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 frak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frak. 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.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The De-Evolution Of Dance
Proof that the good old days weren't always that good. This is physically painful to watch:
For all the crap we give disco, how is this any better?
For all the crap we give disco, how is this any better?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Odd Day
I just got back from watching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, with the full intention of writing a review here on the blog, only to come home and find out that Michael Jackson died. Nothing against Ed McMahon (who I only know from Star Search; too young for him on The Tonight Show) and Farrah Fawcett (who I only know as someone who was once super hot; too young for Charlie's Angels), but Michael Jackson was bigger than both of them combined. Times thirty. And then some. Its wild. I always thought that he would have one last great comeback moment before he died (think Elvis "Aloha From Hawaii"). Even now, just after his passing, there's talk about how he'll be remembered; will his recent legal troubles/bizzare behavior overshadow his monumental impact on music. I say no way. We got past fat, drug-addicted Elvis, we'll get past Michael's issues. Yeah, so he was borderline functional as a person; he was an absolute musical genius. As ESPN's Matthew Berry (@TheRealTMR) tweeted this evening- Say what you want, but when most people die, they don't have four minutes as good as this:
Couldn't agree more.
(And by the way, Transformers was exactly what you'd expect it to be- giant robots, big explosions, hot chicks, minimal story/plot. Go in with those expectations and you won't be disappointed. Go in expecting anything more and you're a moron.)
Couldn't agree more.
(And by the way, Transformers was exactly what you'd expect it to be- giant robots, big explosions, hot chicks, minimal story/plot. Go in with those expectations and you won't be disappointed. Go in expecting anything more and you're a moron.)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand We're Back
Hopefully.
Maybe.
We'll see.
So, I've been a little lax recently on posting here. I'm going to try and be less lax about doing so in the near future. I'll start by making another movie recommendation- if you want to laugh for an hour and a half, go see The Hangover.
Nothing actually happens in the movie, and yes, the trailers pretty much give you the movie, but it was still funny as hell. Sure, it probably would have been funnier if you didn't already know that Mike Tyson had a cameo, but his scenes are still hysterical. I mean, Mike Tyson singing In The Air Tonight? Never not funny. Supposedly, there's a sequel already in the works. I'm not entirely sure how that's going to work (perhaps the storyline involving Ed Helm's Stu character), but I'm sure it will. Anyway, the movie's a riot. Mindless, juvenile, offensive, yes. But really funny. Go see it.
(Random factoid I discovered while reading up on The Hangover: Zack Galifianakis was offered a role in Into The Wild because Sean Penn saw an earlier movie he had done about 15 times. The movie? Out Cold. See Puddin', you're not only one with love for Out Cold; Sean Penn's seen it 15 times!)
Maybe.
We'll see.
So, I've been a little lax recently on posting here. I'm going to try and be less lax about doing so in the near future. I'll start by making another movie recommendation- if you want to laugh for an hour and a half, go see The Hangover.
Nothing actually happens in the movie, and yes, the trailers pretty much give you the movie, but it was still funny as hell. Sure, it probably would have been funnier if you didn't already know that Mike Tyson had a cameo, but his scenes are still hysterical. I mean, Mike Tyson singing In The Air Tonight? Never not funny. Supposedly, there's a sequel already in the works. I'm not entirely sure how that's going to work (perhaps the storyline involving Ed Helm's Stu character), but I'm sure it will. Anyway, the movie's a riot. Mindless, juvenile, offensive, yes. But really funny. Go see it.
(Random factoid I discovered while reading up on The Hangover: Zack Galifianakis was offered a role in Into The Wild because Sean Penn saw an earlier movie he had done about 15 times. The movie? Out Cold. See Puddin', you're not only one with love for Out Cold; Sean Penn's seen it 15 times!)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Hank Haney = FAIL
Hank Haney is one of, if not THE, top golf swing coaches in the world. How do I know this? He coached Tiger Woods, and that's enough of an endorsement for me. But it would appear that the guy who could breakdown and rebuild Tiger's swing can't fix Charles Barkley's swing. Exhibit A:
This is from a recent event, AFTER Barkley was showcased on the Golf Channel's The Hank Haney Project. Question- what in God's name would possess someone, anyone, to stand in front of Barkley while on the tee? At that point, you're just asking to get hit, which is exactly what happens in the video. Its good to know that no matter how bad I may be a golf, there's always someone worse, that someone is Charles Barkley.
This is from a recent event, AFTER Barkley was showcased on the Golf Channel's The Hank Haney Project. Question- what in God's name would possess someone, anyone, to stand in front of Barkley while on the tee? At that point, you're just asking to get hit, which is exactly what happens in the video. Its good to know that no matter how bad I may be a golf, there's always someone worse, that someone is Charles Barkley.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
There's Something Wrong With My New Robe
Perhaps that's because its not a robe, but a Snuggie. Yes, a goddamn Snuggie. I swore I'd never buy one, so clearly that was the go-sign for my brother to get me one for my birthday. Thanks, bro (and actually, I'm kinda pissed I didn't think of it first and gotten one for him on his birthday).
