Top 10 Must-See Sporting Events

Contrary to popular belief, watching sports live can sometimes be less entertaining than watching it on TV. There's that annoying fan next to you, a line in the bathroom, a line to grab a beer, and that back of yours could sometimes use a more comfortable seating arrangement. With that being said, there are sporting events that I would thoroughly enjoy to see live. And those events are listed here, in my TOP 10 must-see sporting events. This list is obviously subjective so try not to freak out when you see something you disagree with. However, I did try to incorporate a variety of sports to keep it as objective as possible. Anyways, here are some sporting events that I, and maybe you, hope to experience some day.

Three's Company But There's Only One

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Bubba Watson. These three gentlemen will be paired for the opening round at this year's U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. There is a lot of hype surrounding this group as it features three of the best golfers in the world. However, neither Mickelson nor Watson compare to Tiger Woods.

 

Coming off a remarkable win at the Memorial Tournament only a couple weeks ago, Woods enters the U.S. Open as the 3-1 odds favorite. Tiger's win at Memorial was his 73rd PGA Tour win of all time tying him Jack Nicklaus for 2nd all-time. Tiger is now only 9 PGA Tour wins behind Sam Sneed who has the most PGA Tour wins of all-time at 82.

Tell 'Em How You Really Feel

The Los Angeles Kings are the 2012 Stanley Cup champions. This is the Kings first ever championship and my-oh-my did they earn it. The Kings' road to the Cup began after firing their head coach midway through the season and then barely making it into the playoffs as the #8 seed. Once they got into "the dance" they went 16-4 and began every series on the road as the proverbial underdog taking out the #1 Vancouver Canucks, the #2 St. Louis Blues, the #3 Phoenix Coyotes and lastly, the Eastern Conference New Jersey Devils to cap off their historic playoff run. Only such a run could elicit such an emotional response from the Kings captain Dustin Brown.

Before continuing, go ahead and watch the short video clip of Dustin Brown's postgame interview with NBC's Pierre McGuire.

After watching the video you notice the blatant F bomb by the Kings captain. When I first heard it I thought he said it, but wasn't really sure. But sure enough, after watching it over and over, it is quite clear that Dustin Brown did indeed use some profane language.

This leads me to the main purpose of this post.

Game Grub

When people watch sports, whether it be live or in the friendly confines of their own home, there is, among other things, food. Throughout the course of time, especially in America, there has been a strong relationship between food and sports viewership. Understanding the importance of this connection, I've put together a list of the best possible food choices when watching a particular sport. Now I'm only focusing on the food aspect here, but it should go without saying that a cold beverage is a mandatory part of your meal and/or your game. Never leave a soldier behind.

Anyways, without any further ado here are a few sports accompanied with their recommended meal. Bon Appetit everybody.


BASEBALL: Hot Dog, Bratwurst
Recommended Sides: Watermelon, Baked Beans, Corn, Salad, French Fries

Fire up the grill, throw some brats or dogs on there maybe grill up some onions and let it ride. Ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, peppers, however you like it just be sure to give the bun a minute or two on the grill to give it a nice toasty taste. I don't think you can wrong with this option as it is a pretty standard food choice for a pretty standard game.



BASKETBALL: Steak
Recommended Sides: Salad, Rice, Steamed Vegetables, Potatoes
The best game to watch and play deserves only the best when it comes to food. A well-seasoned, juicy steak accompanied with a nice salad and rice always does the trick. Maybe add some A1 sauce or Worcestershire sauce depending on the mood but whatever you do, make sure you're cutting that bad boy with CUTCO - the finest kitchen cutlery in the world

Interested in CUTCO? Feel free to contact me.

The Greatest Not To Be

Words cannot describe it but they can try. 

I believed I could fly. 

I did fly, higher than high. 

Then I fell lower than low. 

Left my hometown on the go. 

Took my talents to South Beach guaranteed rings. 

Guaranteed things since I was king of kings. 

