Could the bye week have come at a better time for the Bengals? Sitting at 5-2, first place in the AFC North, coming off a 45-10 thrashing of the Bears, and having the Ravens and Steelers on the horizon; perfect time for a week off. Remember back in 2005 when everyone (well, everyone in Cincinnati) wondered what the team would look like if they only had a defense to match their offense? Well, we found out on Sunday. Anyone thought the Bengals would be 5-2 after Week 7? I certain didn't; I had them down for 6 wins total after the Week 1 loss to the Broncos. But after the bye, they've got Baltimore, at Pittsburgh, at Oakland, Cleveland. Going to Pittsburgh's going to be tough, but I don't think going 3-1 in the stretch is out of the question (although it might be now that I've mentioned it). After that, they finish up Detroit, at Minnesota, at San Diego, Kansas City, at New York Jets; 4-1, 3-2 at the worst. I'd live with 12-4 or 11-5 and an AFC North title, wouldn't you?
I'm torn about the current success UC football is having. On one hand, I love seeing college football excitement in Cincinnati. On the other hand, its making UC fans (of which I know plenty) as insufferable as OSU fans (of which I also know plenty). The reality is that UC won't get the national recognition it thinks it deserves (whether it actually does or not) because they're still relatively new to being a winning program, and history matters a great deal in college football (one of the sport's major drawbacks). UC die-hards all want to see the Bearcats in the BCS Championship game, but I just don't see it happening. An absolutely ridiculous set of circumstances would have to happen for that to occur. In no particular order, the following would have to happen:
-Between Florida and Alabama, one has to not make the SEC Championship game (Alabama being the most likely candidate, since Florida looks pretty safe in the East), and the other has to lose in the SEC Championship game. Of course, the catch here is that the team most likely to cause this scenario to play out is LSU, who's currently ranked #9 in the BCS. If the Tigers were to win out, which would require them going on the road at Alabama and at Mississippi, and avenge an their only loss to Florida in the SEC Championship game, there's no doubt in my mind that they'd make the BCS title game. And if either Florida or Alabama win the SEC, they'd pretty much be guaranteed a shot at the BCS title, even with a loss. What I'm getting at is that the SEC Championship winner (unless everyone loses from here on out and someone completely random wins the title) has a lock one of the top 2 BCS spots.
-After the SEC mess, Texas has to not win the Big 12. Given the BCS's history, it wouldn't surprise me if a 1-loss Texas team made the championship game if they still won the Big 12 title. So losing this week to Oklahoma State wouldn't eliminate them; losing to a junk team from the Big 12 North would.
-Iowa has to lose. Yeah, I know Big Ten + BCS bowl game = FAIL, but Iowa's ranked above UC right now, everyone loves them, and if they won out, they'd have wins at Penn State, at Wisconsin, and at Ohio State. That's pretty good.
-USC has to lose again. A one-loss USC would trump an undefeated UC, TCU, Boise State. and probably Iowa simply because they're USC (history, remember?). This week at Oregon is the best chance of this happening, but recent history suggests that it won't since they've already lost to a Pac-10 team this year.
-TCU and Boise State have to lose. Boise State's been there and done that before in BCS bowl games, and they don't have another hard game on their schedule. TCU still has to play Utah, but that game's at home, and they just crushed BYU in Provo, so I don't think it'll be a problem for them (sidenote: how much is TCU loving the fact that Virginia, while still terrible, has salvaged some semblance of a potentially respectable season? While its still not a great win, it looks a lot better now than it did in September.). I truly think that one of these teams would get a shot at the BCS title this year over UC because the BCS brass would want to see them get crushed by an SEC team so they could say, "See? Told ya so!"
If all those things happen, you could see UC play for the BCS title. But I'm not holding my breath.
Moving away from football, the World Series starts tonight, Phillies vs. Yankees. Hmm. Either the Yankees win their 27th championship or the Phillies go back-to-back. Neither outcome is desirable. Going back to football.
Virginia is currently a 7 point favorite over Duke this weekend. That line is complete joke. Duke's having their best season in, like, forever, and they can put up a ton of points. Duke's 4-3 and looking to make a bowl game, and they have 3 winnable games left (at Virginia, at North Carolina, and Wake Forest). Virginia is 3-4 and this is the only winnable game left. Duke's playing for something, Virginia isn't. Virginia loses to Duke in back-to-back season, and Al Groh will somehow manage to keep his job. Astounding.
Current random sports obsession- college volleyball. Can't get enough of it. I mentioned it last year during the Olympics, and I'm still watching it (the women's game is on now, the men play in the spring). If you're bailing on the World Series like me, I suggest you check out Ohio State at Penn State tonight on the Big Ten Network. Penn State's the #1 team in the country, the 2-time defending National Champion, and riding an 80+ game win streak. Needless to say, they're good.
Okay, I've wasted enough time. In the words of President Bartlett, "Break's over."
Showing posts with label cincinnati. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cincinnati. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Sky Is Falling!
That's it, its over, time to pack it in. Okay, maybe not. We don't handle success very well here.
The Bengals lost to the Texans on Sunday 28-17 in a game where the Bengals D completely disappeared in the second half. I chalk that up to the lack of pass rush on Matt Schaub, which was due to large part to injures to Antwon Odom and Domata Peko. Push rush was a major problem last year and seemed to be righted this season. Now, I don't know. Rookie Michael Johnson, who was a beast in college at Georgia Tech, is going to need to step up fast. And since neither tight end can seem to hold onto the ball, Chase Coffman might need to step up fast as well.
Speaking of Georgia Tech, thanks to their victory of Virginia Tech on Saturday, Virginia is currently in first place in the ACC Coastal Division, sitting at 2-0 in conference play, the only team in the Coastal without a conference loss. Sure, they still have to play Georgia Tech, Miami, and Virginia Tech, but for now (and at least another week, since Georgia Tech is going to Charlottesville this week and the worst that can happen is they lose and remained tied), the Virginia Cavaliers are a first place team. I told you the sky is falling.
Alabama is hands-down the best team in the country right now and Mark Ingram should be leader in the Heisman clubhouse. Not that any of it means anything in the middle of October.
A six-part docu-series on IFC debuted last night called Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyers Cut). I haven't seen it yet, but from the reviews, its looks really good. IFC's also showing a lot of old Monty Python stuff right now as well, which is always a good thing.
After it was referenced in last week's episode of Castle, I saw The Sting again for the first time in a while on one of HBO channels over the weekend. Is there a better con-man movie? I don't think so. I think people tend to gravitate toward Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid when then think of Robert Redford and Paul Newman. I like The Sting better.
Finally, my thoughts on the so-called Balloon Boy and his family. I have to admit, when this story first broke, I didn't care about it. I didn't care that some kid in Colorado might be flying away in some balloon. I didn't care when the balloon was found sans kid and it was thought that the kid might have fallen to his death. And I didn't care when it was discovered that the kid was just hiding in the attic the whole time. But now that its been revealed (allegedly) that this thing was a complete hoax, I'm all in on this story. Faking a missing child situation with an accidental launch of balloon contraption in an effort to leverage yourself your own reality show after you've already appeared on a reality show? There's nothing about that that isn't awesome (you know, in a completely deranged sort of way). The sheriff in this case needs to be right. These allegation have to be true; I think I'll be crushed if they aren't. Its the reality show angle that pushes this story over the edge. This was all (allegedly) a publicity stunt? Really? What part of making people think your kid may have floated away on a balloon would a reality television producer look at and say, "Yup, those people need to be on television more often."? People have done some crazy shit to get their own reality show, but fake sending your kid up in a balloon is a whole new level of crazy. The sky is falling indeed.
The Bengals lost to the Texans on Sunday 28-17 in a game where the Bengals D completely disappeared in the second half. I chalk that up to the lack of pass rush on Matt Schaub, which was due to large part to injures to Antwon Odom and Domata Peko. Push rush was a major problem last year and seemed to be righted this season. Now, I don't know. Rookie Michael Johnson, who was a beast in college at Georgia Tech, is going to need to step up fast. And since neither tight end can seem to hold onto the ball, Chase Coffman might need to step up fast as well.
Speaking of Georgia Tech, thanks to their victory of Virginia Tech on Saturday, Virginia is currently in first place in the ACC Coastal Division, sitting at 2-0 in conference play, the only team in the Coastal without a conference loss. Sure, they still have to play Georgia Tech, Miami, and Virginia Tech, but for now (and at least another week, since Georgia Tech is going to Charlottesville this week and the worst that can happen is they lose and remained tied), the Virginia Cavaliers are a first place team. I told you the sky is falling.
Alabama is hands-down the best team in the country right now and Mark Ingram should be leader in the Heisman clubhouse. Not that any of it means anything in the middle of October.
A six-part docu-series on IFC debuted last night called Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyers Cut). I haven't seen it yet, but from the reviews, its looks really good. IFC's also showing a lot of old Monty Python stuff right now as well, which is always a good thing.
After it was referenced in last week's episode of Castle, I saw The Sting again for the first time in a while on one of HBO channels over the weekend. Is there a better con-man movie? I don't think so. I think people tend to gravitate toward Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid when then think of Robert Redford and Paul Newman. I like The Sting better.
Finally, my thoughts on the so-called Balloon Boy and his family. I have to admit, when this story first broke, I didn't care about it. I didn't care that some kid in Colorado might be flying away in some balloon. I didn't care when the balloon was found sans kid and it was thought that the kid might have fallen to his death. And I didn't care when it was discovered that the kid was just hiding in the attic the whole time. But now that its been revealed (allegedly) that this thing was a complete hoax, I'm all in on this story. Faking a missing child situation with an accidental launch of balloon contraption in an effort to leverage yourself your own reality show after you've already appeared on a reality show? There's nothing about that that isn't awesome (you know, in a completely deranged sort of way). The sheriff in this case needs to be right. These allegation have to be true; I think I'll be crushed if they aren't. Its the reality show angle that pushes this story over the edge. This was all (allegedly) a publicity stunt? Really? What part of making people think your kid may have floated away on a balloon would a reality television producer look at and say, "Yup, those people need to be on television more often."? People have done some crazy shit to get their own reality show, but fake sending your kid up in a balloon is a whole new level of crazy. The sky is falling indeed.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Enough With The Cardic Cats
Another week, another Bengals game decided in the last 60 seconds. Is it getting old? YES. Please, for the love of God, can we get a game that isn't a nail biter? There's no way I can take this every week for the rest of the season. Okay, that's a lie. Obviously, if they go 15-1, I'll take it every day of the week and twice on Sunday. If they win division, I'll take it. Hell, if they just make the damn playoffs, I'll take it. Because then, it'll be all worth it. But right now, as its happening, it sucks. But they're winning, so it doesn't suck that bad. In fact, the more I think about it, we're really got nothing to complain about. Four straight wins, including going 3-0 the first time through the division, and sitting in first place? That's more than anyone here could have asked for after Week 5.
But seriously, I'm already over the "Cardiac Cats" moniker that's been bestowed on the Bengals. I was over it before it started. I love Gus Johnson (I've watched this video at least 35 times), but we really didn't need that nickname.
Perhaps I spoke to soon about the demise of the Moeller High School football program. They thumped Elder last Friday and are currently ranked as the top team in Cincinnati (though they're nowhere to be found on the current USA Today Super 25 rankings, which have St. X at #10, again showing the utter uselessness of trying to rank high school teams nationally). This now makes the season ending St. X-Moeller match up ginormous (and yeah, I'm stoked that "ginormous" is in the spell-checker). Clearly the rivalry isn't dead. My bad.
The more I watch Modern Family, the more I'm thinking that its the best new show of the season. You should be watching it.