As I've previously stated, I would never have purchased such an item on my own volition. There are products that are wacky but also kind of serve a purpose, and there are products that exist solely because they can; this abomination is the latter. However, since I ended up with one anyway, I feel obligated to give it a review.
What: A fucking Snuggie
Purchased: I didn't, it was a gift, so to speak
Does it work as advertised: Uh, yeah.
The question here isn't whether or not it works; of course it works, it's a blanket with sleeves in it and it works like a blanket with sleeves in it. The thing is, my other blankets- you know, the ones without sleeves- work just as well. But in the interest of equal time, I suffered through the Snuggie last night while I watched television (aside: the weekly reviews have stopped, since we're nearing the end of the television season, and I'll be doing a big recap post once all the shows have finished for the season and know whether they've been renewed for next season; I know you all really care about that). It was almost unbearable.
First off, you can't help be feel ridiculous while wearing it. Blankets aren't supposed to be something you wear. Eventhough I was alone and all the blinds were shut, I could feel the world laughing at me. This was not a pleasent feeling.
Second, this thing is waaaaay to fucking big for a regular sized (or smaller) person. I know this because it fits me (like a robe) almost perfectly. Short people (ie- everyone else, as far as I'm concerned) would have a hell of a time "using" this damned thing. The sleeves are insanely wide, in so much as they might as well be pant legs. Yeah, you can still use your hands and move your arms, but there's so much material there, it just gets in the way. So you roll up the material to free you hands, which leaves you with a unwieldy mass of material, and at that point, you might as well take your hands out of the sleeves altogether, which, of course, would defeat the whole purpose.
So anyway, as expected, I'm not impressed. Its a product that exists because someone thought of it, and not because its actually useful. That said, I am glad that I own a Snuggie now so that I can wear it a random and inappropriate times to garner a cheap laugh. But as for regular, daily use, I'll stick with blanket 1.0. No need for the so-called upgrade.
As I've previously stated, I would never have purchased such an item on my own volition. There are products that are wacky but also kind of serve a purpose, and there are products that exist solely because they can; this abomination is the latter. However, since I ended up with one anyway, I feel obligated to give it a review.
What: A fucking Snuggie
Purchased: I didn't, it was a gift, so to speak
Does it work as advertised: Uh, yeah.
The question here isn't whether or not it works; of course it works, it's a blanket with sleeves in it and it works like a blanket with sleeves in it. The thing is, my other blankets- you know, the ones without sleeves- work just as well. But in the interest of equal time, I suffered through the Snuggie last night while I watched television (aside: the weekly reviews have stopped, since we're nearing the end of the television season, and I'll be doing a big recap post once all the shows have finished for the season and know whether they've been renewed for next season; I know you all really care about that). It was almost unbearable.
First off, you can't help be feel ridiculous while wearing it. Blankets aren't supposed to be something you wear. Eventhough I was alone and all the blinds were shut, I could feel the world laughing at me. This was not a pleasent feeling.
Second, this thing is waaaaay to fucking big for a regular sized (or smaller) person. I know this because it fits me (like a robe) almost perfectly. Short people (ie- everyone else, as far as I'm concerned) would have a hell of a time "using" this damned thing. The sleeves are insanely wide, in so much as they might as well be pant legs. Yeah, you can still use your hands and move your arms, but there's so much material there, it just gets in the way. So you roll up the material to free you hands, which leaves you with a unwieldy mass of material, and at that point, you might as well take your hands out of the sleeves altogether, which, of course, would defeat the whole purpose.
So anyway, as expected, I'm not impressed. Its a product that exists because someone thought of it, and not because its actually useful. That said, I am glad that I own a Snuggie now so that I can wear it a random and inappropriate times to garner a cheap laugh. But as for regular, daily use, I'll stick with blanket 1.0. No need for the so-called upgrade.
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.
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.
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, March 29, 2009
FAIL.
As expected, my bracket was pretty bad.
Despite that, I still had 7 of 8 teams in the Elite Eight (only missed Memphis).
I now have 0 of 4 teams in the Final Four.
Even with my history of bad picks, I don't think I've ever gone 0 for the Final Four.
The jinx continues, taking down four teams in one fell swoop.
Despite that, I still had 7 of 8 teams in the Elite Eight (only missed Memphis).
I now have 0 of 4 teams in the Final Four.
Even with my history of bad picks, I don't think I've ever gone 0 for the Final Four.
The jinx continues, taking down four teams in one fell swoop.
