Now that was a weekend!
Some people complain that the summer months are the most boring time for a sports fans so when you have an active weekend like we just witnessed, you had best relish it.
Let's look back at my weekend to do list and see what transpired:
10. NCAA Baseball Super Regionals
What do you know, I was glued to the LSU vs. Stony Brook series. Stony Brook is being compared to George Mason/VCU of College Basketball and rightfully so. They became only the second #4 seed (under current playoff system) to reach Omaha and the first from the America East Conference. Well done kids. They join Arizona, UCLA, Florida and Florida St. there with 3 more bids yet to come.
9. Euro Cup 2012
The Spain vs. Italy match on Sunday was fabulous even if I could only listen to it on the way back from Pennsylvania as the highlights matched the overall excitement level that came over the airwaves. Germany vs. Portugal was tightly contested as the entire German nation held their collective breath every time Chrisiano Ronaldo touched that ball (which was not nearly enough for the Portuguese). Today you have England and France squaring off which should be fantastic.
8. French Open Women's Finals
Maria Sharapova dominated this Tournament and as the World's new #1 is playing the best tennis of her career.
7. Stanley Cup Game 5
I hope the city of Los Angeles didn't put too big of a down payment on that parade equipment. New Jersey has turned the tables on the Kings and is forcing the series back to California tonight for a suddenly important Game 6. The team that has scored first has won all five games so if you are only a casual fan feel safe to turn the television off after the first tally of the night. Keep your eyes to yourself Pete DeBoer.
6. Washington Nationals at the Boston Red Sox
Sweeeeeeep Caroline...oh oh oh. Sweeeeeeep Caroline. I guess the Nationals might be for real, not that I didn't doubt that before walking out of Fenway with three victories. The new 'Big 3' of Strasburg, Gonzalez and Zimmerman along with Bryce Harper proved too much for an aging, inconstant Boston this weekend.
5. The Belmont Stakes
Before the weekend even got underway I'll Have Another was forced out of his chance for history with a bad tendon. It's a shame for a struggling sport like Horse Racing to not get the publicity it deserved (well not good publicity). Now the focus shifts to the trainer of I'll Have Another who has been caught doping horses and the question will linger on whether they pulled the horse to avoid any further testing and minimize a huge scandal. Tin foil hat wearers unite!!!
4. Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley
Keep those tin foil hats on kids, talk about scandal, intrigue and conspiracy. By all sane accounts, Manny Pacquiao did everything to win except pay the proper people on Saturday night. Twitter broke overnight when the ruling came down that Timothy Bradley had somehow managed a split decision victory. By Sunday afternoon the mob was linked to the victory, judges were being sequestered by the FBI and the rematch was being promoted. (Some facts may have been embellished)
3. The rest of Interleague Baseball
The Orioles took 2 of 3 (winning both in extra innings) from Philadelphia, they Yankees swept the Mets, Tampa Bay swept Miami, but the biggest eye opener of the weekend was how Mark Trumbo, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols combined for 16/40 hitting (.400 average), 2 HR, 15 runs and 15 RBI...wow! Overall the American League went 22-20 this weekend.
2. French Open Men's Finals
The rain was the biggest winner of this match. Just when it was starting to get good, mother nature stepped in an delayed the Finals until this morning when before I had even gotten to work it was over...how disappointing. Rafael Nadal wins his 7th French Open and denies Novak Djokovic his shot at holding all four tennis majors at the same time.
1. Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Game 7
For a little more than three quarters this was exactly what fans wanted. It was close, back and forth with the stars making big plays. Then the Celtics remembered that they were old and ran out of gas. Miami with Chris Bosh is a better team and that was obviously apparent over the final two games. I still like Oklahoma City to win the Championship (really I'm just hoping for it more than anything).
-------------------------------------------------
On the ride home on Friday, The Sports Reporters (Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin) discussed comparisons in sports history to I'll Have Another dropping out and leaving the sports world with a hollow feeling of not getting to witness potential history. Callers brought up hypothetical scenarios like Michael Jordan sitting out against Utah when he had the flu or Emmit Smith not having that remarkable game with his injured shoulder against the New York Giants with home field advantage at stake.
I had some actual events where and injury or other reasons had affected me personally when it came to players not playing:
October 5, 2003 Tim Hudson is starting for the Oakland Athletics in Game 4 versus the Boston Red Sox. Oakland is yet again a win away from winning a series and Hudson who pitched a complete game, two hit shutout against Boston in August is ready and raring to move them to the ALCS. Unfortunately he strained his left oblique during the first inning and couldn't continue. The string of bad decisions, bad luck, bad judgement and poor results would continue. Instead of Hudson who went 16-7 on the season, the Athletics turned to Steve Sparks who went without a win (0-6) in the 2003 season. Advantage Boston. He pitched admirably and the Athletics even led until Keith Foulke (future Red Sox hero) blew the lead in the eighth. They then lost Game 5 and the season was over.
November 27, 2007 The Day Sean Taylor succumbed to a gun shot wound to his leg and died. For 3 1/2 years the Washington Redskins had one of the best young safties in the NFL. He hit like a freight truck, covered ground like a gazelle and created havoc for opposing offenses. In short, Sean Taylor was a player that the Redskins could build their defense around for the next ten seasons. This was taken away in an instant and the Redskins have been a mess (for more reasons than this) since then. We only got to see a glimpse of what Sean Taylor could do in the NFL and one can only wonder what might have been.
March 18, 2012 Kendall Marshall had 18 points, 11 assists and played 36 minutes against Creighton. I was stuck on a bus coming back from New York, but following along on Twitter. Everything seemed rosy until there were tweets that the team doctor was meeting with Marshall and the coaching staff. The diagnosis was a fractured wrist and that meant Marshall was done for the year. This UNC team was built for the 2011-12 season. They were the only true competition for eventual Champion Kentucky. Earlier the two schools had gone down to the wire in Lexington and I was among the masses hoping for a rematch. There are nine players on the two teams that will probably be drafted in this years NBA Draft. Without Marshall, the Tar Heels eked out a victory over Ohio and came up short against National Runner Up Kansas.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Pocket Pair 6/8/12
A new segment of daily (hopefully) rants about the goings on in the world of sports, movies or anything else I have an opinion on.
For those of you not being dragged to your wife's cousin's wedding in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania I present to you the:
Top 10 Viewing Guide for the Weekend Sports Fan
10. NCAA Baseball Super Regionals - Normally I'd be glued to this, but with the early exit by North Carolina I will be skipping it. Good luck to Kent. St., St. Johns and Stony Brook though against some bigger name teams from power conferences.