I'm in 3 fantasy football leagues this season. Last week, I scored 153.98 points in one league, which is a shitload of points (especially given that its a 16-team league, which is a shitload of teams). In another league, I scored 36 points. Sometimes I hate fantasy football. This is one of those time.
Another awesome 30 for 30 documentary aired tonight, on Baltimore losing the Colts then gaining the Ravens (nee Browns) as told through the eyes of the Colts Marching Band, which continued to play and perform for the 12 years Baltimore didn't have a team. As I said, it was excellent, but I would have liked to have see more on the getting-a-team-by-stealing-someone-else's angle since that's exactly how they lost their first team. For all the hate I throw on Cleveland (all of which is totally deserved), I really did feel bad for the Browns fans when the team left for Baltimore. There should be football in Cleveland (even if they can "win" a game where their quarterback only completes 2 passes, 3 if you include the interception) and there should be football in Baltimore. But it shouldn't have gone down like it did. Given that the film was about Baltimore and its fans, that fact was mentioned but obviously glossed over and not covered in depth.
I've often thought about what it would be like to lose a sports franchise (a major one, that is; I'm not counting the Rockers, Mighty Ducks, Jungle Kats, Silverbacks, Stuff, etc. of the world in this conversation). Obviously, the Reds weren't ever going anyway. But the Bengals were are different story. I remember when it was thought at Mike Brown might move the team out of Cincinnati, back in 1993 or so. Wasn't he in talks with St. Louis, who ultimately got the Rams out of Los Angeles? I seem to recall that. Anyway, I can't even imagine what that would have been like. What would I have done as a fan? I don't know. I certainly wouldn't follow the team to the new city (I'd be betraying my hometown) and I could never just adopt a random new team to cheer for (because those fans are the ones that bother me the most). Are there any other options? I doubt I would stop watching the NFL altogether, but you never know. At the very least, it would probably make playing fantasy football easier.
But seriously, I'm already over the "Cardiac Cats" moniker that's been bestowed on the Bengals. I was over it before it started. I love Gus Johnson (I've watched this video at least 35 times), but we really didn't need that nickname.
Perhaps I spoke to soon about the demise of the Moeller High School football program. They thumped Elder last Friday and are currently ranked as the top team in Cincinnati (though they're nowhere to be found on the current USA Today Super 25 rankings, which have St. X at #10, again showing the utter uselessness of trying to rank high school teams nationally). This now makes the season ending St. X-Moeller match up ginormous (and yeah, I'm stoked that "ginormous" is in the spell-checker). Clearly the rivalry isn't dead. My bad.
The more I watch Modern Family, the more I'm thinking that its the best new show of the season. You should be watching it.
I'm in 3 fantasy football leagues this season. Last week, I scored 153.98 points in one league, which is a shitload of points (especially given that its a 16-team league, which is a shitload of teams). In another league, I scored 36 points. Sometimes I hate fantasy football. This is one of those time.
Another awesome 30 for 30 documentary aired tonight, on Baltimore losing the Colts then gaining the Ravens (nee Browns) as told through the eyes of the Colts Marching Band, which continued to play and perform for the 12 years Baltimore didn't have a team. As I said, it was excellent, but I would have liked to have see more on the getting-a-team-by-stealing-someone-else's angle since that's exactly how they lost their first team. For all the hate I throw on Cleveland (all of which is totally deserved), I really did feel bad for the Browns fans when the team left for Baltimore. There should be football in Cleveland (even if they can "win" a game where their quarterback only completes 2 passes, 3 if you include the interception) and there should be football in Baltimore. But it shouldn't have gone down like it did. Given that the film was about Baltimore and its fans, that fact was mentioned but obviously glossed over and not covered in depth.
I've often thought about what it would be like to lose a sports franchise (a major one, that is; I'm not counting the Rockers, Mighty Ducks, Jungle Kats, Silverbacks, Stuff, etc. of the world in this conversation). Obviously, the Reds weren't ever going anyway. But the Bengals were are different story. I remember when it was thought at Mike Brown might move the team out of Cincinnati, back in 1993 or so. Wasn't he in talks with St. Louis, who ultimately got the Rams out of Los Angeles? I seem to recall that. Anyway, I can't even imagine what that would have been like. What would I have done as a fan? I don't know. I certainly wouldn't follow the team to the new city (I'd be betraying my hometown) and I could never just adopt a random new team to cheer for (because those fans are the ones that bother me the most). Are there any other options? I doubt I would stop watching the NFL altogether, but you never know. At the very least, it would probably make playing fantasy football easier.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
O Captain, My Captain
Caught the last half of Dead Poet's Society yesterday evening (on VH1 Classic, of all channels). A great movie, one of my favorites. Then later in the night, it was referenced in How I Met Your Mother. Clearly, its a sign. For what, I don't know, but a sign none the less.
Had a solid weekend for beating rival teams. St. X beat Elder on Friday, Virginia (shockingly) beat North Carolina on Saturday, and the Bengals beat the Browns on Sunday. Is it sad that I thought the biggest win of the three was St. X? Elder is clearly X's biggest football rival right now, but it wasn't always that way. In fact, when I was in school, Elder probably ranked 3rd in terms of GCL rivalries, behind Moeller and LaSalle. Moeller was the powerhouse back in the day, LaSalle was the "King of the Road" game, and Elder was just Elder. But now, Elder's the #1 rival, dwarfing both Moeller and LaSalle. Funny how it is.
Speaking of funny, how the hell did Virginia pull off a victory? Is Carolina just that bad? As much as I would have loved to see Groh go 0-12, its always nice to beat Carolina, especially when its a year where they were supposed to be good and the Hoos are so bad.
Note to the Bengals- have a game won or lost before the final minute of regulation/overtime. Please.
Apparently, the baseball regular season ended on Sunday. I can't remember ever being less enthused about a baseball postseason than this one. I read a stat yesterday that said since August 23 (ie- the last 6 weeks of the season), the Reds were 27-13, the best in baseball. They finished 78-84, 4th place in the NL Central, 13 games out. Does this mean we (Reds fans) should be excited for next year? Does one's finish to the previous season have any real bearing on one's performance next? Some say "yes." Look at the Bengals; they were miserable last season, but they managed to finish strong and win their last 3 games. Now, they're 3-1 and tied for first place in the AFC North. Sure, its a tenuous 3-1 (they could be 4-0 as easily as they could be 1-3), but 3-1 is 3-1 at the quarter pole. So maybe there's some reason to hope next spring.
All signs point to Ken Griffey, Jr. retiring from baseball. He got a huge standing ovation from the Seattle fans on Sunday was even carried off the field by his teammates at the end of the game. Its tough to come back from getting carried off the field. I've made my thoughts known on Ken Griffey, Jr. He was the best player I ever saw (and will ever see). If this was his last year, he'll be headlining the Hall of Fame class in 2014, the first year of his eligibility.
I'm incredibly stoked for ESPN's 30 for 30 series that starts tonight. Hands down, this looks like the coolest thing ESPN's ever done. 30 documentaries by 30 filmmakers covering topics from the past 30 years (since this is ESPN's 30th anniversary). Its a complete 360 from the"me, me, me" 25th anniversary celebration, which is a good thing. The subject list for 30 for 30 just looks incredible. Tonight's doc is about the trade of Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton to Los Angeles, done by Peter Berg (director/producer of Friday Night Lights, both the movie and the TV show). I plan to watch all 30 films, but I'm particularly interested in the ones on Allen Iverson, Reggie Miller and the Knicks, fantasy sports, Terry Fox, and June 17, 1994. Again, this just looks so cool.
In other TV recommendation news, you should be watching Modern Family, Glee, and FlashForward. All good, in completely different ways.
Final thought- I read from a friend that the ideal frequency for chest compressions during CPR is 100 bpm, which happens to be the same tempo for both Stayin' Alive and Another One Bites The Dust. Now THAT'S a sign.
Had a solid weekend for beating rival teams. St. X beat Elder on Friday, Virginia (shockingly) beat North Carolina on Saturday, and the Bengals beat the Browns on Sunday. Is it sad that I thought the biggest win of the three was St. X? Elder is clearly X's biggest football rival right now, but it wasn't always that way. In fact, when I was in school, Elder probably ranked 3rd in terms of GCL rivalries, behind Moeller and LaSalle. Moeller was the powerhouse back in the day, LaSalle was the "King of the Road" game, and Elder was just Elder. But now, Elder's the #1 rival, dwarfing both Moeller and LaSalle. Funny how it is.
Speaking of funny, how the hell did Virginia pull off a victory? Is Carolina just that bad? As much as I would have loved to see Groh go 0-12, its always nice to beat Carolina, especially when its a year where they were supposed to be good and the Hoos are so bad.
Note to the Bengals- have a game won or lost before the final minute of regulation/overtime. Please.
Apparently, the baseball regular season ended on Sunday. I can't remember ever being less enthused about a baseball postseason than this one. I read a stat yesterday that said since August 23 (ie- the last 6 weeks of the season), the Reds were 27-13, the best in baseball. They finished 78-84, 4th place in the NL Central, 13 games out. Does this mean we (Reds fans) should be excited for next year? Does one's finish to the previous season have any real bearing on one's performance next? Some say "yes." Look at the Bengals; they were miserable last season, but they managed to finish strong and win their last 3 games. Now, they're 3-1 and tied for first place in the AFC North. Sure, its a tenuous 3-1 (they could be 4-0 as easily as they could be 1-3), but 3-1 is 3-1 at the quarter pole. So maybe there's some reason to hope next spring.
All signs point to Ken Griffey, Jr. retiring from baseball. He got a huge standing ovation from the Seattle fans on Sunday was even carried off the field by his teammates at the end of the game. Its tough to come back from getting carried off the field. I've made my thoughts known on Ken Griffey, Jr. He was the best player I ever saw (and will ever see). If this was his last year, he'll be headlining the Hall of Fame class in 2014, the first year of his eligibility.
I'm incredibly stoked for ESPN's 30 for 30 series that starts tonight. Hands down, this looks like the coolest thing ESPN's ever done. 30 documentaries by 30 filmmakers covering topics from the past 30 years (since this is ESPN's 30th anniversary). Its a complete 360 from the"me, me, me" 25th anniversary celebration, which is a good thing. The subject list for 30 for 30 just looks incredible. Tonight's doc is about the trade of Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton to Los Angeles, done by Peter Berg (director/producer of Friday Night Lights, both the movie and the TV show). I plan to watch all 30 films, but I'm particularly interested in the ones on Allen Iverson, Reggie Miller and the Knicks, fantasy sports, Terry Fox, and June 17, 1994. Again, this just looks so cool.
In other TV recommendation news, you should be watching Modern Family, Glee, and FlashForward. All good, in completely different ways.
Final thought- I read from a friend that the ideal frequency for chest compressions during CPR is 100 bpm, which happens to be the same tempo for both Stayin' Alive and Another One Bites The Dust. Now THAT'S a sign.
Monday, September 28, 2009
It's Been A Long Time Comin'
Bengals 23, Steelers 20.
Not going to lie, that felt good. It wasn't easy (seriously, -10 yards in the 1st quarter?), but a win's a win, especially against a division opponent and especially against Pittsburgh. I jumped out of my seat when Brian Leonard dove for the first down on 4th and 10 (as I noted on Facebook, Leonard should eat for free this week in town for that play). I let out a scream when Carson Palmer found Andre Caldwell in the end zone with 14 seconds left. And I, along with everyone else in Cincinnati, cringed in fear for a moment thinking that 14 seconds was too much time to leave on the clock. But there was no "Immaculate Deflection Part II" this week (fuckin' Brandon Stokley). Who Dey indeed.
After Sunday's game, is there any question that the offense should go no-huddle/modified hurry-up all the time? It was the only time they were able to move the ball down field and score (or at least be in position to score). Isn't the no-huddle offense what we used to win the division in 2005? Curious....
