The D.C. Sports Guys 7-28-2009 Follow-up

Since our "instant" feedback form wasn't so instant yesterday we are posting the questions and comments that we did not get to on the show here. Again we'd like to thank everyone for their participation and hope to hear from all of you again in the future.

Question from Jim: What's the story with steroids in MMA UFC? I heard or read that they do steroid testing. So what do they use?

Big J's Answer
When it comes to taking steroids fighters will use the same drugs you hear about in other sports such as Boldenone , Nadrolone (otherwise known as Deca Durabolin), Testosterone, Oxymetholone (Anadrol), or Drostanolone. Drostanolone is what Josh Barnett tested positive for in the very first random test under the CSAC's brand new random, out of competition drug testing policy.

The testing is done by whatever State Athletic Commission in which the event is taking place. The UFC doesn't do its own testing unless they are competing overseas, i.e. England, Germany, etc. and I believe that its done by an independent laboratory. The test itself is a urine test.



Comment from Green Machine: Vernon Forrest's death was such a waste. He didn't need to chase the attacker down. He didn't walk away. Big lesson there.

Kevin's Response:
A truly tragic event. In hindsight, yes, let the wallet go. As an old lesson teaches, material things can all be replaced. Being a professional boxer I'm sure Vernon thought he would be able to take whoever he was running after. Unfortunately no athletic ability can compete with a gun. The real sad situation here is that criminals hold the upper hand in these situations and a good charitable man lost his life. You can't let people just walk all over you, criminals included, but there is also something to be said for living to fight another day. I can only hope these car jackers are caught and disciplined to the full extent of the law.



Question from Dave: For each of you - if you could follow just ONE sport, what would it be?

TJ's Response:
If I could only follow one it would be horse racing. Those guys are such great athletes.

Okay, for real, I would probably follow baseball. At least that is how I feel at the moment. I actually follow baseball pretty much year round now. Regular Season, World Series, Hot Stove, Spring Training. There's pretty much something to keep your interest all year. Now I'm probably going to catch grief for not picking football but that gets shoved down my throat so much I can't take it after the season is over. Seriously, can someone tell Ed Werder its okay to take a day off. He doesn't need to be sending in updates from the Cowboys facility at 3am, on a Sunday.....in June.


Big J's Response
If I had one sport to watch and only watch it would be the NFL in particular it would be Redskin football. I love a lot of sports but hands down without thinking its the NFL. It was the first sport that I watched growing up. That was the thing that my dad, my brother, and myself could all watch together. Every Sunday was spent watching football from 1 until it was time to go to bed. Its the most exciting sport out there if you ask me. Nothing else compares in my eyes from the hitting to the big touch down throw/run to the interception that seals the victory. There is just nothing quite like it.


Kevin's Response
This is a tough one for me. The two sports that I can sit down and watch at any given time are hockey and football. Specifically the NHL and the NFL. I've been a puck head since middle school and hockey is my favorite sport to play. The speed and intensity of the game is arguably unmatched by any other sport and once the playoffs start, there may be no other sport that comes close to the excitement on the ice. Hockey players are a special breed, the kind of people that other professional athletes look at, shake their head, and pronounce "those guys are f@&!ing nuts!" (Rugby players excluded, because they are in fact f@&!ing nuts)
Unlike the NFL there are two types of injuries in the NHL, upper body and lower body, and for a hockey player to miss a game something must have fallen off. Just like in the movie Miracle, if your leg hurts, well that leg is "a long way from your heart!" To do what these players do for 82 games or more is simply amazing. Plus the new crop of young talent that is entering the NHL is going to change the game forever. Bigger, faster, stronger, and skilled. The young blood of the NHL in my opinion is the most exciting group of talent in any sport. Alex Ovechkin with the Caps, Steven Stamkos with Tampa Bay, Luke Schenn with Toronto, Patrick Kane in Chicago, the list goes on and on.... The future of hockey is very, very bright and if you're not on the bandwagon yet, get your ass on board!