9. Euro Cup 2012 gets underway today and the weekend is highlighted by Germany v Portugal on Saturday and Spain and Italy on Sunday
8. French Open Women's Finals - Saturday gives you the Women's Final with Maria Sharapova who has ascended to World #1 with her win yesterday going against Sara Errani who...uh...I haven't the foggiest clue who she is.
7. Stanley Cup Game 5 - The Los Angeles Kings will have their second opportunity to hoist Lord Stanley for the 1st time as they travel cross country to battle the New Jersey Devils. The Kings are 10-0 on the road this playoff season.
6. Washington Nationals at the Boston Red Sox in Fenway. The 1st place Nationals will throw out Strasburg, Gonzalez and Zimmerman this weekend against the Sox who will trot out Felix Doubront, Dice-K and John Lester (guess who has the most wins from that trio??)
5. The Belmont Stakes - I'll Have Another will look to end horse racing's 34 year drought of no Triple Crown winners. The question will be whether win or lose will anyone care by Sunday? *Editor's Note* I'll Have Another has just been scratched from the Belmont Stakes and Horse Racing continues to lose the average viewer.
4. Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley - Saturday night is fight night in Las Vegas (I'm as shocked as you are folks). Bradley is undefeated and Pacquiao is beloved by millions and the favorite...should be fun.
3. The rest of Interleague Baseball - While Washington vs. Boston is the highlight for me there is also Baltimore vs. Philiadelphia where the Orioles are the 1st place team and the Phillies are last place and San Francisco vs. Texas in a rematch of the World Series from two years ago. Did you know the Rangers are 0-11 all time at Pac Bell? Tampa Bay vs Florida should be good, I could care less about New York vs. New York but I'm certain a four letter cable network will be all over it, and Mark Trumbo, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout get to hit in the rarefied air of Colorado as the Angels travel slightly east.
2. French Open Men's Finals - Rafael Nadal has already moved on today and he will face either #1 seed Novak Djokovic or #3 seed Roger Federer. Fans will be treated to good quality tennis either way as the top 3 players in Men's Tennis are the only ones still remaining. Nadal is looking for a record 7th French Open title.
1. Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Game 7 - LeBron James showed why he is the best player in the sport last night as he poured in 45 points in Boston to force a Game 7 on Saturday night. Will Miami keep Erik Spoelstra employed for a little big longer or will Boston prove they have one final push left?
---------------------------------------------------
Prometheus is being released today and I have high hopes for this sorta, possible, looks a lot like, Alien prequel. Ridley Scott who directed Alien back in 1979 returns to the sci-fi extra-terrestrial genre with a much bigger budget and some spectacular special effects.
This movie stars the other Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender who gained fame and recognition released for not wearing many clothes in the movie Shame. Charlize Theron is in a wide release blockbuster for the 2nd consecutive week as last week Snow White and the Huntsman debuted. Rounding out the most well know cast members are Idris Elba and Guy Pearce. Both of them are good quality actors that should add the overall depth of the film.
Also being release for the kiddies is Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. I missed the sequel, but I remember the first one being funny and who doesn't enjoyed Chris Rock yelling like a madman?
Both movies are 'guaranteed fresh' by Rotten Tomatoes, 74% positive for Prometheus and 73% for Madagascar 3...so good times should be had by all ages this weekend (except anyone going to Pennsylvania for an in-law wedding).
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Pocket Pair 6/7/12
A new segment of daily (hopefully) rants about goings on in the world of sports, movies or anything else I have an opinion on.
Yesterday it was officially announced by the Washington Capitals that Forward Mike Knuble would not be returning next season. This was a mere formality to the fan base that saw Knubles' playing time, goals and overall effectiveness drop last season dramatically. What didn't diminish was his effort or his character as a man. Whether he was a healthy scratch (meaning he wasn't on the active roster for the game) or whether he was relegated to play with the fourth line (normally fewer minutes per game) Mike Knuble always acted as a true professional which is why he was so revered by the Capitals fan base.
It didn't start out rocky, he joined the team in 2009 and was the perfect fit on the line with young superstars Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The happy go lucky, run and gun Capitals toyed with opponents during the regular season scoring a league high 318 goals en route to the best record in the NHL with 121 points. Knuble scored 29 goals in only 69 games and the majority of them were within 2 feet of the goal crease. He was so deft at planting himself directly in front of the opposing goalie and picking up all the loose change from his line mates. It was perfect. The playoffs that season were not. The Capitals were stonewalled by a ridiculously hot goalie and were sent packing.
The next season was more of the same for the first two months of the season. The Capitals scored and scored some more. Then during a losing streak in December with the HBO film crews covering every waking moment for the New Years game vs Pittsburgh, the team made a dramatic shift in strategy. Instead of focusing solely on offense, it appeared the Capitals were going to focus on nothing but defense. Everybody had to adjust, but it didn't seem to affect Mike Knuble. You don't need to adjust your game when your role is to be in the face of the goalie and score dirty goals. He had 24 goals and played in 79 games during the regular season but was unfortunately injured during the first round of the playoffs and could not contribute in his normal fashion as the Capitals were swept out of the 2nd round.
Year three was full of dysfunction for the Capitals. After a scorching 7-0 start it all fell apart as Coach Bruce Boudreau lost the locker room and then his job. Dale Hunter was brought in and instilled an old school grind it out defensive approach and it barely worked. Mike Knuble was demoted to the fourth line or benched all together for most of the season. He was no longer used on the power play and it was quickly apparent that he was not the right fit for what Hunter was looking for.
When the playoffs began, Knuble wasn't on the active roster. #FreeKnuble was the mantra on Twitter. Die hard fans knew what Knuble could bring to the table and we all hoped he would get his chance. When Nicklas Backstrom got suspended for Game 4 versus the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, it was Mike Knuble that Dale Hunter turned to. He responded as we all knew he would. He scored a goal in a pivotal Game 5 and set up the series clinching overtime goal in Game 7 by driving hard to the net...classic Knuble. The Capitals won 3 of 4 games that series with him in the lineup and all of a sudden people considered the Capitals a dangerous team.
