Draft is over. I will provide some analysis once I get a chance to look over everything.
Farm Team Round--This is where you get your player pool from for the year. We have second pick, so we will take a look and see what we can get. We took the Washington Nationals. Who knows with this stuff, but we can probably get some good bullpen help.
33rd Round--Final round is starting and thank goodness. Our final pick is Jarrod Parker. He may be up sometime, but no one else would have helped, so why not take a chance on a young prospect.
32nd Round--I get a guy that I have targeted for over a month now, Esmailin Caridad. You heard it here first, setup man, maybe closer. Mark it down...or we won't ever hear from him again. Either way
31st Round--Holy cow I am about to fall asleep. I woke up a little with the Pedro Alvarez pick. He is in the minors, but he should be called up to play 1st or 3rd, so could be nice value.
30th Round--Big pick with, wait for it, Yorvit Torrealba. Yes, backup catcher for the Padres, but we have Hundley, so it is a necessary pick.
29th Round--Oscar Salazar was our choice. Could play outfield or on the left side of the infield, so why not.
28th Round--Took my chances on Fernado Nieve for the Mets. Could be the 5th starter and that is enough at this point.
27th Round--Another middle relief picther with Brian Bruney. It is time to turn back to hitters.
26th Round--Dad got his pick here with Houston SS Tommy Manzella. Could turn out to be a nice help as a backup infielder, we shall see. Well, the thing I feared with picking Manzella came true here and Mike Stanton came off the board. He is a year away, but still wanted to have him just in case it started at the end of this year.
Final Break
25th Round--This is no longer for the weak at heart. We are on hour five and players are moving off the board at a slow pace. The good news is you usually get the guys are target because everyone is filling their own needs. Going to the bullpen again this time around. Got a nice late innings guy with Dan Meyer of the Marlins. Should pitch in the 8th a lot for us. By the way, it is Arizona Fruit Punch time!
24th Round--We took a chance on Pittsburg's 5th starter Daniel McCutchen. Why not at this point, he has been named the fifth starter and if it works, great, if not, no big deal.
23rd Round--I got to get one of my sleepers, Gaby Sanchez. We have Fielder, so we won't need much backup, but he is still a good bat and can come in handy as a pinch hitter
22nd Round--I still have some names on my board that I really want to go after, but we are hurting at catcher, so we will probably go there. There are a few starting pitchers and some quaility relief innings, so we should be okay. We took Ronny Paulino. He is a backup catcher for the Marlins, but he plays about 45% of the time and puts up good production, so why not.
21st Round--Another no thrills pick with Sergio Romo, but he is solid out of the pen, so he can help. This is where the draft gets dual and the weak fall off and the strong survive. We finally take a catcher with Nick Hundley.
20th Round--Took Felipe Lopez to have the ultimate middle infield backup.
19th Round--It is still early and there are guys flying off the board I have never heard of. Middle relief, but still. Picked an old friend of our Jeff Francis. He is due for a strong comeback year.
18th Round--This is where you fill out your roster with enough versitale players as you can. Long inning relief, backup middle infielder. So, in that sprite, we took Felipe Lopez.
17th Round--Franklin Morales was our selection. I like him a lot and he is a power pitcher and left handed, so why not.
16th Round--Now it is kicking in. We take Jeremy Affeldt. Probably not going closer this year, or a good one, just doing to get a bunch of strong relief innings. The guy who made the trade earlier just picked his trade pick and got Ryan Madson. So Madson and Josh Johnson for Joey Votto. Nice trade.
Break time
15th Round--First pick of the 15th round cause me to say "who". It was Kris Medlen. He the 4th guy out of the bullpen for the Braves. I remember him now, but no where on my draft list. Well, this is my first, "fuck it" pick. Akinori Iwamura. Nothing special, just a .280 to .290 hitter. He won't hurt us, but not much help either.
14th Round--Well, I took Milledge. He is just too good to be sitting there this late. I don't know, but this could be a backup in case Heyward doesn't work out. The end of the 14th feature the first repick, which isn't too bad.
13th Round--Aaron Cook gets Round 13 off on the right foot, this is what it is about. Names like Cook, Chad Qualls, and Casey Blake is what the rounds are like now. And we continue to take pitchers with Randy Wells. He is better than people think and we are just stock piling them now. We are officially back on track with our plan. Poor Lastings Milledge. He is still on the board. The first guy not on my hitter list just got taken, Craig Counsel.
12th Round--It gets ugly quick now. There have been 132 players taken and it is hard to find picks now. We took Brad Penny. Now before you start, he is a solid pitcher, and we aren't so much drafting him as we are Dave Duncan. Kyle Blanks just got taken by the other owner other than us to know of such values. The kid is going to be a stud, and it could be this year
11th Round--We took Everth Cabrera, SS from SD. I like him a lot because he is young and has speed. Brandon Webb finally got taken, which is a good upside, especially for an owner who doesn't have many other injury risks. Nyjer Morgan just came of the board at an incredible value. He hits for average and has speed, real nice value.
Tenth--Now is when it gets a little crazy. And so you know, with a little help, I'm about to go a little crazy. Carlos Beltran in the 10th good be a huge steal. Mind you the owner also has Reyes, Hudson, Oswalt. Could be a long season, or a great season. This is the second pick that will either win it for us or lose it, Stephen Strasburg. We will have to wait, but it will be worth the wait. In and NL Only to get Heyward in the 6th and Strasburg in the 10th is real good value, if they are who we think they are, to modify a Dennis Green quote. The first player off my third page of hitters just got taken, Kosuke Fukudome
Ninth Round--Starting to dig in now. Everyone is realy quite and trying to figure out who to fill out their teams. This is where we are at our best and pick up the guys that cause us to win. Young and steady pitching again this round with J.A. Happ. I like this pick at this time a lot. Jeff Francoeur just got picked, holy cow, it is starting up again.
Eigth Round--Back from break and probably looking to take a pitcher. I went old and steady last pick, so here comes young and wild. And right now cue, we take Bud Norris, young, wild, and huge upside. Chipper Jones finally comes off the board. If you understand what you are getting with him, you will be happy. Michael Bourn just got picked, another good value pick.
First Break--Pretty happy with my team, but we have some holes to fill.
Seventh Round--We got Ted Lilly, blah, but steady. I don't usually like those types of pitchers, but we need some steady innings at this point.
Sixth Round--Stephen Drew was the first pick in the 6th round, which is just great. The same owner that got Hudson just drafted Reyes, if it works it will work, if not, it will be a disaster. Another utility guy off the board, Skip Schumaker. They are valuable, but not that valuable. Well, I was the one who reached Heyward, but the 6th round isn't a reach in an NL Only League. Remember when I talked about winning or losing a draft with one decision, we just made ours.
Fifth Round--We were able to get Carlos Gonzalez, which makes me really happy and I can calm down now. Not many surprises in the fifth, course how could there be with the first four rounds, this is where most of those guys should be being drafted. Tim Hudson got picked up, which could turn out to be the pick of the draft. I was hoping he came back around, but oh well.
Forth Round--Thank goodness the 3rd is over, maybe now some sanity can be established. Not really, Uggla and Cantu were picked with the 1st and 3rd picks in the round. We just got Yovani Gallardo, which I never thought would be there. This isn't going to plan, but is looking good. Ubaldo Jimenez was selected and it breaks my heart. The new guy just pulled a little move. He drafted two first baseman and then traded away his pick and got Josh Johnson and a 16th rounder. A nice little move.
Third Round--A little reach for Kershaw with the 3rd pick in the 3rd round, considering Wainwright, Gallardo, Carpenter are all still on the board, though in fairness, some people are much higher on him than I am. Holy cow, Geovany Soto just came off the board in the 3rd round, at best he is a 7th round pick, at best. We got Jayson Werth and I am thrilled, because he shouldn't have been there. I am always surprised, that I am surprised. Martin Prado just came off the board, great pick but too early. Utility infielders are real important in this league, but better players could have been had and then scooped up Prado a couple rounds later. Russell Martin is now gone, my goodness.
Second Round--We were able to get Sandoval, as I wanted, so that is good. No big surprises. As I typed that, Manny Ramirez was selected about 4 rounds too early. The first big reach just happened. Well shit, someone else was just as high on Andre Ethier as I was and he is off the board, time to regroup. Only three pitchers off the board in the first two rounds, that is a surprise.
9:20--Pujols goes first, to no one's surprise. Ramirez second, again no surprise. Utley goes next, a little early on some draft boards, but not for this league, he's probably the best player. Braun predictably goes next. And our first surprise, Brian McCann goes much too early with the fifth pick. Halladay goes sixth and I am glad to see he is the first pitcher off the board, because he should be. That leaves Prince Fielder to fall to us, I love Matt Kemp, but power is a must and something to build a team around. Tulowitski goes eighth and Lincecum follows, both solid picks, though a little early for Tulo. Ryan Howard is a surprise 10th, only because the owner always drafts pitchers first. My man Matt Kemp gets off the board and my heart sinks, great pick at 11. Rounding out the first round is Matt Holliday...I'm not going to do every round, just recaps from now on.
9:15--Getting started with introduction and then the picks will start coming in.
8:10--It’s ten after eight and the draft starts at 9:00. I have already showed up at the draft site, probably about 30 minutes before anyone else will show up. That’s just my style. Well, I am pretty sure that this is my 19th year of playing in this league. That would have put us as starting when I was 11. Needless to say, I know more today than I did back then. It took us 15 years to win our first Championship, but since then we have won two and should have had a third. We won last year in dominating fashion, so it is going to be tough to repeat that feat, but we will find out today how close we can come to that goal.
For you fantasy baseball players out there, let me tell you a little about the league. We are in a 12 team, NL Sim League. We play on a system called Scoresheet Baseball. There will be 33 rounds today and a farm team chosen for each team to use as their player pool. On the day of the All Star game, there will be a supplemental draft where another 6 players will be chosen. There is a 40 man roster limit.
Anyway, there are 45 minutes until the first pick of the draft and several questions that will be answered that happen every year. For example,
Who will be the first to reach for a player reached for? It will be Jason Heyward and I predict it will be in the 3rd or 4th Round. This isn’t a keeper league, so the owner who takes him that early can have him.
Who will be the first owner to draft someone and I say “what”? This happens every year. Look, I have a certain drafting style and others have their own, but very early in the draft, before the 3rd Round, someone will make a pick that just baffles me.
Who will be the first owner to draft someone and I say “who”? This also happens regularly. I don’t consider myself to be the best drafter, or have endless knowledge of NL rosters, but very few people can be more prepared for a draft than me, yet there will still be players drafted fairly early, who I have to look up on my computer to see who they are.
At what point in the draft is Dad going to tap me on the shoulder and point to a name on his piece of paper as the person we should draft, the person, Rickie Weeks? I have said this before, but on Dad’s tomb, we are going to write “Here lies Dennis Sutton…He believed in Rickie Weeks.” It is without doubt that about the sixth round Dad is going to start pointing to him and I will tell him we will look at him next round and then say a little prayer that someone else drafts him. Remind me to thank that guy at the break.
What Round will be the round that determines whether you win or lose the league? There is a round in every league that determines how your team is shaped, especially in a Sim League like ours where there aren’t waivers and many trades. Most likely it is around the 7th or 8th Round where we will have to determine the direction of our team. Being able to identify that pick is what determines whether your team will win or lose.
When will Dad say, “but he is the #5 starters for the Marlins”? Earlier than you think.
Alright, I am going to prepare a little more. I will be blogging throughout the draft, so keep coming back to see how it is going…later
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, June 5, 2009
Greatest Records in Sports
One of the greatest sports debates of all time is over which records are the best. By the best, I mean those records that were the hardest to obtain, and have the least likelihood of being broken. I don't break these down between single season records and career records because some single season records simply will never be broken, so they need to be included. It is tough to break it down to just ten, but here we go:
10. Jim Brown's 5.22 career rushing average: The next closest was Barry Sanders at 5.0, I believe, so if Barry can't do it, I don't think anyone can
9. Wilt Chamaberlain 50.4 NBA single season scoring average: There simply isn't anyone who could dominate the league like Wilt did. We make a big deal when someone scores 50 in a game, averaging 50 just isn't going to happen
8. Richard Petty's 200 career wins: Jeff Gordon is like 50 back of this record, if not more, and the way NASCAR is set up now, this will never fall.
7. Hack Wilson's 191 RBI in a single season: Manny came close in 99 with something like 160. In my opinion, this is one of the more underrated records in baseball history.
6. Bill Russell's 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons: I can't imagine a situation where this could happen in any sport. It is just an abused record that no one will come close to. 11 titles will be tough enough, but in 13 years just isn't going to happen
5. Wayne Gretzky's 92 goals in a single season: Put it this way, the league leader in goals this year was Ovechkin and he had 56, 36 behind The Great One. The next closest scorer was at 87 and that was Wayne Gretzky. The closest this decade was 59 back in 2000-01 season.
