Junkies Archive
Yes, I made it back from Miami to DC before the blizzard hit. I wanted to get out and kiss the ground after the pilot made his smooth landing on one of America's shortest runways at Reagan National Airport yesterday. I celebrated by stuffing my face with an Auntie ... Read More
I know Washington Capitals fans are going to be bitter with me -- they might call me a jinx, an idiot, and every other name in the book -- but the Caps have to get to the Stanley Cup Finals this year. If they don't, they may never get ... Read More
It's great to see Jim Zorn land on his feet so quickly in Baltimore. This might be the perfect situation for him, as he would be able to keep his family in Great Falls if that's what he preferred and commute or rent a condo in Baltimore. He'll be ... Read More
With the 2009-2010 Washington Wizards season in a 14-30 death spiral, derailed by Gilbert Arenas' incredibly stupid practical joke of bringing firearms into the locker room, it's now time to look ahead and see where Agent Zero will be playing ball in the 2010-2011 season. As talented as he ... Read More
God I wish the Super Bowl was this weekend. I'd be in Miami right now with the rest of the Junkies enjoying the weather and avoiding the impending snow in DC while getting geared up for the Colts-Saints matchup. Instead, the NFL gives us the Pro Bowl. Who cares ... Read More
Now that we are about halfway through a brutally long NBA season, here are my awards and predictions for the post-season. Eastern Conference Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Orlando Magic Toronto Raptors Miami Heat Chicago Bulls Charlotte Bobcats Western Conference Playoffs LA Lakers Denver Nuggets Dallas Mavericks ... Read More
Brett Favre is a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback. Nobody is more exciting than he is on Sunday, even at age 40. But somewhere along the way, this good 'ole boy tough guy from Mississippi turned into a whiny, teary-eyed, wishy wash, mush mouth that most of us ... Read More
Alright, I'm pumped up about the Caps' 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night at The Igloo, and for good reason. The Caps are 8-2 in their last 10 games, lead the Eastern Conference with 70 points, and are making a mockery of the Southeast Division, which they ... Read More
It's been a while since the NBA's Dunk Contest has been must-see TV but this year might be the worst lineup ever. Besides returning champion Nate Robinson, this year's competitors include Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown, Eric Gordon and DeMar DeRozan. I'm guessing you haven't even heard of most of ... Read More
If Mark Sanchise wins Sunday it would be one of the greatest stories in the history of sports. It would be on par with George Mason's run to the Final Four or Michael Phelps' 8 golds in Beijing. Think about this. Sanchez threw 20 picks this year in the ... Read More
Gilbert Arenas is better than you. I'm sorry, he is. So please stop comparing your situation to his. Are you world class in your field? Are you an integral part of a multibillion dollar business? Are you the face of your franchise? If not, please stop acting like the ... Read More
It's now officially time to throw my hat back into the game-picking ring; unfortunately, my last foray didn't turn out so well. On the Junkies show earlier this week, I claimed the Caps over the Tampa Bay Lightning was "the bet of the decade." I guess it was if ... Read More
Just when you thought things couldn't get worse for the Washington Wizards, they lose to the hapless Detroit Pistons, who had lost 13 in a row. The Wizards' season has been tumultuous to say the least, from injuries to the Gilbert Arenas debacle, but now they've become a total ... Read More
1) The Skins would struggle to score 51 points in a game, even if you spotted them 30. I hope Jim Zorn was at home taking notes. Not that it matters for the Redskins. But if he ever gets a chance to run an offense again, he needs to ... Read More
Pete Carroll tried this before - In 1994 in New York and soon after with the Pats, and it was underwhelming. He was a .500 coach, went to the playoffs a couple times, and he was solid; but he would soon stake his claim as one of the elite ... Read More
Alright, enough with all the Gilbert Arenas jokes already..."Did you hear that Coach Saunders was changing Gil's position from point guard to..." If I have to fill in the blanks for you, or if you think that joke is funny, we can no longer be friends. Bottom line on ... Read More
