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 Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple: Post your picks to the matchups pasted in the post
below, correctly pick more matchups than the Blogger and the rest of
the field and win an authentic signed 8-by-10 photo from the
prize vault. If there is a tie for the top spot (or if nobody posts a
higher total than the Blogger, the prize will double to two photos the
following week and everybody will get another chance to take down the
Blogger and the field. Also, remember to designate one of your picks as your "Doubler" to receive a bonus point. Good luck and thanks for playing. Make sure you
spread the word about how easy it is to win great authentic sports
memorabilia playing Beat the Blogger.
Make sure you get your picks in before the start of the first game of the week to be eligible to win.
Blogger Picks are as follows:
Saturday
(MLB) Cleveland vs. NY Yankees (total runs 6 or less or 7 or more runs)(7 or more)
(NHL) Calgary vs. Chicago (total goals 4 or less or 5 or more) (4 or less)
(MLB) Arizona vs. San Francisco (most hits)(Arizona)
(MLB) Milwaukee vs. NY Mets (combined errors 1 or less or 2 or more)(2 or more)
(MLB) St. Louis vs. Chicago Cubs (most home runs)(Chicago)
Sunday
(MLB) Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay (most stolen bases)(Tampa Bay)
(NHL) Anaheim vs. San Jose (winner)(San Jose)
(NBA) Detroit vs. Cleveland (combined points: 185 or less or 186 or more)(185 or less)(DOUBLER)
(NHL) Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia (more penalty minutes)(Pittsburgh)
(NASCAR) Better finishing position (Carl Edwards or Jimmie Johnson)(Johnson)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 3:15:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00) 
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Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
After an embarrassing week in which he managed to correctly pick just four of the eight matchups, the Blogger has vowed to bounce back strong this week. So contestants, study up and see if can Beat The Blogger.  For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple: Post your picks to the matchups pasted in the post
below, correctly pick more matchups than the Blogger and the rest of
the field and win an authentic signed 8-by-10 photo from the
prize vault. If there is a tie for the top spot (or if nobody posts a
higher total than the Blogger, the prize will double to two photos the
following week and everybody will get another chance to take down the
Blogger and the field. Also, remember to designate one of your picks as your "Doubler" to receive a bonus point. Good luck and thanks for playing. Make sure you
spread the word about how easy it is to win great authentic sports
memorabilia playing Beat the Blogger. Make sure you get your picks in before the start of the first game of the week ( Which is 8 a.m. Thursday this week because of The Masters) so you're eligible to win. Good luck and thanks for playing. Also, Question No. 5 will be tossed out because Brandon Webb has been scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday so there will only be 9 matchups this week. This week's matchups: Saturday(MLB) Cleveland vs. NY Yankees (total runs 6 or less or 7 or more runs) (NHL) Calgary vs. Chicago (total goals 4 or less or 5 or more) (MLB) Arizona vs. San Francisco (most hits) (MLB) Milwaukee vs. NY Mets (combined errors 1 or less or 2 or more) (MLB) St. Louis vs. Chicago Cubs (most home runs) Sunday(MLB) Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay (most stolen bases) (NHL) Anaheim vs. San Jose (winner) (NBA) Detroit vs. Cleveland (combined points: 185 or less or 186 or more) (NHL) Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia (more penalty minutes) (NASCAR) Better finishing position (Carl Edwards or Jimmie Johnson)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 2:49:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: Kalas is "Outta Here!" but won't soon be forgotten
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Tough day in baseball yesterday, as two men who made major contributions to the game passed away. Former Detroit Tiger pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych and radio and television broadcaster Harry Kalas both left us on Wednesday, but neither will be forgotten.  I was a little too young to catch "The Bird" in his prime, but from everything I've learned over the years about the game, the unusual pitcher with the unusually quirky delivery came along at just the right time and provided a shot in the arm to a game that needed exactly that. His career produced just 29 victories before being cut short by several injuries, but before he flew off the diamond for the final time, he had already made a dramatic impact on the game. As for Kalas, he left his mark in the world of baseball and football. His trademark home run call, "Outta here!" will forever resonate in the Philadelphia area and throughout the country. Perhaps better known as the man behind the voice of "Inside the NFL" highlights, I can't think of the show going on without him. In all likelihood, the show will continue and a new voice will emerge, but to me, it will never be the same. In other news, I was reading how Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomorie and Padraig Harrington are all lobbying to get golf recognized as an official Olympic sport for the 2016 games.  Apparently the fairway heavyweights have all authored hand-written letters to the Olympic officials with hopes of beating out baseball, karate, rugby, and squash who are vying for a spot in the regular rotation. My prediction is the Olympic committee will listen to the cases being made for all the sports in the running and then make the obvious choice and give golf the nod. Tiger is the most recognizable athlete in the world today and easily the best at his sport. None of the other contenders would capture a worldwide audience like a Tiger-led field of golfers. And as we all know, the Olympics, like any other sporting event, are revenue driven, and Tiger equals ratings so to me it seems like a no-brainer. As for the other sports in contention, hurry up and find yourself a world class superstar and you might have a fighting chance. If not, better luck in 2020. Until then, you're "Outta here!"
