Recent reads

Here are the books I've read since around Christmas time:

Phil Gordon's Little Green Hold 'Em Book - I got this one for Christmas and really enjoyed it. Gordon is a very smart guy and I actually think he may be a little underrated as a tournament player simply because he's so often in the limelight for other things, like TV shows. But this book is very informative. He presents bite-sized nuggets of Hold 'Em information, ranging from overall play and strategy to incredibly specific tips for particular situations. Case in point: Gordon goes out of his way to write an integral section on the importance of stealing blinds as the cash bubble nears in a tourney. Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson both made the same point when they spoke at my Full Tilt luncheon at the WSOP last summer. But Gordon takes his theory a step farther--he finds that the absolute best time to steal a quick pot is right before a dinner break...and he's got a point. Huge overhead displays on the tourney floor count down the time remaining in a level, and more often than not, players want to head for that door as soon as possible...thus, they aren't looking to get involved in a big pot right before the meal break. Brilliant little insights like this typify Gordon's book. I loved it, and I know I'll read it again. Grade: A-

School Days by Robert B. Parker - I love Parker and I've read every novel he's ever written. This one is the latest in the ongoing series about Spenser, the wisecracking Boston P.I. This one deviates a little bit from recent offerings in that Spenser's trusty, badass sidekick Hawk is nowhere to be seen...and neither is Susan Silverman, his often annoying better half. In this book, she's out of town essentially for the duration, and thank god for that, because the biggest knock on Parker's recent works has been his instance on having Spenser moon over Susan time and time again. We get it already. This time, Spenser runs a solo job when hired by the grandmother of a boy involved in a bloody school shooting. It's typical Parker, with taught, well-paced storytelling, and the ending isn't exactly predictable, but fulfilling enough. Not a classic Spenser book, but hardly a bad one. Grade: B.

A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal by Anthony Bourdain - Bourdain's first book, Kitchen Confidential, was brilliant, and it made him a star. Please don't judge him or his work on that Fox sitcom that's already been axed--although I even thought that show had potential. Bourdain is a talented chef and a passionate foodie and in this one, he cruises around the world, eating every exotic menu item he can find, with the entrees ranging from a whole slaughtered hog that died at his hand as the guest of honor to...wait for it...the still beating heart of a cobra. Yum! The highlights are engaging enough--like the laundry list of over a dozen faux pas one might unwillingly commit at a traditional Japanese haute cuisine meal-- but the book seems to wander aimlessly, meandering from one locale to another without any discernable reason. It's a decent read but not as good as his other book. Grade: B-.

Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman - I adored Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs and I practically lived some parts of Fargo Rock City, so I eagerly looked forward to this book, which Klosterman advertises as "85% of a true story" that sees him loading up a rental car and driving thousand of miles around America to visit the sites where famous (and not so famous) rockers died. It's an interesting enough premise, and Klosterman scored points with me right away by nicknaming his rented Taurus "The Ford Tauntaun," but instead of offering up a look at rock immortality or examining the dichotomy of life and death, the book instead veers into Nick Hornby-esque "looking back at past failed relationships through a musical filter" territory. Klosterman even openly acknowledges this. It's not bad, so to speak, just not what I expected or hoped for. It's still vintage Klosterman--he decides that 600 CDs is just the right amount to pack for his trip, he goes on for several pages comparing past girlfriends to various members of KISS based on their personalities, etc. But the incessant rambling about the pros and cons of each of his life's loves grew a little tiresome. I liked it, but I could have loved it. Grade: when not talking about past loves: A-. When writing fictionalized conversations between three different old flames at once: C-. Overall: B. (note: I just read that Klosterman is writing a Super Bowl blog for ESPN. This could be good--if it is, I'll link to it)

Other reads coming soon: Mary Mary by James Patterson and Cell by Stephen King.

Second draft

The second draft of the screenplay is in and things continue to go well. We received a list of short, specific notes from our producer and it won't be too tough to put the changes in. He also asked that the scenes be numbered in the next draft--a sure sign of a subsequent production draft down the road. The word around the producer's office is that we are "a go picture" and that the association with the group I referred to earlier is "a slam dunk." I'm still taking a wait-and-see approach, but it's all very encouraging news.

The NFL conference championship games went just as I expected they would, which is nice since I had bets on both games. Before last week's action, I also placed a future bet on the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl, so now I have them as a no-spread money line bet in the big game at nearly 3-to-1 odds. I believe that the opening line has Pittsburgh favored by 3.5, which is right about where everyone thought it would be. They have played great and they should be the favorites, although it's a little odd to see the #6 seed in the AFC giving points to the #1 team in the NFC. Just goes to show how great the conference really is. Right now I like Seattle plus the points, although I think the line may get even higher before kick-off. I always love the goofy prop bets that come out for every Super Bowl so I'll make some bets and post those before the game. Some people think they are sucker bets but I've always managed to find great value plays there.