With all that said, on Sundays from September though December I've been known to disappear to my basement, which is painted burgundy and gold, around 11am, only to re-join the world above when Sunday Night Football has signed off. What keeps me involved? The week of speculation leading up to the game, analyzing the chess match between offensive and defensive coordinators, getting excited over big hits, having my jaw drop watching the ridiculous plays a QB/Receiver/Running Back can make with a man running full speed into his grill, screaming for touchdowns and pretending I could coach the team. I think that last reason is a big one for football's success amongst sports fans. A large part of the game will come down to play calling, and while the Average Joe may not be able to run fast, jump high, or throw a football 50 yards in the air, they can all take a guess at what the opponent is going to do, then call a counter-play based on that information. Everyone in their own mind can be a coach, which in football carries more weight than any other sport. It makes the fan feel like they could control the outcome if only they were allowed to scream in the offensive coordinator's ear.

Now I still haven't answered the question... one sport... ugh... my childhood heroes consist of football greats like Art Monk, Darryl Green, Joe Jacoby, Doug Willams, and Charles Mann, but the guys I'm most enamored with right now are named Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green, and Alexander Semin. In a close one, I'm going with the Caps and I'm going to say hockey.

The D.C. Sports Guys 7-28-2009






T.J., Big J, and Kevin get together to talk about Michael Vick, Brett Favre, the Redskins, Affliction folding, MLB, Caps News, Shaq, and some soccer (kinda). The web cam failed us a bit tonight. As the show progresses the video gets out of sync with the audio. We apologize for this and will have things back to normal for the next show. The audio only feed is available below.

Along with the video giving us a bit of a fit tonight, the on-line form was not so "instant". We did receive the messages but not 'till late. We will respond to the questions on the D.C. Sports Guys Blog. Questions came in regarding steroids in the UFC, the death of Vernon Forrest, and our favorite sports to follow. We'll get answers up to these up as soon as we can. Again, thanks for listening and participating!

As always, send your comments, suggestions, or ideas to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com


Podcast Times (for audio AND video)
Intro
NFL/Vick/Favre/Redskins: 00:01:30
MMA: 00:30:00
MLB/Nats/Os/HOF: 00:50:00
Caps/Golf/Shaq/Phelps/Soccer: 01:19:00
End

Nats News and Notes -- July 28th

I'm a bit short on time today, but figured that it may be a good time to put together a brief summary of whats been going on with the Nationals over the past few days, including some news, a bit of history triva, and some thoughts as we approach the trade deadline. Here goes:

- Dimitri Young, affectionately known around NatsTown as "Meat Hook" is (surprise, surprise) out for the season with a torn quad he suffered legging out (if you can call it that) an infield single during a rehab stint at AA-Harrisburg. If I had to bet, I'd venture to say that this is the end of the line for the Hook, who was never the same after posting an All-Star season in 2007 that garnered him Comeback Player of the Year honors. Young missed much of the 2008 campaign (including his own bobblehead night) with a variety of injuries, so it looks like it may be time for him to throw in the towl.

- OF Josh Willingham (still a National for the time being, but that could change prior to Thursday's trade deadline) hit two (yes two) grand slams in a 14-6 rout of the Brewers in Milwaukee last night. Willingham became the 13th player with two slams in the same game, and became the first Expo/National to drive in 8 men since Tim Wallach did it back in 1990. Willingham has been solid for the Nats all season, and would be a solid pickup at the deadline (rumor has it that the Angels and Giants have both inquired about Willingham).

- The Indians traded infielder Ryan Garko to the Giants, who had previously been interested in both Willingham and 1B Nick Johnson. Johnson has cooled off a bit since a hit start, but would be prime trade territory if Willingham is not moved. Should the Nats trade either, expect Adam Dunn to get more starts at 1B for the remainder of the season, with a call up of IF utility-man Kory Kasto to platoon at first and give some of the other every-day infielders a day off here and there.

