I heard Ratt four times today. Ratt. Without intentionally trying.
Four times.
Three in a row, in the car. I am now old enough that when I hear three songs in a row by a band that has been around that long I wonder if somebody in the group died.
Then I got home and found this little nugget on MySpace: The Donnas playing live with Stephen Pearcy (the quality isn't too hot but it still rocks). Okay, so technically maybe that doesn't count as Ratt but I'm still putting it in there.
What's my point? I don't really have one, except to say that I simply enjoy the fact that in 2008 there is still at least a mathematic possibility of hearing a band like Ratt four times in one day without even trying.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
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.
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...
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