DaveZdyrko.com

I just died. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt just got pranked by Captain Janks of the Howard Stern Show who was pretending to be RB Brian Westbrook.

It may have only been in the preliminary round, but tonight’s Winter Olympics ice hockey match-up between Team USA and Canada was one of the best hockey games I’ve ever watched. It was action-packed and intense from the first drop of the puck and I was on the edge of my seat and shaking for much of the final period, particularly during Canada’s final two power plays, and didn’t exhale until one of the most amazing empty net goals I’ve ever seen by Ryan Kesler with 45 seconds to go.

Ryan Miller was playing out of his mind and the young Americans played lights out for the full 60 minutes — as did the Canadians. And not only was it easily one of the best hockey games I’ve ever watched, but it’s honestly up there with the likes of the Miami/OSU game, Texas/USC, and “Bird Steals The Ball”, as one of the best sporting events I’ve watched. Hopefully, Team USA will be able to build on this and come home with a medal. But even if they don’t, it won’t take away from just how enjoyable this game was — easily the most enjoyable program ever aired on MSNBC (who gets props for the lack of commercials that helped immensely with the intensity of the game).

Check out my Quick Hit blog about my thoughts on the Miami Dolphins drafting WVU QB Pat White in the 2nd round of this past weekend’s NFL Draft and why it has me super excited for the coming football season.

The news that KG will likely miss the playoffs practically ensures a seemingly inevitable title showdown between Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. While this saddens me as a Celtics fan that still had moderate to slim hopes of a repeat, it should be a great thing for the NBA and an exciting series to watch. The highly-touted Lakers versus Celtics match-up last year proved to be a bit of a letdown ratings-wise, but Lebron v Kobe should be able to get ratings on par with the Jordan era Bulls. If not, then the NBA’s funk might be even worse than thought.

The Baltimore Orioles’ dream of a perfect 162-0 season ended today with a 11-2 loss to the Evil Empire, dropping them to 2-1 and 1/2 game out of their one-time stranglehold on first place in the AL East. I guess I can take solace in the fact that this amazing first place and unbeaten run lasted much longer than I had ever dreamed of, but it’s still a sad day and pretty much ends the baseball season. At least the NFL draft and NBA & NHL playoffs are just around the corner!

I had to “watch” the game via Gamecast because the Pats were the only game on at 1PM today, but the Dolphins game against the Chiefs drove me crazy nevertheless. Thankfully, I was able to follow it while blowing shit up in Mercenaries 2 or I might’ve gone insane. They managed to pull yet another rabbit out of their hat and are now the first team in history to win 10 games in a season following one which they won 1 or less.

I’m still a bit pessimistic about their chances at beating the Jets, but it’s pretty simple for them — if they win they’re AFC East champs and in the playoffs, if they don’t, they’re most likely left out in the cold. After last year’s 1-15 disaster, I honestly couldn’t have wished for anything better than this. I’m proud of them either way and it’s been a very fun year of watching them play.

I’m just blocking out last night’s game against GTech out of my mind and will pretend it never happened. It’s my fault for getting too excited for this team and coach. Embarrassing. I had to stop watching and kill some zombies in L4D at halftime because I was just getting so frustrated that I was starting to get physically ill.

Already stated it after the Hurricanes game on Thursday and I’ll state it again after today’s narrow escape by the Dolphins against the Oakland Raiders — a win is a win. I thought we might have blown a great opportunity to stay strong in the playoff hunt after that long kick return for a touchdown gave the Raiders their first lead of the game, but my boys came through in the clutch and drove for the game winning field goal with less than a minute remaining to seal a victory. Miami is now 6-4 and if they can upset the Pats next week and if the Jets lose to the Titans, then we will be sitting in a position never thought possible — atop the AFC East!

The one apparent downer to my fruitful football weekend, which began on Thursday, is that my fantasy football team has a very precarious 15 point lead over one of the worst teams in the league, with that team still having Winslow, Randle El, and Lindel to play. He also has the Cards D going right now while all I have is 2nd string Mewelde Moore. If I lose this game, it was be heartbreaking given the competition and the fact that I got home 1 minute too late and was stuck with BenJavus Green-Ellis who I was going to bench in favor of either Ted Ginn Jr or Lance Moore (15 and 16 points respectively) if Sammy Morris was cleared to play, which he was. I ended up with 0 points in that slot instead of at least 15. The late work day on Thursday just might cost me a victory that I was favored to win by 51 points. Sad Christmas if that happens.

First, let me apologize to anyone who may be reading this that is mentally challenged or are close to someone with a mental disability. I’m sure even the most challenged of individuals could run the Oakland Raiders much better than that senile old fool Al Davis. Sure, he WAS a legend and the NFL owes him a lot of gratitude in what he’s done for the game of football and for the league during his lifetime. But, damn, the dude has lost all of his marbles.

Most of his tirade about Kiffin in yesterday’s press conference didn’t make any sense at all and he often contradicted himself in the same damn sentence. He physically handed him the letter, but then says he FedEx’d it? What the fuck, dude? Make up your Mr. Burns-esque ancient damaged mind. He’s clearly the problem with the Oakland Raiders and the team will continue to be one of the laughingstocks of the entire league until he finally dies. However, that will probably never happen, as he’ll likely still be running the Raiders into the ground 500 years from now while he’s nothing but a talking head like in Futurama.

My hope is that Kiffin ends up coaching the Kansas City Chiefs next year and starts beating the crap out of the Raiders every year just like Shanahan and the Denver Broncos. It would be completely befitting and proof that there is indeed a God out there.

Today’s blowout win by the Dolphins over the New England Patriots was extra special because I’m living in Boston and working in Foxboro these days and am surrounded by Pats fans wherever I go. And we just didn’t beat them, we gave them an old fashioned ass whooping and pretty much embarassed them. I kind of wish I would’ve gotten some tickets to see the game in person cause that would’ve been quite entertaining to see. So, my real teams are 2-0 this weekend but my fantasy team is going to lose and I’ll fall to 2-1.