I think so!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Steelers Guarantee...good call!
A second year safety that nobody has ever heard of makes a blowhard guarantee, angering Tom Brady and the best team ever assembled. Nice call, chump!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday schedule
How I think my Sunday will go:
Sleep in.
Get up, put on lucky Red Sox shorts. Itch playoff beard but refuse to do anything about it until after game 7.
Play with A.J.
Eat a bowl of cereal, probably Special K Chocolately Delight.
Catch a little bit of football pre-game shows.
Proceed to watch the Pats crush the Dolphins, normal problems in Miami be damned.
Eat leftovers or a sandwich for lunch, probably at halftime, when the Pats will already have a 21 point lead.
Pace around like a crazy person from roughly 4-7 PM after the Pats have won by 30.
7ish: make a Captain and Diet Coke to take the edge off of having to listen to Buck and McCarver.
7:23: Watch the Red Sox begin to deliver the coup de grace to the Tribe.
This is going to be a defining game for Dice-K. I'm seeing six strong innings, maybe even six scoreless. He could go more but Tito will turn it over to the pen and that's that. Papelbon wraps it up and dances on the field to the delight of the Fenway crowd.
Pretty nice little Sunday schedule.
Sleep in.
Get up, put on lucky Red Sox shorts. Itch playoff beard but refuse to do anything about it until after game 7.
Play with A.J.
Eat a bowl of cereal, probably Special K Chocolately Delight.
Catch a little bit of football pre-game shows.
Proceed to watch the Pats crush the Dolphins, normal problems in Miami be damned.
Eat leftovers or a sandwich for lunch, probably at halftime, when the Pats will already have a 21 point lead.
Pace around like a crazy person from roughly 4-7 PM after the Pats have won by 30.
7ish: make a Captain and Diet Coke to take the edge off of having to listen to Buck and McCarver.
7:23: Watch the Red Sox begin to deliver the coup de grace to the Tribe.
This is going to be a defining game for Dice-K. I'm seeing six strong innings, maybe even six scoreless. He could go more but Tito will turn it over to the pen and that's that. Papelbon wraps it up and dances on the field to the delight of the Fenway crowd.
Pretty nice little Sunday schedule.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Game 6
Back at Fenway.
Schilling on the hill.
Bullpen rested and ready.
Lineup dialed in.
Cleveland knowing that they have already pissed away their best shot to finish us.
An ever-so-slight chance that we might see Ellsbury in the lineup.
Did I mention that Curt Schilling is pitching? Because the last time he pitched for us in game 6 of the ALCS it went a little something like this:
He gutted out seven innings that day, surrendered one run on four hits, and the Red Sox won 4-2. The next day they won again and went on to the World Series, where they blew the doors off an inferior National League team.
Sometimes it's cool when history repeats itself.
Schilling on the hill.
Bullpen rested and ready.
Lineup dialed in.
Cleveland knowing that they have already pissed away their best shot to finish us.
An ever-so-slight chance that we might see Ellsbury in the lineup.
Did I mention that Curt Schilling is pitching? Because the last time he pitched for us in game 6 of the ALCS it went a little something like this:
He gutted out seven innings that day, surrendered one run on four hits, and the Red Sox won 4-2. The next day they won again and went on to the World Series, where they blew the doors off an inferior National League team.
Sometimes it's cool when history repeats itself.
Friday, October 19, 2007
How I would run a college football playoff
I'm very happy that South Florida lost to Rutgers last night since it knocks them out of that ridiculous #2 ranking and effectively ends any ludicrous National Championship talk. This year may shake out perfectly for the BCS if the season ends with two unbeaten big conference teams. But if that doesn't happen, we're looking at another huge college football nightmare, with at least a couple of teams left wondering why they are on the outside looking in. How does every other major team sporting event solve this type of situation? They have a playoff tournament...what a novel idea!
People say that having a college football playoff is too complicated or would add too many games to the schedule, and that's wrong on both counts. Division IAA manages to have a playoff every year, and having our beloved "student-athletes" play three straight weeks of college basketball in March doesn't seem to bother anybody. So, without further ado, I propose an eight team division one college football playoff tournament to be conducted like this:
Eight teams get in. The conference champs from the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big XII, Pac 10, and SEC receive automatic berths. Right now half of those leagues hold a conference championship game and half don't, though I'd like to see them all hold one. If we enacted a playoff and made a conference championship game a requirement you'd see the other member conferences get it done with lightning speed. BYU and UNLV would be in the Pac-10, Notre Dame would jump to the Big 10, etc. That leaves two remaining at-large spots to be determined by the BCS rankings. Yes, there will definitely be complaining from the at-large teams that end up around #9 and #10 in the rankings, but those teams will have a lot less to be angry about than, say, a #3 team in the current format.
My plan requires five locations for games so I'm keeping the current four BCS spots: Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, and Orange Bowl in Miami. I'm also adding the Cotton Bowl, partially for history's sake but also because I assume the new Texas Stadium they're building will be pretty amazing. If (when?) Las Vegas ever builds a state-of-the-art domed football stadium, I might have that in the mix instead of Dallas.
Like the BCS, the hosts of the various games rotate on an annual basis. The first round goes as follows, just like you'd figure it would: #1 vs. #8, #2 vs. #7, #3 vs. #6, and #4 vs. #5. Four of the five locations each host one first round game on their regular bowl game day, on or around January 1. They can even call each of these games the Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, etc., as this seems to be one aspect of a playoff that gets some people worked up.
The remaining location that doesn't get a first round game would then host both the semi-finals and the National Championship (so this goes to each city once every five years). The semis would take place on the Friday and Saturday (one on each day) in the week following the first round games (January 11 and 12 in 2008, for example). Savvy TV networks would ensure scheduling that did not conflict with any NFL playoff action--not a concern at all on Friday, and easily handled on Saturday. The National Championship game would then be held on the Friday night the next week.
The upside? Practically everything. We get a playoff tournament, which is what most fans want and what the game deserves. We keep the bowl traditions intact. We keep some of the structure of the BCS--the part that works. We minimize scheduling and travel problems, and having the semis and final at the same spot is a big part of that, much like basketball's Final Four. Handling tickets would be a breeze because some diehard fans and tons of corporate fat cats would scoop up packages for both semi games and the championship, while tickets for fans that just want to see their team in the championship would become available after the semis (from fans of teams that just lost). Sure, this is a small factor, but an important one to consider.
The bowl games could all keep their corporate sponsorship and a smart corporate entity could find a way to work in an all-new deal. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see "The Nike College Football Championship tournament, featuring Arizona State and Boston College meeting in the Apple Computers Championship Game in the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl!" Whatever. It's a small price to pay to actually see this happen. The whole plan adds a grand total of two new televised game opportunities with guaranteed blockbuster ratings that would have the network execs killing each other for the broadcast rights.
Or, you know, we could keep letting computers and writers that don't even watch all the games decide. Because that seems almost perfect.
People say that having a college football playoff is too complicated or would add too many games to the schedule, and that's wrong on both counts. Division IAA manages to have a playoff every year, and having our beloved "student-athletes" play three straight weeks of college basketball in March doesn't seem to bother anybody. So, without further ado, I propose an eight team division one college football playoff tournament to be conducted like this:
Eight teams get in. The conference champs from the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big XII, Pac 10, and SEC receive automatic berths. Right now half of those leagues hold a conference championship game and half don't, though I'd like to see them all hold one. If we enacted a playoff and made a conference championship game a requirement you'd see the other member conferences get it done with lightning speed. BYU and UNLV would be in the Pac-10, Notre Dame would jump to the Big 10, etc. That leaves two remaining at-large spots to be determined by the BCS rankings. Yes, there will definitely be complaining from the at-large teams that end up around #9 and #10 in the rankings, but those teams will have a lot less to be angry about than, say, a #3 team in the current format.
My plan requires five locations for games so I'm keeping the current four BCS spots: Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, and Orange Bowl in Miami. I'm also adding the Cotton Bowl, partially for history's sake but also because I assume the new Texas Stadium they're building will be pretty amazing. If (when?) Las Vegas ever builds a state-of-the-art domed football stadium, I might have that in the mix instead of Dallas.
Like the BCS, the hosts of the various games rotate on an annual basis. The first round goes as follows, just like you'd figure it would: #1 vs. #8, #2 vs. #7, #3 vs. #6, and #4 vs. #5. Four of the five locations each host one first round game on their regular bowl game day, on or around January 1. They can even call each of these games the Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, etc., as this seems to be one aspect of a playoff that gets some people worked up.
The remaining location that doesn't get a first round game would then host both the semi-finals and the National Championship (so this goes to each city once every five years). The semis would take place on the Friday and Saturday (one on each day) in the week following the first round games (January 11 and 12 in 2008, for example). Savvy TV networks would ensure scheduling that did not conflict with any NFL playoff action--not a concern at all on Friday, and easily handled on Saturday. The National Championship game would then be held on the Friday night the next week.
The upside? Practically everything. We get a playoff tournament, which is what most fans want and what the game deserves. We keep the bowl traditions intact. We keep some of the structure of the BCS--the part that works. We minimize scheduling and travel problems, and having the semis and final at the same spot is a big part of that, much like basketball's Final Four. Handling tickets would be a breeze because some diehard fans and tons of corporate fat cats would scoop up packages for both semi games and the championship, while tickets for fans that just want to see their team in the championship would become available after the semis (from fans of teams that just lost). Sure, this is a small factor, but an important one to consider.
The bowl games could all keep their corporate sponsorship and a smart corporate entity could find a way to work in an all-new deal. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see "The Nike College Football Championship tournament, featuring Arizona State and Boston College meeting in the Apple Computers Championship Game in the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl!" Whatever. It's a small price to pay to actually see this happen. The whole plan adds a grand total of two new televised game opportunities with guaranteed blockbuster ratings that would have the network execs killing each other for the broadcast rights.
Or, you know, we could keep letting computers and writers that don't even watch all the games decide. Because that seems almost perfect.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Go Devils!
I'm almost positive I've never had a blog topic request before so just for Sully, let's talk about Arizona State football. In case you haven't noticed, our beloved Sun Devils are sitting undefeated at 7-0 in their first season under new head coach Dennis Erickson. They are #12 in the polls and #8 in the first BCS rankings. This is all fantastic news. Now, on to the flip side.
The Devils recently lost starting running back Ryan Torain for the season to a toe injury. This hurts, but ASU is positioned better than most teams would be to deal with such a situation. In fact, they have not one, but two capable back ups that are both averaging more yards per carry in the explosive Keegan Herring and promising sophomore Dimitri Nance.
Despite their unblemished record, the Sun Devils have demonstrated two traits that could really hurt them down the stretch. First, they have shown an uncanny knack for digging huge first half deficits for themselves. Last week they trailed in the third quarter before blowing the Washington Huskies away in the second half, 31-3. They needed similar comebacks against Washington State, Oregon State, and Colorado. Clearly they pulled it out every time when they needed to but this is not something they can continue to do.
