Merry Christmas ye who stumbled upon my blog!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Best Of: Music
In no way shape or form copying Klein’s blog (great minds just think alike, deal with it), here is my best-of 2009 list for the world of music.
Album of the Year –
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
I was surprised so many critics were not impressed with the group’s second album. I found it to be just as good, if not better than “Carnavas”. It is a bit more polished but I really don’t think that’s a bad thing as Carnavas, for all its pluses, had several times when it just sounded like noise. “Panic Switch” and “There’s No Secrets This Year” are thundering alt-rock forces, while “The Royal We” and the intimate “Catch & Release” incorporate a string arrangement to great effect, the latter being the best song on the album.
Runners up:
Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Muse – The Resistance
Worst Album of the Year –
Weezer – Raditude
I knew this was going to be bad going into it, but I picked it up anyway, just out of respect. I wished I hadn’t. Minus the opener “I Want You To” which oddly enough is one of the best songs they’ve done, this album is complete crap. Instead of explaining further, I’ll just say Lil Wayne is featured on a track. Done.
Runners up:
Nothing really else I picked up is even close to that bad. There are some albums I haven't listened to all of (cough... Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. ... cough) that I would put here, but as for whole albums:
Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
Eminem - Relapse
Best Song of the Year (that received radio play) –
“Audience of One” – Rise Against
Runners up:
“Kids” – MGMT
“Brother” – Pearl Jam
“Panic Switch” – Silversun Pickups
“Check My Brain” – Alice in Chains
Best Song of the Year (not on radio) –
“Antenna” – Sonic Youth
Runners up:
“Amongst the Waves” – Pearl Jam
“I Belong to You” – Muse
“Catch & Release” – Silversun Pickups
“Peacemaker” – Green Day
Worst Song of the Year –
“Boom Boom Pow” – Black Eyed Peas
Runners up:
“Meet Me Halfway” – Black Eyed Peas
“Just Dance” – Lady Gaga
(Creed and Nickelback apparently both had songs this year, so… them)
“Birthday Sex” – Jeremih
Genre specifics:
Best Alternative Album –
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Runners up: Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, MGMT – Oracular Spectacular, Muse – The Resistance, Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
Best Rock Album –
Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Runners up: Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue, Pearl Jam – Backspacer, Rise Against – Appeal to Reason, Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound, Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Best Non-Rock Album –
Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Best New Artist –
MGMT
Runners up:
Phoenix
Gaslight Anthem
The XX
Airborne Toxic Event
Already looking forward to albums from these bands in 2010:
THE STROKES
THE ROOTS
DEFTONES
Radiohead (???)
Blink 182
Vampire Weekend
MGMT
Arcade Fire
Gorillaz
And more…
Coming soon, Best of: Sports
Album of the Year –
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
I was surprised so many critics were not impressed with the group’s second album. I found it to be just as good, if not better than “Carnavas”. It is a bit more polished but I really don’t think that’s a bad thing as Carnavas, for all its pluses, had several times when it just sounded like noise. “Panic Switch” and “There’s No Secrets This Year” are thundering alt-rock forces, while “The Royal We” and the intimate “Catch & Release” incorporate a string arrangement to great effect, the latter being the best song on the album.
Runners up:
Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Muse – The Resistance
Worst Album of the Year –
Weezer – Raditude
I knew this was going to be bad going into it, but I picked it up anyway, just out of respect. I wished I hadn’t. Minus the opener “I Want You To” which oddly enough is one of the best songs they’ve done, this album is complete crap. Instead of explaining further, I’ll just say Lil Wayne is featured on a track. Done.
Runners up:
Nothing really else I picked up is even close to that bad. There are some albums I haven't listened to all of (cough... Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. ... cough) that I would put here, but as for whole albums:
Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
Eminem - Relapse
Best Song of the Year (that received radio play) –
“Audience of One” – Rise Against
Runners up:
“Kids” – MGMT
“Brother” – Pearl Jam
“Panic Switch” – Silversun Pickups
“Check My Brain” – Alice in Chains
Best Song of the Year (not on radio) –
“Antenna” – Sonic Youth
Runners up:
“Amongst the Waves” – Pearl Jam
“I Belong to You” – Muse
“Catch & Release” – Silversun Pickups
“Peacemaker” – Green Day
Worst Song of the Year –
“Boom Boom Pow” – Black Eyed Peas
Runners up:
“Meet Me Halfway” – Black Eyed Peas
“Just Dance” – Lady Gaga
(Creed and Nickelback apparently both had songs this year, so… them)
“Birthday Sex” – Jeremih
Genre specifics:
Best Alternative Album –
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Runners up: Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, MGMT – Oracular Spectacular, Muse – The Resistance, Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
Best Rock Album –
Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Runners up: Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue, Pearl Jam – Backspacer, Rise Against – Appeal to Reason, Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound, Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Best Non-Rock Album –
Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Best New Artist –
MGMT
Runners up:
Phoenix
Gaslight Anthem
The XX
Airborne Toxic Event
Already looking forward to albums from these bands in 2010:
THE STROKES
THE ROOTS
DEFTONES
Radiohead (???)
Blink 182
Vampire Weekend
MGMT
Arcade Fire
Gorillaz
And more…
Coming soon, Best of: Sports
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Iverson
A.I. is BACK!
I've seen my baseball team win it all. I've seen my football team win it all twice. Still though, my favorite moment in my sports watching career, is in that video.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Grandmom Kay
Well I don’t know how to start this post at all but I feel like I should post it. I guess I’ll start with the phone call that I got from my mom right before Game 1 of the World Series. Literally minutes before the opening ceremonies of the Phillies vs. Yankees, I saw that my mom had called the day before and I decided to call her back before I was to be cursing at the Phillies, the Yankees, Joe Buck, and the umps. My mom called to say that my grandmom had a kidney scare and was placed in the ICU. Two days before my call back, she said, that we were pretty sure that she wasn’t going to make it. The kidney failure had caused her intestines to begin to not work either. But that day, she said, that the doctor told her that she had fought it off remarkably well and that she might even leave the hospital if she continues at this rate.
This of course was bittersweet news, hearing that you almost missed your grandmother’s passing when it came out of nowhere, but it seeming that it had a chance to go away.
Then, minutes later, the Phillies were playing in the World Series. My grandmother turned 93 in the summer, but she had the most youthful spirit. I loved going to visit her, not just for her stories, her jokes, or compliments that I completely didn’t deserve, but also because even at her age, I could connect with her as a Phillies fan. She could recognize most of the players, criticize things like Ryan Howard’s strikeouts or Terry Francona’s managerial moves, and every once in a while she would surprise me with her current knowledge (“Adam, how about that triple play!?”). I was about to watch our team in Game 1 of the World Series, sporadically thinking about if this would be the last game I could talk to my grandmom about.
That weekend was Halloween weekend, and the night before, I had tickets to see one of my favorite bands, Pearl Jam, in Philadelphia, and decided to stay home that night so that I could be with my family. I’ve already written about how amazing that concert was, but there was one moment that stood out that made it something I’m truly thankful I got to experience. One of my favorite Pearl Jam songs, “Alive”, (a fairly popular song) contains the chorus “Oh I – heyy I’m still alive” repeated a few times. When performed live, however, Eddie Vedder often changes the last time that it repeats in some form that goes something like “You – you’re all still alive!” or “You, me, we’re all still alive!” before erupting into a guitar melody that is so musically powerful. Well thankfully, they played “Alive” near the end of their set and when Eddie yelled “you’re all still alive!” I closed my eyes and thought of my grandmom. Now, I know my grandmom was not there, or let alone would like that music, but some how some way, I felt like my grandmom and her youthful spirit was standing right there next to me awkwardly swaying along with me, lost in the moment. I knew she would not have much time left, and it was a great experience to be able to be there with her and celebrate in that song that she “was still alive”.
I obviously wanted the Phillies to win for the World Series for many reasons, ranging from complete selfishness to being able to dedicate this one for Phillies beloved broadcaster, Harry Kalas, who had passed away in the beginning of the season (Grandmom Kay was a big fan of his. Well, all of us were.) but now the main reason I wanted them to win was to be able to give my grandmom some bit of good news the next time that I saw her. It turned out that this was not the case.
Grandmom Kay was able to hold on for a long time. She had to stay in the hospital the whole time, and was forced to go back into the ICU. After a while, my mom and her two sisters were forced to make a decision about changing her feeding tubes (her intestines were now not working at all). After they decided to go for the bigger tube, Grandmom was able to hold on for another couple of weeks. She even could still talk and hold conversations with my mom and aunts. But when I asked my mom how she was doing (while beginning to break down), she said that she was handling it well but she was acting like she was afraid to die. I don’t know what it was about this line that made me start to cry. Maybe because I never associated my grandmom with being afraid to do anything. Or maybe because it was the first time I had heard my mom actually talk about Grandmom dying. Either way, I started to tear up alone in my bedroom for a few seconds while on the phone with my mom. Eventually, as I like to think I’m good at, I was able to get past it and lighten the mood a bit for the rest of the conversation, and later in it we were joking about random stuff. I like to think that I get some of my humor from my grandmom.
As I was preparing to clean and head back home I got a phone call again from my mom today saying that last night my grandmom passed away. I knew that it was only a matter of time, and in some kind of strange way, I’m glad that she didn’t have to suffer for too much longer. I’m glad that my mom and her two sisters are able to stop seeing their mom like that. I realize that everyone’s day must come, and I’m happy that she was able to live a long happy life. I feel like (and I’ve said this earlier this year) there have been way too many deaths this year that are tied to and affect people that I’m close with, and here’s to hoping that this is the last one this year.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
15 Things I Would Rather Do Than This Paper
-procrastination at its finest-
1. Cash the check that Klein gave me. Yup.
2. Find out why my air conditioning also doubles as a bug zapper.
3. Creepily facebook chat EVERY ONE of my facebook friends.
4. Blog. Apparently.
5. Search to see if the men’s basketball team won. (they did)
6. Watch Sixers’ highlights.
7. Use uptwo three of these 15 things about basketball.
8. Surf. Just being honest.
9. Hit Rob with a slingshot.
10. Fill up Andy’s 72oz bottle with any type of beverage, (save for eggnog, coffee, and that Gatorade Ice that was purplish not exactly sure what flavor they were going for with it – don’t think it was exactly grape – might have had some grape to it but I think there was more to it than just that – bottom line is it wasn’t that good and I don’t think that it’s still around anymore) and chug.
11. Cardio.
12. Pickup sticks.
13. Pogs.
14. Checkers.
15. Make another one of these and eat all of it this time.
1. Cash the check that Klein gave me. Yup.
2. Find out why my air conditioning also doubles as a bug zapper.
3. Creepily facebook chat EVERY ONE of my facebook friends.
4. Blog. Apparently.
5. Search to see if the men’s basketball team won. (they did)
6. Watch Sixers’ highlights.
7. Use up
8. Surf. Just being honest.
9. Hit Rob with a slingshot.
10. Fill up Andy’s 72oz bottle with any type of beverage, (save for eggnog, coffee, and that Gatorade Ice that was purplish not exactly sure what flavor they were going for with it – don’t think it was exactly grape – might have had some grape to it but I think there was more to it than just that – bottom line is it wasn’t that good and I don’t think that it’s still around anymore) and chug.
11. Cardio.
12. Pickup sticks.
13. Pogs.
14. Checkers.
15. Make another one of these and eat all of it this time.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Some Thoughts on Sports
So it took awhile to get over, but I’m able to finally shake off the fact that the Phillies lost in 6 games to the Yankees. It sucks, but whatever. Two straight years of my team going to the World Series is something not to be overlooked. Next season should be a fun one, and I’m already looking forward to it. (My picks for postseason awards haven’t changed, and they can be found here http://adamromo.blogspot.com/2009/10/mlb-playoff-preview.html, scroll past the playoff predictions) It’s too early to give a prediction for next year because of free agents, trades, retirement, players possibly shooting themselves in sweatpants, etc. but if I had to make a guess I would say that the Yankees are the very early forerunners in 2010.
Now, shifting gears, here are some midseason NFL awards:
First half MVP: Drew Brees (apologies to: Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Darren Sharper, Cedric Benson)
QB of the First Half: Drew Brees (runners up: Manning, Favre, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady)
RB: Peterson (runners up: Benson, DeAngello Williams, Michael Turner, Chris Johnson)
Defensive Player: Darren Sharper (runners up: Jared Allen, Elvis Dumervil)
Coach: Josh McDaniels (runners up: Sean Payton, Marvin Lewis, Jim Caldwell)
So yeah, so far my predictions look great, minus the Colts pick, the Panthers pick, the Vikings pick, the Bengals pick, the Broncos pick, the Seahawks pick, the … well, you get the idea.
Now, shifting gears, here are some midseason NFL awards:
First half MVP: Drew Brees (apologies to: Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Darren Sharper, Cedric Benson)
QB of the First Half: Drew Brees (runners up: Manning, Favre, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady)
RB: Peterson (runners up: Benson, DeAngello Williams, Michael Turner, Chris Johnson)
Defensive Player: Darren Sharper (runners up: Jared Allen, Elvis Dumervil)
Coach: Josh McDaniels (runners up: Sean Payton, Marvin Lewis, Jim Caldwell)
So yeah, so far my predictions look great, minus the Colts pick, the Panthers pick, the Vikings pick, the Bengals pick, the Broncos pick, the Seahawks pick, the … well, you get the idea.
Pearl Jam 10/30
This was the best concert of my life. Period. Wow. Oh, and Rauuuuullllllllllll was at the show. Gave a wave. Epic.
I'll have a more visceral blog post that will encompass this show soon, but for now, here's the setlist.
Set 1
Gonna See My Friend
The Fixer
In My Tree
Given To Fly
Tremor Christ
Untitled
MFC
Hold On - song they never played live before
Unthought Known
In Hiding
Deep - haven't played since 2003
Habit
Cropduster
Off He Goes
Force of Nature - dedicated to Raul Ibanez
Present Tense
Got Some
Do The Evolution
Encore 1
Just Breathe
Parting Ways
Jeremy - yesss! finally got to see all of the "big 4" (even flow, alive, black, and jeremy)
Breath
Light Years
Rearviewmirror - 3/3 getting this song... love it
Encore 2
Whipping
Crazy Mary - wow, I had never heard their version of this before but knew they played it a lot. finally got to see it and am so glad i did
Footsteps
Once
Alive - !!!
