ChadHastings.com

The Magic Dancers...just because

2009-06-01T15:14:00.002-05:00

Whoever chose their pants needs a raise. The Finals start Thursday, and Orlando will be a much tougher matchup for L.A. than Cleveland would have been. Kobe will earn every jewel in ring number 4 if he gets it.

The bad news, the bad news, and the good news

2009-05-27T12:43:00.002-05:00

Clearly the first bit of bad news belongs to the city of Cleveland. What must that be like today? Your one hope for a title is all but lost, and that Lebron shot you were ready to bronze isn't worth the paper it was printed on. Remember that old argument about Lebron, the Knicks, being a global icon, etc.? It's back Cleveland. Throw in the Indians and Browns and, well, you know. Even if you want to claim Ohio State, you've got 2 national championship beatings to remember. Heck, if a certain official doesn't throw that silly pass interference flag, you'd have nothing to celebrate but the newest exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But at least they got to the final game. Sleep tight Cleveland and prey the King can save you.

The second piece of bad news is for all of us who wanted Kobe vs Lebron. If last night isn't a shot in the gut to all who believe the NBA is fixed, I don't know what is. Now Lebron has about a 5% chance to make the Finals, and David Stern can call Nike and cancel the new order of puppet commercials. Speaking of, Kobe and Lebron may end up being Dan and Dave. Sad thought, but that had lead up commercials, too. If you don't get that reference, check it out here. So if you're like me and you want that match up, let's hope Kobe wins tonight and Lebron pulls a miracle.

Now to the good news. It is real sports. Stan Van Gundy was right. It's not the BCS. It's decided on the court. And that is how it should be. If the Lakers and the Cavs don't get it done, then that's fine. It sucks, but that's sports. Real sports. Not the BCS. Not the WWE. It may be Magic vs Nuggets, but at least it's real. Remember what Mick taught us : "you can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need."

Oh, and by the way, if you only learn one thing watching the Lakers and Cavs, it's this: Scottie Pippen was great.

Where were you?

2009-05-23T07:33:00.002-05:00

Where were you the night Lebron James got his signature moment? Where were you the night the Kobe v Lebron Finals match up went from doubtful to still possible? Where were you the night Hedo Turkoglu became Craig Ehlo? What a shot. That, my friends, is why you just can't beat sports. That's why I have a job. And what a way to start the NBA Conference Finals. Two one-point games, a two-point game, and a three-point game. Lebron's not the happiest man in America. David Stern is. I can't wait to see what happens next. And congrats to Lebron. That was a big step in the process of shutting up all his critics. You know those NBA commercials where they replay a famous playoff moment with no people in the seats then slowly blend them in? How long will it take for you to see that shot done that way? I bet it's already done. Happy Saturday and God bless the NBA Playoffs.

The Golden Age of Super Bowls

2009-02-02T15:09:00.003-06:00

Wow, what a game. Again. If you are like me and root for the Cowboys, or maybe you are a Niners fan, yesterday wasn't fun. The Steelers now have 6 and are the class of the Super Bowl years. Congrats to the Black and Gold nation. There may be many that don't like you. But I can't imagine any that don't respect you.

But let's just step back for a second and talk Super Bowls in general. This is the greatest era of Super Bowls ever. Period. That is, of course, if you like close games at the end and lots of drama. Starting with Super Bowl 30(Cowboys/Steelers), 8 of the last 17 have been decided by 10 or less. Not bad, but it gets better. In 6 of the last 10, it's 7 points or less. That starts with the Rams stopping the Titans on the 1, and ends with last night and Santonio Holmes. But that's not it. In 5 of the last 8 Super Bowls, the margin of victory is 4 or less. Think about that for a second. There is no other 8 Super Bowl stretch that even competes with that. And now, for 2 straight years, people are saying it may have been the greatest Super Bowl they have ever seen. And you didn't laugh.

