ASU beats Washington to advance to the Pac-10 Tournament Championship game.
The Red Sox thump the Yanks in a prime time Grapefruit League tilt...which is obviously meaningless, but Big Papi and Mike Lowell went yard, which is definitely not.
And there is word that Friday Night Lights may get renewed for not one, but two more seasons!
That's just a good day all around. And tomorrow is AJ's birthday party and in five days I'm off to Arizona for the annual boys trip. Good times.
Showing posts with label ASU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ASU. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2009
Monday, January 05, 2009
28 awesome things from 2008
There are always tons of "best of" lists right around New Year's Day. Here is one more. Instead of a Top 10, or a Top 100, or anything so rigid and structured, here are just 28 things from 2008 that were awesome. They are not comprehensive, and they are not in any order. But they are awesome.
- Season four of Lost, especially on Blu-Ray.
- The 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics.
- The Dark Knight, especially Heath Ledger's brilliant performance.
- Season three of Dexter.
- Metallica: Death Magnetic and LIVE at Alltel Arena.
- Dustin Pedroia: Sun Devil, Red Sock, and AL MVP.
- Iron Man.
- Tropic Thunder.
- The Robert Downey Jr. resurgence in general.
- Rock Band 2.
- My second straight Chatham Bluefish Diamond Mind baseball championship.
- Scream Queens on VH1.
- Terra Naomi's acoustic hair band covers.
- The fact that a new GNR album actually came out, and it's good.
- Friday Night Lights, and the fact that it is still on TV at all.
- Survivor and The Amazing Race still being fairly entertaining.
- Pretty much everything AJ McC does, including his hilarious exploding vocabulary.
- Sierra Mist Free Cranberry Splash. Try some with vodka and thank me later.
- ZaZa pizza in Little Rock. The huge high heat woodburning oven is the key.
- The fact that a new movie theatre (with an Imax screen) opened right down the street, even if I don't get to go there as often as I'd like.
- That a guy who kind of rocks won American Idol.
- The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly.
- Tina Fey, both on 30 Rock and SNL.
- Van Halen LIVE at Alltel Arena.
- Catching my first Red Sox game in way too long, with a rooftop table under the Budwesier sign.
- Two Vegas trips, an AZ fire up, and a Cape Cod vacation (with the Boston trip in the middle of it).
- Lots of cool shows on the Food Network. Seriously.
- WiiFit.
- 18-1. Still pisses me off.
- The ASU football season. An entirely different kind of letdown.
- The Sox losing game 7 of the ALCS when they clearly could have been champs again if just a couple of guys stayed healthy.
- Watching shitty teams flounder in the 2008 NFL playoffs while the superior Patriots sit at home. Sickening.
- The economy, including our old house still being on the market.
- The disgusting New York Yankees offseason spending spree.
- Heroes. Season one started great, and since then it's been pretty bad. And yet, I continue to watch.
- The complete tabloidization of the American media. Didn't CNN used to be a respected news outlet? Now they are People magazine with some news thrown in. Go ahead, check the website right now. What's on there? A video of Harrison Ford getting his chest waxed, apparently. And network news shows are just as bad. I cannot do it. I basically hate the news, now. I really do. Thankfully technology exists that lets me consume only what I want, for the most part. Okay. Rant over. I hope everyone has a great 2009.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tough run
Saturday: Sun Devils get shut out by USC.
Saturday night: The Red Sox lose in extra innings, partially due to at least three horrible calls that all went Tampa's way.
Sunday night: The Patriots get crushed in San Diego.
Monday: The Red Sox get blown out at home with their best pitcher on the hill.
Oh, and my money league fantasy team just lost by one point on a meaningless carry on Monday night and my starting QB that has been my best player is out for a month.
This was a particularly brutal stretch. I haven't had many bad runs like this lately and I almost forgot how much it sucks.
Saturday night: The Red Sox lose in extra innings, partially due to at least three horrible calls that all went Tampa's way.
Sunday night: The Patriots get crushed in San Diego.
Monday: The Red Sox get blown out at home with their best pitcher on the hill.
Oh, and my money league fantasy team just lost by one point on a meaningless carry on Monday night and my starting QB that has been my best player is out for a month.
This was a particularly brutal stretch. I haven't had many bad runs like this lately and I almost forgot how much it sucks.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
2007 Lists
The end of the year seems to prompt everyone to write all sorts of different "best of" and "worst of" lists. I figured I'd do the same thing. However, for many of these, I prefer to use the term "my favorite," since that is really all anyone's list is. Who is to say a movie is "better" than another movie? Anyway...
MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2007
I need to preface this by saying that since the little addition to our family came along in March, my movie attendance rate has plummeted a staggering amount. I almost never get to the theatre anymore, which means that I have not seen most of the late-year awards bait flicks that will grace most other "best of" lists. Netflix is now my dear friend. So...
