Brady Hoke appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” on FOX Sports Radio Tuesday morning. He started to talk about rivalries and scheduling before taking a detour and calling out the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Hoke broke out the term “chickening out” to describe Notre Dame’s option to cancel the series in the future while continuing annual games against other Big Ten foes.

Notre Dame defensive tackle Louis Nix took to Twitter to respond to Hoke’s comments and created a new term. #MeatChicken will be sweeping the nation in no time.

I’m ready for the ball to go in the air.

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The Twitterverse, social media and 24-hour news cycle this week was replete with punchlines about former Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young and a trio of arrests. Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press spoke with Young’s father, who advised of a long-running attempt to get the troubled wide receiver help and support at offsite rehabilitation programs. The article chronicles the changes in Young’s behavior and his long record of issues that were brought up as red flag during the NFL Draft process.

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If you’ve ever visited one of the Disney resorts, you’ve probably wondered about the secondary lines that exist. You recognize the “Fast Pass” system that is in place, but that couldn’t be the end of it. There are too many people wandering past you. Are they all celebrities? Come to California. You’ll see your share of those if you look hard enough.

No, there’s something else. Tara Palmeri of The New York Post reveals a secondary market, a mini-industry in and of itself that gets you past the long lines in the sweltering sun.

The amusement park line always seemed to be the great equalizer in society. You see 60 or 90-minute waits for a two-minute thrill ride and everybody sweating and griping for the love of their giddy child.

Alas, it’s been a mirage.

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On Sunday Morning, “The Fantasy Freaks” show on FOX Sports Radio welcomed John Caputo, part of a group called Bold City Brigade, an organization designed to build pride and grow the Jaguars fan base. Caputo talked about the organization and the “Even If He’s Released” movement, offering a long explanation of why the addition of Tim Tebow doesn’t fit in line with the team’s long-term goals.

John_Caputo with The Fantasy Freaks

You can check out the website here.

For a long-view look at the Jacksonville organization, check out Alfie Crow’s account on SBNation.com.

The post Even If He’s Released: Jaguars Fans Claim Their Team appeared first on Swollen Dome.

• Washington outfielder Bryce Harper crashed into the right field wall while chasing down a flyball off the bat of A.J. Ellis. Harper lay on the field for several minutes receiving attention from the trainers before exiting the game. David Vassegh (@thereal_dv) of FOX Sports Radio advised on Twitter that he’d spoken to agent Scott Boras. Boras relayed that Harper required 11 stitches on his neck, but had not sustained a concussion. We’ll keep tabs on this story as it develops.
• Aaron Hicks was the hero of the day for the Twins in the 10-3 win over the White Sox. Hicks homered twice and brought back a would-be two-run home run from Adam Dunn.
• The Angels absorbed another loss on Monday as Joe Blanton failed to escape the fifth inning. Sure, he struck out seven batters and yielded zero walks in his 4 2/3 innings. However, he allowed seven earned runs on 12 hits to raise his season ERA to 6.46.
• Billy Butler rapped out five hits and drove in five runs for the victorious Royals. Butler had been mired in a 4-for-35 slump prior to his breakout Monday night.
• Andy Dirks assumed the leadoff role in place of Austin Jackson, who was placed on the disabled list. Dirks went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI in the Tigers’ 7-2 win over the Astros.
• Atlanta outfielder Justin Upton returned to Arizona with a tremendous performance. He went 4-for-5, including his 13th home run of the season, with two RBI. Despite his huge home run total, Upton has amassed just 23 RBI this year.
• Mike Minor pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, allowing eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Minor extended his record to 5-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.75 in the win.
• The Yankees optioned Brennan Boesch to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during Monday’s doubleheader (a split-decision) against the Indians. Boesch’s demotion paves the way for the return of Curtis Granderson, who has been rehabbing his broken forearm.
• Justin Masterson pitched a shutout in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader. Masterson won his sixth game for the Indians by limiting the Yankees to four hits and three walks against nine strikeouts.
• Travis Wood shut down the visiting Rockies to earn his fourth win for the Cubs. He pitched seven shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks (two strikeouts). Wood lowered his season ERA to 2.02. Look a little deeper. Wood has allowed just 5.2 hits per nine innings.
• The Cubs also came to terms on a seven-year, $41-million contract with first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Toni Ginnetti of The Chicago Sun-Times reports on the contract negotiations and Rizzo’s history with the Chicago brass.
• Milwaukee shortstop Jean Segura ran wild against A.J. Burnett, swiping three bases in the Brewers’ 5-1 win. Segura has stolen five bases in his past three games and 13 overall. Segura went 3-for-5 with one RBI to raise his season batting average to .368.
• Neil Walker went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in his return to the Pittsburgh lineup.
• Jon Paul Morosi wrote a story for FOXSports.com about the resignation of Houston president and CEO George Postolos.