4. Joe Dimaggio's 56-game hitting streak: For a long time I considered this is the top baseball record (though I have since changed my mind). The closest this decade was Jimmy Rollins with 38. It just isn't going to happen. The consistency among hitters just isn't there any more.
3. Phil Jackson's 43-0 record after winning first game of playoff series: I hate to include this and jinx Phil after the win last night, but this is simply an amazing record. I didn't know about it till this year, but winning 43 playoffs series is one thing, but 43-0 after winning the first game is insane and will never be matched.
2. Cy Young's 511 careers wins: The closest modern day player to this record is Greg Maddux and he is 156 wins behind. I am not sure when the next pitcher to win 300 will come around, and nobody, nobody, I mean nobody will ever get even close to this record. I bet that, from today on, nobody gets with 175 wins of this record.
1. Cal Ripken's 2,632 consecutive games played: Simply the greatest feat in all of sports. There is no question, no argument, nothing compares to playing 2,632 consecutive games, especially in the modern era. Lou's record was amazing, but in that time it was expected. Today, guys take off every four days or during a day game. I don't care the sport, the distance, the person, anything, nothing will ever compare to this record.
Please share your own if you disagree.
10. Jim Brown's 5.22 career rushing average: The next closest was Barry Sanders at 5.0, I believe, so if Barry can't do it, I don't think anyone can
9. Wilt Chamaberlain 50.4 NBA single season scoring average: There simply isn't anyone who could dominate the league like Wilt did. We make a big deal when someone scores 50 in a game, averaging 50 just isn't going to happen
8. Richard Petty's 200 career wins: Jeff Gordon is like 50 back of this record, if not more, and the way NASCAR is set up now, this will never fall.
7. Hack Wilson's 191 RBI in a single season: Manny came close in 99 with something like 160. In my opinion, this is one of the more underrated records in baseball history.
6. Bill Russell's 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons: I can't imagine a situation where this could happen in any sport. It is just an abused record that no one will come close to. 11 titles will be tough enough, but in 13 years just isn't going to happen
5. Wayne Gretzky's 92 goals in a single season: Put it this way, the league leader in goals this year was Ovechkin and he had 56, 36 behind The Great One. The next closest scorer was at 87 and that was Wayne Gretzky. The closest this decade was 59 back in 2000-01 season.
4. Joe Dimaggio's 56-game hitting streak: For a long time I considered this is the top baseball record (though I have since changed my mind). The closest this decade was Jimmy Rollins with 38. It just isn't going to happen. The consistency among hitters just isn't there any more.
3. Phil Jackson's 43-0 record after winning first game of playoff series: I hate to include this and jinx Phil after the win last night, but this is simply an amazing record. I didn't know about it till this year, but winning 43 playoffs series is one thing, but 43-0 after winning the first game is insane and will never be matched.
2. Cy Young's 511 careers wins: The closest modern day player to this record is Greg Maddux and he is 156 wins behind. I am not sure when the next pitcher to win 300 will come around, and nobody, nobody, I mean nobody will ever get even close to this record. I bet that, from today on, nobody gets with 175 wins of this record.
1. Cal Ripken's 2,632 consecutive games played: Simply the greatest feat in all of sports. There is no question, no argument, nothing compares to playing 2,632 consecutive games, especially in the modern era. Lou's record was amazing, but in that time it was expected. Today, guys take off every four days or during a day game. I don't care the sport, the distance, the person, anything, nothing will ever compare to this record.
Please share your own if you disagree.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Very Funny Recommendation
I was up last night watching the Cavs/Magic game and on Comedy Central was the roast of Bob Saget is an extremely underrated comedian. Because of his roles on Full House and America's Funniest Home Video, Saget gets pegged wrong. He isn't this clean cut, children's comedian. Saget is raw and dirty and very, very funny. If you get a chance sometime, check out Saget's HBO Special That Ain't Right. Saget is also very funny in Farce of the Penguins and various other movies where he makes hilarious cameos.
Anyway, seeing Saget made me think of a very funny movie that I saw a couple of years ago that I wanted to recommend. The movies is called The Aristocrats. The movie is a documentary of a series of over 100 comedians telling the same joke. It is a joke told by comedians to other comedians. The outline of the joke is that a man goes into an agent's office and says he has a family act. he then either acts out or describes the most obscene acts possible. The stunned agent says, "And what do you call yourselves?" and the man answers, "The Aristocrats." Penn Jillette produced the movie as a documentary on the joke. It is a joke that every comedian tells, but never on stage, just to other comedians. Now, by itself that really doesn't seem that funny, but it is one of the top five funniest things that I have ever seen. It is watching each comedian tell their version of the joke that is so funny. I have never laughed so hard.
The best part of the movie is the cast. It isn't just a few lower comedians telling the joke. The following are just a few that tell their version of the joke in the movie: Jason Alexander, Hank Azaria, Lewis Black, Drew Carey, George Carlin, Carrie Fisher, Gilbert Gottfied, Eric Idle, Richard Jeni, Richard Lewis, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Kevin Nealon, Penn Jillette, Trey Parker, Kevin Pollak, Paul Reiser, Don Rickles, Chris Rock, Bob Saget, Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, and Robin Williams just to name a few. For what it is worth, in my opinion, the funniest were Richard Lewis, Penn Jillette, Bob Saget, Sarah Silverman, and the best was Gilbery Gottfied (I am not a Gottfied fan, but I could even sit down while I watching him).
Anyway, if you get a chance and want to watch something really funny, go out and find The Aristocrats. I haven't seen anything funnier since I watched it a few years ago and could watch it 50 times and laugh harder every time. It is completely worth it.
Anyway, seeing Saget made me think of a very funny movie that I saw a couple of years ago that I wanted to recommend. The movies is called The Aristocrats. The movie is a documentary of a series of over 100 comedians telling the same joke. It is a joke told by comedians to other comedians. The outline of the joke is that a man goes into an agent's office and says he has a family act. he then either acts out or describes the most obscene acts possible. The stunned agent says, "And what do you call yourselves?" and the man answers, "The Aristocrats." Penn Jillette produced the movie as a documentary on the joke. It is a joke that every comedian tells, but never on stage, just to other comedians. Now, by itself that really doesn't seem that funny, but it is one of the top five funniest things that I have ever seen. It is watching each comedian tell their version of the joke that is so funny. I have never laughed so hard.
The best part of the movie is the cast. It isn't just a few lower comedians telling the joke. The following are just a few that tell their version of the joke in the movie: Jason Alexander, Hank Azaria, Lewis Black, Drew Carey, George Carlin, Carrie Fisher, Gilbert Gottfied, Eric Idle, Richard Jeni, Richard Lewis, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Kevin Nealon, Penn Jillette, Trey Parker, Kevin Pollak, Paul Reiser, Don Rickles, Chris Rock, Bob Saget, Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, and Robin Williams just to name a few. For what it is worth, in my opinion, the funniest were Richard Lewis, Penn Jillette, Bob Saget, Sarah Silverman, and the best was Gilbery Gottfied (I am not a Gottfied fan, but I could even sit down while I watching him).
Anyway, if you get a chance and want to watch something really funny, go out and find The Aristocrats. I haven't seen anything funnier since I watched it a few years ago and could watch it 50 times and laugh harder every time. It is completely worth it.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Observations of the NBA Playoffs
I have followed the NBA Playoffs pretty closely this year and I was watching the Cavs/Magic game last night and I had a few thoughts come to mind, so I thought I would share...
...this is the worst playoff officiating I have seen in any major sport playoffs, including college. I don't know what the NBA has done to these refs, but they have just been bad. No one team can complain that they lost a game because of an official, because they have been equally bad for every game. It isn't that they are making awful calls, it is that they are extremely inconsistent. They let the big guys kill each other underneath and then they call weenie reaching calls out front. Nobody out there can figure out how to play. One minute they are letting the guys play and the next everything is a foul. They really need to shape up before they truly cost someone a game and a shot at the championship.
...nobody can win one alone, not now, not ever. Okay, so some would say that Jordan won alone, but that is garbage. Pippen is a HOFer and Paxton and Kerr were the ultimate role players. Jordan was the closest to winning one alone, but other take him out of the equation and no other superstar has even come close. Kobe won with Shaq, Duncan had Robinson and then Parker, Shaw had Kobe and Wade, Garrnet had Peirce and Allen, Magic had Kareem and company, Bird had Parrish and company, and the Pistons have always been a team effort. So this does not bode well for LeBron and Kobe. Kobe at least has some help, but where have those guys been and LeBron is just out there on a mountain by himself.
...speaking of LeBron, I think that this is probably it for him in Cleveland. He will be there next year, but I don't think that he will stay after that unless they help him out a little. There is no reason that he shouldn't be winning championship after championship expect he doesn't have any help. I hope that he doesn't go after the money and put himself in the same situation, because the money will be there, but he goes somewhere to win.
...no disrespect to the best coach of all time, but Phil Jackson has done his worst coaching job ever in these playoffs. I believe that Phil has done his best coaching job over the last two season, but something is not clicking right for him in these playoffs. He changes schemes every game and for some reason refuses to let guys play when they have the hot hand. It just seems like he is lost over there and that is really not like him. I hope he figures it out before it is too late.
...speaking of bad coaching, Mike Brown gets the award for the worst of the playoffs. What was Brown thinking putting Ben Wallace on Rashard Lewis at the end of regulation. Ben Wallace. They guy can't even move out there and Brown puts him on the best score on the Magic. What could he have been thinking. Brown gets credit for that loss.
...speaking of that loss, I learned last night that LeBron isn't ready yet. He is probably the best player in the game and is the most physically gifted player of all time, but he isn't quite ready yet. If you want your name mentioned with Jodran, Magic, Bird, West, Kobe, etc then you cannot miss two big free throws in the fourth quarter and you certainly cannot have six turnovers in the fourth and overtime. Put the ball in your hands and win the game. Now I know he doesn't have much help and that is all the reason more to put the ball in your hands. When he does he is amazing, but he has to take over and not make those mistakes. Also, again with all respect to LeBron, and it could have just been last night, but he doesn't seem to have that drive or determination that Jordan and company had. Nobody wanted to win more than Jordan and I just don't see that on LeBron. He is still the best player, but if the game is on the line, and I don't mean last shot, I mean closing the game out, he needs to shape up.
...if you follow the comments on this blog you will see that there was a comment made in disrespect to Robert Horry. There is no doubt that if I had a gun held to my head and my life depended on one shot that I would pick up the phone and call Big Shot Bob. No doubt. If the game is on the line, Horry could not have played for three weeks straight, pick up the ball and nail a three. So please, if you don't like what I say fine, but don't show any disrespect to Big Shot Bob, the man is a living legend.
...finally, I want the NBA executives that read my blog to imagine something for me, and the rest of you can join in. It is Game Six of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Magic. The Lakers are up three games to two. There are three minutes left in the game and the Magic are up by four. Kobe has decided to take over and pull the Lakers back into the game. Kobe steals the ball from Lewis and heads toward the basket. Not wanting to give Kobe and easy two points, Dwight Howard steps in and knocks Kobe down. The two guys get up and exchange words in a very tense situation. To ease the situation, the refs hit them with a double technical. No big deal, no free throws are taken. Kobe does all he can, but the Magic pull it out and they are headed to Game Seven. Game Seven is getting ready to start and everyone in the Staples Center is pumped. Jack is there along with Spike Lee, Tom Cruise, Andy Garcia, etc. This is what the NBA is wanting, and it will be the highest ratings game of the year. The tip is thrown up and the epic battle begins.
...oh wait, did I forget to mention that Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard were both wearing suits and ties because they were suspended for Game Seven because of the NBA's rule for seven technicals in the playoffs. Give me a break. Something inside of me, though I am a Lakers fan, really wants this to happen to the NBA. They deserve something like this for creating such a stupid ass rule. I think that if this happens that the NBA executives should all line up and Jack and Spike Lee get to punch them all in the groin before the game starts. Of course, it never would happen, because I am sure the NBA would rescind the technicals and let Kobe and Howard play, which would make them look even worse. Would they do the same for Luke Walton and Rafer Alson? I am completely feed up with the NBA and all of there stupid rules. These guys are idiots. Let the players play and what happens happens. Stop with all of the silly rules that make you feel like you have some control over your league. (UPDATE: 3:50 pm--The NBA just rescinded Howard's technical from last night. I agree with the decision, but it isn't one that they should even have to make. What a pitful disgrace)
...this is the worst playoff officiating I have seen in any major sport playoffs, including college. I don't know what the NBA has done to these refs, but they have just been bad. No one team can complain that they lost a game because of an official, because they have been equally bad for every game. It isn't that they are making awful calls, it is that they are extremely inconsistent. They let the big guys kill each other underneath and then they call weenie reaching calls out front. Nobody out there can figure out how to play. One minute they are letting the guys play and the next everything is a foul. They really need to shape up before they truly cost someone a game and a shot at the championship.
