And The Oscar Goes To...

Hey, make your Oscar predictions here! What does this have to do with sports? Lots! If you have an obsession for ranking things and picking winners, let's just call it a sport. Hell, some people think driving hundreds of miles counter-clockwise is a sport!

Here are the nominees for the major categories: http://www.oscar.com/nominees/

Best Actor

• George Clooney -- Michael Clayton
• Daniel-Day Lewis -- There Will Be Blood
• Johnny Depp -- Sweeney Todd
• Tommy Lee Jones -- In the Valley of Elah
• Viggo Mortensen -- Eastern Promises

Best Actress

• Cate Blanchett -- Elizabeth: The Golden Age
• Julie Christie -- Away From Her
• Marion Cotillard -- La Vie En Rose
• Laura Linney -- The Savages
• Ellen Page -- Juno

Best Supporting Actor

• Casey Affleck -- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
• Javier Bardem -- No Country For Old Men
• Philip Seymour Hoffman -- Charlie Wilson's War
• Hal Holbrook -- Into the Wild
• Tom Wilkinson -- Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress

• Cate Blanchett -- I'm Not There
• Ruby Dee -- American Gangster
• Saiorse Ronan -- Atonement
• Amy Ryan -- Gone Baby Gone
• Tilda Swinton -- Michael Clayton

Best Director

• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly -- Julian Schnabel
• Juno -- Jason Reitman
• Michael Clayton -- Tony Gilroy
• No Country for Old Men -- Joel & Ethan Coen
• There Will Be Blood -- Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Picture

• Atonement
• Juno
• Michael Clayton
• No Country for Old Men
• There Will Be Blood

Best Animated Picture

• Persepolis
• Ratatouille
• Surf's Up

Things Misremembered

Okay, here's your opportunity to sound off on all things steroids and HGH related.

I'm putting a link to all the oversight committee testimony here:

http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1743

Here's Andy Pettite's comments to the press on his first day at Spring Training.

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080218&content_id=2378113&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Here's a list of players mentioned in the Mitchell Report

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/mlb/news/mitchell/players.jsp

Comments? Questions? Post 'em here! The Drake's gonna sound off on this Tuesday.

Pitchers & Catchers Report!

We're talking baseball! Yankee baseball! And perhaps a little bit about other teams.

Pitchers & Catchers are reporting today & tomorrow, the first Spring Training game is in two weeks, and Yankees Opening Day is March 31st (I hear other teams are starting around the same time, too).

So, what's going on? What's everyone talking about? Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee are in front of Congress, testifying whether or not Clemens ever used steroids or Human Growth Hormones (HGH). There are so many fingers pointed in so many different directions, I've lost count and gotten dizzy.

It's really a shame that every news item on baseball is about scandal. Baseball has always been the herald of Spring and the promise of Summer to me. Something to look forward to after all those cold winter months spent shivering in the long nights. How does the team look this year? Think we'll make the playoffs? (Although, for Steinbrenner and the Yankees, that question usually turns to so we're gonna win it all this year, right?) Etcetera, etcetera.

So let's talk baseball. If you want to comment on the whole Clemens story, go ahead. Otherwise, the Drake & I encourage y'all to get excited about your teams.

• Yankee fans -- what are Joe Girardi's prospects as the new manager? How about all those young pitchers we held on to this year? Joba rules!
• Mets fans -- how about that Johan Santana? Is a World Series possible?
• Tigers fans -- how about that line-up with Miguel Cabrera and friends? Dontrelle Willis?
• Cubbies -- could this be your year? Will the streak (ever) end?
• Red Soxers -- dynasty? or die-nasty? Is Schilling a shill? Big Papi, big sloppy? Manny on his fanny? (okay, I'll stop!)
• Philly Fanatics -- help me out here. I stopped paying attention after 1993.
• Cardinals Fans -- I need help here too.
• Fantasy Fans -- and . . . BEGIN!

I know that there's fans of all teams out there. Get excited!

David's Tie-ree & Other Random Thoughts

Did you happen to get a load of David Tyree's tie in an interview with the NFL Network? How many Windsor knots is that? 4? 5? a dozen? I looked for a pic, but I can only find the video:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8069703b

(This video is copyrighted by nfl.com, so I can only give you the link. Sorry!)

Here's another random topic: Jamie Dukes interviewing Victoria's Secret/Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Supermodel, Marisa Miller and Chris Russo from the WFAN NY radio program "Mike & the Mad Dog". How awkward is this conversation?





http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d806702e2

Also, here's an article from The Onion, our favorite spoof news source on how the Pats' season was perfect for the rest of us! (Actually, you should check out the The Onion link to your right. The sports section this week is awesome!)

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/patriots_season_perfect_for_rest

I could keep on going, but I think I'll just stop for now....

Football Wrap-Up

• What else can be said about this football season?
• What are your thoughts on the ProBowl?
• Which other NY Giant(s) deserved to go to the ProBowl?
• Is Tony Romo capable of throwing to anyone else besides "his teammate" T.O.?

Any last thoughts on the 2007-2008 football season should go here. If you've got a lot to say, feel free to send us an email at bleacherpreachers@gmail.com.

Name That Catch!

Name that catch! (You know what we're talking about.)

In case you don't, it's that amazing play in the 4th quarter when Eli eludes 2 linebackers and passes to David Tyree, who catches the ball on his helmet, under great pressure from Rodney Harrison. (Whew -- try all saying that in one breath!)

If you would like to watch that play again, here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3g35ZslZs0

NFL Films has a much higher quality video, but you have to dig it out of their archives.
Here's Steve Sabol's take on the play:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8069f011

We've heard a few good "catchy" names so far, but we're encouraging suggestions. Here are a few:
1. Hail Manning
2. The Back Breaker
3. The Cactus Catch
4. Evade & Capture

Keep 'em coming! We want to talk about this next Tuesday.

Welcome To Our New Blog!

LET'S GO GIANTS!!! SUPERBOWL XLII VICTORS!!!

Welcome to the new blog! We are newbies to the blogging community, so please bear with us! We hope to have our blog updated on a weekly basis, so try to check in from time to time to see what we are up to.

One main goal for this blog will be to spark conversation for our weekly radio show. This may work well, or it could be a horrible failure. It will be up to a combination of our & your effort to decide.

So we thank you in advance for listening to us and bearing with us as we explore all of this new technology.

~The Drakes~

http://www.salve.edu/studentlife/wsru/