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I don’t know what I expected when I clicked the link, but I felt compelled to do so. An Illinois man was charged with abusing his pet peacock “Phyl,” a crime discovered while police were investigating an allegation about the “indecent solicitation of a child.”

“David Beckman, 64, of the 600 block of East Devon Avenue, was charged with the crime after police learned the bird died while they were investigating Beckman about an alleged case of indecent solicitation of a child.”

The post Long Rap Sheet Now Includes Abuse Of A Peacock appeared first on Swollen Dome.

• Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie claimed his third consecutive victory on Thursday against one of his former teams (Baltimore). Guthrie scattered seven hits and three walks over six innings pitched, allowing a single earned run (two total) to reduce his season ERA to 2.28. He possesses a pedestrian strikeout rate (5.7 per nine innings pitched), but Guthrie’s made big pitches to keep the upstart Royals rolling. Remember, Guthrie found the mark in 14 starts upon joining the Royals in 2012 when he pitched to a strong 3.16 ERA.
• Kyuji Fujikawa of the Cubs threw two scoreless during a Double-A rehabilitation appearance on Wednesday. As a result, he’s rejoining the Cubs as the setup man for the rejuvenated Kevin Gregg this weekend against the Nationals.
• Arizona starter Patrick Corbin ran his record to 5-0 with another strong showing against the Phillies. Corbin allowed a single earned run in his 6 1/3 innings pitched, surrendering four hits and two walks against four strikeouts. Corbin has struck out three batters per walk issued this season and has two or fewer runs in each of his seven starts. He owns a 1.75 ERA this season.
• Heath Bell earned his fourth save of the season. His hold on the closer role will be short-lived, however, as tests revealed that J.J. Putz’s injury did not require surgery.
• Brian McCann quietly returned to the Atlanta lineup earlier this week, thereby shifting early-season hero Evan Gattis to the outfield. McCann went 1-for-8 in his first two starts, but did generate two RBI. He brought out the big stick on Thursday with a three-run home run as part of a 3-for-5 effort against the Giants.
• Craig Kimbrel earned the 100th save of his career on Thursday against the Giants. He pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit with zero walks or strikeouts.
• Jason Heyward of the Braves began his minor league reassignment on Thursday. Heyward went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts at Triple-A Gwinnett in his debut. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that, barring a setback, Heyward could be back with the Braves next week.
• In case you missed it earlier this week, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports posted a fantastic column about the connection between Mariano Rivera and Metallica. It’s not quite “The Rainbow Connection,” but check out the history of Enter Sandman in Yankee lore, even if the members of the group cheer for the Giants.
• Former first-round draft pick Scott Kazmir has resurrected his career in Cleveland. Kazmir pitched six brilliant innings against the A’s on Thursday, surrendering a single earned run on five hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings. Kazmir’s won back-to-back starts for the first time since June of 2010. He was roughed up in his first start of the season by the Astros. Kazmir’s generated a fantastic 2.65 ERA with 21 strikeouts against three walks in his past three starts.
• Zack Greinke is on the comeback trail for the Dodgers following the infamous Carlos Quentin incident. Greinke is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday night, per The Los Angeles Times. Writer Dylan Hernandez theorizes that Greinke could be activated in time to pitch against the Nationals next Wednesday.
• I took a minute to ponder non-sports for a bit on Thursday. I thought I might share it with you.
• Staying in Los Angeles (kind of) for a moment, I turn my attention to Angels ace Jered Weaver. Weaver threw a bullpen session for the first time since breaking his left elbow in early April. Mike Scioscia advised reporters that Weaver is expected to throw four additional bullpen sessions before heading to the minors for a spell. The struggling Angels could use a jumpstart.
• Boston reliever Joel Hanrahan was transferred to the 60-day disabled list on Thursday. Per The Boston Globe, Hanrahan will visit Dr. James Andrews on Friday. I had hoped to avoid using his name for a while.
• I referenced Mariano Rivera earlier in the piece. Rivera has converted each of his 13 save opportunities this season.

The post PTC: Harmon’s Blog W/ Fantasy Baseball, Clouds, Metallica & More appeared first on Swollen Dome.

Perhaps you’re still basking in the glory of your NCAA Men’s or Women’s Basketball bracket victories. Maybe you tore up your bracket when the favorites in the West region were upset, one after another.

With Fantasy Football still on the horizon, you have two new options to fill your fantasy sports needs and to compete for prizes. The NCAA Men’s Lacrosse and Women’s Softball Championships are rapidly approaching, and Northwestern Mutual has teamed up with the NCAA to offer bracket contests.

Visit the Northwestern Mutual Facebook page to register for the contest and exhibit brilliance to win a $500 NCAA Shop gift card.

To nobody’s surprise, the Lacrosse rankings are loaded with a parade of East Coast squads. North Carolina and Syracuse lead the pack.