...nobody can win one alone, not now, not ever. Okay, so some would say that Jordan won alone, but that is garbage. Pippen is a HOFer and Paxton and Kerr were the ultimate role players. Jordan was the closest to winning one alone, but other take him out of the equation and no other superstar has even come close. Kobe won with Shaq, Duncan had Robinson and then Parker, Shaw had Kobe and Wade, Garrnet had Peirce and Allen, Magic had Kareem and company, Bird had Parrish and company, and the Pistons have always been a team effort. So this does not bode well for LeBron and Kobe. Kobe at least has some help, but where have those guys been and LeBron is just out there on a mountain by himself.
...speaking of LeBron, I think that this is probably it for him in Cleveland. He will be there next year, but I don't think that he will stay after that unless they help him out a little. There is no reason that he shouldn't be winning championship after championship expect he doesn't have any help. I hope that he doesn't go after the money and put himself in the same situation, because the money will be there, but he goes somewhere to win.
...no disrespect to the best coach of all time, but Phil Jackson has done his worst coaching job ever in these playoffs. I believe that Phil has done his best coaching job over the last two season, but something is not clicking right for him in these playoffs. He changes schemes every game and for some reason refuses to let guys play when they have the hot hand. It just seems like he is lost over there and that is really not like him. I hope he figures it out before it is too late.
...speaking of bad coaching, Mike Brown gets the award for the worst of the playoffs. What was Brown thinking putting Ben Wallace on Rashard Lewis at the end of regulation. Ben Wallace. They guy can't even move out there and Brown puts him on the best score on the Magic. What could he have been thinking. Brown gets credit for that loss.
...speaking of that loss, I learned last night that LeBron isn't ready yet. He is probably the best player in the game and is the most physically gifted player of all time, but he isn't quite ready yet. If you want your name mentioned with Jodran, Magic, Bird, West, Kobe, etc then you cannot miss two big free throws in the fourth quarter and you certainly cannot have six turnovers in the fourth and overtime. Put the ball in your hands and win the game. Now I know he doesn't have much help and that is all the reason more to put the ball in your hands. When he does he is amazing, but he has to take over and not make those mistakes. Also, again with all respect to LeBron, and it could have just been last night, but he doesn't seem to have that drive or determination that Jordan and company had. Nobody wanted to win more than Jordan and I just don't see that on LeBron. He is still the best player, but if the game is on the line, and I don't mean last shot, I mean closing the game out, he needs to shape up.
...if you follow the comments on this blog you will see that there was a comment made in disrespect to Robert Horry. There is no doubt that if I had a gun held to my head and my life depended on one shot that I would pick up the phone and call Big Shot Bob. No doubt. If the game is on the line, Horry could not have played for three weeks straight, pick up the ball and nail a three. So please, if you don't like what I say fine, but don't show any disrespect to Big Shot Bob, the man is a living legend.
...finally, I want the NBA executives that read my blog to imagine something for me, and the rest of you can join in. It is Game Six of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Magic. The Lakers are up three games to two. There are three minutes left in the game and the Magic are up by four. Kobe has decided to take over and pull the Lakers back into the game. Kobe steals the ball from Lewis and heads toward the basket. Not wanting to give Kobe and easy two points, Dwight Howard steps in and knocks Kobe down. The two guys get up and exchange words in a very tense situation. To ease the situation, the refs hit them with a double technical. No big deal, no free throws are taken. Kobe does all he can, but the Magic pull it out and they are headed to Game Seven. Game Seven is getting ready to start and everyone in the Staples Center is pumped. Jack is there along with Spike Lee, Tom Cruise, Andy Garcia, etc. This is what the NBA is wanting, and it will be the highest ratings game of the year. The tip is thrown up and the epic battle begins.
...oh wait, did I forget to mention that Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard were both wearing suits and ties because they were suspended for Game Seven because of the NBA's rule for seven technicals in the playoffs. Give me a break. Something inside of me, though I am a Lakers fan, really wants this to happen to the NBA. They deserve something like this for creating such a stupid ass rule. I think that if this happens that the NBA executives should all line up and Jack and Spike Lee get to punch them all in the groin before the game starts. Of course, it never would happen, because I am sure the NBA would rescind the technicals and let Kobe and Howard play, which would make them look even worse. Would they do the same for Luke Walton and Rafer Alson? I am completely feed up with the NBA and all of there stupid rules. These guys are idiots. Let the players play and what happens happens. Stop with all of the silly rules that make you feel like you have some control over your league. (UPDATE: 3:50 pm--The NBA just rescinded Howard's technical from last night. I agree with the decision, but it isn't one that they should even have to make. What a pitful disgrace)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Random Thoughts
No topic for this blog, expect just some random, non sequential thoughts about things...
...I hate interleague baseball play...it ruins fantasy stats and it is just pointless...so please stop this mess
...how is it that a Major League baseball player could actually miss a base, more or less miss third base while trying to score the go ahead...i once missed a base (maybe two) when I was nine years old
...by the way, you can now do mock fantasy football drafts on espn.com...only about four months before the season
...i am anti-no trade clauses in major sports
...let Mick Vick play football...i despise what he did and am glad he served time but he has served his time and now should be allowed to make a living...dan synder anyone
...just to make it clear...i don't care who won idol
...but...drumroll please...season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance starts tonight...get your dvr ready
...Team A has an ERA of 3.67, a BA of .299, a run differential of +62...Team B has an ETA of 3.71, a BA of .248 and a run differential of +23...Team A and Team B have the same record in my fantasy simulation league...that is horseshit
...i have taken up gardening a little bit...just thought you would like to know
...the Black Mamba will score 40+ again tonight and the Lakers will win
...just close down Guantanamo Prison and lets take George Carlin's advise on create state prison farms please
...special thanks to the President and Congress for helping people out a little when dealing with the sneaking credit card companies...it is about time
...my wife claims that the new Terminator movie is the first movie to be both a prequel and a sequel...i don't see how that is possible but I am not going to argue with her...anyone have an opinion
...I wish I could dunk like Dwight Howard...he broke the basket last night
...speaking of which...I have said all a long that the Magic are the best in the East but I still want that Kobe v. LeBron finals to shut everyone up...though I agree with an article written by J.A. Adande that the match up between Kobe and Melo is more exciting to watch than Kobe and LeBron would be
...speaking of match ups...the best may turn out to be Obama v. Cheney...in a battle of wits, intelligence, or anything that matters I take Obama...steel cage match...I would take Cheney...cause he would be the guy to bring in a weapon he shouldn't have...a la Man Kind
...another great match up is brewing between political blogs in West Virginia...in one corner you have West Virginia Blue for Democrats...in the other corner you have West Virginia Red for Republican...in a match up between them...they would both lose because neither of them are any good or make any sense...you know a la freeze frame at the end of Rocky III
...apparently my Outlook calender is broke because I missed my invitation to the Billionaire meeting yesterday with Ophra, Gates, Buffet, and Bloomburg
...he gets some credit but not nearly enough so please check out Nate Silver's blog...http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/
...I am thrilled that Scrubs will be back next season and the main stars will be in six episodes to transition the show...to what I have no idea
..."to what I have no idea" makes me think of the classic scene in Back to School between Rodney Dangerfield and Sam Kinison...the final line of one of the funniest scenes in movie history is "...good teacher...he really seems to care...about what I have no idea"
...the new season of Next Food Network Star starts the first week in June...just and fyi
...a new movie networking site that was helped launched by Martin Scoresese is pretty nice...http://www.theauteurs.com/home...they have free movies and forums...pretty fun
Maybe I will add some more later...
...I hate interleague baseball play...it ruins fantasy stats and it is just pointless...so please stop this mess
...how is it that a Major League baseball player could actually miss a base, more or less miss third base while trying to score the go ahead...i once missed a base (maybe two) when I was nine years old
...by the way, you can now do mock fantasy football drafts on espn.com...only about four months before the season
...i am anti-no trade clauses in major sports
...let Mick Vick play football...i despise what he did and am glad he served time but he has served his time and now should be allowed to make a living...dan synder anyone
...just to make it clear...i don't care who won idol
...but...drumroll please...season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance starts tonight...get your dvr ready
...Team A has an ERA of 3.67, a BA of .299, a run differential of +62...Team B has an ETA of 3.71, a BA of .248 and a run differential of +23...Team A and Team B have the same record in my fantasy simulation league...that is horseshit
...i have taken up gardening a little bit...just thought you would like to know
...the Black Mamba will score 40+ again tonight and the Lakers will win
...just close down Guantanamo Prison and lets take George Carlin's advise on create state prison farms please
...special thanks to the President and Congress for helping people out a little when dealing with the sneaking credit card companies...it is about time
...my wife claims that the new Terminator movie is the first movie to be both a prequel and a sequel...i don't see how that is possible but I am not going to argue with her...anyone have an opinion
...I wish I could dunk like Dwight Howard...he broke the basket last night
...speaking of which...I have said all a long that the Magic are the best in the East but I still want that Kobe v. LeBron finals to shut everyone up...though I agree with an article written by J.A. Adande that the match up between Kobe and Melo is more exciting to watch than Kobe and LeBron would be
...speaking of match ups...the best may turn out to be Obama v. Cheney...in a battle of wits, intelligence, or anything that matters I take Obama...steel cage match...I would take Cheney...cause he would be the guy to bring in a weapon he shouldn't have...a la Man Kind
...another great match up is brewing between political blogs in West Virginia...in one corner you have West Virginia Blue for Democrats...in the other corner you have West Virginia Red for Republican...in a match up between them...they would both lose because neither of them are any good or make any sense...you know a la freeze frame at the end of Rocky III
...apparently my Outlook calender is broke because I missed my invitation to the Billionaire meeting yesterday with Ophra, Gates, Buffet, and Bloomburg
...he gets some credit but not nearly enough so please check out Nate Silver's blog...http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/
...I am thrilled that Scrubs will be back next season and the main stars will be in six episodes to transition the show...to what I have no idea
..."to what I have no idea" makes me think of the classic scene in Back to School between Rodney Dangerfield and Sam Kinison...the final line of one of the funniest scenes in movie history is "...good teacher...he really seems to care...about what I have no idea"
...the new season of Next Food Network Star starts the first week in June...just and fyi
...a new movie networking site that was helped launched by Martin Scoresese is pretty nice...http://www.theauteurs.com/home...they have free movies and forums...pretty fun
Maybe I will add some more later...
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Yet Another Reason
I was watching the Lakers/Nuggets game last night and I learned yet another reason why I never got to play in the NBA. First, it is important to go over some of the previous reasons that have prevented me from playing professional basketball.
I am a six foot, two inch white guy who can't jump. I have a decent, but inconsistent jump shot and never have been a great free throw shooter. I can't dribble with my left hand, or really even to to my left at all. I am a decent passer, but sometimes I tend to throw the ball a little hard and wild, leading to a broken nose or two, and I usually see holes that aren't really there and I try and slip it in. I have deceptive speed, though, all in all I am pretty slow. My best move was to start at the top of the key, put my head down, lower my shoulder, pick up my dribble, and go to the basket. It was an affective move if I didn't commit a charge and if I was able to slow down and get under control. So I had that going for me so I think that would have given me a chance.
But I learned last night that one of the top reasons I am not playing in the NBA is because I don't have any tattoos. I have always noticed the tats on NBA players, but watching the game last night it just really stood out to me. I mean, really the only difference between me and Chris "Birdman" Anderson is that he can jump, wears a headband, looks like a tool, and is covered in tats. All of the tats don't bother me, I really don't care, I just noticed it and realized that that was one of the reason I didn't make it to the NBA.
All of this led to me thinking about a match up between an All-Tat Team and an All-Clean Team. I am going limit the players to those that have played in my lifetime and I am considering each guy in their prime (though some haven't reached their prime yet). To be on the All-Tat Team you have to have multiple, vi sable tats. I am going to compare each position match up and declare a winner and then declare the overall winner. Okay, let's give it a try.
Point Guard
All-Tat: Chauncey Billups
All-Clean: Magic
Winner: Magic...Billups is going to be great, but he is no Magic. It wasn't easy to find a tatted up point guard, but Billups could hold his own in a big game.
Shooting Guard
All-Tat: The Black Mamba
All-Clean: Jordan
Winner: Jordan...As much as you all know I would love to give it to Kobe, I just can't
Small Foward
All-Tat: King James
All-Clean: Larry Bird
Winner: LeBron...Could you all imagine Bird with a bunch of tats...funny...anyway, as good as Bird was, LeBron takes this on.
Power Forward
All-Tat: Dennis Rodman
All-Clean: Tim Duncan (he has a tattoo, but it is on his back and you can't see it during games)
Winner: Duncan...He is the best, but boy, I would love to see Rodman go at it again.
Center
All-Tat: Shaq
All-Clean: The Dream
Winner: Shaw...This is a close one, but Shaq in his prime was the best.
Bench
All-Tat: Carmelo, AI, Amare Stoudemire, Deron Williams, Tracy McGrady
All-Clean: Barkley, The Admiral, Stockton, Garnett, D Wade
Winner: All-Clean...Not really even close.
