I stole the title from Bob Ryan, but it was more interesting that Random Thoughts!
-Is there anything worse than a football team with a terrible pass defense? Watching the Pats D reminds me of the old 1993 Terps Defense. Which spawned the great line in the Post about them ("They are currently ranked dead last in I-A Football Total Defense - # 126th ranking. They are so far from 125th place that they would need to take a cab to get there.") A runner-up quote about this Pats D was penned last weekend when the 6th different QB went for over 300 yards against them ("Even the Venus DeMilo could pass for 300 yards against this defense").
-Recently finished the SG book. Nice easy reading, but I was hoping it was an actual book, not just a rehash of his columns. The "sidebar commentary" was a nice touch. Some of the older columns did bring back some good memories (back when I had free time to browse a bunch of stuff on the Net all day...)
-Our new office space is near completion!!! Its had more delays than your average America West Flight, but we should be able to move in by Dec 12th. Of course, our original targeted move in date was November 1st, but whatever. Fortunately, our existing place is such a total shithole that nobody has rented it so we were able to rent bad for some extra time. I can't wait to be out of DC!
-Lukas has had a nice case of the runs for about 4 days, just thought I should let you know.
-I know I am one of 5 NBA fans on the planet, and nobody really cares, but the Celtics are terrible. They have some talented pieces, but they don't really fit together right now. I'm still in the tank for Danny Ainge as I like the guys he's drafted.
-I've been watching more college basketball this year (compared to the last couple). There have been some great games thus far. I was totally glued to the Maui tournament. That was the best non-March Madness college hoop I've seen in a longggg time.
-I'm depressed about UMD hoops (and football for that matter). I know its early, but I just think a best case scenario is that we are one of those 8-9 seeds that gets knocked out of the tourney early. I want more than that. I just feel like our overall talentbase should be much better than what it is. Didn't we win a national championship?? What did I miss?? We have some nice pieces, but lets face it Chris McCray is our best overall scorer, and he would probably be a 3rd or 4th option on a Final Four caliber team. If you strip away the Terp-colored glasses and search your feelings...you know it to be true...
-Even though I haven't been too active, I've still enjoyed reading the banter on this space. I kind of feel like everyone has had it with the Boston Sports Scene as the last 2 or 3 years has exhausted everyone, so I don't want to comment too much on it. Also, I've been insanely busy and haven't had too much free time to post. On the bright side, when I retire in 2045 I'll be blogging like a madman!!!!
Nov 30, 2005
Nov 28, 2005
The Robert Plan
So we are looking into expanding our New York market share by bringing on a company, The Robert Plan, to write and handle high risk business in New York and New Jersey. This idea was brought to us by our VP of Product Management, who seems to have a shitload of very bad ideas. This is the type of guy that gives insurance a bad name. He is always trying to push some bad claims handling practices on us to cut cost, and commonly asks questions like "Why do we pay claims for old people? If we delay it for a year, we have a better chance that they might die, then we don't have to pay." We all just sit there amazed. Rumor has it that he has run two smaller companies into the ground. The guy is like Dave Wandstadt of Insurance VPs. For some reason companies continue to give this guy a chance, despite no track record of success.
So to appease him, we decided to meet with The Robert Plan in December to see what they have to offer. Well, I open up the Journal today and see that AIG is having major problems with the Robert Plan, and has filed suit against them on some major issues ranging from refusing to open their books for an audit to skimming funds for personal perks. Its gotten so bad that the New Jersey Department of Insurance has taken over their New Jersey operation and has refused to allow them to write new business. Why am I not surprised. I'm so giddy since we can tell this VP that once again his idea was shit and we have cancelled the meeting.
So to appease him, we decided to meet with The Robert Plan in December to see what they have to offer. Well, I open up the Journal today and see that AIG is having major problems with the Robert Plan, and has filed suit against them on some major issues ranging from refusing to open their books for an audit to skimming funds for personal perks. Its gotten so bad that the New Jersey Department of Insurance has taken over their New Jersey operation and has refused to allow them to write new business. Why am I not surprised. I'm so giddy since we can tell this VP that once again his idea was shit and we have cancelled the meeting.
Nov 27, 2005
Watched Finding Neverland on Friday and it made my mind go crazy over the next 24 hours. I don't know if it was the 4 glasses of wine or the 4 pounds of turkey, but I have been an emotional mess this weekend. I started to think why I was out here in LA and why I didn't come home to see my parents and friends for Thanksgiving, or why has it been so long since I've seen Eric and his boys in Iowa. I feel like I'm taking all of them for granted, and that they will always be there, and I'll make time to spend with all of them in the future. I then started to think why I've become so picky with women recently and maybe I should just settle on someone, just so I won't be alone. I started to question all my priorities, values, and everything that I have built my current life around.
So with all of this on my mind, I went out on another date with the crazy asian girl on Saturday, trying to keep a positive attitude. The thoughts of "Maybe I could be happy with her" were actually going through my head. So before the date, I went over to the barber shop to get a quick trim, since my neck looked like a baboons back, but it was closed. What barber shop is closed on a Saturday? I had to get a trim, not only for this date, but for my business trip next week. So I stopped by the Howard Jones salon by my place, which for some reason I thought Howard would understand "Can you just shave my neckbeard and I only want to pay $5" and I got a response of "Ah I don't understand. Natasha come over here and take care of this gentlemen. I think he wants a razor cut with highlighted tips." Uh...no. So after a 5 minute discussion with Natasha and her nasty hairlip on what a trim was, she ended up just giving me a shampoo, moving her scissors around my head for 10 minutes and then charging me $45. Ugh. Should of known that this was bad idea when they were blaring "In the Club" by 50 Cents when I walked in.
So after another $200 and uninspiring conversation with the crazy asian girl, I called it a night and went home dejected and depressed only to find Ben half in the bag drinking scotch with all the lights out, while listening to Peter Gabriel on the Adult Alternative Music Station. Wow, I thought I was in a bad place, but Ben always seems to out do me. While talking to him about his problems, which were similar to my complaints earlier, we slowly put everything back into perspective. We got great careers, live on the beach, and are extremely happy for 95% of the time. People would die to be happy 95% of the time. Its that 5% of the time that we need the help of some good scotch to get by.
Off to Palm Springs
So with all of this on my mind, I went out on another date with the crazy asian girl on Saturday, trying to keep a positive attitude. The thoughts of "Maybe I could be happy with her" were actually going through my head. So before the date, I went over to the barber shop to get a quick trim, since my neck looked like a baboons back, but it was closed. What barber shop is closed on a Saturday? I had to get a trim, not only for this date, but for my business trip next week. So I stopped by the Howard Jones salon by my place, which for some reason I thought Howard would understand "Can you just shave my neckbeard and I only want to pay $5" and I got a response of "Ah I don't understand. Natasha come over here and take care of this gentlemen. I think he wants a razor cut with highlighted tips." Uh...no. So after a 5 minute discussion with Natasha and her nasty hairlip on what a trim was, she ended up just giving me a shampoo, moving her scissors around my head for 10 minutes and then charging me $45. Ugh. Should of known that this was bad idea when they were blaring "In the Club" by 50 Cents when I walked in.
So after another $200 and uninspiring conversation with the crazy asian girl, I called it a night and went home dejected and depressed only to find Ben half in the bag drinking scotch with all the lights out, while listening to Peter Gabriel on the Adult Alternative Music Station. Wow, I thought I was in a bad place, but Ben always seems to out do me. While talking to him about his problems, which were similar to my complaints earlier, we slowly put everything back into perspective. We got great careers, live on the beach, and are extremely happy for 95% of the time. People would die to be happy 95% of the time. Its that 5% of the time that we need the help of some good scotch to get by.
Off to Palm Springs
Nov 26, 2005
NFL Picks Week12
Before we get started:
1) The Jays paid BJ Ryan $47 Million for 5 years???? Does that make any sense? Is he that much better than Batista? From my un-informed perspective, BJ Ryan does not seem like a $9 million closer to me. Maybe those of you who watch AL East baseball full time can tell me differently.
2) Man, I'm feeling for the Iowa State fans around here. Two years in a row they had a chance to go to the Big 12 championship game by winning their last game - and blew it both times in OT. Last year vs. Missouri, this year vs. Kansas. Off to the Houston bowl for them...
Now the picks:
Cin 31, Bal 13. I have a feeling that the Cincinnati offense will remain clicking after last weeks's game and should score more than 20-24 points.
Buf 17, Car 16. At home, Buffalo is a different team, and has the players to follow's Chicago's blueprint on how to beat the Panthers.
KC 34, NE 24. The weather here scares me, but this should be a shootout.
Hou 23, Stl 20. Geesh, if Arizona can beat the Rams in St Louis, then this should be at least a good game.
TB 16, Chi 9. Where is the offense for the Bears going to come from? It's hard for me to jump on the Bears' bandwagon when the Browns beat them soundly, 20-10.