Lastly, 2 plays that will live forever. James Harrison, in my opinion, made the greatest play by a defender in Super Bowl history. Period. Put it all together, I don't think anyone comes close. Ty Law's pick 6 in SB 36 ended up being massive, but for a LB to do that is incredible. Then the Holmes catch. He made a tougher catch than Dwight Clark did for "The Catch" to win the Super Bowl. Was it a greater play overall than the Tyree catch from last year? I would say no. But was it the best catch in the history of the Super Bowl? Maybe. When you add it all up, no one has ever had to make that catch in that situation to win that game, and then done it. What a great time to be an NFL fan. I can't wait for next season.

Tampa fan gets beaned in the head after Game 5 in Philly.

2008-10-30T14:07:00.002-05:00

How much did this guy drink?

Practice your serve and forehand kids

2008-10-24T13:25:00.004-05:00

This lovely lady is the one time girlfriend of Novak Djokovic. You can make fun of me for liking tennis, but it's hard to argue with the eye candy.

Check out www.wagrankings.com for more hot wives and girlfriends of athletes

Cowboys host the Bucs this week

2008-10-20T14:09:00.004-05:00

Tampa is 5-2 after whipping Seattle, and the pressure they love to apply will be a huge test if it's Brad Johnson again. And in case you've forgotten, this is Jeff Garcia's wife, Carmella. Now, that's motivation. And will someone please show this picture to T.O.?...

How do you not love Gabrielle Union?

2008-10-16T14:17:00.002-05:00

Dwayne Wade went from rumors about Star Jones to Union. Hello upgrade.

For more pics of athletes' hot wives and girlfriends, www.wagrankings.com

It's enough to make you a Phillies fan

2008-10-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

This is Cole Hamels' wife, Heidi. Remember to check out my new favorite website, www.wagrankings.com and catch the Stripper DJ every day on the show at 5:20 (new time)

A pick me up for a Tuesday

2008-09-16T15:30:00.002-05:00

Shanna Moakler. Once engaged to Oscar De La Hoya. Need more info and pics, go to www.wagrankings.com Great site.

I'm on TV tonight in Austin

2008-08-19T13:43:00.002-05:00

For those of you that have ME television on your Austin Time Warner Cable, I'll be on for a few minutes talking sports with Josh Sheppard tonight in the 6:00 hour,and it will replay in the 10:00 hour. Thanks to Josh for the exposure. That's channel 15 if you have Time Warner in Austin. Here's their website - LINK

Update on Mom

2008-08-09T00:56:00.002-05:00

Our family got some great news at the end of July. My mom had a biopsy to make sure there were no lingering issues following her previous cancer surgery. Everything came back clear and good. My niece (in the pic) sang "Happy Lucky Day" to her that night, which I think is great. Thanks to everyone who has been sending their thoughts to my mother during this time. Sal in NYC asks about her a lot and I appreciate that, Sal. Thanks as well to all those people that didn't make it, but helped medical science learn something that led to my mom being OK. My mother-in-law, who I never met, died of breast cancer when my wife was 16. She and thousands of others paved the way for what we know now. Because of her, my wife began getting mammograms at an early age and has never had an issue. Because of her, new treatments were available for my mom and she has been able to use early detection to stop things before they become dire. In a way, she will help all four of the people in this picture to continue to grow happy and healthy.

Also, please send positive thoughts to one of my radio brothers who is going through his second battle with cancer. We all trust he can beat this thing like he did the first time. TQ, we love you.

And for everyone whose life is being challenged by cancer, my thoughts are with you tonight.

C.

Marcus Spears on 1530 today

2008-07-30T13:15:00.002-05:00

Chip and Sean will talk to him at about 2:20 today. Check it out: www.espnaustin.com

Never play golf with Darth Vader

2008-07-29T15:36:00.001-05:00

Astros Kimm sent me this one. Good stuff. Check it out.

Sable

2008-07-22T14:11:00.003-05:00

Need I say more?

Danica and Milka

2008-07-21T14:03:00.002-05:00

This is the driver Danica was so upset with over the weekend. Here's the video if you missed it.