Weekly TV Thoughts: 03/22 - 03/28
Well, my bracket's pretty much shot. Memphis and Pittsburgh are both out, which means half of my Final Four is already wrong. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised to see Louisville and Oklahoma both go down today to make me a perfect 0-4.
-Kings, Sunday: I’m starting to really like this show. I like all the depth and history they are giving the characters. Like what’s up with the King’s daughter, Michelle? What vow did she make years ago that would keep her from being with David? Has she been betrothed to someone else? Or is it something entirely different? And what about the King’s son, Jack? King Silas implied that Jack’s got some secrets that could be a hindrance to him someday being king;l what cold that be? And the Kng himself, with a mistress and bastard son; will that information ever come to light (I'm sure it will at some point)? I REALLY liked Brian Cox’s turn as the displaced king that Silas overthrew and who everyone thinks is dead. I hope they bring him back for more, and that he wasn’t just a way for Silas to replenish the treasury after his brother-in-law pulled all the gold. And speaking of the King’s brother-in-law, what’s the back story to his son being banished from court? Is that the reason why he hold a grudge against Silas? Or does the hatred run deeper? I really hope the show lasts long enough to explore all these stories because its setting up to be a real good character drama.
-Heroes, Monday: Look at that, a not-sucky episode of Heroes. Welcome back to the show, Bryan Fuller. So Micah's Rebel; not a major revelation, since everyone watching the show called it from the start, but its good to have him back in the fold. One major question- why is Danko keeping his prisoners sedated? He's no longer under Nathan's watch, so why doesn't he just kill them all? He clearly has no conscience about doing so, and has suggested more than once that would be his preference, so it doesn't make any sense from a character perspective why he's keeping them alive (obviously, from a storytelling perspective, you want your character's alive). And as to killing characters, I don't think we've seen the last of Ali Larter on the show. Either they bring back Tracey by having her reform herself T2 style or she comes back as Barbara, the as-yet-to-be-seen third sister. As much as I wanted to hate the Hiro-Ando-baby storyline, it actually redeemed itself in this episode. One, we learned the baby's power (he can turn things on and off with his touch, from electronics to latent superpowers), and it gave Hiro partial use of his power again. Much like they did with Peter, I think the scaled down version is much better because they were just too powerful. Teleportation and time-travel is really just too much; leaving Hiro with just freezing time (when he's holding Baby Parkman) is a good thing. Secondly, we saw Ando shoot the red Force lightning, which doesn't make a whole lot sense except for the fact than we saw him do it in the future. Clearly, it incapacitates people without powers, but what if he hit someone with powers with his Force lightning? Would it knock them out, too, or would it supercharge their powers to the point they lost control of them? And finally, Parkman and Daphne. So they bring Daphne back just to let her die. I admit, it was faked out Parkman's projection at first, but the flying as a bit of a give away. Although, they already inexplicably gave him the ability to draw the future, so what's another for him? Anyway, I wonder what this will do to Matt; I'd like to see this send him on a psychic rampage, but with him inevitably meeting up with Hiro and Ando (and his son), I don't think that's going to happen. Which is too bad, because Parkman could do some serious damage.
-24, Monday: This week, we got to see the growth of Jack Bauer. Old Jack would have left that dock guard to get shot and not thought anymore of it. But New Jack stepped in and saved him, and potential risked securing the bio-weapon. Of course, he gets it anyway, but Tony is taken hostage in the process. And of course, the bad guys take the bio-weapon back, but not before Jack enters the container to shut off the container which is spewing toxic gas into the air. Think Jack makes it? Well, Keifer Sutherland's signed on for Season 8 next year, so, spoiler alert. Back at the White House, Ethan as decided to resign, which brings a smile to Olivia's face. Naturally, she was the leak the whole time, and waited a full 8 seconds after Ethan left his office to call her TV producer friend and throw Ethan under the bus. My prediction for Olivia- she replaces Ethan as her mother's Chief of Staff, does something wildly illegal that she justifies as being for the good mother's presidency, gets fired by the President, and is replaced by Ethan. All in the final nine hours of the day. We also got some more Jonas Hodge backstory this episode, but we still don't know what his motivation is for these attacks. We know that Starkwood is under investigation and that he's at odds with the Starkwood board of directors as to how to handle the situation. Is he planning these attacks to that Starkwood can swoop in and save the day, thus proving their neccessity to America's security and ending the investigations? I think that's possible, but not likely. I think his motivation is far more sinister than that.