Cle 23, Min 17 (OT). The Vikings are the last team that we haven't played since the return. The predicted final score here is the same as a victory in 1989, when the Browns won on only the 2nd fake field goal in OT in NFL history. Mike Pagel, the holder, took the snap and passed to special teamer Van Wiaters for a 31 yard touchdown pass for the win. I believe this locked up a playoff spot for us that year - my first in Cleveland.
Was 27, SD 24. Washington is better than what was seen last week, and I'm beginning to be a believer in this "long west/east coast trips affecting teams" theory.
Ten 31, SF 20. Should be a high scoring affair.
Jax 24, Ariz 10. Could be a trap game, but Arizona shot their wad last week with the emotional win over the Rams.
Oak 24, Mia 13. Miami is awful . No pass defense, shaky run defense, and the offense is not solid.
Phi 20, GB 17. My God - I have no idea at all.
Sea 27, NYG 20. A classic this weekend, with Seattle making the statement. The NFC Championship game in Seattle? Can that be true?
NYJ 17, NO 14. Yikes. Can there be a worse Sunday Night game? (OK, it could be Arizona at Houston)
Ind 28, Pit 27. Pit will try to control the ball and they will score - but just not enough.
OK - best bets: 10-9 last week; overall: 95-85-8, but I went 1-2 on Thursday.
17 more:
Cin -9
Cin/Bal over 37
Buf +4
KC -3
KC/NE Over 50
Hou +3 1/2
TB -3
TB/Chi Under 32 1/2
Was +3
Was/SD Over 44
Ten/SF Over 42 1/2
JAx -3 1/2
Jax/Ariz Under 41 1/2
Oak -7
NYJ/NO under 37
Pit +8.5
Ind/Pit Over 47
1) The Jays paid BJ Ryan $47 Million for 5 years???? Does that make any sense? Is he that much better than Batista? From my un-informed perspective, BJ Ryan does not seem like a $9 million closer to me. Maybe those of you who watch AL East baseball full time can tell me differently.
2) Man, I'm feeling for the Iowa State fans around here. Two years in a row they had a chance to go to the Big 12 championship game by winning their last game - and blew it both times in OT. Last year vs. Missouri, this year vs. Kansas. Off to the Houston bowl for them...
Now the picks:
Cin 31, Bal 13. I have a feeling that the Cincinnati offense will remain clicking after last weeks's game and should score more than 20-24 points.
Buf 17, Car 16. At home, Buffalo is a different team, and has the players to follow's Chicago's blueprint on how to beat the Panthers.
KC 34, NE 24. The weather here scares me, but this should be a shootout.
Hou 23, Stl 20. Geesh, if Arizona can beat the Rams in St Louis, then this should be at least a good game.
TB 16, Chi 9. Where is the offense for the Bears going to come from? It's hard for me to jump on the Bears' bandwagon when the Browns beat them soundly, 20-10.
Cle 23, Min 17 (OT). The Vikings are the last team that we haven't played since the return. The predicted final score here is the same as a victory in 1989, when the Browns won on only the 2nd fake field goal in OT in NFL history. Mike Pagel, the holder, took the snap and passed to special teamer Van Wiaters for a 31 yard touchdown pass for the win. I believe this locked up a playoff spot for us that year - my first in Cleveland.
Was 27, SD 24. Washington is better than what was seen last week, and I'm beginning to be a believer in this "long west/east coast trips affecting teams" theory.
Ten 31, SF 20. Should be a high scoring affair.
Jax 24, Ariz 10. Could be a trap game, but Arizona shot their wad last week with the emotional win over the Rams.
Oak 24, Mia 13. Miami is awful . No pass defense, shaky run defense, and the offense is not solid.
Phi 20, GB 17. My God - I have no idea at all.
Sea 27, NYG 20. A classic this weekend, with Seattle making the statement. The NFC Championship game in Seattle? Can that be true?
NYJ 17, NO 14. Yikes. Can there be a worse Sunday Night game? (OK, it could be Arizona at Houston)
Ind 28, Pit 27. Pit will try to control the ball and they will score - but just not enough.
OK - best bets: 10-9 last week; overall: 95-85-8, but I went 1-2 on Thursday.
17 more:
Cin -9
Cin/Bal over 37
Buf +4
KC -3
KC/NE Over 50
Hou +3 1/2
TB -3
TB/Chi Under 32 1/2
Was +3
Was/SD Over 44
Ten/SF Over 42 1/2
JAx -3 1/2
Jax/Ariz Under 41 1/2
Oak -7
NYJ/NO under 37
Pit +8.5
Ind/Pit Over 47
Nov 24, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy turkey day to all of you....
2 quick notes:
1) The Tribe let Bobby Howry go. Argh. We will miss him in 2006 more than Bob Wickman (it looks likethe Tribe won't resign him and will go after B J Ryan instead). Geesh, did we not learn the lessons of 2004?
2) Had the hardest test of the year yesterday - the annual eye exam. I swear, I'm deathly afraid of that - if I incorrectly answer any of those "1..... or 2?" questions, then my vision is screwed up for the year. This makes a difference in two key areas of my life:
a) at the craps table, when I try to beat the dealer in making the call for the roll. It's nice to get the dirty looks from the dealers when you yell "Point! 8!" before the dealers can;
b) and at the golf course. If I get the wrong contacts, then I won't be able to make any 15 foot sidehill breakers the whole year. This conversation will occur multiple times:
Eric: "How'd that putt go left? I had it breaking 3 inches from left to right"
Don: "Dude, you need to get your eyes checked"
I got a new prescription... we will see....
Picks for today:
Atl 27, Det 13: This is the perfect time to switch sides and go with the Falcons. We had a good ride goign against them - they are too good to continue to play this bad. This is equaivalent to two hot rolls on the craps table - it's the perfect time to switch to the "don't" side.
(can you tell I played craps yesterday?)
Dal 20, Den 17. This should be a great game. On my fantasy team, I have Plummer (since Bulger is now out for the year) and Dallas's defense. I fell like I can't do too bad.
3 best bets:
Atl -3
Dal +2.5
Dal/Den Under 41 1/2
2 quick notes:
1) The Tribe let Bobby Howry go. Argh. We will miss him in 2006 more than Bob Wickman (it looks likethe Tribe won't resign him and will go after B J Ryan instead). Geesh, did we not learn the lessons of 2004?
2) Had the hardest test of the year yesterday - the annual eye exam. I swear, I'm deathly afraid of that - if I incorrectly answer any of those "1..... or 2?" questions, then my vision is screwed up for the year. This makes a difference in two key areas of my life:
a) at the craps table, when I try to beat the dealer in making the call for the roll. It's nice to get the dirty looks from the dealers when you yell "Point! 8!" before the dealers can;
b) and at the golf course. If I get the wrong contacts, then I won't be able to make any 15 foot sidehill breakers the whole year. This conversation will occur multiple times:
Eric: "How'd that putt go left? I had it breaking 3 inches from left to right"
Don: "Dude, you need to get your eyes checked"
I got a new prescription... we will see....
Picks for today:
Atl 27, Det 13: This is the perfect time to switch sides and go with the Falcons. We had a good ride goign against them - they are too good to continue to play this bad. This is equaivalent to two hot rolls on the craps table - it's the perfect time to switch to the "don't" side.
(can you tell I played craps yesterday?)
Dal 20, Den 17. This should be a great game. On my fantasy team, I have Plummer (since Bulger is now out for the year) and Dallas's defense. I fell like I can't do too bad.
3 best bets:
Atl -3
Dal +2.5
Dal/Den Under 41 1/2
Nov 23, 2005
My Favorite Move
I got cut off this morning on the drive in to work. Some bitch in a minivan with her husband in the passenger seat. She passes me on the left with her right turn signal on trying to get over in front of me. I had been speeding up before I realized that she was trying to get over, but yeah I was also trying to block her. So she cuts right in front of me into a pretty tight gap in traffic and starts motioning at me in her rear-view mirror. And here's my move:
I just shake my head at her with a little smirk.
No middle finger, no "suck my dick" motion, no shouting "fuck you" at her. Just shaking my head. It's the greatest because it pisses people off so much more than anything else I've ever found. It made this bitch so mad that she slowed down to shout at me some more. To which I responded with another head shake and smirk as if to let her know that she was the reason that women shouldn't be allowed to drive. I think that it throws people off--and really pisses them off. And in the end, isn't that the greatest revenge?
I just shake my head at her with a little smirk.
No middle finger, no "suck my dick" motion, no shouting "fuck you" at her. Just shaking my head. It's the greatest because it pisses people off so much more than anything else I've ever found. It made this bitch so mad that she slowed down to shout at me some more. To which I responded with another head shake and smirk as if to let her know that she was the reason that women shouldn't be allowed to drive. I think that it throws people off--and really pisses them off. And in the end, isn't that the greatest revenge?
Where was I?
Been extremely busy over the last two days and I just saw the Red Sox trade. Then I read the BSG article and was disappointed again by his analysis. So here is my take....