Sonic Reducer - holy shit!
Baba O'Riley - i've seen them play this song live twice now, and it's fantastic. don't believe me? check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGzjAxYPpso&feature=related
I'll have a more visceral blog post that will encompass this show soon, but for now, here's the setlist.
Set 1
Gonna See My Friend
The Fixer
In My Tree
Given To Fly
Tremor Christ
Untitled
MFC
Hold On - song they never played live before
Unthought Known
In Hiding
Deep - haven't played since 2003
Habit
Cropduster
Off He Goes
Force of Nature - dedicated to Raul Ibanez
Present Tense
Got Some
Do The Evolution
Encore 1
Just Breathe
Parting Ways
Jeremy - yesss! finally got to see all of the "big 4" (even flow, alive, black, and jeremy)
Breath
Light Years
Rearviewmirror - 3/3 getting this song... love it
Encore 2
Whipping
Crazy Mary - wow, I had never heard their version of this before but knew they played it a lot. finally got to see it and am so glad i did
Footsteps
Once
Alive - !!!
Sonic Reducer - holy shit!
Baba O'Riley - i've seen them play this song live twice now, and it's fantastic. don't believe me? check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGzjAxYPpso&feature=related
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Game 6 Preview
Yankees lead series 3-2
Chase Utley hit two home runs and Cliff Lee pitched his normal postseason self in leading the Phillies to 8-6 victory over the Yankees in Game 5. New York rallied in the last two innings, but ultimately fell short, and now must win one of two in Yankee Stadium to win their 27th World Series. In Game 6, they will send Andy Pettite to the hill on three days’ rest, while the Phillies will send Pedro Martinez. Both pitchers lasted 6 innings in their last World Series start, Pettite giving up 4 earned runs but getting the win, while Pedro gave up 3 and got a loss. This is the first year since 2003 in which a World Series has needed longer than 5 games to close out.
Prediction:
So much has been made of this “three days’ rest” nonsense. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.
In fact, there’s a real good chance that after tonight the next time anyone has to pitch will be on 4-5 months’ rest.
YANKEES 3, PHILLIES 2.
Chase Utley hit two home runs and Cliff Lee pitched his normal postseason self in leading the Phillies to 8-6 victory over the Yankees in Game 5. New York rallied in the last two innings, but ultimately fell short, and now must win one of two in Yankee Stadium to win their 27th World Series. In Game 6, they will send Andy Pettite to the hill on three days’ rest, while the Phillies will send Pedro Martinez. Both pitchers lasted 6 innings in their last World Series start, Pettite giving up 4 earned runs but getting the win, while Pedro gave up 3 and got a loss. This is the first year since 2003 in which a World Series has needed longer than 5 games to close out.
Prediction:
So much has been made of this “three days’ rest” nonsense. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.
In fact, there’s a real good chance that after tonight the next time anyone has to pitch will be on 4-5 months’ rest.
YANKEES 3, PHILLIES 2.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Game 5 Preview
Yankees lead series 3-1
A-Rod came up big in his biggest game as a Yankee, hitting a go-ahead double in the top of the ninth of off Philliescloser burden Brad Lidge, after Johnny Damon made a heads-up play in stealing third base after it was not being covered. This puts the Phillies in a huge hole, but they have to be somewhat confident with the way Cliff Lee pitched in game 1. Yankees will send AJ Burnett off of three days’ rest to win them their 27th World Series.
Prediction:
This is actually a win-win situation for Yankee fans. If the Yanks win, obviously that’s a win, but if they lose, they get to see the most influential person in their home stadium for a second time in ONE SERIES!! What an honor!
PHILLIES 4, YANKEES 3.
A-Rod came up big in his biggest game as a Yankee, hitting a go-ahead double in the top of the ninth of off Phillies
Prediction:
This is actually a win-win situation for Yankee fans. If the Yanks win, obviously that’s a win, but if they lose, they get to see the most influential person in their home stadium for a second time in ONE SERIES!! What an honor!
PHILLIES 4, YANKEES 3.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Game 4 Preview
Yankees lead series 2-1
Cole Hamels pitched well early but the theme of his season has always been letting the speed bump become a huge hill. This is exactly what happened as the lefty gave up 5 runs in the 4th and 5th innings, and the Yankees cruised from there. Tonight: CC Sabathia will look to continue his postseason brilliance and give the Yankees a commanding 3-1 lead. Phillies will counter with righty Joe Blanton.
Prediction:
CC has hit home runs before. Blanton has hit one in the World Series. I’m not saying it will come down to whose pitcher can belt one out… I’m just saying.
YANKEES 4, PHILLIES 2.
Cole Hamels pitched well early but the theme of his season has always been letting the speed bump become a huge hill. This is exactly what happened as the lefty gave up 5 runs in the 4th and 5th innings, and the Yankees cruised from there. Tonight: CC Sabathia will look to continue his postseason brilliance and give the Yankees a commanding 3-1 lead. Phillies will counter with righty Joe Blanton.
Prediction:
CC has hit home runs before. Blanton has hit one in the World Series. I’m not saying it will come down to whose pitcher can belt one out… I’m just saying.
YANKEES 4, PHILLIES 2.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Game 3 Preview
Series tied 1-1
AJ Burnett pitched the Yankees to even up the series, leading them to a 3-1 win in game 2. Game 3 will be a crucial game in the series. The Yankees must now play without a DH, and the Phillies must get a good start from last year’s WS MVP Cole Hamels.
Prediction:
It’s Halloween. And Cole Hamels is on the mound. If the Yankees are creative and come to the plate wearing some scary costumes, I think they should get to him easily.
YANKEES 6, PHILLIES 4.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Pearl Jam - Night One (10/27)
I've been pretty fortunate to attend some tremendous concerts over the past couple of months. From Bruce to gaslight anthem to kings of leon and they've all been amazing. But it’s pretty obvious that I’ve been looking forward to seeing Pearl Jam the most out of all of them. Night one of their four show stop (i’m going to shows #1 and 3) in closing out the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia did not disappoint at all. It was 50x better than last time I saw them, and I can’t WAIT for Friday. Setlist was as follows:
Set 1
· Corduroy
· Whipping
· Hail, Hail
· Supersonic
· Dissident
· Unthought Known
· Faithfull
· Parachutes
· Unemployable
· Immortality
· Green Disease
· Not For You(Modern Girl) – probably the best song of the night, very good live
· Rival – first song I never heard before. I’ve come a long way since last year when I didn’t know their first song lol.
· Nothingman – a beautiful/melancholy song. Crowd loved it.
· Ghost
· Do The Evolution – great especially when live
· Why Go - Mike played the solo behind his head
Encore 1
· Bee Girl
· Just Breathe
· The End
· All Those Yesterdays - Amazing, one of my favorite songs and they almost never play it.
· State Of Love And Trust
· Mankind – Stone sang
· The Fixer
· Go – kickass song
Encore 2
· Daughter
· Love Reign O'er Me (The Who) – Also amazing
· Black – first time I’ve seen them play it, very good
· Leash
· Rearviewmirror – my favorite song by them, so happy they played either this or Alive here
· Rockin' In The Free World (Neil Young) – great way to end
Set 1
· Corduroy
· Whipping
· Hail, Hail
· Supersonic
· Dissident
· Unthought Known
· Faithfull
· Parachutes
· Unemployable
· Immortality
· Green Disease
· Not For You(Modern Girl) – probably the best song of the night, very good live
· Rival – first song I never heard before. I’ve come a long way since last year when I didn’t know their first song lol.
· Nothingman – a beautiful/melancholy song. Crowd loved it.
· Ghost
· Do The Evolution – great especially when live
· Why Go - Mike played the solo behind his head
Encore 1
· Bee Girl
· Just Breathe
· The End
· All Those Yesterdays - Amazing, one of my favorite songs and they almost never play it.
· State Of Love And Trust
· Mankind – Stone sang
· The Fixer
· Go – kickass song
Encore 2
· Daughter
· Love Reign O'er Me (The Who) – Also amazing
· Black – first time I’ve seen them play it, very good
· Leash
· Rearviewmirror – my favorite song by them, so happy they played either this or Alive here
· Rockin' In The Free World (Neil Young) – great way to end
Game 2 Preview
Phils lead series 1-0
Pedro Martinez goes back to New York to pitch in the World Series. Where's Dane Cook when you need him to remind us that there's only ONE OCTOBER!??!
Prediction: The Yankees are Pedro's daddy, but I see it happen all the time where sons school their old man. Plus, Pedro is old. And if the Yankees are his daddy, that means that they are a good deal older. And I just don't see how 55-65 year olds are gonna be able to hit Pedro's stuff.
PHILLIES 5, YANKEES 4.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Very Bare-Bones WS Preview
BOTTOM LINE:
This postseason has been all about the umps and closers... two things that will probably favor the Yankees.
YANKEES IN 7
This postseason has been all about the umps and closers... two things that will probably favor the Yankees.
YANKEES IN 7
Monday, October 26, 2009
Some Thoughts in Song Pt. 2
COMEBACK
If I keep holding out,... will the light shine through?
Under this broken roof,... it's only rain that I feel
I've been waiting out the days,... Come Back.
I have been planning out,... All that I'd say to you
Since you slipped away,... Know that I still remain true
I've been wishing out the days,..
Please say, that if you hadn't of gone now
I wouldn't have lost you another way
From wherever you are,.... Come Back.
And these days, they linger on
And I'm the night, as I'm waiting on
The real possibility I may meet you in my dream
I go to sleep
If I don't fall apart,.... will the memories stay clear?
So you had to go,......... and I had to remain here
But the strangest thing to date
So far away
And yet you feel so close
And I'm not gonna question it any other way
There must be an open door
For you to
Come Back
And the days, they linger on
And every night, what I'm waiting for
Is the real possibility I may meet you in my dream
And sometimes you're there
And you're talking back to me
Come the morning I could swear you're next to me
And it's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay.
I'll be here
Come Back
Come Back
I'll be here
Come Back
Come Back
I'll be here
Come Back
Come Back.
If I keep holding out,... will the light shine through?
Under this broken roof,... it's only rain that I feel
I've been waiting out the days,... Come Back.
I have been planning out,... All that I'd say to you
Since you slipped away,... Know that I still remain true
I've been wishing out the days,..
Please say, that if you hadn't of gone now
I wouldn't have lost you another way
From wherever you are,.... Come Back.
And these days, they linger on
And I'm the night, as I'm waiting on
The real possibility I may meet you in my dream
I go to sleep
If I don't fall apart,.... will the memories stay clear?
So you had to go,......... and I had to remain here
But the strangest thing to date
So far away
And yet you feel so close
And I'm not gonna question it any other way
There must be an open door
For you to
Come Back
And the days, they linger on
And every night, what I'm waiting for
Is the real possibility I may meet you in my dream
And sometimes you're there
And you're talking back to me
Come the morning I could swear you're next to me
And it's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay.
I'll be here
Come Back
Come Back
I'll be here
Come Back
Come Back
I'll be here
Come Back
Come Back.
Some Thoughts in Song
WORLD WIDE SUICIDE
I felt the earth on Monday. It moved beneath my feet. In the form of a morning paper. Laid out for me to see.
Saw his face in a corner picture. I recognized the name. Could not stop staring at the. Face I'd never see again.
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over
It's the same everyday in a hell manmade
What can be saved, and who will be left to hold her?
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
Medals on a wooden mantle. Next to a handsome face. That the president took for granted. Writing checks that others pay.
And in all the madness. Thought becomes numb and naive. So much to talk about there's. Nothing for us to say.
It's the same everyday and the wave won't break
Tell you to pray, while the devil's on their shoulder
Laying claim to the take our soldiers save
Does not equate, and the truth's already out there
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
Looking in the eyes of the fallen
You got to know there's another, another, another, another
Another way
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over
It's the same everyday and the wave won't break
Tell you to pray, while the devil's on their shoulder
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
I felt the earth on Monday. It moved beneath my feet. In the form of a morning paper. Laid out for me to see.
Saw his face in a corner picture. I recognized the name. Could not stop staring at the. Face I'd never see again.
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over
It's the same everyday in a hell manmade
What can be saved, and who will be left to hold her?
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
Medals on a wooden mantle. Next to a handsome face. That the president took for granted. Writing checks that others pay.
And in all the madness. Thought becomes numb and naive. So much to talk about there's. Nothing for us to say.
It's the same everyday and the wave won't break
Tell you to pray, while the devil's on their shoulder
Laying claim to the take our soldiers save
Does not equate, and the truth's already out there
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
Looking in the eyes of the fallen
You got to know there's another, another, another, another
Another way
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over
It's the same everyday and the wave won't break
Tell you to pray, while the devil's on their shoulder
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
The whole world,... world over. It's a worldwide suicide.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
ALCS LIVE BLOG!
Hello all.
I'm bored at the desk and theres nothing else to do, but post my thoughts on the ALCS game between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
So far both teams have wasted an early opportunity with a guy on base.
Should be a good game as we enter the top of the second...
(my subsequent thoughts will be under the comments for this post)
I'm bored at the desk and theres nothing else to do, but post my thoughts on the ALCS game between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
So far both teams have wasted an early opportunity with a guy on base.
Should be a good game as we enter the top of the second...
(my subsequent thoughts will be under the comments for this post)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
MLB Playoff Preview
MLB Playoff Preview
Well it’s October and baseball playoffs are about to start. We all rememeber how fun October baseball can be… (pause for you to remember… I’m remembering last year, you can remember whatever year you wish…) well now it’s beginning again.
But there’s just so many games. And in some of them, people like Vincente Padilla and Nick Blackburn could be pitching… Needless to say, you’re not going to watch all of them.