My other concern is excessive penalties. Erickson seems to have brought a Miami Hurricanes type swagger to the team, and that's great. But the Devils cannot continue to commit stupid penalties, because, unlike some of Erickson's old Miami teams, ASU just isn't talented or experienced enough to overcome them. No team in the Pac-10 has racked up more penalty yardage (491 yards through seven games). This pace must slow down.
To say that the remaining ASU schedule is rather daunting doesn't even begin to cover things. They have a bye this week, and it couldn't come at a better time, as after that they have to run the following ridiculous conference gauntlet:
October 27: #10 Cal
November 3: at #7 Oregon
November 10: at UCLA, the only other team undefeated in Pac-10 play
November 22: vs. #13 (and former #1) USC
Wow.
At the start of the year, I looked at that four game block and decided that realistically, I should be ecstatic if we could split. But with the way things have gone, 3-1 looks like at least a remote possibility.
And if we go 4-0 we should be no worse than #2 in the nation heading into a December 1 tilt with the hated Arizona Wildcats with a BCS championship game bid on the line for us. People are already talking about whether the upstart South Florida Bulls deserve a shot at the championship game if they win out, and that that is worthy of discussion. What should not be is this simple fact: if any team in thee Pac-10 goes undefeated, then they should be a lock for #1 or #2 in the country. Right now, ASU's chances to fit the bill are still quite alive.
That would kick a whole lot of ass.
The Devils recently lost starting running back Ryan Torain for the season to a toe injury. This hurts, but ASU is positioned better than most teams would be to deal with such a situation. In fact, they have not one, but two capable back ups that are both averaging more yards per carry in the explosive Keegan Herring and promising sophomore Dimitri Nance.
Despite their unblemished record, the Sun Devils have demonstrated two traits that could really hurt them down the stretch. First, they have shown an uncanny knack for digging huge first half deficits for themselves. Last week they trailed in the third quarter before blowing the Washington Huskies away in the second half, 31-3. They needed similar comebacks against Washington State, Oregon State, and Colorado. Clearly they pulled it out every time when they needed to but this is not something they can continue to do.
My other concern is excessive penalties. Erickson seems to have brought a Miami Hurricanes type swagger to the team, and that's great. But the Devils cannot continue to commit stupid penalties, because, unlike some of Erickson's old Miami teams, ASU just isn't talented or experienced enough to overcome them. No team in the Pac-10 has racked up more penalty yardage (491 yards through seven games). This pace must slow down.
To say that the remaining ASU schedule is rather daunting doesn't even begin to cover things. They have a bye this week, and it couldn't come at a better time, as after that they have to run the following ridiculous conference gauntlet:
October 27: #10 Cal
November 3: at #7 Oregon
November 10: at UCLA, the only other team undefeated in Pac-10 play
November 22: vs. #13 (and former #1) USC
Wow.
At the start of the year, I looked at that four game block and decided that realistically, I should be ecstatic if we could split. But with the way things have gone, 3-1 looks like at least a remote possibility.
And if we go 4-0 we should be no worse than #2 in the nation heading into a December 1 tilt with the hated Arizona Wildcats with a BCS championship game bid on the line for us. People are already talking about whether the upstart South Florida Bulls deserve a shot at the championship game if they win out, and that that is worthy of discussion. What should not be is this simple fact: if any team in thee Pac-10 goes undefeated, then they should be a lock for #1 or #2 in the country. Right now, ASU's chances to fit the bill are still quite alive.
That would kick a whole lot of ass.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
An early look at the fall TV season
Enough time has passed with the new fall TV schedule in place that I can get a feel for what's going on. All are, of course, just my humble opinions.
Best new show: CHUCK, NBC, Monday 8/7: After a few episodes I am happy to report that this show is essentially perfect. It's ridiculously fun, incredibly well-cast, intelligently written, and it is a joy to look at every week in HD. It's a perfect blend of action and comedy, and every week I look forward to it more than the week before. I've never seen either of the leads in anything else but Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski are two people to watch because they are both going to be really famous really soon. If you aren't watching this then I don't know what to do for you. It means that "Wienerlicious" is probably not a part of your lexicon yet and that's just your loss.
Best return of a show that could have been killed: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, NBC, Friday 9/8: I've already slurped NBC enough for bringing this show back, but they deserve it. However, I reserve the right to start ripping them if they feel the need to 90210ize FNL too much. In the season premiere alone we saw Tyra walking in slow motion sucking suggestively on a popsicle (come on) shortly before Landry murdered a guy in a fashion that would have made any of the Soprano crew proud. The show is still great, and aside from the glossy five minute introduction it has still maintained its distinctive documentary visual style, which I love. The writing and the acting are still top notch. My only possible qualms are with some of the story choices: Lyla as Jesus Freak? Jason Street thinks he'll be walking soon? Buddy Garrity the angry drunk? I have no idea where these arcs all might be headed, and that's part of the beauty of the show. Let's hope they get a complete second season so we can find out.
Show that is venturing into annoying "Lost" type territory far too quickly: HEROES, NBC, Monday 9/8. I'm not digging Samurai-era Hiro, despite the inspired casting of David Anders as Hiro's hero. I'm not loving Peter Petrelli needing a frigging box with his life in it to know what is going on. Alienated Claire with a high school friend/stalker...meh. I'll give this show time, but part of the appeal has always been that they give the viewers what they want to see in a timely fashion. They should stick to that M.O.
Worst big hit show: GREY'S ANATOMY, ABC, Thursday 9/8. Grey's is a conundrum for me. I've seen every single episode and yet I don't even really know if I am a fan of the show. I like some of the acting (hello, Katherine Heigl), the writing can occasionally be pretty clever, and my wife loves it so it's getting TiVoed in my house every week. However, the writing in the season premiere was an absolute disaster. It wasn't just bad, it was an affront to good story telling in any way, shape, or form. There were a lot of big story lines going on at the end of last season, so creator/writer/big shot Shonda Rhimes felt the need to have each and every main character verbalize in one form or another exactly what had been going on and/or what they had been up to since we last saw them. They might as well have had Basil Exposition from Austin Powers come on for a guest spot and do the job for them. It was utterly ridiculous.
Just as a comparison, FNL had at least as much information to communicate to their viewers, probably more, and they did it in the same one hour time period without having their characters practically break the fourth wall in the name of plot summary. Instead, throughout the hour we learned every thing new we needed to know without a single character lecturing about it. Hey, look, Landry's on the team now. And Coach Taylor is living out of town for his new college gig. And Julie is being a complete bitch. And Tyra and Landry are now an item. And Lyla's life has fallen apart to the point that she has blindly placed her faith in Jesus. They all just did these things. They didn't tell anyone that they did them. Maybe the Grey's team fears that their viewers aren't smart enough to keep up, but that's pretty insulting as well as downright painful to watch.
Worst new show/worst spinoff: PRIVATE PRACTICE, ABC, Wednesday 9/8. Speaking of teledisasters, I give you this putrid spin-off that apparently never should have spun. They took Addison Montgomery, who was an intelligent, strong willed, completely compelling and interesting character, moved her to southern California, and turned her into a "dance naked by an open window" bimbo. It's inexplicable. It's as if she's an entirely different character. After a few episodes, this show is "total eclipse" bad for me--I can't even watch it directly. I can barely be in the room with it while it's on, and I can only manage that if I divert most of my attention elsewhere. I know I'm not the target demo, etc. etc. But awful is awful, and Kate Walsh deserves better. I predict this show is canceled and she's back at Seattle Grace by 2008, doing everyone involved a huge favor.
Most enjoyable ridiculous show that almost nobody else is probably watching: CALIFORNICATION, Showtime, Monday 10:30/9:30. David Duchovny stars as a self-obsessed novelist (is there any other kind?) in L.A. in this insanely entertaining show with copious amounts of witty banter and gratuitous nudity. This one is probably a "love it or hate it," deal, and I think it's great. Duchovny is wildly charismatic playing the anti-hero trying to woo back the engaged-to-someone-else mother of his daughter, and the supporting cast is stellar from top to bottom, most notably with versatile "that guy" Evan Handler as Duchovny's lecherous, douchebag agent. The inaugural season run is almost over and I'll be sad to see it go.
Most enjoyable series ever with a serial killer as protagonist: DEXTER, Showtime, Sunday 10/9. I've been riveted by this show from the first episode and I was a little cautious about season two just because the first run was so brilliant. However, it's back and it's still phenomenal. The repercussions from the end of season one (which I won't spoil in case you haven't seen it, and if you haven't, rent it) are quite intriguing so far. This show is yet another example of the quality that cable can produce that the networks simply cannot match. This would never work on a network and I'm glad they don't even try. And everything from the Miami beaches to the sticky blood spatter just jumps off the screen in HD. It's a gorgeous show.
Shows I thought about watching but never did:
CANE. TiVoed it but couldn't commit. Feels like it will get canned.
REAPER. Still have the pilot on my office TiVo, but just because Kevin Smith directed it.
BIONIC WOMAN. It looks like it takes itself just a little too seriously. Plus all those on-screen NBC banner promos with the bionic woman turning and doing nothing as the wind swept back her hair made me want to bash my own skull in.
PUSHING DAISIES. It seems a little clever for its own good. Probably has a handful of diehard fans that will be distraught when it is canceled before New Year's.
K-VILLE. I watched the pilot and wanted to like it, if only because they actually shoot some scenes in New Orleans. But this one has no chance of sticking around so I won't get invested in it. Thanks for making me extra wary of every show you put on the air, Fox! I still wish I knew how "Drive" ended. Bastards.
BIG SHOTS. TiVoed the premiere and never watched it after I saw a promo in which one of the leads gloated "Men...we're the new women!" No straight man would ever, ever say this. I instantly deleted it.
DIRTY SEXY MONEY. TiVoed it and never watched it. I like some of the cast but...I don't know. I just got a bad feeling about it. Any show with "sexy" in the title is just trying a little too hard.
JOURNEYMAN. The pilot was decent but not enough to hook me.
MOONLIGHT. I considered it, but a show about vampires relegated to Friday night will probably be gone before Christmas, especially when I hear that CBS has an especially itchy trigger finger this year because they already have a complete season of "The Amazing Race" in the can and ready to go on at the first site of something faltering. And when I say itchy trigger finger, I mean that they might make a move after a couple of months, not a couple of weeks. Let's not go crazy. We're not talking about Fox, after all.
GOSSIP GIRL. Sometimes you just have to draw a line and say no.