Not one, not two, not three, not four.
Now in troubled waters just looking for the shore.

They all probably think I'm a liar.

"He's so good, so strong, but he has no fire." 

I'm just a man expected to be more.

I try to block it out but I can't close the door.

Nobody can guard me when I have the ball.

Except pressure, that guy's too tall. 

Have You Ever Wondered?

If the foul pole is in fair territory then why isn't it called the fair pole?

Why is it the only sport without a time limit?

If the pitcher makes a fielding error and a run scores is it an earned OR unearned run?

Why is it the only sport that requires wearing a hat and a glove?

If some batters hit both right and left handed why don't any pitchers throw right and left handed?

Why are the dimensions of a baseball field different for every field and not universal?

Why is it the only sport that allows you to eat and drink and chew tobacco while you play?


Why are they called runs and not goals or points?

Why does one league have a designated hitter and one league requires the pitcher to bat?

What in the world does hum babe, hum now mean?

Why is the field part grass and part dirt?

Why is the pitching rubber placed on a mound and not a flat surface?

Who the hell cares who's on first?

I bring up all these questions because if you think about baseball in comparison to every other sport, it's an odd game. And here in America, we absolutely adore it. Little League is the largest youth sports organization in the United States and baseball is known as "America's Pastime." And next to the NFL and NBA, Major League Baseball is the most popular professional sport in America.

Have you ever wondered what makes baseball what it is?


I'm taking off, you take it easy.

Bisq

New Nicknames

Athletes and their nicknames has always been something I particularly liked. Nicknames are fun and interesting and imaginative. For the purpose of this blog post, I thought it'd be amusing to come up with some nicknames for athletes who either don't have a nickname or their existing nickname is rather lousy.

So, without any further delay here are some nicknames that I've come up with. Enjoy.

Derrick Rose: "The Florist"

I have to give credit to Williams for coming up with this one actually. It's definitely one of the cheekier nicknames and one of my favorites without question. The Florist - it gets me every time. It's so perfect, the #1 is shaped like a rose in a sense, the Bulls are red, and Derrick Rose is a signature franchise player much like a rose is a signature flower. Could it be any more beautiful?

The Bulls star has a rose tattooed on his right hand

 

Peyton Manning: "Patient Manning"

Manning loves to analyze the defense and put his team in the best situation possible to be successful on every play. What's funny is although Manning is patient, he is also like a doctor, surgically dissecting every opponent. Be sure to check out this YouTube video to get a sense of Manning's play calls and audibles on the field.

Check out this video, it's unreal.

Dwyane Wade: "Dwayne Wade" or "Flyash"

Depending how you look at it, Dwyane Wade should really be Dwayne Wade. Crazy huh? His common nickname is "Flash" but it isn't in correspondence with the way his real name is spelled. If we're going with Flash shouldn't it be spelled F-L-Y-A-S-H?

Dwyane Wade's "Flash" pool

Hard Knock Phins

New QB Ryan Tannehill and wife

HBO's Hard Knocks announced Tuesday that it will be covering the Miami Dolphins for their 2012 season of the program. For those of you who have never seen Hard Knocks it is basically a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at a specific NFL team during the pre-season. In this year's case, the Dolphins will be the featured team.

You know, Berg is a big 'phins fan or phan however you want to look at it, and he tells me it should be pretty interesting. Initially, I didn't doubt it because the previous episodes that I have seen were very entertaining. But after some more thought I don't know how the Dolphins and HBO are going to pull this off, or at least contest with previous seasons.

Even though HBO does a great job with this program, I think all signs are pointing to a down year much like the 'phins upcoming season.

Here's why.

Finals' Predictions

Four NBA teams remain and only one will hoist the hardware. Below, I have made my predictions for the remaining playoff games. Call me bold, call me crazy, call me what you will, I'm getting rowdy.