- Scott Olsen, acquired from the Marlins along with Willingham in the offseason, is apparently done for the year.

- Buster Olney of ESPN had a few interesting blog posts recently, one where he explains why former MLB manager Bobby Valentine, who is coming off an incredible run with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan, should be a perfect candidate to serve as the Nats manager in 2010. Another Olney appearance (in a video blog) can be found under this interesting SportsNation poll, which asks readers about two currently dismal NL East franchises, the Nats and Mets. The results are interesting.
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/4361535/got-misery-yes-do

- We are now T-minus 21 days until the Steven Strasburg trading deadline. More to come as information develops (or doesn't develop, both are very real possibilities).

LIVE D.C. Sports Guys Tuesday 7/28 at 7:30pm

Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch The D.C. Sports Guys LIVE Wednesday, July 28, at 7:30pm. Before the show send an email to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com with any questions, comments or topics you would like the guys to discuss. During the show use the on-line form next to the live feed to send messages instantly to the guys.

Affliction promotion folds, back to making gaudy T-shirts

From YAHOO! Sports, Affliction has folded their promotion business and will sponsor UFC. Dana White doesn't look so crazy now after adamantly declaring that Fedor vs. Lesnar would happen during a post UFC 100 interview. Already Dana has scheduled a press conference for July 31, which according to MMAJunkie, will include "a lot of crazy things". Among these "crazy things" will be Dana's willingness to put Fedor into a championship fight and a possible partnership with ESPN.

The UFC has shown once again that deep pockets aren't enough to overtake the tried and true brand in MMA. Affliction, EliteXC, and Pride all failed at acquiring either the talent or production level needed to compete. Much like Goolge, who's name is now synonymous with an Internet search, Zuffa's UFC promotion has become a word to describe the entire MMA industry.

Thanks to Josh Barnett testing positive for anabolic steroids, MMA fans may get what they've all been waiting for, Fedor Emelianenko in a championship fight, in the UFC. I smell a good conspiracy theory brewing here...

Jumping into Redskins training camp

In less than a week July 30th will be upon us, and with it all news in the D.C. area will turn deep shades of burgundy and gold. The beginning of training camp raises many questions. Will the offensive line be healthy? Can Jason Campell effectively quicken his release of the football? Will Haynesworth be successful in bringing a much needed pass rush to Washington? Will Clinton Portis have 'Southeast Jerome' inform us that veterans don't need to participate in the pre-season? Will Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly develop into everyday receivers? Will one of Washington's free agent signings become a YouTube sensation jumping into trucks and out of pools?

Well Redskin fans, you can cross that last question off the list. If you haven't already meet Keith Eloi here he is in full YouTube glory. The first is Eloi from a stand still, in socks and sandals, jumping into the back of an F-150. The second is Eloi jumping out of 3ft of water... backwards.





Pretty amazing stuff, but can he catch a football? Whoops, there I go adding another question back to the list after just being able to cross one off.

The D.C. Sports Guys 7-22-2009



Back from the beach TJ sits down with Kevin to go over the Capitals new ticket plans, development camp, the Washington Redsinks, the British Open, Lebron getting "dunked on", upcoming MMA events, and more.

As always, send your comments, suggestions, or ideas to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com



Podcast Times (not for video)
Intro
Washington Capitals: 00:01:30
Redskins/NFL: 00:26:00
British Open / Golf: 00:55:00
Lebron/NBA 01:18:00
MMA/UFC: 01:25:00
Other News: 01:33:30
End

A Capitals FAIL?

As most followers of the D.C. Sports Guys know, I've been hard pressed to say anything negative about the Washington Capitals since their loss to Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I've been impressed with their free agent acquisitions of Knuble and Morrison and development camp highlighted the depth of talent waiting in the wings. It's been a good summer to be a Caps fan. In all my excitement, I was eagerly waiting to re-up with another partial season ticket package for the 2009-2010 season.