In the 2nd round Mike Knuble managed only 1 goal and 0 assists, but his playing time was severely limited. Whether he didn't have the gas in the tank at his age to compete night in and night out in such a rigid system or whether Coach Hunter didn't give him the chances to shine we'll never know. The writing was on the wall that Mike Knuble's time as a Capital was coming to sad end. He was a fan favorite for good reason, he played the game right, always a true professional and I can only wish we could turn back the clock and have Mike Knuble play another 10 years with Washington.
Thank you for your service Mike Knuble.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To change directions I feel in the mood to rant about traffic lights. With all the change in technology I had high hopes that somehow traffic lights would become smarter with the ability to recognize traffic patterns and adjust their cycle automatically to reduce traffic. It appears I was wrong. I drive the same stretch of road every day and there is one light that drives me insane. For 2-3 miles before and 5-6 miles after it is smooth sailing, but every day there is a 2 mile backup leading to this one light. It makes no sense that the light can't stay green when the traffic gets bad longer rather than letting the 10-15 cars go through from the opposite directions. Let them sit for an additional 20-30 seconds per cycle so that we don't have to sit through 6-7 full cycles before getting through after the initial backup begins.
I realize I should just bitch and moan to VDOT, but I had hopes that technological advances would fix this. Other lights get shorter at night time and there are cities that go to blinking lights at night. What never seems to get better is rush hour light cycles. I'm sure a smarter man then me can figure out a way to have a quicker response to backups and adjust the cycle of lights better...ok I'm done.
Yesterday it was officially announced by the Washington Capitals that Forward Mike Knuble would not be returning next season. This was a mere formality to the fan base that saw Knubles' playing time, goals and overall effectiveness drop last season dramatically. What didn't diminish was his effort or his character as a man. Whether he was a healthy scratch (meaning he wasn't on the active roster for the game) or whether he was relegated to play with the fourth line (normally fewer minutes per game) Mike Knuble always acted as a true professional which is why he was so revered by the Capitals fan base.
It didn't start out rocky, he joined the team in 2009 and was the perfect fit on the line with young superstars Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The happy go lucky, run and gun Capitals toyed with opponents during the regular season scoring a league high 318 goals en route to the best record in the NHL with 121 points. Knuble scored 29 goals in only 69 games and the majority of them were within 2 feet of the goal crease. He was so deft at planting himself directly in front of the opposing goalie and picking up all the loose change from his line mates. It was perfect. The playoffs that season were not. The Capitals were stonewalled by a ridiculously hot goalie and were sent packing.
The next season was more of the same for the first two months of the season. The Capitals scored and scored some more. Then during a losing streak in December with the HBO film crews covering every waking moment for the New Years game vs Pittsburgh, the team made a dramatic shift in strategy. Instead of focusing solely on offense, it appeared the Capitals were going to focus on nothing but defense. Everybody had to adjust, but it didn't seem to affect Mike Knuble. You don't need to adjust your game when your role is to be in the face of the goalie and score dirty goals. He had 24 goals and played in 79 games during the regular season but was unfortunately injured during the first round of the playoffs and could not contribute in his normal fashion as the Capitals were swept out of the 2nd round.
Year three was full of dysfunction for the Capitals. After a scorching 7-0 start it all fell apart as Coach Bruce Boudreau lost the locker room and then his job. Dale Hunter was brought in and instilled an old school grind it out defensive approach and it barely worked. Mike Knuble was demoted to the fourth line or benched all together for most of the season. He was no longer used on the power play and it was quickly apparent that he was not the right fit for what Hunter was looking for.
When the playoffs began, Knuble wasn't on the active roster. #FreeKnuble was the mantra on Twitter. Die hard fans knew what Knuble could bring to the table and we all hoped he would get his chance. When Nicklas Backstrom got suspended for Game 4 versus the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, it was Mike Knuble that Dale Hunter turned to. He responded as we all knew he would. He scored a goal in a pivotal Game 5 and set up the series clinching overtime goal in Game 7 by driving hard to the net...classic Knuble. The Capitals won 3 of 4 games that series with him in the lineup and all of a sudden people considered the Capitals a dangerous team.
In the 2nd round Mike Knuble managed only 1 goal and 0 assists, but his playing time was severely limited. Whether he didn't have the gas in the tank at his age to compete night in and night out in such a rigid system or whether Coach Hunter didn't give him the chances to shine we'll never know. The writing was on the wall that Mike Knuble's time as a Capital was coming to sad end. He was a fan favorite for good reason, he played the game right, always a true professional and I can only wish we could turn back the clock and have Mike Knuble play another 10 years with Washington.
Thank you for your service Mike Knuble.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To change directions I feel in the mood to rant about traffic lights. With all the change in technology I had high hopes that somehow traffic lights would become smarter with the ability to recognize traffic patterns and adjust their cycle automatically to reduce traffic. It appears I was wrong. I drive the same stretch of road every day and there is one light that drives me insane. For 2-3 miles before and 5-6 miles after it is smooth sailing, but every day there is a 2 mile backup leading to this one light. It makes no sense that the light can't stay green when the traffic gets bad longer rather than letting the 10-15 cars go through from the opposite directions. Let them sit for an additional 20-30 seconds per cycle so that we don't have to sit through 6-7 full cycles before getting through after the initial backup begins.
I realize I should just bitch and moan to VDOT, but I had hopes that technological advances would fix this. Other lights get shorter at night time and there are cities that go to blinking lights at night. What never seems to get better is rush hour light cycles. I'm sure a smarter man then me can figure out a way to have a quicker response to backups and adjust the cycle of lights better...ok I'm done.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Pocket Pair 6/6/12
A new segment of daily (hopefully) rants about goings on in the world of sports, movies or anything else I have an opinion
Last night was a tough one for the thumb. Both the Washington Nationals/New York Mets game and the Boston Celtics/Miami Heat game were too good to turn away from. Both games were back and forth, taut affairs.
The Nationals took an early lead only to cough it up in the 8th inning. That's when Ian Desmond took over for Washington. He singled home the tying run in the bottom half of that frame which was only the beginning of his heroics. After the Mets took back the lead in the top of the 10th inning, Desmond took advantage of some sloppy defense to tie the game up again with a fielder's choice ground ball. He wasn't quite done. Scott Hairston homered in the top of the 12th inning to give the Mets the lead once again, but only two batters into the bottom of the inning the game was tied yet again. Ian Desmond, the man of the moment, doubled home Michael Morse to knot the game up at 6. A few batters later some unknown rooking name Bryce Harper singled home the winning run and that is what all the beat reporters and local journalists will probably focus on which is fine. The truth is that this game belonged to Ian Desmond. His three clutch late inning RBI were the only reason Bryce Harper was the 'hero' after failing to win the game during his previous two at bats. Harper is going to get the headlines, he got the post game interview, he got the Gatorade shower and he was probably the lead story on ESPN for their recap.