5. Ratatouille. It's smart, it's cute, it's fun, and, as all Pixar movies do, it looks phenomenal. I've only watched it once so far and my only quibble is that it feels about 10-15 minutes too long. However, it's already in the collection and I eagerly look forward to watching this with A.J. in the not-too-distant future.
4. Live Free or Die Hard. Maybe it's because I was able to keep my expectations low, but this flick totally delivered on every level. If you're going to see a Diehard movie in 2007, this is exactly what you're looking for. Sure, some of the action set pieces go ridiculously over the top in the third act (*cough* JET *cough*) but it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. Thank you, John McClane.
3. Superbad. And this actually might be #1, but I need to see it a few more times and see how its rewatchability compares to the top choice on my list. But this is a hilarious movie. Absolutely genius. I'm just happy that we live in a world where a movie like this can make $100 million. There's not enough good I can say about Judd Apatow and the movies he is involved with right now. He is making the world a better, funnier, more enjoyable place.
2. The Bourne Ultimatum. This is potentially the only trilogy in which each subsequent movie is better than the last one. Despite not getting to see it in the theatre, my expectations were really high and it came through on all levels. The story is compelling, the direction and editing is flawless, and Matt Damon is just so great it's ridiculous. His Jason Bourne is truly one of the great characters of the new millennium. Bourne would kick Jack Bauer's ass before that CTU flunky had a chance to whip out his uber-PDA and text for help. Bourne would pummel James Bond, to answer a question that apparently was posed to Damon frequently on the press junket circuit. Hell, Bourne could even take Batman. I see him ripping off the Dark Knight's cowl and beating him senseless before he knew what hit him. This is a guy who kicks ass with a rolled-up magazine, for god's sake, and completely makes you buy it. Long live Jason Bourne.
1. Knocked Up. Apatow again, naturally. I love this movie. I love that Seth Rogen can be the leading man in a huge box office success. I love Apatow's entire stable of go-to guys, including Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill. I love Katherine Heigl, although I love her a little bit less after her ridiculous negative comments about her experience on this blockbuster smash movie. I give this one the #1 slot because I think it will hold up and remain a movie that I revisit again and again.
NOT IN MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES:
300. Yeah, it looks cool. That's it. Tepid script, cardboard characters, and terrible acting-slash-horrible direction choices. Thoroughly underwhelming.
Ocean's 13. They're killing me with these sequels. It's not as atrocious as 12, thank god, but it comes nowhere near the perfection of the original. I had high hopes for this--Julia Roberts thankfully gone, Pacino as a baddie, a screenplay by the "Rounders" guys...and yet it falls painfully flat. Either this franchise is done, or 14 will have to be something incredible. I don't know which I want at this point.
Ghost Rider. AWFUL. Yes, I am complaining about the quality of a movie in which Nic Cage plays a comic book character who rides a motorcycle while his head bursts into a flaming skull. Somehow, they managed to cock this up enough to make it boring. This was a Netflix rental and I almost couldn't get through it. I think I watched an "extended" edition, and that only made matters worse. This was my worst movie watching experience of 2007.
MY FIVE FAVORITE HOUR LONG SCRIPTED TV SHOWS OF 2007
5. Lost. Season three was a vast improvement over the maddening season two. I just re-watched season three again (thanks, Netflix) and I really enjoyed it the second time around...maybe even more than through the first run. I picked up little bits and pieces I may have missed and it also looks absolutely gorgeous on Blu-Ray. The big twist in the season finale is brilliant and I really can't wait to see what they have in store for season four.
4. The Sopranos. I loved the ending. I also think that Tony survived. I think I'm in the minority on both counts.
3. Chuck. I raved about this show pretty early on and I'm sticking with that call, as it is easily my favorite new show. I love everything about it, actually. I really hope that the strike doesn't do anything to mess this up, as NBC really needs to keep this one around.
2. Dexter. I had my concerns about season two, but the show completely delivered, taking the story in unpredictable directions and making the lead character even more interesting in the process. If you have never watched the show, start with the season one DVD. I hear that CBS is going to run an edited version of season one and I just cannot see how this show has any chance to succeed under those circumstances, on network TV. Clearly the strike is making people desperate, but I see no good coming of this. Don't watch that version, and don't let anyone else do it either. Hold out for the real thing.
1. Studio 60 (RIP). It's still hard for me to come to grips with the fact that this got canned after one season. Look around at some of the stuff that's on right now. And I don't even mean the reality shows, although those are getting more ridiculous than ever, and we're seemingly just weeks away from seeing some of the stuff in "The Running Man" come true. Climbing for Dollars, anyone? But honestly, this show was just too good. It got better in the spring, and ended on a beautiful roll...and NBC still bagged it. Smart writing, an amazing cast, great acting, compelling characters, engrossing stories...I just don't get it. How did this "fail?" I'm pained.
MY FIVE FAVORITE SCRIPTED HALF HOUR TV SHOWS OF 2007
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm. All told, this was probably Curb's weakest season and it still ranks as one of the funniest shows on TV. Larry hosted a family of hurricane survivors (named the Black family, of course) and while I wasn't sure if this was a device that could last a whole season, it worked very well. The season finale was especially solid.