First, what are the expectations in Boston on this trade? Are they expecting that Lowell returns to his old form and Beckett will stay healthy and continue to pitch like he did Florida? If so, then there will be plenty of disappointed fans next year. But if they expect that Beckett will win 15 games with a 4.00+ ERA with Lowell batting .275 with 20 homers, I think they will be pleasantly surprised.
Both of these guys I really like due to my fantasy baseball ties, so its hard for me not to think like a Red Sox fan right now and declare that both of these guys will return to their prior levels, but people seem to be blinded by some obvious facts here. Let's forget about Lowell and the prospect first and let's talk about Beckett. I love Beckett. I love what he did to the Yanks. I love his high K rate. But what I don't like is his inability to get through a season. He always gets injured. Period. You can't look past this. Why are people looking past this? The Yanks did this with Jaret Wright last year and they got burned. Next is the league change. With Beckett, I wouldn't be surprised to see him post 10-15 wins, but that will probably come along with a 4.00+ ERA. That Florida ballpark is crazy for a pitchers. Why hasn't anyone said more about this? And why isn't it fair to compare Beckett to Pavano? Pavano pitched in the same park and then came over to the AL and his ERA shot up. So I'm going on record here to say that Beckett will post a 4.33 ERA and 12 wins while going on the 15 day DL once and then missing a couple of starts here and there. For Lowell, I think he will start out extremely hot and then go ice cold during the second half of the year for a total of 25 HRs and a .260 BA.
And as far as the prospect goes? Who cares. I agree with the BSG on this. When you have a $120-$130 million payroll and you have some depth in the minors, trade a prospect for two guys that if the best case scenario plays out, they could be back in the World Series.
First, what are the expectations in Boston on this trade? Are they expecting that Lowell returns to his old form and Beckett will stay healthy and continue to pitch like he did Florida? If so, then there will be plenty of disappointed fans next year. But if they expect that Beckett will win 15 games with a 4.00+ ERA with Lowell batting .275 with 20 homers, I think they will be pleasantly surprised.
Both of these guys I really like due to my fantasy baseball ties, so its hard for me not to think like a Red Sox fan right now and declare that both of these guys will return to their prior levels, but people seem to be blinded by some obvious facts here. Let's forget about Lowell and the prospect first and let's talk about Beckett. I love Beckett. I love what he did to the Yanks. I love his high K rate. But what I don't like is his inability to get through a season. He always gets injured. Period. You can't look past this. Why are people looking past this? The Yanks did this with Jaret Wright last year and they got burned. Next is the league change. With Beckett, I wouldn't be surprised to see him post 10-15 wins, but that will probably come along with a 4.00+ ERA. That Florida ballpark is crazy for a pitchers. Why hasn't anyone said more about this? And why isn't it fair to compare Beckett to Pavano? Pavano pitched in the same park and then came over to the AL and his ERA shot up. So I'm going on record here to say that Beckett will post a 4.33 ERA and 12 wins while going on the 15 day DL once and then missing a couple of starts here and there. For Lowell, I think he will start out extremely hot and then go ice cold during the second half of the year for a total of 25 HRs and a .260 BA.
And as far as the prospect goes? Who cares. I agree with the BSG on this. When you have a $120-$130 million payroll and you have some depth in the minors, trade a prospect for two guys that if the best case scenario plays out, they could be back in the World Series.
Nov 21, 2005
Terps Hoops Preview
I went to the Terps vs Fairleigh Dickinson game the other night and thought that I would post my thoughts on this year's team before the Maui Tourney at 5pm EST.
PG - Probably the biggest question mark with this team. Can DJ Strawberry effectively run the point? Can he handle the ball against the PGs of the ACC? His defense is one of the reasons that he is in the starting lineup, but in an exhibition against Virginia Union, Strawberry had 7 turnovers at the half. If that trend continues, the Terps are in for a long season. The backup is Sterling Ledbetter who had extended playing time during the Terps' NIT run last year. McCray also spells Strawberry at the point, but does not have the ball-handling skills necessary to be anything more than a fill-in from time to time.
SG - McCray needs to become a leader and go-to scorer. Elected to be the team co-captain, he is a streaky shooter and a mildly underrated defender who, last year, was usually assigned to the other team's best guard. With Strawberry and McCray, defensively, the Terps look good in the backcourt. The highly-recruited Mike Jones also needs to step up this year. He has been inconsistent at best, showing flashes of the unlimited range we heard so much about when he first came to MD, while also suffering from defensive lapses which earned him a spot in Gary's doghouse for stretches of the last two years. His play will be one of the keys to MD's season.
SF - Nik Caner-Medley is the starter and team co-captain. Supposedly, during the off-season, he worked on his shot and getting the ball to the rim more often. If I see him receive a pass in the corner, jab step, and hoist up another bad three, I'm going to jab a pen in my eye. Also, I hope that he worked on going to his right in the offseason, because everyone in the ACC recognized that he can only go left last year.
PF/C - At the FDU game, James Gist started alongside Ekene Ibekwe. Is there a skinnier PF/C combo in all of college hoops? At his best, Ibekwe is a long shot-blocker, capabable of changing the way that people attack the basket and an effective inside offensive player. At worst, he gets into foul trouble on defense and turns the ball over on offense. With a go-to post move, he becomes dangerous. Without it, we are stuck watching him try to dribble in the paint with predictable results (turnover). And can I just add that he has one of the wierdest looking shots in college hoops? It looks like he's worked on cleaning it up some, but it's still awkward at best.
Gist is my favorite Terp, by far. Probably the best jumper on the team, he has a nose for the ball. Defensively, he is an outstanding shot-blocker who gets into trouble when he doesn't move his feet. He gets pushed around by the bigger forwards in the league, but makes up for a lot with his quickness. Offensively, he is one our best post players (probably b/c he is the only one on the team with any true post moves).
Travis Garrison is another highly-recruited player who has suffered an up and down career at MD. Listed at 6'8", 241 lbs, he plays like he's 6'3"-- all fade alwyas and jumpers. It's nice that he has a soft shooting touch, but get your ass down in the paint and get a GD rebound! I think that he is suffering from Terrence Morris syndrome (he gets worse the longer he stays in school).
And finally, Will Bowers. Two years ago, he was a suckier version of Cone (Mike Mardesich). Last year, he surprised people with his moderate effectiveness. Gary has always said that big men take longer to develop, and Bowers may be a good example of that. He spent the summer working on low post moves at Big Man camp and we are going to need that to do anything this year. You hope for 15-20 minutes, 6-8 points, 6-8 rebounds, and 5 fouls. More is gravy, less puts you in a tough spot.
Offense - Who is the go-to player? What is their go-to move? When you really need a basket, who is going to get the ball? This probably cost the team 3-4 wins last year. There are a number of people who can fill this role (McCray and NCM come to mind), but only time will tell.
Defense - Team defense has been an issue. At times, the team becomes block-happy and ends up giving up a bunch of easy points to good passing teams. Gary has stated that he is planning on pressing a lot this year, and getting back on defense will be key.
X-Factor - Contributions from Bowers, Jones, and Gist. If 2 or 3 of these guys comes on strong, MD can be a strong team.
PG - Probably the biggest question mark with this team. Can DJ Strawberry effectively run the point? Can he handle the ball against the PGs of the ACC? His defense is one of the reasons that he is in the starting lineup, but in an exhibition against Virginia Union, Strawberry had 7 turnovers at the half. If that trend continues, the Terps are in for a long season. The backup is Sterling Ledbetter who had extended playing time during the Terps' NIT run last year. McCray also spells Strawberry at the point, but does not have the ball-handling skills necessary to be anything more than a fill-in from time to time.
SG - McCray needs to become a leader and go-to scorer. Elected to be the team co-captain, he is a streaky shooter and a mildly underrated defender who, last year, was usually assigned to the other team's best guard. With Strawberry and McCray, defensively, the Terps look good in the backcourt. The highly-recruited Mike Jones also needs to step up this year. He has been inconsistent at best, showing flashes of the unlimited range we heard so much about when he first came to MD, while also suffering from defensive lapses which earned him a spot in Gary's doghouse for stretches of the last two years. His play will be one of the keys to MD's season.
SF - Nik Caner-Medley is the starter and team co-captain. Supposedly, during the off-season, he worked on his shot and getting the ball to the rim more often. If I see him receive a pass in the corner, jab step, and hoist up another bad three, I'm going to jab a pen in my eye. Also, I hope that he worked on going to his right in the offseason, because everyone in the ACC recognized that he can only go left last year.
PF/C - At the FDU game, James Gist started alongside Ekene Ibekwe. Is there a skinnier PF/C combo in all of college hoops? At his best, Ibekwe is a long shot-blocker, capabable of changing the way that people attack the basket and an effective inside offensive player. At worst, he gets into foul trouble on defense and turns the ball over on offense. With a go-to post move, he becomes dangerous. Without it, we are stuck watching him try to dribble in the paint with predictable results (turnover). And can I just add that he has one of the wierdest looking shots in college hoops? It looks like he's worked on cleaning it up some, but it's still awkward at best.
