Ramblings From The Suburbs

Who'da thought?

2008-10-22T15:57:00.002-04:00

Rays-Phillies.

It doesn't exactly roll off your tongue, does it? I didn't think so. I am the most excited for tonight's Game 1 than I have ever been for a World Series. Maybe because the Phillies are my favorite team and it's been a while or maybe it's the pitching matchup. Who knows. What I do know, though, is that this pitching matchup has some amazing potential in it.

Cole Hamels-Scott Kazmir. Two young and dominant left-handers will take the mound for what is the biggest start of their career so far. They're under pressure. Hamels has the entire city of Philadelphia on his back and has showed up so far this postseason (3-0, 1.23 ERA) while Kazmir brings Mets fans to tears (Victor Zambrano, anybody?) anytime they see him and has fans everywhere hoping Tampa Bay can complete their Cinderella season.

The media is on the Rays bandwagon. With the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers out of the playoffs, ESPN jumps on Tampa Bay, hoping the little man can pull one it. The Phillies become shunned again for the "better" marketing tool. The Phillies have the players in Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Hamels, but get pushed to the back whenever another team comes up. They will look to buck that trend in this series.

That being said, I cannot wait until 8:35 tonight, when Kazmir delivers the first pitch.

Action-Reaction: August 31, 2008

2008-08-31T10:47:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a big day in the world of sports. The college football season continued its kickoff. Seven hundred four NFL players lost their jobs or shots at a job. Baseball is entering the stretch run. The NBA and NHL are chillin'.

Action: Many, many players lost their jobs yesterday. Some notables: Cincinnati Bengals Rudi Johnson and Willie Anderson, Atlanta Falcon Joey Harrington, Philadelphia Eagle Jerome McDougle, San Francisco 49er Ashley Lelie, Tennessee Titan Roydell Williams, and Baltimore Raven Gary Stills.
Reaction: It seems like most of the cuts are former high-round picks that were trying to get a fresh start with a new team, such as Harrington or Lelie, and just couldn't cut it. The day where the NFL teams trim their rosters down to the minimum has become symbolic for wasted talent, lack of maturity, and horrible development. Johnson and Anderson will most likely catch on with new teams, but the others are more up in the air.

Action: Jacksonville Jaguars star running back Fred Taylor and former star wide receiver Jimmy Smith were both arrested in separate incidents within five hours of each other.
Reaction: This really has to suck for the Jaguars organization. The two faces of their franchise and two likeable members of their franchise could become a black eye for them. Smith was charged with DUI and possession of marijuana while Taylor was charged with disorderly conduct. According to Black and Teal, it does not seem like Taylor was involved in any illegal activity.

Action: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson has changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco.
Reaction: Honestly, the only reaction I have to this is hysterical laughter. This story is so ridiculous that it's just funny. Johnson, er, Ocho Cinco, is a good wide receiver and a great personality. He probably isn't the exact type of guy that Marvin Lewis wants in the locker room, but the guy has a personality and likes to have fun. Which is cool with me.

Action: The New York Yankees lose to the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 and drop to 11.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
Reaction: I'm not going to call the Yankees dead. Yet. But I will say the division is done. The Yankees, barring a major, and I mean major, miracle, they're out of the division race, which will come down to the Boston Red Sox and Rays. However, they are seven games out of the wild-card behind Boston, so if the BoSox stumble, the Yanks could be in there. But if not, expect another flurry of offseason moves from the Steinbrenners.

Action: San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili will need surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left ankle.
Reaction: A lot of rag on Ginobili for being soft and for being a flopper. However, after seeing him play through his injury at the Olympics, he deserves to be looked at in a whole new way. He played through an obviously painful injury and helped lead his country to a bronze medal. He deserves some credit for this.

Action: The Alabama Crimson Tide dismantled the Clemson Tigers, 34-10.
Reaction: This is going to lead to more talk of SEC dominance. I have always been hesitant to delve into this subject, as I'm a firm believer in the "any given Sunday" philosophy, and I don't think the SEC will always win, but they proved to me last night that they are the class of the nation. The ACC's best could not compete with the SEC's fifth or sixth. So yeah.

Action: In the game I really wanted to watch last night, the Missouri Tigers held off the Illinois Fighting Illini for a 52-42 victory.
Reaction: This was the game of the year so far in the NCAA. Mizzou was up 31-13 at halftime, but let the Illini back into it. It took great plays by Jeremy Maclin and the defense for Missouri to pull this one out. Unfortunately, Maclin sprained his ankle, an injury that could severely hamper the Tigers. Both of these young teams are on the rise and should be forces to be reckoned with later this fall.

Action: Michigan loses their opener at home to Utah, 25-23.
Reaction: New coach Rich Rodriguez is in for a long year.

Welcome to the Feminine World of Volleyball

2008-08-18T00:02:00.005-04:00

I have to admit, I love watching volleyball. I used to want to play volleyball until I realized that running was my calling and that I didn't have enough reckless abandon to throw myself all over a hardwood floor like some of these volleyball players do. But still, watching the volleyball games in this Olympics has been a lot of fun, watching Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh frolic in the sand along with Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhauser. Indoor volleyball has been just as good, such as Tuesday's match between the USA and Italy, where the Americans won in a thrilling five sets.

But still, there's something really bothering me about volleyball. The hugging. After every. Single. Point. It's rather obnoxious. A high-five, fist bump, or slap on the back would be acceptable, but hugging after every single point whether you get the point or not? Overkill.

As one of my friends described it: "It's like, 'Hug, touch butts, arms around each other, don't touch butts this time, grabs heads, etc.' This is ridiculous."

I agree. We might as well tell the USA Men's Basketball team to hug and have a team meeting at the free throw line after every free throw, made or missed. I'm sure we all would love to see LeBron James and Chris Paul doing that 50 times a game. It's repetitive. Give them a high-five. Give them words of encouragement. Don't have a meeting every 20 seconds.

This brings me to another point. A lot of Olympians feel they must have their best manners to impress the Chinese. Not so for Martin Laciga. Now that man was a breathe of fresh air. He was little over the top with his antics and the commentators spent too much time harping on them, but I enjoyed them. Today most athletes are scared to yell at their teammates because of the bruising of egos and internal strife between in teams. When people go at each other on a baseball team or a basketball team, the team is regarded as being in chaos. Not so with the team of Laciga and Jan Schnider.

I would say that Laciga's way of, say, explaining Schinder's mistakes was not productive, but it was better than watching them touch each other's butts. It had a negative effect on the team and that was evidenced by their loss to Rogers and Dalhausser. But still, it was great to see someone of Laciga's intensity still out in the sport. His incessant yelling has had a negative effect on his career, but, hell, it was entertaining.

Action-Reaction: August 17, 2008

2008-08-17T23:09:00.003-04:00

This is the first edition of Action-Reaction in forever, but I need to get my blogging groove back and I decided this would be the best way possible. A lot has been going on lately and I'll try to get you all up to date and I'll try not to focus entirely on the Olympics.

Action: Michael Phelps wins his record-breaking eighth gold medal of the Games.
Reaction: See Someone Get Me a Dictionary! and someone has to give credit to his relay teams. Without them, none of this happens.

