Sippy's Reasons Why Not and Kobe F-ing Bryant

RIP Emily.



After one week in the show, about the same amount of time that AFOMG was donning the cleats of the Collegiate varsity baseball team in the Spring of 2000, one half of ABC's Sunday night lineup is no longer.

While Jake remains in progress, and why not, as OBF Cousin Jason so elequently said, "the show has uncle Jesse, and that's enough to get me to watch," Heather Graham's Emily's Reasons Why Not got the axe.

This in spite of the fact that, according to Y2k Hollywood insider Allan the friendly WASP, the show received the bulk of ABC's advertising dollars over the course of the fall season.

So what happened? Not really sure. I missed the show's 23-minute run. I do know what happened with Kris Benson and the NFL playoffs this weekend, and for these topics, I offer Sippy's reasons why I do and don't like both.

Kris Benson to the Baltimore Orioles for Jorge Julio and John Maine

Why I like:

1. John Maine could be a diamond in the rough. Again, according to cousin Jason, the only Orioles fan I know, Maine was one of the Orioles' better pitching prospects.

After Danny Cabrera and Eric Bedard, names you probably know, there is Hayden Penn and John Maine. He's our equivalent to Brian Bannister.

2. As Kenny from camp speculated, this move could be a precursor to a run at Barry Zito. Does Aaron Heilman, John Maine and another prospect (assuming that that prospect is not Lastings Miledge) get us Barry Zito?

Having spent 6 weeks in Oakland, everything you read about is how the A's are constantly looking to shed payroll. They are a 6-year Vocational School for young talent, who once the arbitration days are done, they can no longer afford their players.

With Zito expected to command above the absurd 5 yr 55 mil that AJ Burnett got this offseason, there is no way the A's can afford him.

I think this deal makes sense for both sides, in which case I would be ecstatic.

WHY I DONT LIKE THE DEAL

1. John Maine aside, you don't trade a solid, what is now relatively cheap starter, for a setup man. You just don't.

Now the Mets have done that twice in a month.

With both Jae Seo and Kris Benson gone, the back end of the Mets rotation, Zambrano and Heilman, is much more unsure than if it were Benson and Seo.

2. The Mets bullpen is now weaker.

Aaron Heilman was specatcular as a setup man in the second half of last year. He was the one guy in our pen that could get out lefties (now we are left with Mike Venafro).

I'd much rather have Benson starting and Heilman setting up than Heilman starting and Jorge Julio setting up.

3. One or the other.

I don't mind either the Seo or Benson trade individually. While I am not ecstatic about either, individually they are ok.

But together, our rotation is simply put, WORSE.

Aaron Heilman has had three good starts in his career. He hasn't proven that his 93 mph fastball in the 7th inning can last for 100 pitches.

His out pitch is his changeup, which when seen multiple times in a game becomes easier to hit.

I'm not saying Heilman can't be great, but he is very unproven, which makes me nervous. We've got a lot riding on 2006, Mets fans, and the truth is that we're staking a lot on the performance of two guys who have never had consistent success as starting pitchers with the Mets.

That said, if this deal sets up a deal for a front line starter, then I'll take it.

Now to Part II.

Sippy's reason's why these were the worst NFL playoffs ever.

1. There was one good game, the Steelers vs. Colts, and that game wasn't even good. It was Peyton being a joke and Big Ben asserting himself. But that game was exciting for about 4 minutes. That game was also responsible for many a West Coaster, AFOMG included, to miss the final 5 minutes of the second episode of 24's 2-hour premiere. Admittedly, AFOMG should have known better than to DVR 24 so he could go out with his friends, but still, salt on the Steelers and Colts for running over -- FOX has a schedule to keep.

2. There wasn't a single game that you went into excited about.

There was no Colts vs. Patriots.

There was a lot of Seattle vs. Chicago or Washington vs. everyone.

Every game should have been boring and every game was really boring.

3. Not one player stood out.

Joey Porter is the most exciting player in the postseason to date. Joey Porter. Dude is a pass rushing linebacker.

There were no Tom Brady's or Terrel Owens'. There was Matt Hasselback.

HOLY SHIT were these playoffs boring!!!

4. The Super Bowl is the Steelers vs. the Seahawks

Who in the hell cares. This is the worst, most unexciting Super Bowl I think that I can ever remember.

Shaun Alexander is officially the most boring superstar ever.

I honestly could care less about this game then I do about College Hockey. Not sure what else to say.

And Part III: Kobe dropped 81.

A pretty incredible Gamecast to watch. Spent the last 3 minutes/16 points of the game talking to Happy Will.

We talked about Kobe and how great he is and still how much we hate him.

If this were Michael Jordan, everyone would fall in love with the guy more. But it was Kobe. Maybe the biggest dick in sports.

Here's a guy, 6'7, perfect NBA Body, good looking, well spoken, and maybe the best player on earth.

According to our NBA source, "he is one tough suburban boy. He's the strongest dude I've ever seen."

You would think everyone would love him. But they don't, they hate him.

It's really too bad. Kobe could have been the "next great one," but he did one thing wrong. And no, it wasn't the rape charge in Colorado. What Kobe did wrong was he tried too hard to be "the next great one."

From day 1, he was a walking cliche. He spoke like Michael before he had the right to. He thought he was the best, a few years before he was the best.

He got his shit tossed so hard by Shaq in the Shaq vs. Kobe saga and he will just never get it back. He and Shaq could have 5 titles right now and still be going strong.

It'd be one thing if the Kobe/Shaq dispute happened now. If it did, Kobe would be right. But 2 years ago the Lakers were Shaq's team. If Kobe went with that, he would have 2 more titles. Instead, he is a selfish superstar on a 45-win team and a clear second fiddle to Lebron James.

He had to have it his way.

Now he is putting up 50 points every other game in the same way Michael Jordan did in the early stages of his career.

But his team just isn;t that good.

Sure, he'll win his scoring title and there will be more nights similar to Sunday. But Kobe will never be Michael and he could have been. Lebron still can, but Kobe, well, SALT

On that note, this was a big week of birthdays. Lot of good people born this week. Camper Zach, Goat, the Coach, Big Al, Jewish Jon, RF Tommy and my aunt Sue.

To all of you, have a great one.

To the rest of you, enjoy 24 tonight.

VCD,

SM