Last season I had jumped on the "Rivals 6 Game Pack" and was able to see Carolina, Ottawa, Philly, Pittsburgh, Florida and Tampa Bay. A solid line-up with a total cost of $280/person for Mezzanine Center seats. Also 6 games equates to roughly 1 game per month during the hocky season. Something anyone can plan their schedule around. It was a deal you'd pretty much make ten times out of ten.

I knew with the buzz surrounding the team as of late, on top of the Caps making the playoffs the past two seasons, that I wasn't going to see the same offerings again. At the very least I was expecting ticket prices to jump. When I did receieve the 2009-2010 Partial Plan Schedule from the Capitals, I discovered what a marketing team will do once their product becomes hot. No more 6 game plans. Either jump to a 10 gamer or drop down to 5 games. Not the end of the world, but upon futher review I discovered that some of the plans included a PRE-SEASON game. The regular season for the Caps starts on October 1. Three out of the four 10 game packs, the Gartner, Hunter, and Langway all include a game in September. The Labre pack was the only 10 gamer to have all regular season games. On top of that 3 out of the 8 five game packs also have 1 game that is played in September. My jaw dropped just a little bit as I felt Dan Snyder had somehow infiltrated the offices at the Verizon Center. None of the packs that include a pre-season game are priced any differently than those that don't. You end up paying full price to watch an exhibition match. From an organization that is all about the fans, I felt this was like a slap in the face. I called the ticket office acting as if I wanted one of these flawed game packs, not mentioning I knew one game would be played pre-season. To the Capitals credit, the first thing they told me was that the first game was not a regular season game. At least their sales team isn't trying to sneak one past the fans, but this still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. The bottom line is don't try to sell me pre-season tickets at regular season prices. I'm not going to pay the same price for games that don't count, and I'm going to feel like someone was trying to rip me off.

Another obvious omission from any of the game packs is a game involving the Pittsburgh Penguins. I don't know if this was done to prevent Pittsburgh fans from buying up game packs just to come to one game or to sell the Pittsburgh tickets at a higher rate as a single game ticket, but I always look forward to a Caps/Pens game and was disappointed when it was nowhere to be found.

Ultimately "5 Game - H" was the winner for the group I go to Caps games with. We'll be rocking the red somewhere in one of the Mezzanine End sections for 5 REGULAR SEASON games.

LIVE D.C. Sports Guys Wed. 7/22 at 7:30pm

Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch The D.C. Sports Guys LIVE Wednesday, July 22, at 7:30pm. Before the show send an email to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com with any questions, comments or topics you would like the guys to discuss. During the show use the on-line form next to the live feed to send messages instantly to the guys.

UPDATE

Tonight's show has been pushed back to 8pm.

The D.C. Sports Guys 7-15-2009



With the Wolfman and TJ on vacation and The Juicy One in training for worlds Kevin and Big J were left to hold down the show by themselves. Big J accidentally hits the off switch on his microphone while talking about the All Star Game. So he NEVER makes this mistake again we have uploaded the un-edited version of the show for all to watch and listen to. Feel free to lay the smack talk on nice and thick for this mistake. Watching the video for the show you might wonder why we even wear the headphones if Kevin can't realize that Big J's mic is out for over 7minutes.... Well for that one you would have to know how loud Big J actually talks. We already turn his input waaaaay down so it appears he is talking at the same level as the rest of us. If you are sitting next to him all bets are off.

After the snafu, Kevin and Big J re-group to discuss the Nats, UFC 100, the Capitals, NFL, the British Open, boxing and more.


As always, send your comments, suggestions, or ideas to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com


Podcast Times (not for video)
Intro
All Star Game: 00:01:30
Big J Mic goes out: 00:03:20
Big J Mic comes back: 00:10:45
Nats: 00:17:00
UFC 100: 00:29:40
Capitals: 01:00:00
NFL/Redskins: 01:20:00
Lance Stephenson: 01:33:00
British Open FAIL: 01:36:30
Other News: 01:45:00
End

LIVE D.C. Sports Guys tonight at 7:30

Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch The D.C. Sports Guys LIVE tonight (7/15) at 7:30. Before the show send an email to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com with any questions, comments or topics you would like the guys to discuss. During the show use the online form next to the live feed to send messages instantly.