4. Entourage. Once again, not its best season. But still thoroughly entertaining. The premiere was shot like a behind-the-scenes documentary during the making of Medellin and I really thought that was a cool idea done well. However, there were way too many side plots about Ari's family. Nobody tuning in wants a B story about his kids' private school, sorry.
3. Californication. Wildly entertaining. Duchovny really goes for it and he is incredibly fun to watch. I have no idea what they have planned for a second season, but I'm just happy that there is going to be one.
2. The Office. In hindsight, starting off this fall with a series of super-sized episodes was a terrible choice. First, they could have done regular half hours and had more fresh shows ready with the strike looming. Secondly, and more importantly, the hour-longs were just bloated and not as funny. It's still a brilliant show, but a couple of missteps knock it down to #2.
1. 30 Rock. I didn't watch this from the start, but once I picked up season one on DVD I was absolutely hooked. Tina Fey is great and Alec Baldwin is ridiculously funny. This show is great and it keeps getting better.
MY FIVE FAVORITE UNSCRIPTED SHOWS OF 2007
5. Survivor
4. The Biggest Loser
3. Rock of Love With Bret Michaels (maybe the most ridiculous show on TV)
2. Dinner: Impossible
1. The Amazing Race
honorable mention, since it is a game show: Duel. Loved it.
MY FAVORITE POKER ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2007
I didn't really play a lot of serious poker in 2007, so I only have two even worth mentioning: I won a 90 man No Limit tournament on Full Tilt early in the year, and I made the final table and cashed in the only live tourney I played all year, at the Gold Strike in Tunica.
MY FIVE FAVORITE SPORTS MOMENTS OF 2007
5. The Chatham Bluefish win the SWBA. Okay, you probably missed this one, since the team and the league aren't actually real. So here's the story (geek alert): it is a computer simulation baseball league that I'm in using software called Diamond Mind, which is an incredibly realistic baseball sim program. I joined the league five years ago, taking over a mediocre team and rebuilding it entirely. This is a hardcore league, with tough rules for bad teams since every team gets to keep their entire roster from one year to the next. So for five years, I have been building this team through the draft, selecting rookies such as Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon. This year it all came to fruition, as my hand-crafted club stormed through the regular season with 110 wins, and then fought through three epic postseason series to claim the crown. It was awesome.
4. ASU football wins ten games under new coach Dennis Erickson. I really think he can take us to the next level, and this was a great first step.
3. The Boston Celtics become relevant again and roar out to the best start in the league.
2. The Red Sox win the World Series. Wow. How can this possibly only be number two?
1. The New England Patriots have the greatest season and the best football team OF ALL TIME. 16 down, three to go.
MY THREE FAVORITE ROAD TRIPS OF 2007
3. Arizona in September for ASU-CU. I was there for about 36 hours but I had a blast.
2. Las Vegas in October for Kev's surprise wedding. A great time with great friends.
1. The Whiffleball shoot in Chatham, May-June. One of the best months of my life.
That's probably enough lists. 2007 was quite a year.
MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2007
I need to preface this by saying that since the little addition to our family came along in March, my movie attendance rate has plummeted a staggering amount. I almost never get to the theatre anymore, which means that I have not seen most of the late-year awards bait flicks that will grace most other "best of" lists. Netflix is now my dear friend. So...
5. Ratatouille. It's smart, it's cute, it's fun, and, as all Pixar movies do, it looks phenomenal. I've only watched it once so far and my only quibble is that it feels about 10-15 minutes too long. However, it's already in the collection and I eagerly look forward to watching this with A.J. in the not-too-distant future.
4. Live Free or Die Hard. Maybe it's because I was able to keep my expectations low, but this flick totally delivered on every level. If you're going to see a Diehard movie in 2007, this is exactly what you're looking for. Sure, some of the action set pieces go ridiculously over the top in the third act (*cough* JET *cough*) but it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. Thank you, John McClane.
3. Superbad. And this actually might be #1, but I need to see it a few more times and see how its rewatchability compares to the top choice on my list. But this is a hilarious movie. Absolutely genius. I'm just happy that we live in a world where a movie like this can make $100 million. There's not enough good I can say about Judd Apatow and the movies he is involved with right now. He is making the world a better, funnier, more enjoyable place.
2. The Bourne Ultimatum. This is potentially the only trilogy in which each subsequent movie is better than the last one. Despite not getting to see it in the theatre, my expectations were really high and it came through on all levels. The story is compelling, the direction and editing is flawless, and Matt Damon is just so great it's ridiculous. His Jason Bourne is truly one of the great characters of the new millennium. Bourne would kick Jack Bauer's ass before that CTU flunky had a chance to whip out his uber-PDA and text for help. Bourne would pummel James Bond, to answer a question that apparently was posed to Damon frequently on the press junket circuit. Hell, Bourne could even take Batman. I see him ripping off the Dark Knight's cowl and beating him senseless before he knew what hit him. This is a guy who kicks ass with a rolled-up magazine, for god's sake, and completely makes you buy it. Long live Jason Bourne.