Alas, you need a blog to help guide you through the playoffs. I’m here to tell you that there’s only 2 that can do this. And you want the one that will not continually brag about his fantasy baseball team (nor has any reason to), so stay right here.
First up: the NL
COLORADO ROCKIES
Often thought to be offensively challenged (or at least that it was their weak point…) the Rockies had the second-best offense in the National League in 2009. What makes the Rockies so offensively potent is their versatility. They boast the most talented bench in the NL by far, and they are #1 in the NL in RBIs with 2 outs and RISP. The Rockies have very few veterans on the offensive side of the ball, but Todd Helton is as reliable as they come. Helton had a down year last year but has provided both the leadership that left when Matt Holliday was shipped to Oakland, and the numbers that were missing last year. Perhaps the biggest individual improvement from last year offensively is shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Tulo has produced 36 more runs this year than his opposing position-mate in the first round, Jimmy Rollins. Carlos Gonzalez has been tremendous since the break and will most likely get the bulk of the starts in left, along with Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, and Ryan Spilborghs filling in the holes. Brad Hawpe has had his best season in the majors and looks to carry that into the postseason.
Ubaldo Jimenez leads the pitching staff that has overachieved all season. Jorge De La Rosa is out for the first series with a groin injury, making their rotation: Jimenez, Aaron Cook, Jason Hammel, and Jason Marquis. All very capable pitchers, but can be shaky as easily as they can deliver a quality start. All 5 of the pitchers mentioned however are smart and know their strengths and weaknesses well, especially Jimenez and Hammel who have been hot the second half of the season.
VERDICT: Rockies fans are no strangers to “Rock-tober” as it happened two years ago. For those of you who don’t know what Rock-tober is, it’s where they completely demolish the NL, then roll over and take it from whoever comes out of the AL. This team is the hottest team in the NL, as they were in 07, but don’t look for the same results.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
There’s something about this year’s Dodger’s team that’s different from last year. Perhaps it’s just all the young players are a year older and wiser, but this team has depth. As many times as you’ve seen sportscenter in the morning show them hit some sort of walk-off to win a game (usually by Andre Eithier), they have the biggest run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) of any team. Their lineup boasts playoff vet and slugger Manny Ramirez, along with a bunch of good players entering their prime: Eithier, James Loney, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin. Add the role-playing veterans of Juan Pierre, Casey Blake, and Rafael Furcal and you have a very potent lineup up and down.
The Dodgers’ starting pitching is nothing to drool over, but the season that Randy Wolf has had is very noteworthy. The Dodgers start their rotation with 2 tough lefties in Wolf and young Clayton Kershaw, which is key for facing teams like the Cardinals and Phillies, who both don’t hit well against lefties. The Dodgers have home-field throughout the NL playoffs, and Kershaw’s numbers at home have been incredible this year. Chad Billingsley and Vincente Padilla will complete the rotation.
VERDICT: While most see a first round upset, don’t be surprised if Carpenter and Wainwright are neutralized by Wolf and Kershaw, and the first two games become a battle of the bullpens. This is what the Dodgers are hoping for because their bullpen boasts the combo of Jonathon Broxton and George Sherrill.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Charlie Manuel’s crew look to defend their World Championship in 09 but it will not be easy. While the lineup is obviously nothing if not improved over what it was last year, the Phillies have plenty of issues to worry about. However, Jimmy Rollins is not one of them. Rollins had a miserable beginning of the season, but has been great since the break hitting .272 with 17 home runs. Shane Victorino, who was key in last year’s NLDS, comes in as the Phillies leading hitter. The meat of the order has been struggling lately, but always has the potential to turn it on in a moment’s notice. Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, and Chase Utley have been solid all year and right handed Jayson Werth has been the most improved player from last year. This team can hit, but they can also leave men on base, which they did last year, but last year they had a dependable bullpen to negate it. This year they don’t, so how they do with RISP will determine if they parade down Broad Street again.
The Phillies came up aces landing Cliff Lee at the trade deadline, giving them a pitching staff that includes Lee, World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, and either J.A. Happ or Pedro Martinez. Lee has been brilliant the first 6 games with Philly, but only average since. Hamels has been hot of late, while Blanton and Happ have been consistent all season long. Martinez will likely be part of the bullpen and play a long-relief role now that Jamie Moyer is done for the year. The other end of the bullpen is not as strong. Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson will need to play with confidence and poise that they have not had for much of the year. If one blows a lead, look for Philly to hit the panic button.
VERDICT: There’s no doubt they have the talent and heart to win again, but do they have the confidence? Bottom line is this, they need the Lidge of old in order to win again, and so far he has not been there.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Albert Pujols is the MVP. Matt Holliday is a great midseason pickup. And no one would have thought that this team would have gotten as much out of players like Colby Rasmus, Brendan Ryan, and Skip Schumaker as they did. The lineup packs a punch in the middle with Pujols, Holliday, and Ryan Ludwick. But the main concern has to be that the rest of the order delivers in crucial situations. Rasmus, Ryan, and Schumaker have for most of the year, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they run cold in the postseason. Meanwhile players like Rick Ankiel and Mark DeRosa must live up to their expectations in order for the Cardinals to score enough to win it all. Finally, with the exception of Pujols, the most reliable player on this team has been catcher Yadier Molina, who not only has had an All-Star season, but is the hardest catcher to run on in the playoffs.
There is no better one-two punch in the playoffs than the two veterans that the Cards are throwing out. Cy Young candidates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright lead the rotation that also boasts underated Joel Pineiro and veterans John Smoltz/Kyle Lohse. In the pen, no one has been more of a surprise than Ryan Franklin, but let’s see how he does in pressure situations in the postseason.
VERDICT: El Hombre can only take them so far. If it’s a one-man show, the show will last less than a week. If they get contributions from their entire lineup, however, and their pitching lives up to their names, then watch out.
AL
BOSTON RED SOX
They may have stumbled into the postseason, but if you think that means an early exit for the Sawks, think again. Offensively they have not been as powerful as in years past, but they’re still pretty damn good. Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, and newcomer Victor Martinez have all had monster years and David Ortiz has looked like the pitcher’s nightmare he once was since the All-Star break. What will be key in the offensive area for the Red Sox are the bats of Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury is batting .322 since returning to the leadoff role and getting him on and getting him over are essential to beating teams with power hitters up-and-down their lineups. The Sox seem to always have depth and this holds true again this year, with Nick Green and Jed Lowrie both returning from injury, and Rocco Baldelli a capable outfield option.
The rotation is a formidable one, but is not in the healthiest of states. John Lester was hit with a line drive on September 25th but appears to be fine from it, pitching 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his last outing. Past playoff hero Josh Beckett is recovering from back spasms, while game 3 starter Clay Buchholz was on a good stretch before struggling mightily in his last outing. Daisuke Matsuzaka will most likely complete the rotation. The real strength of the pitching however is the bullpen, where Boston has more depth than the Patriots have white scrappy wide receivers. Jonathon Papelbon has a 1.64 ERA since August 1st, but other than him, the Sawks have struggled in the second half of the season, boasting just a 4.30 ERA since the break.
VERDICT: I was all set to pick the Red Sox to win it all because everything looked like it was going their way and they were getting hot at the right time. But they have struggled over the past few weeks, and in the playoffs it really matters who is hot NOW. That being said, they can light it up at a moment’s notice.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu cannot be acknowledged enough for the way they’ve played this season. The Halos have an offense that can flat out hit from top to bottom, and at one time every starter was batting .300+ at the same time. The team is loaded with players that are fundamentally sound, too, including the infield of Chone Figgins, Maicer Izturis, Howie Kendrick, and Kendry Morales. Power guys such as Juan Rivera and Vladimir Guerrero are always tough outs too. Key bench players include Erick Aybar and Gary Matthews Jr. Finally there may not be a better hitting catcher (not named Mauer) in the playoffs than Mike Napoli. The Angels have had 10 players with 100 hits this season.
The rotation is stacked as well. John Lackey, Jered Weaver, Scott Kazmir (while an Angel), and John Saunders have all pitched well this year. And veteran Ervin Santana and 9-1 Matt Palmer don’t even make the starting rotation! Also, Brian Fuentes has done an admirable job in the closer role filling the shoes of Francisco Rodriguez.
VERDICT: It’s hard to call them a sleeper because they’ve done so well all season and finished with the second best record, but that’s essentially what they have become. And I don’t think they care one bit.
MINNESOTA TWINS
They made a great comeback in winning the AL Central, even though it took them 163 games. The Twins finished 4th in runs scored, even without slugger Justin Morneau in the final month. MVP candidate Joe Mauer may have had his best season as a pro, but he actually isn’t alone. Sluggers Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, and Delmon Young have all been key for the Twins in their comeback run, while plate setters Denard Span and Orlando Cabrera have been solid all season. The question will be can people at the bottom of the order produce against the good pitching that they’ll face in the postseason, and the answer will most likely be no.
Their rotation is not what they want it to be, but they’ll take it as long as they’re in. Scott Baker has been their best pitcher, but don’t expect to see him until game 3 or even game 4. Carl Pavano has had a resurgence in the Twin Cities, but he won’t be able to go until likely game 2. That leaves the game 1 duties to rookie Brian Duensing who went 5-2 this season, but was pounded in his only appearance (a relief one) against first round opponent New York Yankees. Joe Nathan has been the All-Star he has always been.
VERDICT: They really have nothing to lose. Which is good, because they will probably lose that nothing.
NEW YORK YANKEES
You like them. Someone in your family likes them. That kid who sits next to you likes them. The kid next to him is wearing a hat of them but can’t name anyone other than Jeter and A-Rod. LeBron James likes them… And why not? They’re f***in good. And the reason this year? The lineup they bought assembled is the best in the league. As usual though, it starts with Derek Jeter, who has put together an MVP type season and one of his best seasons in a long time. Key addition Mark Teixeira has lived up to everything that he was brought in to be (offensively and defensively), while players like Nick Swisher, Melky Cabrera, and Robinson Cano have overachieved all year. Alex Rodriguez is always a threat to stink it up in the postseason, but with the season he’s had so far, that might actually not be the case. Jorge Posada is the definition of consistency, and Johnny Damon has been huge for them.
Ace CC Sabbathia has been excellent and AJ Burnett averaged nine strikeouts per start, both coming via free agency. But the real key has been Andy Pettitte’s surprising consistency, and he’s showing no signs of being the weak link some experts thought he might be. Joba Chamberlain will likely complete the rotation that, if it is the weak point, is not very weak. The bullpen has stars, including future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, and Phil Hughes out of the witness protection program.
VERDICT: They have the best record in baseball and have a lineup that can drop a crooked number in any inning at any time, but won’t that just make a postseason exit all the more disappointing and inexcusable?
PREDICTIONS:
NLDS:
PHILLIES vs. ROCKIES – the NL team of last year against the NL team of two years ago. The Rockies are the sort of team that has pestered the Phils all year (the team that plays small ball and won’t go away) but the Phils bats and starting pitching carries them into the next round. Phillies avenge a sweep from two years ago with a near sweep of their own. PHILS IN 4: MVP – Jayson Werth
DODGERS vs. CARDINALS – I actually struggled with this series the most. But in the end, the Cards’ pitching in a short series is just too tempting to not go with. CARDINALS IN 4: MVP – Albert Pujols
NLCS:
PHILLIES vs. CARDINALS – Even as a neutral fan, admit it. You want to see Brad Lidge vs. Albert Pujols. And what else could restore Lidge’s confidence than getting Pujols to ground out to end a 1 run game? Nothing. PHILS IN 7: MVP – Cole Hamels
ALDS:
ANGELS vs. RED SOX – I know, I know, the Red Sox have the Angels’ number. The rally monkey is passed its prime. But everything is telling me that this is the year that the Halos knock down the Green Monster. Figuratively. Get it? I’m funny… right? ANGELS IN 5: MVP – Torii Hunter
YANKEES vs. TWINS – The Twins were up late last night drinking champagne and now have a big test today. Unfortunately, I know first-hand that this is not a good recipe for success. I’ll give them one though because maybe one of the tests is given by Ronnie Gunnerson. YANKEES IN 4: MVP – Derek Jeter
ALCS:
YANKEES vs. ANGELS – Here’s why I’m hesitant to pick the Angels. What if they get nothing out of their starting pitching. Everybody in the rotation is solid, but no one is GREAT. And against the Yankees, you have to be great to shut down that lineup. If they put up a crooked number, it’s hard to small-ball your way out of it. But here’s why I’m hesitant to pick the Yankees. What if they give up a few runs early to the Angels and everyone tries to be the hero. And when that happens, the hole just keeps getting bigger (as is usually the case when you’re behind the Angels). When in doubt, pick what’s more consistent. And I happen to trust the Halo’s lineup slightly over the Yankees pitching. ANGELS IN 6: MVP – CHONE FIGGINS
WORLD SERIES – These teams have faced each other last year during the regular season (Angels swept the 3 game series). But there’s really no way to think that will be a justification for how this series goes. Structurally, the Phillies are built in the same image as the Yankees (minus, um, the closer) in that they have a deep lineup where any player can go yard as easy as he can hang a zero. Kazmir has faced the Phils last year in the World Series and had the best WHIP of any of the Rays’ starters. The Angel’s are essentially a NL team in the AL and the Phillies have the best AL lineup of any NL team. None of this really means anything. Because most postseason games come down to bullpens, namely the closer. And I worry about Lidge the same amount I liked him last year. Meanwhile Fuentes has the most saves this year. ANGELS IN 6: MVP – TORII HUNTER
AWARDS:
AL MVP – Joe Mauer
AL ROTY – Rick Porcello
AL Cy Young – Zack Grienke
Al Manager of the Year – Ron Washington
NL MVP – Albert Pujols
NL ROTY – Chris Coglhan
NL Cy Young – Tim Lincecum
NL Manager of the Year – Jim Tracy
Well it’s October and baseball playoffs are about to start. We all rememeber how fun October baseball can be… (pause for you to remember… I’m remembering last year, you can remember whatever year you wish…) well now it’s beginning again.
But there’s just so many games. And in some of them, people like Vincente Padilla and Nick Blackburn could be pitching… Needless to say, you’re not going to watch all of them.