Google Girlfriend

Have you ever noticed when you do a Google search of an athlete or celebrity one of the most recurring "fill-in" words I guess is what you would call it, is the word girlfriend? For some reason or another our society has a fascination with being in the know with who athletes and celebrities are dating. So, as standard in my DNA, I got to thinking.

Which athlete is the ultimate ladies man?

To be honest, there wasn't a whole lot of thinking that needed to be done. I knew the answer almost immediately. But, to be fair to the other male athletes I'll acknowledge them by putting them in my TOP 5 athletes with the most impressive dating record.

I doubt that hairstyle lasted long in the marriage.

5. Tony Romo
Known for: Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson, Candice Crawford.

I've always questioned Romo's ability at the quarterback position, but he seems to avoid interceptions and fumbled snaps off the gridiron. Romo just recently got married to Candice Crawford after having two high-profile girlfriends in Underwood and then Simpson.



4. Andy Roddick

Roddick with his wife Brooklyn Decker.

Known for: Mandy Moore, Maria Sharapova, Brooklyn Decker.

A lot like Romo, Roddick has had some questionable efforts in the realm of competition, but when it comes to females Roddick ranks atop the leaderboard. Roddick's dating history is impressive but his wife is the best winner he's hit in his entire career. Roddick's wife is Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker who, by herself, automatically puts Roddick in the top 5.








 

Prank Madness

I have always been a fan of pranks in the sports world. Whether its athletes, fans, or coaches its always nice to see some comedy in the competitive world of sports. So without further ado I give you some of the best athlete pranks, in no particular order since laughs shouldn't be ranked but rather appreciated:

Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick gets the shock of a lifetime. I hope Japan treats you well big guy.

Landry Fields tries to connect with his fans in a grassroots kind of way.

This one is done by Yale students, and its quite evident that this is an Ivy League prank.

2012 All-NBA Teams

The NBA announced its All-NBA teams today acknowledging 15 NBA players that were honored by being selected for the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd team. It was no surprise to see the 1st team headlined by superstars Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant. However, there were a few surprises and players I felt deserving of more recognition in their 2012 NBA campaign. Here's my take compared to the Association's.

NOTE: These teams are based solely on the 2012 season, therefore career statistics do not play a factor in making the annual All-NBA teams. With that being said, injuries do play a factor, for example, the 2011 MVP Derrick Rose missed 27 out of 66 games thus making it difficult to consider him for any of the three teams.

Anyways, here's the NBA's best in 2012...

Lebron James won his third MVP trophy in 2012

All-NBA 1st Team
G Chris Paul - Los Angeles Clippers
G Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers
F Lebron James - Miami Heat
F Kevin Durant - Oklahoma City Thunder
C Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic

I don't have any problem with the 1st team members as they are the best players in the world at their respective positions. I'm just glad David Stern finally allowed Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant to be on the same team together.

Team Bisq

It wasn't until this past Sunday that I had watched the 1994 American classic Forrest Gump in it's entirety.  Throughout the film I was kicking myself for not having seen it earlier in my life. The more I watched the film, the more I grew to admire Gump, Forrest Gump. He was fast, he was loyal, he was genuine, he was smart in his own way, and he was an overall good human being.

After watching the film I immediately knew I was going to post something about the film and intertwine it with the sports theme of the blog. So, after some thought I decided that I was going to build a sports movie character organization.

Below, I have ranked the TOP 10 sports film characters of all time through a "draft" beginning with my coaching staff.



Without any further delay here is the draft breakdown of Team Bisq...

Stop The Flop

Somewhere in Serbia Vlade Divac is smiling as NBA players have mastered the art of flopping. And somewhere in Germany Bayern Munich players and fans are living on the wrong end of karma after forward Franck Ribery flopped in yesterday's UEFA Champion's League Final. As the match was nearing its end, Ribery fell to the pitch in an attempt give his team a chance at getting a potential game-winning penalty shot. After the referee had signaled for the penalty shot Ribery was attended to by the ever-so-deliberate medical unit before being taken off the pitch where he would watch his teammate take the shot. As Ribery looked on, the little pain that he was feeling from his "injury" quickly shifted from his foot to the pit of his stomach.