-Lost, Wednesday: Another solid episode. I liked the flashbacks filling in the gaps in Sayid's timeline off island. Nothing Earth-shatteringly new was revealed, but the story's more complete. And now its a certainity (in my mind, anyway) that we'll soon get Kate and Hurley flashback episodes, filling in the gaps in their story and completing the O6 story arc. I really thought that the Dharma folks would actually torture Sayid, but then I remembered that they're just a bunch of hippies, and a drug-induced interrogation is much more their style. I also love how they believe everything Sayid says, even the stuff that he couldn't possibly know, like the details of the Swan station, but as soon as he says he's from the future, they thinks he's nuts. You can believe that he has intimate knowledge of your operation on a island filled with mystical and unexplained properties, but you can't believe he came from the future; seriously, how far of a leap is that? Anyway, I liked the scene with Sayid, Young Ben, and Roger. You know who and what Ben grows up to be, and yet you feel sympathy for him as you see his father knock him around. And given what they showed about Sayid's father at the start of the episode, I really thought he might reach through the bars and step in on Young Ben's behalf. Which brings up to the last scene, where Young Ben distracts the camp with a burning Dharma bus so he can spring Sayid from his cell and run off with him to join the Hostiles. Too bad Sayid's plan is to kill Young Ben when gets the chance. Luckly for Sayid, Jin shows up to give him just that chance. Clearly, Young Ben isn't dead. I think Jin wakes up and rushes Young Ben back to camp to be saved. What I think will be interesting will be who step up to save him. I can see Jack saying no and being content to letting him die (afterall, he's already done it once). I think Juliet ends up saving him, which is the origin of Ben's obsession with her, which we saw in the future. I also like the idea that Ben was complicit in his own attempted murder; Ben knows that Sayid is supposed to shot him in 1977, so when he encounters Sayid in the future, he cultivates his killer instinct so when Sayid goes back in time, he shoots Ben for making him a killer, just like he was supposed to. As Faraday said, whatever happened, happened, and I think Ben is keenly aware of this, more so than anyone else on the island.
-Dollhouse, Friday: Okay, now this show is getting really good. I am officially excited to see where they take this series, especially after the promo for next week. But first, this episode. Great scenes with everyone effected by the drug, especially betten Topher and Ms. DeWitt. I really liked the dichotomy of how the drug made regular people giddy and silly, but it made the Actives remember parts from their pasts, which weren't all that pleseant, which is why they became Actives in the place. I also liked the mirror between Echo/Caroline's recruitment and this Sam guy's recruitment. I think it'd be cool we just see him in the background somewhere down the line, just walking around the Dollhouse, but I don't that'll happen. But next week, The Awakening! They're having the Actives remember who they are (or at least just Echo, Victor, and Sierra). It doesn't look like everyone in the Dollhouse will be "awoken", so I wonder if they're going to tie these three "waking up" to the drug they came in contact with in this episode. It sure seems that way, unless they have some other ingenius way explaining why only some of the Actives become self-aware and some don't. Can't wait to see where this show goes next.
-College Lacrosse, Virginia vs. Maryland, Saturday: One word- EPIC. Just a phenomenal game, possibly in the top 10 all-time games I've ever seen. A defensive battle in the first half, Maryland dominates the 3rd quarter, then Virginia rallies back in the 4th to send the game into overtime tied at 9. Then right off the bat, Maryland's potential game winning goal is erased by an "inadvertent whistle." The refs thought Maryland coach Dave Cottle had called timeout, but he denied ever doing so (my thought- someone on Maryland's sideline not Cottle did call timeout, and then didn't own up to it after the goal was taken off the board). Play resumed and Maryland promptly pinged the iron with a shot. At least a dozen shots either hit the post or went just wide, and the ones that didn't were stopped dead by the goalies. Even Virginia's backup goalie, who had to come into the game cold after our starter took a necessary foul to prevent Maryland from scoring the game winner (in lacrosse, goalies serve they penalties), made a great save to preserve the game for the 'Hoos and send it into another overtime. And in the longest game in NCAA lacrosse history, about a minute into the 7th overtime, UVA scored and sent those God-damn Terrapins back to College Park loser. The Terps rank #2 on my list of most hated schools (top 5- VT, Maryland, UNC, Duke, West Virginia, in that order), so its always great to beat them. And its even sweeter when its in a game as great as this one was. Fuck the Terrapins. Go Hoos!
-Kings, Sunday: I’m starting to really like this show. I like all the depth and history they are giving the characters. Like what’s up with the King’s daughter, Michelle? What vow did she make years ago that would keep her from being with David? Has she been betrothed to someone else? Or is it something entirely different? And what about the King’s son, Jack? King Silas implied that Jack’s got some secrets that could be a hindrance to him someday being king;l what cold that be? And the Kng himself, with a mistress and bastard son; will that information ever come to light (I'm sure it will at some point)? I REALLY liked Brian Cox’s turn as the displaced king that Silas overthrew and who everyone thinks is dead. I hope they bring him back for more, and that he wasn’t just a way for Silas to replenish the treasury after his brother-in-law pulled all the gold. And speaking of the King’s brother-in-law, what’s the back story to his son being banished from court? Is that the reason why he hold a grudge against Silas? Or does the hatred run deeper? I really hope the show lasts long enough to explore all these stories because its setting up to be a real good character drama.