Virginia was on a bye this week. And yet, I think they still found a way to lose. I kinda hope they did; I had Bye Week (-7.5) over the Hoos.
Speaking of college football, it was proven again this weekend that the polls are completely meaningless. Ole Miss, Penn State, Cal.... no one knows anything when it comes to ranking teams this early in the season, they even admit to it, and yet they still do it. As I've said before, I don't think there should be a single poll until about halfway through the season. Crazy idea- give teams time to actually *do* something before trying to rank them. Insanity, I know.
Finished Dan Brown's new book The Lost Symbol over the weekend. Its not the worst book I've ever read, but all that means is that I've read some really bad books. Its a shameless Da Vinci Code ripoff. That's right, Dan Brown ripped off himself. The story, the pacing, the characters, the character's motivations, the twists, its almost shot-for-shot from The Da Vinci Code. And like all other Dan Brown books, it completely falls apart at the end. He clearly to put a lot time in to researching the locations he uses in his books (be it The Vatican, Paris, or, in this case, Washington, D.C.) and tying it all into a conspiracy-theory filled story, but he seems to be completely lost when it comes to wrapping it up in the end. Probably only worth reading for curiosities sake (and because everyone else in the world will be reading it).
Not going to lie, that felt good. It wasn't easy (seriously, -10 yards in the 1st quarter?), but a win's a win, especially against a division opponent and especially against Pittsburgh. I jumped out of my seat when Brian Leonard dove for the first down on 4th and 10 (as I noted on Facebook, Leonard should eat for free this week in town for that play). I let out a scream when Carson Palmer found Andre Caldwell in the end zone with 14 seconds left. And I, along with everyone else in Cincinnati, cringed in fear for a moment thinking that 14 seconds was too much time to leave on the clock. But there was no "Immaculate Deflection Part II" this week (fuckin' Brandon Stokley). Who Dey indeed.
After Sunday's game, is there any question that the offense should go no-huddle/modified hurry-up all the time? It was the only time they were able to move the ball down field and score (or at least be in position to score). Isn't the no-huddle offense what we used to win the division in 2005? Curious....
Virginia was on a bye this week. And yet, I think they still found a way to lose. I kinda hope they did; I had Bye Week (-7.5) over the Hoos.
Speaking of college football, it was proven again this weekend that the polls are completely meaningless. Ole Miss, Penn State, Cal.... no one knows anything when it comes to ranking teams this early in the season, they even admit to it, and yet they still do it. As I've said before, I don't think there should be a single poll until about halfway through the season. Crazy idea- give teams time to actually *do* something before trying to rank them. Insanity, I know.
Finished Dan Brown's new book The Lost Symbol over the weekend. Its not the worst book I've ever read, but all that means is that I've read some really bad books. Its a shameless Da Vinci Code ripoff. That's right, Dan Brown ripped off himself. The story, the pacing, the characters, the character's motivations, the twists, its almost shot-for-shot from The Da Vinci Code. And like all other Dan Brown books, it completely falls apart at the end. He clearly to put a lot time in to researching the locations he uses in his books (be it The Vatican, Paris, or, in this case, Washington, D.C.) and tying it all into a conspiracy-theory filled story, but he seems to be completely lost when it comes to wrapping it up in the end. Probably only worth reading for curiosities sake (and because everyone else in the world will be reading it).
Monday, September 21, 2009
Making It Interesting
Up by 10, less than 2 minutes to go, any fan base would think that they have the game wrapped up. Except Cincinnati's. When your team's the Bengals, the game's not over until the final whistle sounds (and even then, like on Sunday, you're still not sure). Props to Packers coach Mike McCarthy, though, for kicking the field goal on 2nd down and managing the clock instead of going for the end zone and wasting time. He needed two scores, so he took the sure points now, knowing that either way, he needed to recover the onside kick and score again. But teams never recover onside kicks, right? Yeah, right, unless they happen against the Bengals. Two 20+ yard pass plays later, and the Pack are sitting on the 10 yard line with a chance to tie the game. Thankfully, a false start ended the game (or the clock ran out, I'm still not entirely sure) and the Bengals are sitting at 1-1 with Pittsburgh coming to town next week. Will it be annother game that goes down to the final seconds? I'll take it, as long as it involves Pittsburgh losing.
And speaking of Bengals-Packers, here's a great column by Paul Daugherty from Sunday's Enquirer that recalls the 1992 meeting between these two teams. What happened in that game to make it significant? Not much. Packers starting QB Don Majkowski gets injured and is replaced by a guy named Brett Favre. Favre proceeds to fumble the ball 4 times and gets booed by the home crowd. But when down 23-17 on his own 8-yard line with just over a minute to play, he leads the Pack down the field for the game-winning touchdown. He's started every game he's played in since then (across 3 teams). The Bengals were 2-0 going into that game; afterward, they lost their next 4 and 9 of the next 11. Then they lost the next decade. Thanks, Brett. Asshole.
Virginia lost again; 0-12 is still within reach. I will say though, there were times against Southern Mississippi that the Hoos actually looked like a football team. They were even leading 34-17 midway through the 3rd quarter. But then, in a George Welsh Era-like collapse, they gave up 20 unanswered points to lose the game (I swear I could hear someone yell "Insurmountable lead!" right before it happened...). The Curse of the Pep Band lives on.
Watched some of the Emmy Awards last night (I could only take so much fawning over Jerry Jones's new stadium; so glad they lost, and not just because I had the Giants +2.5 in the pick'em pool). End result? Neil Patrick Harris is awesome. The opening number:
And the best bit of the night:
Oktoberfest was this weekend. I've said it before, but no one does a food festival like Cincinnati. Especially Oktoberfest (Munich excluded). Good food, good beer. Missed the Chicken Dance this year; it was apparently led by Homer Simpson and George Wendt. Kinda glad I missed it now.
And speaking of Bengals-Packers, here's a great column by Paul Daugherty from Sunday's Enquirer that recalls the 1992 meeting between these two teams. What happened in that game to make it significant? Not much. Packers starting QB Don Majkowski gets injured and is replaced by a guy named Brett Favre. Favre proceeds to fumble the ball 4 times and gets booed by the home crowd. But when down 23-17 on his own 8-yard line with just over a minute to play, he leads the Pack down the field for the game-winning touchdown. He's started every game he's played in since then (across 3 teams). The Bengals were 2-0 going into that game; afterward, they lost their next 4 and 9 of the next 11. Then they lost the next decade. Thanks, Brett. Asshole.
Virginia lost again; 0-12 is still within reach. I will say though, there were times against Southern Mississippi that the Hoos actually looked like a football team. They were even leading 34-17 midway through the 3rd quarter. But then, in a George Welsh Era-like collapse, they gave up 20 unanswered points to lose the game (I swear I could hear someone yell "Insurmountable lead!" right before it happened...). The Curse of the Pep Band lives on.
Watched some of the Emmy Awards last night (I could only take so much fawning over Jerry Jones's new stadium; so glad they lost, and not just because I had the Giants +2.5 in the pick'em pool). End result? Neil Patrick Harris is awesome. The opening number:
And the best bit of the night:
Oktoberfest was this weekend. I've said it before, but no one does a food festival like Cincinnati. Especially Oktoberfest (Munich excluded). Good food, good beer. Missed the Chicken Dance this year; it was apparently led by Homer Simpson and George Wendt. Kinda glad I missed it now.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Keep Matriculating The Ball Down The Field
Saw the first episode of what looks to be a pretty cool 5-part series on Showtime last night called Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League. As you might expect, the show chronicles the history of the AFL. This first episode covered the creation of the league and its first few years, up until the league's founder, Lamar Hunt, made the decision to move his team (the Dallas Texans) to Kansas City (becoming the Chiefs) right after they had won the AFL Championship. As a football fan, I really enjoyed this. I think the only real problem with it is that it airs on Showtime and not HBO, meaning that its not narrated by Liev Schreiber. But I'll get over it. What got me really excited this show was what they teased for the upcoming episodes, specifically about Paul Brown. They showed a clip of Bill Belichick talking about all the innovations Paul Brown brought to professional football and how, like, 80% of what he did back them, teams are still doing now. If I was disappointed by anything Hard Knocks did this season, it was that I think they missed an opportunity to really delve into the history of the Bengals and Paul Brown (the closest they got was Tank Johnson learning that Bill Walsh isn't named Donny and that he once coached in Cincinnati). Hopefully, Full Color Football will get more into just how much Paul Brown did for the game of football (and zero of just how much Mike Brown has destroyed it).
Monday, September 14, 2009
Just Call Me Brett Favre
I just couldn't stay away. There's too much stuff going on and I have too much time on my hands. So I'm back from retirement for a second time (which leaves me, what, 3 short of Mr. Favre?), and this time, I mean it. You know, that is, until I don't.
After 20 years of futility, the Bengals found a new way to lose:
Ladies and gentlemen, the longest game-winning play from scrimmage in the final minute of the fourth quarter in NFL history. I guess its fitting that the Bengals would be on the wrong side of a dubious record such as that. I mean, who knows who had the record was before Sunday, but everyone's going to remember that the Bengals have it now. Doesn't hurt that Gus Johnson was on the call. This might be a top 5 all-time "Gus Johnson loses his mind on the mic" moment, and if you're a fan of Gus Johnson (which I am), you know that's saying something.
I don't see anymore than 6 wins for the Bengals this year. Which, considering we're talking about the Bengals, isn't half bad. And its 6 more wins than I think my Virginia Cavaliers will win this year:
The ACC's bad, and Virginia's the worst team in the ACC. If this were the English Premier League, they'd be demoted to CAA (where they'd struggle against in-state rival Richmond, James Madison, and William and Mary, who's already beaten the Hoos this year). Its just pathetic. Shocking how having a marching band and making the students wear orange doesn't automatically translate into having a winning program. I know going 0-12 (or, by some miracle, 1-11) won't be cause for ditching the marching band (though we can always hope), but at the very least I hope all the students burn their "Sea of Orange" shirts and return to wearing ties and sun dresses on game day. I don't think Virginia's in the business of firing coaches mid-season, regardless of how bad it gets, so the impending winless season will be all Al Groh's to bear. Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.
Been to a couple of local amateur MMA fights (ICF events) with PreView and Puddin' recently. Interesting, to say the least. The 7-sided octagon (which, I guess, is technically a heptagon, but that's not as fun to say as "7-sided octagon") threw me a bit at first, but the events are fun and the people watching is outstanding (both in a good way and a bad way). Quick shout out to the guys at Fight Ribbon; good people with a great product.
Apparently, Kanye West did something outrageous at the VMAs last night. My first thought? "They still hold the VMAs?" Who knew? I wasn't watching. I was busy watching Jay Cutler rack up points for the Green Bay defense by consistently hitting the open Packer defender. Good for my fantasy team. One of them, at least. What wasn't good for my fantasy teams? Orton's BS touchdown (see above), Drew Brees throwing against a high school defense, Joe Flacco sitting on my bench, and the lack of scoring by Matt Forte, Roddy White, and Donald Driver. Not a good start of the fantasy football season. But hey, I'm currently winning my baseball league!
Speaking of baseball, are the Reds still playing? Can't recall the last game where I watched more than two innings. 82-80, huh? Might be a little off on that prediction. Thank God they're in the same division as the Pirates or else there'd be a lot more last place finishes.
The new TV season is about to start up. This, plus football, is why fall is the best time of the year. Already hooked on Glee- cheesy and hokey on the outside, subversive and sardonic on the inside. Will be definitely be checking out Flash Forward (read the book, and I think the show has a chance to be better) and will probably check out V and Community. Can't wait to see how Fringe comes back from their season finale. Wondering if Heroes can come back and just be better than "suck." And there are probably a half dozen more shows (at least) that I'll be watching as well.