Alas, you need a blog to help guide you through the playoffs. I’m here to tell you that there’s only 2 that can do this. And you want the one that will not continually brag about his fantasy baseball team (nor has any reason to), so stay right here.
First up: the NL
COLORADO ROCKIES
Often thought to be offensively challenged (or at least that it was their weak point…) the Rockies had the second-best offense in the National League in 2009. What makes the Rockies so offensively potent is their versatility. They boast the most talented bench in the NL by far, and they are #1 in the NL in RBIs with 2 outs and RISP. The Rockies have very few veterans on the offensive side of the ball, but Todd Helton is as reliable as they come. Helton had a down year last year but has provided both the leadership that left when Matt Holliday was shipped to Oakland, and the numbers that were missing last year. Perhaps the biggest individual improvement from last year offensively is shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Tulo has produced 36 more runs this year than his opposing position-mate in the first round, Jimmy Rollins. Carlos Gonzalez has been tremendous since the break and will most likely get the bulk of the starts in left, along with Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, and Ryan Spilborghs filling in the holes. Brad Hawpe has had his best season in the majors and looks to carry that into the postseason.
Ubaldo Jimenez leads the pitching staff that has overachieved all season. Jorge De La Rosa is out for the first series with a groin injury, making their rotation: Jimenez, Aaron Cook, Jason Hammel, and Jason Marquis. All very capable pitchers, but can be shaky as easily as they can deliver a quality start. All 5 of the pitchers mentioned however are smart and know their strengths and weaknesses well, especially Jimenez and Hammel who have been hot the second half of the season.
VERDICT: Rockies fans are no strangers to “Rock-tober” as it happened two years ago. For those of you who don’t know what Rock-tober is, it’s where they completely demolish the NL, then roll over and take it from whoever comes out of the AL. This team is the hottest team in the NL, as they were in 07, but don’t look for the same results.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
There’s something about this year’s Dodger’s team that’s different from last year. Perhaps it’s just all the young players are a year older and wiser, but this team has depth. As many times as you’ve seen sportscenter in the morning show them hit some sort of walk-off to win a game (usually by Andre Eithier), they have the biggest run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) of any team. Their lineup boasts playoff vet and slugger Manny Ramirez, along with a bunch of good players entering their prime: Eithier, James Loney, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin. Add the role-playing veterans of Juan Pierre, Casey Blake, and Rafael Furcal and you have a very potent lineup up and down.
The Dodgers’ starting pitching is nothing to drool over, but the season that Randy Wolf has had is very noteworthy. The Dodgers start their rotation with 2 tough lefties in Wolf and young Clayton Kershaw, which is key for facing teams like the Cardinals and Phillies, who both don’t hit well against lefties. The Dodgers have home-field throughout the NL playoffs, and Kershaw’s numbers at home have been incredible this year. Chad Billingsley and Vincente Padilla will complete the rotation.
VERDICT: While most see a first round upset, don’t be surprised if Carpenter and Wainwright are neutralized by Wolf and Kershaw, and the first two games become a battle of the bullpens. This is what the Dodgers are hoping for because their bullpen boasts the combo of Jonathon Broxton and George Sherrill.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Charlie Manuel’s crew look to defend their World Championship in 09 but it will not be easy. While the lineup is obviously nothing if not improved over what it was last year, the Phillies have plenty of issues to worry about. However, Jimmy Rollins is not one of them. Rollins had a miserable beginning of the season, but has been great since the break hitting .272 with 17 home runs. Shane Victorino, who was key in last year’s NLDS, comes in as the Phillies leading hitter. The meat of the order has been struggling lately, but always has the potential to turn it on in a moment’s notice. Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, and Chase Utley have been solid all year and right handed Jayson Werth has been the most improved player from last year. This team can hit, but they can also leave men on base, which they did last year, but last year they had a dependable bullpen to negate it. This year they don’t, so how they do with RISP will determine if they parade down Broad Street again.
The Phillies came up aces landing Cliff Lee at the trade deadline, giving them a pitching staff that includes Lee, World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, and either J.A. Happ or Pedro Martinez. Lee has been brilliant the first 6 games with Philly, but only average since. Hamels has been hot of late, while Blanton and Happ have been consistent all season long. Martinez will likely be part of the bullpen and play a long-relief role now that Jamie Moyer is done for the year. The other end of the bullpen is not as strong. Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson will need to play with confidence and poise that they have not had for much of the year. If one blows a lead, look for Philly to hit the panic button.
VERDICT: There’s no doubt they have the talent and heart to win again, but do they have the confidence? Bottom line is this, they need the Lidge of old in order to win again, and so far he has not been there.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Albert Pujols is the MVP. Matt Holliday is a great midseason pickup. And no one would have thought that this team would have gotten as much out of players like Colby Rasmus, Brendan Ryan, and Skip Schumaker as they did. The lineup packs a punch in the middle with Pujols, Holliday, and Ryan Ludwick. But the main concern has to be that the rest of the order delivers in crucial situations. Rasmus, Ryan, and Schumaker have for most of the year, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they run cold in the postseason. Meanwhile players like Rick Ankiel and Mark DeRosa must live up to their expectations in order for the Cardinals to score enough to win it all. Finally, with the exception of Pujols, the most reliable player on this team has been catcher Yadier Molina, who not only has had an All-Star season, but is the hardest catcher to run on in the playoffs.
There is no better one-two punch in the playoffs than the two veterans that the Cards are throwing out. Cy Young candidates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright lead the rotation that also boasts underated Joel Pineiro and veterans John Smoltz/Kyle Lohse. In the pen, no one has been more of a surprise than Ryan Franklin, but let’s see how he does in pressure situations in the postseason.
VERDICT: El Hombre can only take them so far. If it’s a one-man show, the show will last less than a week. If they get contributions from their entire lineup, however, and their pitching lives up to their names, then watch out.
AL
BOSTON RED SOX
They may have stumbled into the postseason, but if you think that means an early exit for the Sawks, think again. Offensively they have not been as powerful as in years past, but they’re still pretty damn good. Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, and newcomer Victor Martinez have all had monster years and David Ortiz has looked like the pitcher’s nightmare he once was since the All-Star break. What will be key in the offensive area for the Red Sox are the bats of Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury is batting .322 since returning to the leadoff role and getting him on and getting him over are essential to beating teams with power hitters up-and-down their lineups. The Sox seem to always have depth and this holds true again this year, with Nick Green and Jed Lowrie both returning from injury, and Rocco Baldelli a capable outfield option.
The rotation is a formidable one, but is not in the healthiest of states. John Lester was hit with a line drive on September 25th but appears to be fine from it, pitching 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his last outing. Past playoff hero Josh Beckett is recovering from back spasms, while game 3 starter Clay Buchholz was on a good stretch before struggling mightily in his last outing. Daisuke Matsuzaka will most likely complete the rotation. The real strength of the pitching however is the bullpen, where Boston has more depth than the Patriots have white scrappy wide receivers. Jonathon Papelbon has a 1.64 ERA since August 1st, but other than him, the Sawks have struggled in the second half of the season, boasting just a 4.30 ERA since the break.
VERDICT: I was all set to pick the Red Sox to win it all because everything looked like it was going their way and they were getting hot at the right time. But they have struggled over the past few weeks, and in the playoffs it really matters who is hot NOW. That being said, they can light it up at a moment’s notice.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu cannot be acknowledged enough for the way they’ve played this season. The Halos have an offense that can flat out hit from top to bottom, and at one time every starter was batting .300+ at the same time. The team is loaded with players that are fundamentally sound, too, including the infield of Chone Figgins, Maicer Izturis, Howie Kendrick, and Kendry Morales. Power guys such as Juan Rivera and Vladimir Guerrero are always tough outs too. Key bench players include Erick Aybar and Gary Matthews Jr. Finally there may not be a better hitting catcher (not named Mauer) in the playoffs than Mike Napoli. The Angels have had 10 players with 100 hits this season.
The rotation is stacked as well. John Lackey, Jered Weaver, Scott Kazmir (while an Angel), and John Saunders have all pitched well this year. And veteran Ervin Santana and 9-1 Matt Palmer don’t even make the starting rotation! Also, Brian Fuentes has done an admirable job in the closer role filling the shoes of Francisco Rodriguez.
VERDICT: It’s hard to call them a sleeper because they’ve done so well all season and finished with the second best record, but that’s essentially what they have become. And I don’t think they care one bit.
MINNESOTA TWINS
They made a great comeback in winning the AL Central, even though it took them 163 games. The Twins finished 4th in runs scored, even without slugger Justin Morneau in the final month. MVP candidate Joe Mauer may have had his best season as a pro, but he actually isn’t alone. Sluggers Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, and Delmon Young have all been key for the Twins in their comeback run, while plate setters Denard Span and Orlando Cabrera have been solid all season. The question will be can people at the bottom of the order produce against the good pitching that they’ll face in the postseason, and the answer will most likely be no.
Their rotation is not what they want it to be, but they’ll take it as long as they’re in. Scott Baker has been their best pitcher, but don’t expect to see him until game 3 or even game 4. Carl Pavano has had a resurgence in the Twin Cities, but he won’t be able to go until likely game 2. That leaves the game 1 duties to rookie Brian Duensing who went 5-2 this season, but was pounded in his only appearance (a relief one) against first round opponent New York Yankees. Joe Nathan has been the All-Star he has always been.
VERDICT: They really have nothing to lose. Which is good, because they will probably lose that nothing.
NEW YORK YANKEES
You like them. Someone in your family likes them. That kid who sits next to you likes them. The kid next to him is wearing a hat of them but can’t name anyone other than Jeter and A-Rod. LeBron James likes them… And why not? They’re f***in good. And the reason this year? The lineup they bought assembled is the best in the league. As usual though, it starts with Derek Jeter, who has put together an MVP type season and one of his best seasons in a long time. Key addition Mark Teixeira has lived up to everything that he was brought in to be (offensively and defensively), while players like Nick Swisher, Melky Cabrera, and Robinson Cano have overachieved all year. Alex Rodriguez is always a threat to stink it up in the postseason, but with the season he’s had so far, that might actually not be the case. Jorge Posada is the definition of consistency, and Johnny Damon has been huge for them.
Ace CC Sabbathia has been excellent and AJ Burnett averaged nine strikeouts per start, both coming via free agency. But the real key has been Andy Pettitte’s surprising consistency, and he’s showing no signs of being the weak link some experts thought he might be. Joba Chamberlain will likely complete the rotation that, if it is the weak point, is not very weak. The bullpen has stars, including future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, and Phil Hughes out of the witness protection program.
VERDICT: They have the best record in baseball and have a lineup that can drop a crooked number in any inning at any time, but won’t that just make a postseason exit all the more disappointing and inexcusable?
PREDICTIONS:
NLDS:
PHILLIES vs. ROCKIES – the NL team of last year against the NL team of two years ago. The Rockies are the sort of team that has pestered the Phils all year (the team that plays small ball and won’t go away) but the Phils bats and starting pitching carries them into the next round. Phillies avenge a sweep from two years ago with a near sweep of their own. PHILS IN 4: MVP – Jayson Werth
DODGERS vs. CARDINALS – I actually struggled with this series the most. But in the end, the Cards’ pitching in a short series is just too tempting to not go with. CARDINALS IN 4: MVP – Albert Pujols
NLCS:
PHILLIES vs. CARDINALS – Even as a neutral fan, admit it. You want to see Brad Lidge vs. Albert Pujols. And what else could restore Lidge’s confidence than getting Pujols to ground out to end a 1 run game? Nothing. PHILS IN 7: MVP – Cole Hamels
ALDS:
ANGELS vs. RED SOX – I know, I know, the Red Sox have the Angels’ number. The rally monkey is passed its prime. But everything is telling me that this is the year that the Halos knock down the Green Monster. Figuratively. Get it? I’m funny… right? ANGELS IN 5: MVP – Torii Hunter
YANKEES vs. TWINS – The Twins were up late last night drinking champagne and now have a big test today. Unfortunately, I know first-hand that this is not a good recipe for success. I’ll give them one though because maybe one of the tests is given by Ronnie Gunnerson. YANKEES IN 4: MVP – Derek Jeter
ALCS:
YANKEES vs. ANGELS – Here’s why I’m hesitant to pick the Angels. What if they get nothing out of their starting pitching. Everybody in the rotation is solid, but no one is GREAT. And against the Yankees, you have to be great to shut down that lineup. If they put up a crooked number, it’s hard to small-ball your way out of it. But here’s why I’m hesitant to pick the Yankees. What if they give up a few runs early to the Angels and everyone tries to be the hero. And when that happens, the hole just keeps getting bigger (as is usually the case when you’re behind the Angels). When in doubt, pick what’s more consistent. And I happen to trust the Halo’s lineup slightly over the Yankees pitching. ANGELS IN 6: MVP – CHONE FIGGINS
WORLD SERIES – These teams have faced each other last year during the regular season (Angels swept the 3 game series). But there’s really no way to think that will be a justification for how this series goes. Structurally, the Phillies are built in the same image as the Yankees (minus, um, the closer) in that they have a deep lineup where any player can go yard as easy as he can hang a zero. Kazmir has faced the Phils last year in the World Series and had the best WHIP of any of the Rays’ starters. The Angel’s are essentially a NL team in the AL and the Phillies have the best AL lineup of any NL team. None of this really means anything. Because most postseason games come down to bullpens, namely the closer. And I worry about Lidge the same amount I liked him last year. Meanwhile Fuentes has the most saves this year. ANGELS IN 6: MVP – TORII HUNTER
AWARDS:
AL MVP – Joe Mauer
AL ROTY – Rick Porcello
AL Cy Young – Zack Grienke
Al Manager of the Year – Ron Washington
NL MVP – Albert Pujols
NL ROTY – Chris Coglhan
NL Cy Young – Tim Lincecum
NL Manager of the Year – Jim Tracy
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Things I Can Do Without, Part 2
I haven’t bitched in a while… so I guess for health purposes I should let out some steam… Here's 20 more of everyone's favorite Romo writings...