-Heroes, Monday: Look at that, a not-sucky episode of Heroes. Welcome back to the show, Bryan Fuller. So Micah's Rebel; not a major revelation, since everyone watching the show called it from the start, but its good to have him back in the fold. One major question- why is Danko keeping his prisoners sedated? He's no longer under Nathan's watch, so why doesn't he just kill them all? He clearly has no conscience about doing so, and has suggested more than once that would be his preference, so it doesn't make any sense from a character perspective why he's keeping them alive (obviously, from a storytelling perspective, you want your character's alive). And as to killing characters, I don't think we've seen the last of Ali Larter on the show. Either they bring back Tracey by having her reform herself T2 style or she comes back as Barbara, the as-yet-to-be-seen third sister. As much as I wanted to hate the Hiro-Ando-baby storyline, it actually redeemed itself in this episode. One, we learned the baby's power (he can turn things on and off with his touch, from electronics to latent superpowers), and it gave Hiro partial use of his power again. Much like they did with Peter, I think the scaled down version is much better because they were just too powerful. Teleportation and time-travel is really just too much; leaving Hiro with just freezing time (when he's holding Baby Parkman) is a good thing. Secondly, we saw Ando shoot the red Force lightning, which doesn't make a whole lot sense except for the fact than we saw him do it in the future. Clearly, it incapacitates people without powers, but what if he hit someone with powers with his Force lightning? Would it knock them out, too, or would it supercharge their powers to the point they lost control of them? And finally, Parkman and Daphne. So they bring Daphne back just to let her die. I admit, it was faked out Parkman's projection at first, but the flying as a bit of a give away. Although, they already inexplicably gave him the ability to draw the future, so what's another for him? Anyway, I wonder what this will do to Matt; I'd like to see this send him on a psychic rampage, but with him inevitably meeting up with Hiro and Ando (and his son), I don't think that's going to happen. Which is too bad, because Parkman could do some serious damage.
-24, Monday: This week, we got to see the growth of Jack Bauer. Old Jack would have left that dock guard to get shot and not thought anymore of it. But New Jack stepped in and saved him, and potential risked securing the bio-weapon. Of course, he gets it anyway, but Tony is taken hostage in the process. And of course, the bad guys take the bio-weapon back, but not before Jack enters the container to shut off the container which is spewing toxic gas into the air. Think Jack makes it? Well, Keifer Sutherland's signed on for Season 8 next year, so, spoiler alert. Back at the White House, Ethan as decided to resign, which brings a smile to Olivia's face. Naturally, she was the leak the whole time, and waited a full 8 seconds after Ethan left his office to call her TV producer friend and throw Ethan under the bus. My prediction for Olivia- she replaces Ethan as her mother's Chief of Staff, does something wildly illegal that she justifies as being for the good mother's presidency, gets fired by the President, and is replaced by Ethan. All in the final nine hours of the day. We also got some more Jonas Hodge backstory this episode, but we still don't know what his motivation is for these attacks. We know that Starkwood is under investigation and that he's at odds with the Starkwood board of directors as to how to handle the situation. Is he planning these attacks to that Starkwood can swoop in and save the day, thus proving their neccessity to America's security and ending the investigations? I think that's possible, but not likely. I think his motivation is far more sinister than that.
-Lost, Wednesday: Another solid episode. I liked the flashbacks filling in the gaps in Sayid's timeline off island. Nothing Earth-shatteringly new was revealed, but the story's more complete. And now its a certainity (in my mind, anyway) that we'll soon get Kate and Hurley flashback episodes, filling in the gaps in their story and completing the O6 story arc. I really thought that the Dharma folks would actually torture Sayid, but then I remembered that they're just a bunch of hippies, and a drug-induced interrogation is much more their style. I also love how they believe everything Sayid says, even the stuff that he couldn't possibly know, like the details of the Swan station, but as soon as he says he's from the future, they thinks he's nuts. You can believe that he has intimate knowledge of your operation on a island filled with mystical and unexplained properties, but you can't believe he came from the future; seriously, how far of a leap is that? Anyway, I liked the scene with Sayid, Young Ben, and Roger. You know who and what Ben grows up to be, and yet you feel sympathy for him as you see his father knock him around. And given what they showed about Sayid's father at the start of the episode, I really thought he might reach through the bars and step in on Young Ben's behalf. Which brings up to the last scene, where Young Ben distracts the camp with a burning Dharma bus so he can spring Sayid from his cell and run off with him to join the Hostiles. Too bad Sayid's plan is to kill Young Ben when gets the chance. Luckly for Sayid, Jin shows up to give him just that chance. Clearly, Young Ben isn't dead. I think Jin wakes up and rushes Young Ben back to camp to be saved. What I think will be interesting will be who step up to save him. I can see Jack saying no and being content to letting him die (afterall, he's already done it once). I think Juliet ends up saving him, which is the origin of Ben's obsession with her, which we saw in the future. I also like the idea that Ben was complicit in his own attempted murder; Ben knows that Sayid is supposed to shot him in 1977, so when he encounters Sayid in the future, he cultivates his killer instinct so when Sayid goes back in time, he shoots Ben for making him a killer, just like he was supposed to. As Faraday said, whatever happened, happened, and I think Ben is keenly aware of this, more so than anyone else on the island.
