As noted by My Brain Says Rage, when bloggers suffer from writer’s block, we tend to look to YouTube for material. And today, I happen to be suffering from writer’s block. So, here are some video picks…to make things more interesting, I’ll have a theme for today’s stuff: Great outbursts and meltdowns.
*The theme was inspired by this video of Senator Robert Byrd’s complete meltdown in a speech about dogfighting. "Shame, shame, shame!" he shouted to the Senate floor crowd and the 20 people watching the speech on C-SPAN. He wins the awards for 1) Most slurred words in a speech by a Senator, and 2) Most repetitive speech ever, ever, ever, of all-time.
*Of course, no list of meltdowns and outbursts is complete without Jim Mora, and his "playoffs" rant. It’s hysterical to watch his expression as he says his famously high-pitched "playoffs?!" line…and I love how he shook his head in complete disbelief as the reporter asked the initial question. I’ve also gotta mention the great Coors Light commercial which features Mora’s meltdown. By the way, I find his "in my opinion, that sucked" quote hilarious.
*Next up, it’s Denny Green’s "The Bears are who we thought they were" rant. Classic line: "If you want to crown them, then crown their ass." Wonder which guy actually had the guts to say "thanks coach" after that outburst.
*I can’t go without mentioning Herm Edwards’ "You play to win the game!" speech. Some people in the Timberwolves organization would be well-served to watch this video.
*Back to Jim Mora for another priceless quote: "We couldn’t do diddly poo offensively." I promise that I’ll use that phrase at least once per week when I write game recaps for the Wolves this season….it’s too good of a quote not to fully utilize and beat into the ground.
*A few great videos of minor league managers flipping out: Here’s Phillip Wellman, who displayed impressive accuracy when he threw a grenade…er, rosin bag…at the umpire. And then there’s Joe Mikulik, who felt the need to toss some bats onto the field after he got tossed from the game.
*This next meltdown isn’t a video, but it’s still classic. Detroit radio show host Mike Valenti absolutely lost his mind after a Michigan State loss to Notre Dame, saying the Spartans handed away the game "like a three dollar coat at the Salvation Army." I’ve heard some good rants from Barreiro and the Common Man, but c’mon…this guy lost his freaking voice by the time he was finished.
*I think Darko Milicic might have been slightly upset at the officiating in this game (warning: this is an extremely vulgar rant).
*Some "what were they thinking?" moments: Tyson bites Holyfield’s ear, Zinedine Zidane headbutts Marco Materazzi, and Albert Haynesworth stomps Andre Gurode’s head.
*Finally, it’s the infamous Joe Namath-Suzy Kolber interview…bravo to Suzy for handling a drunken Namath with professionalism. It takes some serious talent to do that.
Note: These are just the ones I could find video of…there are plenty of great meltdowns that weren’t on YouTube.