1. People not covering their mouth when they sneeze/cough in class. Seriuosly? I don’t have time for the swine flu. I have better things to do. Like clean out my sock drawer...
2. My sleep schedule. So dumbass signs up for a Mon, Wed, Friday 8am class then follows it up with a 10am, so it’s not even like I can nap after my 8am is over. Oh no. I go right back at it after one hour of television/MLB the Show/the homework I shoulda did the previous night/Reese’s Puffs then off to class…
3. The new Primo’s. I got an idea, let’s get rid of half the stuff we used to sell, put tables in the middle of everyone’s way, hand out portions that are for elves or midgets (I imagine midgets don’t eat much…?), and make everyone pay when they enter for the not at all outrageous price of… hmm… 12 bucks. Sounds like a winner.
4. Facebook statuses about sports teams from people who should not be making facebook statuses about sports teams. “GIANTS!!!” “JETER!!” "Ravens!!!<3" "Patriots!! OMG BRADY" All of these were written by people who have no idea what their talking about. As a new rule, you should not be allowed to post a status about a sports team unless you can pass this simple test:
a. Are you a woman? (if yes, continue... if no, you pass)
b. Can you name 5 players on the team (3 if basketball)? (if no, continue... if yes, you pass)
c. Can you somehow get me tickets to this team's next game because someone in your family has connections? (if yes, you pass and by all means write whatever the hell you want. if no, you cannot write a sports status...)
5. Skype. Ok, to quote McLovin, “I like the idea of it more than I actually like it.” It’s a cool idea, but every f***in time, someone’s microphone cuts out, or the camera gets fuzzy, or someone sees their boyfriend cheating in a distant country… sigh.
6. Brad Lidge sucking. Last year = 41/41. This year = 11 blown saves. Not exactly what we’re looking for there, Bradley…
7. Payroll screwing up. Yeah, so like… I’ve worked for like, over 3 weeks now… and, yeah, I kinda don’t have a paycheck yet. What’s that? Oh. I’m not gonna get one for another two whole weeks?? … Um. Yeahh. That’s kinda a little bit.. not right.
8. Pearl Jam fans bitching that the new album isn’t good. Really, we’re gonna compare every album to Ten…? That’s like comparing every Michael Jackson album to Thriller. Or every basketball player to Michael Jordan. The fact is it’s them embracing what they are now and not trying to be what they were in 1991.
9. The awkward morning altercation. (Scene starts) Oh god there he/she is, ok, look the other way first, glance at something lets see how bout my watch, sh*t im not wearing a watch but I’ll look there anyway, ok check my cell in case someone texted me on the way to 10am class, ok now sneak a quick look to see if he/she’s looking at me, k now quickly look further to the same direction… sh*t didn’t get enough a long enough look to process a vibe. I’m gonna look again. Oh crap he/she was looking right at me, instincts tell me to look away… But that makes it seem more awkward!! Nooo… And now he/she’s past me. Great. …. Well, that went well. (End scene)
10. The lack of air conditioning at the Newman Desk. Jesus, I didn’t know we were in a greenhouse up here. It makes me miss my thundering air conditioning in my room that can be heard from Gardens B.
11. My ipod freezing. Ugh
12. Not having a cell phone charger. Double ugh.
13. 3OH!3. It was cool at first, but I’m officially sick.
14. “Birthday Sex”. Same as #13, except it was never cool.
15. Miley Cyrus. Same as #14, except everyone in the world agrees with me.
16. Rob Manning skyping people that aren’t abroad. AKA people who live in the building next to us.
17. Being tagged in a picture of BBQ snake ribs. Um, thanks...
18. The 16 oz beer bottles of Bud Light. Jeez why am I so tipsy, I only had 8 beers, I should be fine. Oh. Riiight.... Well good thing I ate something all day... Oh. Riiight...
19. Jimmy Fallon on Late Night. It just hit me how bad he is. Can they please just make it, Late Night with The Roots?
20. People still making the Kanye West interruption jokes. Jeez, like it wasn't even that funny the day after but now? I dunno I just think......... oh look!
"Excuse me. I'm real happy for your blog. And I'ma let you finish Romo. But Christina has one of the best blogs of all time. One of the best blogs of all time!"
.... um... but.. I ... um .... (cries, storms away from computer...)
1. People not covering their mouth when they sneeze/cough in class. Seriuosly? I don’t have time for the swine flu. I have better things to do. Like clean out my sock drawer...
2. My sleep schedule. So dumbass signs up for a Mon, Wed, Friday 8am class then follows it up with a 10am, so it’s not even like I can nap after my 8am is over. Oh no. I go right back at it after one hour of television/MLB the Show/the homework I shoulda did the previous night/Reese’s Puffs then off to class…
3. The new Primo’s. I got an idea, let’s get rid of half the stuff we used to sell, put tables in the middle of everyone’s way, hand out portions that are for elves or midgets (I imagine midgets don’t eat much…?), and make everyone pay when they enter for the not at all outrageous price of… hmm… 12 bucks. Sounds like a winner.
4. Facebook statuses about sports teams from people who should not be making facebook statuses about sports teams. “GIANTS!!!” “JETER!!” "Ravens!!!<3" "Patriots!! OMG BRADY" All of these were written by people who have no idea what their talking about. As a new rule, you should not be allowed to post a status about a sports team unless you can pass this simple test:
a. Are you a woman? (if yes, continue... if no, you pass)
b. Can you name 5 players on the team (3 if basketball)? (if no, continue... if yes, you pass)
c. Can you somehow get me tickets to this team's next game because someone in your family has connections? (if yes, you pass and by all means write whatever the hell you want. if no, you cannot write a sports status...)
5. Skype. Ok, to quote McLovin, “I like the idea of it more than I actually like it.” It’s a cool idea, but every f***in time, someone’s microphone cuts out, or the camera gets fuzzy, or someone sees their boyfriend cheating in a distant country… sigh.
6. Brad Lidge sucking. Last year = 41/41. This year = 11 blown saves. Not exactly what we’re looking for there, Bradley…
7. Payroll screwing up. Yeah, so like… I’ve worked for like, over 3 weeks now… and, yeah, I kinda don’t have a paycheck yet. What’s that? Oh. I’m not gonna get one for another two whole weeks?? … Um. Yeahh. That’s kinda a little bit.. not right.
8. Pearl Jam fans bitching that the new album isn’t good. Really, we’re gonna compare every album to Ten…? That’s like comparing every Michael Jackson album to Thriller. Or every basketball player to Michael Jordan. The fact is it’s them embracing what they are now and not trying to be what they were in 1991.
9. The awkward morning altercation. (Scene starts) Oh god there he/she is, ok, look the other way first, glance at something lets see how bout my watch, sh*t im not wearing a watch but I’ll look there anyway, ok check my cell in case someone texted me on the way to 10am class, ok now sneak a quick look to see if he/she’s looking at me, k now quickly look further to the same direction… sh*t didn’t get enough a long enough look to process a vibe. I’m gonna look again. Oh crap he/she was looking right at me, instincts tell me to look away… But that makes it seem more awkward!! Nooo… And now he/she’s past me. Great. …. Well, that went well. (End scene)
10. The lack of air conditioning at the Newman Desk. Jesus, I didn’t know we were in a greenhouse up here. It makes me miss my thundering air conditioning in my room that can be heard from Gardens B.
11. My ipod freezing. Ugh
12. Not having a cell phone charger. Double ugh.
13. 3OH!3. It was cool at first, but I’m officially sick.
14. “Birthday Sex”. Same as #13, except it was never cool.
15. Miley Cyrus. Same as #14, except everyone in the world agrees with me.
16. Rob Manning skyping people that aren’t abroad. AKA people who live in the building next to us.
17. Being tagged in a picture of BBQ snake ribs. Um, thanks...
18. The 16 oz beer bottles of Bud Light. Jeez why am I so tipsy, I only had 8 beers, I should be fine. Oh. Riiight.... Well good thing I ate something all day... Oh. Riiight...
19. Jimmy Fallon on Late Night. It just hit me how bad he is. Can they please just make it, Late Night with The Roots?
20. People still making the Kanye West interruption jokes. Jeez, like it wasn't even that funny the day after but now? I dunno I just think......... oh look!
"Excuse me. I'm real happy for your blog. And I'ma let you finish Romo. But Christina has one of the best blogs of all time. One of the best blogs of all time!"
.... um... but.. I ... um .... (cries, storms away from computer...)
Monday, September 21, 2009
Phone Screening, Backspacers, and Football
So maybe you want to hear more about my life. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Unless you didn’t want to hear about my life, but then I’d have to ask, why would you visit my blog? Either way, I’ll let you in on what’s up, since demand from the close-to-but-not-quite-double-digits number of people who read my blog has been moderately high recently. And by “high”, I mean the casual “dude, you still write in your blog?”
Well, I suppose a few notable things have happened since I’ve last done an “update” post…
I guess the biggest/most significant thing going on in my life right now is the fact that I have landed an internship. I intern Mondays and Wednesdays at a sports talk radio station located in Baltimore, MD called 105.7 the Fan. So far it’s been really cool, I get to see firsthand how a radio station functions, and during the mid-afternoon program I get to screen the phone calls, which basically means I answer the phone lines and ask people their name, location, and what they want to talk about. Then I write it down on a computer (99.9% of the time I’m writing “[insert male hood name here]”, “Baltimore” or suburban area, and “Ravens game”) and put them on hold until the host gets to take their call.
The weekend was pretty fun. I really only had one thing to do all weekend, which was laundry. Yet somehow, I successfully managed to not get it done all weekend. I know. I’m that good. It’s actually not as bad as it seems, because I didn’t do it Friday because… well no one ever does anything on Fridays…am I right? Especially if you only have ONE thing to do. You have all weekend to do it, why cram? Saturday I didn’t have time to do it, because this past Saturday was Craig’s Fest, which I won’t explain what it is if you don’t know (sorry... not really), but just know that it is an all day event of some sort of activity that prevents you from the capability to perform certain necessity-driven tasks. Yep, you guessed it. It’s an all day middle england jousting tournament. Anyway, Sunday I watched football all day, sooo when exactly did I have time for laundry? Huh? You tell me…
Moving on, as you may have heard, one of my friends Matt, who I am lucky to have known from both high school and college, received most horrible news last week as his father passed away this past Wednesday. I would appreciate it if you would keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers.
Shifting gears, the NFL season is well upon us. And after two games, my Denver Broncos are 2-0. This is very hard to explain, given the drama which the offseason brought. However, our defense has shown vast improvements since last year with the addition of Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman, and Ronald Fields, along with veterans Elvis Dumervil, D.J. Williams, and Champ Bailey to go with the play of rookie Robert Ayers. We have only played the Browns and Bengals so far, but we have held them to a combined 13 points, so unless Indianapolis shuts out Miami tonight, we will have given up the least amount of points after two weeks.
The offense has looked a lot better in week two than in week one. Rookie Knowshon Moreno and free agent acquisition Correll Buckhalter both ran for 70+ yards on Sunday and Kyle Orton threw for 263 yards on Sunday with (wait for it) no interceptions so far on the season.
Other teams that looked good in week 2 include the Ravens, Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Saints, all of whom have looked impressive thusfar in the young season (all also 2-0).
In other sports, the Phillies’ magic number is: 6. Six more wins or Marlins/Braves losses and the Phillies will be in the playoffs looking to defend their World Championship. Needless to say, I cannot wait for October.
By the way, I have tickets to the Phillies game against the Astros on Wednesday September 30, (possibly a night when they could clinch…) and am still up in the air about going. Let me know if you would be down on going (only if I can stand you), or if you and a friend or 2 people you know would be interested in going and I will sell them to you for the read-my-blog discount of $25 bucks each (4th row, second level, right field).
From sports to music, September has been solid. Two new CDs came out in the past 7 days… Muse’s fifth album, “The Resistance” came out on the 15th, from what I have heard it is really good (I have not yet picked it up, though I have listened to the whole thing through once). Also, Pearl Jam’s ninth studio album, “Backspacer” came out on Itunes and at Target on the 20th. You could pre-order it on their website (obviously this is the route I went) and I received it on Friday. However, the post office here updates packages at the end of the day, not when I checked at noon… and is closed all weekend, so I did not receive until this morning. Having listened to it a couple times, I am really impressed, and it has lived up to my expectations, despite them being ridiculously high since I’ve been looking forward to this album for basically all of this year. Now to see them in Philly during the last week of October……… They have rapidly become one of my top 3 favorite bands, which if you know me is a tremendous feat.
Finally, only a month until my sister’s wedding! I am really excited for them and can’t imagine how excited they must be.
That’s all for now my pretties. I’m gonna go eat a tasty peanut butter and ranch sandwich. Long story…
Well, I suppose a few notable things have happened since I’ve last done an “update” post…
I guess the biggest/most significant thing going on in my life right now is the fact that I have landed an internship. I intern Mondays and Wednesdays at a sports talk radio station located in Baltimore, MD called 105.7 the Fan. So far it’s been really cool, I get to see firsthand how a radio station functions, and during the mid-afternoon program I get to screen the phone calls, which basically means I answer the phone lines and ask people their name, location, and what they want to talk about. Then I write it down on a computer (99.9% of the time I’m writing “[insert male hood name here]”, “Baltimore” or suburban area, and “Ravens game”) and put them on hold until the host gets to take their call.
The weekend was pretty fun. I really only had one thing to do all weekend, which was laundry. Yet somehow, I successfully managed to not get it done all weekend. I know. I’m that good. It’s actually not as bad as it seems, because I didn’t do it Friday because… well no one ever does anything on Fridays…am I right? Especially if you only have ONE thing to do. You have all weekend to do it, why cram? Saturday I didn’t have time to do it, because this past Saturday was Craig’s Fest, which I won’t explain what it is if you don’t know (sorry... not really), but just know that it is an all day event of some sort of activity that prevents you from the capability to perform certain necessity-driven tasks. Yep, you guessed it. It’s an all day middle england jousting tournament. Anyway, Sunday I watched football all day, sooo when exactly did I have time for laundry? Huh? You tell me…
Moving on, as you may have heard, one of my friends Matt, who I am lucky to have known from both high school and college, received most horrible news last week as his father passed away this past Wednesday. I would appreciate it if you would keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers.