What are the Hall of Fame voters thinking? The Baseball Writers of America somehow wake up one morning and all of the sudden believe that Andre Dawson is worthy, but the eight previous years he wasn't? What? Don't get me wrong. The Hawk deserved it. He had great numbers ... Read More
Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder made another big splash, hiring former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan to be the next Redskins coach. Let's just hope that's the last we hear from Snyder during the Shanahan era. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors at Redskins Park ... Read More
Somebody made the list three times. Happy New Year everybody. ... Read More
With 2009 almost in the rear view mirror, tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and I'll be in the VIP section of an exclusive club, ordering $500 bottles of Cristal as the ball drops in New York City. And if you believe that, I have about a dozen boxes of ... Read More
Who knows what the actual truth is on this Adam James story, but if it's true, Mike Leach should be gone, no questions asked. James, who plays for Texas Tech and is the son of ESPN's Craig James, claims that after being diagnosed with a concussion on December 16, ... Read More
The Indianapolis Colts had a chance to go undefeated. At 14-0, the Colts were right there. And they had a 15-10 lead in the third quarter against the New York Jets on Sunday. Then head coach Jim Caldwell pulled Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and many ... Read More
As we all enjoy the Christmas and holiday season, hopefully with loved ones nearby, it's always important to look back at the past year and appreciate the good and the not so good memories. Every year has highs and lows unfortunately. It's the nature of being among the living. ... Read More
We're neck deep in a weekend blizzard and Christmas is just a week away, so it's time to break out the Naughty and Nice list for 2009... NAUGHTY... Tiger Woods - His was clearly the biggest fall from grace for an athlete since OJ Simpson; it's safe to say ... Read More
It is time to panic. I think it was time to panic when Abe Pollin (RIP) signed Gil to his sweetheart deal of $111 mill. The Wizards went out and got a proven winner in Flip Saunders to coach this disaster and now they lose in every way possible. ... Read More
After the Washington Wizards' fourth straight loss on Saturday night to the Indiana Pacers, head coach Flip Saunders said, "We're inventing ways to lose." So what is it now? Critical free throws missed when the Wizards need them the most. And who's missing them? How about their best player, ... Read More
Admit it. Even though we say we aren't surprised another icon has fallen from grace - we really are shocked that arguably the greatest athlete of his generation, Tiger Woods, has crashed and burned this quickly. Two weeks ago Tiger was on top of the world. He recently locked ... Read More
The snow is coming down for the first time this winter, holiday shopping is ramping up at the local malls, and I'm itching to pick more games...time for another installment of Cakes' Weekend Winners! I've got two college picks and three from the pros, so let's get to it: ... Read More
I have to admit I am absolutely shocked at what has transpired the last six days. I would have put Tiger down at the bottom of the stack, just above Peyton Manning and Jamie Moyer, on the list of possible sports creepers, but the guy is human. Now it's ... Read More
Brett Favre threw another three touchdowns yesterday to lead the Minnesota Vikings to their tenth victory in 11 games. It's safe to say it was a pretty good decision to bring Favre out of retirement. But nobody expected an MVP type season from the 40-year-old quarterback. Well, with 24 ... Read More
I only met Abe Pollin once in my life. As a quasi member of the media I got an invite to the annual media dinner at Abe's house in Washington DC in the late 90s. For the mainstream media, this was no big deal; a standard evening with the ... Read More
The Cavaliers-Wizards game ended nearly 24 hours ago, and I'm pretty sure LeBron James is still whining to the refs, looking for a call. When does it end? Before I get neck-deep into the LeBron hating, let's give some props to the Wizards on a much needed 108-91 home ... Read More
Lou Holtz said earlier in the college football season that Notre Dame would play Florida in the BCS Championship. Yep, he actually said that. When I heard it I almost choked on a chicken wing, but I didn't realize that would be the most absurd prediction ever made on ... Read More
I didn't stay up to watch the Colts come back to beat the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. Why would I? The game looked like it was over when the Patriots took a 31-14 lead in the fourth quarter; I have to wake up before 5:00 am; and as ... Read More