Best new show: CHUCK, NBC, Monday 8/7: After a few episodes I am happy to report that this show is essentially perfect. It's ridiculously fun, incredibly well-cast, intelligently written, and it is a joy to look at every week in HD. It's a perfect blend of action and comedy, and every week I look forward to it more than the week before. I've never seen either of the leads in anything else but Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski are two people to watch because they are both going to be really famous really soon. If you aren't watching this then I don't know what to do for you. It means that "Wienerlicious" is probably not a part of your lexicon yet and that's just your loss.
Best return of a show that could have been killed: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, NBC, Friday 9/8: I've already slurped NBC enough for bringing this show back, but they deserve it. However, I reserve the right to start ripping them if they feel the need to 90210ize FNL too much. In the season premiere alone we saw Tyra walking in slow motion sucking suggestively on a popsicle (come on) shortly before Landry murdered a guy in a fashion that would have made any of the Soprano crew proud. The show is still great, and aside from the glossy five minute introduction it has still maintained its distinctive documentary visual style, which I love. The writing and the acting are still top notch. My only possible qualms are with some of the story choices: Lyla as Jesus Freak? Jason Street thinks he'll be walking soon? Buddy Garrity the angry drunk? I have no idea where these arcs all might be headed, and that's part of the beauty of the show. Let's hope they get a complete second season so we can find out.
Show that is venturing into annoying "Lost" type territory far too quickly: HEROES, NBC, Monday 9/8. I'm not digging Samurai-era Hiro, despite the inspired casting of David Anders as Hiro's hero. I'm not loving Peter Petrelli needing a frigging box with his life in it to know what is going on. Alienated Claire with a high school friend/stalker...meh. I'll give this show time, but part of the appeal has always been that they give the viewers what they want to see in a timely fashion. They should stick to that M.O.
Worst big hit show: GREY'S ANATOMY, ABC, Thursday 9/8. Grey's is a conundrum for me. I've seen every single episode and yet I don't even really know if I am a fan of the show. I like some of the acting (hello, Katherine Heigl), the writing can occasionally be pretty clever, and my wife loves it so it's getting TiVoed in my house every week. However, the writing in the season premiere was an absolute disaster. It wasn't just bad, it was an affront to good story telling in any way, shape, or form. There were a lot of big story lines going on at the end of last season, so creator/writer/big shot Shonda Rhimes felt the need to have each and every main character verbalize in one form or another exactly what had been going on and/or what they had been up to since we last saw them. They might as well have had Basil Exposition from Austin Powers come on for a guest spot and do the job for them. It was utterly ridiculous.
Just as a comparison, FNL had at least as much information to communicate to their viewers, probably more, and they did it in the same one hour time period without having their characters practically break the fourth wall in the name of plot summary. Instead, throughout the hour we learned every thing new we needed to know without a single character lecturing about it. Hey, look, Landry's on the team now. And Coach Taylor is living out of town for his new college gig. And Julie is being a complete bitch. And Tyra and Landry are now an item. And Lyla's life has fallen apart to the point that she has blindly placed her faith in Jesus. They all just did these things. They didn't tell anyone that they did them. Maybe the Grey's team fears that their viewers aren't smart enough to keep up, but that's pretty insulting as well as downright painful to watch.
Worst new show/worst spinoff: PRIVATE PRACTICE, ABC, Wednesday 9/8. Speaking of teledisasters, I give you this putrid spin-off that apparently never should have spun. They took Addison Montgomery, who was an intelligent, strong willed, completely compelling and interesting character, moved her to southern California, and turned her into a "dance naked by an open window" bimbo. It's inexplicable. It's as if she's an entirely different character. After a few episodes, this show is "total eclipse" bad for me--I can't even watch it directly. I can barely be in the room with it while it's on, and I can only manage that if I divert most of my attention elsewhere. I know I'm not the target demo, etc. etc. But awful is awful, and Kate Walsh deserves better. I predict this show is canceled and she's back at Seattle Grace by 2008, doing everyone involved a huge favor.
Most enjoyable ridiculous show that almost nobody else is probably watching: CALIFORNICATION, Showtime, Monday 10:30/9:30. David Duchovny stars as a self-obsessed novelist (is there any other kind?) in L.A. in this insanely entertaining show with copious amounts of witty banter and gratuitous nudity. This one is probably a "love it or hate it," deal, and I think it's great. Duchovny is wildly charismatic playing the anti-hero trying to woo back the engaged-to-someone-else mother of his daughter, and the supporting cast is stellar from top to bottom, most notably with versatile "that guy" Evan Handler as Duchovny's lecherous, douchebag agent. The inaugural season run is almost over and I'll be sad to see it go.
Most enjoyable series ever with a serial killer as protagonist: DEXTER, Showtime, Sunday 10/9. I've been riveted by this show from the first episode and I was a little cautious about season two just because the first run was so brilliant. However, it's back and it's still phenomenal. The repercussions from the end of season one (which I won't spoil in case you haven't seen it, and if you haven't, rent it) are quite intriguing so far. This show is yet another example of the quality that cable can produce that the networks simply cannot match. This would never work on a network and I'm glad they don't even try. And everything from the Miami beaches to the sticky blood spatter just jumps off the screen in HD. It's a gorgeous show.
Shows I thought about watching but never did:
CANE. TiVoed it but couldn't commit. Feels like it will get canned.
REAPER. Still have the pilot on my office TiVo, but just because Kevin Smith directed it.
BIONIC WOMAN. It looks like it takes itself just a little too seriously. Plus all those on-screen NBC banner promos with the bionic woman turning and doing nothing as the wind swept back her hair made me want to bash my own skull in.
PUSHING DAISIES. It seems a little clever for its own good. Probably has a handful of diehard fans that will be distraught when it is canceled before New Year's.
K-VILLE. I watched the pilot and wanted to like it, if only because they actually shoot some scenes in New Orleans. But this one has no chance of sticking around so I won't get invested in it. Thanks for making me extra wary of every show you put on the air, Fox! I still wish I knew how "Drive" ended. Bastards.
BIG SHOTS. TiVoed the premiere and never watched it after I saw a promo in which one of the leads gloated "Men...we're the new women!" No straight man would ever, ever say this. I instantly deleted it.
DIRTY SEXY MONEY. TiVoed it and never watched it. I like some of the cast but...I don't know. I just got a bad feeling about it. Any show with "sexy" in the title is just trying a little too hard.
JOURNEYMAN. The pilot was decent but not enough to hook me.
MOONLIGHT. I considered it, but a show about vampires relegated to Friday night will probably be gone before Christmas, especially when I hear that CBS has an especially itchy trigger finger this year because they already have a complete season of "The Amazing Race" in the can and ready to go on at the first site of something faltering. And when I say itchy trigger finger, I mean that they might make a move after a couple of months, not a couple of weeks. Let's not go crazy. We're not talking about Fox, after all.
GOSSIP GIRL. Sometimes you just have to draw a line and say no.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
If I ran the show
If I were the manager of the Boston Red Sox, here is how things would go tonight:
* Start Josh Beckett. I know that historically pitchers going on three days rest in the post season have not fared well. FOX even flashed the stats last night in anticipation of this very issue. However, there are two things that sway me. First, Josh Beckett is literally the exception to the rule. Case in point, his World Series clinching complete game shutout of the Yankees in the Bronx in 2003. Would I expect another complete game from him under the circumstances? No. Simply put, that would vault him from "proven post season stud" to "October God." However, he is stronger now than he has ever been before, and there's a very good chance that he could give us a shut down performance of six innings or more, which is something we desperately need since no Sox starter has come close to doing that since he did in game one.
The other issue is Tim Wakefield. I love Wake. We all do. If you are a Sox fan from New England, you must treat Tim Wakefield like a regional treasure. However, that doesn't change the facts:
A. He is 41 years old.
B. He missed the first round with a bad back and hasn't pitched a real game since September 29.
C. He was brutal down the stretch, winning just once in his last five starts and allowing at least four runs in every September start.
Like I said, I love Wake, and he has every chance to come up huge tonight. But if the strike zone is anything like last night's fiasco, we could be in for a long night, and with the way our bullpen has been taxed that's the last thing we need. This is a complete crap shoot.
* Shake up the order. Dustin Pedroia looks a little uneasy and very impatient at the top of the order. You can't fault him. The kid's a rookie and he has been a star since April, but that is not what we need at the top of the order right now. Meanwhile, the bottom of the order has essentially been a black hole, Varitek's dinger last night being the exception. If I got to fill out the lineup card, here is what it would look like tonight:
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF...give the kid a chance.
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. JD Drew, RF (ugh)
7. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
8. Jason Varitek, C (Tek because Beckett would be pitching for me)
9. Julio Lugo, SS
I'm really worried tonight. However, if we can win this one we're in great shape for the rest of the series.
A rain out would also be lovely.
* Start Josh Beckett. I know that historically pitchers going on three days rest in the post season have not fared well. FOX even flashed the stats last night in anticipation of this very issue. However, there are two things that sway me. First, Josh Beckett is literally the exception to the rule. Case in point, his World Series clinching complete game shutout of the Yankees in the Bronx in 2003. Would I expect another complete game from him under the circumstances? No. Simply put, that would vault him from "proven post season stud" to "October God." However, he is stronger now than he has ever been before, and there's a very good chance that he could give us a shut down performance of six innings or more, which is something we desperately need since no Sox starter has come close to doing that since he did in game one.
The other issue is Tim Wakefield. I love Wake. We all do. If you are a Sox fan from New England, you must treat Tim Wakefield like a regional treasure. However, that doesn't change the facts:
A. He is 41 years old.
B. He missed the first round with a bad back and hasn't pitched a real game since September 29.
C. He was brutal down the stretch, winning just once in his last five starts and allowing at least four runs in every September start.
Like I said, I love Wake, and he has every chance to come up huge tonight. But if the strike zone is anything like last night's fiasco, we could be in for a long night, and with the way our bullpen has been taxed that's the last thing we need. This is a complete crap shoot.
* Shake up the order. Dustin Pedroia looks a little uneasy and very impatient at the top of the order. You can't fault him. The kid's a rookie and he has been a star since April, but that is not what we need at the top of the order right now. Meanwhile, the bottom of the order has essentially been a black hole, Varitek's dinger last night being the exception. If I got to fill out the lineup card, here is what it would look like tonight:
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF...give the kid a chance.
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. JD Drew, RF (ugh)
7. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
8. Jason Varitek, C (Tek because Beckett would be pitching for me)
9. Julio Lugo, SS
I'm really worried tonight. However, if we can win this one we're in great shape for the rest of the series.
A rain out would also be lovely.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Blog week, day one
I'm going to try to write a blog entry every day this week. I make no guarantees that they will be long, interesting, or good.
Here is what I ate on Saturday at the Arkansas State Fair:
One gyro
One corndog--regular size, not jumbo
Half a Diet Coke. Yeah, that's right. A Diet Coke with my corn dog.
A few bites of Beth's funnel cake.
A few sips of Beth's lemonade, which was really good and lemony.