1. Knocked Up. Apatow again, naturally. I love this movie. I love that Seth Rogen can be the leading man in a huge box office success. I love Apatow's entire stable of go-to guys, including Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill. I love Katherine Heigl, although I love her a little bit less after her ridiculous negative comments about her experience on this blockbuster smash movie. I give this one the #1 slot because I think it will hold up and remain a movie that I revisit again and again.
NOT IN MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES:
300. Yeah, it looks cool. That's it. Tepid script, cardboard characters, and terrible acting-slash-horrible direction choices. Thoroughly underwhelming.
Ocean's 13. They're killing me with these sequels. It's not as atrocious as 12, thank god, but it comes nowhere near the perfection of the original. I had high hopes for this--Julia Roberts thankfully gone, Pacino as a baddie, a screenplay by the "Rounders" guys...and yet it falls painfully flat. Either this franchise is done, or 14 will have to be something incredible. I don't know which I want at this point.
Ghost Rider. AWFUL. Yes, I am complaining about the quality of a movie in which Nic Cage plays a comic book character who rides a motorcycle while his head bursts into a flaming skull. Somehow, they managed to cock this up enough to make it boring. This was a Netflix rental and I almost couldn't get through it. I think I watched an "extended" edition, and that only made matters worse. This was my worst movie watching experience of 2007.
MY FIVE FAVORITE HOUR LONG SCRIPTED TV SHOWS OF 2007
5. Lost. Season three was a vast improvement over the maddening season two. I just re-watched season three again (thanks, Netflix) and I really enjoyed it the second time around...maybe even more than through the first run. I picked up little bits and pieces I may have missed and it also looks absolutely gorgeous on Blu-Ray. The big twist in the season finale is brilliant and I really can't wait to see what they have in store for season four.
4. The Sopranos. I loved the ending. I also think that Tony survived. I think I'm in the minority on both counts.
3. Chuck. I raved about this show pretty early on and I'm sticking with that call, as it is easily my favorite new show. I love everything about it, actually. I really hope that the strike doesn't do anything to mess this up, as NBC really needs to keep this one around.
2. Dexter. I had my concerns about season two, but the show completely delivered, taking the story in unpredictable directions and making the lead character even more interesting in the process. If you have never watched the show, start with the season one DVD. I hear that CBS is going to run an edited version of season one and I just cannot see how this show has any chance to succeed under those circumstances, on network TV. Clearly the strike is making people desperate, but I see no good coming of this. Don't watch that version, and don't let anyone else do it either. Hold out for the real thing.
1. Studio 60 (RIP). It's still hard for me to come to grips with the fact that this got canned after one season. Look around at some of the stuff that's on right now. And I don't even mean the reality shows, although those are getting more ridiculous than ever, and we're seemingly just weeks away from seeing some of the stuff in "The Running Man" come true. Climbing for Dollars, anyone? But honestly, this show was just too good. It got better in the spring, and ended on a beautiful roll...and NBC still bagged it. Smart writing, an amazing cast, great acting, compelling characters, engrossing stories...I just don't get it. How did this "fail?" I'm pained.
MY FIVE FAVORITE SCRIPTED HALF HOUR TV SHOWS OF 2007
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm. All told, this was probably Curb's weakest season and it still ranks as one of the funniest shows on TV. Larry hosted a family of hurricane survivors (named the Black family, of course) and while I wasn't sure if this was a device that could last a whole season, it worked very well. The season finale was especially solid.
4. Entourage. Once again, not its best season. But still thoroughly entertaining. The premiere was shot like a behind-the-scenes documentary during the making of Medellin and I really thought that was a cool idea done well. However, there were way too many side plots about Ari's family. Nobody tuning in wants a B story about his kids' private school, sorry.
3. Californication. Wildly entertaining. Duchovny really goes for it and he is incredibly fun to watch. I have no idea what they have planned for a second season, but I'm just happy that there is going to be one.
2. The Office. In hindsight, starting off this fall with a series of super-sized episodes was a terrible choice. First, they could have done regular half hours and had more fresh shows ready with the strike looming. Secondly, and more importantly, the hour-longs were just bloated and not as funny. It's still a brilliant show, but a couple of missteps knock it down to #2.
1. 30 Rock. I didn't watch this from the start, but once I picked up season one on DVD I was absolutely hooked. Tina Fey is great and Alec Baldwin is ridiculously funny. This show is great and it keeps getting better.
MY FIVE FAVORITE UNSCRIPTED SHOWS OF 2007
5. Survivor
4. The Biggest Loser
3. Rock of Love With Bret Michaels (maybe the most ridiculous show on TV)
2. Dinner: Impossible
1. The Amazing Race
honorable mention, since it is a game show: Duel. Loved it.