They did it again. For the second time in three tries the Navy Midshipmen went into South Bend and knocked off one of the most storied programs in college football history. While many of Notre Dame's players dream of BCS bowl games and playing on Sunday, Navy quietly takes ... Read More
Time to look into my crystal ball and pick out the winners for Week 9 of the NFL slate. In case you've been living in a cave for the past few years, I am the world's worst handicapper; can't pick a winner to save my life. Just go against ... Read More
Once again HBO is airing another rendition of 24/7 to hype up another huge pay-per-view boxing match. This time it's a mega-fight between Manny Paquiao and Miguel Cotto coming up on Saturday, November 14. Paquiao has had an amazing year with devastating wins over Oscar De La Hoya and ... Read More
Case Keenum should win the Heisman. He's having the best year. Is he the best QB in the country projected to the NFL? No. Is he having the best year, statistically, of any QB in the country by a landslide? Absolutely. Five more TDs against Southern Miss and 559 ... Read More
Love fantasy, love it. Cant get it enough. When I saw that I had the top pick in our draft, I got a little excited. LeBron is mine. He already has a triple double this year. The rest of my squad... Melo Kevin Martin Joe Johnson Mike Redd Josh ... Read More
Halloween is less than a week away, and I couldn't be happier. The NFL is in full swing, the NHL is heating up, and NBA hoops gets under way this week - Clearly the best time of the year! You may not be dressing up this Halloween, but plenty ... Read More
First let me preface this by saying I picked the Washington Redskins to win the NFC East. Despite all the evidence to the contrary I conjured up glorious scenarios of Albert Haynesworth manhandling offensive lines and freeing up Brian Orakpo and those old fogies Andre Carter and Philip Daniels. ... Read More
If you're a sports fan, you've heard the phrase "Manny being Manny." That refers to the often bizzare and callous behavior from Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez. Well this week hit an all-time low. During Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, manager Joe Torre pulled Ramirez ... Read More
How does VT lose to a team that completed one pass? How can that happen? I realize that GT has better athletes than, let's say, Army or Navy, but c'mon....Tyrod Taylor will always be a one dimensional QB because he's NOT good. The ACC is so average. The fact ... Read More
It's official...I've completely lost control of my life. My sports viewing/rooting habits have been forever altered by the proliferation of fantasy sports, and it's driving me crazy. You know it's a sad state of affairs when you streamline your NFL fantasy football team collection from six to four, and ... Read More
I'll admit it. I have a man crush on Peyton Manning. I grew up a Colts fan -- my Dad lived in Baltimore for years, got a Masters from Johns Hopkins University and ultimately brainwashed me -- and I've stuck with them during the lean years with Mike Pagel ... Read More
After losing to the worst team in the NFL three weeks ago, squeaking over the Buccaneers last week, and now losing to the Carolina Panthers, it's obvious the Washington Redskins are a disaster. No set of fresh eyes can cure what ails this team. This team is sick. It's ... Read More
1. NY GIANTS 4-0 Best balance in the league with 2 legit backs, a top 7 qb and 3 young receivers that can all play and are making the critics forget about Plax. Plus, a great defense. ... Read More
Take that, all of you Ralph Friedgen haters. You can imagine that thought (or maybe one with a few choice four letter words) was running through Maryland Terrapins football coach Ralph Friedgen's head after the Terps upset Clemson 24-21 at Byrd Stadium on Saturday. I'll be honest, I thought ... Read More
We're almost through three weeks of the NFL season so why not release the first JP Power Poll with my take on who are the most impressive teams thus far. (1) Baltimore Ravens - They still have a great defense led by Ray Lewis but it's the offense that ... Read More
Gotta get back on the horse after sitting out Week 2 in the NFL. I'm adopting a "Less is More" policy since my pedestrian 7-8 won-loss record for my Week 1 NFL picks. I'm going with just seven games in Week 3, shooting for a 5-2 record, and I ... Read More
I've never thought a coach should be fired after a win before. In fact, other than winning the last game of a dreadful season, has a coach ever been fired after a win, let alone after one midseason? I bet it's never happened. I'm sure it's happened in baseball ... Read More