A giant smoked turkey leg. A few bites at the fair, the rest at home. And then I took a nap.
Good stuff!
Here is what I ate on Saturday at the Arkansas State Fair:
One gyro
One corndog--regular size, not jumbo
Half a Diet Coke. Yeah, that's right. A Diet Coke with my corn dog.
A few bites of Beth's funnel cake.
A few sips of Beth's lemonade, which was really good and lemony.
A giant smoked turkey leg. A few bites at the fair, the rest at home. And then I took a nap.
Good stuff!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Haven't been feeling bloggy
I haven't been feeling too bloggy lately because I've been consumed with editing Whiffleball, planning for a Vegas trip, and watching the Sox and Pats dominate. I plan to write long blogs on each of those topics in the near future, but here are some quick hits until then:
ALCS: Sox will win, and win a lot more easily than most people think.
Pats-Cowboys: I don't know if this is a Super Bowl preview, but I do know that watching Tony Romo toss five picks against Buffalo makes me feel pretty good. Pats by double digits.
Vegas was great. Shocking. I'm still catching up on sleep and piecing together some questionable decision making--thankfully, not by me--but, wow...what a great town.
And last but certainly not least, here is a recent shot of AJ modeling something from his fall collection.
ALCS: Sox will win, and win a lot more easily than most people think.
Pats-Cowboys: I don't know if this is a Super Bowl preview, but I do know that watching Tony Romo toss five picks against Buffalo makes me feel pretty good. Pats by double digits.
Vegas was great. Shocking. I'm still catching up on sleep and piecing together some questionable decision making--thankfully, not by me--but, wow...what a great town.
And last but certainly not least, here is a recent shot of AJ modeling something from his fall collection.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
CNN demonstrates a stranglehold on the obvious
Every day I vist CNN.com to get a feel for the relevant news going on in the US and the world. I'm not a hardcore news guy by any means--I almost never watch the local or national network news, because a quick glance at the CNN headlines tells me everything I need to know.
Usually.
Yesterday they offered up two "news stories" with such screamingly obvious headlines that the stories seemed better suited to "The Onion." And they are:
Study: Rock Stars More Likely To Die Young
Men Want Hot Women, Study Confirms
Log on tomorrow for CNN's three part expose: The Earth Really Is Round, or perhaps their early morning story: The Sun Comes Up.
Ridiculous.
Usually.
Yesterday they offered up two "news stories" with such screamingly obvious headlines that the stories seemed better suited to "The Onion." And they are:
Study: Rock Stars More Likely To Die Young
Men Want Hot Women, Study Confirms
Log on tomorrow for CNN's three part expose: The Earth Really Is Round, or perhaps their early morning story: The Sun Comes Up.
Ridiculous.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Monday, August 06, 2007
You've got to be kidding me
NBC is already on my shit list for canceling the brilliant "Studio 60." However, they did show some foresight by giving a tepid renewal order for the ratings-challenged yet wonderful "Friday Night Lights."
Then I hear this rumor.
Honestly, if you challenged me to come up with the ten worst, most inappropriate, downright horrible people to have guest star on this show, she would probably make the top five. What boggles the mind is how many execs have to sign off on this, thinking that it's a good idea.
Clearly I need to run my own network...
Then I hear this rumor.
Honestly, if you challenged me to come up with the ten worst, most inappropriate, downright horrible people to have guest star on this show, she would probably make the top five. What boggles the mind is how many execs have to sign off on this, thinking that it's a good idea.
Clearly I need to run my own network...
Friday, August 03, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Paradetown?
“Things are changing, and I think that’s an incredibly exciting thing to watch, and witness, and be a part of. This is a town that has a chance to literally have two or three parades a year for the next decade.”
--Curt Schilling on the new face of the Boston pro sports scene
Wow.
The period in Boston sports from 2001-2005 almost seemed like an embarrassment of riches. The Red Sox actually won the World Series before I died and the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Three times. Typing that actually still makes me want to giggle a little bit. The sum total of those long-awaited and hard-earned championships brought me enough joy, satisfaction, and outright happiness that, as Bill Simmons noted, I would have no right to complain about anything for years.
Cut to: 2007. Suddenly not one, not two, but three of my hometown teams have legitimate and simultaneous championship aspirations. The last, and maybe only, time that we came close to achieving the unprecedented "trifecta" was in 1986, when the Celtics had the best team of all time and the Sox and Pats each lost the championship in different yet painful fashion. I even remember proudly wearing a "City Of Champions" t-shirt emblazoned with the logos of all three teams. But that title wasn't thoroughly accurate. Close, but not quite.
It's amazing to think that we could possibly be on the precipice of topping '86. The Patriots have to be the favorites, and naturally I see nothing less than another Lombardi trophy this year. Even during the recent championship seasons, I said that I thought that the Patriots hadn't been as good as they could be, and this season could prove that. They aren't just going to be good, they are going to be ridiculously good. Mark my words: this is the Pats team against which all others will be judged. The Randy Moss acquisition is such a coup that the transaction itself will be looked at with sheer disbelief by future generations. Moss will have a plaque in Canton and a couple of New England Super Bowl rings, and people will wonder how the hell we ever pulled that off. Tom Brady to Randy Moss. Sick!
Kevin Garnett is a Boston Celtic, finalizing a rash of moves that made Celts GM Danny Ainge look like a college freshman with his first credit card. The most amazing thing about the current state of the team is that he has completely shredded the entire team concept and the way that the whole roster had been put together in the span of one summer. We had a nucleus of promising young talent that looked to be 2-3 years away from possibly being a factor in the playoffs. Instead, we now have the best trio this side of Phoenix and we're the odds-on favorites in the Eastern Conference. And if you don't believe that, then just tell me the rest of Cleveland's starting five, aside from LeBron James, that led them to the Finals this year. Heck, name two other starters. Right. The Ray Allen and Garnett trades are a huge dice roll, to some degree. We parted with picks and talented young players that could have helped us with the previous plan. But now there's a new plan: win. Win now. For the first time in five years, the Boston Celtics are relevant again, and for the first time in around fifteen, we're actual contenders. And man, will they be fun to watch.
Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox have the best record in baseball, due in large part to the game's best bullpen (pen ERA of 2.74). So what did they do? They added the game's only active reliever that won a Cy Young award, the nasty Eric Gagne, who will now be tasked with setting up for Jonathan Papelbon...along with Hideki Okajima, who has only put up an eye-popping ERA of 0.87 so far. Our bullpen, as I noted before, was great before. Now, if they all stay healthy, I'm not sure I even know which adjective to use. Filthy? Sick? Disgusting? Unfair? Pick one. It's a pen built for October, and with the way the schedule break the Red Sox could conceivably win the Division Series using only six pitchers: Beckett, Schill, Dice-K, and the lights out relievers.
Naturally I'm looking at all of these scenarios incredibly optimistically. There are still lots of things that could go wrong for each of my favorite teams.
But if a few things go right, we might have three more parades in less than a year.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sox second half
First, here are a couple of recent shots of AJ. He'll be four months old this Thursday and he already looks like a future All-Pro offensive lineman in the making.
So the Red Sox have a huge lead with less than half the season to go and yet a majority of Red Sox Nation seems determined to panic. Sure, there are things to worry about the rest of the way. Here are what I think are the top five concerns, ranked in order from least to most important.
5. Lugo, Coco, and Drew: all three underachieved in the first half...and it didn't slow us down at all. Coco has already started to show improvement and Lugo has even lit it up since shortly before the break. Lugo and Drew each just signed long term deals and they aren't going anywhere so we just have to wait it out with them, and I'm not concerned. They'll both put up better numbers the rest of the way. Center field is the one spot where we could make a move but I don't think it will happen. Coco has been great defensively and if he keeps contributing on offense like he has recently (OPS over 1.100 the last 30 days) then it will be a huge boost to the lineup.
4. The bullpen: I love our bullpen. Papelbon is an absolute beast and the Hideki Okajima signing is like finding a c-note in your jeans on laundry day. He's been absolutely unreal and the rest of the league has shown no indication that they are going to learn to hit him any time soon. The key then, for me, is what ends up happening in the 7th inning, and I think the answer is a simple one: Manny Delcarmen. His fastball has had more zip this year (hitting 97 consistently) and he finally has better command of his curve. Watching him dispatch Sammy Sosa recently in a crucial bases loaded spot was awesome. He's the future but I also think he's the present. Throw in the fact that Mike Timlin has seemingly gotten his mojo back--he's unscored upon his last eight appearances--and the bullpen doesn't worry me one bit. We're fine for the rest of the season and we're loaded for October.
3. Schill: he'll be back. With a nine game lead there is no need to rush him, and thankfully he seems to know this. We don't need him now, we need him in September and October. He has admitted to showing up this spring in less-than-ideal condition and that sucks, and he may be paying the price for it now. But the guy is a flat-out warrior and there still aren't many starters I'd rather have going with a huge game on the line. Get well, Curt. See you soon.
2. The back end of the rotation: this is one spot where the Sox could make a huge upgrade at the trading deadline. We can't expect to maintain a wide lead trotting Julian Tavarez and Kason Gabbard out 40% of the time down the stretch. I'm not saying that we need to add a starter, because I'm not sure that we do, and I definitely wouldn't want to if the cost is Lester or Buchholz. But if someone like Roy Oswalt does become available then they really need to consider it. An October rotation of Beckett, Dice K, Schill, and Oswalt would be outright ridiculous.
1. The Manny and Papi Power Outage: Okay...I'm worried. Papi's knee clearly isn't close to 100% and unless they shelve him and do the surgery now, it's not going to be the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Manny is 35 and might finally be turning mortal. Clearly we need these guys to do what they do, or at least a reasonable facsimile of it, because their presence in the heart of the order is what makes the whole lineup work. We don't need Papi to hit 50 bombs again but we do need these two to get it in gear. When they hit, we win. It's the only current aspect of the club that concerns me at all, and aside from telling Papi to have knee surgery now and hoping that he can come back 100% in 4-6 weeks, there's not much we can do but wait and hope.
And Red Sox fans are good at that. We'll be fine.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Movie Camp - part two
So where were we? Pre-production on Whiffleball. In our case, this consisted of a couple of days to run around town, frantically locking down a couple of locations, buying some props and equipment, and doing what little we could to prepare for the shoot. As usual, we didn't have nearly enough time or enough money, but that didn't stop us. Before we knew it the cameras were rolling--we started a day early, in fact, in order to incorporate a ridiculous storm that blew through town.
Memories of the shoot are almost a blur at this point, but what stands out more than anything is the collaborative attitude demonstrated by everyone involved in the movie. A typical day would have us up early to shoot, while anyone not involved with the first scenes of the day would be helping prepare in any way they could. The garage became our prop shop and it wasn't uncommon to enter it at any time of the day or night and find a half a dozen people (all unpaid) at work on various stuff, ranging from hand painted scoreboard tiles to an insanely elaborate mascot costume. Meanwhile, everyone also helped lug equipment, cook meals, and do anything and everything that helped us reach the cinematic finish line.