Rizzo's Long-Term Strategy

Its not often you read about an interim GM's long-term plans for improving his current ballclub. Then again, its not often you hear the phrases "long-term improvement" and "Washington Nationals" in the same breath.

Ted Keith of SI.com's Inside Baseball put together an interesting article yesterday about this very topic. Its worth checking out.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ted_keith/07/13/nats.acta/index.html

After a lengthy and drawn out Home Run Derby last night, the stage is set for the 2009 MLB All-Star game in St. Louis. You may have to stay up late to see Nats' 3B Ryan Zimmerman get in the game, but the All-Star game is always an event worth catching (tonight, 8 p.m. on FOX).

For the serious baseball fans out there, the AAA All-Star game takes place tomorrow night at 10 p.m. from Portland, Ore. and will be televised on ESPN2. The Syracuse Chiefs, the Nationals AAA affiliate, are sending three representatives, OF Jorge Padilla, INF Seth Bynum, and SP J.D. Martin. Kind of a late start, but given the lack of any other televised sports tomorrow, it might be worth catching a few innings.

Nats Fire Acta, Issue Apology to Fans

In a long-anticipated move, the Nationals yesterday fired third-year manager Manny Acta following the team's 5-0 loss to the Houston Astros. Ironically enough, Acta's firing came a day after arguably one of the Nationals' best performances in recent memory, a 13-2 drubbing of Houston. Ultimately, the overly disappointing season, lackluster defense, and implorable bullpen management did Manny in.

Acta's job had been the topic of much speculation weeks ago, when media outlets prematurely speculated that he would be replaced by bench coach and veteran manager Jim Riggleman. After a better-than-expected performance in interleague play, which included series wins against both the Yankees and Blue Jays, it seemed as though Manny had been given one more chance. In the end, however, it appears as though the Nationals ultimately had to go with a new approach after returning from the All-Star break. After all, the fate of the manager of a team that is 26-60 and on a pace to win not even 50 games is pretty much a done deal.

Acta was 158-252 in 2 and a half seasons at the helm of the Nationals, his first MLB managerial job (he had also managed the Dominican Republic in the 2006 WBC, as well as some other winter league teams in the Dominican), but his few successes were frequently contradicted by his aloof approach to the media, where he seemed to stress how patience and maturation were virtues that would pay off for the Nationals in the long-run. This may very well be true, but unfortunately Manny won't be around to see it happen.

Bullpen woes have been the tail of the Nats' season, with a revolving door of mediocre relievers showing spots of stability, but far more frequent failures. A young starting pitching core and some evidence of offensive prowess both at the big league and minor league levels is what will ultimately impact the Nationals' success over the next several years. Even this though, remains questionable.

Riggleman brings a wealth of experience to the job from his previous managerial stints with the Padres, Cubs, and Mariners at an overall record of 522-652 in 9 seasons. He will be labeled with the infamous "interim" tag, but I don't expect him to be around next season. There has been talk (and who knows how likely this is) that former MLB manager Bobby Valentine will return to the big leagues after a successful several year run in Japan. Willie Randolph, former manager of the Mets, has also been talked about as a candidate for the managerial opening next year. Whoever takes the job next year will be stuck with what will likely look like the present day Nationals, save Nick Johnson, Ronnie Belliard, and a few others who are likely on their way out of D.C.

I have long thought (and continue to believe) that Manny Acta can someday be a good big league manager. He took a job in a low-pressure, small market situation, where a long-standing lack of talent and failed moves by former Jim Bowden left him stuck with little to work with. I think Acta should hone his game at the minor league level, managing for a few years in AAA and then resurfacing in the majors.

