The Postmen bid you farewell

August 25th, 2008 | Posted by The Postmen

Today, dear reader, we have some bad news. But we also have some good news.

First: the bad. Today, Monday, August 25, 2008, will be the last official day The Postmen as you know it will operate. We started as two clueless college juniors at this thing nearly two and a half years ago, (seriously: we had no clue how to create a Web site; we thought they just magically appeared) and we learned a lot. We grew up. And crazy people actually offered us money to do what we were already loving to do for free.

As we’ve grown up, so too has the medium. Blogs are now undeniably important sports publishing medium. We had nothing to do with that. No matter what Buzz Bissinger may tell you, there are talented and amazing writers that pen them daily, and in our fair opinion offer more value to us than most newspaper columnists ever could. Blogs are a huge part of our fandom now. They’re complementary to everything we love about sports. More people are realizing that, and it’s a good thing.

We are lucky. Lucky because we feel we got in on this before the medium really exploded and you had to fight super hard for an audience. Lucky because we see great and talented friends from journalism school struggling to find good employment in an age where newspapers face an uncertain future. (Though Web startups are hardly known for their stability.)

And lastly: we are lucky because a few of you actually found your way here. Though we might not have been the most read sports blog, and nowhere near the best, we do appreciate you reading and giving a damn, even if you, in your daily stream of link surfing, immediately forgot about it. Milleseconds are still seconds, you know?

OK, so the good news: we are still going to be doing this kind of blogging (Chicago-centric with bits of national stuff). We’re just going to be doing it over at MOUTHPIECE Blog now. R got hired on at MOUTHPIECESPORTS — this capitalization is crucial, apparently  — a sports content startup, a short time ago to head the blogging operations and he’s enlisted E at his side. They’ll be blogging with incredible assistance from the considerable talents of FanHouse’s Will Brinson and Jon Bois of Dugout fame. Call it a rebrith.

We’ll still be other places too: E is still going to hit up the Dagger and FanHouse; R is still at ESPN the Mag. And Inside the Hall is still rocking and rolling as well. Also, we both have Tumblrs. We blog way too much.

We are still young dudes. We do not know where we will be in ten years or where this medium will take us eventually. But we do know this: writing as PostmanE and PostmanR here will always be in the fabric of our identities. This site has been an important part of our lives. Though it has lagged of late, it has been our baby. We are sad to see it go.

However different things may be from when we started, we will always be Postmen.

Pizza Hut grants Michael Phelps free pizza for a year

August 20th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

Pizza Hut, part of Yum Brands Inc., is giving Phelps and his teammates on the men’s and women’s U.S. swim team free pizza and pasta for a year. The company didn’t say if it would do any advertisements with the team but said it would be willing to join in public appearances.

Man, Pizza Hut is smart. See, what they’re doing here is not paying Phelps a cent, but using his uber-fame at the moment to get their name out a bit. And hey, he apparently likes to eat a lot, so of course he wants some of their delicious pizza. (Aside: how good are the P’Zones from Pizza Hut? Seriously: it’s like heaven in your mouth.)

What I’m hoping here is that there is an intern compiling blog mentions of this story so that the marketing whizzes at the company see how smart they are and how much chatter it drummed up today. Intern, are you there? If so, is there some sort of way myself and E can get free P’Zones for a year? We may not have eight gold medals between us, but we pretty much have eight different blogs between us — which is like, way more important.

Usain Bolt is from another planet

August 20th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

Let us get one thing straight: it is not so much that Usain Bolt is setting world records and winning golds. These things happen at the Olympic Games. It is the fact that in races that last but a scant few seconds, he is absolutely destroying the competition.

At the top level of sprinting competition, everyone is so close; the skill sets of athletes are near identical and it’s the little things (like taking PEDs!) that give you that tenth of a second edge against your competition. But with Bolt, this does not exist. I’m pretty confident he could have crawled in the last 10 meters of his 200 meter run last night and still won (video probably down by the time you read this):

Say what you want about Michael Phelps — his records and medals are an amazing feat — but I was much more entranced and fascinated by Bolt’s Olympic endeavors than Phelps’. Dude is a flat out FREAK.

{HT: The Sporting Blog.}

Help Wanted: In need of a quality, hard-working indivdual who blogs for the love, son

August 19th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

So, rumor has it the two swell gentleman that currently blog on this site may in fact be moving to another blogging locale on the Internet. (Perez Hilton has been all over this shizz.)

The one writing this post may — and I stress may — have an opportunity for some sports blogging for you — yes you! or your friend or loved one — reading this very post right now. It will even involve getting a check in the mail every month with an agreed upon amount of US currency. (Wow: money!)

However, I don’t want you because you want to get paid; I want you because you are good at what you do and love to blog.

All interested parties can e-mail me at rcorazza at gmail dot com.

Kobe and LBJ are zuperfans

August 19th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

Hey, notice those two basketball stars in the above photo. (Come on, the picture quality isn’t that bad.) If you guessed Kobe Bryant and LeBron James … you are correct, sir! (Or madam.) They were in the stands  at the Kerri Walsh-Misty May vs. the Brazilians match last evening. (Or yesterday morning, or however the hell the time difference works out.)