We had some hiccups along the way, including an equipment breakdown that made our lives harder, some less than ideal weather on certain days, and enough neighborhood annoyances and distractions to drive us all to drink...honestly, how much landscaping do these people really need?!? We ran over schedule by a few days and only made that by drastically cutting some scenes...and yet, despite all of that, we feel great about what we shot. We're not sure exactly what it will end up being, but we know we've got "something." It was an incredible experience.
I'm editing a quick first trailer as we speak, so that will be the first glimpse of "Whiffleball" for just about everyone. After that, the rest of the summer will be spent on editing the movie itself. Our plan is to take it out to L.A. sometime in the fall and go from there.
Memories of the shoot are almost a blur at this point, but what stands out more than anything is the collaborative attitude demonstrated by everyone involved in the movie. A typical day would have us up early to shoot, while anyone not involved with the first scenes of the day would be helping prepare in any way they could. The garage became our prop shop and it wasn't uncommon to enter it at any time of the day or night and find a half a dozen people (all unpaid) at work on various stuff, ranging from hand painted scoreboard tiles to an insanely elaborate mascot costume. Meanwhile, everyone also helped lug equipment, cook meals, and do anything and everything that helped us reach the cinematic finish line.
We had some hiccups along the way, including an equipment breakdown that made our lives harder, some less than ideal weather on certain days, and enough neighborhood annoyances and distractions to drive us all to drink...honestly, how much landscaping do these people really need?!? We ran over schedule by a few days and only made that by drastically cutting some scenes...and yet, despite all of that, we feel great about what we shot. We're not sure exactly what it will end up being, but we know we've got "something." It was an incredible experience.
I'm editing a quick first trailer as we speak, so that will be the first glimpse of "Whiffleball" for just about everyone. After that, the rest of the summer will be spent on editing the movie itself. Our plan is to take it out to L.A. sometime in the fall and go from there.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Movie Camp - part one
It seems like ages ago that I set out from Little Rock at 5 AM, bound for Brooklyn in one shot en route to our final destination of Chatham, Massachusetts, in "the elbow" of scenic Cape Cod to shoot our no-budget wiffleball epic titled, appropriately enough "Whiffleball." The trip from Little Rock to Brooklyn was as uneventful as I could have hoped for. Key components at making the 20-odd hour drive manageable in one solo run included a huge thermos of Na'Nan's trademarked New Orleans style cold brewed Cafe du Monde iced coffee, a small cooler packed with a few healthy snacks to get me started, a cheesy five disc Star Wars book-on-CD that picks up with the adventures of Darth Vader at the conclusion of the events of Episode III--complete with a decent facsimile of Vader's booming voice and sound effects to boot--and, probably most importantly, a loan of my parents' fantastic plug-and-use GPS navigation system. I simply punched in Mike Poignand's address in New York and literally never looked back. Some late night roadwork in Pennsylvania slowed me down a bit so tantalizingly close to my arrival spot, but it was a minor hiccup in an otherwise very successful, long day.
Mike thoughtfully checked in for frequent updates as I made the stretch run to his fabulous new condo. I finally arrived sometime around 1 or 2 AM locally, thanks to what must have been a rather circuitous route that the GPS selected for me on the smaller side streets in Mike's neighborhood. He had a frosty, delicious Sam Adams White Ale waiting for me--a flavor I had never tried and could not have enjoyed more. We had a couple, chatted for a bit, watched the last night's "Entourage" episode on demand, and hit the hay relatively early in anticipation of our trip up to Chatham the next day.
Before we knew it, we'd be knee-deep in an all-too-brief, frantic period of pre-production...
Mike thoughtfully checked in for frequent updates as I made the stretch run to his fabulous new condo. I finally arrived sometime around 1 or 2 AM locally, thanks to what must have been a rather circuitous route that the GPS selected for me on the smaller side streets in Mike's neighborhood. He had a frosty, delicious Sam Adams White Ale waiting for me--a flavor I had never tried and could not have enjoyed more. We had a couple, chatted for a bit, watched the last night's "Entourage" episode on demand, and hit the hay relatively early in anticipation of our trip up to Chatham the next day.
Before we knew it, we'd be knee-deep in an all-too-brief, frantic period of pre-production...
Friday, May 11, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Almost time to go
Okay, I haven't blogged in ages because A) I have a baby now, and apparently they actually require a pretty big time commitment, B), it's baseball season, which means I'm watching the Sox and playing lots of Diamond Mind, and C), it's crunch time for pre-production on Whiffleball. I leave on Monday to drive up to Chatham, via Brooklyn, where I'll be picking up co-star and co-producer extraordinaire Michael Poignand. Anyway, this will be a big, rambling blog hitting on lots of topics in no particular order.
TV: Did anyone happen to catch that show Drive on FOX? I loved it...so, naturally, FOX cancelled it after three episodes. Honestly, they couldn't possibly have done anything more to give this show no chance at success: for starters, they premiered it in April, when most things on the air are ramping up toward their season finales. That's terrible call number one. Then, they show the premiere on a Sunday night--horrible decision number two. Finally, they follow up the premiere two-parter with another episode the very next night. Now, I was anticipating this show literally more than anyone I know and this absurd scheduling even managed to screw me up, as I forgot to TiVo the Monday night ep right after the premiere. I even downloaded it from iTunes so I could watch it all. So there you go, FOX. Enjoy your cut of my 99 cents. This network is becoming an absolute joke.
So let's move on to happier TV stories. NBC has ordered half a dozen scripts for Friday Night Lights, and although that certainly isn't quite a rining endorsement for the show's future, at least it's something. HOWEVER (spoiler alert), I didn't like how they ended season one. Really, the only way to write it was to have Dillon lose the championship game. This would fit the tone of the show and it would give Coach Taylor real motivation to stay in town and finish what he started. I can see letting them win if the producers knew that the show had been or was going to be cancelled--fine, end it on a happy note. But where do they go from here now? Who knows. I just hope NBC gives us a chance to find out.
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the return of Studio 60. If NBC has a clue, they should renew the show for another season immediately, as how the show fares now really has no bearing on anything. It's been off the schedule for weeks and they are throwing it back on late, on a different night, so what do they expect? Maybe it will do great numbers on Thursday, but that shouldn't be the deciding factor on if it returns. Just renew it already. It's a brilliant show.
I'm loving this season of The Sopranos and I honestly have no idea how it is going to end...and I love that. There isn't much out of the realm of possibility at this point: Tony in jail, Tony turns state's evidence, Tony gets killed by someone from New York, Tony gets it from someone in his own crew (Christopher???)...who knows. I can't wait to see how it all ends.
So, the Red Sox are pretty good. I thought that everything was in place for them to get out to a hot start and for the Yankees to flounder and that's exactly what has happened. I don't think that our out-of-this-world pitching can be expected to keep up this pace--a team ERA of 3.28 in the AL East is just ungodly--but clearly the staff is in good shape from top to bottom. Beckett has turned the corner and Okajima is the second great bullpen arm that we've been missing since...well, since Mike Timlin was younger and better. When the weather warms up our hitting will get even better, so all in all I'm really, really happy with how things look right now. Meanwhile, Roger Clemens has all but cemened the fact that his plaque in Cooperstown should have a dollar sign on the cap. And to think that I talked myself into getting excited for the happy ending if he signed with us. My bad. He remains nothing more than a greedy villain in pinstripes. When October rolls around enjoy coming up short once again, Rocket.
TV: Did anyone happen to catch that show Drive on FOX? I loved it...so, naturally, FOX cancelled it after three episodes. Honestly, they couldn't possibly have done anything more to give this show no chance at success: for starters, they premiered it in April, when most things on the air are ramping up toward their season finales. That's terrible call number one. Then, they show the premiere on a Sunday night--horrible decision number two. Finally, they follow up the premiere two-parter with another episode the very next night. Now, I was anticipating this show literally more than anyone I know and this absurd scheduling even managed to screw me up, as I forgot to TiVo the Monday night ep right after the premiere. I even downloaded it from iTunes so I could watch it all. So there you go, FOX. Enjoy your cut of my 99 cents. This network is becoming an absolute joke.
So let's move on to happier TV stories. NBC has ordered half a dozen scripts for Friday Night Lights, and although that certainly isn't quite a rining endorsement for the show's future, at least it's something. HOWEVER (spoiler alert), I didn't like how they ended season one. Really, the only way to write it was to have Dillon lose the championship game. This would fit the tone of the show and it would give Coach Taylor real motivation to stay in town and finish what he started. I can see letting them win if the producers knew that the show had been or was going to be cancelled--fine, end it on a happy note. But where do they go from here now? Who knows. I just hope NBC gives us a chance to find out.
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the return of Studio 60. If NBC has a clue, they should renew the show for another season immediately, as how the show fares now really has no bearing on anything. It's been off the schedule for weeks and they are throwing it back on late, on a different night, so what do they expect? Maybe it will do great numbers on Thursday, but that shouldn't be the deciding factor on if it returns. Just renew it already. It's a brilliant show.
I'm loving this season of The Sopranos and I honestly have no idea how it is going to end...and I love that. There isn't much out of the realm of possibility at this point: Tony in jail, Tony turns state's evidence, Tony gets killed by someone from New York, Tony gets it from someone in his own crew (Christopher???)...who knows. I can't wait to see how it all ends.
So, the Red Sox are pretty good. I thought that everything was in place for them to get out to a hot start and for the Yankees to flounder and that's exactly what has happened. I don't think that our out-of-this-world pitching can be expected to keep up this pace--a team ERA of 3.28 in the AL East is just ungodly--but clearly the staff is in good shape from top to bottom. Beckett has turned the corner and Okajima is the second great bullpen arm that we've been missing since...well, since Mike Timlin was younger and better. When the weather warms up our hitting will get even better, so all in all I'm really, really happy with how things look right now. Meanwhile, Roger Clemens has all but cemened the fact that his plaque in Cooperstown should have a dollar sign on the cap. And to think that I talked myself into getting excited for the happy ending if he signed with us. My bad. He remains nothing more than a greedy villain in pinstripes. When October rolls around enjoy coming up short once again, Rocket.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Opening Day
AJ's first opening day was a pretty disappointing one for the Red Sox. Schill just never looked comfortable. He has been experimenting with a new change up and he admits that he still struggles with it from time to time--and today was clearly one of those times. The goal of adding this to his repertoire is for him to pitch to contact more, as his fastball and split are his strikeout pitches, and that idea makes sense for a guy of his age. But if things go like they did today, he is going to have to change course. And thanks to his blog, 38 Pitches, I now know more about his process and his results than ever before, and it is great. Check it out if you haven't done so yet. He even his a post-game post up already.