So much television, so little time. Its a wonder I that I ever get anything done (which is probably why I never do).
After 20 years of futility, the Bengals found a new way to lose:
Ladies and gentlemen, the longest game-winning play from scrimmage in the final minute of the fourth quarter in NFL history. I guess its fitting that the Bengals would be on the wrong side of a dubious record such as that. I mean, who knows who had the record was before Sunday, but everyone's going to remember that the Bengals have it now. Doesn't hurt that Gus Johnson was on the call. This might be a top 5 all-time "Gus Johnson loses his mind on the mic" moment, and if you're a fan of Gus Johnson (which I am), you know that's saying something.
I don't see anymore than 6 wins for the Bengals this year. Which, considering we're talking about the Bengals, isn't half bad. And its 6 more wins than I think my Virginia Cavaliers will win this year:
The ACC's bad, and Virginia's the worst team in the ACC. If this were the English Premier League, they'd be demoted to CAA (where they'd struggle against in-state rival Richmond, James Madison, and William and Mary, who's already beaten the Hoos this year). Its just pathetic. Shocking how having a marching band and making the students wear orange doesn't automatically translate into having a winning program. I know going 0-12 (or, by some miracle, 1-11) won't be cause for ditching the marching band (though we can always hope), but at the very least I hope all the students burn their "Sea of Orange" shirts and return to wearing ties and sun dresses on game day. I don't think Virginia's in the business of firing coaches mid-season, regardless of how bad it gets, so the impending winless season will be all Al Groh's to bear. Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.
Been to a couple of local amateur MMA fights (ICF events) with PreView and Puddin' recently. Interesting, to say the least. The 7-sided octagon (which, I guess, is technically a heptagon, but that's not as fun to say as "7-sided octagon") threw me a bit at first, but the events are fun and the people watching is outstanding (both in a good way and a bad way). Quick shout out to the guys at Fight Ribbon; good people with a great product.
Apparently, Kanye West did something outrageous at the VMAs last night. My first thought? "They still hold the VMAs?" Who knew? I wasn't watching. I was busy watching Jay Cutler rack up points for the Green Bay defense by consistently hitting the open Packer defender. Good for my fantasy team. One of them, at least. What wasn't good for my fantasy teams? Orton's BS touchdown (see above), Drew Brees throwing against a high school defense, Joe Flacco sitting on my bench, and the lack of scoring by Matt Forte, Roddy White, and Donald Driver. Not a good start of the fantasy football season. But hey, I'm currently winning my baseball league!
Speaking of baseball, are the Reds still playing? Can't recall the last game where I watched more than two innings. 82-80, huh? Might be a little off on that prediction. Thank God they're in the same division as the Pirates or else there'd be a lot more last place finishes.
The new TV season is about to start up. This, plus football, is why fall is the best time of the year. Already hooked on Glee- cheesy and hokey on the outside, subversive and sardonic on the inside. Will be definitely be checking out Flash Forward (read the book, and I think the show has a chance to be better) and will probably check out V and Community. Can't wait to see how Fringe comes back from their season finale. Wondering if Heroes can come back and just be better than "suck." And there are probably a half dozen more shows (at least) that I'll be watching as well.
So much television, so little time. Its a wonder I that I ever get anything done (which is probably why I never do).
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Halfway Home
Which I guess means you're standing on second. While the All-Star Game is the celebrated halfway point of the baseball season, last night's Reds-Phillies game was the 81st game on the Reds schedule, making it the actual halfway point. And what a way to end the first half.
22-1.
Damn.
22-1. 10 runs in the first, Cueto records a total of 2 outs, and Paul Janish comes in to pitch the top of the eighth. Paul Janish, of the backup shortstop variety, came into pitch. That's how well things went last night. You can't even make the "its an Eagles-Bengals" score joke because you can't score "1" in football (although if anyone could figure out a way, I'd put my money on the Bengals).
I can't say it was all bad, though. Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, and Shane Victorino are all on fantasy teams I manage, so it helped me have a good night. Now, reality always trumps fantasy for me, but if the Reds are going to lose, they might as well lose big to guys that are on my fantasy team. And from what I've read, I think athletes would rather lose 1-22 than 0-1. The latter is a tight game where one hit here or a different bounce there could decide the game. When you're down 0-10 at the end of the first, about 38.5 things have to all go your way just to make it close. Some nights its not your night, and last night was definitely one of those nights.
So where does that leave the Reds at the midpoint of the season? They're 40-41, in fourth place in the NL Central, and 3.5 games out of first. Yeah for mediocrity. Back in January, I predicted that the Reds would finish the year just over .500, and I think they're right on track for that. When Votto went on the DL, the offense suffered mightly, and its still struggling to get back on track. The starters have been hit or miss with the addition of some injuries. And the bullpen has been statisitically the best in the majors so far, but there's no way they continue to pitch at that level through September. So they're pretty much right where I thought they'd be. I expect the starting pitching to get better (Volquez will get healthy, and Homer Bailey pitched brilliantly his last time out before Albert Pujols made the case for getting walked with the bases loaded), and once Votto gets back into the groove, the offense should even out. They're a .500 team, and I don't expect them to make a major move before the trade deadline, so I don't expect them to get any better. I do still think they can finish the year with a winning record, which would be good for morale, but I don't see them contending for anything. But given how the team's been the past few years, I'll take the moral victory this year.
22-1.
Damn.
22-1. 10 runs in the first, Cueto records a total of 2 outs, and Paul Janish comes in to pitch the top of the eighth. Paul Janish, of the backup shortstop variety, came into pitch. That's how well things went last night. You can't even make the "its an Eagles-Bengals" score joke because you can't score "1" in football (although if anyone could figure out a way, I'd put my money on the Bengals).
I can't say it was all bad, though. Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, and Shane Victorino are all on fantasy teams I manage, so it helped me have a good night. Now, reality always trumps fantasy for me, but if the Reds are going to lose, they might as well lose big to guys that are on my fantasy team. And from what I've read, I think athletes would rather lose 1-22 than 0-1. The latter is a tight game where one hit here or a different bounce there could decide the game. When you're down 0-10 at the end of the first, about 38.5 things have to all go your way just to make it close. Some nights its not your night, and last night was definitely one of those nights.
So where does that leave the Reds at the midpoint of the season? They're 40-41, in fourth place in the NL Central, and 3.5 games out of first. Yeah for mediocrity. Back in January, I predicted that the Reds would finish the year just over .500, and I think they're right on track for that. When Votto went on the DL, the offense suffered mightly, and its still struggling to get back on track. The starters have been hit or miss with the addition of some injuries. And the bullpen has been statisitically the best in the majors so far, but there's no way they continue to pitch at that level through September. So they're pretty much right where I thought they'd be. I expect the starting pitching to get better (Volquez will get healthy, and Homer Bailey pitched brilliantly his last time out before Albert Pujols made the case for getting walked with the bases loaded), and once Votto gets back into the groove, the offense should even out. They're a .500 team, and I don't expect them to make a major move before the trade deadline, so I don't expect them to get any better. I do still think they can finish the year with a winning record, which would be good for morale, but I don't see them contending for anything. But given how the team's been the past few years, I'll take the moral victory this year.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
I Need To Find This Guy
Seriously. If we have masked vigilantes running around Cincinnati, I need to get downtown more often.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
My God, Please Let This Happen
The Bengals might appear on HBO's Hard Knocks.
Now, I've never seen Hard Knocks, but I would totally watch it if the Bengals were featured (I think I've made it clear that I only watch reality shows when they involve Cincinnatians). This HAS to happen. Actually, no. This only has to happen if Mike Brown is prominently featured throughout the show (and since he's the only in charge, I'm guessing that would be inevitable). Brown is crazy reclusive to the point where he almost never gives television interviews, so I have a hard time seeing him getting on board with this. But seeing just how dysfunctional and ass-backward Mike Brown runs the team would be so worth it. Everyone who follows the NFL would want to see the Bengals on this show. EVERYONE. Please, make this happen.
Now, I've never seen Hard Knocks, but I would totally watch it if the Bengals were featured (I think I've made it clear that I only watch reality shows when they involve Cincinnatians). This HAS to happen. Actually, no. This only has to happen if Mike Brown is prominently featured throughout the show (and since he's the only in charge, I'm guessing that would be inevitable). Brown is crazy reclusive to the point where he almost never gives television interviews, so I have a hard time seeing him getting on board with this. But seeing just how dysfunctional and ass-backward Mike Brown runs the team would be so worth it. Everyone who follows the NFL would want to see the Bengals on this show. EVERYONE. Please, make this happen.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Weekly TV Thoughts: 04/19 - 04/25
Light week this week, with Lost taking a break and Kings being relegated to the summer to burn off its remaining episodes after being relegated to Saturday nights first. I think its clear that Kings won't be on NBC's schedule next season.
-Chuck, Monday: If you didn't know any better, you might have thought that this episode was setting up the end of the show. Chuck rescued his father, destroyed a critical Fulcrum base, and got the Intersect out of his head. Where does the show go from here? Thankfully, there's one more episode this season to set up Season 3 (which NEEDS to happen; be sure to head to Subway on Monday to show your support for Chuck), which has been billed as a "game changer." And while I think that phrase is waaaaaaaay overused in television, with the Chuck no longer being the Intersect, I think it actually applies in this case. I think Chuck trying to be a spy just to be a spy and not because he has the Intersect in his head is a great direction for the show and I can't wait to see how it turns out (because there WILL be a Season 3).
-Heroes, Monday: First off, totally random Clint Howard sighting! As to the episode, I didn't know what the think about Sylar's (literal) identity crisis; I guess it was his turn for the therapy session since he wasn't part of the group session that took place last week at Coyote Sands. Parkman, Hiro, and Ando also worked through their issued as well. Now everyone's cleared the air with themselves and everyone else so we can move onto the big seasion finale. I wonder how they're going to take out Danko. He tried (and failed) to kill Sylar at the end of the episode; do they just have Sylar do it and be done with it? Or will someone like Nathan or Bennett get a chance to do it? Going back to Parkman for a moment- why can't he stop Sylar? As he showed this week, he should NEVER be captured because he can make around him think he's not there. So why not use that ability to trap Sylar? It seems to be the best option to me; no one's immune to Parkman's power, not even Sylar, so trapping him in his own mind appears to be much easier than planting a sharp object into the base of his spine. But perhaps that just too easy.
-24, Monday: How many times have moles on this show gone with self-inflicted gun shot wound to try and cover up the fact that they're a spy? That's already twice in this season alone; at least Tony was a man about it and shot himself somewhere halfway believeable, as opposed to Sean, who wussed out and went with the arm. I glad they they don't appear to drag out the secret of Tony's betrayal any further than the next episode; I'm guessing Jack would've shot Tony right there at the end of the episode had he not collapsed the ground in convulsions. I'm also glad that Jonas appeared to fail in his suicide attempt; I want more Jon Voight. And next week, they teased the meeting of Jack and Jonas, which should be great. I guess it was inevitable that Jonas and Tony were working for the same people, though I doubt either one knew it about it. Jonas was supposed to devolop the bioweapon for his employer, and not for his own personal use, so Tony was tasked to stop Jonas's rogue mission and get the bioweapon to its intended location. Again, I hope the main, big bad guy behind everything that's happened this season isn't someone ridiculous, like a character we've already seen who's been a traiter this whole time (like Ethan or someone). Just make it somone we haven't seen before and keep the crazy out-of-left-field twist in your pocket for now.
