Not sure yet what my 2012 highlight has been -- Lakewood BlueClaws (Phillies Single-A team) is where I spend most of my minor league time, being just 15 minutes away. Saw Ryan Howard rehab here a few times, and saw him daily (OMG) 10 years ago! Cole Hamels, too...

Finally been back to Trenton Thunder (Yankees Double-A) a couple times this year (was there a few times years ago when it was still a Boston team -- saw Shea Hillenbrand come up). But so far went twice this year, and got my Jeter and Robertson bobbleheads... Gonna go back for Cano at least...



Back in Lakewood, got my Jim Kaat and Doc Gooden cards signed... bought them off ebay, same series, cuz I'm anal... In the pic above.

But tonight, most fantastic, was meeting The Famous San Diego Chicken!! What a story... and it's been the same guy since the '70s! He even remembered me, because I emailed him the other day asking if he'd have photos to sign. Just $1 for the photo, free to sign.







That's his life... so great!!

Wow... he's now 58!

Famous Chicken just can't stay cooped up

That was like meeting Michael Jordan.... seriously....

Were you the one on the right or the left Geoff??

The Chicken was the one that started the mascot craze. Without him there'd be no Phillie Phanatic. I remember that the San Diego Chicken was barred from performing due to trademark infringement, so he reinvented himself as the Chicken and hatched out of an egg in front of thousands.

On a local note the side show at the Harrisburg Senator game last night was the Burning Man. After the game he completely ignited himself at home plate and ran the bases. As he approached third, he was heavily sprayed with additional lighter fluid that turned him into a massive fireball as he slid into home.

As my kids school year winds down, they break up for 6 weeks tomorrow, they spend their last school week basically doing nothing!!

My eldest lad Michael, who is something of a football(soccer) whizz had a full day of sports and found himself in a keepie up competition, Which is as it sounds, who can keep the ball up the longest without it touching the ground. He managed a favourable 187, more than 150 ahead of the kid in second place

He won a football for his efforts. As proud as punch as per usual

Well done, Michael. Not only did he win, but he buried the competition. That's what we like to see.

Cheers Klyd

I wasn't too upset to see Chad Johnson lose his job and his tv show on the same day. I never saw him as a major talent in the NFL despite his self-promotion.

NHL is in danger of facing it's third lockout since 1994, and remember the last one cost them a whole season.

What's hilarious is, do most Americans care? It's not like you hear about this often from ESPN, compared to last year with the NFL lockout and everybody lost their friggin minds.

Would people (outside of hockey fandom) miss the NHL if it decided to sit out another year?

That is awesome. *clap clap*

Big congrats to Andy Murray for winning the US Open. Not a massive fan of tennis or him cos he is a bit miserable, but hats off to him, he done good

ESPN has reported that Notre Dame is joining the ACC in all sports except for Football. They'll keep their independence in that sport but will play 5 ACC opponents a season once their move to the ACC from the Big East is complete.

UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun is retiring after 26 seasons and 3 national titles, ESPN reports.

Definitely i recorded the match on sky it was one of the tensest matches i've ever seen. Seems the olympics gave him a boost to his confidence i was starting to wonder if he was ever going to win one.

His last title was quite incredible. They were in danger of not making the tournament. The won 5 games to take the Big East title, then 6 games to win the NCAA.

NHL Lockout!

Which is awesome because it means I can continue not caring about hockey!

Been working all over the weekend and the last time i looked the USA were runnig away with the Ryder Cup. Woke up this morning and Europe had won by a point?? Wow.....

Incredible golf by the Euros. I'm not sure the USA choked, but they were not clutch. I'm an underdog fan and I admit I was cheering for the Euros at the end. Gutsy performance.

I like to watch the Ryder Cup although i am not a massive golf fan as such. However with me working a lot it seems i missed a humdinger of a tournament!!

I didn't get to watch anything Saturday afternoon. And Sunday is for football. I forgot completely about the Ryder Cup, but it sounds like it was a doozy of a finish.

Rory McIlroy barely made it to his tee time on Sunday as he was mistakenly under the impression that Chicago was EST. He literally sprinted to the first tee to make it on time.

The rest of the European team got together and bought young Rory an alarm clock at the end

As a few of you will know my 2 eldest boys play a lot of football/soccer and are quite good if i may say so myself. However there is one thing i have noticed over the years, especially where Mike(the eldest) is concerned and i suppose it goes for any sport. As he gets older it gets a lot tougher, especially physically. Just in the last year there is not a game goes by where he does not limp off with aches and pains and stud marks all down his legs. Some weeks he plays 3 games and trains twice....getting a little worried that he could burn out a little, even though he is only 14.....

Anyone else with similar experience, albeit in other sports? I know Klyd's boys play a lot of baseball!!

Yogi,

I've seen high school wrestlers burn out. Especially those who start at a young age. When they get to high school the dieting gets to them. The practices can be intense. I knew guys in high school who said wrestling practice was much tougher than football. If its not fun, its hard to stay with it.

Yogi, my middle son, who is a high school senior, has dealt with a couple of injuries, but as a baseball player, his aches are of a different sort. We always watch pitch counts and innings, but in 2011 he threw quite a bit as he played high school, Legion, all-star, and travel ball. The result was a sore shoulder in the fall and winter that was corrected by a month of physical therapy. He also had a dislocated hip that plagued him for much of the Summer, but additional therapy got him back on the mound for a few tournaments.

He's got his velocity back, and this past Saturday had pretty impressive outing in Virginia. He faced three batters in his first inning, and retired them all on broken bat ground outs.

Mike is tough as boots though. He played Sunday and rolled his ankle. Come Monday he had a school game and to go with his gimpy ankle also coming down with a heavy cold. Don't play squawked his mother(who doesn't understand these things bless her) but of course he did, in the pouring rain. Came home limping and blowing snot everywhere....and guess what? He was livid because they got beat and people in his team weren't trying because it was "only a school game".

I have said it beofre but the boy is made of the right stuff and makes me very proud. As do all my kids of course

......BREAKING NEWS......

The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn!!

It is expected to be announced later today (1 p.m. local time) that the hockey team will move to Brooklyn. Pro basketball and now pro hockey!! All we need is to get the Dodgers back!

that seems like a good move. didnt seem to have a huge fan base and i heard their stadium is horrible

Yes, bring back the Dodgers., but will the hockey team remain the "Islanders"....the Brooklyn Islanders? Noooooooo. They need a new name. The Brooklyn Ass Kickers. The Brooklyn Bastards. The Brooklyn Tessios. The Brooklyn Fuck Youse. The Brooklyn What-the-Fucks. The Brooklyn Immigrants. The Brooklyn Bridges!!

Chip off the old block.