Gist is my favorite Terp, by far. Probably the best jumper on the team, he has a nose for the ball. Defensively, he is an outstanding shot-blocker who gets into trouble when he doesn't move his feet. He gets pushed around by the bigger forwards in the league, but makes up for a lot with his quickness. Offensively, he is one our best post players (probably b/c he is the only one on the team with any true post moves).
Travis Garrison is another highly-recruited player who has suffered an up and down career at MD. Listed at 6'8", 241 lbs, he plays like he's 6'3"-- all fade alwyas and jumpers. It's nice that he has a soft shooting touch, but get your ass down in the paint and get a GD rebound! I think that he is suffering from Terrence Morris syndrome (he gets worse the longer he stays in school).
And finally, Will Bowers. Two years ago, he was a suckier version of Cone (Mike Mardesich). Last year, he surprised people with his moderate effectiveness. Gary has always said that big men take longer to develop, and Bowers may be a good example of that. He spent the summer working on low post moves at Big Man camp and we are going to need that to do anything this year. You hope for 15-20 minutes, 6-8 points, 6-8 rebounds, and 5 fouls. More is gravy, less puts you in a tough spot.
Offense - Who is the go-to player? What is their go-to move? When you really need a basket, who is going to get the ball? This probably cost the team 3-4 wins last year. There are a number of people who can fill this role (McCray and NCM come to mind), but only time will tell.
Defense - Team defense has been an issue. At times, the team becomes block-happy and ends up giving up a bunch of easy points to good passing teams. Gary has stated that he is planning on pressing a lot this year, and getting back on defense will be key.
X-Factor - Contributions from Bowers, Jones, and Gist. If 2 or 3 of these guys comes on strong, MD can be a strong team.
Tequila
Had a weird experience with Tequila on Saturday night. Went out with Ben and his girlfriend to a Mexican joint on Saturday night to watch the USC game. Despite our pleas, Ben's girlfriend ordered shots of this Tequila that had a deer on the front. Despite having a deer as its mascot, the tequila went down really smooth and actually had a clean after taste. After another shot, Ben and I completely lost it for about 2 hours. After only 2 shots, and probably 1-2 beers, we couldn't form complete sentences and nobody other than Ben and I could understand what we were saying. We were laughing so hard at the stupidest shit that we both started to cry, and we couldn't do anything about it. We weren't even drunk. The only thing I could relate it to was getting high for the first time, with some sort of mild acid trip. But this stuff burned so cleanly that it seemed to only affect our speech and nothing else. Nothing was spinning, and we had full control of our motor skills, except for the fact that we couldn't talk or stop laughing. The bartender and Ben's girlfriend both stopped talking to us, cut us off, and we were quietly shuffled out of the bar. Next morning, we both woke up, went for a nice run, and didn't have a hangover. Crazy. Anyone else had this happen to them while drinking this stuff? Probably the first enjoyable experience I've had with Tequila.
Daily Journal
Two things to point out as I fly Southwest this morning on my way to Vegas this morning for a couple of meetings:
The Journal is hands down the best newspaper out there right now. I probably read the Journal 3-4 days a week, as I steal my VPs copy while waiting for him to join a meeting, and therefore I only get to skim the front page for any good business news, and then maybe one article that peaks my interest. But when I'm traveling, it always gets me through the time I board to when I can turn on my laptop, and I actually feel like I learned something after I'm done, unlike reading the LA Times, USAToday, and even the OC Register which is filled with such crap. For the first time in 3 months, I actually read a LA Times article from start to finish, but it wasn't about politics or business related news, but rather how the VGL (Video Game League) is taking off and how one of the best players of Quake and games like that is earning close to $1 million dollars in winnings and endorsements. This guy Fatality has his own line of mouse pads, Motherboards, Sound Cards, and even a clothing line, and is pulling down seven figures. The only downfall is that he wakes up at Noon, goes for a run, and then spends the next 14 hours playing games in his basement. Oh, and despite making all that money he still lives with his mom. So after I finished the Journal, I opened up the Southwest magazine and found a four page interview with Bill Simmons. I almost did a double take and then realized that our boy is all growns up. Next he will be doing covers of Fortune and GQ.
One other quick notes...Its amazing to me to see people above the age of 40 not have a clue about flying. How are you that old and have never been on a plane. Not only do they not understand the security line, they love to complain about it. Ugh. I know I'm being somewhat of a snob, but jeez....
Nov 19, 2005
NFL Picks week 11
When I pick these games, I don't look at the line - I make the pick and then see where the discrepancies are.
It was scary this week how close I was to the actual over/under. That means I'm getting close to being a great predictor, or (more likely) no one has any clue what is going to happen.
Was 27,Oak 17. I think last week's loss will fire Washington up, as they win easy at home.
Dal 33, Det 13. Harrington may look good at home vs. Arizona, but not on the road at Dallas. (sorry, Dave!)
Cle 17, Mia 13. Cle is 0-3 versus good competition (Cin, @Pit, @Ind) and 3-3 versus the bottom half of the league (W vs Chi, Ten, GB; L to Det, Hou, Bal). They have 4 more games vs. the dregs (Mia, @Oak, @ Min, Bal), and 3 vs. good competition (Jax, @ Cin, Pit). I think they can steal one vs. the good guys (Jax) and split versus the dregs - that's 6-10.
Stl 31, Arz 16. Warner may get up for this game, but his team (especially the D) is plain bad.
Pit 13, Bal 10. Who the hell knows. Maddox! Boller! The NFL on CBS! This was supposed to be the national 4:15 game on CBS, but they wised up 3 weeks ago and switched the times with the Ind-Cin game.
Ten 20, Jax 17. Upset of the week. Jax just doesn't impress me. They struggled to beat Houston - and this is a playoff caliber team?
NYG 28, Phi 13. OK, NOW the Giants prove themselves as a great home team. Eli can't have 2 terrible games in a row at home, can he? (Don't answer that.)
NE 31, NO 16. I'm sorry, I think NO is terrible. Yes, NE has no pass defense, but this is Aaron Brooks we are talking about. And Brady & co will use this game as practice to hone their offensive skills.
Chi 19, Car 16. I think this is a kitchen sink game for the Bears; they are out to prove to the world they are for real.
TB 26, Atl 20. Atlanta is very overrated; TB has some sort of offense (espcially a running offense).
Sea 27, SF 9. Shaun, Shaun and more Shaun.
Ind 28, Cin 27. This will be a classic; Peyton wins the game with a a last-minute TD. A old fashioned shoot-out.
SD 27, Buf 13. JP will make some mistakes, the Chargers take advantage, it will be a hefty does of LT and some Gates, and SD will control the ball for 40 minutes.
Den 30, NYJ 10. This one seems tooooooo easy. (I can see it now: What an upset! final: NYJ 21, Den 20.)
KC 20, Hou 17. Maybe KC is a tad overrated, and Hou is playing a little better. (They just needed that jump start vs. the Browns! OK, don't laugh).
GB 20, Min 17. The talent isn't there on either team, but this will be a great game, with a Longwell FG at the end to win.
Best bets: 19 of them. Last week: a terrbile 6-10-1; overall: 85-76-8
Was -6
Dal -8
Dal/Det Over 39
StL -9
Pit/Bal under 33
Ten +4
NYG -7
NE -9.5
Chi +3
TB +6
TB/Atl Over 39
Sea -13
Sea/SF under 42 1/2
Cin +5.5
Ind/Cin Over 47 1/2
Den -13
Hou +7
Hou/KC Under 43 1/2
GB/Min Under 44
It was scary this week how close I was to the actual over/under. That means I'm getting close to being a great predictor, or (more likely) no one has any clue what is going to happen.
Was 27,Oak 17. I think last week's loss will fire Washington up, as they win easy at home.
Dal 33, Det 13. Harrington may look good at home vs. Arizona, but not on the road at Dallas. (sorry, Dave!)
Cle 17, Mia 13. Cle is 0-3 versus good competition (Cin, @Pit, @Ind) and 3-3 versus the bottom half of the league (W vs Chi, Ten, GB; L to Det, Hou, Bal). They have 4 more games vs. the dregs (Mia, @Oak, @ Min, Bal), and 3 vs. good competition (Jax, @ Cin, Pit). I think they can steal one vs. the good guys (Jax) and split versus the dregs - that's 6-10.
Stl 31, Arz 16. Warner may get up for this game, but his team (especially the D) is plain bad.
Pit 13, Bal 10. Who the hell knows. Maddox! Boller! The NFL on CBS! This was supposed to be the national 4:15 game on CBS, but they wised up 3 weeks ago and switched the times with the Ind-Cin game.
Ten 20, Jax 17. Upset of the week. Jax just doesn't impress me. They struggled to beat Houston - and this is a playoff caliber team?