Just another reason why the BCS is a complete fiasco and comedy act: The coaches shouldn't be voting on teams they have no chance to watch. Are you kidding me with this? Florida State is five spots below BYU after pounding them around Provo for 3 hours. Explain. How ... Read More
You don't usually talk about "must wins" during the second week of the NFL season but we've kicked around whether the Redskins are already in such a situation on the show this week. Do I think the Redskins must beat the Rams? Yes. But beyond that--they need to blow ... Read More
I know, most people reading this blog are laughing uncontrollably with me trying to pick winners for the Week 1 NFL matchups. But seasoned Junkies listeners know there is a method to the madness - the "Always Bet Against Cakes" legend continues to grow. All you need to do ... Read More
We have waited seven months since Florida beat Oklahoma in the BCS Championship and can you believe it's back already? - College football 2009-10. We start in just three days and there are some sillies to open up the year. Here are the games I am looking forward to ... Read More
Let me get this disclaimer out of the way right now...I like Baltimore, I really do. But I've been spending entirely too much time in Charm City over the past month. If I go back again before the end of September, just buy me a pair of the awful ... Read More
Today on The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan, we had another heated argument about the Redskins, quarterback play, and how quarterbacks are evaluated. My argument is that as far as well known available stats are concerned, QB rating is the most all encompassing stat that we have to ... Read More
Only one team in history has won three national titles in four years: Nebraska in '94, '95, and split in '97, and that was pre BCS. So what Florida can accomplish this year might be even more impressive considering how complicated the numbers get with human and computer polls. ... Read More
There is no way to put this gently, or to sugarcoat it...Plaxico Burress is an idiot. He basically flushed his career away so that he could look like a tough guy by bringing a gun into a New York City nightclub in November 2008 and proceeded to shoot himself ... Read More
We've had a few days to digest the Redskins' first preseason game and one thing comes to mind. It's more of the same. Maybe I'm reading too much into Thursday night's shutout at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, but wouldn't it have been nice for Redskins fans to ... Read More
I really do feel sorry for Washington Redskins QB Jason Campbell. From the looks of the patchwork offensive line that will allegedly protect him this season, he could be in a prone position for much of the 2009 NFL campaign. I hope he practiced lots of sprinting drills this ... Read More
Not only am I now betting on WNBA games (yes, I took the over last night in the Phoenix-Mercury game), but I have jumped into the world of college fantasy football! I did this once years ago when EB drafted a kid from BYU who had already graduated, but ... Read More
God bless Eli Manning. I'm not going to hate on the man for signing a six-year $97.5 million dollar extension. Are you kidding? I'd let somebody webcast my bathroom activity for a lot less than that. I'd run with the Bulls naked in Pamplona for that kind of scratch. ... Read More
The start of training camp often brings tons of optimism. Just listen to EB on our show and you'd think the Redskins were almost guaranteed a deep playoff run. Well why not? Quarterback Jason Campbell enters his second season under Jim Zorn. The defense, which was ranked 4th in ... Read More
How has Michael Vick not found a home in the NFL yet? Is the talent level at the quarterback position at an all-time high? That's laughable, considering some of these names that are currently drawing backup-QB paychecks: Todd Bouman, Brian Brohm, David Carr, Charlie Frye, and Bruce Gradkowski. Trust ... Read More
One of the top three pitchers in baseball is available. JP Riccardi wants to give him up. I don't know why, but he does. I guess the economy is killing the Jays. The Red Sox have slipped the last month. They have lost 8 of 11 since July 18th. ... Read More
We have been debating Jason Campbell's ability for a few years now. I can hear my on-air partner JP in my sleep. "I already know who Jason Campbell is as a quarterback. He is who he is, an average QB". Campbell has been in the league for four years ... Read More