And so goes the sad and constantly in flux state of Washington Nationals baseball. In what might have been one of the Nats better PR moves of late, the team issued a statement to fans via email today. I'm not sure how true any of it is, but I guess they are just trying to be genuine. Read it here: http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090713&content_id=5858516&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=wa

UFC 100: Even post fight interviews live up to the hype

An advantage of having a DVR is that you can set an event, such as a UFC pay per view, to record, wait about an hour, then watch all the fighting goodness while fast forwarding though mind numbing filler like fighters breaking down the Mickey’s Replay. In general, post fight interviews follow a common pattern:

Joe Rogan: What a fight, you said you were going to come in here and show everyone you could beat this guy and you did.

Fighter: Yeah, you know, WHOOOOO! I just, we had a great camp, we knew he had a weakness, I took advantage of it.

Joe Rogan: Take us though the replay here and tell us what you did.

ON SCREEN: Fighter kicks opponent

Fighter: Well I kicked him there…. Oooo look like that hurt him

ON SCREEN: Fighter takes down opponent

Fighter: Yeah, then I took him down

ON SCREEN: Fighter gets opponents back, puts opponent in rear naked choke

Fighter: Got his back there… and chocked him out. WHOOO!

Also at this time about 10 different people have distracted the winning fighter from giving any kind of decent answers by grabbing him, hugging him, or making sure he has his sponsors shirt, hat, drink, etc.. on and facing the right direction. The fighter will then thank his trainers, sponsors, and tell Dana White that he’s ready to move up to fight better opponents.

About 90% of the time missing the post fight interview will spare you from shaking your head while you ask “really is this necessary?” The other 10% of the time however, someone will actually have a “did he just say that” moment. During UFC 100 we got two of them. The first one came after Dan Henderson threw a right hand that might as well have started 300 miles back down I-15 at his gym in Temecula, CA before colliding with Bisping’s chin in Las Vegas. Bisping might have actually been knocked out by the sonic boom Henderson’s fist was able to create before he even made contact, but that is up for debate. After Bisping fell like, a sack of bricks, a stiff board, [enter other favorite knock out term here], Henderson was able to get in one last punch/forearm to Bisping’s chin before Mario Yamasaki was able to jump in to stop the fight. That last hit appeared to only add insult to injury, but as any fighter will tell you, anything can happen and you fight until the ref tells you to stop. Personally I’ve seen more than one occasion where a fighter has been out on their feet to only be jolted awake when they hit the mat. Sometimes the ref notices, sometimes the fight goes on. In almost all cases the victor usually has some words of sympathy, stating “I go until the fight is stopped, I hope he turns out okay.” Henderson though had some other choice words:

“I know when a fighter’s out. I knew he was out when I hit him. That one was just to shut him up a bit.”

Coming from usually soft spoken level headed Henderson this was a bit shocking. Even after some of the most intense pre-fight lead-ins, such as the recent Guida vs. Sanchez fight, the fighters show a higher level of respect when the fight is over. Henderson however had enough of Bisping’s antics from season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter. At one point Henderson compared Bisping to a pre-adolescent child. Bisping claimed his antics are done on purpose to get inside the other fighters head, but to most who watched the show he just came off as a annoying loud mouth. Henderson obviously took it the same way:
“I’ve had fans come up to me, from both the U.S. and the U.K., and say to me ‘I used to like him [Bisping] before the show,’ I don’t think he did himself any favors.”

After the event Henderson did begin to retract on his post-fight comments… kinda:
“It wasn’t my intention to hit him after he was out and I don’t think I did, it’s my job to keep going until the ref stops us”
Oh Dan, you hit him when he was out and fans all over the U.S. appreciated it.