Action: Usain Bolt dominates the men's 100-meter final for a world record and gold medal for Jamaica.
Reaction: See Someone Get Me a Dictionary! again.

Action: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson injured his left shoulder against the Detroit Lions in preseason action.
Reaction: Is this some karma for Ocho Cinco's offseason antics? Probably not, but with Rudi Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh both injured, Johnson needs to get back as soon as possible and put racing Phelps out of his head.

Action: The Philadelphia 76ers resigned star player Andre Iguodala to a six-year, $80-million dollar contract.
Reaction: With the addition of Elton Brand also in the offseason, the 76ers are looking to hopefully win now.

Action: Georgia is #1 in the preseason polls for NCAA Football.
Reactions: The Dawgs better enjoy it because being in the SEC, they won't be there for long.

Action: Carl Edwards holds off Kyle Busch for a win at Michigan.
Reaction: The Chase for the Cup is looking to be a great duel between Edwards and Busch, two of my favorite drivers on the circuit. I'm all for it. Go get 'em boys.

Action: New New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre threw his first touchdown pass in a preseason game.
Reaction: Well whoopdy-freaking-doo. Go change your underwear ESPN.

Someone Get Me a Dictionary!

2008-08-17T00:22:00.004-04:00

I can't find enough words to describe what I just saw. No joke. In one hour, I saw two of the greatest feats in Olympic history. First, I saw local swimmer Michael Phelps break Mark Spitz's 36-year old record of seven gold medals in an Olympics with the US victory in the 400-meter medley relay to give him his record breaking eighth. Then, I saw Usain Bolt set a world record in the 100-meter dash finals with a 9.69(!). I have to say, this was one of the most amazing nights in sports I have ever seen.

First, I'll start with Phelps. I'm willing to admit that my patriotism had been lacking in these Olympic Games, as the first race I saw Phelps swim was Friday night's 200-meter butterfly final in which he out-touched Milorad Cavic by .01 of a second, truly amazing. Laying down on a couch, a jumped up for an enthusiastic fist pump after that one. That race, as everyone knows, gave Phelps his seventh gold medal. Tonights performance, again amazing, gave him the eighth. I can tell my kids I saw Olympic history. I've already got Saturday's issue of The Baltimore Sun saved for posterity and I will do the same Sunday.

I'll admit, I was getting pretty tired of the nonstop Phelps coverage. Being in the Baltimore area, I bore the brunt of it, as he is all over local news and everything. After his spread in Sports Illustrated, I am not sure how many more times I can see him in a Speedo or wearing minimal clothing. I was also tired of Bob Costas referring every single story he possibly could back to Phelps as well. I'm not sure how Costas still has his job either, with his many faux pas this Olympics such as calling traditional African clothing "costumes" during the Opening Ceremonies. That ranks up there with Katie Couric referring to a spinning model of a Greek building during the 2004 Opening Ceremonies in Athens as "the Wicked Witch's house in The Wizard of Oz." Seriously people. Let's show some sensitivity. It's no wonder Americans have a bad name. But I digress. My hat goes off to Michael Phelps, the greatest American Olympian.

On to the second, more exciting part of the night, in my opinion. Bolt stepped to the line, totally relaxed. His countryman and rival, Asafa Powell, stepped up looking nervous, to me at least, while Americans Walter Dix and Doc Patton looked confident. At the gun, Bolt had some trouble getting out of the blocks, as he usually does, but quickly stepped it up, dusting the field. With about 30 meters left, it was won, and his premature celebration began. As Bolt came through, 9.68 flashed up on the screen, before being amended officially to 9.69. Bolt didn't stop at the line either. He started on his victory lap and went all the way around the stadium after seeing his mother.

Bolt's time of 9.69 wasn't the most shocking part of his race either; his margin of victory was just as shocking. Who knows what would have happened if he had not let up? Could have seen 9.59 as NBC commentator Ato Bolden thought? He beat Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson by .20 seconds, which is astounding for track and field. Thompson's celebration was just as entertaining as Bolt's, as Thompson essentially celebrated like he won the gold. Dix surprised all, coming in third to net the bronze. Powell finished a disappointing fifth.

My beef with this race is the lack of emphasis NBC put on track and field this year. This event had happened twelve hours before they showed it in America. Therefore, I already knew the storylines. I knew that American Tyson Gay lost out in the semifinals. I knew that Bolt won and set a world record. The only thing I didn't know was how he did it. I received a text message from a friend that told me not to look online for the results, but nonetheless, I saw the headlines online. Still, I stayed up to watch, and I was not disappointed. NBC was all over swimming this year, which I don't blame them for, as Phelps is once in a generation, but some respect has to be given to the runners.

Despite my frequent beefs with NBC, tonight was an amazing night in sport history, one that I will never forget and one that I will make sure my kids hear all about as they grow up.

Dix said it best about Bolt:

"That guy can run."

VACATION!

2008-07-27T12:28:00.001-04:00

Vacation time.

No posts from Ramblings From The Suburbs or Lombardi Ave or no ice mang until August 12.

See ya.

MiLB Coming to OKC?

2008-07-26T00:44:00.004-04:00

With the announcement of the six names the NBA has filed for trademark rights, a casual observer would think Oklahoma City is becoming home to a minor league baseball franchise, not an NBA franchise. Let's take a look: Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Thunder, and Wind.

Birmingham Barons, Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians
Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees

Seattle SuperSonics is looking pretty good right now.

So right there, 50% of David Stern's ideal names are kaput due to minor league baseball teams. I mean, who wants their NBA team to be a minor league baseball team. But the other choices aren't that much better. The Oklahoma City Energy? The Oklahoma City Wind? Ooooooooooh, I'm shaking in my hightops.

This brings me to what the best option of for the team. The Oklahoma City Marshalls. I like it. It's tough. It has more of a baseball feel to it, like the Texas Rangers, but it is obviously the toughest and most original names.

What would be your pick?

Please Excuse Me

2008-07-26T00:21:00.002-04:00

Please excuse my absence from here, O loyal readers. Seriously, I've been busy.

Lombardi Ave, PackerNation's spin-off, is taking the brunt of my blogging and for good reason. It's successful. Go over there and read.

Also, I have launched a new music blog, no ice mang, so check that out as well.

I'm going on a brief blogging hiatus but I should be back mid-August.

Thanks

--DJ

The NBA Finals can't hold my interest

2008-06-09T09:49:00.001-04:00

I have already lost interest in the NBA Finals. I know it is Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers, the biggest NBA rivalry of all-time and all that jazz. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird. There is quite the list of names involved in the rivalry. This year there’s Kevin Garnett’s quest for his first NBA title. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are on the same quest as well. Kobe Bryant is trying to win one without some guy named Shaquille O’Neal. Kobe already has three. He wants four.

People keep talking about how much gravity the series has and how it is good for basketball. I do not think I will deny the magnitude of the games, but for me, it’s the fact that the Finals take from June 5 until June 19. That is two weeks. Fourteen days. Seven games over fourteen days. My attention span is already gone. I watched part of Game 1 because, heck, I wanted to see what it was all about. I was not disappointed, even though I felt staying up the next day during exams. But then I did not watch a second of Game 2. I opted for watching August Rush with my family. Yeah, I’m a wuss. (That is a great movie, by the way. It almost had me in tears.)