To see more pics of Milka, click HERE

The Ichiro article

2008-07-16T22:36:00.002-05:00

If you missed the story we hit before the All Star Game about the pre game speech nobody knew about, here it is - LINK
Great article by Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports. We'll try and get him on the show sometime.

The Dimitri messages

2008-07-03T09:39:00.002-05:00

For those of you who may have missed it on Tuesday, here is the Dimitri phone message thing we played. Ladies, you know you want him. Guys, you know you've left messages you regret. Thanks to everyone who's enjoying and spreading the word about the Drive. Catch the show today at 4:00 on 1530 in Austin (www.espnaustin.com). We've got 3 guests to talk Pac 10 football in the College Rolodex at 6:00, the Rolodex at 5:00, and Buy or Sell at 5:20. Plus for you sickos, the Stripper DJ at 5:40.

http://view.break.com/527579 - Watch more free videos

George Carlin

2008-06-24T00:47:00.002-05:00

I was starting a normal day on Monday when my wife called and told me George Carlin had died. It didn't hit me hard then. I started thinking about who I would call and how I might talk about it on the air. I had to call my parents. After all, they had allowed me to watch George at a pretty young age and didn't go on and on about how "bad" it was. They just hoped I knew not to use all the language at school and around most adults. And, of course, I knew. So I call my mom and start to tell her. And then it happened. I started to cry. You know that moment when the athlete starts to retire and realizes what he's about to say and it just overwhelms him? That's what happened. I could barely keep from crying telling someone a comedian had died. And from someone who never cries, what does that tell you about George Carlin? It tells you he was a lot more than a comedian.

Here's one of my favorites I still don't know the answer to: Why is prostitution illegal? By the way, these are George Carlin videos. They are unedited. So you will hear fully beautiful language. Click at the risk of opening your mind.

He took the things you weren't supposed to talk about, and then he talked about them. And then he made them funny at the same time. What a talent. Jerry Seinfeld was on Larry King tonight and talked about George's vast body of work. And that's the key. It could be argued this person or that person is funnier to you. But nobody has the resume of great stuff that George does. Nobody. His career spans 50 years. And some of his later stuff is his best. He didn't get old or stale or sell out. He went places no other comics would go right to the end. Like religion. Nobody dared hit it like George. The case in point is his brilliant take on the BS story of religion. It either makes you really upset or it makes you think. Either way, you have to react. See for yourself:

But that wasn't all he was about. My mom thought George was funny, too. And trust me, she didn't like George's religion stuff like I did. She loved when he looked at the world in a way you didn't. When he analyzed a word to the point of making it perfectly funny. Or maybe when he took apart the things you hear all the time at the airport and made it hysterical. This one is proof he just got better with age.

I could go on and on thanks to Youtube. But just one more for now. Since I do a sports show, the football/baseball deal is a must if you've never heard it.

I may put more up in the coming days to deal with the pain I felt today. I know I will be watching George stuff for a while and just soaking it up. Send me all your favorite George stuff if you like. And remember, you have the right to disagree with a Don Imus, or George Carlin, or Shaq if he's asking Kobe how his ass tastes. But we must never forget they have the freedom to say it. And George fought for that freedom. He went to jail for that freedom. He is the physical embodiment of that freedom for some of us. And maybe that's why I cried today. Not because the song is gone, but because the singer who first made me believe in the song is gone.

We'll miss you George. But we'll keep listening, laughing, and thinking.

A reason to play soccer

2008-06-19T14:29:00.003-05:00

Her name is Rosaria Cannavo. She's dating an Italian soccer guy. Wow.

Did they mean to bean the ump?

2008-06-05T15:30:00.001-05:00

Judge for yourself. But yeah they did. It's from Georgia, and here's the story - LINK

The Ana that does win tournaments

2008-06-05T13:36:00.002-05:00

If you've never seen her, here you go. Ana Ivanovic from Serbia. She's now #1 in the world and will play in the French Open final this Saturday. If this doesn't make you want to watch, I can't help you.

My new favorite website

2008-05-28T15:08:00.003-05:00

www.wagrankings.com

A site where you can see and rank the wives and girlfriends of sports figures. Don't you just love the internet?