-Dollhouse, Friday: This was a nice stand alone episode; not much here that advanced the overall story arc of the show, and that was okay. The A story was okay, about someone using the Dollhouse to bring themself back to life, temporaily, to solve their own murder (because clearly if they died, it was murder). That's an awful creepy way to use the Dollhouse, but it kind of makes sense. If you have enough money to enlist the services of the Dollhouse, you clearly don't have any moral reservations about the work they do, so why wouldn't you get request that you get yourself scanned every now and again so that you could live forever? Its like backup up your computer files, only with your personality and memories. Creepy, yes, that you'd be in a different body every so often, but you live forever (or, at least as long as the Dollhouse existed). Next week's episode looks like the one where everything for Agent Ballard comes to a head, as the promos showed him sneaking in to the Dollhouse. Plus, Alan Tudyk (aka- Firefly's Wash) guest stars, which can only be a good thing. This show's really gotten better week to week after a very slow start; I just hope the start wasn't too slow that it doesn't get a second season.
-NFL Draft, Saturday: Ugh. I wrote about the Bengal's first pick here. But I have to say, I think they're draft had gotten a lot better since that point (its still going on, so we'll see if they can finish strong). I'll more reaction to the Bengals's draft tomorrow or Tuesday.
This week should be good. Both Chuck and Heroes have their season finales, and Lost returns with "The Variable", the show's 100th episode.
-Chuck, Monday: If you didn't know any better, you might have thought that this episode was setting up the end of the show. Chuck rescued his father, destroyed a critical Fulcrum base, and got the Intersect out of his head. Where does the show go from here? Thankfully, there's one more episode this season to set up Season 3 (which NEEDS to happen; be sure to head to Subway on Monday to show your support for Chuck), which has been billed as a "game changer." And while I think that phrase is waaaaaaaay overused in television, with the Chuck no longer being the Intersect, I think it actually applies in this case. I think Chuck trying to be a spy just to be a spy and not because he has the Intersect in his head is a great direction for the show and I can't wait to see how it turns out (because there WILL be a Season 3).
-Heroes, Monday: First off, totally random Clint Howard sighting! As to the episode, I didn't know what the think about Sylar's (literal) identity crisis; I guess it was his turn for the therapy session since he wasn't part of the group session that took place last week at Coyote Sands. Parkman, Hiro, and Ando also worked through their issued as well. Now everyone's cleared the air with themselves and everyone else so we can move onto the big seasion finale. I wonder how they're going to take out Danko. He tried (and failed) to kill Sylar at the end of the episode; do they just have Sylar do it and be done with it? Or will someone like Nathan or Bennett get a chance to do it? Going back to Parkman for a moment- why can't he stop Sylar? As he showed this week, he should NEVER be captured because he can make around him think he's not there. So why not use that ability to trap Sylar? It seems to be the best option to me; no one's immune to Parkman's power, not even Sylar, so trapping him in his own mind appears to be much easier than planting a sharp object into the base of his spine. But perhaps that just too easy.
-24, Monday: How many times have moles on this show gone with self-inflicted gun shot wound to try and cover up the fact that they're a spy? That's already twice in this season alone; at least Tony was a man about it and shot himself somewhere halfway believeable, as opposed to Sean, who wussed out and went with the arm. I glad they they don't appear to drag out the secret of Tony's betrayal any further than the next episode; I'm guessing Jack would've shot Tony right there at the end of the episode had he not collapsed the ground in convulsions. I'm also glad that Jonas appeared to fail in his suicide attempt; I want more Jon Voight. And next week, they teased the meeting of Jack and Jonas, which should be great. I guess it was inevitable that Jonas and Tony were working for the same people, though I doubt either one knew it about it. Jonas was supposed to devolop the bioweapon for his employer, and not for his own personal use, so Tony was tasked to stop Jonas's rogue mission and get the bioweapon to its intended location. Again, I hope the main, big bad guy behind everything that's happened this season isn't someone ridiculous, like a character we've already seen who's been a traiter this whole time (like Ethan or someone). Just make it somone we haven't seen before and keep the crazy out-of-left-field twist in your pocket for now.
-Dollhouse, Friday: This was a nice stand alone episode; not much here that advanced the overall story arc of the show, and that was okay. The A story was okay, about someone using the Dollhouse to bring themself back to life, temporaily, to solve their own murder (because clearly if they died, it was murder). That's an awful creepy way to use the Dollhouse, but it kind of makes sense. If you have enough money to enlist the services of the Dollhouse, you clearly don't have any moral reservations about the work they do, so why wouldn't you get request that you get yourself scanned every now and again so that you could live forever? Its like backup up your computer files, only with your personality and memories. Creepy, yes, that you'd be in a different body every so often, but you live forever (or, at least as long as the Dollhouse existed). Next week's episode looks like the one where everything for Agent Ballard comes to a head, as the promos showed him sneaking in to the Dollhouse. Plus, Alan Tudyk (aka- Firefly's Wash) guest stars, which can only be a good thing. This show's really gotten better week to week after a very slow start; I just hope the start wasn't too slow that it doesn't get a second season.
-NFL Draft, Saturday: Ugh. I wrote about the Bengal's first pick here. But I have to say, I think they're draft had gotten a lot better since that point (its still going on, so we'll see if they can finish strong). I'll more reaction to the Bengals's draft tomorrow or Tuesday.
This week should be good. Both Chuck and Heroes have their season finales, and Lost returns with "The Variable", the show's 100th episode.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
What Sold Them?
"The Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock."
Bengals fans dread hearing these words. Nothing good ever happens after these words are uttered. Most fans look forward to the draft; not the ones in Cincinnati. Why? Because it doesn't seem to matter who they pick, even when they get it right, they get it wrong. The latest example- 2009's first round pick Andre Smith out of Alabama.
The Bengals needed to draft an offensive tackle. They don't have much, but what they do have, they have in Carson Palmer. And he's nothing if he doesn't get any protection. Enter the left tackle. Anchor the line, give your franchise quarterback time to make plays, you've got a chance to win. And with the first pick of the 2009 draft, the Bengals did indeed select an offensive tackle. But why Andre Smith?
Could it have been because he was suspended from playing in 'Bama's bowl game? Or perhaps it was because showed up the NFL combine overweight and out of shape and eventually left before completing his drills? Or maybe it was because when he had a shot at redemption at his pro day, he bombed. Which one of these points do you think Mike Brown focused on when deciding to draft Andre Smith?
Listen, I don't put much stock in the NFL combine (you focus only on 40-yard dash time, you end up like Al Davis and draft Darrius Heyward-Bey at #7). But what bothers me is that fact that he wasn't prepared for it. Its not like the combine sneaks up on anyone; you know exactly when and where it happens, and you know that you have to be ready for it. And Andre Smith was not ready for it. And when he got a second chance on his pro day, he still wasn't ready for it. What about that mindset says "we've got to draft this guy" when you've to Eugene Monroe still out there? Call me a UVA homer, fine, but the one thing the Wahoos have done well under Al Groh is produce solid offensive linemen. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Brandon Alpert, Eugene Monroe... all first round picks (all top 10 picks, I believe). What about Monroe did Mike Brown not like? Oh well, I guess at the very least I should be happy they didn't take Beanie Wells at #6.
The Bengals had a need at a position and they didn't take the best guy available at that position. Business as usual.
Bengals fans dread hearing these words. Nothing good ever happens after these words are uttered. Most fans look forward to the draft; not the ones in Cincinnati. Why? Because it doesn't seem to matter who they pick, even when they get it right, they get it wrong. The latest example- 2009's first round pick Andre Smith out of Alabama.
The Bengals needed to draft an offensive tackle. They don't have much, but what they do have, they have in Carson Palmer. And he's nothing if he doesn't get any protection. Enter the left tackle. Anchor the line, give your franchise quarterback time to make plays, you've got a chance to win. And with the first pick of the 2009 draft, the Bengals did indeed select an offensive tackle. But why Andre Smith?
Could it have been because he was suspended from playing in 'Bama's bowl game? Or perhaps it was because showed up the NFL combine overweight and out of shape and eventually left before completing his drills? Or maybe it was because when he had a shot at redemption at his pro day, he bombed. Which one of these points do you think Mike Brown focused on when deciding to draft Andre Smith?
Listen, I don't put much stock in the NFL combine (you focus only on 40-yard dash time, you end up like Al Davis and draft Darrius Heyward-Bey at #7). But what bothers me is that fact that he wasn't prepared for it. Its not like the combine sneaks up on anyone; you know exactly when and where it happens, and you know that you have to be ready for it. And Andre Smith was not ready for it. And when he got a second chance on his pro day, he still wasn't ready for it. What about that mindset says "we've got to draft this guy" when you've to Eugene Monroe still out there? Call me a UVA homer, fine, but the one thing the Wahoos have done well under Al Groh is produce solid offensive linemen. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Brandon Alpert, Eugene Monroe... all first round picks (all top 10 picks, I believe). What about Monroe did Mike Brown not like? Oh well, I guess at the very least I should be happy they didn't take Beanie Wells at #6.
The Bengals had a need at a position and they didn't take the best guy available at that position. Business as usual.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Glow-Hoinking Lives On!
The ongoing saga of whether or not Western Bowl will be closing has finally come to an end- Western Bowl will remain open.
This is huge news. Western Bowl will be under new ownership AND still be called Western Bowl (after all, what's the point in saving the place if you up and change the name?). From the article, it looks like the site could have become a fitness center; how much would that have sucked? Also, the Hoinke Classic is set to make its triumphant return in 2010. Perhaps this is a sign of better days to come.
This is huge news. Western Bowl will be under new ownership AND still be called Western Bowl (after all, what's the point in saving the place if you up and change the name?). From the article, it looks like the site could have become a fitness center; how much would that have sucked? Also, the Hoinke Classic is set to make its triumphant return in 2010. Perhaps this is a sign of better days to come.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Because Clearly It Wasn't Important
A bit of advice for Fox Sports Net Ohio, in the style of Burn Notice's "Spy Tips":
"When you're airing a live baseball game, its probably not a good idea to cut to an episode of The Best Damn Sports Show when there's two outs left in the bottom of the ninth of a one-run game. People might get pissed."
Unfortunately, this advice comes one day late, as FSN Ohio did exactly that last night. Seriously. Bottom of the ninth, one out, Reds up on the Brewers 7-6, with Reds closer (and former Brewer) Francisco Cordero on the mound, and then as we crossed the bottom of the hour, BAM, right into the middle of Best Damn. And it wasn't even a cut to the beginning of the episode; it was the middle, where they were discussing the greatest relief pitchers of all time with special guest Rollie Fingers. Exciting, I know. Given the choice between watching that and watching my hometown team try and close a game out a one-run game on the road against a division opponent, I know I'd take Best Damn every time. Right.
So what happened in the game? Oh nothing. Cordero walked the next batter, then gave up a fly ball to Taveras in center, who tried to double off the runner at first, only to make a wild throw that was backed up by Cordero, who then tried to get the runner going to second, but hit him in the back. Two outs, tying run on second, base hit sends the game to extras. But Cordero gets a ground ball to first to end the game. So yeah, nothing exciting.
I had no idea what was going on last night. By the time I figured out that they weren't going to be going back to the game and scrambled to a radio, the game was over. Stupid FSN Ohio.
[Edit: FSN Ohio has issued an apology. Seems a similar incident happened back in December with UC basketball. Silver lining- the hometown team won in both cases. But it still sucked.]
"When you're airing a live baseball game, its probably not a good idea to cut to an episode of The Best Damn Sports Show when there's two outs left in the bottom of the ninth of a one-run game. People might get pissed."
Unfortunately, this advice comes one day late, as FSN Ohio did exactly that last night. Seriously. Bottom of the ninth, one out, Reds up on the Brewers 7-6, with Reds closer (and former Brewer) Francisco Cordero on the mound, and then as we crossed the bottom of the hour, BAM, right into the middle of Best Damn. And it wasn't even a cut to the beginning of the episode; it was the middle, where they were discussing the greatest relief pitchers of all time with special guest Rollie Fingers. Exciting, I know. Given the choice between watching that and watching my hometown team try and close a game out a one-run game on the road against a division opponent, I know I'd take Best Damn every time. Right.