In my examination of these teams I realized that while tattoos are a big part of the NBA, they really aren't any indicator of the type of player you will be. Now I know that these teams look the the 80s versus the 2000s, but even still, the bench on the All-Tat Team isn't great compared to the players that were left of the All-Clean Team that play today. So I have to give the advantage to the All-Clean Team on this one, but it would be a fun game to watch.
I am a six foot, two inch white guy who can't jump. I have a decent, but inconsistent jump shot and never have been a great free throw shooter. I can't dribble with my left hand, or really even to to my left at all. I am a decent passer, but sometimes I tend to throw the ball a little hard and wild, leading to a broken nose or two, and I usually see holes that aren't really there and I try and slip it in. I have deceptive speed, though, all in all I am pretty slow. My best move was to start at the top of the key, put my head down, lower my shoulder, pick up my dribble, and go to the basket. It was an affective move if I didn't commit a charge and if I was able to slow down and get under control. So I had that going for me so I think that would have given me a chance.
But I learned last night that one of the top reasons I am not playing in the NBA is because I don't have any tattoos. I have always noticed the tats on NBA players, but watching the game last night it just really stood out to me. I mean, really the only difference between me and Chris "Birdman" Anderson is that he can jump, wears a headband, looks like a tool, and is covered in tats. All of the tats don't bother me, I really don't care, I just noticed it and realized that that was one of the reason I didn't make it to the NBA.
All of this led to me thinking about a match up between an All-Tat Team and an All-Clean Team. I am going limit the players to those that have played in my lifetime and I am considering each guy in their prime (though some haven't reached their prime yet). To be on the All-Tat Team you have to have multiple, vi sable tats. I am going to compare each position match up and declare a winner and then declare the overall winner. Okay, let's give it a try.
Point Guard
All-Tat: Chauncey Billups
All-Clean: Magic
Winner: Magic...Billups is going to be great, but he is no Magic. It wasn't easy to find a tatted up point guard, but Billups could hold his own in a big game.
Shooting Guard
All-Tat: The Black Mamba
All-Clean: Jordan
Winner: Jordan...As much as you all know I would love to give it to Kobe, I just can't
Small Foward
All-Tat: King James
All-Clean: Larry Bird
Winner: LeBron...Could you all imagine Bird with a bunch of tats...funny...anyway, as good as Bird was, LeBron takes this on.
Power Forward
All-Tat: Dennis Rodman
All-Clean: Tim Duncan (he has a tattoo, but it is on his back and you can't see it during games)
Winner: Duncan...He is the best, but boy, I would love to see Rodman go at it again.
Center
All-Tat: Shaq
All-Clean: The Dream
Winner: Shaw...This is a close one, but Shaq in his prime was the best.
Bench
All-Tat: Carmelo, AI, Amare Stoudemire, Deron Williams, Tracy McGrady
All-Clean: Barkley, The Admiral, Stockton, Garnett, D Wade
Winner: All-Clean...Not really even close.
In my examination of these teams I realized that while tattoos are a big part of the NBA, they really aren't any indicator of the type of player you will be. Now I know that these teams look the the 80s versus the 2000s, but even still, the bench on the All-Tat Team isn't great compared to the players that were left of the All-Clean Team that play today. So I have to give the advantage to the All-Clean Team on this one, but it would be a fun game to watch.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Seriously
I am sitting here watching the Lakers/Rockets game and the Lakers look like a bunch of sissies. Seriously, give me a Rockets uniform and I could post Pau Gasol up. Anyway, despite the Lakers looking like shit, the worst part of the game is the officials. The NBA is getting completely ridiculous with all of the bullshit fouls and technicals. These guys need to watch a Big East game and watch the college officials do a game and then maybe they could learn how to call a game. The Lakers and Rockets aren't even playing physical and the officials are still calling the game as if it was a church league championship game.
I have complained about this before, but it is getting worse and worse as the playoffs go on. The NBA needs to fix this and they need to fix it during half time of this game and let these guys play. I am sure that they don't have to worry about Gasol or Bynum being too physical, I don't think that there is any chance of that happening.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Let Me Clear Things Up
Last night I was reminded of what George Carlin once said, "Now let me ask you this, the two pandas in the zoo, do you care if they fuck, I don't. Why don't they stop telling me on the news the pandas didn't fuck again this year. I'm not concerned, I have no stake in panda fucking, alright. If they want to they will, if they don't they'll watch The Price is Right"
During the day, I sit in a room where the TV is on mute the entire day. The vast majority of the days we have some cable news network on, usually CNN, but every now and then, Fox News. So I don't get to hear the news much, just watch the ticker and read the headlines, but I get the gist. Then when I go home, I proceed to do what, well, watch the news. I don't really know why, I get news updates on my email and read stuff on line, so I keep up pretty well, but I will sit at home and while we are cooking and eating dinner, we watch the news. Anyway, last night was enough for me, I just can't take watching the same stuff over and over again anymore, especially stuff that I really could care less about. It reminded my of a great rant on Scrubs by Dr. Cox, "I have a finite amount of brain space and your inspiring story of the little breast who couldn't just pushed out my memory of the 1980 Olympic Hockey team's victory at Lake Placis. Miracle on Ice...gone!"
So, I decided that for today's post, I would put together two Top Ten Lists. The first list will be the issues that dominate the news that I could really give two shits about, while the second list will be those topics that get very little news coverage, but that I care a great deal about.
Things I Could Care Less About:
10. CEO Bonuses: I care, but seriously, enough is enough. We all know what goes on and there are many more important aspects of business corruption and ethics that need to be talked about.
9. The Fall of the GOP: I really don't care, or believe it. Sure, they need to get their act together, but politics and ideology run in cycles in this county. Eight years ago everyone was talking about the demise of the Democratic Party, and they appear to be doing just fine.
8. Arlen Specter: Look, if one Republican votes with the Democrats or one Democrat votes with the Republicans, then Specter's switch is meaningless. The only winner here is Specter who was getting crushed in the Primary polls and now is beating the same guy handling in the General polls.
7. iReports: Go to Wal Mart or Kroger this afternoon and look to your left and then to you right. Then think about whether you want those people reporting news to you. I bet you know, and I know I don't.
6. Naked Celebrities: Maybe if I was 13 again I would care, but I really don't care about Miss California or Rhianna, so please stop talking about it.
5. Steroids: I have said time and time again, I don't care whether Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds, etc have used steroids. Even if I did, there are more important things for the news to cover, so leave this to ESPN and move on with your life.
4. Swine Flu: I think that someone needs to give the news networks, the CDC and the WHO a copy of the book, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." As George Carlin said, "...calm down, have some dip."
3. Budget Deficits: This has not actual impact on me and never will (or my kids) so please stop talking about it. This is the greatest scare tactic ever used and it is a bunch of shit. Just focus on jobs, homes, and people.
2. Anything Dick Cheney Says: Oh, how I long for the good ol' days when Cheney would disappear for 18 months at a time. I understand covering a former Vice President, so this is aimed more towards him, but if he says something everyday, the news doesn't need to go into a four hour debate over who is the head of the Republican Party.
1. What people think: I want news. I don't care what O'Reily, Olbermann, or Hannity think. I can form my own opinions and go on a rant about them, so I don't need them to fill in that gap for me. Report the news and shut these people up.
Things I Care About
10. Torture: I really care about this, but it gets covered some, so that is why it is number ten. My problem with the coverage is that it is all about who is to blame, not about what we need to do to prevent this from happening and how torture doesn't work.
9. Summer TV Lineup: Now we are talking about important stuff. "So You Think You Can Dance" is starting back up, as is "Burn Notice," so I need information about when to set my DVR.
8. Human Rights: This story has pretty much gone away, but I am beating that the violations have not. This story pears perfectly with the torture story, so lets get back to discussing all the injustices in the world.
7. Homelessness: With the economy the way that it is, our homeless population is growing at a ridiculous rate, especially among children. The problem will never be solved, or even helped, until we start talking about it.
6. Consumer Confidence: The Stock Market and housing numbers are great, but the one that I really care about is consumer confidence. This is the number that is essential to the growth in our economy and us fully coming out of the recession, so let's pay a little more attention please.
5. Lakers/Cavs NBA Finals: Everyone says that it is time for Kobe to pass the torch to LeBorn. Not so fast big fella, and a beat down by the Lakers in the Finals will prove it.
4. Innocent Killings: It is becoming a major problem in the Middle East and other war areas. Civilians shouldn't and probably aren't targets but we should do everything we can to make sure they don't get hurt in this mess. It is not something that anyone likes to talk about or hear about, but it is important.
3. Arctic Riches: You want to learn about the next great war that may occur among the world superpowers, you need to read about the fight for over the Arctic. There is oil, water, natural gas, and other needed resources that have been untapped there and world powers are lining up to stake their claim. This could mean trouble.
2. Africa: The greatest injustices in the world occur in those countries over there, so we need to be talking about it here. I know it isn't a fun and wonderful thing to discuss, but we need to understand their situation, because once again, nothing can be done until we start the conversation.
1. Pakistan: If the world is going to end anytime soon, this is where it will start. There is a serious problem (or two) brewing over there and we need to pay attention. This is not one that we can ignore, though the media is doing a fine job of it. As you all know, I will listen to anything Fareed Zakaria tells me to, and he is dead serious about this one.
During the day, I sit in a room where the TV is on mute the entire day. The vast majority of the days we have some cable news network on, usually CNN, but every now and then, Fox News. So I don't get to hear the news much, just watch the ticker and read the headlines, but I get the gist. Then when I go home, I proceed to do what, well, watch the news. I don't really know why, I get news updates on my email and read stuff on line, so I keep up pretty well, but I will sit at home and while we are cooking and eating dinner, we watch the news. Anyway, last night was enough for me, I just can't take watching the same stuff over and over again anymore, especially stuff that I really could care less about. It reminded my of a great rant on Scrubs by Dr. Cox, "I have a finite amount of brain space and your inspiring story of the little breast who couldn't just pushed out my memory of the 1980 Olympic Hockey team's victory at Lake Placis. Miracle on Ice...gone!"
So, I decided that for today's post, I would put together two Top Ten Lists. The first list will be the issues that dominate the news that I could really give two shits about, while the second list will be those topics that get very little news coverage, but that I care a great deal about.
Things I Could Care Less About:
10. CEO Bonuses: I care, but seriously, enough is enough. We all know what goes on and there are many more important aspects of business corruption and ethics that need to be talked about.
9. The Fall of the GOP: I really don't care, or believe it. Sure, they need to get their act together, but politics and ideology run in cycles in this county. Eight years ago everyone was talking about the demise of the Democratic Party, and they appear to be doing just fine.
8. Arlen Specter: Look, if one Republican votes with the Democrats or one Democrat votes with the Republicans, then Specter's switch is meaningless. The only winner here is Specter who was getting crushed in the Primary polls and now is beating the same guy handling in the General polls.
7. iReports: Go to Wal Mart or Kroger this afternoon and look to your left and then to you right. Then think about whether you want those people reporting news to you. I bet you know, and I know I don't.
6. Naked Celebrities: Maybe if I was 13 again I would care, but I really don't care about Miss California or Rhianna, so please stop talking about it.
5. Steroids: I have said time and time again, I don't care whether Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds, etc have used steroids. Even if I did, there are more important things for the news to cover, so leave this to ESPN and move on with your life.
4. Swine Flu: I think that someone needs to give the news networks, the CDC and the WHO a copy of the book, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." As George Carlin said, "...calm down, have some dip."
3. Budget Deficits: This has not actual impact on me and never will (or my kids) so please stop talking about it. This is the greatest scare tactic ever used and it is a bunch of shit. Just focus on jobs, homes, and people.
2. Anything Dick Cheney Says: Oh, how I long for the good ol' days when Cheney would disappear for 18 months at a time. I understand covering a former Vice President, so this is aimed more towards him, but if he says something everyday, the news doesn't need to go into a four hour debate over who is the head of the Republican Party.
1. What people think: I want news. I don't care what O'Reily, Olbermann, or Hannity think. I can form my own opinions and go on a rant about them, so I don't need them to fill in that gap for me. Report the news and shut these people up.
Things I Care About
10. Torture: I really care about this, but it gets covered some, so that is why it is number ten. My problem with the coverage is that it is all about who is to blame, not about what we need to do to prevent this from happening and how torture doesn't work.
9. Summer TV Lineup: Now we are talking about important stuff. "So You Think You Can Dance" is starting back up, as is "Burn Notice," so I need information about when to set my DVR.
8. Human Rights: This story has pretty much gone away, but I am beating that the violations have not. This story pears perfectly with the torture story, so lets get back to discussing all the injustices in the world.
7. Homelessness: With the economy the way that it is, our homeless population is growing at a ridiculous rate, especially among children. The problem will never be solved, or even helped, until we start talking about it.