The Women’s Softball rankings are more spread out among the traditional powerhouse conferences. Six SEC teams appear in the top 10, with the Big 12, Pac-12 and Big Ten represented (Oklahoma sits atop the rankings).

Need a quick primer?

Visit the NCAA Women’s Softball home page here.

The Men’s Lacrosse home page is located here.

Get clicking. The entry deadline for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse competition is Saturday at noon CT.

You have more time to get into the NCAA Women’s Softball competition (May 30th).

The post Missing Bracketology?: Northwestern Mutual Presents NCAA Lacrosse & Softball appeared first on Swollen Dome.

It’s time for another round of NASCAR Sprint Cup action. This time, the circuit gears up for a battle at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. We watched weather delays and the customary “big one” at Talladega last week. Ryan Newman found himself driving with Kurt Busch’s #78 Chevy on top of him after Busch’s car flipped on the famed track. He then lost $25,000 from his wallet when he issued the following statement.

“They can build safer race cars, they can build safer walls, but they can’t get their heads out of their asses far enough to keep them on the race track, and that’s pretty disappointing,” he said after exiting the infield care center. “I wanted to make sure I get that point across, and y’all can figure out who ‘they’ is.”

David Ragan eventually earned a win that was accompanied by harsh criticism and a barrage of Tweets from defending series champion Brad Keselowski before he ultimately apologized. Can Ragan and the Front Row team rise again?

Jimmie Johnson started on the front row last year and cruised to victory. Keselowski’s got a 9.3-position average finish at the track. They head up my squad for this week’s run in South Carolina in the “A” group. Martin Truex Jr. is a top-notch option for the “B” crew ahead of Kyle Busch and the venerable Mark Martin.

Regan Smith, a former winner here, represents the longshot option out of the “C” group this week.

Check out my Fantasy Auto Racing for the Darlington Bojangles Southern 500.

The post Harmon’s Fantasy Auto Racing Darlington Bojangles Southern 500 appeared first on Swollen Dome.

This came across my desk today, and I stopped down and watched it several times. Zach Sobiech is a 17-year-old fighting osteosarcoma, bone cancer that cannot be cured. He was told that he had several months to live and penned a song called “Clouds” to say goodbye.

SoulPancake.com and Rainn Wilson reached out to friends across the entertainment world to produce a fantastic tribute to the Zach. You can see Wilson, Bryan Cranston, Jenna Fischer, Ed Helms, Jack McBrayer, Angela Kinsey, Sarah Silverman and a host of stars offer a lip-synched version of the song that you can watch below.

You can view Zach’s story on SoulPancake.com called “My Last Days.”

“You don’t have to find out you’re dying to start living.”

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We rank things. That’s what we do. Everything in our world is a competition to decide which player, team, condiment is No. 1.

Each year, the good folks at MAXIM Magazine release their list of their “HOT 100.” There’s always a little bit of buzz regarding some of the selections or omissions, and this year’s list is no different. I mean, Sofia Vergara at No. 49 or Brooklyn Decker at No. 59?

You can find the issue on newsstands. You can find the columns, videos and pics No. 69 (coincidence, I think not) that has the sports world abuzz on Thursday morning. The snarky editors of MAXIM included “Manti Te’o's Fake Girlfriend” — Lennay Kakua — in this year’s iteration.

Even if the sports world appeared ready to move on, each new reference reignites the flame.

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The video below is making the rounds through social media.

Each year, packed houses watch various circuses come through towns with the usual parade of animals, including elephants, horses, lions, tigers and the occasional bear. There is a constant discussion about the treatment of the animal “performers” behind the scenes and the need for such a spectacle.

I don’t remember attending the circus as a child. It’s possible that I did, but it clearly didn’t leave much of an impression. I’ve been to plenty of zoos across the country where an educational element is at hand. Last year, I took my children to the circus and left with those conflicted feelings. My children’s memories of the event are limited to the giant, fire-breathing dragon that concluded the event.

In Shanghai, a Wild Animal Park holds an “Olympics” competition. This event featured a bear and two monkeys on bicycles. You can hear the crowd laughing and enjoying the exhibition until the bear crashes into one of the monkeys and … attacks it.

The post Wild Animal Olympics: Bear vs. Monkey Race Meets A Terrible End appeared first on Swollen Dome.

I don’t know that I need to say anything more about this photo. It was posted on TMZ.com and fulfills our desires for the sequel. Brick’s got a trident!

The post Brick’s Got A Trident: “Anchorman 2″ Photo Surfaces appeared first on Swollen Dome.

Twitter and other social media outlets can be your best friend and an invaluable source of information exchange. Take the communal involvement in the aftermath of the Boston bombings or the daily silliness in 140-character blurbs about sports and pop culture. If you are a fan of a league, a team or a particular television show, then this is your forum.

