Below are the 8 most recent journal entries recorded in mathewfinger's InsaneJournal:

Friday, April 22nd, 2011
4:43 pm	Bud's blather YESTERDAY, baseball commissioner Bud Selig told a group of Associated Press sports editors that he won't even consider nullifying Barry Bonds' records even though the big-headed slugger was convicted of obstruction of justice last week. Granted, Bonds escaped prosecution on three other perjury charges. The jury could not come to a decision about whether he had lied to a grand jury, or whether he was telling the truth when he said he did not knowingly use steroids and human growth hormone. But the single charge for which he was convicted is still serious. He is, after all, facing up to 10 years in prison. Bonds was found to have intentionally avoided giving a straight answer when asked at his 2003 trial if his former personal trainer, Greg Anderson, had ever injected him with performance-enhancing drugs. To this day, Bonds says he thought Anderson was giving him flaxseed oil and arthritic cream. Right now, Bonds holds the all-time home run record (762) and season record (73). And, according to Selig, Bonds will continue to hold those records. "In life there's always got to be pragmatism," Selig told the sports editors. "I think that anybody who understands the sport understands exactly why." Is it any wonder his initials are BS? No Sergio, you can't hold the baby It took Real Madrid 18 years to regain possession of the Copa del Rey trophy. It took defender Sergio "Butterfingers" Ramos a lot less than that to destroy it. Ramos was riding atop the team bus as it wound through the streets of Madrid celebrating the team's win over Barcelona. Suddenly, he dropped the 33-pound trophy, which was then run over by the wheels of the bus. Ramos later made light of the incident on Twitter. "The whole thing about the cup was a misunderstanding, it didn't fall . . . it jumped off when it reached Cibeles [the fountain in Madrid where the team celebrates its titles] and saw so many Madrid fans," Ramos tweeted. "Hahahaha . . . but don't worry . . . have a good day." (Comment on this)
Friday, April 1st, 2011
10:54 am	Yankees' Mark Teixeira hopes his homer means he's off to a good start for a change http://xingfantrade.blogcu.com/ Mark Teixeira needed 12 games last season to hit his first home run. He needed just one game this season to make his first jog around the bases. The Yankees first baseman, who hit a three-run homer in the Yankees’ 6-3 Opening Day win against the Tigers, hopes it is a sign of things to come. “I’ve been petitioning the league to nfl jerseys cheap start in March for years,” Teixeira said, with a laugh. “Finally, they let us start in March, because everybody knows all about my Aprils.” Indeed, Teixeira has always made for a perplexing case study in that regard. He’s an All-Star in every part of the season except for the beginning, when he’s historically been only a touch better than the immortal Mario Mendoza. Teixeira is a lifetime .235 hitter in the first month of the season. But by homering off Tigers ace Justin Verlander in the third inning, Teixeira offered hope that perhaps this year will be different. He welcomes a change, especially after a typical slow start and injuries wrecked his 2010 season. “Last year was awful, there’s no other way of putting it,” Teixeira said. “It was embarrassing.” Catcher Russell Martin went 1-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base in his debut as Jorge Posada’s replacement. His single began the third inning and he was bunted over by Brett Gardner. After a walk by Jeter, Martin stole third base which paved the way for Teixeria’s three-run home run. “I think, while my legs are fresh early in the season, I try to get my bases there,” Martin said. “In September, it’s harder.” http://cheapjersey.blog.com He knows he’s under a degree of scrutiny after the team signed him during the offseason and turned Posada into a designated hitter. Martin said a strong start is more important for the fans than it is for him, although he was particularly pleased that he’s already developed a rapport with the team’s pitchers. “He had an outstanding day. He’s the one who really got it started,” Joe Girardi said. “I thought he did a great job with our pitching staff. It was great to see.” (Comment on this)
Friday, March 25th, 2011
8:58 am	Barry Bonds Trial Excuses Anti-Doping Expert, Finishes First Week http://xingfantrade.blogcu.com/ The Barry Bonds trial wrapped up its first week of courtroom activity on Thursday afternoon. Last time we left you, anti-doping expert Larry Bowers was on the stand, and on Thursday afternoon he was subjected to cross-examination. Allen Ruby came right after Bowers, asking for scientific proof that performance enhancers cause the sorts of side effects he discussed in the morning. Bowers had nfl jerseys cheap suggested that steroids and HGH can cause changes like roid rage, bigger heads, and shrunken testicles, and Ruby asked if there was any evidence beyond warnings and suggestions. Bowers repeatedly responded that the limited literature is the result of the fact that humans can't be experimented on, and that several symptoms