-Dollhouse, Friday: Okay, now this show is getting really good. I am officially excited to see where they take this series, especially after the promo for next week. But first, this episode. Great scenes with everyone effected by the drug, especially betten Topher and Ms. DeWitt. I really liked the dichotomy of how the drug made regular people giddy and silly, but it made the Actives remember parts from their pasts, which weren't all that pleseant, which is why they became Actives in the place. I also liked the mirror between Echo/Caroline's recruitment and this Sam guy's recruitment. I think it'd be cool we just see him in the background somewhere down the line, just walking around the Dollhouse, but I don't that'll happen. But next week, The Awakening! They're having the Actives remember who they are (or at least just Echo, Victor, and Sierra). It doesn't look like everyone in the Dollhouse will be "awoken", so I wonder if they're going to tie these three "waking up" to the drug they came in contact with in this episode. It sure seems that way, unless they have some other ingenius way explaining why only some of the Actives become self-aware and some don't. Can't wait to see where this show goes next.
-College Lacrosse, Virginia vs. Maryland, Saturday: One word- EPIC. Just a phenomenal game, possibly in the top 10 all-time games I've ever seen. A defensive battle in the first half, Maryland dominates the 3rd quarter, then Virginia rallies back in the 4th to send the game into overtime tied at 9. Then right off the bat, Maryland's potential game winning goal is erased by an "inadvertent whistle." The refs thought Maryland coach Dave Cottle had called timeout, but he denied ever doing so (my thought- someone on Maryland's sideline not Cottle did call timeout, and then didn't own up to it after the goal was taken off the board). Play resumed and Maryland promptly pinged the iron with a shot. At least a dozen shots either hit the post or went just wide, and the ones that didn't were stopped dead by the goalies. Even Virginia's backup goalie, who had to come into the game cold after our starter took a necessary foul to prevent Maryland from scoring the game winner (in lacrosse, goalies serve they penalties), made a great save to preserve the game for the 'Hoos and send it into another overtime. And in the longest game in NCAA lacrosse history, about a minute into the 7th overtime, UVA scored and sent those God-damn Terrapins back to College Park loser. The Terps rank #2 on my list of most hated schools (top 5- VT, Maryland, UNC, Duke, West Virginia, in that order), so its always great to beat them. And its even sweeter when its in a game as great as this one was. Fuck the Terrapins. Go Hoos!
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.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Just An Excuse To Post This Video
So last night against the Magic, Shaquille O'Neal did something that he's been complaining about on other players ever since he entered the league. He flopped.
That was a flop that would have made Vlade Divac proud. Shaq's seen enough guys flop on him in his career, so it no wonder that when he finally decided to do it, he did it like a champ. But as the title of this post suggests, I only bring up Shaq's flop so I show this video, the most egregious flop in the history of basketball (sorry for the laugh track):
How bad is that flop? European soccer players find it offensive, that's how bad. It's why so many people hate Duke (and why they specifically hate Greg Paulus).
That was a flop that would have made Vlade Divac proud. Shaq's seen enough guys flop on him in his career, so it no wonder that when he finally decided to do it, he did it like a champ. But as the title of this post suggests, I only bring up Shaq's flop so I show this video, the most egregious flop in the history of basketball (sorry for the laugh track):
How bad is that flop? European soccer players find it offensive, that's how bad. It's why so many people hate Duke (and why they specifically hate Greg Paulus).
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Remakes Have To Stop
You can file this under "worst idea ever":
Gore Verbinski to direct 'Clue'
They're going to remake Clue, to which I ask, "WHY?!?!?" What possible reason would you have to remake a movie as good as Clue? Its hysterical and seriously, one of my favorite movies of all time. Its never not funny, and insanely quotable. If you haven't seen Clue, I suggest you do so before its destroyed by the remake.
Gore Verbinski to direct 'Clue'
They're going to remake Clue, to which I ask, "WHY?!?!?" What possible reason would you have to remake a movie as good as Clue? Its hysterical and seriously, one of my favorite movies of all time. Its never not funny, and insanely quotable. If you haven't seen Clue, I suggest you do so before its destroyed by the remake.
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.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Seriously?
The Cabin Cuddler
How hard is it to use a fucking blanket? I manage to successfully use one all the time sitting on the couch in my basement and I do so without incident; why the hell can't other people? Are blankets really that complicated, or am I just smarter than other people?