MY FAVORITE POKER ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2007
I didn't really play a lot of serious poker in 2007, so I only have two even worth mentioning: I won a 90 man No Limit tournament on Full Tilt early in the year, and I made the final table and cashed in the only live tourney I played all year, at the Gold Strike in Tunica.
MY FIVE FAVORITE SPORTS MOMENTS OF 2007
5. The Chatham Bluefish win the SWBA. Okay, you probably missed this one, since the team and the league aren't actually real. So here's the story (geek alert): it is a computer simulation baseball league that I'm in using software called Diamond Mind, which is an incredibly realistic baseball sim program. I joined the league five years ago, taking over a mediocre team and rebuilding it entirely. This is a hardcore league, with tough rules for bad teams since every team gets to keep their entire roster from one year to the next. So for five years, I have been building this team through the draft, selecting rookies such as Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon. This year it all came to fruition, as my hand-crafted club stormed through the regular season with 110 wins, and then fought through three epic postseason series to claim the crown. It was awesome.
4. ASU football wins ten games under new coach Dennis Erickson. I really think he can take us to the next level, and this was a great first step.
3. The Boston Celtics become relevant again and roar out to the best start in the league.
2. The Red Sox win the World Series. Wow. How can this possibly only be number two?
1. The New England Patriots have the greatest season and the best football team OF ALL TIME. 16 down, three to go.
MY THREE FAVORITE ROAD TRIPS OF 2007
3. Arizona in September for ASU-CU. I was there for about 36 hours but I had a blast.
2. Las Vegas in October for Kev's surprise wedding. A great time with great friends.
1. The Whiffleball shoot in Chatham, May-June. One of the best months of my life.
That's probably enough lists. 2007 was quite a year.
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, December 28, 2005
Post Christmas
We had a great time celebrating Christmas twice. Our visit to Germantown felt very quick, heightened by the fact that we decided to return home on Friday night rather than Saturday morning, but that ended up being a good call on our part. We had finished all of the festivities at the McCandless house and everyone there was exhausted so Beth and I got on the road around midnight. It was great to be able to sleep in our own beds and wake up at home on Christmas Eve as opposed to getting on the road that morning.
I've seen two good movies recently...Walk the Line and Munich. I really enjoyed the Johnny Cash movie despite the fact that I'm certainly not a diehard fan of his music. One of the most amazing things about the film for me was that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon both did all of their own singing and did a fantastic job. This certainly helps keep you in the story of the film, as opposed to taking you out of it thinking "that's not really him." Good movie, well paced, with great performances. Witherspoon was really impressive.
We caught Munich yesterday and it was about what I expected. In fact, I'm not even sure exactly what I think of it yet, but that's probably the intended nature of the film. One thing Spielberg does consistently well is establish a clear, visual tone for his films and this one is no exception. I'm not a huge student of early 70s movies but this one flat-out looks like one. Eric Bana is very good in the lead role, and I was also intrigued by Daniel Craig, an actor that I've heard of but never seen before. I believe that he has been tabbed to be the next James Bond and it is an interesting, unconventional choice. The string of Pierce Brosnan Bond movies were completely underwhelming for me--I haven't even seen all of them and the ones that I did catch blandly run together in my mind. And this is coming from a huge Bond fan, so I hope that picking Craig means that the producers plan to reinvigorate the series. Craig kind of has a young Steve McQueen air to him. Give him the license to kill and get it started!
ASU won their bowl game last night and unfortunately we were subjected to the ever-inane Brent Musberger in the booth. He clearly did no preparation at all because he had no idea what he was talking about the entire time, and the only thread he was able to latch onto was the fact that just being there was a huge accomplishment for Rutgers because they have never won a bowl game before, essentially completely ignoring the rather compelling angle of ASU's freshman quarterback Rudy Carpenter throwing for over 400 yards and leading an offense that nearly tallied 700 yards of total offense in the victory. No, all that Brent and his cohort Gary Danielson could do was go on and on, slurping Rutgers for their huge moral victory. I understand that the Insight Bowl is a janky third-tier game but feel free to pay attention to the game as it develops if you're being paid to sit in the booth.
I'm saving some poker and Red Sox thoughts for later blogs but I've got some stuff to say about both.
I've seen two good movies recently...Walk the Line and Munich. I really enjoyed the Johnny Cash movie despite the fact that I'm certainly not a diehard fan of his music. One of the most amazing things about the film for me was that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon both did all of their own singing and did a fantastic job. This certainly helps keep you in the story of the film, as opposed to taking you out of it thinking "that's not really him." Good movie, well paced, with great performances. Witherspoon was really impressive.
We caught Munich yesterday and it was about what I expected. In fact, I'm not even sure exactly what I think of it yet, but that's probably the intended nature of the film. One thing Spielberg does consistently well is establish a clear, visual tone for his films and this one is no exception. I'm not a huge student of early 70s movies but this one flat-out looks like one. Eric Bana is very good in the lead role, and I was also intrigued by Daniel Craig, an actor that I've heard of but never seen before. I believe that he has been tabbed to be the next James Bond and it is an interesting, unconventional choice. The string of Pierce Brosnan Bond movies were completely underwhelming for me--I haven't even seen all of them and the ones that I did catch blandly run together in my mind. And this is coming from a huge Bond fan, so I hope that picking Craig means that the producers plan to reinvigorate the series. Craig kind of has a young Steve McQueen air to him. Give him the license to kill and get it started!