6. Consumer Confidence: The Stock Market and housing numbers are great, but the one that I really care about is consumer confidence. This is the number that is essential to the growth in our economy and us fully coming out of the recession, so let's pay a little more attention please.
5. Lakers/Cavs NBA Finals: Everyone says that it is time for Kobe to pass the torch to LeBorn. Not so fast big fella, and a beat down by the Lakers in the Finals will prove it.
4. Innocent Killings: It is becoming a major problem in the Middle East and other war areas. Civilians shouldn't and probably aren't targets but we should do everything we can to make sure they don't get hurt in this mess. It is not something that anyone likes to talk about or hear about, but it is important.
3. Arctic Riches: You want to learn about the next great war that may occur among the world superpowers, you need to read about the fight for over the Arctic. There is oil, water, natural gas, and other needed resources that have been untapped there and world powers are lining up to stake their claim. This could mean trouble.
2. Africa: The greatest injustices in the world occur in those countries over there, so we need to be talking about it here. I know it isn't a fun and wonderful thing to discuss, but we need to understand their situation, because once again, nothing can be done until we start the conversation.
1. Pakistan: If the world is going to end anytime soon, this is where it will start. There is a serious problem (or two) brewing over there and we need to pay attention. This is not one that we can ignore, though the media is doing a fine job of it. As you all know, I will listen to anything Fareed Zakaria tells me to, and he is dead serious about this one.
Friday, May 8, 2009
$20 Million Ain't What It Used to Be...
For those of you who don't live in West Virginia or don't follow the news much, yesterday local West Virginia businessman Jim Justice bought The Greenbrier Resort for $20.1 million, yes just $20.1 million. Are you kidding me, that would even get you a top of the rotation pitcher or a solid shooting guard. Oh who the mighty have fallen. It was reported that the Marriott was going to take over The Greenbrier for $130 million, with some considerations, but still.
So The Greenbrier, one of the east coast's largest and most luxurious resort, sold for $20 million while it cost New Yankee Stadium cost right around $200 million to build. Give all the credit in the world to Mr. Justice, who not only just bought the Greenbrier for just $20 million, but also for making the Greenbrier West Virginia owned. It is nice that we have a local owner for the resort, which has had it share of hard times recently. Maybe he brings in some big name to run the hotel and resort, but it is still West Virginia owned and that is really important.
So The Greenbrier, one of the east coast's largest and most luxurious resort, sold for $20 million while it cost New Yankee Stadium cost right around $200 million to build. Give all the credit in the world to Mr. Justice, who not only just bought the Greenbrier for just $20 million, but also for making the Greenbrier West Virginia owned. It is nice that we have a local owner for the resort, which has had it share of hard times recently. Maybe he brings in some big name to run the hotel and resort, but it is still West Virginia owned and that is really important.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
No Mas
I will keep this short this afternoon, but I have a point to make. I am completely against any suspension punishment during the NBA Playoffs. These games have been great and I don't care if these guys want to go out and beat the shit out of each other, it is great to watch. This is what the NBA needs and what they don't need is to suspend guys for playing tough. Unless someone goes out and just complete beats down someone on the court, I say let them play. I have no problem with guys getting thrown out of games. If Derek Fisher wants to run over some with his shoulder lower or Vaun Wafer wants to slap someone in the head, then throw them out of the game, but do not suspend them for more games. The playoffs are really the one time of year that the fans really get into the NBA and when the NBA is at its best. The Celtics/Bulls series was wonderful and the Lakers/Rockets and Celtics/Magic games are shaping up to be great. So my note to the NBA is to make sure that they don't step in and do what they usually do and mess things up. Let these guys knock the crap out of each other and smack talk for seven games. That is what playoff basketball is all about.
Just why I am on the suspension topic, I really don't care about the Manny Ramirez thing. It is my opinion that he just wanted to take some time off and this was the easiest way. I don't for a second think that Manny took steroids. He may have taken some illegal drugs during his days, but I seriously doubt they were steroids. My bet is that when Manny comes back (and I would not be surprised if MLB shorted this thing before the end of 50 games) that he hits around .390 with 20 homeruns and 60 rbi, all the while leading the Dodgers to the NLCS where, of course, they will get beat by the Mets.
Just why I am on the suspension topic, I really don't care about the Manny Ramirez thing. It is my opinion that he just wanted to take some time off and this was the easiest way. I don't for a second think that Manny took steroids. He may have taken some illegal drugs during his days, but I seriously doubt they were steroids. My bet is that when Manny comes back (and I would not be surprised if MLB shorted this thing before the end of 50 games) that he hits around .390 with 20 homeruns and 60 rbi, all the while leading the Dodgers to the NLCS where, of course, they will get beat by the Mets.
My Favorite Sitcom
Last night may have well been the end of an era for me, in fact it was. Last night was the season finale and possible the series finale for Scrubs. Scrubs is my all time favorite sitcom and I will miss it very much (though nightly I watch reruns on DVD and Comedy Central). It is hard to believe that the show, at least in its original format, won't be on TV anymore. Scrubs was the only show that I watched during its scheduled air time (everything else is DVRed). Scrubs ranks right up there with The West Wing as my favorite shows of all time and it's characters certainly were among my favorite.
I don't know if Scrubs will be back for another season, but I do know that if it is that it will be without its heavy hitters, including Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison. Scrubs was great because it was not only extremely funny every week, but they were also able to throw in the occasional drama episode. One week the show would make you cry from being sad and the next you would cry from laughing so hard. It was/is a brilliant show created by the genius Bill Lawrence (he also did Spin City folks) and it is really sad to see it go.
The relationship between the characters is what made the show. JD and Turk's relationship was one of the greatest "buddy" relationship ever. But it was how all the characters interacted that made the show what it was. The show wasn't just carried by its main two stars, you had Dr. Kelso, Dr. Cox, Carla, and Elliot all making sure that the show stayed fresh. The show centered around JD, but what made it great and what made it last so long was the fact that the show moved its focus around to different stars.
The characters on the show were what made it so great. Forget about the main characters, though they were wonderful, it was the other cast of characters that made the show great. The Todd is possibly one of the greatest side characters in TV history. Jordan Sullivan was the hot, mean lady that kept the show very edgy and funny. Nurse Roberts was hysterical and also a good moral compass. Doug was the idiot that everyone kept putting up with but that always kept the show light. And my favorite was Ted, who always kept the level of humor at the top level. Also, I have to through out some love for Snoop Dogg Intern/Resident/Attending. Manley Henry didn't get to say much during his tenure, but if you pay very close attention, you will notice that he appears in every episode, I mean every episode.
The special guest stars were also nothing to sneeze at. Here is a short list, Matther Perry, Ryan Reynolds, Michael J. Fox, Barry Bostwick, Richard Kind, Heather Locklear, Tara Reid, Brendan Fraser, Tom Cavanagh, John Ritter, Michael McDonald, Sean Hayes, Nicole Sullivan, Scott Foley, Rick Schroder, Molly Shannon, Julianna Margulies, Heather Graham, and Elizabeth Banks just to name a few.
So in honor of the season/series finale last night, I will list my favorite Scrubs episodes from each season. Yes, I have watched every episode enough times on DVD to know which are my favorites. You will notice that I titled my blog in honor of Scrubs (every show title starts with "My...") Here we go:
Season 1: "My Old Man": John Ritter appeared, so that is enough for me. It was one of those great episodes that included both drama and humor.
Season 2: "My Case Study": Very funny because it included a reference to "front butt."
Season 3: "My Clean Break": JD finally breaks up with a girl, but the best part was Dr. Cox becoming happy and then angry again.
Season 4: "My Last Chance": This is one of the my favorite episodes of all time because so much is going on.
Season 5: "My Lunch": This is probably my favorite episode because it truly embodies everything you need. It was very funny, serious, sad, and insightful. This is a classic.
Season 6: "My Musical": The Scrubs musical was priceless. I was a little nervous at first, but when JD and Turk did "Guy Love" I still laugh just thinking about it.
Season 7: "My Bad Too": One of the funniest episodes of the latter season. It has Dr. Cox stealing food and Turk gets brenner (breakfast for dinner) which we all love.
Season 8: "My Finale": This is an easy one. I was really worried about how they were going to end things and they could not have done it better. I was very happy with how it went down. Thank you Bill Lawrence.
This has been a long post, but the show deserves it. I will miss my friends on Scrubs because they never let me down. I understand that things must move on and I will follow all of the stars on the show. It wasn't one of those shows that went away for a season or even half a season, the show and its cast were also on top of their game. TV lost a giant last night, because no matter what the ultimate fate of the show is, it will never be the same. I hope it comes back next year with a new cast and I will watch it, but I will still miss the good old days and my good friends.
I don't know if Scrubs will be back for another season, but I do know that if it is that it will be without its heavy hitters, including Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison. Scrubs was great because it was not only extremely funny every week, but they were also able to throw in the occasional drama episode. One week the show would make you cry from being sad and the next you would cry from laughing so hard. It was/is a brilliant show created by the genius Bill Lawrence (he also did Spin City folks) and it is really sad to see it go.
The relationship between the characters is what made the show. JD and Turk's relationship was one of the greatest "buddy" relationship ever. But it was how all the characters interacted that made the show what it was. The show wasn't just carried by its main two stars, you had Dr. Kelso, Dr. Cox, Carla, and Elliot all making sure that the show stayed fresh. The show centered around JD, but what made it great and what made it last so long was the fact that the show moved its focus around to different stars.
The characters on the show were what made it so great. Forget about the main characters, though they were wonderful, it was the other cast of characters that made the show great. The Todd is possibly one of the greatest side characters in TV history. Jordan Sullivan was the hot, mean lady that kept the show very edgy and funny. Nurse Roberts was hysterical and also a good moral compass. Doug was the idiot that everyone kept putting up with but that always kept the show light. And my favorite was Ted, who always kept the level of humor at the top level. Also, I have to through out some love for Snoop Dogg Intern/Resident/Attending. Manley Henry didn't get to say much during his tenure, but if you pay very close attention, you will notice that he appears in every episode, I mean every episode.
The special guest stars were also nothing to sneeze at. Here is a short list, Matther Perry, Ryan Reynolds, Michael J. Fox, Barry Bostwick, Richard Kind, Heather Locklear, Tara Reid, Brendan Fraser, Tom Cavanagh, John Ritter, Michael McDonald, Sean Hayes, Nicole Sullivan, Scott Foley, Rick Schroder, Molly Shannon, Julianna Margulies, Heather Graham, and Elizabeth Banks just to name a few.
So in honor of the season/series finale last night, I will list my favorite Scrubs episodes from each season. Yes, I have watched every episode enough times on DVD to know which are my favorites. You will notice that I titled my blog in honor of Scrubs (every show title starts with "My...") Here we go:
Season 1: "My Old Man": John Ritter appeared, so that is enough for me. It was one of those great episodes that included both drama and humor.
Season 2: "My Case Study": Very funny because it included a reference to "front butt."
Season 3: "My Clean Break": JD finally breaks up with a girl, but the best part was Dr. Cox becoming happy and then angry again.
Season 4: "My Last Chance": This is one of the my favorite episodes of all time because so much is going on.
Season 5: "My Lunch": This is probably my favorite episode because it truly embodies everything you need. It was very funny, serious, sad, and insightful. This is a classic.
Season 6: "My Musical": The Scrubs musical was priceless. I was a little nervous at first, but when JD and Turk did "Guy Love" I still laugh just thinking about it.
Season 7: "My Bad Too": One of the funniest episodes of the latter season. It has Dr. Cox stealing food and Turk gets brenner (breakfast for dinner) which we all love.
Season 8: "My Finale": This is an easy one. I was really worried about how they were going to end things and they could not have done it better. I was very happy with how it went down. Thank you Bill Lawrence.
This has been a long post, but the show deserves it. I will miss my friends on Scrubs because they never let me down. I understand that things must move on and I will follow all of the stars on the show. It wasn't one of those shows that went away for a season or even half a season, the show and its cast were also on top of their game. TV lost a giant last night, because no matter what the ultimate fate of the show is, it will never be the same. I hope it comes back next year with a new cast and I will watch it, but I will still miss the good old days and my good friends.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
In Case You Missed It
I just wanted to provide an update for everyone who may have been under a rock for the last couple of days. A certain NFL quarterback, who shall remain nameless for the duration of this blog under protest and whose name I hope to never speak again, has decided that he in fact wants to play again and is talking with a certain team, who will also remain nameless because I blame them for this as well. No this is not an old post from last year, this guy is at it again. I mean the guy was great. A hall of famer even, but enough is enough already. This is not the first instance where this particular quarterback has been in the news for not being able to decided whether to play again for not, as a matter of fact this is about the tenth time this asshole has been in the news for this kind of shit.
Okay, so the last sentence gave away my stance on this issue so I don't have to go into that, but for goodness sake it is just time for this guy to hang it up. You know what, I don't care if he hangs it up or plays, my life will be exactly the same tomorrow whether this media whore decides to play or not, but I am just tired of hearing about it. I take that back, if he decides to play, my life will be a little worse because it will be on every news network and internet site on god's green earth. Though, I suppose that if he decides not to play the same coverage will be there, for some unknown worldly reason, so I am back to the idea that it makes no difference on my life.