The focus all season has been on Bryce Harper, even before he joined the team. Quietly Ian Desmond has been steady and pretty important to their success. He has been asked to hit in the top of the lineup and then was shifted to the 5 hole when the injuries mounted for the Nationals. He thrived there and has now been shifted to the 6th spot in the lineup with the return of Michael Morse. He as already matched his home run total of 2011 through a third of this season. His batting average is right in line with his career average and most importantly for the Nationals he has played in 51 of their 53 games. Obviously the pitching has been the key to the Nationals sitting in first place in the NL East, but just as important has been the play of Ian Desmond.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Down in Miami the Heat choked away another game, but I'm not going the easy route and blaming LeBron James. He scored 30 points and had 13 rebounds and his stat line actually spoke the truth about how well he played. Dwyane Wade scored 27 but the problem for the Heat last night were the men wearing green. The Celtics were just better than them. They wanted it more down the stretch and they made more key baskets when it mattered most. Kevin Garnett played with the heart of a champion. Rajon Rando was masterful and Paul Pierce threw in the dagger from beyond the arc. Boston had five players in double figures. Miami had two. Boston is a deeper team and the underlying stats prove it. Only one player for the Celtics was on the court for more points against than points for in game 5. Marquis Daniels played only 3 minutes and Boston was outscored by a scant 3 points during that time. The Heat had four such players including 'superstar' Chris Bosh who obviously returned from injury too soon. He played 14 minutes and saw the Celtics outscore the Heat by 12 points during that stretch. Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers who are on the roster to score points were outscored by 20 points total in their 47 combined minutes while only scoring 12 points. They shot a meager 2-8 from 3 point range as well. The fall off from Wade and James to the rest of the team is cavernous. The Heat are built around 3 top end talents and with one of them injured the dynamic of the team is broken. When they play a really good TEAM night in and night out the TEAM is going to win out. Yes the Heat can win any individual game, but the larger the sample size the more fans will see that it just is not going to happen for Miami this season.
Unless Chris Bosh shows dramatic improvement on the court on Thursday, this series is going to come to an end. The Heat are built to rely and rely heavily on Wade, James and Bosh and without any one of the three firing on all cylinders they are like a car missing a tire. I won't blame Erik Spoelstra even though he's not a very good tactician. He needs his big 3 to lead the way and its impossible to do so at this moment.
Last night was a tough one for the thumb. Both the Washington Nationals/New York Mets game and the Boston Celtics/Miami Heat game were too good to turn away from. Both games were back and forth, taut affairs.
The Nationals took an early lead only to cough it up in the 8th inning. That's when Ian Desmond took over for Washington. He singled home the tying run in the bottom half of that frame which was only the beginning of his heroics. After the Mets took back the lead in the top of the 10th inning, Desmond took advantage of some sloppy defense to tie the game up again with a fielder's choice ground ball. He wasn't quite done. Scott Hairston homered in the top of the 12th inning to give the Mets the lead once again, but only two batters into the bottom of the inning the game was tied yet again. Ian Desmond, the man of the moment, doubled home Michael Morse to knot the game up at 6. A few batters later some unknown rooking name Bryce Harper singled home the winning run and that is what all the beat reporters and local journalists will probably focus on which is fine. The truth is that this game belonged to Ian Desmond. His three clutch late inning RBI were the only reason Bryce Harper was the 'hero' after failing to win the game during his previous two at bats. Harper is going to get the headlines, he got the post game interview, he got the Gatorade shower and he was probably the lead story on ESPN for their recap.
The focus all season has been on Bryce Harper, even before he joined the team. Quietly Ian Desmond has been steady and pretty important to their success. He has been asked to hit in the top of the lineup and then was shifted to the 5 hole when the injuries mounted for the Nationals. He thrived there and has now been shifted to the 6th spot in the lineup with the return of Michael Morse. He as already matched his home run total of 2011 through a third of this season. His batting average is right in line with his career average and most importantly for the Nationals he has played in 51 of their 53 games. Obviously the pitching has been the key to the Nationals sitting in first place in the NL East, but just as important has been the play of Ian Desmond.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Down in Miami the Heat choked away another game, but I'm not going the easy route and blaming LeBron James. He scored 30 points and had 13 rebounds and his stat line actually spoke the truth about how well he played. Dwyane Wade scored 27 but the problem for the Heat last night were the men wearing green. The Celtics were just better than them. They wanted it more down the stretch and they made more key baskets when it mattered most. Kevin Garnett played with the heart of a champion. Rajon Rando was masterful and Paul Pierce threw in the dagger from beyond the arc. Boston had five players in double figures. Miami had two. Boston is a deeper team and the underlying stats prove it. Only one player for the Celtics was on the court for more points against than points for in game 5. Marquis Daniels played only 3 minutes and Boston was outscored by a scant 3 points during that time. The Heat had four such players including 'superstar' Chris Bosh who obviously returned from injury too soon. He played 14 minutes and saw the Celtics outscore the Heat by 12 points during that stretch. Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers who are on the roster to score points were outscored by 20 points total in their 47 combined minutes while only scoring 12 points. They shot a meager 2-8 from 3 point range as well. The fall off from Wade and James to the rest of the team is cavernous. The Heat are built around 3 top end talents and with one of them injured the dynamic of the team is broken. When they play a really good TEAM night in and night out the TEAM is going to win out. Yes the Heat can win any individual game, but the larger the sample size the more fans will see that it just is not going to happen for Miami this season.
Unless Chris Bosh shows dramatic improvement on the court on Thursday, this series is going to come to an end. The Heat are built to rely and rely heavily on Wade, James and Bosh and without any one of the three firing on all cylinders they are like a car missing a tire. I won't blame Erik Spoelstra even though he's not a very good tactician. He needs his big 3 to lead the way and its impossible to do so at this moment.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Pocket Pair 6/5/12
A new segment of daily (hopefully) rants about goings on in the world of sports, movies or anything else I have an opinion on.
I admit it, I'm a food show junkie. Add in the aspect of competition and I'm sold. Yesterday marked the season premieres of two of Chef Gordon Ramsey's shows: Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef. Neither of these shows hold a candle to the likes of Top Chef or even Iron Chef for that matter.