Here's something I have always hated about opening day: the day off immediately after the opener. The Red Sox almost always have this, and it drives me nuts, because if they won, you want to keep the momentum going, and if they lost, then you just cannot wait to get game two underway. This year is no different.
I have a new favorite website, and if you are a baseball fan that hates some of the same broadcasters I do and the asinine statements they make then I implore you to check it out immediately. It's called FIRE JOE MORGAN. Enough said right there, really. Start by checking out their glossary and then just page through some of their recent posts. It is brilliant baseball stuff and it's also absolutely hilarious. Trying to describe exactly what they do there won't even do it justice, so just go check it out.
Here's something I have always hated about opening day: the day off immediately after the opener. The Red Sox almost always have this, and it drives me nuts, because if they won, you want to keep the momentum going, and if they lost, then you just cannot wait to get game two underway. This year is no different.
I have a new favorite website, and if you are a baseball fan that hates some of the same broadcasters I do and the asinine statements they make then I implore you to check it out immediately. It's called FIRE JOE MORGAN. Enough said right there, really. Start by checking out their glossary and then just page through some of their recent posts. It is brilliant baseball stuff and it's also absolutely hilarious. Trying to describe exactly what they do there won't even do it justice, so just go check it out.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
AJ
At 6:12 PM on Monday, March 19, 2007, Alexander James McCandless was born. He arrived via c-section almost two weeks early and he checked in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 20 inches, which I'm sure comes way under in any over/under wagers. But I am quite confident that he will catch up in no time. Beth and AJ are both home now and doing great. He is amazing.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The baby and the movie
I could be a dad any day now. I had to stop and read that sentence again, as it is still sinking in nearly nine months later. All is going well, and all indications are that the baby could arrive any day now, or he could hold off for a few more weeks. Personally, I think it's the latter, but I'm not really basing that on anything. But the waiting process is getting weird, because there are so few times in life that something happens in which you have absolutely no experience or frame of reference. Usually, anything anyone does is at least similar to something else...but not this. I can't wait.
I'm also directing another movie this spring. Beth has graciously given me the green light to take a few weeks so the Chatham Light Productions boys and I are headed up to Cape Cod to shoot our comedy called "Whiffleball." It's another no-budget, guerilla production and we're really looking forward to it. Right now we're just about 100% locked on the script and we're knee deep in pre-production which, in our case, means trying to take care of any single detail that we can handle without actually being in Chatham to do so...which is pretty tough. We've got several of the major roles cast but we also have a few key parts still up for grabs, with no obvious candidates in the mix. We've also got some locations to secure, wardrobe and props to acquire, and a schedule to make. It's actually been nice to have this to occupy my brain and keep me from wondering when the baby will arrive. But we're now just shy of two months out from when we start shooting and all of the little things need to start falling into place. So if you're going to be around Cape Cod in mid-May, give me a shout. We can use some extras.
I'm also directing another movie this spring. Beth has graciously given me the green light to take a few weeks so the Chatham Light Productions boys and I are headed up to Cape Cod to shoot our comedy called "Whiffleball." It's another no-budget, guerilla production and we're really looking forward to it. Right now we're just about 100% locked on the script and we're knee deep in pre-production which, in our case, means trying to take care of any single detail that we can handle without actually being in Chatham to do so...which is pretty tough. We've got several of the major roles cast but we also have a few key parts still up for grabs, with no obvious candidates in the mix. We've also got some locations to secure, wardrobe and props to acquire, and a schedule to make. It's actually been nice to have this to occupy my brain and keep me from wondering when the baby will arrive. But we're now just shy of two months out from when we start shooting and all of the little things need to start falling into place. So if you're going to be around Cape Cod in mid-May, give me a shout. We can use some extras.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The Sox in Spring - What I'm Watching
With pitchers and catchers in camp and the obligatory “where is Manny?” story already settled, I figure it’s time to take a look at 20 things I’ll be watching regarding the 2007 Boston Red Sox. In no particular order:
1. Curt Schilling. I still think that the Sox will get something done with Curt before season’s end if they do want to bring him back for 2008. $13 million for a guy like that is suddenly a bargain in the post-Gil Meche market, but I can also certainly understand why they might want to see him in action before shelling out guaranteed cash for a 40 year old beefy right-hander that has been less than his ace-line self the past two seasons. If Curt has a strong spring and start to the season, I think Theo gets the deal inked, despite the current talk.
2. Will Josh Beckett turn the corner? Last year was an interesting one for him, as he tallied career highs in several key categories despite being pretty inconsistent, surprisingly wild, and susceptible to the long ball. The bottom line is that pitching in the AL East is a far cry from some of the AAAA rosters Beckett got to feast on in Florida. Hoping for a sub-4 ERA just might be too much to ask, but I do think his numbers will be stronger across the board with one year in Boston under his belt. Indications are already good that Beckett looks stellar in camp, spotting his fastball well and lower in the zone. That’s a good sign.
3. Welcome, Daisuke Matsuzaka. Ahh, Dice-K. I really love this guy already. His attitude seems phenomenal and the absurd media coverage doesn’t seem to faze him a bit. I was ecstatic when we got him and I think he’s going to be every bit as good as people hope…and even better. I say that he wins 20+ games and the Cy Young. And he’ll be exciting as hell to watch.
4. Jonathan Papelbon’s transition to the rotation is one of the key moves of the Sox off-season, mainly because it leaves such a glaring hole at the back of the bullpen. The Sox have entered the season without a closer as recently as 2003 and that didn’t exactly work out like anyone hoped it would. I’d love to keep Paps as the closer and I’m sketchy about the medical diagnosis. Is throwing three to four times as many innings really going to be better for his shoulder? I won’t be surprised at all if he ends up back in the pen. I’d welcome the move.
5. Tim Wakefield. Last year was a rare down season for the ageless knuckleballer. Will he revert to his usual form? Granted, he’s about as solid a fifth starter as anybody’s got these days. But if he can just bounce back to his 2005-level stats—33 starts, 225 innings—then the Sox are in really, really good shape.
6. Is Joel Piniero closer material? I honestly have no idea at this point, and this is exactly the kind of storyline that can get blown out of control one way or the other based on what he does in March. If he starts lighting it up and striking out a bunch of AAAA non-prospects, then everyone will get fired up and rave about the brilliance of the signing. But if he gets lit up just a couple of times, Shaughnessy and the other jackals will be crucifying him before the season even starts. Tough spot here. He doesn’t feel like a closer to me, but stranger things have happened.
7. Mike Timlin is the most reliable veteran arm we have in the bullpen but he really took a step backward last season. Most people attribute some of the trouble to his pitching in the WBC, and that could certainly be the case. He’s a warrior and we’re counting on him to have an important role in the pen this year but he’s not getting any younger. If last season’s stat line becomes the status quo or, worse, Timlin continues to slide, it could cause some real problems early in the season.
8. What’s the deal with Craig Hansen? There was so much hype about this guy coming out of St. John’s that my expectations were set way too high, but I’m not the only one. His brief minor league numbers were ridiculously good and insiders made it seem like just a matter of time before Hansen turned into vintage Robb Nen. Right now it seems like he is destined to start the year in Pawtucket but we’re going to need him to contribute, and soon.
9. Manny Delcarmen had a weird year last season, and those who look really closely at the numbers seems to think that he was basically unlucky, with an inordinately high batting average on balls in play number. His other peripherals were great across the board (almost a 3-1 Ks to BB ratio, nearly 1 K/IP, and only 2 HRs allowed all year). I think he makes the team coming out of camp and grabs a key role, probably as a go-to guy in the 7th and 8th innings.
10. Hideki Okajima is often forgotten thanks to all the hype that his fellow countryman is drawing, and that’s probably fine. From the few clips I’ve seen of him on YouTube, it seems like Okaji is going to be a great situational lefty out of the pen, a guy that can really eat up lefties. His curveball looks fantastic. He might be a sleeper candidate for closer, if only because major leaguers haven’t seen him yet, and that worked for the Dodgers and unheralded Takashi Saito last season (6-2, 24 saves, 2.07 ERA, 107 Ks in 78.1 IP).
11. Jon Lester seems like his comeback is right on track, and it’s impossible not to pull for the guy after what he went through last season. He’s another guy probably bound for the Pawtucket-to-Boston-and-back shuttle, but if he is really healthy and all the way back he’ll be the first guy we call on when a starter goes down. And if last year taught us anything, it’s that there is no such thing as too much starting pitching. He’ll be in the rotation for good by this time next season.
12. Kevin Youkilis stepped in to the starting lineup and stayed there, but his production really fell off in the second half (.245 avg. from July on). Reports say that he is in much better shape in order to withstand the rigors of the long season, and that’s good, because he is a key piece of the batting order. He deserves credit for doing whatever Tito asked of him during the Titanicesque 2006 swoon, including playing LF when he was banged up and had no business being on the field. I’d like to see him at leadoff or in the #2 hole because his OBP is so good. If we end up swinging a deal for Todd Helton, then Youks slides over to 3B. If not, then he’ll give us solid production at the right price at 1B. His glove work last year was a nice surprise too.
13. Dustin Pedroia is getting every shot at the starting 2B job this spring and I think he’s going to grab it. Granted, I’m a little biased since he’s an ASU guy, but his attitude is just great…David Eckstein is the comparison most people make, and that guy just won his second ring and a World Series MVP. If Pedroia gets there and he’s our #9 hitter, then our lineup will be in great shape. Pedroia apparently worked out like crazy in the off-season, shedding around 20 pounds. My only concern is that Shaughnessy and the other buzzards will pounce if Pedroia has a slow start. And if anything truly bad happens, we’ve got Cora waiting in the wings.
14. Julio Lugo was one of our big winter free agent signings and steps in at SS. He’s been an underrated player for a long time and he should really flourish at the top of this order. I figure he’ll easily set a career high in runs (his best is 93) no matter where he hits in the lineup. He’ll also knock double-digit homers and swipe a few bags. I’ll miss the A-Gonz defense, but Lugo is a great fit.
15. Mike Lowell just needs to match what he did last season: .284-20-80 with very solid defense. This came as kind of a surprise to some after Lowell’s career-worst 2005 season. If a Helton deal materializes, he’ll almost certainly be a piece of it. If not, he should bat 6th or 7th most nights and be a solid part of this team.
16. I love Manny Ramirez, and I don’t understand why the rabid Boston media continues to try to construct stories where none exist. He is what he is. Everyone knows what to expect: a flaky attitude, a late arrival to camp, a mini-drama in the middle of the season, another one towards the end of the year…oh, and .300-35-120 and a first ballot election to the Hall of Fame. It’s that last part that counts. Initially the phrase “Manny being Manny” was crafted to try to explain his space cadet behavior, but I think at this point it just sums up the whole package. I don’t think there is another right handed outfielder in the league that I’d rather have. Batting fourth, and contending for the MVP…Manny Ramirez.