This is not my typical stance on these types of issues. I like to follow sports story, even to nauseam sometimes, but I have been through it with this guys before so enough is enough. And who really cares anyway. It has no real life factors because the guy is fantasy dog meat, so what other value could he have. The only people who care about this are his former, former (two teams ago) teammates. And they only care because I am sure that they are licking their chops at the chance to accidentally hit late fifteen or sixteen times a game. It would be one of those games where the starters go to their backups before the game and say "you might want to be ready today, because there is a good chance I will get tossed for nailing that jackass the first chance I get."
Bottom line, unless you are bashing this guy for being a jerk, I don't want to hear anyone talking about it anymore. If you have the same stance that I do, then please feel free to talk about it all you want and I will read it. Just make sure you don't come close to mentioning his name.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Shows That I Miss
It is no secret to anyone that reads this blog that I am a big TV fan. I watch a good bit of TV, though I have begun reading more so yeah for me. Anyway, I have focused a few blogs about my favorite shows and characters on TV. This blog is going to focus on those shows that got cancelled too early. These are the shows that I really miss and wish I could get more from. These aren't shows that had great, long runs, like The West Wing that I really miss, but shows that were great, but never really got a chance. By the way, I love Top Ten Lists, so here we go:
10. Jericho: I never really got into this show until I heard it was going to be cancelled, so I took a look and loved the show. I remember people were really up in arms about this being cancelled and after watching it, I can understand why.
9. The Tick: I didn't really get into this show until after it was cancelled, but it is very funny and very smartly written. Plus, Patrick Warburton (Puddy) was wonderful and extremely funny.
8. Futurama: I mean what a well written show. It is difficult to write this kind of humor. This is another show cut by Fox (which is a pattern on this list) that should have been given more time. It was funnier than King of the Hill and to some extent The Simpsons (though I love the Simpsons, but it is a different type of humor).
7. Firefly: I only caught a few episodes of this show, but I loved the ones that I saw. It was created by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The show didn't even make it through a full season on Fox (surprise) and was probably one of those shows that was too smart for a network audience.
6. Sports Night: One of two Aaron Sorkin shows that are on this list that were too smart for their audience. Sorkin wrote the shit out of this script and the audiences just couldn't handle it. The old shows are still fun to watch and I really wish that this could get started up again. The cast was wonderful, Peter Krause, Felicity Huffman, Joshua Malina, and Josh Charles were great, but weren't really given a chance.
5. Freaks and Geeks: One of two great shows that Judd Apatow (Undeclared). This is one of the best shows ever created about teenage and high school life. It was a very smart comedy that should still be on TV. If you think back the show had James Franco, Seth Rogen, John Francis Daley, and Jason Segel in it. How could those guys not still be on TV.
4. Family Guy: Some of you all may not be aware that Family Guy was once cancelled by Fox, but was lucky brought back by the network. We all know how funny the show is, so that doesn't need to be mentioned, but how lucky was Fox to keep this show and how lucky are we that the show came back.
3. Kitchen Confidential: What a great show. It was extremely well written and very funny show that was based on a book written by Anthony Bourdain. The two producers were Darren Star (Sex and the City) and Dave Hemingson (Just Shoot Me and American Dad) so they got star power there and the cast was not full of big names, though it had Bradley Cooper, John Francis Daley, and John Cho in it, but the cast worked very well together and only one season of this show just wasn't enough.
2. Arrested Development: It is very hard to think of a funnier show ever on TV. Once again, Fox dumped a great show that for some reason just didn't find a steady audience. No one could ever figure out why the show could find and audience, though my opinion is that you just can't write comedy that smart for networks. The movie is in the works, but I would prefer the show make a comeback.
1. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: It is difficult to say that a show that only last one year is one of the best written shows ever on TV, but this show fits that bill. Sorkin once again did an amazing job and put together a wonderful cast. Lets just take a look at a few cast members, Matther Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford, D.L. Hughley, Sarah Paulson, Timothy Busfield, Steven Weber, and Nathan Corddry. Lets not even mention that Sting was a musical guest. Still, I could have started in this show and it was so well written that it would not have mattered. Sorkin is a king and this show should still be on the air. Once again, too smart for network.
10. Jericho: I never really got into this show until I heard it was going to be cancelled, so I took a look and loved the show. I remember people were really up in arms about this being cancelled and after watching it, I can understand why.
9. The Tick: I didn't really get into this show until after it was cancelled, but it is very funny and very smartly written. Plus, Patrick Warburton (Puddy) was wonderful and extremely funny.
8. Futurama: I mean what a well written show. It is difficult to write this kind of humor. This is another show cut by Fox (which is a pattern on this list) that should have been given more time. It was funnier than King of the Hill and to some extent The Simpsons (though I love the Simpsons, but it is a different type of humor).
7. Firefly: I only caught a few episodes of this show, but I loved the ones that I saw. It was created by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The show didn't even make it through a full season on Fox (surprise) and was probably one of those shows that was too smart for a network audience.
6. Sports Night: One of two Aaron Sorkin shows that are on this list that were too smart for their audience. Sorkin wrote the shit out of this script and the audiences just couldn't handle it. The old shows are still fun to watch and I really wish that this could get started up again. The cast was wonderful, Peter Krause, Felicity Huffman, Joshua Malina, and Josh Charles were great, but weren't really given a chance.
5. Freaks and Geeks: One of two great shows that Judd Apatow (Undeclared). This is one of the best shows ever created about teenage and high school life. It was a very smart comedy that should still be on TV. If you think back the show had James Franco, Seth Rogen, John Francis Daley, and Jason Segel in it. How could those guys not still be on TV.
4. Family Guy: Some of you all may not be aware that Family Guy was once cancelled by Fox, but was lucky brought back by the network. We all know how funny the show is, so that doesn't need to be mentioned, but how lucky was Fox to keep this show and how lucky are we that the show came back.
3. Kitchen Confidential: What a great show. It was extremely well written and very funny show that was based on a book written by Anthony Bourdain. The two producers were Darren Star (Sex and the City) and Dave Hemingson (Just Shoot Me and American Dad) so they got star power there and the cast was not full of big names, though it had Bradley Cooper, John Francis Daley, and John Cho in it, but the cast worked very well together and only one season of this show just wasn't enough.
2. Arrested Development: It is very hard to think of a funnier show ever on TV. Once again, Fox dumped a great show that for some reason just didn't find a steady audience. No one could ever figure out why the show could find and audience, though my opinion is that you just can't write comedy that smart for networks. The movie is in the works, but I would prefer the show make a comeback.
1. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: It is difficult to say that a show that only last one year is one of the best written shows ever on TV, but this show fits that bill. Sorkin once again did an amazing job and put together a wonderful cast. Lets just take a look at a few cast members, Matther Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford, D.L. Hughley, Sarah Paulson, Timothy Busfield, Steven Weber, and Nathan Corddry. Lets not even mention that Sting was a musical guest. Still, I could have started in this show and it was so well written that it would not have mattered. Sorkin is a king and this show should still be on the air. Once again, too smart for network.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Who's Funnier
I was watching movies the other day and began to think about different directors/writers/producers. I began to think about whose movies I liked more, Kevin Smith or Judd Apatow. It is a tough choice between the two, and then I figured that if I was going to compare the two, I better throw in the guy who started it all, John Hughes. So this blog looks at the body of work of the three guys and tries to figure out which is the best.
John Hughes: Anyone my age knows John Hughes movies. Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and She's Having a Baby. Still those aren't the only movies that Hughes is responsible for. Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Vacation, European Vacation, Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, Career Opportunities, Curly Sue, and Dutch. He hasn't had much success since 1991, but that is one impressive resume.
Kevin Smith: Not as long a resume as Hughes, but just as big of an impact. We all know the big ones, Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma. But don't forget about Jay and Slient Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks II, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Don't forget though folks, Smith is one of the primary people responsible for Good Will Hunting, so that is a big bonus for him.
Judd Apatow: Currently, Apatow is the best comedic director around. The thing about Apatow is the of the three he has the strongest TV resume (The Larry Sanders Show, Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared) and it isn't that well known, but his movie work dates back to around 1995. His big ones include, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Walk Hard, and Pineapple Express. Apatow was also a part of Anchorman, Kicking and Screaming, Fun with Dick and Jane, Tallagega Nights, and Superbad. Going back some years, he worked on such films as Celtic Pride, Heavy Weights, and, The Cable Guy.
Results:
Well, I must admit when I started this blog I knew I was going to go with Kevin Smith. Of all the movies above, Mallrats is by far my favorite and Dogma is next. Also, of the three, I grew up more with Smith than the other two, because his movies came at a time when I could appreciate the comedy more. I figured that I would put them in this order, Smith, Hughes, Apatow.
But as I did my research things began to chance. I am seriously impressed with Apatow. I didn't realize all the movies that this guy was involved in. So after doing my research, and even though Mallrats is still my favorite, and this was a shock to me, I have to put the guys in this order:
Judd Apatow
Kevin Smith
John Hughes
John Hughes: Anyone my age knows John Hughes movies. Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and She's Having a Baby. Still those aren't the only movies that Hughes is responsible for. Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Vacation, European Vacation, Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, Career Opportunities, Curly Sue, and Dutch. He hasn't had much success since 1991, but that is one impressive resume.
Kevin Smith: Not as long a resume as Hughes, but just as big of an impact. We all know the big ones, Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma. But don't forget about Jay and Slient Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks II, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Don't forget though folks, Smith is one of the primary people responsible for Good Will Hunting, so that is a big bonus for him.
Judd Apatow: Currently, Apatow is the best comedic director around. The thing about Apatow is the of the three he has the strongest TV resume (The Larry Sanders Show, Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared) and it isn't that well known, but his movie work dates back to around 1995. His big ones include, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Walk Hard, and Pineapple Express. Apatow was also a part of Anchorman, Kicking and Screaming, Fun with Dick and Jane, Tallagega Nights, and Superbad. Going back some years, he worked on such films as Celtic Pride, Heavy Weights, and, The Cable Guy.
Results:
Well, I must admit when I started this blog I knew I was going to go with Kevin Smith. Of all the movies above, Mallrats is by far my favorite and Dogma is next. Also, of the three, I grew up more with Smith than the other two, because his movies came at a time when I could appreciate the comedy more. I figured that I would put them in this order, Smith, Hughes, Apatow.
But as I did my research things began to chance. I am seriously impressed with Apatow. I didn't realize all the movies that this guy was involved in. So after doing my research, and even though Mallrats is still my favorite, and this was a shock to me, I have to put the guys in this order:
Judd Apatow
Kevin Smith
John Hughes
Monday, April 27, 2009
Top Ten Non Sporting Sporting Events
In honor of the NFL Draft this past weekend, I decided to follow suit with some other blogs and put together a list of the Top Ten Non Sporting Sporting Events. These are events that focus on sport topics, but there is not actually in physical activity taking place. Things like drafts, selection shows, etc, where teams and leagues make or break themselves, but nobody really breaks a sweat. These are events that confuse your significant other when you say that you are out for the whole day and they ask what game is on and you tell them that it isn’t a game at all you just want to watch people talking.
10. Bud Shootout Selection Show: I love random chance games and this is one of the best. The Bud Shootout doesn’t mean much, but it is the one NASCAR event where every driver has an equal opportunity to start up front. And making the selection out of Bud bottles is pretty cool too.
9. NCAA Selection Show: This is beginning to run a little thin for me, so that is why it is ranked so low. CBS could certainly do a better job. The one thing that keeps is on the list at all is the fact that it leads to everyone filling out their brackets, which is one of the best sports traditions out there.
8. Season Odds Release in Vegas: No matter the sport, it is always very fun to wait for Vegas to release their season odds. You get to see where you team stands in their eyes and if there are any bargains out there to put a few bucks down on.
7. SportsCenter: Possibly the greatest show every created. It is mostly a bunch of people that have never played sports in their lives talking about sports. It is also the one show that for some reason you can watch over and over again in the same day. You watch the 9:00 am SportsCenter and then the 10:00 am SportsCenter, though nothing has changed.
6. NBA Lottery Selection Show: Forget the draft, because the NBA Draft is boring and pointless. There are only two rounds and players drafted in the second round rarely have the chance to make the team. But the selection show is great, because, as most of you know, I really love selections that involve random chance. The Lottery selection show is fun because everyone there has a chance to get the first pick (though not equal) and it is great when someone sneaks in there and gets the first pick and makes there team and immediate contender.
5. NFL Draft: There isn’t another major sport whose draft even comes close to being as exciting as the NFL Draft. First off, it takes up an entire weekend and it is the one draft that truly impacts your team. As a Redskins fan, I have really only gotten to enjoy the draft over the last couple of years because we always like to trade away our picks, but even so, I still watch the draft both days because it is fun and exciting to watch.