When it comes to Hell's Kitchen he is obviously pandering to a wider range of audience. The talent pool is shallow, the language is crass and the cooking is poor. There has to be a better quality of chef in America than what is seen on this show. I assume each contestant is promised $0.50 for each curse word that is uttered. Add to the fact that contestants take every free moment to get drunk and smoke a pack of cigarettes and you've got yourself a quality program. Why do I watch then? I'm a sucker for watching people make fools of themselves. These people think they are the greatest chefs on the planet and usually they are nothing more than a group of uneducated, belligerent bunch of morons. I've never cooked professionally and I'm rather poor as an amateur chef, but I enjoy eating and that gives me all the qualifications to judge these fools.
Now Master Chef is a chance for Chef Ramsey to show that he's actually human and might have a heart. He takes a group of amateur chefs and turns them into quasi-professionals. He still lets his famous temper show, but he has two fellow celebrity personalities, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot, to keep him under control. They can also be unnerving with their critique of the food, but they are much more likeable to both the contestants and the viewers. I enjoy this show because it is easy to put myself into the shoes of the amateurs. I want to be a better chef, but I realize I don't have the palette for it. I can't deduce subtle flavors and I don't have the foggiest clue on how flavors meld together. I like learning about different, exotic foods and how they can be prepared.
--------------------------------------------------------
Going back to the sports world where I am a self described expert, the playoffs of both the NBA and the NHL are quickly wrapping up, but they are headed in separate directions. I've been bemoaning the quality of the NBA playoffs for a while now, but that opinion has taken a complete shift. The Conference Finals have been excellent. The teams have marquee players who are all at different stages of their careers and that just adds to the entertainment. You have the veterans who have one multiple times in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. There are the veterans who have won just once and have been written off as dead multiple time in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. There is The Chosen One, LeBron James who is still searching for that first championship and his trusty sidekick Dwayne Wade. The last group is the up and comers, the next generation of stars in Oklahoma in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
In both series the supposed favorite won the first two games on their home court. In the past that would mean the series is over. Over 94% of teams who have jumped out to 2-0 in a best of 7 series have gone on to win that series. Obviously someone forgot to tell that to both Boston and Oklahoma City. They both held serve on their home court and yesterday the Thunder went one further by stealing back home court advantage by winning in San Antonio. Tonight Boston will have a chance to do the same. What has made these series go to another level is how close each game has been. Only one of the nine games have been 15+ spreads. Two of the four games in the East have gone to overtime. Last nights game between San Antonio and Oklahoma City went down to the final possession. The final element is that it definitely appears that the teams do not like one another. It may not be Indiana/New York of the 90's or Chicago/Detroit of the late 80's but there is animosity. Miami (Jame in particular) wants what Boston has, Boston wants to prove they're not done yet. Oklahoma City is trying to prove to everyone that they are ready and San Antonio wants one final run in the sun. How it will end is yet to be seen, but I'm enjoying the ride.
As for the NHL their playoffs started as hot as the sun, but have run out of steam when it matters the most. We fans didn't get the New York/Los Angeles Finals that would have put hockey on the map. New Jersey upended the Rangers and have proven to be no opposition for the Kings. This is not to slight what Los Angeles has done during the playoffs this year. They have dominated all comers. In all 3 of their series they have won the first three games. In all of those series they started on the road. They have yet to lose on the road in the playoffs. I'll repeat, THEY HAVE YET TO LOSE ON THE ROAD!! As a Washington Capitals fan I find this torrid streak that they are one unimaginable. Every year I hope the Caps catch fire like the Kings have and every year I am disappointed. Even in 1998 the Caps were forced to win six of their 12 victories in overtime. It has never come easy. When Los Angeles hoists the Stanley Cup tomorrow the season will have limped to the end with no drama and no excitement and that's a total shame.
I admit it, I'm a food show junkie. Add in the aspect of competition and I'm sold. Yesterday marked the season premieres of two of Chef Gordon Ramsey's shows: Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef. Neither of these shows hold a candle to the likes of Top Chef or even Iron Chef for that matter.
When it comes to Hell's Kitchen he is obviously pandering to a wider range of audience. The talent pool is shallow, the language is crass and the cooking is poor. There has to be a better quality of chef in America than what is seen on this show. I assume each contestant is promised $0.50 for each curse word that is uttered. Add to the fact that contestants take every free moment to get drunk and smoke a pack of cigarettes and you've got yourself a quality program. Why do I watch then? I'm a sucker for watching people make fools of themselves. These people think they are the greatest chefs on the planet and usually they are nothing more than a group of uneducated, belligerent bunch of morons. I've never cooked professionally and I'm rather poor as an amateur chef, but I enjoy eating and that gives me all the qualifications to judge these fools.
Now Master Chef is a chance for Chef Ramsey to show that he's actually human and might have a heart. He takes a group of amateur chefs and turns them into quasi-professionals. He still lets his famous temper show, but he has two fellow celebrity personalities, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot, to keep him under control. They can also be unnerving with their critique of the food, but they are much more likeable to both the contestants and the viewers. I enjoy this show because it is easy to put myself into the shoes of the amateurs. I want to be a better chef, but I realize I don't have the palette for it. I can't deduce subtle flavors and I don't have the foggiest clue on how flavors meld together. I like learning about different, exotic foods and how they can be prepared.
--------------------------------------------------------
Going back to the sports world where I am a self described expert, the playoffs of both the NBA and the NHL are quickly wrapping up, but they are headed in separate directions. I've been bemoaning the quality of the NBA playoffs for a while now, but that opinion has taken a complete shift. The Conference Finals have been excellent. The teams have marquee players who are all at different stages of their careers and that just adds to the entertainment. You have the veterans who have one multiple times in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. There are the veterans who have won just once and have been written off as dead multiple time in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. There is The Chosen One, LeBron James who is still searching for that first championship and his trusty sidekick Dwayne Wade. The last group is the up and comers, the next generation of stars in Oklahoma in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
In both series the supposed favorite won the first two games on their home court. In the past that would mean the series is over. Over 94% of teams who have jumped out to 2-0 in a best of 7 series have gone on to win that series. Obviously someone forgot to tell that to both Boston and Oklahoma City. They both held serve on their home court and yesterday the Thunder went one further by stealing back home court advantage by winning in San Antonio. Tonight Boston will have a chance to do the same. What has made these series go to another level is how close each game has been. Only one of the nine games have been 15+ spreads. Two of the four games in the East have gone to overtime. Last nights game between San Antonio and Oklahoma City went down to the final possession. The final element is that it definitely appears that the teams do not like one another. It may not be Indiana/New York of the 90's or Chicago/Detroit of the late 80's but there is animosity. Miami (Jame in particular) wants what Boston has, Boston wants to prove they're not done yet. Oklahoma City is trying to prove to everyone that they are ready and San Antonio wants one final run in the sun. How it will end is yet to be seen, but I'm enjoying the ride.