Shifting gears, the NFL season is well upon us. And after two games, my Denver Broncos are 2-0. This is very hard to explain, given the drama which the offseason brought. However, our defense has shown vast improvements since last year with the addition of Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman, and Ronald Fields, along with veterans Elvis Dumervil, D.J. Williams, and Champ Bailey to go with the play of rookie Robert Ayers. We have only played the Browns and Bengals so far, but we have held them to a combined 13 points, so unless Indianapolis shuts out Miami tonight, we will have given up the least amount of points after two weeks.
The offense has looked a lot better in week two than in week one. Rookie Knowshon Moreno and free agent acquisition Correll Buckhalter both ran for 70+ yards on Sunday and Kyle Orton threw for 263 yards on Sunday with (wait for it) no interceptions so far on the season.
Other teams that looked good in week 2 include the Ravens, Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Saints, all of whom have looked impressive thusfar in the young season (all also 2-0).
In other sports, the Phillies’ magic number is: 6. Six more wins or Marlins/Braves losses and the Phillies will be in the playoffs looking to defend their World Championship. Needless to say, I cannot wait for October.
By the way, I have tickets to the Phillies game against the Astros on Wednesday September 30, (possibly a night when they could clinch…) and am still up in the air about going. Let me know if you would be down on going (only if I can stand you), or if you and a friend or 2 people you know would be interested in going and I will sell them to you for the read-my-blog discount of $25 bucks each (4th row, second level, right field).
From sports to music, September has been solid. Two new CDs came out in the past 7 days… Muse’s fifth album, “The Resistance” came out on the 15th, from what I have heard it is really good (I have not yet picked it up, though I have listened to the whole thing through once). Also, Pearl Jam’s ninth studio album, “Backspacer” came out on Itunes and at Target on the 20th. You could pre-order it on their website (obviously this is the route I went) and I received it on Friday. However, the post office here updates packages at the end of the day, not when I checked at noon… and is closed all weekend, so I did not receive until this morning. Having listened to it a couple times, I am really impressed, and it has lived up to my expectations, despite them being ridiculously high since I’ve been looking forward to this album for basically all of this year. Now to see them in Philly during the last week of October……… They have rapidly become one of my top 3 favorite bands, which if you know me is a tremendous feat.
Finally, only a month until my sister’s wedding! I am really excited for them and can’t imagine how excited they must be.
That’s all for now my pretties. I’m gonna go eat a tasty peanut butter and ranch sandwich. Long story…
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Man of the Hour
For Fral and his family,
And the sky breaks at dawn; shedding light upon this town
"Tidal waves don't beg forgiveness
Crashed and on their way
Father he enjoyed collisions; others walked away
A snowflake falls in may.
And the doors are open now
as the bells are ringing out
Cause the man of the hour is taking his final bow
Goodbye for now.
Nature has its own religion; gospel from the land
Father ruled by long division, young men they pretend
Old men comprehend.
And the sky breaks at dawn; shedding light upon this town
They'll all come around
Cause the man of the hour is taking his final bow
Goodbye for now.
And the road
The old man paved
The broken seams along the way
The rusted signs, left just for me
He was guiding me, love, his own way
Now the man of the hour is taking his final bow
As the curtain comes down
I feel that this is just
Goodbye for now."
Hang in there
Saturday, September 5, 2009
NFL Preview part 4
NFC
East
New York Giants (11-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
Washington Redskins (7-9)
North
Green Bay Packers (11-5)
Minnesota Vikings (9-7)
Chicago Bears (9-7)
Detroit Lions (5-11)
South
Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
New Orleans Saints (10-6)
Carolina Panthers (10-6)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
West
Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
St. Louis Rams (4-12)
AFC
East
New England Patriots (13-3)
Miami Dolphins (9-7)
New York Jets (8-8)
Buffalo Bills (7-9)
North
Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
Cleveland Browns (5-11)
South
Tennessee Titans (9-7)
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
Houston Texans (8-8)
West
San Diego Chargers (11-5)
Denver Broncos (7-9)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
Oakland Raiders (5-11)
AFC Playoffs
1 Patriots
2 Chargers
3 Ravens
4 Titans
5 Steelers
6 Dolphins
Wildcard
Ravens 23, Dolphins 10.
Steelers 24, Titans 20.
Divisional
Patriots 27, Steelers 21.
Chargers 20, Ravens 16.
Championship
Patriots 21, Chargers 7.
NFC Playoffs
1 Falcons
2 Giants
3 Packers
4 Cardinals
5 Eagles
6 Saints
Wildcard
Saints 31, Packers 20.
Eagles 30, Cardinals 27.
Divisional
Falcons 23, Saints 21.
Eagles 24, Giants 17.
Championship
Falcons 28, Eagles 20.
Super Bowl
Patriots 20, Falcons 17.
East
New York Giants (11-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
Washington Redskins (7-9)
North
Green Bay Packers (11-5)
Minnesota Vikings (9-7)
Chicago Bears (9-7)
Detroit Lions (5-11)
South
Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
New Orleans Saints (10-6)
Carolina Panthers (10-6)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
West
Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
St. Louis Rams (4-12)
AFC
East
New England Patriots (13-3)
Miami Dolphins (9-7)
New York Jets (8-8)
Buffalo Bills (7-9)
North
Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
Cleveland Browns (5-11)
South
Tennessee Titans (9-7)
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
Houston Texans (8-8)
West
San Diego Chargers (11-5)
Denver Broncos (7-9)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
Oakland Raiders (5-11)
AFC Playoffs
1 Patriots
2 Chargers
3 Ravens
4 Titans
5 Steelers
6 Dolphins
Wildcard
Ravens 23, Dolphins 10.
Steelers 24, Titans 20.
Divisional
Patriots 27, Steelers 21.
Chargers 20, Ravens 16.
Championship
Patriots 21, Chargers 7.
NFC Playoffs
1 Falcons
2 Giants
3 Packers
4 Cardinals
5 Eagles
6 Saints
Wildcard
Saints 31, Packers 20.
Eagles 30, Cardinals 27.
Divisional
Falcons 23, Saints 21.
Eagles 24, Giants 17.
Championship
Falcons 28, Eagles 20.
Super Bowl
Patriots 20, Falcons 17.
Friday, September 4, 2009
NFL Preview part 3
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Outlook: Not many people expected the Cardinals to make it to the Super Bowl with their record against teams not in the division. Despite their loss in the game, they look to continue their momentum into the new season.
Player to Watch: Larry Fitzgerald. The man on the Madden game. Well, one of two men on the cover. So maybe he only has half of the curse on him… I bet I already know what it is too: the Cards defense.
Prediction: 10-6
San Francisco 49ers
Outlook: I’m ready to board the bandwagon at the drop of a hat. Or Mike Singletary’s pants. Whichever drops first.
Player to Watch: Frank Gore. Gore will be the focal point of the offense for the Niners, which is an inconvenient truth.
Prediction: 6-10
Seattle Seahwaks
Outlook: They had a season to forget last year, but with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck all season, the addition of T.J. Whose-your-mama (Houshmandzadeh), and a fairly easy schedule, they should rebound in ’09.
Player to Watch: Julius Jones. Jones had a disappointing season last year as a free agent from Dallas, but after being benched in the tail end of last year, he has been named the workhorse back this year by new head coach Jim Mora Jr.
Prediction: 9-7
St. Louis Rams
Outlook: 1999 = the greatest show on turf. 2009 = the greatest thing is the turf.
Player to Watch: Will Witherspoon. Well, I mean, if you have to watch the Rams anyway, I figured I’d tell you one of their underrated, very good defensive players. Of course, watching the Rams at all is not recommended if avoidable.
Prediction: 4-12
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Outlook: Raise your hand if new coach Josh McDaniels hasn’t driven you out of Denver… While McDaniels brings an extensive offensive knowledge and capability coming from under Bill Belichick, the pressure is clearly on the 33 year old head coach to maintain the offensive success of last year, and transition the defense into respectable.
Player to Watch: Eddie Royal. Highlights the select bunch of players that I am both confident in and excited to see perform in ’09. If troubled receiver Brandon Marshall does not remain with the team, expect him to see a lot of targets.
Prediction: 7-9
Bonus Predictions: Marshall stays the whole year. Kyle Orton struggles in the beginning of the year, almost gets benched, but shines in the latter half. Eddie Royal leads the league in yards per reception. The defense has games where they shine, but is still 13th or worse in the AFC.
Kansas City Chiefs
Outlook: They shelled out the bucks to land up-and-coming, but still relatively unproven QB Matt Cassell, and with new head coach Todd Haley and a young defense, it’s a hard season to predict for the Chiefs.
Player to Watch: Larry Johnson. I’ve always had tremendous respect for LJ, as well as Priest Holmes and LT as I’ve seen them run laps around the Broncos defense. However, LJ has a lot to prove this year, since he’s been worked to the max and had a down year last year. Look for him to turn a few heads in ’09.
Prediction: 6-10
Oakland Raiders
Outlook: Darren McFadden is perhaps the lone bright spot on offense (though JaMarcus Russell continues to improve) but the defense is clearly the unit that will be opposing teams will worry about most.
Player to Watch: Nnamdi Asomugha. As much as I hate the Raiders, ND is a beast and the best shutdown corner in the league, taking the title from Champ Bailey last season.
Prediction: 6-10
San Diego Chargers
Outlook: They came back after everyone left them for dead to win the division at 8-8 last year, even though expectations were set high in the offseason. This year those expectations are just as high, and this could be the year that they are finally reached.
Player to Watch: Antonio Cromartie. The young star had a down year last year, but he still has a tremendous amount of talent and can easily just as good as he was in '07, perhaps better.
Prediction: 11-5
Next up: Playoff Teams and Predictions
Arizona Cardinals
Outlook: Not many people expected the Cardinals to make it to the Super Bowl with their record against teams not in the division. Despite their loss in the game, they look to continue their momentum into the new season.
Player to Watch: Larry Fitzgerald. The man on the Madden game. Well, one of two men on the cover. So maybe he only has half of the curse on him… I bet I already know what it is too: the Cards defense.
Prediction: 10-6
San Francisco 49ers
Outlook: I’m ready to board the bandwagon at the drop of a hat. Or Mike Singletary’s pants. Whichever drops first.
Player to Watch: Frank Gore. Gore will be the focal point of the offense for the Niners, which is an inconvenient truth.
Prediction: 6-10
Seattle Seahwaks
Outlook: They had a season to forget last year, but with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck all season, the addition of T.J. Whose-your-mama (Houshmandzadeh), and a fairly easy schedule, they should rebound in ’09.
Player to Watch: Julius Jones. Jones had a disappointing season last year as a free agent from Dallas, but after being benched in the tail end of last year, he has been named the workhorse back this year by new head coach Jim Mora Jr.
Prediction: 9-7
St. Louis Rams
Outlook: 1999 = the greatest show on turf. 2009 = the greatest thing is the turf.
Player to Watch: Will Witherspoon. Well, I mean, if you have to watch the Rams anyway, I figured I’d tell you one of their underrated, very good defensive players. Of course, watching the Rams at all is not recommended if avoidable.
Prediction: 4-12
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Outlook: Raise your hand if new coach Josh McDaniels hasn’t driven you out of Denver… While McDaniels brings an extensive offensive knowledge and capability coming from under Bill Belichick, the pressure is clearly on the 33 year old head coach to maintain the offensive success of last year, and transition the defense into respectable.
Player to Watch: Eddie Royal. Highlights the select bunch of players that I am both confident in and excited to see perform in ’09. If troubled receiver Brandon Marshall does not remain with the team, expect him to see a lot of targets.
Prediction: 7-9
Bonus Predictions: Marshall stays the whole year. Kyle Orton struggles in the beginning of the year, almost gets benched, but shines in the latter half. Eddie Royal leads the league in yards per reception. The defense has games where they shine, but is still 13th or worse in the AFC.
Kansas City Chiefs
Outlook: They shelled out the bucks to land up-and-coming, but still relatively unproven QB Matt Cassell, and with new head coach Todd Haley and a young defense, it’s a hard season to predict for the Chiefs.
Player to Watch: Larry Johnson. I’ve always had tremendous respect for LJ, as well as Priest Holmes and LT as I’ve seen them run laps around the Broncos defense. However, LJ has a lot to prove this year, since he’s been worked to the max and had a down year last year. Look for him to turn a few heads in ’09.
Prediction: 6-10
Oakland Raiders
Outlook: Darren McFadden is perhaps the lone bright spot on offense (though JaMarcus Russell continues to improve) but the defense is clearly the unit that will be opposing teams will worry about most.
Player to Watch: Nnamdi Asomugha. As much as I hate the Raiders, ND is a beast and the best shutdown corner in the league, taking the title from Champ Bailey last season.
Prediction: 6-10
San Diego Chargers
Outlook: They came back after everyone left them for dead to win the division at 8-8 last year, even though expectations were set high in the offseason. This year those expectations are just as high, and this could be the year that they are finally reached.
Player to Watch: Antonio Cromartie. The young star had a down year last year, but he still has a tremendous amount of talent and can easily just as good as he was in '07, perhaps better.
Prediction: 11-5
Next up: Playoff Teams and Predictions
NFL Preview part 2
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens
Outlook: The defense loses some key members from ’08, but it still remains one of the top units in the league. Joe Flacco, no longer a rookie, will likely be asked to win games this year instead of to not lose them… That is, provided he ever escapes from Mother’s…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMOsy0j0plA
Outlook: The defense loses some key members from ’08, but it still remains one of the top units in the league. Joe Flacco, no longer a rookie, will likely be asked to win games this year instead of to not lose them… That is, provided he ever escapes from Mother’s…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMOsy0j0plA
Player to Watch: Ray Lewis. How could it not be? Living in Baltimore, you learn quickly that it’s important to know where Ray is both on and off the field at all times.