4. Release of Madden Football: This is one of the best sports traditions, because it is truly the start of football season. The draft is over with and the teams are pretty much set, so it is time to play some Madden. Every year I say that I won’t get excited, but every year I am waiting in line on the first day to pick it up.
3. The National: This might not matter to some of you, but The National is the largest sports collectables show of the year. This is the place where all card collectors come together and enjoy their addiction. You save you pennies, nickels, and dimes for an entire year to search through a hundred dollar boxes to find a great deal on a Jeff Bagwell jersey, autograph card.
2. MLB Trade Deadline: I love the MLB trade deadline because the Mets are usually involved in a big move, though in Steve Phillips case that was a bad thing. It is just incredible interesting for a baseball fan to watch and read about trade rumors for a week and then wait around all day to see if your team gets better, or if they have given up and are planning for the future.
1. Fantasy Drafts: This is number one for so many reasons, but mainly because it is the one event that guys like me and my friends get to participate in. Fantasy sports make the real life sports so much more interesting and the season is that much more exciting if you have a good draft and put together a good team. I particularly enjoy the fantasy draft order selection show, where you learn what pick you get. Fantasy sports are the best thing to ever happen to sports, so that is what gives this event the top spot, no matter what fantasy sport you are playing.
10. Bud Shootout Selection Show: I love random chance games and this is one of the best. The Bud Shootout doesn’t mean much, but it is the one NASCAR event where every driver has an equal opportunity to start up front. And making the selection out of Bud bottles is pretty cool too.
9. NCAA Selection Show: This is beginning to run a little thin for me, so that is why it is ranked so low. CBS could certainly do a better job. The one thing that keeps is on the list at all is the fact that it leads to everyone filling out their brackets, which is one of the best sports traditions out there.
8. Season Odds Release in Vegas: No matter the sport, it is always very fun to wait for Vegas to release their season odds. You get to see where you team stands in their eyes and if there are any bargains out there to put a few bucks down on.
7. SportsCenter: Possibly the greatest show every created. It is mostly a bunch of people that have never played sports in their lives talking about sports. It is also the one show that for some reason you can watch over and over again in the same day. You watch the 9:00 am SportsCenter and then the 10:00 am SportsCenter, though nothing has changed.
6. NBA Lottery Selection Show: Forget the draft, because the NBA Draft is boring and pointless. There are only two rounds and players drafted in the second round rarely have the chance to make the team. But the selection show is great, because, as most of you know, I really love selections that involve random chance. The Lottery selection show is fun because everyone there has a chance to get the first pick (though not equal) and it is great when someone sneaks in there and gets the first pick and makes there team and immediate contender.
5. NFL Draft: There isn’t another major sport whose draft even comes close to being as exciting as the NFL Draft. First off, it takes up an entire weekend and it is the one draft that truly impacts your team. As a Redskins fan, I have really only gotten to enjoy the draft over the last couple of years because we always like to trade away our picks, but even so, I still watch the draft both days because it is fun and exciting to watch.
4. Release of Madden Football: This is one of the best sports traditions, because it is truly the start of football season. The draft is over with and the teams are pretty much set, so it is time to play some Madden. Every year I say that I won’t get excited, but every year I am waiting in line on the first day to pick it up.
3. The National: This might not matter to some of you, but The National is the largest sports collectables show of the year. This is the place where all card collectors come together and enjoy their addiction. You save you pennies, nickels, and dimes for an entire year to search through a hundred dollar boxes to find a great deal on a Jeff Bagwell jersey, autograph card.
2. MLB Trade Deadline: I love the MLB trade deadline because the Mets are usually involved in a big move, though in Steve Phillips case that was a bad thing. It is just incredible interesting for a baseball fan to watch and read about trade rumors for a week and then wait around all day to see if your team gets better, or if they have given up and are planning for the future.
1. Fantasy Drafts: This is number one for so many reasons, but mainly because it is the one event that guys like me and my friends get to participate in. Fantasy sports make the real life sports so much more interesting and the season is that much more exciting if you have a good draft and put together a good team. I particularly enjoy the fantasy draft order selection show, where you learn what pick you get. Fantasy sports are the best thing to ever happen to sports, so that is what gives this event the top spot, no matter what fantasy sport you are playing.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tortured by Torture: Book Recommendation
You can turn on the TV today and not hear a story about torture. Since the release of the torture memos that is all the media wants to talk about. And for good reason. It is an important topic that needs to be talked about, but it beginning to get old. It is the same old talking heads giving the same old bullet points.
Now I don't think it would come to anyone's surprise that I am against the use of torture and I am glad that the memos got released. It is important that people understand what is happening and it is also important that we recognize our mistake to the world. Some people won't view are acts of torture as mistakes and that is okay, I can respect that, I just disagree. First off, torture doesn't really work, but more importantly, we can't be a nation that stands up for human rights around the world and punishes countries that don't conform, if we are going around committing acts that are in clear contradiction to human rights laws. There are many arguments against the use of torture that I don't have time to get into, so I must move on.
Anyway, this post isn't for me to rant about my beliefs (too late), it is a book recommendation. I strongly recommend to all of you that you pick up Matthew Alexander's "How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq." This is a story written by the man to go the information that lead to the killing of Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Alexander, which isn't his real name, demonstrates how the use of torture and fear techniques yielded exactly nothing and how he and his team used techniques like building a rapport understanding, and respect to break the one of the greatest criminal rings of our time.
As most of you know this isn't the first time that I have recommended this book, but with the happens of the recent weeks, I think it is important to put it back into the discussion. Whether you think that releasing the torture memos was correct, or even if we should be using torture techniques, this is still an important read. It provides great insight into negotiation strategies, along with demonstrating that even though you might hate the person you are interrogating, it is important to put that aside to get the information you need. It is a quick read and shouldn't take long, so pick it up (or ask me to borrow it) and give it a read.
Also, I would like to recommend my friend's new blog "Who Cares?" It is a fun read and will provide some insight into things that people say and do, that no one else really cares about...http://walksthoughts.blogspot.com/
Now I don't think it would come to anyone's surprise that I am against the use of torture and I am glad that the memos got released. It is important that people understand what is happening and it is also important that we recognize our mistake to the world. Some people won't view are acts of torture as mistakes and that is okay, I can respect that, I just disagree. First off, torture doesn't really work, but more importantly, we can't be a nation that stands up for human rights around the world and punishes countries that don't conform, if we are going around committing acts that are in clear contradiction to human rights laws. There are many arguments against the use of torture that I don't have time to get into, so I must move on.
Anyway, this post isn't for me to rant about my beliefs (too late), it is a book recommendation. I strongly recommend to all of you that you pick up Matthew Alexander's "How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq." This is a story written by the man to go the information that lead to the killing of Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Alexander, which isn't his real name, demonstrates how the use of torture and fear techniques yielded exactly nothing and how he and his team used techniques like building a rapport understanding, and respect to break the one of the greatest criminal rings of our time.
As most of you know this isn't the first time that I have recommended this book, but with the happens of the recent weeks, I think it is important to put it back into the discussion. Whether you think that releasing the torture memos was correct, or even if we should be using torture techniques, this is still an important read. It provides great insight into negotiation strategies, along with demonstrating that even though you might hate the person you are interrogating, it is important to put that aside to get the information you need. It is a quick read and shouldn't take long, so pick it up (or ask me to borrow it) and give it a read.
Also, I would like to recommend my friend's new blog "Who Cares?" It is a fun read and will provide some insight into things that people say and do, that no one else really cares about...http://walksthoughts.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
What if I was on trial for murder
I was watching a show the other day about a guy that was on trial for murder and he was being defended by the public defenders. Now there is nothing wrong with public defenders, but if I am on trial for murder, I would need to bring out the big guns. So, it got me thinking about which TV lawyers I would want defending me if I was on trial for murder.
So tonight I am going to break it down for you all in two separate categories. The first list is the individual I would want defending me if I was innocent. The second, and most important list, is the individual I would want defending me if I was guilty. There is a big difference between the lawyer you want defending you if you are guilty and the one you want if you are innocent, so I will lay those out for you.
Innocent List:
If you are heading into a murder trial and you are innocent, then you need someone who is compassionate and trustworthy. You need that person to believe you and fight for you, not because it is their duty, but because they truly believe that you are innocent. It doesn't hurt either when they go out of their way to find the person who is actually guilty.
5. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (Catherine Bell)--JAG: Not only is she an amazing lawyer who fights for her clients, but it doesn't hurt for the jury to look at someone who is easy on the eyes. She is soft and trustworthy and she also does some investigating on her own, which always helps.
4. Victor Sifuentes (Jimmy Smits)--L.A. Law: Another one that the jury will see as easy on the eyes, but a hard nose lawyer that provides some of the most impassioned closing arguments ever given on TV. The reason he would defend me if I was innocent is because he is one of the few TV lawyers that has a conscience which is helpful when you are innocent.
3. Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen)--Boston Legal: If I am on trial for murder, I want someone that has years of experience and a few favors that they can call in. Shirley is one of the most respected lawyers and that would be very helpful. She is also very good at defending innocent people because she likes to believe them and it makes her work harder.
2. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr)--Perry Mason: The king of all TV lawyers. Mason always defending innocent people and lucky for me, he always found the real killer.
1. Jimmy "The Grunt" Berluti (Michael Badalucco)--The Practice: An odd choice here, but let me tell you about The Grunt. Jimmy is always the underdog in every case he goes into. He is seen as incompetent and beneath most other lawyers. That is exactly the guy I want defending me for murder. I want someone that has something to prove and that knows they can't lose, not only for my good, but for their own good as well. I want the little guy fighting for me. Jimmy also always believed his clients and liked helping out those who were truly innocent.
Guilty List:
If you are guilty of murder, you need a lawyer that doesn't give two shits about you and could care less if you go to jail for life. You need a lawyer who isn't compassionate, but a lawyer that believes every person deserves a fair trail and a lawyer that will fight for you even though they know you are guilty. These are a different breed. Truth be told, there aren't many of these characters out there, so the shows to choose from are few and far between.
5. Denny Crane (Willam Shatner)--Boston Legal: Denny would be number one if he didn't suffer from mad cows disease. First of all, Denny has never lost a case, or at least that is what he says. Secondly, he is Denny Crane man, just ask him. Denny just wants to win. The facts don't matter, he may not even learn my name, but what do I care, I just want to get set free.
4. Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott)--The Practice: Many might think that Bobby is number one. There is no doubt that Bobby gave the best closings in TV history and he always the person you want to do your closing. Bobby would fight for the guilty, but the thing that keeps him down on my list is that he always has a crisis of consciousness. I really don't need that in a murder trial. Bobby usually wins, so he will do.
3. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston)--Law & Order: Okay, I know that he usually puts people in jail, but if he would ever switch sides, I would hire him in a heartbeat. The man does anything and everything he can to win and I could use that. It never bothers him to break the law to serve the law, and that is what I would need if I was guilty for murder.
2. Alan Shore (James Spader)--Boston Legal: If I was on trial for murder, I would need a lawyer that doesn't care that I am on trial for murder, all they care about it winning and serving the law. That is what Alan does. It also doesn't hurt that is always able to "pull a rabbit out of his hat." I mean that man got Al Sharpton to come in and speak for one of his clients. Alan simply wins and does it with great passion. If you are guilty, you need a lawyer that defends you as if you were innocent and Alan Shore does that.
1. Eugene Young (Steve Harris)--The Practice: One word and one letter provide the reason for Eugene being number one: "Plan B." Eugene was the king of Plan B and never worried about using it. For those of you that don't know, Plan B is where you are defending someone that is pretty much going to lose, so you put up a friendly witness and you accuse them of committing the crime, thus establishing reasonable doubt. Plan B always works and Eugene is the best. Eugene also never has a crisis of conscience during a trial, though he might afterwards, but that is not my problem. He also never has a problem getting a guilty person off on a technicality, so hey go for it. Eugene Young is the perfect defense lawyer because he fights for the law, not the person. You don't want a lawyer that cares about you if you are guilty, you want one that cares about winning and serving the law.
So tonight I am going to break it down for you all in two separate categories. The first list is the individual I would want defending me if I was innocent. The second, and most important list, is the individual I would want defending me if I was guilty. There is a big difference between the lawyer you want defending you if you are guilty and the one you want if you are innocent, so I will lay those out for you.
Innocent List:
If you are heading into a murder trial and you are innocent, then you need someone who is compassionate and trustworthy. You need that person to believe you and fight for you, not because it is their duty, but because they truly believe that you are innocent. It doesn't hurt either when they go out of their way to find the person who is actually guilty.
5. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (Catherine Bell)--JAG: Not only is she an amazing lawyer who fights for her clients, but it doesn't hurt for the jury to look at someone who is easy on the eyes. She is soft and trustworthy and she also does some investigating on her own, which always helps.