By the way, here's the inspiration for today's stripper name. Her name is Natalia Fassi. Find out more on the site.

It's been too long

2008-05-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the distance between posts. Things have been pretty crazy. Let's get caught up. I've been at ESPN for a little over two months now, and I am starting to get some things figured out. Geoff and I started on March 17th, and Erin started the morning show in April. We've gotten good response from both, as well as for The Bottom Line with Sean and Chip from 2-4. We are just about to get some final word on our tower situation, and then we hope the station gets out to even more people. I think we have a good foundation to build on. Now we need to grow the thing into the monster we think it can be. Sponsors are starting to take notice, so keep spreading the word about 1530 ESPN Austin to anybody that asks.

The www.espnaustin.com website has been awful for a while, but we are working on it. Our new lineup is finally posted (thanks AK) and many folks are listening at work. The other stuff will come in time, so please be patient. I will use this as my web outlet until the other site is up and running. So check here for what's happening on our show and on the station...like...

We'll be out at Merkaba Lounge tomorrow like we are every Friday (I35 and Wells Branch Parkway) Come say hi, get some free stuff, and register for cool prizes, like Merle Haggard tickets.

Finally, thanks again to everyone who has supported me and the station. Thanks to the Orangblood folks that have given me a chance, and to the Aggies and others that have given Geoff a fair shake. We are much further along than I thought we would be after only 2 months. Geoff's say anything personality reminds me of Brian Jones at times, and the energy he creates is great. He proves each day that he should have been given a show much sooner. His ideas and goals for the show will keep us growing for a long time, and I am just trying to live up to the standard. I hope in time I can bring as much to the show as he does. Above all else, I think it comes across that we respect each other and have a good time. A guy called us today and said he listens on his drive from Ft. Hood to Pflugerville. That's great to hear. We know there are many others out there like that. Thanks for letting The Drive into your life and giving 1530 a listen.

And if you listened to the blog talk radio show in the past, stay tuned. I'm putting together a show to show off the station and rant a little on my own. I'll have more details later.

And then there were 8

2008-03-29T01:07:00.002-05:00

So much for DJ not having a big game in the tournament, huh? What a line. 10-18, 23 pts, 7 ass, only 2 To's. Plus I thought what Damien James was able to do against the Lopez boys was huge. Connor helped frustrate them on D as well. And how about Dexter's minutes? 10 to be exact. 4 pts, and 6 big boards, including a couple when they put it away after Stanford had cut it to 1. Plus I always check out Mason's line afterwords. 7 pts, 8 boards, 6 ass, 2 to's. The man just does his job.

Now the question is simple: Can Texas solve Memphis? All the talk about the Lopez twins proved to be hollow because Texas was the better all around team. Stanford couldn't hit from outside, and they got away from their game. Memphis doesn't do that. They attack you from the tip with a big, athletic team. This match up has concerned Texas fans because of what they saw when USC took Texas out last year. The big guards of USC gave them fits. Well here we go again. The starting guards for UT are 5'11", 6', and 6'2". Memphis starts 6'7", 6'3", and 6'6". Bottom Line, DJ must be fantastic. He has to find seems and press the action to create chances for others. A.J. has to get open and knock his shot down. But don't forget the match up down low in this one. Dozier and Dorsey are both 6'9" and super athletic. How will Damien and Connor match up? Can they get Dorsey out of his game? He has proven to be a hot head at times. Here's another question. Who does Justin Mason guard? Rose? So who guards CDR? Do you try Damien there at all? This is a tough match up for anyone, even a team as athletic as Texas. Tip time is 1:20 on Sunday. You can hear the Westwood One broadcast on 1530 in Austin or on www.espnaustin.com

Speaking of, thanks to those of you that have followed me to 1530 and checked out the show. We're still in the process of feeling it out, but I think the chemistry is good. We have a great time and I think that comes across. Add that to what Sean and Chip do 2-4, and I really like the product we put out from 2-7 every day. Check it out when you get a chance and let me know what you think. Enjoy the Elite 8