ASU won their bowl game last night and unfortunately we were subjected to the ever-inane Brent Musberger in the booth. He clearly did no preparation at all because he had no idea what he was talking about the entire time, and the only thread he was able to latch onto was the fact that just being there was a huge accomplishment for Rutgers because they have never won a bowl game before, essentially completely ignoring the rather compelling angle of ASU's freshman quarterback Rudy Carpenter throwing for over 400 yards and leading an offense that nearly tallied 700 yards of total offense in the victory. No, all that Brent and his cohort Gary Danielson could do was go on and on, slurping Rutgers for their huge moral victory. I understand that the Insight Bowl is a janky third-tier game but feel free to pay attention to the game as it develops if you're being paid to sit in the booth.
I'm saving some poker and Red Sox thoughts for later blogs but I've got some stuff to say about both.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Wasted Saturday
Saturday was a complete waste of a day. It all started with the donuts.
At about 11 AM, Beth asked if I wanted some donuts for breakfast before the Sox game started. Of course I did, but I was already in pre-game mode and really didn't want to leave the house. I just turn into a hermit and have no desire to be "out with the people" when I get locked in like that. But we're talking about donuts, so I relented and agreed to make a quick trip with her to Shipley's, which is right down the street. We arrived there and their shelves were absolutely bare, although the sign indicates that they are open until 2 PM, so I'm not exactly sure what they plan to sell for the next three hours. "Come back tomorrow," implores the shopkeeper, as if they are purveyors of some exotic, hard-to-find item. No thanks, we'll go to Krispy Kreme. That trip was pretty uneventful, aside from Beth's fruitless attempt to purchase a gallon of milk there, ordering one at the drive through window. "Do they have gallons?" I asked. Before pulling off, they had forgotten our milk entirely. Beth reminded the girl at the window and then was handed the standard, small bottle of milk. Which is all I figured they had. But whatever.
Sadly, we were not out of the house long enough to kill the entire FOX Sports pre-game show. I'll save most of my venting about the FOX baseball broadcasts for subsequent posts, assuming that I'll be watching more of their horrific product in the weeks to follow. But they are awful. The Red Sox themselves weren't great either, and I could tell from the first inning that we were in trouble. When Tim Wakefield's knuckleball is on, it floats and dances through the strike zone, causing many missed swings by batters. That just wasn't happening. From the top of the first, the Yanks were getting good wood on the ball. The Sox battled back a couple of times but just couldn't break through against Randy Johnson when they needed to, and thus we're left with a shot at the wild card berth. We can wrap that up with a win on Sunday or a Cleveland loss. It won't be as satisfying as winning the division would have been, but I'll take it. And thankfully, Sunday's game will be on NESN. Last one of the season.
Game two of my personal double-header was the ASU-USC game. I had the mildest of hopes that the Devils could actually pull off an upset against the Trojan juggernaut, and obviously I really wanted to see the game. It featured the number one team in America, the two-time defending national champs, playing a top 20 opponent on the road...so, of course, the Little Rock ABC affiliate elected to show us Nebraska-Iowa State. Absurd. The move would be defensible if the choice involved even a single team with the slightest regional interest--any team from the SEC, for example. But Nebraska-Iowa State? Give me a break.
The only alternative is the Game Plan, an option through the satellite that allows users to purchase out of market games. We went with that. Beth did it, actually, in a very kind gesture, going to the computer and signing up for it without even telling me, knowing full well that I was already annoyed beyond belief by the Sox loss that was nearly over.
So we buy the game...and it doesn't come on. There are an array of channels featuring these pay-per-view contests and none of them have the ASU game on, even the single channel dedicated solely to that game. Oh, but two channels have the Nebraska game. I'm not even joking. And to make it worse, they even had different feeds of the game. For some inexplicable reason, the ABC affiliate here elects to show afternoon games on a slight tape delay if they get to them after they have started. This is a practice that used to be commonplace...about 20 years ago. Hello, 2005 called, and they say "hi." Are you kidding me? In the information age, exactly what is the point of, say, a 10-15 minute tape delay? It's absolutely insane. In this instance, it resulted in us getting the Nebraska game on ABC local with a feed that appeared about ten minutes behind the one we were getting on the ASU-USC channel on the dish.
The ASU game finally kicked in with about six minutes left in the first quarter. I won't rehash the game itself, as I'm sure anyone who cares at all already knows what happens. But I will add that we lost the game feed for no reason at all in the 4th quarter, and during the time it was out we missed the two teams exchanging touchdowns and two lead changes. So that wasn't worth watching at all. Of course, it kicked back in just in time for me to see the Devils completely melt down at the end of the 4th. After the game, Beth called DirecTV to bitch and she rightfully got the charges for the game refunded.