- Brett Favre is waffling on whether or not he should come out of retirement once again. Surprise, surprise. Favre had indicated previously that he'd make a decision by today but apparently he's torn on whether he wants to go through with it and play for the Vikings. So ... Read More
It's really tough to be a Washington Nationals fan these days. It's not even August yet, and the Nats are a staggering 39 games under.500, at 27-66. That can't even be considered a sub-.500 record; that's a subterranean spot in the standings. I think I'd have to pack the ... Read More
I have never pulled harder for a team, player, coach or any other figure in the history of sports in my life. I swear. Not the '94 49ers in the NFC Championship against Dallas. Not the Red Sox in 2004 in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Empire. ... Read More
It's official, the mighty talk station that changed radio around the country is being laid to rest: WJFK 106.7 FM becomes 106.7 The Fan at 6 am Monday morning. The Junkies, now The Sports Junkies once again, kick off a new sports station in the DC metro area that ... Read More
On our show we typically rip into idiot athletes and celebrities every Friday with our "Donkeys of the Week" segment. But given that there are so many donkeys out there, I figured I'd blast some right here: Just when you think you've heard it all, a gem of a ... Read More
The shocking news that Steve McNair had been killed in an apparent murder-suicide in Nashville this past Saturday is only the latest in a grim string of gun-related killings that have plagued the NFL in the past decade: -Carolina Panthers running back Fred Lane was gunned down by his ... Read More
Remember a few weeks ago I asked the donks opinion on a fantasy baseball trade? I was offered Markakis and Ellsbury for A-Roid and I turned it down. A-Rod proceeded to drop his average to about .207 and Markakis and Ellsbury stayed solid, hitting around .300. Well, since I'm ... Read More
I'm dying for the NFL but at least the NBA offseason brings a few storylines to the dog days of summer. Here are a few of my thoughts on some of the offseason moves so far: (1) Shaquille O'Neal will not help LeBron James win a championship. In fact, ... Read More
Men's Soccer in the United States had been left for dead. This country's most storied coach, Bruce Arena left after a disappointing World Cup in 2006. He had taken the National team from a world ranking of #19 to a peak of #4 after the 2002 World Cup when ... Read More
Call me a homer, but I'm a huge fan of the trade that Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld orchestrated yesterday, shipping the #5 pick in the NBA Draft and a collection of bench stiffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves for guards Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Are the Wizards guard-heavy after ... Read More
Thank God my boys have the Nats on the schedule for Interleague Play this year. These are the types of teams and series you have to win, bar none. Gotta win 'em. The Sox are 42-27, second best in baseball. They are in a soft part of the schedule. ... Read More
Superstar athletes get everything they want every step of the way. From fame to fortune to women, superstardom clearly has its fringe benefits. But our justice system shouldn't be hijacked by athletes. Lady Justice is supposed to be blind. Well clearly something is broken because superstar athletes seem to ... Read More
Tiger Woods won The Memorial two weeks ago, shooting 65 on Sunday and birdieing the last two holes to win by one shot. He hit every fairway on Sunday and proved to everybody that he once again is the heavy favorite heading into the US Open at Bethpage Black ... Read More
Well, this is shaping up to be the worst summer of my life, and it's only mid-June. Let me take you back less than two weeks ago in the Always Bet Against Cakes time machine, and check out a line from my post, Greatest Weekend Ever: "Good night, Pittsburgh...IT'S ... Read More
Game 4 of the NBA Finals was an absolute choke job. Simple as that. There are so many questions about why the Magic couldn't win it and force a pivotal Game 5 and even the series, but teams that aren't prepared to win play like Orlando did last night. ... Read More
As expected, the Washington Nationals drafted San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the # 1 pick in the MLB First-Year Player Draft. There was no question that Strasburg was the best prospect available. The 6'4", 220-pound hurler struck out 195 batters while issuing just 19 walks this season. ... Read More
1) Lebron should have shook hands and talked to the media after being eliminated by the Orlando Magic. I don't think it was a catastrophic mistake. I'm not going to overreact and say he's a bad guy, and I'm not going to forget about how great he's acted since ... Read More