So what happened in the game? Oh nothing. Cordero walked the next batter, then gave up a fly ball to Taveras in center, who tried to double off the runner at first, only to make a wild throw that was backed up by Cordero, who then tried to get the runner going to second, but hit him in the back. Two outs, tying run on second, base hit sends the game to extras. But Cordero gets a ground ball to first to end the game. So yeah, nothing exciting.
I had no idea what was going on last night. By the time I figured out that they weren't going to be going back to the game and scrambled to a radio, the game was over. Stupid FSN Ohio.
[Edit: FSN Ohio has issued an apology. Seems a similar incident happened back in December with UC basketball. Silver lining- the hometown team won in both cases. But it still sucked.]
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Weekly TV Thoughts: 04/05 - 04/11
Best thing that happened for the Reds this week? Getting rained out Friday night so they could end the week 1-3 instead of 1-4. How's that "pitching and defense" approach working out for everyone? Yeah, not so much right now. The team's young, and that's great for projecting what they could do in the future, but it means nothing if it never materializes. Gonna watch them again this afternoon, though, because its what I do. Gonna catch some golf, too, because there's not a whole lot better than Sunday at a major, especially at the Masters. Tiger's not in the lead, so he's not going to win (that fact's so money in the bank that it even survived the curse of this blog), but he is paired with Phil, which should make for some good theater, even if they're not in contention.
-Kings, Sunday: So even the King's top general is positioning to overthrow him. We knew that the King's brother-in-law wanted Silas out, but now, the opposition is building fast. I am still curious about Reverend Samuel, though. How does he fit into all of this. He knows that Silas's time is coming to an end, but he not all that willing to join the coup. Will he start to push David to the foreground? Or will he just bide his time and wait? Clearly they're setting up Jack to oppose his father, but Silas just gave him a ministry position and it looks like Jack's swung back to the side of supporting Silas (or, at the very least, not opposing him). Again, the political drama of the show (dealing with the uprising in David's hometown) wasn't all that interesting to me, but the characters again draw me in. Kings is getting dumped to Saturday nights starting April 18, I believe, which means all signs point to it not coming back next year. They'll get to finish out the season, which is good, but I hope they can manage so sort of an ending instead of leaving on a cliffhanger that'll never get resolved.
-Chuck, Monday: This show REALLY needs to be renewed for next season. Of all the shows I watch that are on the bubble for pick up, Chuck is my #1 choice to save. I've said before how much I enjoy this show, and I still think it's consistently the most entertaining show on the TV. But after this week's episode, I think the show's hit a whole new level. As they barrel toward the season finale, they've set things in motion (with Chuck's dad being Orion and the creator of the Intersect, and having him being captured by Ted Roark and Fulcrum) that look to send the show into an awesome new direction. Season 3 of Chuck needs to happen!
-Heroes, Monday: As I said last week, it only matter of time before Bennett found out the truth about Sylar. I didn't quite expect it to happen this week, but now that I look at it, I'm glad that it wasn't drawn out. The best thing they could have done with Bennett was to burn him and get him out from under the guise of working with Danko. He's now on his own and by him showing up at Coyote Sands, we now know exactly where his allegiances lie. And speaking of Coyote Sands, it was only a matter of time before this comic-staple ret-con showed up in Heroes. "Remember that time when I told you about where all this started, when I told you about the beginning? Well, that wasn't really the beginning because this here is the beginning, That other beginning, not the beginning; this is the real one." Cliche, yes, but not totally unexpected. Giving the show a new origin story wouldn't even crack the top 10 of crazy things Heroes has done, so I can live with it.
-24, Monday: So the FBI raid on Starkwood didn't quite go as planned, but don't worry, Tony's still there and will have to neutralize the threat on his own. Funny how it always seems to come down to just one man on this show. Of course, that man is usually Jack, but he's currently infected with a deadly pathogen that quickly ending his life. And while there's no cure, there is, amazingly enough, an experimental procedure that uses stem cells from a biologically compatible donor (like, say, a direct family member) that could do the trick. And this is how they wrangle Kim back into the show. Although Jack's not to keen on calling her, prefering rather to die than talk to his daughter, so I'm thinking that it'll be Renee who contacts Kim, going behind Jack's back. Because Jack can't die; they've still got to shoot Season 8! We finally get a converstation between President Taylor and Jonas Hodges, and while Hodges doesn't reveal what his demands are, he does imply that the impetus for all this was the fact that he felt that the US Government betrayed Starkwood by asking them to "get the job done" without asking any questions only to put them on trial in front of Congress for doing just that. So he's a little disgruntled. It happens. I am curious to see how the face-to-face meeting in the White House goes next episode.
-Lost, Wednesday: Once again, Ben proves that we can't trust a single thing that comes out of his mouth. Take Locke being alive again. First, he tells Locke to his face that he thought the island might resurrect him, but he wasn't certain until he saw it actually happen. Then, he tells Caesar that he thinks Locke might have never been on the plane in the first place (this one's the obvious lie, but a lie none the less) and that maybe he's been on the island this whole time. And then, he tells Sun that "dead is dead" and that he has no idea what John Locke is now. So which is it? Did he know what the island would resurrect Locke or was that complete shock to him (you know, since Ben murdered him and all)? You never know with Ben, and we as the audience may never know. And then there's this whole business about whether or not Ben remembers being shot and then saved by the Others. We get a scene where Young Ben wakes up in the Other's camp and he seems to have no idea why he's there or how he was injured. But then Ben says later that the temple where he, Locke, and Sun are going to is where he was taken as a child and healed. How does he remember the fact that he was healed at the temple, but not the facts surrounding why he needed to be healed in the first place? Unlike the previous query, I think we will get an answer to this question. It should be really interesting to see how Ben handles having to follow Locke's lead now; from the look on his face after his encounter with the Smoke Monster, it looks like he might be a changed man. Who knows if his reason for coming back was the be judged (again, can't ever trust what Ben says), but that fact is he was judged, and the island let him live, contingient on him following Locke and not trying to kill him. Again. Now its time for Locke, Ben, and Sun to figure out a what to meet up with the rest of the O6 back in 1977. Locke's in the lead, wonder how he's going to handle it. I was really bummed out when Lapidus left to go back to the plane because I really wanted to see him invovled in the story. And then they dropped the "what lies in the shadow of the statue?" bombshell when he got back. So some of the passengers, including bounty hunter Ilana, have another agenda, and they knew they were going to land on the island. Questions abound- how did they know, who sent them, what's in the box? Can we assume that maybe it was these people who were shooting at Sawyer, Juliet and Co. in the boat while they flashed into the future for a bit? I think so. Finally, a quick note about Desmond and Penny- very glad that neither one of them is dead. Guess if Ben has one soft spot, its not killing mothers. He never got to know his, and he apparently can't inflict that sort of pain on someone.
-Dollhouse, Friday: Good episode, with a great storytelling device; I love the jumping back and forth through the story, so that you get the whole story from everyone's veiwpoint. I don't quite know what the think about Mr. Dominic being the mole; he said somethings in the episode, specifically to Ms. DeWitt, that would seem to contradict his actions as a mole. But if you assume that he was lying to DeWitt in a final effort to save his life, then things seem to fit together nicely. He was trying to bring down the Dollhouse and he was setting up Echo and Agent Ballard to do so. He knows that Echo will eventually take down the Dollhouse, so he did things specifically to trigger her towards that path. I like how Echo became somewhat self aware and understood, on the most basic level, what Topher does in the chair; he makes people different. And she understood enough to volunteer for an engagement. This sets up Echo to be used more by the Dollhouse, which in turn, we are to assume, will lead to her having an "Alpha" moment and become complete self aware and destroy the Dollhouse. And speaking of Ballard, how shitty is his life right now? He's suspended from the FBI, he's gone completely paranoid and become totally obsessed with the Dollhouse (more so than before), and he's just found out that his neighbor/girlfriend in actually an Active. But he still has to pretend that he doesn't know Mellie's a Doll. Without a mole inside the Dollhouse, where will Ballard's investigation go? Again, he was told to focus less on where the Dollhouse is and more on the Dollhouse's true purpose. "Follow the money," I guess. He figures out the why, and that will lead him to the where (and possibly a whole lot more).
-Kings, Sunday: So even the King's top general is positioning to overthrow him. We knew that the King's brother-in-law wanted Silas out, but now, the opposition is building fast. I am still curious about Reverend Samuel, though. How does he fit into all of this. He knows that Silas's time is coming to an end, but he not all that willing to join the coup. Will he start to push David to the foreground? Or will he just bide his time and wait? Clearly they're setting up Jack to oppose his father, but Silas just gave him a ministry position and it looks like Jack's swung back to the side of supporting Silas (or, at the very least, not opposing him). Again, the political drama of the show (dealing with the uprising in David's hometown) wasn't all that interesting to me, but the characters again draw me in. Kings is getting dumped to Saturday nights starting April 18, I believe, which means all signs point to it not coming back next year. They'll get to finish out the season, which is good, but I hope they can manage so sort of an ending instead of leaving on a cliffhanger that'll never get resolved.
-Chuck, Monday: This show REALLY needs to be renewed for next season. Of all the shows I watch that are on the bubble for pick up, Chuck is my #1 choice to save. I've said before how much I enjoy this show, and I still think it's consistently the most entertaining show on the TV. But after this week's episode, I think the show's hit a whole new level. As they barrel toward the season finale, they've set things in motion (with Chuck's dad being Orion and the creator of the Intersect, and having him being captured by Ted Roark and Fulcrum) that look to send the show into an awesome new direction. Season 3 of Chuck needs to happen!
-Heroes, Monday: As I said last week, it only matter of time before Bennett found out the truth about Sylar. I didn't quite expect it to happen this week, but now that I look at it, I'm glad that it wasn't drawn out. The best thing they could have done with Bennett was to burn him and get him out from under the guise of working with Danko. He's now on his own and by him showing up at Coyote Sands, we now know exactly where his allegiances lie. And speaking of Coyote Sands, it was only a matter of time before this comic-staple ret-con showed up in Heroes. "Remember that time when I told you about where all this started, when I told you about the beginning? Well, that wasn't really the beginning because this here is the beginning, That other beginning, not the beginning; this is the real one." Cliche, yes, but not totally unexpected. Giving the show a new origin story wouldn't even crack the top 10 of crazy things Heroes has done, so I can live with it.
-24, Monday: So the FBI raid on Starkwood didn't quite go as planned, but don't worry, Tony's still there and will have to neutralize the threat on his own. Funny how it always seems to come down to just one man on this show. Of course, that man is usually Jack, but he's currently infected with a deadly pathogen that quickly ending his life. And while there's no cure, there is, amazingly enough, an experimental procedure that uses stem cells from a biologically compatible donor (like, say, a direct family member) that could do the trick. And this is how they wrangle Kim back into the show. Although Jack's not to keen on calling her, prefering rather to die than talk to his daughter, so I'm thinking that it'll be Renee who contacts Kim, going behind Jack's back. Because Jack can't die; they've still got to shoot Season 8! We finally get a converstation between President Taylor and Jonas Hodges, and while Hodges doesn't reveal what his demands are, he does imply that the impetus for all this was the fact that he felt that the US Government betrayed Starkwood by asking them to "get the job done" without asking any questions only to put them on trial in front of Congress for doing just that. So he's a little disgruntled. It happens. I am curious to see how the face-to-face meeting in the White House goes next episode.