NYG 28, Phi 13. OK, NOW the Giants prove themselves as a great home team. Eli can't have 2 terrible games in a row at home, can he? (Don't answer that.)
NE 31, NO 16. I'm sorry, I think NO is terrible. Yes, NE has no pass defense, but this is Aaron Brooks we are talking about. And Brady & co will use this game as practice to hone their offensive skills.
Chi 19, Car 16. I think this is a kitchen sink game for the Bears; they are out to prove to the world they are for real.
TB 26, Atl 20. Atlanta is very overrated; TB has some sort of offense (espcially a running offense).
Sea 27, SF 9. Shaun, Shaun and more Shaun.
Ind 28, Cin 27. This will be a classic; Peyton wins the game with a a last-minute TD. A old fashioned shoot-out.
SD 27, Buf 13. JP will make some mistakes, the Chargers take advantage, it will be a hefty does of LT and some Gates, and SD will control the ball for 40 minutes.
Den 30, NYJ 10. This one seems tooooooo easy. (I can see it now: What an upset! final: NYJ 21, Den 20.)
KC 20, Hou 17. Maybe KC is a tad overrated, and Hou is playing a little better. (They just needed that jump start vs. the Browns! OK, don't laugh).
GB 20, Min 17. The talent isn't there on either team, but this will be a great game, with a Longwell FG at the end to win.
Best bets: 19 of them. Last week: a terrbile 6-10-1; overall: 85-76-8
Was -6
Dal -8
Dal/Det Over 39
StL -9
Pit/Bal under 33
Ten +4
NYG -7
NE -9.5
Chi +3
TB +6
TB/Atl Over 39
Sea -13
Sea/SF under 42 1/2
Cin +5.5
Ind/Cin Over 47 1/2
Den -13
Hou +7
Hou/KC Under 43 1/2
GB/Min Under 44
Nov 17, 2005
NCAA Picks!
Our first five best bets for the NCAA Basketball season:
Wake Forest +2
Tex Tech/Syr over 134
Tem/UCLA Under 134
Montana St +2.5
Sam Houston St +11
Wake Forest +2
Tex Tech/Syr over 134
Tem/UCLA Under 134
Montana St +2.5
Sam Houston St +11
CBS NFL Announcers
Slow day here at work...
1) Listening to Mike and Mike this morning, they played a highlight from the Lakers' game.
Who had the play-by-play on the Lakers' radio network (KLAC)?
Our friend Spero Dedes.
So let's review. The CBS announcers for the 3rd level (and worse) NFL games are:
Gus Johnson - radio voice of the Knicks
Ian Eagle - radio/TV voice of the Nets
Craig Bolerjack - TV voice of the Jazz
Kevin Harlan - TV voice of the Timberwolves
and now
Spero Dedes - radio voice of the Lakers
Which begs the question - what kind of salaries do NBA teams give out for their commentators? These guys have to moonlight on the side to earn money.
It's no wonder that they suck. They have no time to prepare for the game! Seriously, if you are doing 3 Knicks games per week, when do you have time to study the rosters of the Texans/Titans to prepare for a game on Sunday?
Gumbel is the #1 announcer, Enberg is #2....we've named the rest of the CBS crew (who all hold NBA jobs) except for.......
2) Don Criqui. I really want to know what happened to this guy. Please correct me, but Don and Bob Trumpy formed the #1 team for NBC in the mid-late 80s. If Criqui did the game, you knew it was a big one.
Now, he's doing the 5th-6th best AFC games on CBS.
I really want to know the story - we need to hire E! to do a one hour show on him. The rise of Criqui, the fall (which I'm guessing has to be a gay affair with Dick Stockon - it's the only logical reason why these two are still at their jobs after being at their peaks 15-25 years ago), and rise again.
He must be desperate for work. Is this like trying to find a babysitter - your 1st, 2nd , 3rd options are gone, and now you have to settle for the 15-year-old who you SWEAR stole $20 off teh dresser the last time she came over? Do CBS Executives have the same kind of conversations?
CBS Exec (muttering to himself): "I can't believe Gus Johnson is doing skiing for us on
Saturday... damn him..... oh God, let's call Criqui"
(phone rings)
Criqui: "Hello, now here's Don Criqui!"
CBS Exec: "Yeah, Don, this is CBS again. Listen, we have an opening for..."
Criqui: "I'll take it!"
CBS Exec: "But you don't know what it is yet!"
Criqui: "I know...but it's work! Yeah baby, back in action!"
CBS Exec: "All right, it's NFL, on Sunday, but it's Cleveland and Miami"
Criqui:"Damn! I got a good one!"
CBS Exec: "Um, Don? They're both 3-6"
Criqui: "Dilfer! Rosenfels! It's the NFL on CBS! Next week, it's regional action on CBS, where most of you will see me in Tempe, watching a titanic struggle between the Jaguars and the Cardinals!"
CBS Exec: "Um... OK, whatever. Show up at 11:59 in Cleveland, please. Thanks."
The sad thing is that I'm not annoyed by his play-by-play at all. It's mildly entertaining. I could go into a mock play-by-play, but since most of the readership watches good football (or FOX), no one would appreciate it.
One more thing.. if this picture doesn't creep you out, nothing will.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/cbssports/team/dcriqui
Enough for now. It's true, Criqui is doing the Cleveland game (2nd in 3 weeks) this weekend.
1) Listening to Mike and Mike this morning, they played a highlight from the Lakers' game.
Who had the play-by-play on the Lakers' radio network (KLAC)?
Our friend Spero Dedes.
So let's review. The CBS announcers for the 3rd level (and worse) NFL games are:
Gus Johnson - radio voice of the Knicks
Ian Eagle - radio/TV voice of the Nets
Craig Bolerjack - TV voice of the Jazz
Kevin Harlan - TV voice of the Timberwolves
and now
Spero Dedes - radio voice of the Lakers
Which begs the question - what kind of salaries do NBA teams give out for their commentators? These guys have to moonlight on the side to earn money.
It's no wonder that they suck. They have no time to prepare for the game! Seriously, if you are doing 3 Knicks games per week, when do you have time to study the rosters of the Texans/Titans to prepare for a game on Sunday?
Gumbel is the #1 announcer, Enberg is #2....we've named the rest of the CBS crew (who all hold NBA jobs) except for.......
2) Don Criqui. I really want to know what happened to this guy. Please correct me, but Don and Bob Trumpy formed the #1 team for NBC in the mid-late 80s. If Criqui did the game, you knew it was a big one.
Now, he's doing the 5th-6th best AFC games on CBS.
I really want to know the story - we need to hire E! to do a one hour show on him. The rise of Criqui, the fall (which I'm guessing has to be a gay affair with Dick Stockon - it's the only logical reason why these two are still at their jobs after being at their peaks 15-25 years ago), and rise again.
He must be desperate for work. Is this like trying to find a babysitter - your 1st, 2nd , 3rd options are gone, and now you have to settle for the 15-year-old who you SWEAR stole $20 off teh dresser the last time she came over? Do CBS Executives have the same kind of conversations?
CBS Exec (muttering to himself): "I can't believe Gus Johnson is doing skiing for us on
Saturday... damn him..... oh God, let's call Criqui"
(phone rings)
Criqui: "Hello, now here's Don Criqui!"
CBS Exec: "Yeah, Don, this is CBS again. Listen, we have an opening for..."
Criqui: "I'll take it!"
CBS Exec: "But you don't know what it is yet!"
Criqui: "I know...but it's work! Yeah baby, back in action!"
CBS Exec: "All right, it's NFL, on Sunday, but it's Cleveland and Miami"
Criqui:"Damn! I got a good one!"
CBS Exec: "Um, Don? They're both 3-6"
Criqui: "Dilfer! Rosenfels! It's the NFL on CBS! Next week, it's regional action on CBS, where most of you will see me in Tempe, watching a titanic struggle between the Jaguars and the Cardinals!"
CBS Exec: "Um... OK, whatever. Show up at 11:59 in Cleveland, please. Thanks."
The sad thing is that I'm not annoyed by his play-by-play at all. It's mildly entertaining. I could go into a mock play-by-play, but since most of the readership watches good football (or FOX), no one would appreciate it.
One more thing.. if this picture doesn't creep you out, nothing will.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/cbssports/team/dcriqui
Enough for now. It's true, Criqui is doing the Cleveland game (2nd in 3 weeks) this weekend.
Nov 16, 2005
Bull shit
I feel like Peyton Manning after throwing for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns, only to see that my special teams gave up 4 TDs and a last second two point conversion. What the fuck happened tonight? I actually went out on a date tonight solely due to the fact that I was up in LA and spending the night and didn't have anything else to do. And for some reason, I pull out my A game and it turns into a 3 hour dinner, with a night cap, and a kiss on the cheek. And somehow she is coming home with me for Christmas. I'm so confused right now. I'm going to have to piece it together tomorrow morning after the Johnny Black wears off.