How hard is it to use a fucking blanket? I manage to successfully use one all the time sitting on the couch in my basement and I do so without incident; why the hell can't other people? Are blankets really that complicated, or am I just smarter than other people?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Final Super Bowl Thoughts (For Real)
Okay, after a day to digest Super Bowl XLIII, I have a few final thoughts on the game, aside from just "Fuck the Steelers."
First, check out how EA did with their Madden simulation of the game. Insanely close on the final score and the stats for Roethlisberger and Holmes.
Second, even with the loss, Kurt Warner may still have punched his ticket to Canton with his performance on Sunday. Even though his Super Bowl record is now 1-2, think about those Super Bowls:
-Super Bowl XXXIV- a record 414 passing yards, game MVP, and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (the Titans Kevin Dyson comes 1-yard short of the potential game-tying touchdown as time expires); win.
-Super Bowl XXXVI- a third-best all-time 365 passing yards, a 14-point 4th quarter comeback, and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal as time expired); loss.
-Super Bowl XLIII- a second-best all-time 377 passing yards, leading a 14-point 4th quarter comeback (16, with the safety), and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (Santonio Holmes tip-toe touchdown catch with 0:35 seconds left); loss.
Any list of the top 10 greatest Super Bowls ever includes those 3 games, and yes, I think that matters in Warner's HOF consideration. Warner also has 2 league MVP's (1999 and 2001; could be argued he deserved it this year as well) and the great human interest story (undrafted out of college, bagging groceries, NFL Europe, Arena League, Super Bowl champion). While his team didn't win every Super Bowl he was in, he played big in every one of them. Sure, he had some dark years as a backup, but I think that only adds to his career; former starter and league MVP, reduced to holding a clipboard, regains the starting job and leads his team (a historically bad on, at that) to their first ever Super Bowl.
There's talk that Kurt Warner's played his last game in the NFL. If that's the case, I think he makes it to Canton in 5 years.
Third, even though Ben Roethlisberger is now 2-0 in Super Bowls, I don't think he's looking at an easy ride into footbal immortaility. Yes, two Super Bowl championships is a ridiculous accomplishment, especially at his age, but I think that he never wins another championship (please God, let him not win another championship), he'll always be overshadowed. Think about his Super Bowls, and what do you remember?
-Super Bowl XL- You remember horrible officiating, a long touchdown pass to Hines Ward on a trick play.... thrown by Antwaan Randle El, and a historically bad performace by Roethlisberger. The Steelers won inspite of Ben's pathetic performace (and with the aid of the officials). Hines Ward is your MVP.
-Super Bowl XLIII- You'll remember the James Harrision touchdown, the Arizona comeback, and the Santonio Holmes touchdown, with Holmes as your MVP.
The default Super Bowl MVP is the winning team's quarterback. If there isn't a clear MVP, it goes to him, that's just the way it is. Roethlisberger's started and won two Super Bowls and was MVP in neither of them. The only other quarterback to do that (as far as I can tell) is Bob Griese, and he's got another career milestone on his record to cancel that one out (something about a perfect season). Yes, you could argue that Roethlisberger deserved the MVP award on Sunday, but that fact is he didn't get it, and no one remembers the also-rans in the Super Bowl MVP race.
If his career ended right now (please God, let his career end right now), I think Roethlisberger would be remembered as a guy who got lucky and played above himself because he was surrounded by much greater players. These Steelers teams will be remembered for winning with their defense, and while he did lead them down the field for the winning score, it won't be remember for Roethlisberger methodically moving his team down the field, picking apart the defense and managing the clock, like Montana, Elway, or even Brady. It took a defender falling down on a play and a spectacular catch on the touchdown to make it happen. Its not fair, but I think he'll be seen as a player that was carried by his team, and not the other way around. I don't see him that way (I remember telling Steelers fans back in 2004 that they got the steal of the draft by taking him 11th), but that's how I think history will judge him.
And finally, the similarities between Sunday's game and Super Bowl XXIII, ranked the #1 Super Bowl of all time back in 2006. I've seen a lot of people compare the endings of two games, and even heard Roethlisberger reference it during a post-game interview with ESPN (he said that in the huddle before the final drive, he did not point out John Candy in the stands, which is exactly what Joe Montana had down 20 years prior). Bengals fans remember this one all too well- Cincinnati up 16-13, 3:10 on the clock, and San Francisco pinned on their own 8 yard line. Then Joe Montana became Joe Montana and lead the Niners 92-yards down the field, hitting John Taylor in the endzone with 0:35 seconds left in the game (damn it). For comparision, the Steelers had 2:37 to go 77 yards, and the Holmes touchdown came with 0:34 seconds left. But like a mentioned above, I don't think Super Bowl XLIII will be remembered for that final drive like Super Bowl XXIII was; the final play will be remember, but not the whole drive. Just how it is.