17. Coco Crisp is my pick for Red Sox comeback player of the year. The finger injury clearly hampered him all year after he came back, but I think people are underestimating what he can mean to this team. I especially like the talk of batting him lower in the order, because taking the pressure off of him leading off could help, plus he’ll get a lot more opportunities to steal bases in the lower third of the order. Sure, his arm in centerfield leaves a little bit to be desired but the same thing can be said about the most recent former resident of that position, and we did alright with that long haired, bearded freak. Coco, we believe. He’ll post a monster line in 2007.
18. Sportswriters love to talk about how JD Drew and Boston just aren’t the right fit, and maybe they’re not. What I do know is that Drew has pure talent and if he can stay on the field he’ll be a big upgrade for us both at the plate and in the field. Playing RF at Fenway is one of the toughest defensive gigs in all of baseball but I think Drew will eventually be up to the challenge. And he’ll certainly be better than Trot Nixon has been recently. I love Trot, but his immobility really started to turn him into a defensive liability at the end. There’s a lot of pressure on Drew to play stellar defense and hit fifth in the order. I think he’s up to the task.
19. I cannot say a bad word about Jason Varitek. I know that we overpaid on his contract, and I know that 35 year old catchers don’t normally produce much. But if there is anyone that can bounce back, it’s Tek. His 2006 stat line was brutal: a career low batting average and basically the worst production across the board since he got hurt in 2001. But honestly, I don’t care. He will be better, and his handling of our pitching staff just doesn’t show up in the box score. Bat him eighth, give him more days off, whatever. He’s The Captain for a reason. Tek will be fine.
20. There really isn’t a lot to say about David Ortiz that hasn’t been said. His clutch performances are outright ridiculous and the guy is just more fun to watch than probably any Red Sox player I’ve ever seen. It also looks like he slimmed down a little in the off season, so maybe he is wise to the Mo Vaughn comparisons, thank god. Papi will hit 60 bombs and win the MVP this year. Book it.
1. Curt Schilling. I still think that the Sox will get something done with Curt before season’s end if they do want to bring him back for 2008. $13 million for a guy like that is suddenly a bargain in the post-Gil Meche market, but I can also certainly understand why they might want to see him in action before shelling out guaranteed cash for a 40 year old beefy right-hander that has been less than his ace-line self the past two seasons. If Curt has a strong spring and start to the season, I think Theo gets the deal inked, despite the current talk.
2. Will Josh Beckett turn the corner? Last year was an interesting one for him, as he tallied career highs in several key categories despite being pretty inconsistent, surprisingly wild, and susceptible to the long ball. The bottom line is that pitching in the AL East is a far cry from some of the AAAA rosters Beckett got to feast on in Florida. Hoping for a sub-4 ERA just might be too much to ask, but I do think his numbers will be stronger across the board with one year in Boston under his belt. Indications are already good that Beckett looks stellar in camp, spotting his fastball well and lower in the zone. That’s a good sign.
3. Welcome, Daisuke Matsuzaka. Ahh, Dice-K. I really love this guy already. His attitude seems phenomenal and the absurd media coverage doesn’t seem to faze him a bit. I was ecstatic when we got him and I think he’s going to be every bit as good as people hope…and even better. I say that he wins 20+ games and the Cy Young. And he’ll be exciting as hell to watch.
4. Jonathan Papelbon’s transition to the rotation is one of the key moves of the Sox off-season, mainly because it leaves such a glaring hole at the back of the bullpen. The Sox have entered the season without a closer as recently as 2003 and that didn’t exactly work out like anyone hoped it would. I’d love to keep Paps as the closer and I’m sketchy about the medical diagnosis. Is throwing three to four times as many innings really going to be better for his shoulder? I won’t be surprised at all if he ends up back in the pen. I’d welcome the move.
5. Tim Wakefield. Last year was a rare down season for the ageless knuckleballer. Will he revert to his usual form? Granted, he’s about as solid a fifth starter as anybody’s got these days. But if he can just bounce back to his 2005-level stats—33 starts, 225 innings—then the Sox are in really, really good shape.
6. Is Joel Piniero closer material? I honestly have no idea at this point, and this is exactly the kind of storyline that can get blown out of control one way or the other based on what he does in March. If he starts lighting it up and striking out a bunch of AAAA non-prospects, then everyone will get fired up and rave about the brilliance of the signing. But if he gets lit up just a couple of times, Shaughnessy and the other jackals will be crucifying him before the season even starts. Tough spot here. He doesn’t feel like a closer to me, but stranger things have happened.
7. Mike Timlin is the most reliable veteran arm we have in the bullpen but he really took a step backward last season. Most people attribute some of the trouble to his pitching in the WBC, and that could certainly be the case. He’s a warrior and we’re counting on him to have an important role in the pen this year but he’s not getting any younger. If last season’s stat line becomes the status quo or, worse, Timlin continues to slide, it could cause some real problems early in the season.
8. What’s the deal with Craig Hansen? There was so much hype about this guy coming out of St. John’s that my expectations were set way too high, but I’m not the only one. His brief minor league numbers were ridiculously good and insiders made it seem like just a matter of time before Hansen turned into vintage Robb Nen. Right now it seems like he is destined to start the year in Pawtucket but we’re going to need him to contribute, and soon.
9. Manny Delcarmen had a weird year last season, and those who look really closely at the numbers seems to think that he was basically unlucky, with an inordinately high batting average on balls in play number. His other peripherals were great across the board (almost a 3-1 Ks to BB ratio, nearly 1 K/IP, and only 2 HRs allowed all year). I think he makes the team coming out of camp and grabs a key role, probably as a go-to guy in the 7th and 8th innings.
10. Hideki Okajima is often forgotten thanks to all the hype that his fellow countryman is drawing, and that’s probably fine. From the few clips I’ve seen of him on YouTube, it seems like Okaji is going to be a great situational lefty out of the pen, a guy that can really eat up lefties. His curveball looks fantastic. He might be a sleeper candidate for closer, if only because major leaguers haven’t seen him yet, and that worked for the Dodgers and unheralded Takashi Saito last season (6-2, 24 saves, 2.07 ERA, 107 Ks in 78.1 IP).
11. Jon Lester seems like his comeback is right on track, and it’s impossible not to pull for the guy after what he went through last season. He’s another guy probably bound for the Pawtucket-to-Boston-and-back shuttle, but if he is really healthy and all the way back he’ll be the first guy we call on when a starter goes down. And if last year taught us anything, it’s that there is no such thing as too much starting pitching. He’ll be in the rotation for good by this time next season.
12. Kevin Youkilis stepped in to the starting lineup and stayed there, but his production really fell off in the second half (.245 avg. from July on). Reports say that he is in much better shape in order to withstand the rigors of the long season, and that’s good, because he is a key piece of the batting order. He deserves credit for doing whatever Tito asked of him during the Titanicesque 2006 swoon, including playing LF when he was banged up and had no business being on the field. I’d like to see him at leadoff or in the #2 hole because his OBP is so good. If we end up swinging a deal for Todd Helton, then Youks slides over to 3B. If not, then he’ll give us solid production at the right price at 1B. His glove work last year was a nice surprise too.
13. Dustin Pedroia is getting every shot at the starting 2B job this spring and I think he’s going to grab it. Granted, I’m a little biased since he’s an ASU guy, but his attitude is just great…David Eckstein is the comparison most people make, and that guy just won his second ring and a World Series MVP. If Pedroia gets there and he’s our #9 hitter, then our lineup will be in great shape. Pedroia apparently worked out like crazy in the off-season, shedding around 20 pounds. My only concern is that Shaughnessy and the other buzzards will pounce if Pedroia has a slow start. And if anything truly bad happens, we’ve got Cora waiting in the wings.
14. Julio Lugo was one of our big winter free agent signings and steps in at SS. He’s been an underrated player for a long time and he should really flourish at the top of this order. I figure he’ll easily set a career high in runs (his best is 93) no matter where he hits in the lineup. He’ll also knock double-digit homers and swipe a few bags. I’ll miss the A-Gonz defense, but Lugo is a great fit.
15. Mike Lowell just needs to match what he did last season: .284-20-80 with very solid defense. This came as kind of a surprise to some after Lowell’s career-worst 2005 season. If a Helton deal materializes, he’ll almost certainly be a piece of it. If not, he should bat 6th or 7th most nights and be a solid part of this team.
16. I love Manny Ramirez, and I don’t understand why the rabid Boston media continues to try to construct stories where none exist. He is what he is. Everyone knows what to expect: a flaky attitude, a late arrival to camp, a mini-drama in the middle of the season, another one towards the end of the year…oh, and .300-35-120 and a first ballot election to the Hall of Fame. It’s that last part that counts. Initially the phrase “Manny being Manny” was crafted to try to explain his space cadet behavior, but I think at this point it just sums up the whole package. I don’t think there is another right handed outfielder in the league that I’d rather have. Batting fourth, and contending for the MVP…Manny Ramirez.
17. Coco Crisp is my pick for Red Sox comeback player of the year. The finger injury clearly hampered him all year after he came back, but I think people are underestimating what he can mean to this team. I especially like the talk of batting him lower in the order, because taking the pressure off of him leading off could help, plus he’ll get a lot more opportunities to steal bases in the lower third of the order. Sure, his arm in centerfield leaves a little bit to be desired but the same thing can be said about the most recent former resident of that position, and we did alright with that long haired, bearded freak. Coco, we believe. He’ll post a monster line in 2007.
18. Sportswriters love to talk about how JD Drew and Boston just aren’t the right fit, and maybe they’re not. What I do know is that Drew has pure talent and if he can stay on the field he’ll be a big upgrade for us both at the plate and in the field. Playing RF at Fenway is one of the toughest defensive gigs in all of baseball but I think Drew will eventually be up to the challenge. And he’ll certainly be better than Trot Nixon has been recently. I love Trot, but his immobility really started to turn him into a defensive liability at the end. There’s a lot of pressure on Drew to play stellar defense and hit fifth in the order. I think he’s up to the task.
19. I cannot say a bad word about Jason Varitek. I know that we overpaid on his contract, and I know that 35 year old catchers don’t normally produce much. But if there is anyone that can bounce back, it’s Tek. His 2006 stat line was brutal: a career low batting average and basically the worst production across the board since he got hurt in 2001. But honestly, I don’t care. He will be better, and his handling of our pitching staff just doesn’t show up in the box score. Bat him eighth, give him more days off, whatever. He’s The Captain for a reason. Tek will be fine.