Click HERE to view the entire video of the foul.

Bayern's Franck Ribery drawing a foul in the penalty box

Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Cech had done the impossible. He made an unbelievable save to keep Chelsea's hopes alive and extend the match into extra time.  After 30 minutes of extra time the score remained 1-1 forcing a penalty shoot-out that would seal the fate for both teams.  In the shoot-out, Didier Drogba - the man who made the "foul" on Ribery and almost cost Chelsea the match - had an opportunity to win the match for Chelsea taking the potential game-winning shot. And, as destiny and karma would have it, Drogba scored the match winner to give Chelsea the Champion's League crown while all Ribery and Bayern Munich could do was watch helplessly.

Summer Sports

Hydrate up.

Now that summer is here or almost here for most of you, I got to thinking which summer activities are the best when the sun's shining, the girls are half naked, and hydration is a must.  The dog-days of summer can be tough on the average athlete but with the right amount of sunscreen, beverage intake, and competitive spirit, dominating the summer athletic grounds won't be a problem for you.

With no further delay, here's a list of the top 5 activities that are perfect for your summertime experience.

Lather up.

 
5. Wiffleball: Oh yeah, some good ol' wiffleball is always a good call.  Careful though, make sure you're arm and beverage are getting plenty of ice after throwing a high-volume of pitches.

4. Tennis: Tennis can be exhausting, but it's a good way to workout and have fun. I'd recommend a headband and any other band you can get your hands on because you're not leaving the court without a good sweat.

Throw It Down Big Fella

In case you've been living under a rock and haven't heard about this video take a look.  It's become a sensation all over YouTube and here's why...

1. The anticipation.  For a second there you really thought big boy was going to slam it home.  Little did we all know that the only thing he'd be slamming home was his face.  Luckily for everyone though there was some protective padding there.  Otherwise, big boy's face is broken, the Atlanta Hawks have a lawsuit on their hands, and this video goes from hilarious to hilarious and "did they really think he was going to dunk it?"

2. The disappointment.  The poor guy just laid there face first on the canvas in utter sorrow and embarrassment.  But, I gotta hand it to the big guy, he competed.  All anyone can ask for is your best effort and he clearly displayed that even when the odds (and gravity) were strongly against him.

Bye Beads

I'm a big ESPN guy for those of you who didn't know that already.  It's my homepage on my computer and it's on the TV even when I'm not in the house. One day I hope to be lucky enough to land a job there with my own radio show or as an anchor for the latest edition of SportsCenter.  So, when I hear that Michelle Beadle, a good-looking, funny, and knowledgeable female is planning on leaving ESPN for NBC Sports Network it rattles me a little bit.

Let's be honest, Beadle is a babe.  She's been deemed as the heir apparent to Erin Andrews who is the godmother of sexy sports reporters.  For what it's worth, I give a slight edge to Andrews in the physical department and Beadle a slight edge in the mental department.  Andrews has raw talent, she's good, and she knows it.  Beadle's a guy's girl.  She looks good but knows how to have a good time.  Either way you look at it, it's like Andrew Luck and RG3, you can't go wrong.

SportsNation

Beadle was best known at ESPN for her role on SportsNation.  This was a great show in large part due to her gorgeous blue eyes and my man Colin Cowherd giving the best insight to all things sports since Berg & Bisq.  The show was funny, it was light, it was sometimes stupid, but it was different and that's what made it appealing.  This duo definitely ranked in the top 3 for me as far as ESPN tandem's right behind Neil Everett & Stan Verrett and Scott Van Pelt & Ryen Russillo.  But now that Beadle is leaving what is ESPN is going to do with the SportsNation program?  More importantly, what are they going to do to replace the ever-so-beautiful Beadle?