Okay, that's it, I'm done with football for now. Time for March Madness and baseball. When do pitchers and catchers report?
First, check out how EA did with their Madden simulation of the game. Insanely close on the final score and the stats for Roethlisberger and Holmes.
Second, even with the loss, Kurt Warner may still have punched his ticket to Canton with his performance on Sunday. Even though his Super Bowl record is now 1-2, think about those Super Bowls:
-Super Bowl XXXIV- a record 414 passing yards, game MVP, and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (the Titans Kevin Dyson comes 1-yard short of the potential game-tying touchdown as time expires); win.
-Super Bowl XXXVI- a third-best all-time 365 passing yards, a 14-point 4th quarter comeback, and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal as time expired); loss.
-Super Bowl XLIII- a second-best all-time 377 passing yards, leading a 14-point 4th quarter comeback (16, with the safety), and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (Santonio Holmes tip-toe touchdown catch with 0:35 seconds left); loss.
Any list of the top 10 greatest Super Bowls ever includes those 3 games, and yes, I think that matters in Warner's HOF consideration. Warner also has 2 league MVP's (1999 and 2001; could be argued he deserved it this year as well) and the great human interest story (undrafted out of college, bagging groceries, NFL Europe, Arena League, Super Bowl champion). While his team didn't win every Super Bowl he was in, he played big in every one of them. Sure, he had some dark years as a backup, but I think that only adds to his career; former starter and league MVP, reduced to holding a clipboard, regains the starting job and leads his team (a historically bad on, at that) to their first ever Super Bowl.
There's talk that Kurt Warner's played his last game in the NFL. If that's the case, I think he makes it to Canton in 5 years.
Third, even though Ben Roethlisberger is now 2-0 in Super Bowls, I don't think he's looking at an easy ride into footbal immortaility. Yes, two Super Bowl championships is a ridiculous accomplishment, especially at his age, but I think that he never wins another championship (please God, let him not win another championship), he'll always be overshadowed. Think about his Super Bowls, and what do you remember?
-Super Bowl XL- You remember horrible officiating, a long touchdown pass to Hines Ward on a trick play.... thrown by Antwaan Randle El, and a historically bad performace by Roethlisberger. The Steelers won inspite of Ben's pathetic performace (and with the aid of the officials). Hines Ward is your MVP.
-Super Bowl XLIII- You'll remember the James Harrision touchdown, the Arizona comeback, and the Santonio Holmes touchdown, with Holmes as your MVP.
The default Super Bowl MVP is the winning team's quarterback. If there isn't a clear MVP, it goes to him, that's just the way it is. Roethlisberger's started and won two Super Bowls and was MVP in neither of them. The only other quarterback to do that (as far as I can tell) is Bob Griese, and he's got another career milestone on his record to cancel that one out (something about a perfect season). Yes, you could argue that Roethlisberger deserved the MVP award on Sunday, but that fact is he didn't get it, and no one remembers the also-rans in the Super Bowl MVP race.
If his career ended right now (please God, let his career end right now), I think Roethlisberger would be remembered as a guy who got lucky and played above himself because he was surrounded by much greater players. These Steelers teams will be remembered for winning with their defense, and while he did lead them down the field for the winning score, it won't be remember for Roethlisberger methodically moving his team down the field, picking apart the defense and managing the clock, like Montana, Elway, or even Brady. It took a defender falling down on a play and a spectacular catch on the touchdown to make it happen. Its not fair, but I think he'll be seen as a player that was carried by his team, and not the other way around. I don't see him that way (I remember telling Steelers fans back in 2004 that they got the steal of the draft by taking him 11th), but that's how I think history will judge him.
And finally, the similarities between Sunday's game and Super Bowl XXIII, ranked the #1 Super Bowl of all time back in 2006. I've seen a lot of people compare the endings of two games, and even heard Roethlisberger reference it during a post-game interview with ESPN (he said that in the huddle before the final drive, he did not point out John Candy in the stands, which is exactly what Joe Montana had down 20 years prior). Bengals fans remember this one all too well- Cincinnati up 16-13, 3:10 on the clock, and San Francisco pinned on their own 8 yard line. Then Joe Montana became Joe Montana and lead the Niners 92-yards down the field, hitting John Taylor in the endzone with 0:35 seconds left in the game (damn it). For comparision, the Steelers had 2:37 to go 77 yards, and the Holmes touchdown came with 0:34 seconds left. But like a mentioned above, I don't think Super Bowl XLIII will be remembered for that final drive like Super Bowl XXIII was; the final play will be remember, but not the whole drive. Just how it is.
Okay, that's it, I'm done with football for now. Time for March Madness and baseball. When do pitchers and catchers report?
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