of use have been anecdotally reported to be common. Ruby focused primarily on arguing that no direct link can be drawn between performance enhancers and their alleged side effects. Breaking from that for a little, he also argued that doping agencies weren't aware of THG - "the clear", one of the steroids linked to Bonds - until well after Bonds' grand jury testimony, suggesting that few people really understood what it was and that Bonds therefore could have been telling the truth when he said he didn't know what he was taking when he was taking it. http://cheapjersey.blog.com Ruby wrapped up his cross-examination by asking Bowers a few more questions about shrunken testicles, and then Bowers was set free. And that'll do it for the week, as the courtroom is dark on Fridays. On Monday, the government will call a bunch of agents and presumably Bonds' former mistress Kimberly Bell. Bell will be asked to discuss Bonds' sexual performance. Current Mood: bouncy (Comment on this)
Friday, March 18th, 2011
8:34 am	Morehead State pulls off upset of No. 4 seed Louisville http://xingfantrade.blogcu.com/ DENVER — The last two times Morehead State played in the NCAA Tournament, in 1984 and 2009, in-state foe and perennial power Louisville blocked the Eagles from advancing. On Thursday, Morehead State's Kenneth Faried made THE block and, finally, the Eagles got past Louisville. "It's a big relief, a huge relief," Faried said. Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall called his 13th-seeded team's 62-61 upset of No. 4 seed Louisville — a victory set up by Demonte Harper's three-pointer nfl jerseys cheap with 4.2 seconds left in the game and sealed by Faried's block on Louisville's Mike Marra with one second remaining — "without question the biggest win in the history of our program." Louisville coach Rick Pitino, whose team went scoreless through the first six minutes and lost its only senior starter to injury midway through the second half, called it "as tough a loss as I've had in coaching." PHOTO GALLERY: Best images from NCAA tourney BOX SCORE: Morehead State 62, Louisville 61 BRACKET: Follow the road to the Final Four With 23 seconds left and his team trailing 61-59, Tyndall called a timeout. He told his team he had a dream the night before about this exact situation and that he wanted Harper to make a three-pointer to win it. Tyndall later admitted that was a coaching fib. ("I really didn't dream it. I was just up about 2:30, and couldn't get back to sleep," he said.) But Harper, who was 0-for-5 from beyond the arc to that point, made it come true anyway. "I said, 'Coach, I'm going to hit the shot.' He said, 'At six seconds, I want you to attack him hard, pull up and hit the shot.' I hit the shot, and it feels unreal right now,'" Harper said. Terrance Hill, who finished with a game-high 23 points, had been the hot shooter for the Eagles, making 5-of-6 three-pointers. Tyndall went with Harper, he said, because "he's better at creating his own shot off the dribble than Terrance is." Afterward, Hill didn't seem to care. "I'm thinking I'm dreaming right now," he said. http://cheapjersey.blog.com Faried, a 6-foot-8 senior who leads the nation in rebounds, is being touted as a first-round NBA draft pick. He did grab 17 rebounds Thursday, including some in the waning minutes that kept Morehead State's hopes alive, but his block of Marra was his headline-grabbing contribution. "I just kept my hand straight up," Faried said. "When he shot the ball, I just smacked it down." It is the first time since the 1956-57 season, when the Eagles beat the Cardinals in a regular-season game, that Morehead State can claim the upper hand against Louisville, a two-hour drive west from the Eagles' campus in Kentucky. In the NCAA first round two years ago, Louisville, then a top seed, beat Morehead State 74-54 with a roster that included current NBA players Earl Clark, Samardo Samuels and Terrence Williams. Louisville didn't come into this year's tournament nearly as loaded and then lost guard Preston Knowles— the only senior in the starting lineup — to a sprained foot with 8:51 left in the second half Thursday. "Their team is still very, very good, don't get me wrong," Tyndall said. "But now our team is better, led by Demonte and Kenneth, who are seniors. They're stronger, more confident, played in big games." And won one on Thursday. (Comment on this)
Friday, March 11th, 2011