Now if the incredible knockout and post fight interview of the Henderson fight wasn’t enough for you, you were in luck. After GSP man-handled Thiago Alves for 5 rounds fans were in for yet another treat. Unlike Henderson, Brock Lesnar was coming into the fight as what they would call in the WWE world, the “Heel”. Both Mir and Lesnar had plenty to say about one another coming into UFC 100 and Lesner refused to touch gloves before the fight. At UFC 81 Mir caught Lesnar in a knee bar and Lesnar had been looking for redemption ever since. Late in the second round redemption was had when Lesnar had Mir on the ground in a corner where he proceeded to land right after right after right. The overpowered Mir was saved by Herb Dean, who stepped in before Mir had to book a hospital bed next to Bisping. What followed could only be described as a class ‘A’ WWE heel act. Brock had to be restrained from continuing to get in Mir’s face then proceeded to give the bird to all in attendance for booing his victory. During the post-fight interview Lesnar encouraged the boos to continue, stating “I love it, keep it coming.” He then told everyone why he felt the way he did:
“Frand Mir had a horse shoe up his ass. I told him that a year ago. I pull that son-of-a-bitch out and I beat him over the head with it”

At this point even Joe Rogan knows he needs to reign it in. In an effort to steer Lesnar in a more humble direction, Rogan talks about Brock’s work ethic and no nonsense fighting style. One problem, Lesnar doesn’t bite:

“I’m going to go home tonight, I’m going to drink a Coors Light. That’s a Coors Light, because Bud Light won’t pay me nothing. I’m going to sit down with my friends and family and hell I might even get on top of my wife tonight.”


Bravo! Bravo! In just a few sentences Lesnar was able to keep the fans booing, criticize a UFC sponsor and let us all know where we can stick it while he is sticking it to Rena "Sable" Mero. Somewhere Vince McMahon has a huge smile on his face saying “I taught him that.”

Of course the fallout from both of these incidents has led Dana White to denounce both Henderson’s and Lesnar’s comments. Both Henderson and Lesnar have now come forward with their own retractions and have apologized in their own way. In the end I think UFC got something it needed, a ‘face’ to stand behind in Henderson and a ‘heel’ to get riled up at in Lesnar. Having personalities people can love and hate make fans convictions deep and willingness to watch an event strong. Now everyone will be pulling for someone to shut Lesnar up. Who will it be? We’ll all just have to sit back and watch.

Cincinnati waits for Lance Stephenson to jump one more hurdle

Lance Stephenson, who was once being recruited by schools such as Maryland, Memphis, Florida and Arizona, has jumped the first of two hurdles that forced those schools to back off the 6-6 forward out of New York's Lincoln High School. Stephenson has reached a deal with the State of New York by pleading guilty to disorderly conduct after being accused of groping a 17-year-old girl Oct. 3 2008 outside of Lincoln HS. The guilty plea requires Stephenson to perform three days of community service and seek counseling.

Still in front of Stephenson is an investigation from the NCAA into weather or not his family received money for the documentary, "Born Ready," which Stephenson starred in during his junior year in high school. Cincinnati's Mick Cronin does not appear to be concerned with the situation:

"We are very excited about Lance's decision to become a Bearcat. Lance has terrific talent as a basketball player, and is also a fierce competitor on the court. His desire to win will help us compete for a BIG EAST Championship."

Will Cincinnati's gamble pay off? If the "Born Ready" acquisitions blow over will Stephenson be able to turn around a Cincinnati team that finished 10th in the Big East with a 8-10 conference record and 18-14 overall? Does Cincinnati become an instant contender making four other big name schools look foolish or will Stephenson prove to be the kryptonite other Universities chose to distance themselves from?

Capitals sign Brendan Morrison

The Capitals continued to add to their offensive needs today signing Brendan Morrison to a 1 year deal. Morrison is an offensive minded center who was believed to be high on New Jersey's radar this off-season. The addition of Morrison fills the gap left by Fedorov. Morrison is veteran center who has a nose for the net and was once on hockey's best offensive line with Todd Bertuzzi and Markus Näslund earlier this decade in Vancover. Before the 2007-08 season Morrison routinely put up over 50 points a season. In 2007 Morrison injured his wrist which eventually required surgery. Last season Morrison split time in Dallas (19 games) and Anahiem (62 games), posting 16 goals and 31 overall points. He has played in over 80 games 7 of the past 8 seasons.