So call me un-American or any other names you want. It’s the truth. I’m already tired of the NBA Finals. You could say that I am ESPN’d out. Seriously. On Saturday, June 7, the day BEFORE Game 2, Game 2 was their “What to Watch For” for the day. Not even the Belmont Stakes drew that so-called “honor.” Having so much time between games gives the schmucks on ESPN time to over-analyze everything, down to what the fan in section 23, row W, seat 21 was doing for the whole game. Giving them two full days to analyze one game is way too much. And then they start talking about how both teams are going to do things differently in Game 2. Are you freaking kidding me? Of course they are going to do stuff differently. It doesn’t take 15 years of NBA experience, however many years of experience Stephen A. Smith has, and Mike Tirico to tell me that.

And now there are former Lakers and Celtics players jumping back into the mix. I find this to be rather annoying and some could accuse them of trying to re-live their glory days, but I do not feel that is valid accusation. James Worthy, if Pierce thought he needed a freaking wheelchair to get off the court, then by-God he needed a freaking a wheelchair. We all have those moments during injuries where we initially think they are worse than they really are and we take precautions. So deal with it.

If the NBA wants my attention for the Finals (and I doubt they want a white teenager’s), they should do things a little differently. Let’s look at how the Finals are scheduled:

Game 1: June 5, 2008 (@ BOS)
Game 2: June 8, 2008 (@ BOS)Game 3: June 10, 2008 (@ LAL)
Game 4: June 12, 2008 (@ LAL)
Game 5: June 15, 2008 (@LAL)
Game 6: June 17, 2008 (@ BOS)
Game 7: June 19, 2008 (@ BOS)

The scheduling of this seems rather illogical. Why have two days of rest between Games 1 & 2 and Games 4 & 5 when those sets of games are in the same city? Why not give them two days of rest on travel days? Am I unaware of some “television events” that ABC has been planning around? With so many days of rest, I easily lose track of what is going on. Part of that is because I am not a diehard basketball fan. I am a fan of the game, just not a diehard fan.

This idea probably does not seem feasible to you diehard basketball fans, but the NBA needs to re-do the formula for the series to make it more compact. Baseball’s seven-games series’ are done in nine days (or at least they used to be). I understand basketball is more of a “physical” game, but baseball ain’t no cakewalk either. My idea would be this:

Game 1: June 5, 2008 (@ BOS)
Game 2: June 6, 2008 (@ BOS)
Game 3: June 8, 2008 (@ LAL)
Game 4: June 9, 2008 (@ LAL)
Game 5: June 11, 2008 (@ LAL)
Game 6: June 13, 2008 (@ BOS)
Game 7: June 14 or 15, 2007 (@ BOS)

See, I just cut 4-5 days off the series time. As the series goes on and the players get more worn down, they get more time off. Now, this idea would never fly. The NBA rarely has back-to-back games during the regular season, and when they do, the players complain. It would keep my interest, but the backlash of the players not having enough “rest time” would be way too much. If basketball wants to return to relevance in my mind, it needs to do so through shortening series, not through better matchups. Maybe I’ll watch Game 3. Who knows. All I know is that ESPN is unwatchable for me right now because of this series. And after the proverbial teet of Celtics-Lakers is dried up, it’ll be back to Red Sox-Yankees.

Boo-ya.

Action-Reaction: June 8, 2008

2008-06-08T10:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, as most of you know, Big Brown went for horse racing immortality. His attempt to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 30 years captivated the nation. But like Funny Cide and Smarty Jones before him, he fell short at the Belmont Stakes.

I missed the race yesterday because I was at church. When I came home, they were interviewing Kent Desomourx, Big Brown’s jockey. Desomourx actually sounded like he was from Jockey Land. Anyway, Desomourx simply said, “I had no horse.” This feeling caused Desomourx to pull Big Brown out part-way through the race and just jog the horse in.

Some people out there probably feel that Big Brown should have been pushed all the way in, regardless of how he felt. Well as a runner, I know that is not possible. In the replay, Big Brown comes out of the gates pretty powerful, but after a few moments, it is clear that he is totally flat. That is the worst feeling ever as a runner coming off of the start. You feel like you cannot go any faster than how you are already running, which is not that fast. This feeling usually comes from not working hard enough the week before in practice or not warming up enough before the race starts. Big Brown was not able to get as much work in as his trainers had hoped for him in the weeks before the Belmont. This lack of work had an adverse affect on Big Brown, causing him to come out of the blocks totally fast.

Because being flat comes from not training enough in the weeks before a race or not warming up enough, your muscles are not in racing condition. Pushing yourself through the flat feeling in a race is not the best idea. When you push through the flat feeling, you risk injury. Stress fractures, hamstring pulls, and knee problems can result from pushing too hard when your body is not ready for it. Desomourx did not want to risk serious injury to Big Brown, and even said that he wanted to save his horse. Pulling Big Brown up and jogging him in was a good idea.
I am not saying that you should not pull up in every race you feel flat in, as there are always parts of races you will feel flat in. In the 800m, you hit the 400m wall. At the 400 mark, you are supposed to start your kick and you start to feel like you are flying. However, at the 500m mark, the realization that there are 300m to go kicks in and immediately saps all the energy out of your legs. The flat feeling returns, but the fact it comes so late in the race and it comes where you are supposed to be tired is no reason to pull up and jog it in. Feeling flat in the first 100m is a type of situation that can call for pulling up in a race. I have seen teammates do it before. It is rather embarrassing, but you know it is for your own health.

I do feel sorry that Big Brown did not win the Triple Crown. It could have provided the boost that the horse racing industry needs, but I feel the industry will continue to struggle if incidents like the ones surrounding Barbaro and Eight Belles continue. Desomourx was right to save Big Brown, although it seems like he passed up a chance at eternal glory, but it was for Big Brown’s
sake.

Action-Reaction: June 1, 2008

2008-06-02T19:29:00.001-04:00

Sports: Escape or Microcosm of Life?

Many rags -to-riches stories involving athletes growing up in hard childhoods have one thing in common: sports are used as an escape. In some cases, sports are an escape from drug use which was the original escape from a difficult home life. (In my opinion, using drugs as an “escape” is one of the lamest reasons to use them, right up there with “being cool.” But this is a sports story. Basically kiddies, stay clean and there’s no reason to use them. DIGRESSION!) Anyway, while setting out for my daily run today, I kicked around the following question in my mind: Are sports really an escape from life? Or are they something totally different?

Sports do not provide an escape for an athlete. Instead, they provide a situation that is more easily managed than the athletes own life. Think of the star point guard or the star quarterback battling off the field issues. When they step onto the court or the field, they have almost complete control over the decision-making process, something they do not have in their off the field life. At home, they may be battling a drug addiction or alcohol problems. When they give in to those problems, they lose complete control of their lives and start searching for a new way to gain control of their lives.

This is a double edged sword, too. While the player may now have complete control over what happens, they must take the bad that comes along with the good on the field or court. Off the field, they lack complete control so therefore they do have somewhat of an excuse to blame their problems (albeit not that great of an excuse). But now that they have control on the field, they must take full responsibility for their actions, something they may not be able to do.