10:26 am	NFL, union trade insults on Twitter http://xingfantrade.blogcu.com/ The deadline to reaching a new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL owners and players is Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET, but the indications from both sides on Thursday evening aren’t very good. In fact, you could say it couldn’t be much worse at this point. Both sides gave interviews to the media in different forms, and nothing that was said could be construed as positive. First, NFL Players Association executive nfl jerseys cheap director DeMaurice Smith kicked things off late Thursday afternoon on Twitter. “Players stay strong! Stay informed, update by 2pm tomorrow,” the union leader said. Player sources said that the feeling after the last week’s extension is that the NFLPA was against extending the CBA discussions again, so Smith could be putting it out that things aren’t going well and to expect a major update on Friday afternoon. Then NFLPA assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah took his frustrations to Twitter. “I would like to request an expense credit from the owners on the last 3 hours of my life. “Media, fans and friends: No negotiating tonight. We were just told the owners broke for dinner. You may go home now." Responding to Atallah's comments, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told a reporter on Twitter: "While George is at it, ask him when is union going to respond to our 150 pages of draft CBA provisions." http://cheapjersey.blog.com Things also looked bleak when NFL general counsel Jeff Pash summed up where things are headed. "I don't know if both sides have an equal commitment (to getting the CBA done),” the lawyer said to a throng of reporters in Washington. “Obviously we have the commitment." Smith later responded: "With all due respect, when someone wants to stand up and say that he questions or doubts one party's commitment to the negotiation process, all I would ask is for all of you, everybody who has an obligation to the people who love this game and the players who dig this game, everybody who reports (who) is here, stick to the facts." (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
11:45 am	Thornton scores 300th, Sharks beat Red Wings 4-3 http://xingfantrade.blogcu.com DETROIT — Joe Thornton scored his 300th career goal, Devin Setoguchi had two and the San Jose Sharks held on to beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Tuesday night. Henrik Zetterberg scored a power-play cheap jerseygoal with 1:51 left to pull the Red Wings within a goal, but they couldn't beat Antti Niemi again to force overtime. Ryane Clowe scored on a breakaway he created midway through the game and Niemi made 35 saves for the surging Sharks, who have won four straight and 13 of 16. Detroit's Danny Cleary scored game-tying goals early in the second and at the 14:42 mark of the period. Jimmy Howard stopped 39 shots for the Red Wings, who had won a season-high five consecutive http://cheapjersey.blog.com/ games since he was pulled Feb. 9 midway through a loss to Nashville. The Central Division-leading Red Wings are trying to catch Vancouver for the top spot in the Western Conference and hold off teams such as San Jose for playoff positioning. Detroit got off to a great start, outshooting the Sharks 9-1 midway through the first period and killing their 5-on-3 power play, but Thornton scored the game's first goal on a power play with 18 seconds left in the period. Thornton became the 18th active player with 300 goals. Cleary tied the game at the 7:06 mark of the second period and knotted it up again — 34 seconds after Clowe's goal — late in the second, giving him a career-high 21 goals. Setoguchi put the Sharks ahead for good with 1:17 left in the second period and made it a two-goal cushion at 13:12 of the third. Niemi made several tough saves in the final period — including some against streaking Pavel Datsyuk — to make it difficult for the Red Wings to come back, but Zetterberg took advantage of Dany Heatley getting called for interference late in the game to make the final minute entertaining. Niemi, though, made key saves on shots by Nicklas Lidstrom and Johan Franzen to deny Detroit. NOTES: Red Wings F Patrick Eaves left in the second period, appearing to hurt his right knee when he led with it on a check against Torrey Mitchell. ... Thornton joined Mark Recchi, Mike Modano and Teemu Selanne as the only active players with at least 300 goals and 680-plus assists. ... Detroit G Chris Osgood (hernia surgery) said he's feeling "much better" after several practices and might be able to play March 11 at home against Edmonton or the next day at St. Louis. (Comment on this)
Friday, February 18th, 2011
1:19 pm	It's no longer surprise when Bulls beat one of NBA's elite After Derrick Rose put the finishing touches on a Jordanesque fourth quarter Thursday night's 109-99 victory over the weary Spurs at the United Center, it was fair to ask. We knew this marquee matchup would feature the best But seeing Rose respond to a rousing pre-game pep talk from Tom Thibodeau with a career-high 42 points, can we be sure which team that was? "It worked,'' Rose said of his coach's rare rah-rah speech. What hasn't worked in this season of wow? Nobody rolls their eyes anymore when the Bulls say they can beat anybody because they keep proving it. They did it again against the Spurs, who arrived carrying a 46-9 record and left hoping the next Rose they see is in a garden. "He's something, huh?'' Thibodeau said. And a national TV audience answered, "Uh-huh!" So too are the Bulls. They already beat the Celtics, Heat, Lakers and Magic on the same floor so maybe we no longer should be surprised. From now on we should expect such excellence from a team 22 games above .500 and 25-4 at home. I know this was billed as a 48-minute measuring stick and the victory indeed will cause some skeptics to reassess the Bulls' place among the NBA elite. But