-Lost, Wednesday: Once again, Ben proves that we can't trust a single thing that comes out of his mouth. Take Locke being alive again. First, he tells Locke to his face that he thought the island might resurrect him, but he wasn't certain until he saw it actually happen. Then, he tells Caesar that he thinks Locke might have never been on the plane in the first place (this one's the obvious lie, but a lie none the less) and that maybe he's been on the island this whole time. And then, he tells Sun that "dead is dead" and that he has no idea what John Locke is now. So which is it? Did he know what the island would resurrect Locke or was that complete shock to him (you know, since Ben murdered him and all)? You never know with Ben, and we as the audience may never know. And then there's this whole business about whether or not Ben remembers being shot and then saved by the Others. We get a scene where Young Ben wakes up in the Other's camp and he seems to have no idea why he's there or how he was injured. But then Ben says later that the temple where he, Locke, and Sun are going to is where he was taken as a child and healed. How does he remember the fact that he was healed at the temple, but not the facts surrounding why he needed to be healed in the first place? Unlike the previous query, I think we will get an answer to this question. It should be really interesting to see how Ben handles having to follow Locke's lead now; from the look on his face after his encounter with the Smoke Monster, it looks like he might be a changed man. Who knows if his reason for coming back was the be judged (again, can't ever trust what Ben says), but that fact is he was judged, and the island let him live, contingient on him following Locke and not trying to kill him. Again. Now its time for Locke, Ben, and Sun to figure out a what to meet up with the rest of the O6 back in 1977. Locke's in the lead, wonder how he's going to handle it. I was really bummed out when Lapidus left to go back to the plane because I really wanted to see him invovled in the story. And then they dropped the "what lies in the shadow of the statue?" bombshell when he got back. So some of the passengers, including bounty hunter Ilana, have another agenda, and they knew they were going to land on the island. Questions abound- how did they know, who sent them, what's in the box? Can we assume that maybe it was these people who were shooting at Sawyer, Juliet and Co. in the boat while they flashed into the future for a bit? I think so. Finally, a quick note about Desmond and Penny- very glad that neither one of them is dead. Guess if Ben has one soft spot, its not killing mothers. He never got to know his, and he apparently can't inflict that sort of pain on someone.
-Dollhouse, Friday: Good episode, with a great storytelling device; I love the jumping back and forth through the story, so that you get the whole story from everyone's veiwpoint. I don't quite know what the think about Mr. Dominic being the mole; he said somethings in the episode, specifically to Ms. DeWitt, that would seem to contradict his actions as a mole. But if you assume that he was lying to DeWitt in a final effort to save his life, then things seem to fit together nicely. He was trying to bring down the Dollhouse and he was setting up Echo and Agent Ballard to do so. He knows that Echo will eventually take down the Dollhouse, so he did things specifically to trigger her towards that path. I like how Echo became somewhat self aware and understood, on the most basic level, what Topher does in the chair; he makes people different. And she understood enough to volunteer for an engagement. This sets up Echo to be used more by the Dollhouse, which in turn, we are to assume, will lead to her having an "Alpha" moment and become complete self aware and destroy the Dollhouse. And speaking of Ballard, how shitty is his life right now? He's suspended from the FBI, he's gone completely paranoid and become totally obsessed with the Dollhouse (more so than before), and he's just found out that his neighbor/girlfriend in actually an Active. But he still has to pretend that he doesn't know Mellie's a Doll. Without a mole inside the Dollhouse, where will Ballard's investigation go? Again, he was told to focus less on where the Dollhouse is and more on the Dollhouse's true purpose. "Follow the money," I guess. He figures out the why, and that will lead him to the where (and possibly a whole lot more).
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Weekly TV Thoughts: 03/29 - 04/04
I think I've made it clear that I believe in sports karma; there's this and this, and the fact that I believe that this blog is cursed. So it makes me very glad that Michigan State defeated UConn yesterday to knock Calhoun out of the tournament. Between the tirade about his salary to the (alleged) NCAA infractions, there's no way he deserved to win this year. And there is absolutely EVERY reason why Michigan State should. I don't think I could bear it if the first two major sports championships of the year went to the Steelers and North Carolina.
-Arnold Palmer Invitational, Sunday: My prediction of Tiger Woods winning 2 majors this year is looking a whole lot better now. Was there any doubt that he'd make that putt? Is there ever any doubt? Everyone knows its going in and yet, there I was, literally on the edge of my seat, waiting to see. The Masters is this week; anyone taking the field over Tiger? I'm not.
-Kings, Sunday: Another solid episode. Up until now, the Queen, Rose, had been the weakest character of them all. Everyone else, Silas, David, Jack, Michelle, Reverend Samuels, and even the Queen's brother had some intrigue attached to them, but Rose just seemed ditached and kind of aloof. Not anymore. Here, we found out that she was responsible for shaping the entire structure and image of the royal family; she "designed" the monarchy. As she said after the ballet performance, they, meaning the royal family, was the show, not the dancers. She is keenly aware of the people's opinion and perceptions of her family, and she showed that she's just as capable as Silas in manipulating the people around her to get her desired end. The characters in this show just keep getting more and more interesting. The political aspects of the show are starting to wane on me, but the characters are still going strong.
-Heroes, Monday: I thought this was a halfway decent episode. Claire and Nathan in Mexico? Couldn't care less about it. Peter and Angela in church? Meh. I don't really care too much for Peter at this point, and Angela is hit or miss. Clearly their stories this week were to simply to set the four of them up for coming together next episode. But Bennett, Danko, and Sylar? That was the redeeming part of the episode. I have to admit, I didn't see Danko's fake out with the shape shifter coming. Sylar can now change his physical apperance, as if he needed to be more powerful. And you know that Bennett isn't just going to let "Sylar's" capture sit like that; its just a matter of time. Until then, it should be cool to see Sylar wreak havoc as disguised as other people.
-24, Monday: First off, I was partially right about Olivia becoming the new CoS. Clearly, naming a new CoS a mere minutes after the old one resigned is impractical, so being provisional CoS is as close as its going to get. I'm calling that a win. Interesting fake out with Jack's condition- he's infected but its not contagious. I thought the scene between Jack and Larry, where Larry tells Jack that he can't go on the Starkwood raid because he's infection makes him a liability, was awesome. A tough realization for a man like Jack, but its no surprise that he was able to accept it; as he said, he always knew that there'd be a day where he wasn't the best man for the job. And geting infected with a bio-weapon is that day. Now, clearly, Jack's not going to die, so the question is how will he be saved. As currently, there is no cure for the infection; could this be how Kim is brought back into the story? I sensing yes. Now onto the raid on Starkwood. I really thought that Tony was being played by Seaton when he came to break Tony out of his cell. Then, when they contacted the FBI and they were able to see and hear Seaton, I began to think that maybe this might be for real. Then, given Jonas's reaction, I futher thought that Seaton was being truthful. So of course, Seaton played the FBI and had Larry not been there, Tony would've killed him. I'm guessing that Starkwood takes Tony, Larry, and the FBI team hostage and Jack will go in and break them out. 'Cause that's something Jack would do, infected with a bio-weapon or not.
-Lost, Wednesday: Another great character episode. That's two weeks in a row where we've gotten Season 1 type episodes, complete with flashbacks and the like. This week, we got some answers to what Kate was up to off island. We found out what Sawyer whispered to her before jumping out of the helicopter (to take care of his daughter). We found out what happened to Aaron (she gave him to Claire's mom). And we found out what her motivation was to return to the island (she wants to find Claire). Some great scenes for Kate this episode, especially her saying goodbye to Aaron. Back on the island, Yonng Ben is dying and needs a real surgeon to save him. Cue Jack opting not to help. I love the complete reversal of character for Jack now; this was the first example of him letting go and letting whatever is supposed to happen, happen. He's completely embraced that he has some sort of destiny, and is convinced that when its his time, the island will make it apparant to him what that is. Clearly, this is going to come back and bite him in the ass. But anyway, Kate and Juliet (and eventually Sawyer) come to the conclusion that Young Ben can only be saved if they take him to the Others and Richard Alpert. Richard explains to them that if they take him, Young Ben will never be the same. He won't remember this happening and will lose his innocence; he'd be "one of them" from now on. The question I have is why did Juliet even suggest taking Young Ben to the Others? They're currently living off in the woods somwhere; how did she know that Richard would be able to help Young Ben? Now we know (or, at least we think we know) how Young Ben became the Ben we're accustomed to; I would love to see Young Ben one more time, after he has been saved and changed, to see him act more like Old Ben around the survivors. I like the idea that the survivors, while in the past, were responsible for turning Ben into the very person that would terrorize them in the future. And speaking of moving through time, I could have watched an entire episode of Hurley and Miles discuss time travel. It was awesome that the writers had enough foresight to know the exact questions the fans would be asking at this point and having Hurley ask them to Miles. It gives me faith that we'll be getting the answers when and how they want to give them.
-Dollhouse, Friday: So letting some of the Actives escape and remember parts of their personality was all just a ploy by Ms. DeWitt to give them closure. The actives fell asleep when the reached their desired closure, but it was still a nice fake out. We learned that Sierra was brought to the Dollhouse against her will, and that Millie/November had a daughter that died. But the REAL twist was that Echo managed to call Agent Ballard and leave him a message before she fell asleep and sent back to being an Active. I really hope they start ramping up the Agent Ballard storyline, because I find that part of the show the most interesting.
Big week this week, with Opening Day tomorrow afternoon. Weather in Cincinnati forecasted for tomorrow afternoon? Low 40's with a 60% chance of rain and snow. Note that its been near 70 the past two days. Of coure, this wouldn't be the first for Cincinnati. I may or may not get around to writing my bold predictions for the Reds this season before Opening Day; maybe I'll wait a few days. I do stick by my original prediction, though, of the Reds finishing 82-80. Play ball.
-Arnold Palmer Invitational, Sunday: My prediction of Tiger Woods winning 2 majors this year is looking a whole lot better now. Was there any doubt that he'd make that putt? Is there ever any doubt? Everyone knows its going in and yet, there I was, literally on the edge of my seat, waiting to see. The Masters is this week; anyone taking the field over Tiger? I'm not.
-Kings, Sunday: Another solid episode. Up until now, the Queen, Rose, had been the weakest character of them all. Everyone else, Silas, David, Jack, Michelle, Reverend Samuels, and even the Queen's brother had some intrigue attached to them, but Rose just seemed ditached and kind of aloof. Not anymore. Here, we found out that she was responsible for shaping the entire structure and image of the royal family; she "designed" the monarchy. As she said after the ballet performance, they, meaning the royal family, was the show, not the dancers. She is keenly aware of the people's opinion and perceptions of her family, and she showed that she's just as capable as Silas in manipulating the people around her to get her desired end. The characters in this show just keep getting more and more interesting. The political aspects of the show are starting to wane on me, but the characters are still going strong.
-Heroes, Monday: I thought this was a halfway decent episode. Claire and Nathan in Mexico? Couldn't care less about it. Peter and Angela in church? Meh. I don't really care too much for Peter at this point, and Angela is hit or miss. Clearly their stories this week were to simply to set the four of them up for coming together next episode. But Bennett, Danko, and Sylar? That was the redeeming part of the episode. I have to admit, I didn't see Danko's fake out with the shape shifter coming. Sylar can now change his physical apperance, as if he needed to be more powerful. And you know that Bennett isn't just going to let "Sylar's" capture sit like that; its just a matter of time. Until then, it should be cool to see Sylar wreak havoc as disguised as other people.