Short of a weekend when I cash a $100 million Mega Millions lottery ticket, this past weekend was the Greatest of All Time for me. LeBron James is eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are down 0-2 in the Stanley Cup Finals? Are you kidding me? ... Read More
So Cakes wanted me to blog about the French Open so I will. Most people would rather watch the National Spelling Bee than the French, but I would call those people...stupid! The French Open final will be a must-see event because, most likely, it will feature Roger Federer and ... Read More
What else can LeBron James do? Seriously, in last night's 116-114 overtime loss to Orlando, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar dropped 44 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and doled out 7 assists. And yet it wasn't enough. After finishing with the best record in the NBA this season, the Cavs find ... Read More
LeBron James is even better than we thought. His game-winning three pointer at the buzzer in Game 2 was, in his words, the biggest shot of his career so far. He's just scratching the surface too. He'll have even more spectacular buzzer beaters as his career progresses. I wouldn't ... Read More
Big surprise, there won't be a Triple Crown winner again this year, after Rachel Alexandra won last week's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. And I couldn't be happier, because horse racing is dumb. There hasn't been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Know what was happening in 1978? ... Read More
I know you care more about the school sysytem in China, but should I pull the trig on this deal? I am a fantasy baseball geek and I take pride in it. I have played for 12 years and I have four titles and three runner ups. So I ... Read More
Tomorrow night the NBA will hold one of the biggest non-events in sports, the NBA Draft Lottery. TNT will air it before the Lakers tip off against the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. We've all watched this before. Ping pong balls, big cards with team logos and a ... Read More
How could the instant classic Caps-Pens series not have reached a Game 7? This has been the most amazing Stanley Cup playoff series I can remember, and it comes to a head tonight at Verizon Center. This Game 7 is probably the toughest ticket in DC in the past ... Read More
I know everybody is jumping off the bandwagon because the Caps are floundering in the second round of the playoffs against their nemesis the Pittsburgh Penguins. I understand the frustration. This team has so much potential. But if it doesn't happen this year, it will happen sooner rather than ... Read More
I can't say I was shocked or surprised when I got a text message yesterday as I teed off at Stonewall Golf Club that said, "Oh my god, Manny got 50". I knew exactly what it was for, I knew that anyone who has played in the last 15 ... Read More
So I got sucked in by all of the hype surrounding the Manny Pacquiao - Ricky Hatton fight. 24/7 on HBO is a riveting show and it always has me thinking the underdog has a shot. Then we had Floyd Mayweather, Sr. on the Junkies and he had me ... Read More
I know that hate is a strong word, and I try to use it sparingly. But, I do reserve a healthy dose of hatred for certain individuals and teams. I hate former Wizard Kwame Brown for being the worst #1 overall NBA draft pick in the past 20 years. ... Read More
The most important piece of the Washington Capitals playoff run hasn't played one second for the team. I'm not talking about their passionate owner Ted Leonsis. He's been tremendously supportive and even said on our show a few months ago he still expected to lose $10 million dollars this ... Read More
I know, terrible title for the post, but who cares. So, let's start with Friday night and the Caps. Two things are obvious. One, Jose Theodore should never see the ice again unless Varly is hung over from too much Stoly; and two, the Caps should have swept the ... Read More
The Washington Capitals are better than the New York Rangers. Period. So why can't they come back to win this series? Sure the odds are against them. Lurch keeps pointing out that teams down 3 games to 1 have an 8% chance of coming back to win the series, ... Read More
How great was Capitals' goalie Simeon Varlamov last night at Madison Square Garden? I assumed he would fold under the pressure of his first NHL road playoff start. Instead, he turned in a masterful 33-save shutout performance, keeping the Caps alive in the series, trailing the New York Rangers ... Read More