Have you noticed that some of the most exciting players in the game run afoul of the law? The one example that comes straight to my mind is that of Adam “Pacman” Jones. When Jones played for the Tennessee Titans, he made some amazing plays. He could break a kick or punt return for a touchdown or intercept a pass and take it all the way back to the yard. However, his on the field playing style was indicative of his off the field lifestyle. His reckless life away from football has made me wonder whether or not how he played the game was how he lived his life. If I were the Dallas Cowboys, it would be interesting to see whether or not Jones’ playing style changes if he has made a complete “turnaround” in his lifestyle. Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was the team’s best red zone target during his tenure with the team. We all remember his big catch in the 2005 Wild-Card Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers where Carson Palmer had his knee infamously rolled over on by Kimo von Olehoffen. Henry was a great player. He could always make the big play. But it seemed he was also trying to make the big play off the field a lot too.

Sports provide a microcosm of life for athletes. Baseball has always been used as a metaphor for life. “You win some, you lose some” is commonly echoed throughout life. You are not going to be able to win all 162 games in a season no matter how much you want to. In life, you are not going to win all the battles you face. You are not going to pass all the tests. Instead, you just pack it up, move out, learn from your mistakes, and try to do better next time.

This also leads into the question of whether or not athletes are actually role models for children, teens, and even older people. The fact is that they are and there is nothing the athlete can do about it. I look at the players and how the face adversity to use as a guide-point for my life. Take Brett Favre and his painkillers addiction in the mid-1990’s. He tried to run from his problem and hide, but eventually it caught up to him and backed him into a corner where he had to confront it head-on. I know a lot of people bring up the fact that he was addicted to pain pills and that a lot of parents would not want their child to look up to a pill-popper, but the fact that he confronted his problem head-on taught me a whole new lesson. I learned that if I run from my problems that they will catch up to me eventually, so it is better to just take them head-on in the first place.

The criteria for kids and their role models should not be what the role model does, but how they respond to their present situations. This is why the situation in the NFL for players being seen as role models is in great peril. When a player gets in a situation they do not like (I’m looking at you Chad Johnson), they kick and scream and demand they get to choose the solution instead of working through the adversity. I am happy to see that the Bengals are not giving in to his demands. When a child sees players like Johnson complaining and moaning to get their own way, it sends a message that if they do not get their own way, they can just complain and throw temper tantrums and they will get their own solution for it. In the real world, that is false.

The athletes need to clean it up.

Excuse the digression.

Your thoughts on whether or not sports are a microcosm or an escape, or if athletes truly are role models are welcome here.

The Top 100: 70-61

2008-05-26T12:36:00.001-04:00

I really need to get this done.

70. Interpol – "C'mere"
Paul Banks' voice combines perfectly with the guitar on this song. The band has kept its genius throughout its entire career.

69. A Tribe Called Quest – "What?"
My favorite song by the hip-hop group uses rhetorical questions. Woot.

68. Derek and the Dominoes – "Layla"
Almost every so-called "expert" out there has this song has one of the best of all-time. Yes, it is a good song, but it does not totally wow me or impress me like it does the "critics."

67. The Dandy Warhols – "We Used To Be Friends"
The techno-ish feel adds a lot to the song, as do Courtney Taylor-Taylor's high-pitched vocals.

66. Sugarcult – "Champagne"
This song has a great feel to it and is a great dedication to their old drummer.

65. The Doors – "Soul Kitchen"
Thank the Lord for the organ!

64. Descendents – "'merican"
I usually try to avoid getting political, but this song speaks volumes.

63. Silversun Pickups – "Kissing Families"
This song rocks deceptively hard.

62. Meat Puppets – "Lake of Fire"
Something about this song just does it.

61. Gang of Four – "To Hell With Poverty"
The British band promotes their political views throughout this and most of their other songs.

Everything I am writing keeps getting lamer and lamer.

The Top 100: 80-71

2008-05-26T12:26:00.001-04:00

I'm keeping the amazing coming…

80. Iggy and the Stooges – "Search and Destroy"
No list would be complete without Iggy Pop. The man was a genius in his own right.

79. Big Black – "Jordan Minnesota"
Steve Albini is another genius, while the subject matter of the song is very interesting. If you're into weird stuff, check out the song meaning.

78. Public Enemy – "Party For Your Right To Fight"
Rap enters the list again…

77. Toadies – "Tyler"
A great song, but when you listen closer you feel a little uneasy. Nonetheless, one of the 100 best I have heard.

76. Minus The Bear – "Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!"
This song is not as big as other songs by Minus The Bear, but it is one of their better ones.

75. Shellac – "Watch Song"
One of Steve Albini's other bands produces a riff similar to that of "Kool Thing" by Sonic Youth.

74. Sonic Youth – "Brave Men Run (In My Family)"
Speaking of Sonic Youth, this is one of their early 80s hits.

73. Dinosaur, Jr. – "Freak Scene"
The early 90s slackers have been able to keep the same sound for almost 20 years.

72. Fugazi – "Waiting Room"
This song probably should be higher due to the bass riff alone.

71. The Strokes – "Juicebox"
The newest masterpiece from the New York-based rockers.

A Change of Pace

2008-05-26T10:20:00.000-04:00

As a young child, I was infatuated by speed. It had control of me. I loved cars. I loved fast cars. I loved going fast while riding my bike. I hated danger though. Totally different story right there. At every opportunity, I would watch any type of auto racing that was on. But the times have changed.

Something has happened to me. Speed should still have control over me. It should still infatuate me. But it does not. NASCAR used to be one of my favorite things to watch on TV. My fondest memory of any NASCAR race is from the 2000 or 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona. That was the first race I was into and that I watched all the way through. It had my parents wondering where I was. It got me hooked. Watching Dale Earnhardt, Sr. race was something that enticed me and helped me fall in love with the sport (yes, it is a sport). I watched on and off for the rest of that season, but I was well prepared for the next season.

The next season had hype for me. Dodge was returning to the track and Cheerios was promoting it by having the cars of Bill Elliott, Casey Atwood, John Andretti, and Kyle Petty in the cereal boxes. I tried to collect as many as I could. I tried to collect all the UPC codes so I could send in for more cars, but usually I always fell short in that regard. The Daytona 500 was quickly approaching and I was playing with my cars almost every day before and after school. To my great fortune, I got sick during Speed Week and was home to watch the Gatorade Dual 125s with my dad, who was less than thrilled. The Busch (or Nationwide, if you please) Series race was the day before and I watched intensely. Randy Lajoie won that race. I think.

Race day dawned and I was excited, for two reasons. Number one was that I was supposed to play my best friends’ indoor soccer team that day and number two was that it was race day. However, I was forced to bed before the race started because of my sickness, and I later learned my indoor soccer team lost. I missed Tony Stewart’s spectacular wreck in the back stretch which Earnhardt, whom I was watching intently, snuck by, but saw many other sights that helped me get hooked on racing.

Then came the final laps. Michael Waltrip in first. Dale, Jr. in second. The Intimidator in third. I was living for this. They had made a point about Waltrip never winning a race and I desperately wanted to see him win, followed by his teammate and his mentor. Then there was the crash as Waltrip and Junior crossed the finish line. I was unsure of what had happened. All I knew is that the little guy had won. I was content and went to bed to rest. Later, however, I was informed by my older sister that Dale Earnhardt, Sr. had died in the seemingly harmless wreck. I was stunned. I cried myself to sleep.