-24, Monday: First off, I was partially right about Olivia becoming the new CoS. Clearly, naming a new CoS a mere minutes after the old one resigned is impractical, so being provisional CoS is as close as its going to get. I'm calling that a win. Interesting fake out with Jack's condition- he's infected but its not contagious. I thought the scene between Jack and Larry, where Larry tells Jack that he can't go on the Starkwood raid because he's infection makes him a liability, was awesome. A tough realization for a man like Jack, but its no surprise that he was able to accept it; as he said, he always knew that there'd be a day where he wasn't the best man for the job. And geting infected with a bio-weapon is that day. Now, clearly, Jack's not going to die, so the question is how will he be saved. As currently, there is no cure for the infection; could this be how Kim is brought back into the story? I sensing yes. Now onto the raid on Starkwood. I really thought that Tony was being played by Seaton when he came to break Tony out of his cell. Then, when they contacted the FBI and they were able to see and hear Seaton, I began to think that maybe this might be for real. Then, given Jonas's reaction, I futher thought that Seaton was being truthful. So of course, Seaton played the FBI and had Larry not been there, Tony would've killed him. I'm guessing that Starkwood takes Tony, Larry, and the FBI team hostage and Jack will go in and break them out. 'Cause that's something Jack would do, infected with a bio-weapon or not.
-Lost, Wednesday: Another great character episode. That's two weeks in a row where we've gotten Season 1 type episodes, complete with flashbacks and the like. This week, we got some answers to what Kate was up to off island. We found out what Sawyer whispered to her before jumping out of the helicopter (to take care of his daughter). We found out what happened to Aaron (she gave him to Claire's mom). And we found out what her motivation was to return to the island (she wants to find Claire). Some great scenes for Kate this episode, especially her saying goodbye to Aaron. Back on the island, Yonng Ben is dying and needs a real surgeon to save him. Cue Jack opting not to help. I love the complete reversal of character for Jack now; this was the first example of him letting go and letting whatever is supposed to happen, happen. He's completely embraced that he has some sort of destiny, and is convinced that when its his time, the island will make it apparant to him what that is. Clearly, this is going to come back and bite him in the ass. But anyway, Kate and Juliet (and eventually Sawyer) come to the conclusion that Young Ben can only be saved if they take him to the Others and Richard Alpert. Richard explains to them that if they take him, Young Ben will never be the same. He won't remember this happening and will lose his innocence; he'd be "one of them" from now on. The question I have is why did Juliet even suggest taking Young Ben to the Others? They're currently living off in the woods somwhere; how did she know that Richard would be able to help Young Ben? Now we know (or, at least we think we know) how Young Ben became the Ben we're accustomed to; I would love to see Young Ben one more time, after he has been saved and changed, to see him act more like Old Ben around the survivors. I like the idea that the survivors, while in the past, were responsible for turning Ben into the very person that would terrorize them in the future. And speaking of moving through time, I could have watched an entire episode of Hurley and Miles discuss time travel. It was awesome that the writers had enough foresight to know the exact questions the fans would be asking at this point and having Hurley ask them to Miles. It gives me faith that we'll be getting the answers when and how they want to give them.
-Dollhouse, Friday: So letting some of the Actives escape and remember parts of their personality was all just a ploy by Ms. DeWitt to give them closure. The actives fell asleep when the reached their desired closure, but it was still a nice fake out. We learned that Sierra was brought to the Dollhouse against her will, and that Millie/November had a daughter that died. But the REAL twist was that Echo managed to call Agent Ballard and leave him a message before she fell asleep and sent back to being an Active. I really hope they start ramping up the Agent Ballard storyline, because I find that part of the show the most interesting.
Big week this week, with Opening Day tomorrow afternoon. Weather in Cincinnati forecasted for tomorrow afternoon? Low 40's with a 60% chance of rain and snow. Note that its been near 70 the past two days. Of coure, this wouldn't be the first for Cincinnati. I may or may not get around to writing my bold predictions for the Reds this season before Opening Day; maybe I'll wait a few days. I do stick by my original prediction, though, of the Reds finishing 82-80. Play ball.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A Ray Of Hope In These Tough Economic Times
The Reds have brought back $5 seats to Great American Ballpark!
This is great. Sure, its limited to the sections in the corners of the upper deck and not the "top 6 rows" like back in the day, but its better than nothing. And its a baseball game, so unless there's a giant pillar right in front of you, there really isn't a bad seat. This makes games (more) affordable for people, and getting families to the ballgame without breaking the bank is always a good thing.
A mere 4 days until Opening Day, and no, I don't count the ESPN Sunday night game; the baseball season doesn't start until the Reds play their first game (its baseball history regardless of what the television schedule says). Upcoming, an in depth look (well, not so much) at the Reds 2009 season with predictions that are most assuredly to be completely wrong.
Baseball's back (almost). Anyone want to catch a game next weekend?
This is great. Sure, its limited to the sections in the corners of the upper deck and not the "top 6 rows" like back in the day, but its better than nothing. And its a baseball game, so unless there's a giant pillar right in front of you, there really isn't a bad seat. This makes games (more) affordable for people, and getting families to the ballgame without breaking the bank is always a good thing.
A mere 4 days until Opening Day, and no, I don't count the ESPN Sunday night game; the baseball season doesn't start until the Reds play their first game (its baseball history regardless of what the television schedule says). Upcoming, an in depth look (well, not so much) at the Reds 2009 season with predictions that are most assuredly to be completely wrong.
Baseball's back (almost). Anyone want to catch a game next weekend?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Time To 'Fess Up
Okay, guilty pleasure admission time: I'm watching MTV's Taking The Stage.
I will now try and rationalize why. If don't think I'll be successful in this task, go ahead and jump to the comments and tell me why I'm a loser.
If you don't know, Taking The Stage is a reality show that follows five students who attend Cincinnati's School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). Its a Hills-style show that's produced by Nick Lachey (former SCPA student). Despite that, there are two main reasons why I find this show tolerable:
-It makes Cincinnati look really good. I mean, REALLY good. All the exterior shots of the city make our town look great. Its conceivable that someone who's never been to Cincinnati would watch the show and say, "Damn, that's a good looking city." Specifically, it makes Over-the-Rhine (where SCPA is located) look really good. And of course, they'd be wrong. Cincinnati's nice, but its not nearly as clean and pretty as its portrayed. If you've ever been through Over-the-Rhine and you watch the show, you'll see what I mean.
-The kids are really talented. The show is shot and produced like The Hills, but unlike The Hills, the stars of this show can actually contribute something worthwhile to society. Now, I don't care one bit about all the teen relationship drama; that crap drags the show down (though, I guess that's what drives the show for its target audience). Who cares if that one guy is dating the one girl but kissed the other girl? I want to see this kids perform! Singing, dancing, whatever, the show shines whenever the stars get a chance to use their talents. Whether they're rehearsing, doing an actual performance, or participating in a clearly-staged Fame-style impromptu lunchtime dance off, its fun to watch. The five stars are great (3 dancers, 1 dancer/singer/actress, 1 singer/songwriter) and natrually they keep the focus on them, but some of the peripheral kids are interesting as well (especially this piano playing/roller dancing/composer kid; I want to see more of him). Of course, this could give the impression that Cincinnati is just filled to the brim with talented kids, which may or may not be the case. But regardless, the five students they picked for the show are far better talent ambassadors for Cincinnati than Nick Lachey is (which is probably why Lachey is throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day and the singer/songwriter girl from the show is performing the National Anthem).
So there it is. I don't watch reality television, but I'm watching this show. I watched The Amazing Race when the Linz family was on because they were from Cincinnati and I went to high school with one of them. I watched Beauty and the Geek when another guy I went to high school with (and the younger brother of one my friends) was on. I even watched some of Clash of the Chiors because there was a choir from Cincinnati. And now I'm watching Taking The Stage because its set here in Cincinnati. I'm sensing a pattern here.
I will now try and rationalize why. If don't think I'll be successful in this task, go ahead and jump to the comments and tell me why I'm a loser.
If you don't know, Taking The Stage is a reality show that follows five students who attend Cincinnati's School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). Its a Hills-style show that's produced by Nick Lachey (former SCPA student). Despite that, there are two main reasons why I find this show tolerable:
-It makes Cincinnati look really good. I mean, REALLY good. All the exterior shots of the city make our town look great. Its conceivable that someone who's never been to Cincinnati would watch the show and say, "Damn, that's a good looking city." Specifically, it makes Over-the-Rhine (where SCPA is located) look really good. And of course, they'd be wrong. Cincinnati's nice, but its not nearly as clean and pretty as its portrayed. If you've ever been through Over-the-Rhine and you watch the show, you'll see what I mean.
-The kids are really talented. The show is shot and produced like The Hills, but unlike The Hills, the stars of this show can actually contribute something worthwhile to society. Now, I don't care one bit about all the teen relationship drama; that crap drags the show down (though, I guess that's what drives the show for its target audience). Who cares if that one guy is dating the one girl but kissed the other girl? I want to see this kids perform! Singing, dancing, whatever, the show shines whenever the stars get a chance to use their talents. Whether they're rehearsing, doing an actual performance, or participating in a clearly-staged Fame-style impromptu lunchtime dance off, its fun to watch. The five stars are great (3 dancers, 1 dancer/singer/actress, 1 singer/songwriter) and natrually they keep the focus on them, but some of the peripheral kids are interesting as well (especially this piano playing/roller dancing/composer kid; I want to see more of him). Of course, this could give the impression that Cincinnati is just filled to the brim with talented kids, which may or may not be the case. But regardless, the five students they picked for the show are far better talent ambassadors for Cincinnati than Nick Lachey is (which is probably why Lachey is throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day and the singer/songwriter girl from the show is performing the National Anthem).
So there it is. I don't watch reality television, but I'm watching this show. I watched The Amazing Race when the Linz family was on because they were from Cincinnati and I went to high school with one of them. I watched Beauty and the Geek when another guy I went to high school with (and the younger brother of one my friends) was on. I even watched some of Clash of the Chiors because there was a choir from Cincinnati. And now I'm watching Taking The Stage because its set here in Cincinnati. I'm sensing a pattern here.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Know Anyone Who'd Be Up For This?
Funeral Home Now Offering Elder-Purple Casket
The idea of a themed-casket or urn is nothing new, and while I may find it a little off, I have no problem if something like this is included in someone's final wishes. How they wish to go is how they wish to go, be it in a Detroit Tigers urn or an Elder casket. Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised that something like this is just now been made available, especially considering the Elder fan base. I would have thought someone would have thought this up years ago. Which brings me to my favorite part of this article:
"[Funeral Director Terry Deters] noted Elder's deep roots in the community. "Generations of families have proudly gone to this school," Deters said. He's a 1975 graduate of St. Xavier High School. But, his dad and his brothers went to Elder. His son, Taylor, belongs to the class of 2009."
So in a family of Elder grads who run a funeral home just blocks from Elder High School itself, its the one St. X grad that steps up and says, hey, there might be a market for this sort of thing. There's a deeper meaning in that somewhere. I think its that Elder grads are kind of crazy. Yeah, that's it.
The idea of a themed-casket or urn is nothing new, and while I may find it a little off, I have no problem if something like this is included in someone's final wishes. How they wish to go is how they wish to go, be it in a Detroit Tigers urn or an Elder casket. Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised that something like this is just now been made available, especially considering the Elder fan base. I would have thought someone would have thought this up years ago. Which brings me to my favorite part of this article:
"[Funeral Director Terry Deters] noted Elder's deep roots in the community. "Generations of families have proudly gone to this school," Deters said. He's a 1975 graduate of St. Xavier High School. But, his dad and his brothers went to Elder. His son, Taylor, belongs to the class of 2009."
So in a family of Elder grads who run a funeral home just blocks from Elder High School itself, its the one St. X grad that steps up and says, hey, there might be a market for this sort of thing. There's a deeper meaning in that somewhere. I think its that Elder grads are kind of crazy. Yeah, that's it.
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