As for the NHL their playoffs started as hot as the sun, but have run out of steam when it matters the most. We fans didn't get the New York/Los Angeles Finals that would have put hockey on the map. New Jersey upended the Rangers and have proven to be no opposition for the Kings. This is not to slight what Los Angeles has done during the playoffs this year. They have dominated all comers. In all 3 of their series they have won the first three games. In all of those series they started on the road. They have yet to lose on the road in the playoffs. I'll repeat, THEY HAVE YET TO LOSE ON THE ROAD!! As a Washington Capitals fan I find this torrid streak that they are one unimaginable. Every year I hope the Caps catch fire like the Kings have and every year I am disappointed. Even in 1998 the Caps were forced to win six of their 12 victories in overtime. It has never come easy. When Los Angeles hoists the Stanley Cup tomorrow the season will have limped to the end with no drama and no excitement and that's a total shame.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Pocket Pair
A new segment of daily (hopefully) rants about goings on in the world of sports, movies or anything else I have an opinion on.
Yesterday UNC was eliminated from the NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament. They were a young team and not expected to do as well as they did. Led by a pair of Sophomores, pitcher Kent Emanuel and 3rd baseman Colin Moran, the Tar Heels went 42-13 in the regular season. This was good enough for 2nd place in the very difficult (save for the pesky winning a National Championship thing) ACC. With only two Seniors and thirteen Freshmen on the roster is appeared that this version of the Diamond Heels was a year away from contending for a spot in the College World Series in Omaha. This was until a 13 game winning streak where the pitching staff only gave up more than two runs in a game twice to end the season. Omaha looked more like a certainty rather than a dream going into the post season.
In the ACC Tournament UNC dispatched of Wake Forest 6-0, but then ran up against the one team that had their number all season, Miami. After being swept by Miami earlier in the season, it was more of the same in the Tournament as they fell 5-3. Because of silly tie breakers other results meant that UNC couldn't play in the Championship game even after shutting out rival N.C. two nights later. The strange part of the Tournament was that UNC, the #2 seed in it and top seed on their half of the bracket had to be the road team for two of the three games they played. They worked hard for 55 games to earn a higher seed only for it to be thrown away because each team is guaranteed a home game. That's a load of crap. Baseball is set up to reward the home team with the final chance to score for a reason. As the better team, UNC earned the right to be the home team. It may not have made a difference in the loss to Miami, but in game strategy is completely different when you are home than when you are the visitor.
Even with falling short in the ACC Tournament UNC was rated the #6 overall seed in the 64 team NCAA Tournament that would deliver eight participants to the College World Series. UNC got to host a 4 team regional with the winner of that regional facing another winning team and if UNC had won their regional they would of hosted that best of 3 series. Again they had earned all of this with a very stellar regular season against some of the stiffest competition in all of the land. Of the 16 hosts in the regional round, 5 of them came from the ACC. In the first game the Tar Heels got past a pesky Cornell team 7-4. They were rightfully the home team. The next game is the most important of the bracket. The winner gets to advance to the Championship Game of the bracket where they only have to win one more game to advance. The loser falls the the bad side of the bracket and would have to win 3 consecutive games including two over the team that just beat them to advance. With such importance UNC should have naturally been given home field advantage. Nope. Sorry. Let's flip a frickin' coin to determine this. Are you kidding me? A coin? Yes the Heels will have the fans, the familiarity, but I'd trade all of that for last at bats. As you probably guessed, UNC lost the coin flip and were forced to the status of visitor on their home field in the most important game of the season to date. If it's a close game the home team can play to keep it tied rather than be forced to try for a big inning.
This is just what happened between UNC and second round opponent St. Johns. The Red Storm scored first and Tar Heels answered right back to even it at 1. St. Johns responded with a run and that lead held for three innings until UNC scored twice to take the lead back. UNC added a run in the 9th and held a two advantage. They turned to 1st Team All-American close Michael Morin who had tied the UNC season record with 18 saves. UNC was 36-0 when leading after 8 innings. The lead off batter for St. Johns doubled and the following man singled putting 2 men on with nobody out. Morin struck out the third batter, but catcher Danny Bethea connected for a game winning 3 run homer. UNC just lost in walk off fashion on their home field!
Just to add salt to the wound, UNC lost the next coin flip and had to be the road team again with their season on the line in the following game against East Carolina. They won that game and even with being afforded home field advantage in the rematch against St. Johns, they couldn't get a victory to force a winner take all game on Monday. St. Johns played better, they pitched better, fielded better and hit better. They deserved to move on, but I would have loved to see UNC get that final at bat on Saturday night, it seems only fair, after all they earned it, didn't they?
-------------------------------------------
As I type, the Amateur Draft for Major League Baseball is going on. In 2007 the Oakland Athletics drafted pitcher/first baseman Sean Doolittle out of the University of Virginia. He was a very good pitcher, but he was drafted as a hitter. He was giving up on pitching. In his first professional season, Doolittle hit 22 home runs for the Athletics minor league teams. He then suffered multiple injuries to his wrist and and knees. Hitting was going to be no longer possible at a major league level. His career was in jeopardy so he decided to give pitching a shot again.
After missing the entire 2010 season and all but one inning in 2011, Sean Doolittle was going to try and pitch his way to the majors. He started in A level with a bunch of just out of high school and college kids. He struck out 21 in just over 10 innings and walked only two. This had always been his strength. He had struck out 174 batters to only 37 walks in college. Quickly he was moved up to AA where the top prospects abide in the minor leagues. In eleven innings he struck out 19 while walking only 4 batters. In each of his two stops he only gave up one earned run. Two runs in 21 innings is good, but considering Doolittle hadn't pitched regularly in 5 years it's mighty impressive.
Just as quick as his move to AA, The Athletics bumped him up to AAA, one step away from fulfilling his lifelong dream of pitching in the majors. He recorded only 11 outs in AAA, 8 by strikeout while walking a single batter and didn't give up a run. With an injury relief pitcher Jordan Norberto, the Athletics needed to call up another relief pitcher. Sean Doolittle got the call he had been waiting 5 years for. He was headed to Oakland, just not as the hitter he and the Athletics thought he'd be, but as a strikeout specialist.