So You Think You're Big League

An interesting thing happened at the Diamondbacks-Cardinals game the other day. A guy took a girl on their first date to the ballgame, and proceeded to bring a sign that proclaimed that it was their first time out with each other. Well the guys at Fox Sports Arizona caught the couple and made a bit of an event out of it.  Take a look at the video it's actually quite hilarious. 

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not too familiar with the whole dating situation--its pretty foreign to me. But I'm going to go ahead and offer this guy some advice.

1. Don't announce to all of Chase Field that this is your first date. In reality, if you hadn't done that then there would be nothing to talk about and it actually turned into quite a funny situation but the whole poster thing was awkward. The two seemed as if they had no rapport and she was a bit standoffish. But hey in the end it turned out to be a good move, although I think the girl had no intention of denying him a second date on camera--bless her heart.

AAA always there when you need them

 2. Yo dude, when you car breaks down whatever you do, don't call your date to pick you up. Call your mom, your buddy, AAA, your math teacher, your ex, but not your date. It implies too many negative connotations, and its just the first step to a disastrous date. I know you were probably worried about being late and everything, but having to rely on your date for a ride is so unbecoming. C'mon man, you're better than that.

Ship Him Out Of Boston

Robert Valentine, also known as Bobby V is the manager for the ailing Boston Red Sox.  Sox Nation (Boston accent) can't be too pleased with the state of their ballclub or their new skipper.  I'm not even a Sox fan and I cringe every time I turn on SportsCenter to see them getting waxed by an inferior opponent. I mean at this point I guess you can't exactly call them inferior opponents but it is what it is.  And right now, Red Sox players and fans are fatigued.  By fatigued, I mean exasperated mentally, physically, and emotionally with Bobby Valentine. Yeah, I'll cut him some slack and point out that they are missing some key players due to serious injury, but my God get control of your clubhouse Valentine.

Valentine came into Boston with a chip on his shoulder.  He took over for Terry Francona who I happen to like now that he is a frequent contributor for ESPN.  Ironically enough, Valentine was an ESPN analyst after coaching overseas in Japan.  So, essentially Francona and Valentine swapped places and boy-oh-boy ESPN loves it and the Red Sox hate it.

Things are definitely NOT okay in Boston

Valentine is more concerned with calling out players than getting his unit solidified on the diamond.  By the way, the guy he called out was Derek Jeter.  Probably the last person you want to call out for a variety of reasons.  First off, he plays for the team that basically pushes you around in what Boston calls a rivalry.  He's a 12-time All-Star having won five world championships.  And lastly, he's 37-years-old playing like he's 27 with a .388 BA 5 HR and 15 RBI.  Meanwhile, the Sox are 12-18 and in last place in the vaunted AL East.
 

The Dodgers?

I hate the Dodgers.  Or should I say I used to hate the Dodgers.  In the span of about one month the Dodgers have gone from one of my most hated organizations to one that I'm beginning to favor.

Nobody calls a better game than Vin Scully

I took Clayton Kershaw as my No. 1 arm in my fantasy baseball league.  Matt Kemp is about as exciting a baseball player you're going to find.  Magic Johnson just bought the team.  Their home whites have to be one of the cleanest looks in the game.  And, let's not forget about ol' reliable, Vin Scully.

Matt Kemp is becoming a star in Los Angeles

What's not to love?


Well, for starters,  I'm an Angel fan.  Secondly, it's difficult to attend a ballgame without looking over your shoulder thinking you're going to get put into a coma.  Thirdly, what they call a baseball cathedral ought to be called Waste Management Ballpark.  And lastly, the fact that they replaced "Dodger" with "Hot" for their stadium hot dogs has to the biggest scam right up with there with having to pay ten bucks for a cold one to wash it down.


But, for now, I say forget all that.  The Dodgers have emerged into a respectable organization with a bright future.  Did I just say that about the Dodgers?  Really?  The Dodgers?

I'm taking off, you take it easy.

Bisq