Prediction: 10-6
Cincinnati Bengals
Outlook: Carson Palmer is back and the defense has improved, but will it be enough to reach that oh-so-elusive winning record?
Player to Watch: The man who did this…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAd4tY6IVhg&feature=related
Prediction: 7-9
Cleveland Browns
Outlook: What’s that old adage? “If you have two quarterbacks you really have none” or something? Well, I’m pretty sure it applies here. Also, they go from one Belichick protégé to another… because they always seem to work out well in their first head coaching gigs.
Player to Watch: Braylon Edwards. Had a horrible ’08 with more drops than Vida in a fantasy baseball league. Look for the talented receiver to bounce back in ’09.
Prediction: 5-11
Pittsburgh Steelers
Outlook: The defending champs didn’t have many holes to fill in the offseason, but apparently Ben Roethlisberger did. http://www.theledger.com/article/20090721/NEWS/907215037/1002
Player to Watch: Rashard Mendenhall. Last year, the man talks trash about the Ravens in a text, and then the next week has his season ended by an injury from the Ravens. Let’s see who he texts about this year.
Prediction: 10-6
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Outlook: Rookie of the year Matt Ryan got a new target in Tony Gonzalez over the offseason. Gonzalez, an already solid receiving corps, and a juggernaut of a running game should provide Ryan with a cavalcade of weapons and keep the offense one of the best in the league.
Player to Watch: “Michael Turner. Plain and simple.” (‘Player to watch’ expert analysis courtesy of Brian Donohue)
Prediction: 11-5
Carolina Panthers
Outlook: Their successful season came to a screeching halt against the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs. If Steve Smith can avoid trouble, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart be the one-two punch they were last year, the game will be easier for Jake Delhomme, and that could translate into a playoff run.
Player to Watch: Jake Delhome. Will we get the QB who led his team to the #2 seed in the NFC and a 12-4 record, or the one who had 5 interceptions in the playoffs?
Prediction: 10-6
New Orleans Saints
Outlook: The offense is a given, but the team needs its D to step up to be able to make a serious run. My guess is that it doesn’t and their season ends pretty soon after the new year.
Player to Watch: Drew Brees. Missed Dan Marino’s single season passing record by 16 yards last year, and honestly there’s really no reason why he won’t be able to take another shot at it again this year.
Prediction: 10-6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Outlook: Somehow managed to land a pretty rough schedule, despite finishing third in the division last year. But with that and all the questions in too many significant areas, that would be a tremendous accomplishment this year.
Player to Watch: Antonio Bryant. Comes off of a big season last year, so it’ll be interesting to see what the veteran receiver can do this year with Byron Leftwich at the helm.
Prediction: 4-12
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans
Outlook: Everybody’s sleeper team for quite some time now (basically every year of their existence). Could this be the year? Well, it would help if they could get 16 games from their starting QB which the franchise hasn’t had since the days of David Carr.
Player to Watch: Steve Slaton. People are expecting big things from the 2nd year starter. The Texans’ playoff chances could depend on them.
Prediction: 8-8
Indianapolis Colts
Outlook: We get something we haven’t gotten in awhile from Indy: big change. It comes in a new head coach and a new offensive coordinator, as well as the departure of Marvin Harrison. In good news, they still have Peyton Manning on their team.
Player to Watch: He didn’t make the team, but you should still always keep tabs on him… he does have a ring, you know…http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=6094
Prediction: 9-7
Jacksonville Jaguars
Outlook: Jack Del Rio has to be on the hot seat. Look at that, the previous sentence had 10 words with 4 letters or less. That’s far more interesting then the Jaguars.
Player to Watch: Maurice Jones-Drew. Nothing’s better than an MJD on a Sunday. Well, m
aybe an MGD.Prediction: 9-7
Tennessee Titans
Outlook: It’ll be a tough year for the Titans following the passing of Steve McNair, but it’s possible that the emotions could fuel them to a successful run.
Outlook: It’ll be a tough year for the Titans following the passing of Steve McNair, but it’s possible that the emotions could fuel them to a successful run.
Player to Watch: Vince Young. If you get tired of watching Young (and it’ll probably only take you 25 minutes) you can watch the other QB, which is a 40 year old journeyman… So, have fun with that.
Prediction: 9-7
NEXT UP: NFC WEST, AFC WEST
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
NFL Preview part 1
The NFL season is almost upon us, peasants, and thus it’s now time for Adam’s preview (so I can refer you back to this later when it turns out 94% true…)
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
Outlook: Tony Romo enters his 4th season as the Cowboys starting QB and he is now without Terrell Owens (for better or worse). He is now clearly what the offense goes through. Not the punts however, as they must attempt to go through the ridiculously large scoreboard above the playing field.
Player to Watch: Roy Williams. He is now not only the sole player on his team with this name, but he now must fill the void of disgruntled wide receiver so that the Cowboys fall short of the Super Bowl. Talk about big shoes to fill…
Prediction: 10-6
New York Giants
Outlook: The defense is still one of the best units in the league, primarily against the pass. Plus they get Osi Umenyiora back who they lost last year to injuries. The Giants hope that he can fill the GAP that was lingering over in their defense from last year. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSLTeZYS4b-3s_XttuUGNd2tZNFgHzckJwqcz6nkUTaK79P4GkFXtN4XpGA03qXYKSqkGK4P09-Z4l6rDzOMnVaSNtE9fRwMbEAeK7AzND6SYp7XRWwatqIQqoQsR6szOM7mc-ucDUTVh/s320/Michael+Strahan.jpg
Player to Watch: David Tyree. He made the catch of the year two seasons ago. This year he hopes to do something he didn’t do all of last year: catch a pass.
Prediction: 11-5
Philadelphia Eagles
Outlook: Drafting wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was a smart move in the offseason. Letting Brian Dawkins go and signing Michael Vick? Probably not as smart.
Player to Watch: Kevin Kolb. We know Donovan McNabb is not going to be healthy the whole season, so the interesting to watch here is if Kolb will be pissed that he may be passed on the depth chart by someone as inaccurate as Vick.
Prediction: 11-5
Washington Redskins
Outlook: They did what they usually do in the offseason: shell out the big bucks. This time they gave them to a big guy, Albert Haynesworth. I suppose they want to make sure he can stomp out their division foes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5nlEA8BUTQ
Player to Watch: London Fletcher. No reason to really watch London Fletcher this year, I just wanted to segue into this quote… "I couldn't find London on a map if they didn't have the names of the countries. I swear to God. I don't know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I learned that. I know London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That's the closest thing I know to London. He's black, so I'm sure he's not from London. I'm sure that's a coincidental name." -Channing Crowder
Prediction: 7-9
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
Outlook: Get yo popcorn ready, Bills fans! T.O. only has one year to tear your already mediocre team apart! This should be good!
Player to Watch: Trent Edwards. So, who has to be the most nervous player in the NFL? I’m going with Edwards, as he now has to succeed Romo, McNabb, and Jeff Garcia as quarterbacks who have had to deal with the drama that is caused from #81.
Prediction: 7-9
Miami Dolphins
Outlook: The team that made the Wildcat famous is now looking to repeat as division champs. It won’t be easy as now they have a much harder schedule and face some tough defenses. Defenses that may force Chad Pennington to throw the ball further than 15 yards. Can he do it!?!
Player to Watch: Devone Bess. Bess caught 35 passes in his last 6 games and he is now a starter alongside Ten Ginn Jr. He could be the number one and catching passes from Brady Quinn. But no.
Prediction: 9-7
New England Patriots
Outlook: Tom Brady’s back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Player to Watch: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prediction: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (13-3)
New York Jets
Outlook: They made numerous splashes in the offseason, including drafting heartthrob Mark Sanchez and importing defensive members of the Baltimore Ravens. Also, Rex Ryan comes over from Baltimore to take over as head coach, or to jump over people like Channing Crowder on the way to fights…
Player to Watch: Thomas Jones. Jones led the AFC in rushing last year. (Take a moment for that to sink in…)
Prediction: 8-8
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Outlook: They picked up the most glaring need on their roster in the offseason by trading the house for moody Jay Cutler. Cutler is the most talented QB the Bears have had since … um… looking… still looking… … check back later… I’ll find someone…
Player to Watch: Adrian Peterson. If you’re in a fantasy league with idiots, look for this guy to get drafted.
Prediction: 9-7
Detroit Lions
Outlook: They haven’t won a game since December. December 07.
Player to Watch: Daunte Culpepper. All Culpepper has to do to be considered successful is to not do this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGs1VuT6FEw&feature=related
Prediction: 5-11
Green Bay Packers
Outlook: The Pack looks to make the transition to the 3-4 defense, which suits its speedy yet tough linebackers well, and with the offense looking strong in preseason, it could be a many a chilly winter trips to Lambeau for opposing teams.
Player to Watch: Ryan Grant. Watch to see how he will respond after a slow start to 2008.
Prediction: 11-5
Minnesota Vikings
Outlook: As you may have heard, they upgraded their QB position as well by bringing in Brett Favre.
Player to Watch: Bernard Berrian. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t the happiest man alive when the Favre story broke, and every 1589412 time after. And by the happiest man alive I mean the only happy person. Oh wait... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCZZUPLl5zI&feature=related
Prediction: 9-7
Next up: AFC North, NFC South, AFC South
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
Outlook: Tony Romo enters his 4th season as the Cowboys starting QB and he is now without Terrell Owens (for better or worse). He is now clearly what the offense goes through. Not the punts however, as they must attempt to go through the ridiculously large scoreboard above the playing field.
Player to Watch: Roy Williams. He is now not only the sole player on his team with this name, but he now must fill the void of disgruntled wide receiver so that the Cowboys fall short of the Super Bowl. Talk about big shoes to fill…
Prediction: 10-6
New York Giants
Outlook: The defense is still one of the best units in the league, primarily against the pass. Plus they get Osi Umenyiora back who they lost last year to injuries. The Giants hope that he can fill the GAP that was lingering over in their defense from last year. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSLTeZYS4b-3s_XttuUGNd2tZNFgHzckJwqcz6nkUTaK79P4GkFXtN4XpGA03qXYKSqkGK4P09-Z4l6rDzOMnVaSNtE9fRwMbEAeK7AzND6SYp7XRWwatqIQqoQsR6szOM7mc-ucDUTVh/s320/Michael+Strahan.jpg
Player to Watch: David Tyree. He made the catch of the year two seasons ago. This year he hopes to do something he didn’t do all of last year: catch a pass.
Prediction: 11-5
Philadelphia Eagles
Outlook: Drafting wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was a smart move in the offseason. Letting Brian Dawkins go and signing Michael Vick? Probably not as smart.
Player to Watch: Kevin Kolb. We know Donovan McNabb is not going to be healthy the whole season, so the interesting to watch here is if Kolb will be pissed that he may be passed on the depth chart by someone as inaccurate as Vick.
Prediction: 11-5
Washington Redskins
Outlook: They did what they usually do in the offseason: shell out the big bucks. This time they gave them to a big guy, Albert Haynesworth. I suppose they want to make sure he can stomp out their division foes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5nlEA8BUTQ
Player to Watch: London Fletcher. No reason to really watch London Fletcher this year, I just wanted to segue into this quote… "I couldn't find London on a map if they didn't have the names of the countries. I swear to God. I don't know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I learned that. I know London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That's the closest thing I know to London. He's black, so I'm sure he's not from London. I'm sure that's a coincidental name." -Channing Crowder
Prediction: 7-9
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
Outlook: Get yo popcorn ready, Bills fans! T.O. only has one year to tear your already mediocre team apart! This should be good!
Player to Watch: Trent Edwards. So, who has to be the most nervous player in the NFL? I’m going with Edwards, as he now has to succeed Romo, McNabb, and Jeff Garcia as quarterbacks who have had to deal with the drama that is caused from #81.
Prediction: 7-9
Miami Dolphins
Outlook: The team that made the Wildcat famous is now looking to repeat as division champs. It won’t be easy as now they have a much harder schedule and face some tough defenses. Defenses that may force Chad Pennington to throw the ball further than 15 yards. Can he do it!?!
Player to Watch: Devone Bess. Bess caught 35 passes in his last 6 games and he is now a starter alongside Ten Ginn Jr. He could be the number one and catching passes from Brady Quinn. But no.
Prediction: 9-7
New England Patriots
Outlook: Tom Brady’s back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Player to Watch: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prediction: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (13-3)
New York Jets
Outlook: They made numerous splashes in the offseason, including drafting heartthrob Mark Sanchez and importing defensive members of the Baltimore Ravens. Also, Rex Ryan comes over from Baltimore to take over as head coach, or to jump over people like Channing Crowder on the way to fights…
Player to Watch: Thomas Jones. Jones led the AFC in rushing last year. (Take a moment for that to sink in…)
Prediction: 8-8
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Outlook: They picked up the most glaring need on their roster in the offseason by trading the house for moody Jay Cutler. Cutler is the most talented QB the Bears have had since … um… looking… still looking… … check back later… I’ll find someone…
Player to Watch: Adrian Peterson. If you’re in a fantasy league with idiots, look for this guy to get drafted.
Prediction: 9-7
Detroit Lions
Outlook: They haven’t won a game since December. December 07.
Player to Watch: Daunte Culpepper. All Culpepper has to do to be considered successful is to not do this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGs1VuT6FEw&feature=related
Prediction: 5-11
Green Bay Packers
Outlook: The Pack looks to make the transition to the 3-4 defense, which suits its speedy yet tough linebackers well, and with the offense looking strong in preseason, it could be a many a chilly winter trips to Lambeau for opposing teams.
Player to Watch: Ryan Grant. Watch to see how he will respond after a slow start to 2008.
Prediction: 11-5
Minnesota Vikings
Outlook: As you may have heard, they upgraded their QB position as well by bringing in Brett Favre.