Nov 15, 2005
Fooooooooood
Two quick food items today:
1. Personal Size Pizza is a rip off. $6.00 for four miniature slices that would only fill up a little girl. Even if you are not that hungry, never order it. What a joke.
2. How does one not notice lumpy milk? Was it because I was blinded by 4 large peanut butter cookies that were calling my name? Yes. Well I proceeded to drink an entire glass of it, thinking that the lumps were just parts of the cookie, which resulted in a two hour conflict in my bathroom. The only good thing is that I finished the Bill Simmons book, which wasn't too bad.
1. Personal Size Pizza is a rip off. $6.00 for four miniature slices that would only fill up a little girl. Even if you are not that hungry, never order it. What a joke.
2. How does one not notice lumpy milk? Was it because I was blinded by 4 large peanut butter cookies that were calling my name? Yes. Well I proceeded to drink an entire glass of it, thinking that the lumps were just parts of the cookie, which resulted in a two hour conflict in my bathroom. The only good thing is that I finished the Bill Simmons book, which wasn't too bad.
Nov 14, 2005
Browns review from national TV
Well, a disappointing game on Sunday. It started with such promise with the opening drive and the 4th down stop, but then the talent of Pittsburgh came through over the course of the game.
Some thoughts:
1) With Baxter out, the last thing we needed was to have our other starting CB - McCutcheon - go out as well with an injury. That's what happened in the 1st quarter when Cutchwent out, and was replaced by Ray Mickens. Mickens is terrible. He was the one assigned to Ward for the rest of the game, and was faked out on the Randle El pass. Something has got to happen here.
2) Northcutt (or Dropcutt, as we like to call him) is not a starting WR. Please, Romeo, start Braylon. And Bryant is not long for the #1 spot at WR, either.
3) The bright spot this year has been Reuben and, more importantly, the O line. It's is light years better than the last 7 years. We can run at will to get 3-4 yards. Screen plays work for 10, 15, 20 yards.
4) Another average game for Dilfer. He missed some throws- espeically the throw to Braylon in the 1st where Braylon could have raced up the middle for 6 and make it 14-0. But he was victimized as well by some drops. A C- game for him.
5) I knew the defensive line was a weakness, but geez, that was pathetic. No pressure, no attempt to stuff the run after the 1st quarter.
6) Why wasn't Charlie Frye put in in the 4th quarter? I can't give you an answer.
This is a growing process. Romeo is determined to win with the 3-4 defense and a ball control, run-oriented offense. It is clear that he wants the system in place first, and then we will add the players - not the other way around. Let's hope the draft and the FA pickps can fill in the most pressing needs at DL, LB, WR and C to help us improve.
Some thoughts:
1) With Baxter out, the last thing we needed was to have our other starting CB - McCutcheon - go out as well with an injury. That's what happened in the 1st quarter when Cutchwent out, and was replaced by Ray Mickens. Mickens is terrible. He was the one assigned to Ward for the rest of the game, and was faked out on the Randle El pass. Something has got to happen here.
2) Northcutt (or Dropcutt, as we like to call him) is not a starting WR. Please, Romeo, start Braylon. And Bryant is not long for the #1 spot at WR, either.
3) The bright spot this year has been Reuben and, more importantly, the O line. It's is light years better than the last 7 years. We can run at will to get 3-4 yards. Screen plays work for 10, 15, 20 yards.
4) Another average game for Dilfer. He missed some throws- espeically the throw to Braylon in the 1st where Braylon could have raced up the middle for 6 and make it 14-0. But he was victimized as well by some drops. A C- game for him.
5) I knew the defensive line was a weakness, but geez, that was pathetic. No pressure, no attempt to stuff the run after the 1st quarter.
6) Why wasn't Charlie Frye put in in the 4th quarter? I can't give you an answer.
This is a growing process. Romeo is determined to win with the 3-4 defense and a ball control, run-oriented offense. It is clear that he wants the system in place first, and then we will add the players - not the other way around. Let's hope the draft and the FA pickps can fill in the most pressing needs at DL, LB, WR and C to help us improve.
Nov 13, 2005
Random Thoughts
1. What does Kenny Mayne do these days? I see a five minute segment every week on Sunday NFL Countdown, but is he working part time now? Remember when he was an anchor and in all of the commercials?
2. I hate button-fly pants. Is there any reason for them? Was there something lacking with the standard zipper that we just had to have the button-fly? They're irritatingly slow to put on and have no benefits that I can see.
3. I'm gay for Steve Smith. He's single-handedly carried my mediocre fantasy team and has kept them in contention throughout the year. Take a look at his weekly scoring totals: 26.8, 5.4, 43.5, 2.2, 31.9, 25.3, 37.6, and 22.1. He's obviously the #1 wideout this year, but I don't hear that much about him. Maybe he's been drowned out by the all-T.O. coverage, but he's been great. Watch him blow out his knee today, now that I wrote about him.
4. I'll be sad to see Mike Tice fired at the end of the year. Don't get me wrong, he deserves it. But did you know that he has four guys from UMD on his roster? Can you name them?
EJ Henderson (LB) is the most obvious one, but Shaun Hill (QB), Melvin Fowler (OL), and Jeff Dugan (TE) are also drawing paychecks from the Vikes. He is single-handedly doubling UMD's presence in the NFL.
5. Speaking of firing NFL coaches, anyone want to speculate on which coaches will be fired? In my opinion:
Gone: Tice, Capers
Maybe: Billick, Fisher, Shanahan, Sherman, Haslett
Am I missing anyone? Shanahan is a long shot, but what has he done since Terrell Davis won him two SuperBowls? He's 56-42 in his last six seasons (not including this year) and 0-3 in the playoffs. That averages out to a 9-7 record every year and a loss in the first round of the playoffs every other year. Are the Broncos happy with above-average seasons with minimal chances in the playoffs? It's hard to fire him b/c he's good, but just not great.
2. I hate button-fly pants. Is there any reason for them? Was there something lacking with the standard zipper that we just had to have the button-fly? They're irritatingly slow to put on and have no benefits that I can see.
3. I'm gay for Steve Smith. He's single-handedly carried my mediocre fantasy team and has kept them in contention throughout the year. Take a look at his weekly scoring totals: 26.8, 5.4, 43.5, 2.2, 31.9, 25.3, 37.6, and 22.1. He's obviously the #1 wideout this year, but I don't hear that much about him. Maybe he's been drowned out by the all-T.O. coverage, but he's been great. Watch him blow out his knee today, now that I wrote about him.
4. I'll be sad to see Mike Tice fired at the end of the year. Don't get me wrong, he deserves it. But did you know that he has four guys from UMD on his roster? Can you name them?
EJ Henderson (LB) is the most obvious one, but Shaun Hill (QB), Melvin Fowler (OL), and Jeff Dugan (TE) are also drawing paychecks from the Vikes. He is single-handedly doubling UMD's presence in the NFL.
5. Speaking of firing NFL coaches, anyone want to speculate on which coaches will be fired? In my opinion:
Gone: Tice, Capers
Maybe: Billick, Fisher, Shanahan, Sherman, Haslett
Am I missing anyone? Shanahan is a long shot, but what has he done since Terrell Davis won him two SuperBowls? He's 56-42 in his last six seasons (not including this year) and 0-3 in the playoffs. That averages out to a 9-7 record every year and a loss in the first round of the playoffs every other year. Are the Broncos happy with above-average seasons with minimal chances in the playoffs? It's hard to fire him b/c he's good, but just not great.
Nov 11, 2005
NFL Week 10
I'm gearing up for a huge game Sunday night - Browns trying to knock the Steelers off their perch, and maybe even squeeze back into the wild card race. Charlie Batch is the QB, no one is giving us a chance, our defense is playing surprisingly well...
Can the Browns win? Yes.
Will I predict it? Geez. My heart says yes - 20-17 Browns, but my head just doesn't see it. It will be close, given the fact the Pittsburgh will be limited a bit offensively, but I can't objectively say that our offense will solve Pittsburgh's, given our troubles in the red zone.
My 100% unbiased prediction: Pit 17, Cle 13. Argh.
My 100% biased prediction: Cle 20, Pit 17
On to the rest of the picks:
NYG 31, Min 14. The Giants are the quintessential home team. They will destroy mediocre competition at home.
Chi 23, SF 6. Why will the 9ers score more than 10 points?
Ari 24, Det 17. Just a feeling. Detroit is in a tailspin, and Arizona has enough talent to win a game like this on the road.
NE 27, Mia 16. I refuse to believe that the Pats will fall to 4-5 with a loss here.
Jax 20, Bal 10. Nope - don't see a win here for the Ravens.
KC 24, Buf 20. I can't believe Buffalo is favored. KC needs to win this game to keep pace in the west.
Ind 27, Hou 10. Indy will go back to its ball control ways.
Den 31, Oak 27. An old-fashioned Charlie Jones- Todd Christansen shoot out.
