick Marleau. Mr. Marleau scored the game winning goal in overtime help the San Jose Sharks build a 3-0 lead against the much despised Detroit Red Wings. I know it's no guarantee, but the Sharks are one step closer to reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.


Second, I'd like to thank Ryan Sweeney. Mr. Sweeney had 5 RBI's in the Oakland A's 7 to 6 win over the Texas Rangers. Unfortunately, I don't have an autograph of Mr. Sweeney in my PC. I guess I'll have to do something about that.

Next, I'd like to thank Andrew Bynum. Mr. Bynum dominated the paint against the Utah Jazz and helped the Los Angeles Lakers go up 2-0 in the series. He ended up with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. The Lakers as a team blocked 13 shots against the Jazz.



Last, but not least I must give thanks to Chase Headley. Mr. Headley batted 2 for 5, but more importantly he had the game winning RBI to help the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 3 to 2.



So, why is this night so special? Well, it's the first time in a long time that all of my favorite teams have won on the same day. The Lakers aren't a big surprise and the Sharks aren't major underdogs. However, to combine both of those wins with an A's win and a Padres win is well simply put: RARE.

So excuse me, while I drift off to sleep and dream about the Sharks winning the Cup; the Lakers repeating as champions; and the A's battling the Padres in the 2010 World Series.

Good night!

Hobby Hero #2 : Don West

Every once in awhile, the overwhelming stress of life gets me down (I'm exaggerating a little for dramatic affect). When it does, there's one person who can make things all better. No, it's not Mama Fuji. It's not even my best friend. My students? Yeah right. Nope, it's Mr. Don West.

Anyone who collected cards in the 90's and stayed up late to watch Shot at Home knows who I'm talking about. This guy is a hobby legend and one of the funniest entertainers on the planet. If you've never seen him and want a good laugh, check out this site that's dedicated to him: http://donwest.org You can also check out vintage Shop at Home clips on Youtube.
Now, he's not only on the internet... he's also in my PC:


Now all I need is an auto of the one and only... Mr. Ken Goldin: owner of Scoreboard Inc. & Don West's partner in crime.

Sports Card Bust #4: Steve Emtman

In 1992, the Indianapolis Colts had the 1st pick in the draft. And with that pick, they chose University of Washington's Steve Emtman. If you look back at Emtman's college stats they aren't stellar and people who never watched him play would look at them and say they were good, but not great. Well, if you saw him play, you know better. Emtman was a beast. Teams never ran at him and always double teamed him. He was the most dominant defensive player on one of the most dominant defensive teams. Many people, including myself (and the Colts) figured this would transfer straight into the NFL.

Unfortunately, injuries to both of his knees limited his career to only 19 starts. He finished his 6 year career with 8 sacks, 121 tackles, 1 interception (which he returned for a 90 yard TD), and 3 forced fumbles. Ultimately, he's regarded as one of the biggest busts in the history of the NFL. He may never have been a Beast in the NFL, but I still remember the good ole' days when he was a Huskie.