Player to Watch: Bernard Berrian. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t the happiest man alive when the Favre story broke, and every 1589412 time after. And by the happiest man alive I mean the only happy person. Oh wait... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCZZUPLl5zI&feature=related
Prediction: 9-7
Next up: AFC North, NFC South, AFC South
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Last Day At Giuseppe's
I suppose I should say a few words on today's topic, since it is a pretty big occasion in the timeline of Adam Romo. Well folks, Monday was my last night working at Giuseppe's Italian Restaurant for the 2009 summer and, very possibly, ever again. I am happy to have worked there from May 2002 to August 24, 2009, and to have met/worked with all of my coworkers in these past 7 summers. Thanks to Ron and Lisa for all you've done for me.
And now, a very brief, very half-ass mobile-photo blog of my last shift.
Meatballs.
Orders. Booooo.
Marinara Sauce. Meat Sauce behind it.
Bucket of Fettuccine Pasta.
That's a deep fryer, kids.
Me with a Mexican. Hola, amigo.
Vodka. For... Vodka Sauce...
Chicken Portabella Sandwich. Yeah I make those...
And now, a very brief, very half-ass mobile-photo blog of my last shift.
Meatballs.
Orders. Booooo.
Marinara Sauce. Meat Sauce behind it.
Bucket of Fettuccine Pasta.
That's a deep fryer, kids.
Me with a Mexican. Hola, amigo.
Vodka. For... Vodka Sauce...
Chicken Portabella Sandwich. Yeah I make those...
My last meal: a Medium Steak and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Pic does it no justice.
Well, that's about it. Now time for a few days of cleaning my room, getting my junk together, going shopping, visiting a couple people, then time to head back down to Baltimore for another year of Jesuit education.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Best Music Videos #5-1
Note.. there are more than 5 videos in the top 5... I know to you that might be against the rules, but this is my blog so I'm making the rules...
5a. There are two videos at number 5. Both of them are have many similarities, in that they are both beautifully done and that they both start with the end and work backwardsss...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqQTODR3kR8
5b. Watch them both, decide which one you like better, then mentally place that at #5. ok? ok.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqWLpTKBFcU
4. One of the most interesting videos I've ever seen, not to mention there's so much that could be debated over this video. I love how it fits the song perfectly, especially near the end...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqkawrslzJA
3. You can't help but feel good after watching this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrivjzw0RlI
2. Were almost there! And now... Mr. Christopher Walken.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Ky5R-vxns&feature=fvst
1. The moment you've all been waiting for! Here it is, hope you've enjoyed these awesome videos!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcOZ6xFxJqg
hahaha... just kidding... here's the real number one.. (can you imagine if i actually did that?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_qMagfZtv8
There you have it... and now, a list of videos that are also good that you should check out next time you're on a youtube break.. consider them "honorable mention"...
(in alphabetical order)
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Beastie Boys - Triple Trouble
Beck - Loser
Beck - Girl
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Green Day - Basket Case
Guns N Roses - November Rain
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
My Chemical Romance - Helena
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
Outkast - Hey Ya
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Radiohead - High and Dry (US Version)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
5a. There are two videos at number 5. Both of them are have many similarities, in that they are both beautifully done and that they both start with the end and work backwardsss...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqQTODR3kR8
5b. Watch them both, decide which one you like better, then mentally place that at #5. ok? ok.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqWLpTKBFcU
4. One of the most interesting videos I've ever seen, not to mention there's so much that could be debated over this video. I love how it fits the song perfectly, especially near the end...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqkawrslzJA
3. You can't help but feel good after watching this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrivjzw0RlI
2. Were almost there! And now... Mr. Christopher Walken.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Ky5R-vxns&feature=fvst
1. The moment you've all been waiting for! Here it is, hope you've enjoyed these awesome videos!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcOZ6xFxJqg
hahaha... just kidding... here's the real number one.. (can you imagine if i actually did that?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_qMagfZtv8
There you have it... and now, a list of videos that are also good that you should check out next time you're on a youtube break.. consider them "honorable mention"...
(in alphabetical order)
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Beastie Boys - Triple Trouble
Beck - Loser
Beck - Girl
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Green Day - Basket Case
Guns N Roses - November Rain
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
My Chemical Romance - Helena
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
Outkast - Hey Ya
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Radiohead - High and Dry (US Version)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Best Music Videos #10-6
10. That probably took a while to clean up all those small pieces...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q27BfBkRHbs
9. Sometimes our reality doesn't live up to the expectations of our dreams, but the reality seemed to turn out ok for this kid; (p.s. note the bunny ears on the drummer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE-ML-BAAfY
8. This video gives an entirely new perspective on the song, depicting the angst of a father who lost a daughter. Dark, yet beautiful. Not to mention one of the best drum solos ever...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0s5UOVsMDg
7. Ok, this is the last one by them on here... oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiIC5qcXeNU
6. If you don't like this video, I feel bad for you son...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W80Ae5hEOA
Only 5 videos left!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q27BfBkRHbs
9. Sometimes our reality doesn't live up to the expectations of our dreams, but the reality seemed to turn out ok for this kid; (p.s. note the bunny ears on the drummer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE-ML-BAAfY
8. This video gives an entirely new perspective on the song, depicting the angst of a father who lost a daughter. Dark, yet beautiful. Not to mention one of the best drum solos ever...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0s5UOVsMDg
7. Ok, this is the last one by them on here... oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiIC5qcXeNU
6. If you don't like this video, I feel bad for you son...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W80Ae5hEOA
Only 5 videos left!!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Best Music Videos #15-11
15. I want to try and do this sometime but I'm afraid I'll always do it to the wrong people and someone will beat me up...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3lTQljbKLw
14. This is just hilarious. At least to me... Probably not on too many critics "top (whatever)" lists...
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2683580/7847019
13. I could never get past the mine cart...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn67vSHIdOs
12. I actually think they sound better with Animal...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4mDIpYHxWY
11. There's no way a can of Sprite would do that...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oqXVx3sBOk ...and by the way never have i related to a character more than to that milk carton.
10-6 are next, will your favorite be on there???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3lTQljbKLw
14. This is just hilarious. At least to me... Probably not on too many critics "top (whatever)" lists...
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2683580/7847019
13. I could never get past the mine cart...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn67vSHIdOs
12. I actually think they sound better with Animal...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4mDIpYHxWY
11. There's no way a can of Sprite would do that...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oqXVx3sBOk ...and by the way never have i related to a character more than to that milk carton.
10-6 are next, will your favorite be on there???
Friday, August 14, 2009
Best Music Videos #20-16
One of the things that I procrastinate with is this website called youtube. Perhaps you've heard of it, maybe through a friend. The thing i use it the most for is watching music videos.
"What makes a good music video?" you ask, in my fictional dialogue between the two of us. Well, i'll tell you.
The three things that I feel make up a good music video are: the quality of the visuals standing alone, how the visuals relate to the song, and the overall enjoyability (not a word! hehehe) of the video.
So, after an extensive process of debating amongst...myself... I've managed to come up with, what i feel, are the best 20 music videos. I hope you enjoy.
(Note: the actual song does not factor too drastically into how I would rate a music video. For example, Madonna's Like A Prayer is a really good video, even though I don't listen to that song. However, it's obviously less likely that i've seen the video if its for a type of music that i don't like. Hell, the Jonas Brothers could have the video of the millenium for all I know...
Also, I'm only annoucing these 5 at a time, in hopes that you'll actually watch each of these videos. Each one is a really fine work of short film brilliance and fits their respective song tremendously.)
Here we go!
20. The most recent video on the list, this video took all the other procrastination devices on youtube and put them into one video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI
19. Ah the days of the songs before the parade...
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3267265
18. The most excercise I get on a daily basis...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=628E2109105B0C62&index=7
17. This video still gives me chills, and i love it. Also helps me remember how good his songs used to be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZgsNvVA4I&feature=channel
16. Critics say that Everlong is their best video....... Its got nothing on this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhfWzCPRPtg&feature=channel
15-11 coming soon!!!!
"What makes a good music video?" you ask, in my fictional dialogue between the two of us. Well, i'll tell you.
The three things that I feel make up a good music video are: the quality of the visuals standing alone, how the visuals relate to the song, and the overall enjoyability (not a word! hehehe) of the video.
So, after an extensive process of debating amongst...myself... I've managed to come up with, what i feel, are the best 20 music videos. I hope you enjoy.
(Note: the actual song does not factor too drastically into how I would rate a music video. For example, Madonna's Like A Prayer is a really good video, even though I don't listen to that song. However, it's obviously less likely that i've seen the video if its for a type of music that i don't like. Hell, the Jonas Brothers could have the video of the millenium for all I know...
Also, I'm only annoucing these 5 at a time, in hopes that you'll actually watch each of these videos. Each one is a really fine work of short film brilliance and fits their respective song tremendously.)
Here we go!
20. The most recent video on the list, this video took all the other procrastination devices on youtube and put them into one video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI
19. Ah the days of the songs before the parade...
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3267265
18. The most excercise I get on a daily basis...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=628E2109105B0C62&index=7
17. This video still gives me chills, and i love it. Also helps me remember how good his songs used to be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZgsNvVA4I&feature=channel
16. Critics say that Everlong is their best video....... Its got nothing on this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhfWzCPRPtg&feature=channel
15-11 coming soon!!!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Concerts I've Been To
Not quite as impressive as the list on Brian Klein's blog http://bgklein.blogspot.com/2009/08/general-attempt-to-list-every-band-ive.html, but it contaians better bands... ;p
Here's a list of all the bands I've seen in concert (I think i've covered 85% of them, not taking into account opening acts that i forget and/or weren't memorable enough to leave an impression on me aka their name... in no paraticular order):
Incubus (x3)
Radiohead
Audioslave
The Roots
Tool
Pearl Jam
Queens of the Stone Age
Nine Inch Nails (x2)
Does it Offend You, Yeah?
Stone Temple Pilots
Kanye West
Lil Wayne
Taking Back Sunday
Bob Dylan
Iggy & the Stooges
Foo Fighters
Serj Tankian
Against Me!
Lupe Fiasco
Third eye blind
Lostprophets
CKY
Weezer
Angels & Airwaves
Modest Mouse
Mimmicking Birds
Bloc Party
Kings of Leon
Queen
The Rolling Stones
Bruce Springsteen
Rush
311
The Beastie Boys
Hot Hot Heat
Bedouin Soundclash
Death Cab for Cutie
Franz Ferdinand
Sparta
The Bravery
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Seether
And now, which actually took me longer than the above, here are the 5 best performances i've ever seen:
5. Incubus - 6/2004 - my first legitimate concert, and their best setlist of the times i've seen them
4. Radiohead - 8/2008 - my favorite band, put on a tremendous show, played their entire new album, which probably affects the only reason why this isn't #1, in that there were so many of my favorite songs that I wanted to see that were left out...
3. Audioslave - 11/2005 - one of the best nights of my life, 4 of my favorite musicians, 3 rows back in atlantic city, and they played Audioslave, Soundgarden, AND Rage songs. EP-IC.
2. Tool - 6/2007 - the best indoor concert, and by far the best visual effects I've ever seen at a concert, and i highly doubt there is one better.
1. Beastie Boys - 7/2007 - the best concert I've been to, nothing but energy from the three mc's and one dj their entire set, which included all of their hits including my two fave classics "Paul Revere" and "Brass Monkey" (the only ones missing were "Fight for Your Right" and "Girls", but trust me, they wern't needed). The crowd was so energetic as well, as everyone in the general admission crowd was bouncing up and down and dancing the whole time.
Great moments from concerts (no order):
Kings of Leon - performing "Fans"
Audioslave - performing "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine
Incubus - performing "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King
Radiohead - ending with "Everything in Its Right Place"
Tool - starting their show (and effects) with "Jambi"
Pearl Jam - performing "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
Bands that I haven't seen but want to
1. Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. Rage Against the Machine
3. Silversun Pickups
4. Rise Against
5. Metallica
Here's a list of all the bands I've seen in concert (I think i've covered 85% of them, not taking into account opening acts that i forget and/or weren't memorable enough to leave an impression on me aka their name... in no paraticular order):
Incubus (x3)
Radiohead
Audioslave
The Roots
Tool
Pearl Jam
Queens of the Stone Age
Nine Inch Nails (x2)
Does it Offend You, Yeah?
Stone Temple Pilots
Kanye West
Lil Wayne
Taking Back Sunday
Bob Dylan
Iggy & the Stooges
Foo Fighters
Serj Tankian
Against Me!
Lupe Fiasco
Third eye blind
Lostprophets
CKY
Weezer
Angels & Airwaves
Modest Mouse
Mimmicking Birds
Bloc Party
Kings of Leon
Queen
The Rolling Stones
Bruce Springsteen
Rush
311
The Beastie Boys
Hot Hot Heat
Bedouin Soundclash
Death Cab for Cutie
Franz Ferdinand
Sparta
The Bravery
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Seether
And now, which actually took me longer than the above, here are the 5 best performances i've ever seen:
5. Incubus - 6/2004 - my first legitimate concert, and their best setlist of the times i've seen them
4. Radiohead - 8/2008 - my favorite band, put on a tremendous show, played their entire new album, which probably affects the only reason why this isn't #1, in that there were so many of my favorite songs that I wanted to see that were left out...
3. Audioslave - 11/2005 - one of the best nights of my life, 4 of my favorite musicians, 3 rows back in atlantic city, and they played Audioslave, Soundgarden, AND Rage songs. EP-IC.
2. Tool - 6/2007 - the best indoor concert, and by far the best visual effects I've ever seen at a concert, and i highly doubt there is one better.
1. Beastie Boys - 7/2007 - the best concert I've been to, nothing but energy from the three mc's and one dj their entire set, which included all of their hits including my two fave classics "Paul Revere" and "Brass Monkey" (the only ones missing were "Fight for Your Right" and "Girls", but trust me, they wern't needed). The crowd was so energetic as well, as everyone in the general admission crowd was bouncing up and down and dancing the whole time.
Great moments from concerts (no order):
Kings of Leon - performing "Fans"
Audioslave - performing "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine
Incubus - performing "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King
Radiohead - ending with "Everything in Its Right Place"
Tool - starting their show (and effects) with "Jambi"
Pearl Jam - performing "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
Bands that I haven't seen but want to
1. Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. Rage Against the Machine
3. Silversun Pickups
4. Rise Against
5. Metallica
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