Why I Don't Like Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue ...

On newsstands now is the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue with the absolutely gorgeous Kate Upton on the cover. Even though looking at Upton in a small bikini is enough to make any straight man happy I’m still not a fan of the SI swimsuit issue. In fact, I’ve long said that I’m probably the only guy in the world who hates Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue.

Why? The answer is actually quite simple.

I lose respect for a journalism publication that covers sports all year around, but for one week completely drops sports altogether to show scantily clad women. It doesn’t seem very ethical to me. In fact, it’s simply a ploy to sell as many issues as they can. I get that Sports Illustrated is a business and they are in business to sell as many issues of their magazine as they possibly can (and the swimsuit issue is their biggest selling issue of the year), but the swimsuit issue seems to go against everything that Sports Illustrated should be about, i.e. sports.

It would almost be like Playboy having one issue every year dedicated to sports instead of naked women. It just doesn’t seem right. 

There is no way that Sports Illustrated is ever going to drop the swimsuit issue and every year I’ll have to explain once again why I hate the swimsuit issue. Keep this in mind. Kate Upton is on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Ed Reed has never made the cover. Novak Djokovic has never made the cover. Manny Pacquiao has never made the cover. And the list goes on and on.

2012 Top 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series Prediction

10. Michael Annett
#43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford

9. Brian Scott
#11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Cole Whitt
#88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

7. Kenny Wallace
#09 RAB Racing Toyota

6. Sam Hornish Jr.
#12 Penske Racing Dodge

5. Trevor Bayne
#16 Roush Racing Ford

4. Justin Allgaier
#31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet

3. Elliott Sadler
#2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

2. Austin Dillon
#3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

1. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
#6 Roush Racing Ford

2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Top 10 Predictions

10. Joey Coulter
#22 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

9. Parker Kligerman
#29 Brad Keselowski Racing Dodge

8. Miguel Paludo
#TBD Turner Motorsports Chevrolet

7. Timothy Peters
#17 Red Horse Racing Toyota

6. Nelson Piquet Jr.
#TBD Turner Motorsports Chevrolet

5. Matt Crafton
#88 ThorSport Racing Toyota

4. Ty Dillon
#3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

3. James Buescher
#31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet

2. Ron Hornaday
#9 Joe Denette Motorsports

1. Johnny Sauter
#13 ThorSport Racing Toyota

Golf is Boring? Then Don't F***ing Watch It (And Leave Me Alone)

While at work yesterday I was attempting to watch as much of Phil Mickelson’s victory at Pebble Beach as I could on a TV that sits on the far side of the room. During the afternoon I was told by three different co-workers how boring the sport was and usually asked, “How can you watch golf?” It’s a statement that I’ve heard and question that I’ve been asked many times in my life, especially in the last few years. Almost every response included the phrase: “I’d rather watch paint dry.” My typical response to that is, “well, than go watch paint dry.”

When someone tells me that golf is boring I always ask them why. They never seem to be able to tell me why they think it’s boring. Most times their answer is the very vague and ignorant, “it just is.” If you can’t tell somebody why you don’t like it or why you find it boring than it generally means that you have zero clue about what you’re talking about.

I happen to find the sport of golf incredibly exciting and it’s frankly hard for me to believe anybody who paid attention to Mickelson’s huge comeback and win yesterday at Pebble Beach could think otherwise. You have your opinions and there perfectly fine with me, but I’m sick of hearing your opinions on how boring this sport that I like is. If you find golf boring than you don’t have to watch it, but don’t act offended by the fact that I do. Once again, that’s very ignorant.   

Vet Blaney Screwed in Favor of New "Golden Girl" Patrick

Last week an alliance was formed between NASCAR Sprint Cup teams Stewart-Haas Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing in which the Stewart-Haas #10 car driven by Danica Patrick, who is set to make her Sprint Cup Series debut in the Daytona 500, purchased the drivers points of Tommy Baldwin’s #36 car driven by Cup Series veteran Dave Blaney. 

This acquisition was key for Patrick and Stewart-Haas Racing as Baldwin’s #36 ride was in the top 35 in points last season and this mean’s Patrick is locked into the Daytona 500 no matter what and doesn’t have to rely on qualifying speed or racing her way into the race via the qualifying races the Thursday before the 500. 

This also means that unfortunately Dave Blaney could be screwed. Blaney did an yeoman’s job last season driving Baldwin’s underfunded car and keeping it in the top 35 in points and now his earned spot in the Daytona 500, the sport’s Super Bowl, has been stripped from him to give the sport’s new “Golden Girl” a free spot in the race. 

Sure, Blaney could very likely still make the Daytona 500 via qualifying speed or the qualifying race, but it’s basically now a crapshoot for him when he previously didn’t have anything to worry about. 

This is how Danica Patrick has always gotten by and it, along with her attitude, is why I’ve never cared for her. She’s always been given stuff because she’s a female, she’s attractive and she’s a sponsor’s dream. Meanwhile, a vet like Blaney who’s never been given anything in the sport and has earned everything is screwed in favor of her. That’s not the way things should work in NASCAR.  That’s not the way things should work in life.