And look! They saw Michael Phelps swim for gold the other day — or night — too:

They are apparently fanboys of America’s other top athletes, and who can blame them? We are all in a state of Olympic fevor; why women’s gymnastics has kept me up late at night, for Jimmy’s sake. (Don’t get any ideas, it’s for the competition of it all, obvi.)

I like to imagine them giving awkward high fives in the stands. But then I realize they are Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and they are better, much better, than that.

The U.S. medal count: Yep, we’re screwed

August 18th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanE

Believe it or not, there are people out there, in the world, that will consider it extremely important that the U.S. win the overall and gold medal counts at this year’s Olympics. These people can be cross-referenced into three categories: 1. Bush voters. 2. Jay Leno fans. 3. People from Wisconsin.

Despite it being very, very unimportant except for nebulous things like “national pride” and “ability to tell everyone else in the world to suck it”, the medal counts really don’t mean that much. Not at all, actually. China’s ability to avoid regulation while utilizing its incredibly huge, incredibly cheap workforce to overtake the U.S. as the world’s leading economic power … that’s something to be concerned about.

Still, the Postmen are nothing if not in service to our reader or two, so how does the U.S. stand in the medal count? Can we win? Fortunately, the Chicago Tribune wrote about this this morning! What a coincidence! I’m going to blockquote it now!

An everything-goes-right view of the second week has the United States winning 31 gold medals for a total of 48, a whopping 12 more than the U.S. performance in Athens. China won 32 golds at those Games. Expect China to add to its total with three more golds in table tennis, three in diving and one or more in boxing and gymnastics, with others possible in canoe-kayak and track and field.

When it’s all done, and if everything goes the U.S.’s way, that leaves the projected total at:

• U.S. 48.
• China 45.

That’s assuming the U.S. wins absolutely every medal it’s “supposed” to win, and a bunch it’s not. So you’re telling me there’s a chance.

Tony Stewart: Don’t fear the reefer

August 18th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanE

Dude, Tony Stewart. Dude. What’s the deal, man? I’m over here, in my cubicle listening to my dub-step, trying to mellow out. Yeah man. Maybe play a little Rock Band later. Maybe watch some Aqua Teen. Not sure, you know? Just trying to live my life a day a time, and it’s hard, you know, because life is difficult dude and that’s why you have to take time for yourself and just think, man, like, look at the Olympics right now. Think about that. That shit is crazy, man. China, man. Crazy.

Anyway, Tony, dude, what’s up man? I thought we were buddies, and now you’re totally over here harshing me man. Harshing my mellow with your casual and comical ignorance of proper drug lingo:

Stewart, who revels in jousting with the media, jumped in: “What kind of crack are you on? You must be smoking pot grass.”

“Pot grass.” Bwahaha. Nobody smokes “pot grass,” Tony. They smoke bud weed, and occasionally they top themselves off with a little beer alcohol. Duh.

(HT: TSB, which totally just geeked me out, dude.)

From the It-Doesn’t-Even-Matter file

August 18th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanE

You know your quarterback situation’s bad when this is the top sports story in the most important newspaper in your city:

It’s not that we’ve actually come to the point where Kyle Orton is not only the favorite in the Bears’ quarterback competition. That’s not the first sign of a crisis; that’s just business as usual. It’s when the usually reasonable David Haugh throws his hands up in the air and starts pining for Kyle Orton — that, friends, that is when you are truly fucked.

This season is going to rule.

BELA FREAKING LOVES GYMNASTICS

August 15th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanE

More Bela Karolyi freakout video, courtesy of AA:

SHE IS OLYMPIC CHAMPION. YES.

See, I have no idea what Bela is cheering about — the girl is just dancing, you know? But I have a feeling that my friends/roommates/innocent bystanders feel the same way about me when I’m watching soccer. I’m prone to freakouts, even if the stakes look relatively minor to the untrained eye.

So, you see, Bela Karolyi. We’re not so different, you and I. Except you’re a gymnastics coach, so you’re kind of creepy. But in a good way.

The only way to fix Barkley’s swing? A reality show.

August 14th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

Have you guys ever seen that Pussycat Dolls reality show? I don’t know what it’s called or who’s in it or what’s at stake, but I kept it on for three minutes last night because two girls were in the bathtub together at the same time. AND I BET THAT WAS TOTALLY NOT STAGED.

Apparently, Charles Barkley is getting his own reality show to help fix his swing on the Golf Channel and Tiger Wood’s swing coach,  Hank Haley, is getting the call to correct it. I hope it does not feature him and another dude in a bathtub. (Unless it is Dwyane Wade.) The details:

The goal: “Fix Charles Barkley’s swing,’’ says Sir Charles, who took Woods’ suggestion and called Haney. “It’s some ugly (stuff), isn’t it? It’s not only terrible, it’s embarrassing.’’

“I was telling Hank (Tuesday) that when I’m standing over the ball, I’m (expletive deleted) terrified. I have no idea what’s going to happen. He told me he used to have the yips, but not as bad as me. That’s what makes me think he can fix what’s wrong.’’

I used to have the yips too. But I went to this golf outing on Tuesday, and this guy that used to play for the Yankees and then went on to the PGA Tour gave me lessons the whole day and now I only have half a case of the yips. So if I half-cured my yips in one day, I think a whole reality series is going to straighten Charles out.

Yips-ee!