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 7:59:25 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 13, 2009
Beat The Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff Stuff
It appears as though the Blogger could have used another week of vacation, posting just 4 correct responses and tossing out two questions after Brandon Webb (Question #5) got injured and posting a NASCAR-related pick (Question #7) with no race scheduled because of the holiday. Sorry for the confusion but the unusual week was no problem for "Peter," who posted a perfect card to win the weekly prize. This week's selctions will be posted on Wednesday so make sure you check back every day to read my 7th Inning Stretch Blog and to play Beat The Blogger.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple: Post your picks to the matchups pasted in the post
below, correctly pick more matchups than the Blogger and the rest of
the field and win an authentic signed 8-by-10 photo from the
prize vault. If there is a tie for the top spot (or if nobody posts a
higher total than the Blogger, the prize will double to two photos the
following week and everybody will get another chance to take down the
Blogger and the field. Also, don't forget to designate one of your selections as your "Doubler" to get an extra point if you are correct with that pick. Good luck and thanks for playing. Make sure you
spread the word about how easy it is to win great authentic sports
memorabilia playing Beat the Blogger. Make sure you get your picks in before the start of the first game of the week ( Which is 8 a.m. Thursday this week because of The Masters) so you're eligible to win. Good luck and thanks for playing. Also, Question No. 5 will be tossed out because Brandon Webb has been scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday so there will only be 9 matchups this week. Thursday 1. Will there be a hole in one at this year's Masters? (Yes or No) (No) 2. Who will win this year's Masters? (Tiger or the rest of the field) (Field) 3. Will the leader after the third round go on to win The Masters? (Yes or No) (Yes) Saturday4. Which team will hit more home runs in Saturday's game? (Milwaukee or Chicago Cubs) (Cubs) 5. Which player will have more strikeouts Saturday? (Joba Chamberlain (NY Yankees vs. KC) or Brandon Webb (Question tossed due to injury prior to start) 6. Will CC Sabathia (NY Yankees) get the win in Sunday's game vs. KC? (Yes or No) (Yes) 7. Who will finish higher Carl Edwards or Jeff Gordon (NASCAR)? (Question tossed due to Easter weekend scheduling) Sunday8. How many strikeouts will Johan Santana (NY Mets) have vs. Florida? (5 or fewer or 6 or more) (6 or more) 9. Who will win Dallas vs New Orleans (NBA)? (New Orleans) 10. Who will win Boston or Cleveland (NBA)? (Cleveland)
Monday, April 13, 2009 4:38:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, April 09, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: God Can You Hear Me?, It's Me The Sports Collectibles Industry
Posted by Tuff Stuff
I was reading Trade Fax, one of our sister publications which is dedicated to bringing its readers the latest from the business side of the collectibles industry, and the news just keeps getting worse. The top story this week was that BC Sports, one of the bigg  est sports collectible and licensed merchandise store chains in the country was closing the doors on all 50 of its retail shops. The industry has seen other stores clothes in the past few years but nothing even close to the impact of this latest set of closures. The company listed more than $10 million in debts and was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Just when you think things couldn't get any worse, news like this surfaces and makes you wonder what will be next. I wish I had some positive news to help offset more of the doom and gloom but to be honest, I don't, and a I don't see anything in the near future either. The economy seems to have stabilized somewhat but the repercussions from the recent "depression" have dug some major holes to dig out from and it will likely take several years, several record-setting athletes, and some very creative thinking to help usher some new life into an industry on life support. Back in the 1980s when people spent money quickly and thought about the impact of their impulse buys later, no one predicted a collapse such as this, but overproduction and oversaturation have sucked the life out of a once flourishing hobby and I'm not sure the necessary IVs exist to rejuvenate it. Here's hoping things turnaround and quickly or all of us that love this hobby might end up drinking our sorrows away while we work on our new beer can collections. Anybody got that one-of-one 1979 Steel City can?