I followed racing so closely for the rest of the year. I kept track of who won every race, who won the poles, and so on. I prayed during every Lap 3 and supported the DEI cars. I also fostered a hatred for the Hendrick Motorsports cars. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are never going to be on my Christmas card list. I bought all the NASCAR or Dale, Sr. merchandise that I could and started drawing cars and so on. My teacher that year was a big racing fan and had met Jeff Burton in Charlotte. She helped foster my love for the sport. Kevin Harvick driving the all-white #29 car to victory in the Cracker Barrel 500 at Atlanta was one of the happiest sports-related moments I had at that point.

But then racing lost its appeal. There was something in it that just was not clicking for me. I started growing up a little bit more and just got bored with cars going fast in a circle. I started to dislike Junior, as he was coddled by the media. He just did not win. The Hendrick cars were all better and they just racked up all the points.

I would watch the occasional Daytona 500. I was behind Ward Burton all the way when he won. But none of the drivers had the “it” that could keep me going with the sport.
But I think I have found that driver. Kyle Busch. Yes, all of you hate him, but that’s why I like him. The man does not care while he’s racing. He just wants to win. He is not trying to make friends. He doesn’t care whether it is Junior or A.J. Allmendinger in front of him, he is going to pass them. That is what I like about him. The media portrays his driving style as reckless and malevolent, but if you are driving at 200 miles per hour, aren’t you already doing something reckless? Busch reminds me so much of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. He is always on a mission while he is driving. I like that. Watching him makes me want to get back into the sport.

Maybe I will.

All thanks to the one you hate.

Action-Reaction: May 11, 2008

2008-05-11T12:36:00.002-04:00

I'm tired. I'm sick. I don't really want to write this blog, but I'm going to write it anyway.

Action: Greg Maddux recorded win #350 last night against the Colorado Rockies.
Reaction: Maddux will probably be one of the last players to collect 350 wins in baseball.

Action: Mike D'Antoni is leaving the Phoenix Suns for the New York Knicks.
Reaction: D'Antoni is definitely going to need some good luck to get by in New York. The players will have to learn to work hard and the system if they want to compete next year.

Action: The Florida Marlins have signed shortstop Hanley Ramirez to a contract extension worth $70 million over 7 years.
Reaction: The question now is when they are going to trade him. All kidding aside, this is a great move for the Marlins. They lock up the key cog in their lineup for an extended period of time, providing security for an organization that has barely had any security in the past.

Action: Kyle Busch wins at Darlington.
Reaction: I don't get why everyone hates this guy. He's got the talent to win. Just because he wrecked Dale Earnhardt, Jr. doesn't mean he should be beheaded. I've heard comparisons to Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Busch is becoming my favorite racer to watch.

Sorry, but I'm sick. Hopefully this will get a little more comprehensive in the future.

The Top 100: 90-81

2008-05-05T12:02:00.001-04:00

The second ten are here. Be amazed. Be very amazed.

90. M.I.A. – "Paper Planes"
The addictive beat of this song combines with M.I.A.'s vocals to create a hypnotizing song that gets stuck in the head easily.

89. The Thermals – "Returning to the Fold"
This song is fantastic and actually has a message. The guitar riff is easy to remember while the vocals are very impressive.

88. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – "Enola Gay"
At first listen, this song sounds really weird. Well it is. But that's why I like it. It's '80s music at its finest.

87. Klaxons – "Atlantis to Interzone"
Ah the Klaxons. Nu Rave. Feast your ears on to these sick beats. Also, pay close attention to the bass line of this song.

86. Big Black – "Racer X"
This industrial rock is about a cartoon character.

85. N.W.A – "F**k tha Police"
Self-explanatory.

84. Fugazi – "Do You Like Me"
Fugazi is one of the best underground bands out there, although they are on hiatus.

83. Flight of the Conchords – "Robots"
LOL.

82. The Mars Volta – "Goliath"
The Mars Volta are one of the most underrated bands out there and this song demonstrates their intense musical skill.

81. Kings of Leon – "Charmer"
This is another intense song. 'Tis a good un.

The next 10 will be up later today sometime…

Action-Reaction: May 5, 2008

2008-05-04T10:26:00.002-04:00

Action-Reaction: May 5, 2008

Action: Indianapolis Colts WR Marvin Harrison has been interviewed in a shooting that took place in Philadelphia.
Reaction: The thing that needs to be stressed here is that Harrison has NOT been arrested or charged with anything yet. He has just been interviewed which is just "part of the investigation" according to a police officer involved. It would be a huge shame if anything comes of this. Harrison is one of the good guys in football. He's not flashy, he does not celebrate his touchdowns, he just makes plays. I really like him. I have his rookie card. He went to my grandfather's alma mater in Philly. Just a great guy that does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breathe as Adam Jones and Chris Henry.

Action: Staying in Philly, Eagles CB Lito Sheppard reported to a mandatory minicamp on Friday.
Reaction: This ended the speculation that Sheppard would hold out after the Eagles signed Asante Samuel in the offseason. The best situation for the Eagles would be to restructure Sheppard's contract to keep him, Samuel, and Sheldon Brown. It might be in the team's best interest to do this as well. The Washington Redskins loaded their wide receiving corps in the draft, drafting Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas to go along with Antwan Randle El and Santana Moss. The Dallas Cowboys have Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, and Patrick Crayton to go along with Sam Hurd and other receivers who randomly show up to play on certain days. Andy Reid needs to try to keep Sheppard on the Eagles.

Action: The Cleveland Browns rewarded GM Phil Savage with a three-year contract extension through 2012.
Reaction: This is a good move for the Browns. Savage has almost single-handedly rebuilt the Cleveland franchise. His free agent moves have combined with good draft choices, giving the Browns one of the great teams and a team that contend for the division in 2008.

Action: Julio Franco has announced that he is retiring from baseball.
Reaction: The 23-year veteran played in five different countries and called his decision to retire the "hardest decision in my life." Franco became the oldest player to ever hit a home run in history last year off of Randy Johnson. I was really hoping that Franco would get a chance to play as a 50-year-old, just because I thought that would be pretty cool. However, that will not happen. Franco will definitely be missed in the majors.

Action: According to The Los Angeles Times, Kobe Bryant will win his first MVP award.
Reaction: I do not Kobe at all. He is just one of those guys that I just do not like. Nothing I can really do about that. But he definitely deserves this award. With all the injuries the Lakers dealt with during this season, he really was the glue that held the team together. So he deserves it. He can do it all.

Action: The Philadelphia Flyers ousted the Montreal Canadiens in five games, allowing the Flyers to return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2004.
Reaction: The Flyers were the worst team in the NHL last year so this is a great story. I'm rooting for the Flyers. Even though it is rather hard to really care about hockey.

Action: LSU Tigers QB Ryan Perriloux has ended his career at LSU.
Reaction: Good riddance.

DJ. Out.

2008 Preseason All-NL West Team

2008-05-04T10:03:00.002-04:00

It's been about two weeks since I did the last segment of this. Sorry about that. Anyway, here is the 2008 Preseason All-NL West Team, from my point of view.