Car 24, NYJ 13. I was slightly impressed by the Jets' O last week; they will score some points in this game.
Sea 31, Stl 28. They always are involved in high-scoring games, aren't they?
Was 16, TB 10. Boy, Chris Simms is not the answer
Atl 27, GB 24. Green Bay will keep games close, but are one Brett Favre interception away from W's.
Phi 23, Dal 16. The Ewing theory?
Best bets: last week: 10-7-2; overall: 79-66-7
17 of them:
NYG -9.5
Chi -13.5
Az +4
NE -3
Jax -6.5
KC +2.5
Ind/Hou Under 45
Den/Oak Over 47
Stl +7
Sea/Stl Over 51
Was +1
Was/TB Under 33 1/2
GB +9.5
Atl/GB Over 42
Phi -3
2 college games:
Texas A&M +13
Wisconsin -2.5
Can the Browns win? Yes.
Will I predict it? Geez. My heart says yes - 20-17 Browns, but my head just doesn't see it. It will be close, given the fact the Pittsburgh will be limited a bit offensively, but I can't objectively say that our offense will solve Pittsburgh's, given our troubles in the red zone.
My 100% unbiased prediction: Pit 17, Cle 13. Argh.
My 100% biased prediction: Cle 20, Pit 17
On to the rest of the picks:
NYG 31, Min 14. The Giants are the quintessential home team. They will destroy mediocre competition at home.
Chi 23, SF 6. Why will the 9ers score more than 10 points?
Ari 24, Det 17. Just a feeling. Detroit is in a tailspin, and Arizona has enough talent to win a game like this on the road.
NE 27, Mia 16. I refuse to believe that the Pats will fall to 4-5 with a loss here.
Jax 20, Bal 10. Nope - don't see a win here for the Ravens.
KC 24, Buf 20. I can't believe Buffalo is favored. KC needs to win this game to keep pace in the west.
Ind 27, Hou 10. Indy will go back to its ball control ways.
Den 31, Oak 27. An old-fashioned Charlie Jones- Todd Christansen shoot out.
Car 24, NYJ 13. I was slightly impressed by the Jets' O last week; they will score some points in this game.
Sea 31, Stl 28. They always are involved in high-scoring games, aren't they?
Was 16, TB 10. Boy, Chris Simms is not the answer
Atl 27, GB 24. Green Bay will keep games close, but are one Brett Favre interception away from W's.
Phi 23, Dal 16. The Ewing theory?
Best bets: last week: 10-7-2; overall: 79-66-7
17 of them:
NYG -9.5
Chi -13.5
Az +4
NE -3
Jax -6.5
KC +2.5
Ind/Hou Under 45
Den/Oak Over 47
Stl +7
Sea/Stl Over 51
Was +1
Was/TB Under 33 1/2
GB +9.5
Atl/GB Over 42
Phi -3
2 college games:
Texas A&M +13
Wisconsin -2.5
Music
Is there any reliable place out there to get CDs? I usually use the Barnes and Noble internet site to order CDs, but when I want a CD now, I can never seem to find a place that has the selection that is acceptable to my standards, which isn't that high to begin with. I can only imagine what Jay, Curr, and Jon go through with Jon's obscure Dutch bands, Jay's old Blues and Rock bands, and Curr's need to own every U2 and Coldplay live album. I miss the days of CDepot back in college park where you could wander in and waste 45-60 minutes of your day looking through quality CDs, and always finding what you need. Now, I know what I want to buy, but I can't find it anywhere. Walmart and Target is a joke with Best Buy and Circuit City slightly ahead of the other two, but still severely lacking. Today it took me 4 stops to different stores to finally find the Keane album. Their song has been playing non-stop on XM, so I decided to give it a shot. Not too bad, but was it worth the two hours of traveling around to pick it up? Probably not.
Nov 10, 2005
Vegas
So Lee is harping me to guilt my brother and his friend into coming to Vegas during the first week of the NCAA tournament. Eric wants to join us, but his friend is worried about the crowds. Now I can't really argue that, since it is crowded, but when will it not be crowded in the spring in Vegas? Either you got March Madness or spring break going on and it is always a zoo. If everyone would just step up their game a little and play $10 craps and $25 blackjack, we wouldn't have this problem. But anyway here are the reasons why Eric and his friend needs to join us in Vegas;
- You promised. Two years ago, Lee and I were on the phone getting the confirmation from your wife that you could come out with us this year. You go back on that promise and I'll be forced to let some information slip the next time I talk to your wife.
- Golfing- We would possibly have the best group of gambling golfers put together in recent years.
- Craps Dream Team- We are missing Jay on this trip, but with Wiz, Lee, Kermit, you, and myself at the craps table, we could possibly own the entire gaming floor. Everyone would know us for that week due to my over tipping of dealers, your weird sayings that the pit bosses love, and Wiz/Lee handling the casino host. And Kermit would take care of the drink girls of course. And think of the statistical analysis you could do in seeing which is more profitable, place bets or the come line with two distinct think tanks (Lee/Wiz-place bets and you/I-come bets) coming together. I'm getting all excited just thinking about it. Ahhhhhhh!!!!
- Don't know if I will be able to make another trip out there. I'm going in two weeks. I'm then going back with Lee. Blondie is having his bachelor party in April. That's three trips. Not too sure if I can get back out there for a 4th trip.
- Sportsbook. Putting you and Wiz together, we could possibly set a record for most women's college basketball wagers. And if you two are doing this, I'm sure Lee and I would join in, resulting in the largest number of weird looks received by strangers as they are trying to figure out why we are all screaming during the end of the TCU-Utah St women's game.
- As stated before, it is crowded, but it is not a mob scene. If you increase your wages by just $5, the tables really do open up. And if we stay at the Mirage, you won't have all the college kids fucking up your blackjack shit.
So please come with Lee, Wiz, and I!!!!
Nov 9, 2005
Thanks to Laura for forwarding to me this morning. This article made my day!!!! In my prior posts I have complained about kids in Starbucks and the office running around, with the parents just ignoring them thinking that it is OK for them to behave like that. Well, cafe's, coffee houses, and others are now taking action. Good for them!!!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/national/09bakery.html?8hpib
You have to register to read, but here are a couple of excerps from that column that made me smile:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/national/09bakery.html?8hpib
You have to register to read, but here are a couple of excerps from that column that made me smile:
- "Part of parenting skills is teaching kids they behave differently in a restaurant than they do on the playground,"
- Kim Cavitt recalled having coffee and a cookie one afternoon with her boisterous 2-year-old when "someone came over and said you just need to keep her quiet or you need to leave"
- "The looks I would get when I went in there made me so nervous that I would try to buy the food as fast as I could and get out," said Laura Brauer, 40, who has stopped visiting A Taste of Heaven with her two children. "I think that the mothers who allow their kids to run around and scream, that's wrong, but kids scream and there is nothing you can do about it. What are we supposed to do, not enjoy ourselves at a cafe?"
TO
Yesterday, after I wrote probably the best post of my life and then had my computer lock up and crash, I was crushed and not motivated to write anything for a while. But then late last night when I was watching Sportscenter and was blindsided by freaking Drew Rosenhaus acting like a guys best friend trying to persuade the ex-girlfriend to take his bud back after he got caught cheating on her. "Listen, he is a good guy, he apologized, and he is a good guy. I know he is a good guy and there are bunch of worse guys out there, and my guy is good." What the fuck was that all about??? First I thought it was another fake event like these Steve Phillips skits (which is possibly the worse thing I have ever seen on TV), but once I realized that it was real I was thinking that the Eagles will probably be stupid enough to take this as a sincere apology and welcome TO back. I really hope not. But then again, it is the Eagles who is like that guy at work who is so desparate that he will date any co-worker despite how crazy these girls might be. And Lee, its not me. For example, a year ago, there was a hot blonde in the office who started to show interest in one of my friends. We then began to find out some really weird shit about her, that I won't go into, but lets just say that she has a couple of notches on her belt for Managers that she has gotten fired due to failed relationships. Well when having the discussion with my friend, he was contemplating going out on a date with her and I said, "Dude, the best case scenario is that you get married to her. There is no middle ground with this girl. If anything goes wrong, it will cost you your job and probably your tires on your car. You know she will go apeshit if you go out with her once, sleep with her, and then stop calling her. SHE IS CRAZY-STAY AWAY!!!" And his response to this all the time was "Well, she is hot", and its very tough to argue against that. And this is just like the Eagles-TO relationship. Everyone knew that TO was crazy, everyone knew what might happen, but the Eagles took a chance hoping to win the Superbowl, but instead lost their job and got their tires slashed. And if you think that no other team will take a chance on a beautiful crazy girl that might take them to the promise land, you are stupid. This is why Farmers has a very large HR group and why NFL teams have large PR groups.
Later this week I'll relate my impending career change to Brittany Spears marriage and the government spending problem with the history of "The Real World"
Nov 7, 2005
It's Monday, November 7
and Pittsburgh still sucks....