Thursday, April 09, 2009 8:49:58 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
After a couple weeks without making any picks, the Blogger is fully rested and ready to make things difficult for those who dare challenge him in this week's Beat The Blogger contest. With a nice mixture of NBA, NASCAR, MLB and golf matchups available in this week's contest, it will likely take a well-rounded sports fan to claim the top spot.  For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest, the idea is simple: Post your picks to the matchups pasted in the post below, correctly pick more matchups than the Blogger and the rest of the field and win an authentic signed 8-by-10 photo from the prize vault. If there is a tie for the top spot (or if nobody posts a higher total than the Blogger, the prize will double to two photos the following week and everybody will get another chance to take down the Blogger and the field. Good luck and thanks for playing. Make sure you spread the word about how easy it is to win great authentic sports memorabilia playing Beat the Blogger. Make sure you get your picks in before the start of the first game of the week ( Which is 8 a.m. Thursday this week because of The Masters) so you're eligible to win. Good luck and thanks for playing. Also, Question No. 5 will be tossed out because Brandon Webb has been scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday so there will only be 9 matchups this week. Thursday 1. Will there be a hole in one at this year's Masters? (Yes or No) (Yes) 2. Who will win this year's Masters? (Tiger or the rest of the field) (Tiger) 3. Will the leader after the third round go on to win The Masters? (Yes or No) (No) Saturday4. Which team will hit more home runs in Saturday's game? (Milwaukee or Chicago Cubs) (Cubs) 5. Which player will have more strikeouts Saturday? (Joba Chamberlain (NY Yankees vs. KC) or Brandon Webb (Arizona vs. Florida) 6. Will CC Sabathia (NY Yankees) get the win in Sunday's game vs. KC? (Yes or No) (No) 7. Who will finish higher Carl Edwards or Jeff Gordon (NASCAR)? (Gordon) Sunday8. How many strikeouts will Johan Santana (NY Mets) have vs. Florida? (5 or fewer or 6 or more) (6 or more) 9. Who will win Dallas vs New Orleans (NBA)? (New Orleans) 10. Who will win Boston or Cleveland (NBA)? (Cleveland)
Wednesday, April 08, 2009 10:31:38 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Beat The Blogger is back after our March Madness Edition that ran the last few weeks and those like myself who bowed out of the competition after Week 1 are glad the regular contest has returned.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat The Blogger concept, the rules are simply: Post your selections for the matchups below and if you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win an authentic signed 8x10 photo of one of today's top athletes from our Tuff Stuff prize vault. Make sure you get your picks in before the start of the first game of the week (Which is 8 a.m. Thursday this week because of The Masters) so you're eligible to win. Good luck and thanks for playing.
Thursday
1. Will there be a hole in one at this year's Masters? (Yes or No)
2. Who will win this year's Masters? (Tiger or the rest of the field)
3. Will the leader after the third round go on to win The Masters? (Yes or No)
Saturday
4. Which team will hit more home runs in Saturday's game? (Milwaukee or Chicago Cubs)
5. Which player will have more strikeouts Saturday? (Joba Chamberlain (NY Yankees vs. KC) or Brandon Webb (Arizona vs. Florida)