4. Victor Sifuentes (Jimmy Smits)--L.A. Law: Another one that the jury will see as easy on the eyes, but a hard nose lawyer that provides some of the most impassioned closing arguments ever given on TV. The reason he would defend me if I was innocent is because he is one of the few TV lawyers that has a conscience which is helpful when you are innocent.
3. Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen)--Boston Legal: If I am on trial for murder, I want someone that has years of experience and a few favors that they can call in. Shirley is one of the most respected lawyers and that would be very helpful. She is also very good at defending innocent people because she likes to believe them and it makes her work harder.
2. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr)--Perry Mason: The king of all TV lawyers. Mason always defending innocent people and lucky for me, he always found the real killer.
1. Jimmy "The Grunt" Berluti (Michael Badalucco)--The Practice: An odd choice here, but let me tell you about The Grunt. Jimmy is always the underdog in every case he goes into. He is seen as incompetent and beneath most other lawyers. That is exactly the guy I want defending me for murder. I want someone that has something to prove and that knows they can't lose, not only for my good, but for their own good as well. I want the little guy fighting for me. Jimmy also always believed his clients and liked helping out those who were truly innocent.
Guilty List:
If you are guilty of murder, you need a lawyer that doesn't give two shits about you and could care less if you go to jail for life. You need a lawyer who isn't compassionate, but a lawyer that believes every person deserves a fair trail and a lawyer that will fight for you even though they know you are guilty. These are a different breed. Truth be told, there aren't many of these characters out there, so the shows to choose from are few and far between.
5. Denny Crane (Willam Shatner)--Boston Legal: Denny would be number one if he didn't suffer from mad cows disease. First of all, Denny has never lost a case, or at least that is what he says. Secondly, he is Denny Crane man, just ask him. Denny just wants to win. The facts don't matter, he may not even learn my name, but what do I care, I just want to get set free.
4. Bobby Donnell (Dylan McDermott)--The Practice: Many might think that Bobby is number one. There is no doubt that Bobby gave the best closings in TV history and he always the person you want to do your closing. Bobby would fight for the guilty, but the thing that keeps him down on my list is that he always has a crisis of consciousness. I really don't need that in a murder trial. Bobby usually wins, so he will do.
3. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston)--Law & Order: Okay, I know that he usually puts people in jail, but if he would ever switch sides, I would hire him in a heartbeat. The man does anything and everything he can to win and I could use that. It never bothers him to break the law to serve the law, and that is what I would need if I was guilty for murder.
2. Alan Shore (James Spader)--Boston Legal: If I was on trial for murder, I would need a lawyer that doesn't care that I am on trial for murder, all they care about it winning and serving the law. That is what Alan does. It also doesn't hurt that is always able to "pull a rabbit out of his hat." I mean that man got Al Sharpton to come in and speak for one of his clients. Alan simply wins and does it with great passion. If you are guilty, you need a lawyer that defends you as if you were innocent and Alan Shore does that.
1. Eugene Young (Steve Harris)--The Practice: One word and one letter provide the reason for Eugene being number one: "Plan B." Eugene was the king of Plan B and never worried about using it. For those of you that don't know, Plan B is where you are defending someone that is pretty much going to lose, so you put up a friendly witness and you accuse them of committing the crime, thus establishing reasonable doubt. Plan B always works and Eugene is the best. Eugene also never has a crisis of conscience during a trial, though he might afterwards, but that is not my problem. He also never has a problem getting a guilty person off on a technicality, so hey go for it. Eugene Young is the perfect defense lawyer because he fights for the law, not the person. You don't want a lawyer that cares about you if you are guilty, you want one that cares about winning and serving the law.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
This is just what I needed
Recently, I have had a difficult time coming up with stuff to blog about and, as most of you know, I have been gone for quite some time. I am officially back now and you can expect that I will be posting daily again.
What I needed was something to get me completely pissed off and motivate me to post again. That happened today thanks to an article in the Charleston Daily Mail. The title itself was enough to make my blood boil. The title read: "Patrick White's No. 5 may not qualify for retirement." My first thought was that it was a keep-over article from April Fools, but clearly it was not. It never even crossed my mind that this was even possible.
Now I know that Major Harris doesn't have his number retired because of the stupid rules that WVU has come up with to retire jerseys. That is completely ridiculous, but Pat White is even crazier. Let me lay out a few stats to back up my case:
Pat White provided WVU fans with four of the greatest years of WVU football that we could have ever asked for. Let's just put it this way, without Pat White, I am quite sure that we all wouldn't have had as much fun, excitement and enjoyment over the last four years. If any of you get the chance, tell WVU to get rid of this ridiculous criteria and cement Pat White as the greatest WVU football player ever.
What I needed was something to get me completely pissed off and motivate me to post again. That happened today thanks to an article in the Charleston Daily Mail. The title itself was enough to make my blood boil. The title read: "Patrick White's No. 5 may not qualify for retirement." My first thought was that it was a keep-over article from April Fools, but clearly it was not. It never even crossed my mind that this was even possible.
Now I know that Major Harris doesn't have his number retired because of the stupid rules that WVU has come up with to retire jerseys. That is completely ridiculous, but Pat White is even crazier. Let me lay out a few stats to back up my case:
- Starting record of 34-8 is unmatched by any quarterback in WVU history and is sixth in NCAA history.
- Is the only quarterback in FBS history to win four bowl games as a starter.
- One of only eight players in NCAA history to rush for 200 and pass for 200 in a game.
- Has three of the top seven highest rushing games in WVU history
- Highest single-game rushing total by a quarterback in Big East history
- Second in career passing efficiency at WVU
- Second most in WVU history in passing touchdowns
- First in NCAA career quarterback rushing list in yardage
- First in total offensive yards in a career in WVU history
- One of five players in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 and pass for 1,000 in a season
- The athlete must have earned an undergraduate degree from WVU (this is an outdated criteria, but Pat met this one, much to every WVU fan's enjoyment)
- The athlete must have played the maximum number of years of athletic eligibility as set forth by the NCAA (this is dumber than the first one, who gives a shit if someone player four years, if the three that they play are great...either way, Pat met this as well)
- The athlete was a consensus All-American or a two-year first team All-American as chosen by an accepted or primary organization or the most valuable player of a national championship team (absolutely absurd and should be removed all together...not many players in college football history can meet this criteria, not to mention WVU players)
- The athlete was a individual held in high standard while on campus and has maintained a role as a solid citizen in the community (fine...and this one looks like it was written for Pat White specifically)
Pat White provided WVU fans with four of the greatest years of WVU football that we could have ever asked for. Let's just put it this way, without Pat White, I am quite sure that we all wouldn't have had as much fun, excitement and enjoyment over the last four years. If any of you get the chance, tell WVU to get rid of this ridiculous criteria and cement Pat White as the greatest WVU football player ever.
Friday, April 3, 2009
It Should Be About the Fans
You know what, I don't give two shits about Jay Cutler and his crying about being traded. It never bothered me at all. I like Cutler as a quarterback and I was even kind of hoping that he might get traded to the Redskins, but that didn't work out and I will give 100% of my support to Jason Campbell. Cutler probably makes the Bears a little better, and I think that Denver got the better of the deal, with getting a first and third round pick this year and a first next year, not to mention Kyle Orton, who isn't a bad quarterback.
But here is my beef. In making this deal, the teams didn't think about the fans. Sure the teams' fans may be happy, but the true NFL fans. You know, the fantasy football players. This deal kills Cutler's value for fantasy next year. Quick, name a wide receiver for the Bears. I said quick, don't look it up. Cutler was a Top Five fantasy quarterback. Don't scream and shout, I said Top Five fantasy quarterback, I don't care about where he ranks in real life.
Say Cutler had been traded to the Redskins. He would have Santana Moss, Randle El, Cooley, and two really good young receiver in Kelly and Thomas. Cutler would have dropped off a little because of Portis, but Cutler would have only added to the value of Portis, Moss, and Randle El. Maybe he makes the Bears receivers a little better, and I am still waiting for you to name one, but they were so far down to begin with that it would only bring them up to middle of the road value.
The trade does help Orton's value a little bit, but he really doesn't have big fantasy potential. Orton is a get it done type of quarterback and the stats may be there, they may not. I think his value does increase, because of the system that he will be in. I am a little concerned about Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, but I think that the thought that there value will drop actually makes them pretty good value. In the end, even I think that the Broncos won the real life trade and fantasy trade.
Fantasy football is a $1 billion dollar business and teams need to begin to realize that the moves that they make affect that business. It is hard enough to field a good team in a deep league because there are so much position sharing and middle of the road guys that it is getting harder and harder to field a solid team. That, of course, is what makes fantasy football so much fun, but still they need to quit making it even harder. Like it or not, the NFL's popularity is tied heavily to fantasy football. It is not a big surprise that the NFL started gaining in popularity and fantasy football began gaining popularity.
But here is my beef. In making this deal, the teams didn't think about the fans. Sure the teams' fans may be happy, but the true NFL fans. You know, the fantasy football players. This deal kills Cutler's value for fantasy next year. Quick, name a wide receiver for the Bears. I said quick, don't look it up. Cutler was a Top Five fantasy quarterback. Don't scream and shout, I said Top Five fantasy quarterback, I don't care about where he ranks in real life.
Say Cutler had been traded to the Redskins. He would have Santana Moss, Randle El, Cooley, and two really good young receiver in Kelly and Thomas. Cutler would have dropped off a little because of Portis, but Cutler would have only added to the value of Portis, Moss, and Randle El. Maybe he makes the Bears receivers a little better, and I am still waiting for you to name one, but they were so far down to begin with that it would only bring them up to middle of the road value.
The trade does help Orton's value a little bit, but he really doesn't have big fantasy potential. Orton is a get it done type of quarterback and the stats may be there, they may not. I think his value does increase, because of the system that he will be in. I am a little concerned about Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, but I think that the thought that there value will drop actually makes them pretty good value. In the end, even I think that the Broncos won the real life trade and fantasy trade.
Fantasy football is a $1 billion dollar business and teams need to begin to realize that the moves that they make affect that business. It is hard enough to field a good team in a deep league because there are so much position sharing and middle of the road guys that it is getting harder and harder to field a solid team. That, of course, is what makes fantasy football so much fun, but still they need to quit making it even harder. Like it or not, the NFL's popularity is tied heavily to fantasy football. It is not a big surprise that the NFL started gaining in popularity and fantasy football began gaining popularity.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Latest, Greatest Man Crush
That's right. I'm back baby. Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged, but haven't had much time lately, but after I had so many complain about me not posting, I will make time from now on.
I decided to make my return post about my latest man crush, Rahm Emanuel. For those of you who don't know him very well, here is a little info. Emanuel is the current White House Chief of Staff. He was a four term Congressman and was the chair of the DCCC during the 2006 mid-term elections when the Democrats regained control of the House. He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and he has spent the majority of his professional life in public service. He helped get Paul Simon elected in 1984 and went on to be national campaign director for the DCCC in 1988, after which he back senior advisor and chief fundraiser for Richard Daley's victorious campaign for Mayor of Chicago in 1989. Emanuel moved on to become director of finance for Bill Clinton during his 1992 campaign and crafted the strategy that helped Clinton win the Democratic Primary. After Clinton was elected, he became a senior advisor in the Clinton Administration. In 2002 he was first elected to Congress. Emanuel is now probably the most powerful and influential person in America.
So why the man crush? Well first off, he was my dream job. I am not sure anything professional could top becoming White House Chief of Staff. That position is easily the most powerful position in the entire world. He basically sets the agenda for the country and the President carries it out. Now, I am sure every White House is different, but undoubtably Emanuel has a great deal of influence in shaping this country. Also, he has the job that was once held by one Leo Thomas McGarry. McGarry for course was the Chief of White on the West Wing. John Spencer played what could be argued to be the greatest character ever on television.
But the real reason for the man crush is the Emanuel is just the type of guy that you look at and can tell that he won't take any shit from anyone. He always looks like he is thinking about how to win at something and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. He is also a no-nonsense kind of guy. He tells you what to do and you do it, or else. My favorite President of all time is Lyndon Johnson. Johnson was the kind of President (probably more so as a Senator) that stood over you and told you what to do and even if you didn't want to, you still thanked him for letting you do it. Emanuel, like Johnson, tells you do something and you do it with the hope that they may someday remember your name.
Emanuel also doesn't really seem to like doing stuff that he feels is beneath him. I watched him on Larry King Live the other night and it just seemed like he couldn't wait to get out of there. King would ask him a question and Emanuel would smirk and start to answer the question the way that he wanted to, then remember that he is White House Chief of Staff and he gave the answer he was supposed to. You could just tell that he wanted to rip his tie and jacket off and go to work. The best comparison that I can think of is when Phil Hartman player Ronald Reagan on SNL. He was nice and sweet when there were people around and then an attack dog when it was just him and his staff.
I am man enough to admit when I have a man crush and this is a serious man crush.
FYI: Fantasy baseball draft this weekend, so you can expect a few blogs relating to that issue, so stay tuned.
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