Of course, attention to your timeline can also be your downfall with spoiler alerts, plot devices and one-liners awaiting you at every turn. Each update of your timeline reveals another wrinkle, another tidbit of information that forces you raise your hand and curse the technology gods. I always say that you need to shut down your electronic devices and avoid the barrage of information. But, we all know better than that. You can’t stay away.

For the purpose of sporting events, it’s still a LIVE event. You can set a game on your DVR all you want. Odds are you’re finding out the results unless you’ve buried yourself in a room with people who don’t care. And, what are the odds of that?

It’s the “GOT” and “Mad Men” fans among you that face a dilemma on Sunday nights, particularly those on the West Coast. Once that clock starts running on the East Coast airing, you need to step away. Somebody it going to rain on your escapism parade. I still wonder with the statute of limitations is on a new episode of a popular show.

There’s a solution to the issue, but I’m stepping out to make what seems to be an obvious statement first.

If the episode or film is available on Netflix or Amazon, your right to complain about a spoiler evaporates. Just click the “Unfollow” and be done with it. If the film does big box office, like the $175 million earned domestically (nearly $700m global), then it goes out the window on Sunday afternoon. You’re the only one who hasn’t seen it.

So, that’s my preemptive warning for you “Breaking Bad” (or insert other show title – here -) fans just catching up.

I digress.

As always, a unique problem creates an opportunity for a unique solution. Seventeen-year-old Jennie Lamere has created a program called Twivo to eliminate this problem. The program was presented at the TVnext Hack Event in Boston. It removes show and character references from Tweets, thereby giving you a clear and free shot at watching your favorite show in blissful ignorance.

Cheers.

The post Tired of Twitter Spoilers?: Try Twivo appeared first on Swollen Dome.

• Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel, untouchable in 2012, blew his third save opportunity in his past five tries on Tuesday night against the Reds. Kimbrel allowed two home runs in this outing (Shin-Soo Choo and pinch-hitter Devin Mesoraco) and raised his ERA to 3.38. He’s still striking out batters at a strong pace, but he’s been much more hittable of late.
• Jim Johnson is off to another fantastic start for the Orioles. He earned his 12th save of the season in 12 chances against the Royals on Tuesday night. Johnson has recorded 15 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched against four walks.
• Kevin Gregg successfully converted his fifth save opportunity for the Cubs, and he received the official nod as the closer from manager Dale Sveum on Wednesday morning. I would be lying if I didn’t theorize that Kyuji Fujikawa would regain the role later in the season after coming back off the disabled list.
• Yuniesky Betancourt hit safely for the seventh time in his past eight appearances in Tuesday’s win over the Rangers. Betancourt hit his eighth home run of the season and fourth during this eight-game stretch.
• Former top prospect Daric Barton was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to replace Josh Reddick, who was placed on the disabled list because of a sprained wrist. Barton batted .204 with one home run and six RBI in 113 at-bats for the A’s in 2012. He was hitting .287 with three home runs and 21 RBI for the River Cats.
• Angels slugger Mark Trumbo homered for the sixth time in his past eight games, a three-run shot in the first inning of another disappointing loss for Los Angeles. Trumbo has hit safely in eight of his past 10 games with 11 RBI (nine home runs and 23 RBI overall).
• Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick earned his third consecutive victory by tossing seven innings of two-run ball. Kendrick allowed six hits and struck out six batters in the Phillies’ 6-2 win. He’s pitched to a 2.45 ERA in seven starts with 35 strikeouts against 10 walks.
• The Angels spent a ton of money and find themselves languishing at the back of the AL West standings. Meanwhile, the Rangers have tweaked the roster and continue to fly high. Bob Nightengale of USA Today breaks down the rotation. The article includes this gem on how the team worked with Derek Holland this offseason. “We basically told him, ‘Don’t be known for your mustache and your funny voices. Stay off the Twitter. And work your ass off.’ You see the day-in, day-out focus and consistency he’s bringing.”
• The Rockies and their Triple-A affiliate both earned home shutout wins on Tuesday night, the first time that it’s happened in the organization’s history.
• Roy Halladay struggled out the gate this season and announced on Wednesday that he would undergo surgery to remove a bone spur that caused his shoulder woes. Halladay hopes to return to the squad before the 2013 season ends.
• Levi’s bought the stadium naming rights in Santa Clara for the new 49ers stadium. According to the Mercury News, the jeans-maker Levi-Strauss will pay out $220 million over 20 years.
• Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports may have solved the mystery surrounding Clay Buchholz’s hot start to the 2013 season. Passan cites two veteran hurlers and a source close to the Red Sox when he discusses sunscreen use. As a longtime user of BullFrog, it’s good to learn of the versatility of the product.

The post PTC: Harmon’s Blog With Baseball, 49ers & BullFrog 58 appeared first on Swollen Dome.