So that's how my Saturday went. Pleasing.
At about 11 AM, Beth asked if I wanted some donuts for breakfast before the Sox game started. Of course I did, but I was already in pre-game mode and really didn't want to leave the house. I just turn into a hermit and have no desire to be "out with the people" when I get locked in like that. But we're talking about donuts, so I relented and agreed to make a quick trip with her to Shipley's, which is right down the street. We arrived there and their shelves were absolutely bare, although the sign indicates that they are open until 2 PM, so I'm not exactly sure what they plan to sell for the next three hours. "Come back tomorrow," implores the shopkeeper, as if they are purveyors of some exotic, hard-to-find item. No thanks, we'll go to Krispy Kreme. That trip was pretty uneventful, aside from Beth's fruitless attempt to purchase a gallon of milk there, ordering one at the drive through window. "Do they have gallons?" I asked. Before pulling off, they had forgotten our milk entirely. Beth reminded the girl at the window and then was handed the standard, small bottle of milk. Which is all I figured they had. But whatever.
Sadly, we were not out of the house long enough to kill the entire FOX Sports pre-game show. I'll save most of my venting about the FOX baseball broadcasts for subsequent posts, assuming that I'll be watching more of their horrific product in the weeks to follow. But they are awful. The Red Sox themselves weren't great either, and I could tell from the first inning that we were in trouble. When Tim Wakefield's knuckleball is on, it floats and dances through the strike zone, causing many missed swings by batters. That just wasn't happening. From the top of the first, the Yanks were getting good wood on the ball. The Sox battled back a couple of times but just couldn't break through against Randy Johnson when they needed to, and thus we're left with a shot at the wild card berth. We can wrap that up with a win on Sunday or a Cleveland loss. It won't be as satisfying as winning the division would have been, but I'll take it. And thankfully, Sunday's game will be on NESN. Last one of the season.
Game two of my personal double-header was the ASU-USC game. I had the mildest of hopes that the Devils could actually pull off an upset against the Trojan juggernaut, and obviously I really wanted to see the game. It featured the number one team in America, the two-time defending national champs, playing a top 20 opponent on the road...so, of course, the Little Rock ABC affiliate elected to show us Nebraska-Iowa State. Absurd. The move would be defensible if the choice involved even a single team with the slightest regional interest--any team from the SEC, for example. But Nebraska-Iowa State? Give me a break.
The only alternative is the Game Plan, an option through the satellite that allows users to purchase out of market games. We went with that. Beth did it, actually, in a very kind gesture, going to the computer and signing up for it without even telling me, knowing full well that I was already annoyed beyond belief by the Sox loss that was nearly over.
So we buy the game...and it doesn't come on. There are an array of channels featuring these pay-per-view contests and none of them have the ASU game on, even the single channel dedicated solely to that game. Oh, but two channels have the Nebraska game. I'm not even joking. And to make it worse, they even had different feeds of the game. For some inexplicable reason, the ABC affiliate here elects to show afternoon games on a slight tape delay if they get to them after they have started. This is a practice that used to be commonplace...about 20 years ago. Hello, 2005 called, and they say "hi." Are you kidding me? In the information age, exactly what is the point of, say, a 10-15 minute tape delay? It's absolutely insane. In this instance, it resulted in us getting the Nebraska game on ABC local with a feed that appeared about ten minutes behind the one we were getting on the ASU-USC channel on the dish.
The ASU game finally kicked in with about six minutes left in the first quarter. I won't rehash the game itself, as I'm sure anyone who cares at all already knows what happens. But I will add that we lost the game feed for no reason at all in the 4th quarter, and during the time it was out we missed the two teams exchanging touchdowns and two lead changes. So that wasn't worth watching at all. Of course, it kicked back in just in time for me to see the Devils completely melt down at the end of the 4th. After the game, Beth called DirecTV to bitch and she rightfully got the charges for the game refunded.
So that's how my Saturday went. Pleasing.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Whiffleball goes to Hollywood
My buddy John and I finished the script for Whiffleball. He's in L.A. and he already has a couple of industry people interested in reading it, including one story that is so bizarre and "out there" that I'm not even going to write about it here yet. But I'm going to keep a running journal of our experiences shopping the script and I'll post stuff about it later on, when the time is right.
Don't even get me started on the Red Sox. I'm not sleeping well. Let's leave it at that.
ASU vs. USC on Saturday. Yeah...I'll say that we have a chance. I don't feel as well as I did the last time we had such a huge regular season match up like this, which was vs. Nebraska in '96 when we were 26 point underdogs and I told everyone I knew that not only would we definitely cover, but that we'd probably win the game outright. Of course people dismissed me as a blatantly home-rooting crackpot. Which I basically am, but I also don't go around making huge calls like that too often, and I'm not making one this week. Right now USC is probably the best college offense I've ever seen, and I really don't know if we can stop them or contain them. But there's a chance that we can make it interesting, and it should be a hell of a game to watch.