First Team

C: Russell Martin (LAD)
Martin is the real deal for catchers. He can hit for high average with some power. And he can run (21 SBs in 2007).

1B: Todd Helton (COL)
Helton's power numbers fell of last season, but he remained a vital cog in the Rockies machine, hitting .320. He is still one of the best hitters out there even though age is catching up with him.

2B: Jeff Kent (LAD)
Age has caught up with Kent, moreso than Helton, but he is still the best option at second base in the NL West.

3B: Garrett Atkins (COL)
Atkins (like all Rockies) benefits from the thin air, but he batted over .300 and hit 25 HRs with 100+ RBIs. Which is pretty good.

SS: Troy Tulowitzki (COL)
I hate to gush on Tulo, but he is one of the rising young stars in the game. Even though he got hurt.

LF: Matt Holliday (COL)
This guy needs to be an MVP candidate every year. Some would argue he deserved it last year even more than Jimmy Rollins. As much of a Rollins fan as I am, Holliday's numbers (.340, 36, 137) are pretty hard to argue.

CF: Chris Young (ARZ)
Despite the fact he batted .237, Young's power (32 HRs) is wanted in a lead off hitter. He could become Arizona's version of Alfonso Soriano.

RF: Matt Kemp (LAD)
Just keep your eye out for this guy.

SP: Brandon Webb (ARZ)
Webb was dominating at times last year and can easily do it again this year.

SP: Dan Haren (ARZ)
Haren was quietly dominate in the American League and should continue his success in the the NL.

SP: Jake Peavy (SD)
This is another player that is hard to argue with.

RP: Trevor Hoffman (SD)
The aging closer is still dominant and a force to be reckoned with at times.

RP: Takashi Saito (LAD)
Saito is the latest Japanese reliever to be a success.

Second Team

C: Bengie Molina (SF)
1B: Adrian Gonzalez (SD)
2B: Orlando Hudson (ARZ)
3B: Mark Reynolds (ARZ)
SS: Khalil Greene (SD)
LF: Eric Byrnes (ARZ)
CF: Andruw Jones (LAD)
RF: Brad Hawpe (COL)
SP: Jeff Francis (COL)
SP: Brad Penny (LAD)
SP: Chris Young (SD)
RP: Manny Corpas (COL)
RP: Brian Fuentes (COL)

Done.

2008 Preseason All-NL Central Team

2008-04-20T19:39:00.001-04:00

National League Central

First Team

C: Yadier Moline (STL)
Molina headlines the weakest position in the division. I don't know if I'll be able to find someone for second team…

1B: Prince Fielder (MIL)
I do not think the vegetarian diet will hurt Prince that much. He has become one of the most feared hitters in the game, hands down.

2B: Brandon Phillips (CIN)
Phillips has 30+ HR power to go along with a decent average (.288). Phillips is fast becoming one of the best second basemen in the National League.

3B: Aramis Ramirez (CHC)
Ramirez can hit the cover off of the ball with the best of him and batted over .300 last year. The only real question is his fielding ability.

SS: J.J. Hardy (MIL)
Hardy fell off after a strong start last year, but remains the class of a weakened position.

LF: Alfonso Soriano (CHC)
Hitting at the top of the lineup, Soriano does not get the gaudy RBI numbers, but his home run total (33) speaks for itself. He is a force to be reckoned with.

CF: Michael Bourn (HOU)
Yes, he is unproven, but he has plenty of potential. He is a base stealing threat the moment he gets on and should score plenty in Houston's lineup.

RF: Ken Griffey, Jr. (CIN)
Sure, he's old, but Junior did hit 30 home runs in 2007 and should be able to be good for at least another 25 in 2008.

SP: Carlos Zambrano (CHC)
Zambrano's best year will be 2008; his contract issues are behind him.

SP: Ben Sheets (MIL)
Sheets has a devastating curve, although there are health issues. If he is on though, he is one of the best.

SP: Roy Oswalt (HOU)
Oswalt appears to be falling off, but he will win 15+ games this year. He's too good of a pitcher to stay down for long.

RP: Francisco Cordero (CIN)
Milwaukee let him go after a 44 save season, so I in no way expect him to duplicate his numbers. He is still solid of the bullpen.

RP: Jose Valverde (HOU)
The former Diamondback saved 47 games last year. With Houston not expecting to win that many, Valverde will not reach that mark again, but can be lights out on any night.

Second Team

C: J.R. Towles (HOU)

1B: Albert Pujols (STL)

2B: Freddy Sanchez (PIT)

3B: Bill Hall (MIL)

SS: Ryan Theriot (CHC)

LF: Adam Dunn (CIN)

CF: Rick Ankiel (STL)

RF: Hunter Pence (HOU)

SP: Aaron Harang (CIN)

SP: Yovani Gallardo (MIL)

SP: Adam Wainwright (STL)

RP: Jason Isringhausen (STL)

RP: Carlos Marmol (CHC)

Boom.

Action-Reaction: April 20, 2008

2008-04-20T09:29:00.003-04:00

We all know what today is. Therefore, I am foregoing the usual Action-Reaction and instead I am going to give you some suggestions on who the best people to celebrate today with are! Enjoy!

Well for starters, if you're in the Cleveland area, there is Kenny Wright....

...and if you prefer no-name defensive backs, Willie Andrews is another option...

...or for NBA players, Keon Clark seems to know what he is doing...

...and Quincy Carter has a bit of a history...

...Kellen Tillman from Texas Tech seems to enjoy the same thing...

...Damon Stoudemire and Rasheed Wallace are some notable names...

...ah, Jerramy Stevens, you're such a cool dude...

...Theo Davis and Josh Heytvelt like the stuff as well...

...the Bengals and Jonathon Joseph are involved with a little something-something...

...and of course, the grandaddy of them all, Mr. Ricky Williams...

Thanks to TheSportsCritics for this info...

2008 Preseason All-NL East Team

2008-04-19T22:14:00.001-04:00

My first jaunt into the National League.

First Team

C: Brian McCann (ATL)
McCann headlines a weak catching class in the NL East. He is still a complete catcher and his job his safe with the exit of Jared Saltalamacchia.

1B: Ryan Howard (PHI)
The 2006 NL MVP recovered from a slow start to finish with 47 home runs. He just needs to cut down on strikeouts.

2B: Chase Utley (PHI)
Utley is looking to make up for time he lost last August after suffering a broken wrist. Utley helps the middle of this lineup go.

3B: David Wright (NYM)
Wright is a complete young player. He definitely deserves this spot.

SS: Hanley Ramirez (FLA)
A tough choice over Rollins, but Ramirez will definitely have a great season.

LF: Pat Burrell (PHI)
Look for a strong second half from Pat the Bat. One of the most maddening players from a Phillies fan's perspective.

CF: Carlos Beltran (NYM)
Beltran can still hit, run, and cover ground in New York.

RF: Jeff Francoeur (ATL)
Francoeur has been somewhat inconsistent throughout his career, but looks to stay steady for 2008.

SP: Johan Santana (NYM)
The early favorite for the NL Cy Young Award.

SP: Cole Hamels (PHI)
Hamels headlines a weak rotation and will be called on to deliver by the Phillies.

SP: John Smoltz (ATL)
The ageless Smoltz teams with Hudson for a strong top-two starters in Atlanta.