The D.C. Sports Guys 7-8-2009



Kevin, the Wolfman, TJ and Big J go live to talk about Steve McNair, the Nats, the Caps, AT&T National, Wimbledon, the NBA and even some cycling.

As always, send your comments, suggestions, or ideas to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com


Intro
Steve McNair: 00:01:30
Nats: 00:04:50
MLB All Star Game: 00:13:00
AT&T National / Kevin's Golf Idea: 00:30:25
Wimbledon: 00:45:35
NHL/Caps: 01:01:00
T.O.: 01:26:15
Basketball: 01:29:00
Lance: 01:44:20
End

LIVE D.C. Sports Guys Wed. 7/8 at 7:30pm.

The D.C. Sports Guys will be live Wednesday July 8 at 7:30pm. Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch the D.C. Sports Guys in action.

The D.C. Sports Guys 7-2-2009






Kevin, the Wolfman, Juicy and Big J discuss NHL free agency, the Redskins, the Wizards Draft, opening day of the AT&T National, Wimbledon, Michael Jackson and Billy Mayes.

As always, send your comments, suggestions, or ideas to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com


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The D.C. Sports Guys will be live tonight July 2 at 9pm. Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch and listen in.

Knuble: Just what the doctor ordered

Besides a solid stay at home defenseman, the Capitals were in need of a forward to take control in front of the opponents net. They have now added that piece with Mike Knuble who signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract today. Knuble became a unrestricted free agent as a byproduct of the Flyers giving away the bank to acquire Chris Pronger. Knuble is a proven commidity with 12 years of experience and has played in all 82 games in 4 of the past 5 seasons. Since 2002 Knuble has averaged a matching 27 goals and 27 assists a season. More importantly for the Capitals, Knuble is known for causing havoc in front of the opponents crease. Washington knows this all to well from the playoffs in 2008 when Knuble put in the rebound to his own shot in the second overtime to give the Flyers a 3-1 series lead.

Knuble is an upgrade from losing Viktor Kozlov to the KHL. Knowing how Boudreau likes to mix up lines from time to time, I think Knuble will see a fair amount of time on both the first and second lines. He will also bring in some of that veteran leadership the Caps lose with Fedorov and Brash leaving town.

Speaking of Brash, Donald Brashear is now a New York Ranger. It's sad to see him go. Brash had grown on so many Washington fans by doing all the 'dirty' work that is necessary to get a team though the regular season in the NHL. New York has shown they have a short memory, after calling out Brash for breaking Blair Betts orbital bone in the first round of the playoffs. Protest from the Rangers and the New York press led to Brash receiving a record suspension for the incident.

Free Agency != Paying vets huge salaries... I'm confused

With NHL free agency starting today, I couldn't help but smile while reading Ted's Take this morning:
We will pursue some players that can help us in the immediate future but the criterion is that we do not want to sign any veteran players to long term, big, lucrative contracts.

We are up close to the cap as it is. We need flexibility to keep our core of young players together in the out years. We also believe in rewarding our own players more than someone else’s players.

It almost seems too logical, too rational, too sane. In Washington we expect to dominate off-seasons each and every year, after year, after year.... (could go on forever). The Capitals however, since the failed Jagr experiment, appear to be making all the right moves. For everything Snyder does wrong, Leonsis seems to do right. While Leonsis has learned from past mistakes, Snyder continues to act like a rich kid in Toys R' US buying anything shinny from the shelf to replace his "outdated" toys at home. Maybe this is why we are begining to see headlines that read Redskins Waiting List Bogus? Are TV Blackouts Coming?, for Snyder's team, and Washtington Capitals Raise Ticket Prices, Outsell Rest of NHL, for Ted's.