6. Will CC Sabathia (NY Yankees) get the win in Sunday's game vs. KC? (Yes or No)
7. Who will finish higher Carl Edwards or Jeff Gordon (NASCAR)?
Sunday
8. How many strikeouts will Johan Santana (NY Mets) have vs. Florida? (5 or fewer or 6 or more)
9. Who will win Dallas vs New Orleans (NBA)?
10. Who will win Boston or Cleveland (NBA)?
Wednesday, April 08, 2009 7:24:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: Big Fun In Texas
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Just getting back into the swing of things after a week in San Antonio and having a little trouble putting Texas in the rear view. Don't get me wrong, Wisconsin has some great things to offer, but as they say, everything is bigger in Texas and from what I could tell, a little better, too. Most of my gushing comes from the fact that I left 85-degree temps for the still winter-like 30s here in Packerland, but it also comes from the fact that the people in Texas were as down to earth as they come, the food was outstanding, and the sites and scenery were top-notch as well. Checked out all the area sites such as The Riverwalk, The Alamo, a Spurs game at the AT&T Center, Seaworld and some of the nicest golf courses anywhere and had a great time at each and every one of them. So, anybody looking for a vacation site that you might not otherwise consider, I'd definitely give San Antonio a big Texas-style thumbs up. In other hobby-related news, I saw that Topps is once again trying to  capitalize on some of the most topical people by providing collectors with an insert set titled "World's Biggest Hoaxes, Hoodwinks and Bamboozles" which is highlighted by a card of disgraced scam-artist Bernard Madoff. While I do applaud the company's creativness, I would suggest simply trying to produce sets with better quality and more affordable prices. I'm not a hardcore collector by any means but I hear the complaints of those who spend every extra dollar on new card sets and I have yet to hear of anybody who wants anything but a fair price and the promise that the products they buy will hold their value for years to come. If the cardmakers can simply look to fix one of the hobby's problems at a time instead of wasting time, money and their own resources to produce gimmick-based products such as this, I think we'd all be better off.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009 6:07:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Beat The Blogger Results: March Madness Edition
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Beat The Blogger Results
While North Carolina had little trouble demonstrating who was boss in Monday's Championship Game, things were a little tighter in determining a winner in the March Madness Edition of the Beat The Blogger. With seven correct picks in the final round and a total of 44 points, Pete H. (pfnh8) was the grand prize winner of the $500 prize package, with "Ripper" and Sean finishing in a tie for second with 42 points each to round out the prize winners. Thanks again to everyone for playing and please make sure you jump back in the regular weekly Beat The Blogger Contest which resumes play on Wednesday.  Final Totals1. Pete H (pfnh8) 442. Ripper (rippers) 423. Sean (seandickerson) 424. Sunshine (sunshinebald) 415. William (wgareaujr) 406. Pamela (spam_freak) 37Final Four Results:
Saturday, April 41. Winner: Michigan St vs UConn (Michigan State)2. Higher combined point total: Kalin Lucas/Raymar Morgan (MS) vs. A.J. Price/Kemba Walker (UConn) (Lucas/Morgan)3. Higher point/rebound total: Goran Suton (MS) vs. Haseem Thabeet (Thabeet)4. More 3-pointers made: Michigan State vs. UConn (Michigan State)5. Winner: Villanova vs. North Carolina (North Carolina)6. Higher combined point total: Dante Cunningham/Scottie Reynolds (UConn) vs. Tyler Hansbrough/Danny Green (NC) (Hansbrough/Green)7. More 3-pointers: Villanova vs. North Carolina (North Carolina)8. Will any player on either North Carolina or Villanova score 25 points or more: Yes or No (No)9. Which team will have more made Free Throws: Villanova vs. North Carolina (North Carolina)10. TIEBREAKER: Total combined points of Villanova-North Carolina game. (152) The regular Beat the Blogger contest will resume on April 8 with a heavy dose of MLB matchups so for now, enjoy the games and make sure you get back in the contest because and get your picks posted by the start of the first game on Friday. And spread the word because there's no easier way to win great, authentic
signed sports memorabilia anywhere.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009 3:54:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, March 30, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: This Just In, Tiger Is Really Good
Posted by Tuff Stuff
In between the two lopsided NCAA games I surfed around the channels to find yet another rerun on the golf channel. No, I wasn't watching a taped version of an old tournament on the Golf Channel but I might have been viewing another Instant Classic from Tiger Woods. Trailing by five strokes heading into the final round of the Bay Hill Invitational, Tiger trailed up-and-coming youngster Sean O'Hair but when the smoke cleared in Orlando, Mr. Woods had somehow managed to pull off a one-stroke victory. Many had said it would take Woods several weeks to get back into Tiger-like form after knee surgery this offseason, but in typical Tiger fashion, he appears to be back at 100 percent in just his second event since returning to the Tour. Next stop The Masters and we all know about his history at Augusta so good luck to the rest of the field. Tiger is prowling again and that typically means trouble for the competition. If there ever was a sure thing in the world of collectibles it would have to be Woods memorabilia. Fairly scarce considering the huge demand, Tiger collectibles come with a hefty price tag attached but unlike other superstars in the world of sports, Tiger memorabilia appars to be safe from scandal, injury and a decreased level of play at least for the forseeable future. With the economy on shaky ground and the stock market still a crapshoot, Tiger collectibles appears to be one of the safest investments available. Thousands have jumped on board the Tiger express but as with any bandwagon, there are always a few good seats still available. He's already the greatest golfer of all time and it doesn't appear he's ready to stop amazing us any time soon so jump on board while you can. In other, less-interesting news, The Blogger is off to San Antonio  tomorrow for a week of fun in the sun courtesy of the best girlfriend a guy could ask for. I was dreading my 40th birthday for the last couple years as old age crept closer and closer but a birthday trip to play golf and enjoy some R&R with my best friend is one of the best ways I can think of to keep me feeling young and alive. So to my four loyal readers, I suggest getting out and enjoying some of your favorite things as well and I will return with my likely embarrassing scores from the links and some other notes from my trip on April 8.
Monday, March 30, 2009 3:52:52 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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