RP: Billy Wagner (NYM)
Wagner was hit hard at times last year, but still remains a feared closer.

RP: Chad Cordero (WSH)
How many games will Cordero actually get to save? That aside, he remains one of the best relievers out there.

Second Team

C: Paul LoDuca (WSH)

1B: Mark Teixiera (ATL)

2B: Dan Uggla (FLA)

3B: Chipper Jones (ATL)

SS: Jimmy Rollins (PHI)

LF: Elijah Dukes (WSH)

CF: Shane Victorino (PHI)

RF: Jeremy Hermida (FLA)

SP: Oliver Perez (NYM)

SP: John Maine (NYM)

SP: Tim Hudson (ATL)

RP: Brad Lidge (PHI)

RP: Rafael Soriano (ATL)

How does this one stack up?

Top 100 Songs: 100-91

2008-04-19T13:20:00.001-04:00

You hear that? That's the sound of music. That sound means that my Top 100 is here. Yeah, I'm actually doing it. But doing it seems rather pointless, as this list is totally inaccurate now. Whatever. I'll do it anyway. In increments of ten, to make you want it more.

100. Coconut Records – "West Coast"
This song is nice and relaxing. Jason Schwartzman does a masterful job in it, and it is a love song that is not too "lovey-duvey." Or something like that.

99. Nada Surf – "Hi-Speed Soul"
This song starts with a cutting riff, but the mood changes throughout the song. The vocals do a great job of mellowing the song out and making it have a better feel overall.

98. Weezer – "My Name Is Jonas"
I liked this song before it was on guitar hero. It is still a great song, even though its commercialization has knocked it down a few pegs in my mind. Not really, but I recently rediscovered Weezer, throwing this song onto this list at this spot.

97. T.I. – "What You Know"
This is plainly the most addictive song I have ever heard. I love it. I am hard-pressed to find a more addictive rap/hip-hop song (even though there are higher ones on this list).

96. Jay-Z – "99 Problems"
Yet another rap song. This one is a gem. And I can almost sing along with it word-for-word.

95. Shellac – "Prayer to God"
An angry song written by an angry man (Steve Albini) performed by an angry band. Keep the kids away for this song folks. Rather explicit.

94. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – "Purple Haze"
I figured there would a mob of angry Balkan villagers at my door if I did not have at least one classic rock song up on here, so here it is. I still like it, even though it is not quite the holy grail it was in middle school.

93. The White Stripes – "A Martyr For My Love For You"
I just really like this song. This is my favorite song of Icky Thump and it is very addictive. I get it stuck in my head a lot, even though it is interesting to try to figure what Jack White is singing about. Was he in love with a 16-year-old?

92. Flight of the Conchords – "Business Time"
And when I'm down to my socks….

91. Sonic Youth – "Death Valley '69"
Hey look, it's Sonic Youth! Get used to them folks. They are going to make their presence known on this list. Unfortunately for all of you.

So there are the first ten. This was totally worth your time. The next ten will come out whenever. Enjoy.

The 4: 4.13.2008-4.19.2008

2008-04-19T13:13:00.003-04:00

So again, this comes to you on a Saturday instead of during the week when I really want to do it. That is one of the problems with having a life I guess.

Songs
1. "Leader" – Phantom Planet
2. "Black Hole" – Be Your Own Pet
3. "Hi-Speed Soul" – Nada Surf
4. "I Am A Scientist" – Guided By Voices

Albums
1. The Body, The Blood, The Machine – The Thermals
2. Our Love to Admire – Interpol
3. More Songs About Buildings and Food – Talking Heads
4. Icky Thump – White Stripes

Teams
1. New Orleans Hornets
2. Washington Capitals
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Philadelphia Flyers

Players
1. Alexander Ovechkin
2. Adam Jones (baseball player)
3. Troy Tulowitzki
4. Chris Long

I'm going to have to revamp this and make this longer…

2008 Preseason All-AL West Team

2008-04-19T13:13:00.001-04:00

First Team

C: Kenji Johjima (SEA)
Although there is speculation on whether or not Johjima will have his job at the end of the season (Jeff Clement is waiting in the minors), he remains the best option at catcher in the West. His defense is adequate while he hits more for average than power.

1B: Casey Kotchman (LAA)
Kotchman has yet to reach his potential, but compared to all of the other first baseman in the division, he is the best option. With the strength of the top of this lineup, I expect him to get more opportunities to hit and hopefully have a break out year.

2B: Howie Kendrick (LAA)
Kendrick is young and inexperienced, but he can hit (.322 in limited action last year). With a full season under his belt, he should be able to reach his potential and become a superstar.

3B: Hank Blalock
(TEX)
Yes, the man only had 10 HRs and 33 RBIs in 2007, but he can definitely rebound from an injury-plagued season. He is still relatively young and has 30+ HR power, a plateau he should be able to reach in the hitters paradise that is in Texas.

SS: Michael Yong (TEX)
Young hit .315 last year, as he continued his great hitting. He is one of the best hitters in the league that gets absolutely no exposure or credit. He hits .300 again in 2008.

LF: Jack Cust (OAK)
Left field is very weak in the AL West. That is why Cust makes this team. He cannot hit for average at all, but he hits for power which has to be worth something. Time will tell if last year was a fluke for him or not.

CF: Ichiro Suzuki (SEA)
Ichiro is still one of the best all around players in baseball. He hit .351 last year and still stole 37 bases. The Mariners are relying on him to provide a spark for their lineup, something he is willing and able to do.

RF: Vladimir Guerrero (LAA)
Vlad can still hit. Although his home run totals dipped below 30 in 2007, he still hit .324. The powerful lineup can pick up the home run slack, but all Vlad needs to do is get hits with runners on and get driven in by a strong lineup.

DH: Milton Bradley (TEX)
Torn ACL and uncontrollable temper aside, this man will tear the cover off baseballs in Texas.

SP: John Lackey (LAA)
I know he is currently injured, but he is still one of the best pitchers in baseball. He did win 19 games last year.

SP: Erik Bedard (SEA)
Another injured pitcher. When Bedard is on though, he can strike you out with the best of them, and teamed with Felix Hernandez, he becomes lethal. Bedard also has an offense. Something he did not have in Baltimore.

SP: Joe Blanton (OAK)
Blanton could be on his way out in Oakland soon, but he is still their best pitcher.

RP: Francisco Rodriguez (LAA)
Injured, I know. K-Rod is still the guy you want for your team on the mound in the ninth inning in a close game.

RP: J.J. Putz (SEA)
Another injured pitcher in the AL West, but last year he was amazing. If he was healthy, he would definitely repeat those numbers.

Second Team

C: Gerald Laird (TEX)

1B: Richie Sexson (SEA)

2B: Ian Kinsler (TEX)

3B: Chone Figgins (LAA)

SS: Bobby Crosby (OAK)

LF: Gary Matthews, Jr. (LAA)

CF: Josh Hamilton (TEX)

RF: Travis Buck (OAK)

DH: Mike Sweeney (OAK)

SP: Felix Hernandez (SEA)

SP: Kelvim Escobar (LAA)

SP: Jered Weaver (LAA)

RP: Huston Street (OAK)

RP: Scot Shields (LAA)

The Preseason All-AL West First & Second Teams.