He's obviously not guaranteed a long stay as Norberto appears that he'll be ready to go when his 15 days of rest is up. He is also not guaranteed similar success to what he's seen against inferior competition, but today is his day and nobody is taking that away from him. As a life long baseball player who would do almost anything to throw to just one batter in the majors, I can only imagine how Doolittle must feel right now. I wish him all the success in the world and hope his stay in Oakland is a long one and an exceptional one. Never give up on your dream.
Yesterday UNC was eliminated from the NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament. They were a young team and not expected to do as well as they did. Led by a pair of Sophomores, pitcher Kent Emanuel and 3rd baseman Colin Moran, the Tar Heels went 42-13 in the regular season. This was good enough for 2nd place in the very difficult (save for the pesky winning a National Championship thing) ACC. With only two Seniors and thirteen Freshmen on the roster is appeared that this version of the Diamond Heels was a year away from contending for a spot in the College World Series in Omaha. This was until a 13 game winning streak where the pitching staff only gave up more than two runs in a game twice to end the season. Omaha looked more like a certainty rather than a dream going into the post season.
In the ACC Tournament UNC dispatched of Wake Forest 6-0, but then ran up against the one team that had their number all season, Miami. After being swept by Miami earlier in the season, it was more of the same in the Tournament as they fell 5-3. Because of silly tie breakers other results meant that UNC couldn't play in the Championship game even after shutting out rival N.C. two nights later. The strange part of the Tournament was that UNC, the #2 seed in it and top seed on their half of the bracket had to be the road team for two of the three games they played. They worked hard for 55 games to earn a higher seed only for it to be thrown away because each team is guaranteed a home game. That's a load of crap. Baseball is set up to reward the home team with the final chance to score for a reason. As the better team, UNC earned the right to be the home team. It may not have made a difference in the loss to Miami, but in game strategy is completely different when you are home than when you are the visitor.
Even with falling short in the ACC Tournament UNC was rated the #6 overall seed in the 64 team NCAA Tournament that would deliver eight participants to the College World Series. UNC got to host a 4 team regional with the winner of that regional facing another winning team and if UNC had won their regional they would of hosted that best of 3 series. Again they had earned all of this with a very stellar regular season against some of the stiffest competition in all of the land. Of the 16 hosts in the regional round, 5 of them came from the ACC. In the first game the Tar Heels got past a pesky Cornell team 7-4. They were rightfully the home team. The next game is the most important of the bracket. The winner gets to advance to the Championship Game of the bracket where they only have to win one more game to advance. The loser falls the the bad side of the bracket and would have to win 3 consecutive games including two over the team that just beat them to advance. With such importance UNC should have naturally been given home field advantage. Nope. Sorry. Let's flip a frickin' coin to determine this. Are you kidding me? A coin? Yes the Heels will have the fans, the familiarity, but I'd trade all of that for last at bats. As you probably guessed, UNC lost the coin flip and were forced to the status of visitor on their home field in the most important game of the season to date. If it's a close game the home team can play to keep it tied rather than be forced to try for a big inning.
This is just what happened between UNC and second round opponent St. Johns. The Red Storm scored first and Tar Heels answered right back to even it at 1. St. Johns responded with a run and that lead held for three innings until UNC scored twice to take the lead back. UNC added a run in the 9th and held a two advantage. They turned to 1st Team All-American close Michael Morin who had tied the UNC season record with 18 saves. UNC was 36-0 when leading after 8 innings. The lead off batter for St. Johns doubled and the following man singled putting 2 men on with nobody out. Morin struck out the third batter, but catcher Danny Bethea connected for a game winning 3 run homer. UNC just lost in walk off fashion on their home field!
Just to add salt to the wound, UNC lost the next coin flip and had to be the road team again with their season on the line in the following game against East Carolina. They won that game and even with being afforded home field advantage in the rematch against St. Johns, they couldn't get a victory to force a winner take all game on Monday. St. Johns played better, they pitched better, fielded better and hit better. They deserved to move on, but I would have loved to see UNC get that final at bat on Saturday night, it seems only fair, after all they earned it, didn't they?
-------------------------------------------
As I type, the Amateur Draft for Major League Baseball is going on. In 2007 the Oakland Athletics drafted pitcher/first baseman Sean Doolittle out of the University of Virginia. He was a very good pitcher, but he was drafted as a hitter. He was giving up on pitching. In his first professional season, Doolittle hit 22 home runs for the Athletics minor league teams. He then suffered multiple injuries to his wrist and and knees. Hitting was going to be no longer possible at a major league level. His career was in jeopardy so he decided to give pitching a shot again.
After missing the entire 2010 season and all but one inning in 2011, Sean Doolittle was going to try and pitch his way to the majors. He started in A level with a bunch of just out of high school and college kids. He struck out 21 in just over 10 innings and walked only two. This had always been his strength. He had struck out 174 batters to only 37 walks in college. Quickly he was moved up to AA where the top prospects abide in the minor leagues. In eleven innings he struck out 19 while walking only 4 batters. In each of his two stops he only gave up one earned run. Two runs in 21 innings is good, but considering Doolittle hadn't pitched regularly in 5 years it's mighty impressive.
Just as quick as his move to AA, The Athletics bumped him up to AAA, one step away from fulfilling his lifelong dream of pitching in the majors. He recorded only 11 outs in AAA, 8 by strikeout while walking a single batter and didn't give up a run. With an injury relief pitcher Jordan Norberto, the Athletics needed to call up another relief pitcher. Sean Doolittle got the call he had been waiting 5 years for. He was headed to Oakland, just not as the hitter he and the Athletics thought he'd be, but as a strikeout specialist.
He's obviously not guaranteed a long stay as Norberto appears that he'll be ready to go when his 15 days of rest is up. He is also not guaranteed similar success to what he's seen against inferior competition, but today is his day and nobody is taking that away from him. As a life long baseball player who would do almost anything to throw to just one batter in the majors, I can only imagine how Doolittle must feel right now. I wish him all the success in the world and hope his stay in Oakland is a long one and an exceptional one. Never give up on your dream.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
10 Lists of 10 Things That Make Me Happy
Summer reading time kids:
These are in no particular order.