20. There really isn’t a lot to say about David Ortiz that hasn’t been said. His clutch performances are outright ridiculous and the guy is just more fun to watch than probably any Red Sox player I’ve ever seen. It also looks like he slimmed down a little in the off season, so maybe he is wise to the Mo Vaughn comparisons, thank god. Papi will hit 60 bombs and win the MVP this year. Book it.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Not-so-Super wrap up
The best thing about that Super Bowl was that I went 5-for-6 on my bets, losing only the first TD scorer wager (which clinched me another bet at the same time). The game was fairly decent for a while but it didn't seem especially memorable in any way. Of course I'm clearly biased now, as any non-Patriots Super Bowl feels that way. But didn't Peyton Manning seem less than enthused when it was all over? Dude, you just won the Super Bowl...enjoy it! Crack a smile, fist pump, yell, scream, show some emotion. That made me like him even less. Whatever. The Pats will be back in the Bowl next season.
Ten days until pitchers and catchers report. I can't wait for the annual Boston media coverage of the truck leaving town with the equipment.
Ten days until pitchers and catchers report. I can't wait for the annual Boston media coverage of the truck leaving town with the equipment.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Super Bowl XLI wagers
Thomas Jones OVER 87.5 combined rushing/receiving yards
Thomas Jones to score first TD (6-1)
There will be a defensive or special teams TD (3-2)
Rex Grossman OVER 17.5 completions
First offensive play of game will be more than 28.5 yards from goal line
TEASER: BEARS +14 and game total under 53.5
GO BEARS!
Thomas Jones to score first TD (6-1)
There will be a defensive or special teams TD (3-2)
Rex Grossman OVER 17.5 completions
First offensive play of game will be more than 28.5 yards from goal line
TEASER: BEARS +14 and game total under 53.5
GO BEARS!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
A tale of two teams
What a game for the Patriots on Sunday. I almost felt bad for the Chargers, watching them give the game away in such painful fashion...until they started bitching about it like spoiled little children. Get over it. I love that they tried to accuse the Patriots of lacking class for making fun of a stupid sack dance that is absolutely classless in the first place. Merriman is a cheater and a punk and I'm glad that we got to shove it in his face a little bit. Meanwhile, Landanian Tomlinson is getting a pass on the whole thing because he is "a good guy" and "a class act." But is he really? Ladanian, you got beat. Get over it and get over yourself.
So we've got Pats-Colts again, and obviously the Patriots are going to win this one too. I feel a little bit bad for Peyton Mannning because the national media, and maybe even his own fans, are going to really crush the guy if he loses this week. This one should be another tight game, probably going down to the fourth quarter just like last week. I think that Brady will have a better game, the running game will be a little more successful, and the defense will do enough to contain the Colts offense, which just hasn't been as explosive lately. Pats win by six, sealing the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter.
As for the Super Bowl potential match ups, I'm torn. If the Pats were to lose then I definitely want the Saints to win. But if we do take care of business then I'd almost feel bad about having to beat New Orleans in the Super Bowl. We'd be the clear-cut villains in that scenario and it would be a little weird. So I almost hope that the Bears get in so we can just slap them around.
At the other end of the spectrum is the drama around the Arkansas Razorbacks, who lost their offensive coordinator and their freshman QB this week. It's absurd. Mitch Mustain was the best high school player in the country, a prospect so good that Arkansas wisely hired his old high school coach just to secure the guy. And the coach in question, Gus Malzahn, opened things up and finally gave Razorback fans something to get excited about. Mustain was 8-0 as a starter during the great run the Hogs had...and then somehow it all went wrong. Idiot head coach Houston Nutt benched Mustain and reigned in Malzahn's play-calling duties. WHY? I have no idea. Now Malzahn has bolted to Tulsa of all places, with Mustain probably following him out the door. I'm not really a Hogs fan yet but as somebody who has started to go to games and follow the team, this is simply tragic. Does this mean that 2007 will be a return to the completely predicatable offense that drove fans crazy before? My wife, a diehard Razorback fan, now hopes that everything falls apart next season just so the school will have to fire Nutt. It's a sad state of affairs but that might be the best thing that could happen. What a mess.
So we've got Pats-Colts again, and obviously the Patriots are going to win this one too. I feel a little bit bad for Peyton Mannning because the national media, and maybe even his own fans, are going to really crush the guy if he loses this week. This one should be another tight game, probably going down to the fourth quarter just like last week. I think that Brady will have a better game, the running game will be a little more successful, and the defense will do enough to contain the Colts offense, which just hasn't been as explosive lately. Pats win by six, sealing the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter.
As for the Super Bowl potential match ups, I'm torn. If the Pats were to lose then I definitely want the Saints to win. But if we do take care of business then I'd almost feel bad about having to beat New Orleans in the Super Bowl. We'd be the clear-cut villains in that scenario and it would be a little weird. So I almost hope that the Bears get in so we can just slap them around.
At the other end of the spectrum is the drama around the Arkansas Razorbacks, who lost their offensive coordinator and their freshman QB this week. It's absurd. Mitch Mustain was the best high school player in the country, a prospect so good that Arkansas wisely hired his old high school coach just to secure the guy. And the coach in question, Gus Malzahn, opened things up and finally gave Razorback fans something to get excited about. Mustain was 8-0 as a starter during the great run the Hogs had...and then somehow it all went wrong. Idiot head coach Houston Nutt benched Mustain and reigned in Malzahn's play-calling duties. WHY? I have no idea. Now Malzahn has bolted to Tulsa of all places, with Mustain probably following him out the door. I'm not really a Hogs fan yet but as somebody who has started to go to games and follow the team, this is simply tragic. Does this mean that 2007 will be a return to the completely predicatable offense that drove fans crazy before? My wife, a diehard Razorback fan, now hopes that everything falls apart next season just so the school will have to fire Nutt. It's a sad state of affairs but that might be the best thing that could happen. What a mess.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Pats-Bolts
The Patriots game on Sunday should be quite a matchup. All things considered, I think I feel as good about it as I possibly could when going on the road to face a #1 seed with a 14-2 record. Obviously the Chargers have a great team, as their roster is littered with Pro Bowl players on both sides of the ball, but the two reasons I think the Pats will pull it out give us a huge advantage: quarterback and coach. Brady's record clearly speaks for itself, while Phillip Rivers will be playing his first ever playoff game. Meanwhile Bill Belichick is the best head coach in the league, whereas Marty Schottenheimer has an all-time playoff record of 5-12 and hasn't won a big game in over a decade. I have faith that Belichick will find a defensive scheme to get the job done and that Brady will lead the offense to a solid win. Pats by 7.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Holiday leftovers
* Dad's famous baked stuffed shrimp for Christmas Eve dinner were maybe the best ever. He made two kinds, including one with some fancy (read: expensive) Italian bread crumbs. I thought they tasted a little better, but then again I doubt I could have told the difference in a blind taste test. Dessert was a ridiculously good peppermint-chocolate trifle that mom made.
* Christmas dinner: prime rib. Awesome.
* Christmas Day: great fun with the whole family.
Except we picked up some terrible head cold from the kids...which seems to happen a lot. It got worse the following weekend, when we went back up to Memphis and then on to Nashville for the Patriots-Titans game. The morning of the game I was so stuffed up that I literally couldn't sleep--a huge rarity for me--and ended up roaming the streets at 6 AM looking for anything that might help. I got some Sudafed and juice at a nearby Courtyard Marriot mini-store. Luckily I actually felt better at the game, which was a blast. We had seats in a very cool handicap accessible section which gave us extra leg room. Our entire row seemed to be Pats fans.
Back in Little Rock, we went to the doctor on Tuesday and Beth and I have been on antibiotics ever since. Usually when I get a bad cold it sucks for 3-4 days and then it's done but this one is just lingering. Today is the last day of the meds but I'm still not all the way healthy yet. More pills next week? Who knows.
I finally got a PS3...or at least I ordered one. I had to get it at Best Buy, thanks to generous family members that loaded me up with gift cards there for both my birthday and Christmas. I still haven't actually seen a 60 gig version in a store but they had them available to order at Best Buy on-line yesterday so mine should be here next week, probably on Tuesday. Game and Blu-Ray reviews to follow.
I think the Pats will handle the Jets well on Sunday. All they need to do is take away the short passing game and they should roll and I have complete confidence that Belichick will find a way to do so. I think Laurence Maroney is going to have a huge game too.
Beth and I powered through the final season of "Alias" on DVD during our joint sick time. She had actually seen them all already but I went in cold, only knowing that it was the final year. I found it odd that the creator of the show, JJ Abrams, seemingly had almost nothing to do with the last year, not even the final episode. I know he was busy off making MI:3, but still...do you think he just sat down and watched the finale on TV? I wonder what he thought? Kind of strange.
Good TV starts back up in January, including 24. This will be the first time that I watch a whole season on TV during its initial run. I don't know if I'll like that. This shows seems perfect for DVD, but I'll see how it goes.
That's about it from here. I hope everyone is doing well in the new year.
* Christmas dinner: prime rib. Awesome.
* Christmas Day: great fun with the whole family.
Except we picked up some terrible head cold from the kids...which seems to happen a lot. It got worse the following weekend, when we went back up to Memphis and then on to Nashville for the Patriots-Titans game. The morning of the game I was so stuffed up that I literally couldn't sleep--a huge rarity for me--and ended up roaming the streets at 6 AM looking for anything that might help. I got some Sudafed and juice at a nearby Courtyard Marriot mini-store. Luckily I actually felt better at the game, which was a blast. We had seats in a very cool handicap accessible section which gave us extra leg room. Our entire row seemed to be Pats fans.
Back in Little Rock, we went to the doctor on Tuesday and Beth and I have been on antibiotics ever since. Usually when I get a bad cold it sucks for 3-4 days and then it's done but this one is just lingering. Today is the last day of the meds but I'm still not all the way healthy yet. More pills next week? Who knows.
I finally got a PS3...or at least I ordered one. I had to get it at Best Buy, thanks to generous family members that loaded me up with gift cards there for both my birthday and Christmas. I still haven't actually seen a 60 gig version in a store but they had them available to order at Best Buy on-line yesterday so mine should be here next week, probably on Tuesday. Game and Blu-Ray reviews to follow.
I think the Pats will handle the Jets well on Sunday. All they need to do is take away the short passing game and they should roll and I have complete confidence that Belichick will find a way to do so. I think Laurence Maroney is going to have a huge game too.
Beth and I powered through the final season of "Alias" on DVD during our joint sick time. She had actually seen them all already but I went in cold, only knowing that it was the final year. I found it odd that the creator of the show, JJ Abrams, seemingly had almost nothing to do with the last year, not even the final episode. I know he was busy off making MI:3, but still...do you think he just sat down and watched the finale on TV? I wonder what he thought? Kind of strange.
Good TV starts back up in January, including 24. This will be the first time that I watch a whole season on TV during its initial run. I don't know if I'll like that. This shows seems perfect for DVD, but I'll see how it goes.
That's about it from here. I hope everyone is doing well in the new year.
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