A reminder of what happened the last time the Browns and Steelers hooked up on a Sunday night game in Pittsburgh:
A reminder of what happened the last time the Browns and Steelers hooked up on a Sunday night game in Pittsburgh:
Nov 5, 2005
NFL Picks, Week 9
I was going to do a statistical analysis of the new table game, Texas Hold Em Bonus Poker, butthe equations quickly turned ugly. I'd rather do Sudoku puzzles than solve second-order bivariate equations.
Anyway, here we go with week 9:
Min 20, Det 13. Yes, put me down in the "Detroit Doubter" club. And Brad Johnson will do well - he better; I picked him up as an emergency starter in one of myleagues.
SD 20, NYJ 10. Just can't see the Jets scoring a lot of points in this one.
Cle 23, Ten 13. I have a good feeling about this game... no, really! I mean it!
KC 31, Oak 17. Can Oakland really put 3 good games otgether in a row? I say no - it's Norv Turner!
Chi 20, NO 3. If NO could only score 6 last week vs. Mia, what will they do against a team that leads a division and needs every win it can get?
Cin 17, Bal 10. I just don't get any vibe on a Ravens victory here.
Car 24, TB 13. How is TB going to score points? They only put up 10 against the 9ers! (I know, it was on the road, but still -it's SF)
Jax 23, Hou 6. Carr and the Texans come back to Earth...
Mia 27, Atl 20. Upset of the week. Atlanta is not that good. They are one-dimensional on offense, and do not play well on defense.
NYG 24, SF 10. I don't see a repeat of the Redskins blowout here.
Sea 31, Az 17. Why is Green going back to Warner?
GB 23, Pit 20. Farve will find a way. Can't explain this one logically.
Was 20, Phi 13. This one now scares me with the news of Owens' suspension. The team may rally around each other without TO and pull off an upset.
NE 34, Ind 31. Never bet against home underdogs on Monday night - ESPECIALLY if the home underdog is the 2 time defending Super Bowl champion.
Good week last week: 12-6 on best bets: overall: 69-59-5
19 best bets this week:
Min -1
SD/NYJ under 41
KC -4
Chi -3
Chi/NO Under 34
Cin -3
Cin/Bal Under 36 1/2
Car -1.5
Jax -13.5
Jax/Hou Under 37
Mia +3
Atl/mia Over 40
NYG/SF Under 42
Sea -4
GB +4
Was -3
Was/Phi Under 40
NE +3.5
NE/Ind Over 49 1/2
Anyway, here we go with week 9:
Min 20, Det 13. Yes, put me down in the "Detroit Doubter" club. And Brad Johnson will do well - he better; I picked him up as an emergency starter in one of myleagues.
SD 20, NYJ 10. Just can't see the Jets scoring a lot of points in this one.
Cle 23, Ten 13. I have a good feeling about this game... no, really! I mean it!
KC 31, Oak 17. Can Oakland really put 3 good games otgether in a row? I say no - it's Norv Turner!
Chi 20, NO 3. If NO could only score 6 last week vs. Mia, what will they do against a team that leads a division and needs every win it can get?
Cin 17, Bal 10. I just don't get any vibe on a Ravens victory here.
Car 24, TB 13. How is TB going to score points? They only put up 10 against the 9ers! (I know, it was on the road, but still -it's SF)
Jax 23, Hou 6. Carr and the Texans come back to Earth...
Mia 27, Atl 20. Upset of the week. Atlanta is not that good. They are one-dimensional on offense, and do not play well on defense.
NYG 24, SF 10. I don't see a repeat of the Redskins blowout here.
Sea 31, Az 17. Why is Green going back to Warner?
GB 23, Pit 20. Farve will find a way. Can't explain this one logically.
Was 20, Phi 13. This one now scares me with the news of Owens' suspension. The team may rally around each other without TO and pull off an upset.
NE 34, Ind 31. Never bet against home underdogs on Monday night - ESPECIALLY if the home underdog is the 2 time defending Super Bowl champion.
Good week last week: 12-6 on best bets: overall: 69-59-5
19 best bets this week:
Min -1
SD/NYJ under 41
KC -4
Chi -3
Chi/NO Under 34
Cin -3
Cin/Bal Under 36 1/2
Car -1.5
Jax -13.5
Jax/Hou Under 37
Mia +3
Atl/mia Over 40
NYG/SF Under 42
Sea -4
GB +4
Was -3
Was/Phi Under 40
NE +3.5
NE/Ind Over 49 1/2
Nov 4, 2005
Random thoughts
The next post will be heavy on the statistics, so here is some light fare for Friday night:
1) Everyone from my generation (born, oh 1968-1976) considers Extreme's "More Than Words" to be one of the top 10 awful songs from our school days.
So why in the hell does this character named "Frankie J" feel the need to remake it? That's like Christina Aguilera remaking Maria Muldour's "Midnight at the Oasis" or something like that...
(and yes, I still have the "Pornograffiti" cassette).
2) I heard the sports news on the radio yeterday, and they played a clip from the Pacers' radio network- the clip was a dunk by Jermaine O'Neal... the announcer referred to him as "J.O."
Um........
That's like if Penn State running back Curtis Enis had a brother named Paul, some announcer would nickname him P-Enis.
I guess there are no more good nicknames anymore.
3) I see that Michael Schiavo has entered the political spotlight and publically announced his support for Tim Kaine. Why does this matter? Is he even a resident of Virginia? And will this turn the election over to Kilgore?
4) Why doesn't anyone like "57 Channels" by Bruce Springsteen?
5) The Grand Victoria casino played - back to back on their soundsystem - "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles, followed by "Knock Three Times" by Tony Orlando & Dawn. I was in heaven. Don Hershey, who was with me, quickly jumped three seats away from me.
1) Everyone from my generation (born, oh 1968-1976) considers Extreme's "More Than Words" to be one of the top 10 awful songs from our school days.
So why in the hell does this character named "Frankie J" feel the need to remake it? That's like Christina Aguilera remaking Maria Muldour's "Midnight at the Oasis" or something like that...
(and yes, I still have the "Pornograffiti" cassette).
2) I heard the sports news on the radio yeterday, and they played a clip from the Pacers' radio network- the clip was a dunk by Jermaine O'Neal... the announcer referred to him as "J.O."
Um........
That's like if Penn State running back Curtis Enis had a brother named Paul, some announcer would nickname him P-Enis.
I guess there are no more good nicknames anymore.
3) I see that Michael Schiavo has entered the political spotlight and publically announced his support for Tim Kaine. Why does this matter? Is he even a resident of Virginia? And will this turn the election over to Kilgore?
4) Why doesn't anyone like "57 Channels" by Bruce Springsteen?
5) The Grand Victoria casino played - back to back on their soundsystem - "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles, followed by "Knock Three Times" by Tony Orlando & Dawn. I was in heaven. Don Hershey, who was with me, quickly jumped three seats away from me.
Nov 1, 2005
Pet Peeves
Is it just me or does everyone else find it totally appalling to see grown working professionals dress up for Halloween at work? How can you have a meeting with someone wearing a cowboy outfit? I actually yelled at Little Bo Peep yesterday for falling behind on the project plan. I can't deal with this anymore. And I was already in a bad mood since some asshole pissed all over the seat of the designated "Number 2" stall in my office. And it wasn't just a little, it was like the guy was doing pull ups while pissing all over the entire stall and then thinking that this was normal and just leaving!!!!! There will be a full fledged investigation with indictments later on this week.
Other items that just totally makes me go nuts at work:
Other items that just totally makes me go nuts at work:
- Kids- If another person, brings in their 4 year old in at 1:00pm and then ignores them and lets them run all over the place to terrorize everyone trying to get shit done, I'm going to drop kick them into the parking lot. Now I don't mind infants and new borns, since they don't have the power to snag you stapler and drill it into your knee, or spill your water all over your keyboard, but lets make it as quick as possible and get them out of office. I remember one time back in Baltimore I went in on a Saturday and my clerical supervisor brought in her 6 kids (oldest being 12) while she worked. It was total pandemonium, and it took me almost half the morning on Monday to find all of my stuff.
- Lunch plans- I need to unwind at lunch, so I either have lunch with Austin, or I go by myself and read the paper. So if I have made it known that I don't want you to associate with me on several different occasions or have chewed you out in a meeting because you can't get something done, please stop asking me if I want to go out to lunch so I don't have to come up with some bullshit excuse.
- Middle Aged Women (non-management)- Jesus Christ, these women are brutal!!! Not only are they mean to women they don't like in the office, but even to their own friends. They are liars, gossip mongers, and are just plain depressing. If they aren't backstabbing one of their friends, then they are complaining about their husbands or how bad their kids are at home. Heaven forbid if they aren't married or don't have any kids and someone in the office that they don't like is either engaged or pregnant, its turns into depression alley and nobody gets any work done. The only good thing about this is that their anger is always against other women and not the men in the office. Oh and they always bring me in food.
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