a victory that never was in doubt mostly reinforced the Bulls are the most surprising team in the East and Rose is the MVP of the league. "He has taken a monster leap this year,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. If you wanted something truly to gauge where the Bulls stand and how far they have come, a calendar offered a more impressive reading. It was one year ago Friday at the Berto Center that general manager Gar Forman announced the Bulls had executed the Great Salary Dump of 2010. In separate deals, the Bulls unloaded draft bust Tyrus Thomas to the Bobcats and John Salmons to the Bucks. As much salary-cap space and hope as those moves created that day, if Forman had predicted in 365 days the Bulls would start 38-16 without signing LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh, you could have heard the snickering in Skokie. The Bulls were 27-26 at that point with few distinguishable traits except Rose's teardrop floater. Flip Murray was the Bulls' best perimeter threat off the bench, Vinny Del Negro was their coach. In Boston, Thibodeau still was a career assistant wondering if his big chance ever would come. In what was the Bulls' most significant offseason move, it finally did. Now, after turning over more than half the roster in a year, Thibodeau's Bulls have improved so rapidly that analyst Charles Barkley projects them to win the East. Only one man in the league has coached any better than Thibodeau. That would be Popovich, the architect of the quietest dynasty in contemporary pro sports. As drastic as the Bulls' metamorphosis has been, the Spurs have changed every bit as much considering they successfully converted styles with the same core and head coach. So the ultimate compliment to the Bulls came when Popovich was asked to compare them to the Heat and Celtics. "They're more like us than they are like those guys,'' Popovich said. When a coach with four championship rings says the Bulls resemble his defensive-minded team, it echoes even louder than chants of "M-V-P!" (Comment on this)
Friday, January 7th, 2011
9:19 am	S.E.C. Questions Goldman Sachs on Offering The Securities and Exchange Commission has contacted Goldman Sachs about the private offering of Facebook shares to Goldman Sachs’s clients, according to a document sent to potential investors. balklänningar “Goldman Sachs has received inquiries from regulators about the investment,” the offering document says, calling the inquiry “preliminary.” The S.E.C. is interested in several issues, including the structure of the deal and media reports about the offering, which was supposed to remain private, according to people with direct knowledge of the inquiry who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. The S.E.C. has questioned Goldman while it is in the middle of raising at least $1.5 billion from its wealthy clients to invest in Facebook shares. Goldman’s clients have flooded the firm with orders, which are due by Friday, making the deal heavily oversubscribed, people involved in the process said. The New York Times DealBook first reported on Sunday night that Goldman had invested $450 million in Facebook in a deal that values the company at $50 billion. The firm is also raising a pool of money through a special-purpose vehicle that would invest alongside the firm in the social networking giant. Goldman, which was not planning to commence the offering until sometime this week, sped up the process after a New York Times reporter called the firm seeking comment, according to an executive who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. A Goldman spokesman had declined to comment on Sunday. Late that night, executives in Goldman’s private wealth management unit e-mailed their clients about the offering, people who received the e-mail said. Federal and state securities regulators prohibit the use of what the laws describe as “general solicitation and advertising” in private offerings. Companies or investment firms like Goldman that seek to raise money through a private offering cannot do anything that would be considered publicly promoting the deal, like an advertisement in or any communication to a media outlet. A violation of these rules could jeopardize an offering. “There is not a lot of S.E.C. guidance in this area,” said Udi Grofman, a lawyer at Schulte Roth & Zabel who specializes in private offerings. “While the S.E.C. has offered some guidance on what constitutes general solicitation or advertisement, the question of whether the issuer or anyone on its behalf tries to create ‘hype’ or interest in the offering is very fact-specific.” The offering – and the news report about it — appears to have surprised the S.E.C. While some people involved in the deal had said that Goldman had briefed the S.E.C. on the private offering, those same people said they were mistaken and that the firm had not contacted the agency.bröllopsklänning The S.E.C.’s interest in Goldman’s Facebook deal adds a new twist to an inquiry the agency began last month into the rapidly growing trading market for private share offerings of hot Internet companies, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Zynga. (Comment on this)