1) Top 10 Comedies That I Laugh At:
1) Airplane
2) Naked Gun
3) Super Troopers
4) Home Alone
5) Happy Gilmore
6) Major League
7) Clerks
8) Snatch
9) Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
10) Empire Records
2) Top 10 Bands That (Currently) I Listen To:
1) Avenged Sevenfold
2) Bullet For My Valentine
3) Tool
4) Halestorm
5) System of a Down
6) Godsmack
7) Flyleaf
8) Shinedown
9) Five Finger Death Punch
10) Volbeat
3) Top 10 Things I'd Rather Be Doing Than Working
1) Watching Sports (Duh!)
2) Eating
3) Sleeping
4) Reading/Writing/Arithmetic
5) Doing a Crossword Puzzle
6) Being on a Cruise
7) Playing Poker
8) Pitching with a healthy shoulder
9) Traveling anywhere
10) Spending time with the wife...no really!
4) Top 10 Foods I'd Eat For My Last Meal
1) Pizza
2) Burgers
3) Ice Cream
4) Chicken Parm
5) Cereal
6) Popcorn
7) Filet Mignon
8) Mac & Cheese
9) BBQ Chicken Sandwich
10) Pancakes, Eggs and Bacon
5) Top 10 TV Series I've Watched
1) The Simpsons
2) Law & Order
3) Family Guy
4) Dexter
5) House
6) NCIS
7) Cheers
8) CSI
9) 24
10) Lost
6) Top 10 Action Movie 'Popcorn Flicks' (Movies that take no brain power to enjoy)
1) Die Hard
2) Gladiator
3) The Rock
4) Terminator 2
5) Leon (The Professional)
6) Kill Bill
7) Jurassic Park
8) Rocky IV
9) Tombstone
10) Bad Boys
7) Top 10 Movies Made Before I Was Born (1978)
1) Jaws
2) Star Wars
3) The Dirty Dozen
4) The Great Escape
5) The Wizard of Oz
6) The Rear Window
7) The Birds
8) Psycho (Hitchcock movies...get it??)
9) Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
10) The Sting
8) Top 10 Sporting Events I'd Sell My Soul To Attend if My Favorite Team Was Playing
1) Stanley Cup Finals Game 7
2) Super Bowl
3) World Series Game 7
4) NCAA Men's Final Four
5) College World Series (Only one I've been too, sadly no UNC there)
6) World Cup Final
7) NFC Championship Game at RFK
8) Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game
9) BCS Championship Game (Preferably at the Rose Bowl)
10 NBA Finals Game 7
9) Top 10 Places I'd love to Watch A Sporting Event (Because I never have)
1) Dean Dome
2) Augusta National (The Masters)
3) Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby)
4) The Big House (Can Michigan not play though)
5) The Rose Bowl
6) The LA Coliseum
7) Lambeau Field at Night
8) Busch Stadium
9) Dodger Stadium (sitting quietly next to Vin Scully)
10) Indianapolis Motor Speedway
10) Top 10 Movies I Love That Haven't Been Listed
1) Rounders
2) Trainspotting
3) Fight Club
4) Seven
5) Star Wars
6) The Usual Suspects
7) Pulp Fiction
8) The Shawshank Redemption
9) The Silence of the Lambs
10) Chicken Run
These are in no particular order.
1) Top 10 Comedies That I Laugh At:
1) Airplane
2) Naked Gun
3) Super Troopers
4) Home Alone
5) Happy Gilmore
6) Major League
7) Clerks
8) Snatch
9) Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
10) Empire Records
2) Top 10 Bands That (Currently) I Listen To:
1) Avenged Sevenfold
2) Bullet For My Valentine
3) Tool
4) Halestorm
5) System of a Down
6) Godsmack
7) Flyleaf
8) Shinedown
9) Five Finger Death Punch
10) Volbeat
3) Top 10 Things I'd Rather Be Doing Than Working
1) Watching Sports (Duh!)
2) Eating
3) Sleeping
4) Reading/Writing/Arithmetic
5) Doing a Crossword Puzzle
6) Being on a Cruise
7) Playing Poker
8) Pitching with a healthy shoulder
9) Traveling anywhere
10) Spending time with the wife...no really!
4) Top 10 Foods I'd Eat For My Last Meal
1) Pizza
2) Burgers
3) Ice Cream
4) Chicken Parm
5) Cereal
6) Popcorn
7) Filet Mignon
8) Mac & Cheese
9) BBQ Chicken Sandwich
10) Pancakes, Eggs and Bacon
5) Top 10 TV Series I've Watched
1) The Simpsons
2) Law & Order
3) Family Guy
4) Dexter
5) House
6) NCIS
7) Cheers
8) CSI
9) 24
10) Lost
6) Top 10 Action Movie 'Popcorn Flicks' (Movies that take no brain power to enjoy)
1) Die Hard
2) Gladiator
3) The Rock
4) Terminator 2
5) Leon (The Professional)
6) Kill Bill
7) Jurassic Park
8) Rocky IV
9) Tombstone
10) Bad Boys
7) Top 10 Movies Made Before I Was Born (1978)
1) Jaws
2) Star Wars
3) The Dirty Dozen
4) The Great Escape
5) The Wizard of Oz
6) The Rear Window
7) The Birds
8) Psycho (Hitchcock movies...get it??)
9) Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
10) The Sting
8) Top 10 Sporting Events I'd Sell My Soul To Attend if My Favorite Team Was Playing
1) Stanley Cup Finals Game 7
2) Super Bowl
3) World Series Game 7
4) NCAA Men's Final Four
5) College World Series (Only one I've been too, sadly no UNC there)
6) World Cup Final
7) NFC Championship Game at RFK
8) Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game
9) BCS Championship Game (Preferably at the Rose Bowl)
10 NBA Finals Game 7
9) Top 10 Places I'd love to Watch A Sporting Event (Because I never have)
1) Dean Dome
2) Augusta National (The Masters)
3) Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby)
4) The Big House (Can Michigan not play though)
5) The Rose Bowl
6) The LA Coliseum
7) Lambeau Field at Night
8) Busch Stadium
9) Dodger Stadium (sitting quietly next to Vin Scully)
10) Indianapolis Motor Speedway
10) Top 10 Movies I Love That Haven't Been Listed
1) Rounders
2) Trainspotting
3) Fight Club
4) Seven
5) Star Wars
6) The Usual Suspects
7) Pulp Fiction
8) The Shawshank Redemption
9) The Silence of the Lambs
10) Chicken Run
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)