Don't even get me started on the Red Sox. I'm not sleeping well. Let's leave it at that.
ASU vs. USC on Saturday. Yeah...I'll say that we have a chance. I don't feel as well as I did the last time we had such a huge regular season match up like this, which was vs. Nebraska in '96 when we were 26 point underdogs and I told everyone I knew that not only would we definitely cover, but that we'd probably win the game outright. Of course people dismissed me as a blatantly home-rooting crackpot. Which I basically am, but I also don't go around making huge calls like that too often, and I'm not making one this week. Right now USC is probably the best college offense I've ever seen, and I really don't know if we can stop them or contain them. But there's a chance that we can make it interesting, and it should be a hell of a game to watch.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Not much happening
I've only got one more physical therapy session scheduled and they moved it from Friday to next Tuesday. Then I see the doc on Wednesday morning, and I really hope for full clearance at that point.
Got the script down to 107 pages with a little tweaking. The problem is that there are a couple of scenes that we want to add, so I haven't decided if we'll just put them in or if we really need to cut something else first.
The Spurs will win tonight. So will ASU in the college World Series.
Started season two of "Alias." Getting full seasons of good TV shows that you've never seen on DVD really is a beautiful thing. I think I might do that with "24" when we finish these. Another supposedly great show that I've never seen.
Sox are red hot. Just wait until we get Schilling back too. Back to back champs? It could happen!
Departure to Vegas countdown: 12 days. I can't wait!
Got the script down to 107 pages with a little tweaking. The problem is that there are a couple of scenes that we want to add, so I haven't decided if we'll just put them in or if we really need to cut something else first.
The Spurs will win tonight. So will ASU in the college World Series.
Started season two of "Alias." Getting full seasons of good TV shows that you've never seen on DVD really is a beautiful thing. I think I might do that with "24" when we finish these. Another supposedly great show that I've never seen.
Sox are red hot. Just wait until we get Schilling back too. Back to back champs? It could happen!
Departure to Vegas countdown: 12 days. I can't wait!
Sunday, April 24, 2005
We're moved in
The movers arrived shortly after 8:30 AM on Saturday and got down to the business of unloading all of our stuff. It was a four man crew--Steve and George from our Arizona team and Curtis and Leon, a couple of local guys on this end. They were all great--very accomodating about putting anything anywhere we asked them to. We also received the lovely news that they found a rat in our garage in Chandler and a black widow spider inside my guitar amp...which Beth is now ready to throw away just on principle. The DirecTV installer here also found a huge, dead rat in an air duct of some sort outside so clearly we're having an exterminator come before we get too settled in.
But the house looks much better now that we've gotten some stuff inside. Beth's grandmother, Na'Nan, was kind enough to buy some nice rugs for the house, which we sorely needed since the whole place has hardwood floors. There's a really nice one in the dining room and a handful of cheaper ones in the living room, master bedroom, and office. And my Mom has a nice rug that she's going to bring down for use in the guest bedroom. Mom will be heading down here on Monday and that will be huge, as she is an unpacking and decorating savant. So that will be nice.
But the best news is simply that I got to sleep in my own bed last night, I have internet access at home again, and the dish and TV are set up, including a new TiVo for the main system that holds up to 70 hours of programming, meaning that the old 30 hour TiVo can go in the bedroom. Given my current condition, 70 hours is probably about what I watch in a week. I was even able to get everything up and running before the first round of the NFL Draft ended. I saw that ASU QB Andrew Walter went to Oakland in the third round, which I know will make my friend Brandon Bown happy.
Anyway, we're in the house. There is a ton of unpacking that needs to be done and I'm going to try to help as much as I can, but I know that it will be a gradual process. I'll try to post some pictures at some point. I hope all of you are having a great weekend.
But the house looks much better now that we've gotten some stuff inside. Beth's grandmother, Na'Nan, was kind enough to buy some nice rugs for the house, which we sorely needed since the whole place has hardwood floors. There's a really nice one in the dining room and a handful of cheaper ones in the living room, master bedroom, and office. And my Mom has a nice rug that she's going to bring down for use in the guest bedroom. Mom will be heading down here on Monday and that will be huge, as she is an unpacking and decorating savant. So that will be nice.
But the best news is simply that I got to sleep in my own bed last night, I have internet access at home again, and the dish and TV are set up, including a new TiVo for the main system that holds up to 70 hours of programming, meaning that the old 30 hour TiVo can go in the bedroom. Given my current condition, 70 hours is probably about what I watch in a week. I was even able to get everything up and running before the first round of the NFL Draft ended. I saw that ASU QB Andrew Walter went to Oakland in the third round, which I know will make my friend Brandon Bown happy.
Anyway, we're in the house. There is a ton of unpacking that needs to be done and I'm going to try to help as much as I can, but I know that it will be a gradual process. I'll try to post some pictures at some point. I hope all of you are having a great weekend.
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