Patriots Post Mortem

That was a sickening way to go out for the Pats on Saturday night, but honestly I have no right to be too upset about it. The best analogy I could come up with was feeling like a guy cashing out after losing a couple of big hands at the end of a great run at the blackjack tables--sure, it would have been nice to keep winning, but I'm definitely still "up."

The Patriots won the Super Bowl three times. Occasionally I need to remind myself of this.

And just to get it out of my system once and for all: that pass interference call on Asante Samuel was an absolute joke and the Ben Watson play on Champ Bailey was definitely a touchback, meaning the Patriots would have retained the ball at their own 20. It's almost mind-boggling that despite five turnovers it still took two atrocious calls toknock us off. But it's over. I think Seattle has the best shot to win it all now but I really don't have much enthusiasm for any of the remaining potential match ups the rest of the way. Wagering on games will clearly help me in that area.

So where do the Patriots go from here next season? In my eyes, right back to being dominant like they have been. Aside from the sickening defeat, I'm highly optomistic about the off-season and beyond. Young defensive coordinator Eric Mangini just left to take the head job with the Jets, and that departure hurts, especially since it means we're looking at our third defensive coordinator in as many seasons in 2006. But this is Bill Belichick's defense and I don't expect a lot to change there. He'll name a replacement and keep running the show himself.

The Pats have a lot of personnell decisions to make, with a few high profile free agents, including Adam Vinatieri, David Givens, Troy Brown, Stephen Neal, and Tom Ashworth. Other veterans such as Willie McGinest are looking at being cut or having their deals restructured due to big forthcoming salary cap hits. I think they'll get something done with Vinatieri--we paid him a lot last season as our franchise player and I think that they'll work out an extension reasonable for both parties. I could see Troy Brown return in a role similar to the one he had this year at the right price. Givens might be a tougher signing--some teams desperate for a wide receiver might throw some bucks at him and I could see him as a guy that could be labeled as expendable within the Patriots system, although we'd need to replace him with a comparable player. As for Neal and Ashworth, I'm not sure what will happen there. Neal has really improved over the last two years and I'd love to keep him. As for Ashworth, he is a versatile lineman who will be really attractive on the free agent market. I'd welcome both of them back but the price will need to be right.

One benefit to not winning the Super Bowl is the overlooked fact that our off-season preparations start immediately. Belichick admitted that playing until February the last couple of seasons has made things tougher in the off-season, as we're behind most of the league. This way, we have plenty of time to evaluate the roster and the market. We also have a much higher draft pick than usual thanks to our regular season record: the #21 pick in the first round. This looks like a very strong draft to me and there is no doubt we'll get an impact player if we stay at that spot. I've already seen one mock draft that has us selecting USC running back LenDale White, and that intrigues me. Corey Dillon appeared to have lost a step and White is the kind of tough, between-the-tackles runner that could step right in and fill those shoes. We certainly have other needs, but we've got extra picks too (an extra selection each in the 3rd and 4th rounds from previous trades). So with six picks in the first four rounds, I expect some combination of: running back, corner back, safety, linebacker, offensive line, and wide receiver. The Pats love to wheel and deal and this year nothing would surprise me--moving up, moving down for value, or standing pat and just filling the few holes that we have.

The Patriots will be back in a big way in 2006.

The script is alive and well

Johnny and I have been working hard on our screenplay this week. Before the holidays we got a round of solid, positive feedback from our producer and we've been doing our best to incorporate most or all of his notes. The script is definitely running long (currently 135 pages) but we've decided it's not our place to cut anything until they ask us to. We're turning in our second draft next week.

We got some great news about it this week, although it's hush-hush and unofficial at this point...but one of the guys that works at the production company called to let us know that our producer has already tabbed him to direct our movie. This is fantastic news for two reasons: one, Johnny is friends with the guy, so working with him will be much easier than dealing with some director we've never met, who might just immediately brush us off to the side. But this guy in question has already confirmed that he wants to work with us when the time comes. Secondly, and more importantly,the naming of a director clearly means that the producer is seriously looking ahead to production, which means we'd get a nice check as well as actually see the movie get produced. All of that is wonderful news, but there's another potential rumor that would be really great as well. Unfortunately, I probably shouldn't say what it is, but it has to do with a certain organization/group getting involved with the movie. Can't add much more than that, I'm afraid, but it would be super-cool if it ever comes to pass.

Steve, I'll give you my Super Bowl picks when the time is right, but if you need them now (blatant homer alert), I'll say Patriots-Seahawks. The Pats should handle the Jags Saturday night, and then the toughest test will come the week after that, whether it's a trip to Denver or Indy. As for the NFC, I just think Seattle will be too tough to beat at home, and their offense is clearly the class of the conference. A Pats-Bears 20th anniversary Super Bowl match would be pretty interesting too.