Action-Reaction: April 13, 2008

2008-04-13T14:10:00.004-04:00

So this is coming out a little bit later than normal, but there are definitely some extraordinary circumstances behind this one.

Last night we had a "jazz band lock-in" at my school, where we all got together and practiced from 7 PM to 5 AM. Granted, we only practiced for about four of those hours, but getting to bed at 5:45 AM and waking up at 12:30 PM is not that much fun. Especially with still having an English essay about Holden Caulfield to write. So here's an abbreviated Action-Reaction.

Action: Gavin Floyd nearly no-hits the struggling Detroit Tigers.
Reaction: It's great to see Floyd finally do something great. This guy is from the Baltimore area and went to one of the local prep schools. As a Phillies fan, I really wanted him to succeed with the Phillies, but I feel he can reach his projected potential eventually with the White Sox. Hopefully, he will continue to get better and live up to all of his potential.

Action: The Yankees have unearthed the Red Sox jersey a worker buried under the new Yankee Stadium.
Reaction: It would have all worked if he had just kept his mouth shut. Those Red Sox fans and their big mouths....

Action: The Arizone Diamondbacks have won eight straight games.
Reaction: Arizona has to be the most underrated, disrespected, not talked about team out there. So much talent on one team that gets no publicity or press. The Rockies became media darlings last year on their run, while the Diamondbacks were just kind of "that team that won that one division out there." So start respecting those Diamondbacks.

Action: Bill Self has agreed to a new deal at Kansas.
Reaction: I think he'll stick around for a few more years and have Kansas back in the Final Four in the next four years.

Action: Tyler Hansbrough has swept all major awards.
Reaction: Great player. Should be able to repeat his performance if he stays for his senior season.

Boom.

2008 Preseason All-AL Central Team

2008-04-13T13:34:00.001-04:00

So I've already done the Preseason All-AL East Team. Time for the AL Central, which is one of the most talented divisions in baseball.

All AL-Central First Team

C: Victor Martinez (CLE)
Martinez earns the nod over Joe Mauer, as Mauer had some injury issues last season that caused him to miss a lot of time. Martinez is still one of the best run producers in baseball, a consistent .280+, 20+, 100+ guy that helps boost the middle of Cleveland's order.

1B: Justin Morneau
(MIN)
The former AL-MVP had 30+ and 100+ last year and should be able to repeat those results again this year. Though he lost protection in Torii Hunter, Morneau gains Delmon Young, a blossoming young power hitter to help him. Morneau will be the best first basemen in the division in 2008.

2B: Placido Polanco (DET)
A weak position in the division, Polanco earns the nod with his high average (.341). If Polanco continues to hit for high average, the lineup for the Tigers will receive a huge boost.

3B: Miguel Cabrera (DET)
Although Cabrera has not spent much time in the AL (about two weeks), he is still the best third baseman in the division. He should be able to set a career high with 120+ RBIs this season in a deep Tigers lineup.

SS: Jhonny Peralta (CLE)
I'm talking Peralta over Edgar Renteria based on Renteria's horrible 2005 season with Boston. Peralta hits for better power than Renteria and means more to the Cleveland lineup than Renteria means to the Tigers.

LF: Nick Swisher (CWS)
Swisher is an ideal fit for the White Sox as he can get on base often and provide a power boost to a lineup that includes Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, and Jermaine Dye.

CF:
Curtis Granderson (DET)
Granderson barely gets the nod over Grady Sizemore, as Granderson hit for a higher average than Sizemore. Granderson can do it all and is probably one of the best all-around outfielders in the game.

RF: Magglio Ordonez (DET)
It is hard to match Maggs' .363 batting average last season. Add 28 home runs and 139 RBIs to the equation, then you have a great player. Ordonez will be just as good or better than last year, as the addition of Cabrera makes him harder to pitch around.

DH: Travis Hafner (CLE)
Although he had an off-season last year, Hafner will rebound this year. I expect him to get back up to 35+ homers and 110+ RBIs. The Indians lineup is still very potent with him in the middle.

SP: C.C Sabathia (CLE)
Sabathia is in the last year of his contract and will be gunning again for good stats (19 wins in 2007). We have seen players in the last years of their contract do horribly (see: Jones, Andruw; 2007), but I think C.C. will be able to reach 15+ wins and under 10 losses with a sub-3.50 ERA.

SP: Justin Verlander (DET)
Verlander is right on Sabathia's heels for best pitcher in the Central. If Verlander can lower his ERA and WHIP, he will be the best pitcher in the Central, especially if Sabathia stumbles.

SP: Fausto Carmona (CLE)
I am not expecting Carmona to totally duplicate the stats of 2007, but he should come close. Gets the nod over the White Sox' Mark Buehrle.

RP: Bobby Jenks (CWS)
The big man is a reliable closer and barely walks opposing batters.

RP: Joe Nathan (MIN)
Nathan has just been one of the best over the past few seasons, plain and simple.

All-AL Central Second Team
C: Joe Mauer (MIN)
1B: Paul Konerko (CWS)
2B: Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE)
3B: Alex Gordon (KC)
SS: Edgar Renteria (DET)
LF: Delmon Young (MIN)
CF: Grady Sizemore (CLE)
RF: Jermaine Dye (CWS)
DH: Jim Thome (CWS)
SP: Mark Buehrle (CWS)
SP:

Jeremy Bonderman (DET)
SP: Javier Vazquez (CWS)
RP: Rafael Betancourt (CLE)
RP: Joe Borowski (CLE)

There they are.

Friday Burn: April 11, 2008

2008-04-12T21:45:00.001-04:00

So this is coming out on Saturday, due to the fact I had a track meet that went WAY too long last night.

On Monday, the Kansas Jayhawks knocked off the Memphis Tigers for the NCAA Basketball Championship. Memphis essentially had the game won before collapsing in the final minute and losing in overtime. Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose each missed key free throws before Mario Chalmers sank a game-tying three-pointer with about 2.1 seconds left. Kansas dominated overtime for the win. This game kicked off a sleepless week for me and a week where I isolated myself from major sports media outlets, which basically means I changed the channel whenever ESPN started to talk about the game or read any articles or blogs about the game online.

I really hate watching or reading sports news after a major championship game. I knew that all ESPN and everyone would be talking about was the fact that Memphis lost the game, not the fact that Kansas won it. Well I watched that game, and Kansas won it. They buckled down at the end and took advantage of all the breaks Memphis gave them. But all everyone could talk about was how Rose could not sink the free throws and how Douglas-Roberts could not either. Not the fact that Kansas hung tough in the game.

They talked about the fact that Memphis lost the game. Not the fact that Kansas won it.

That was a short burn. But I am busy.

The 4: 4.6.08-4.12.08

2008-04-12T11:35:00.003-04:00

So I'm back after another week of listening to music and seeing what is going on in the world. It was a decent week. Extremely busy. But lots of time for music. Woot.

Songs
1. "Returning to the Fold" - The Thermals
2. "Break" - Fugazi
3. "Out at the Pictures" - Hot Chip
4. "99 Problems" - Jay-Z

Bands
1. LCD Soundsystem
2. Pixies
3. Minus The Bear
4. Cold War Kids

Albums
1. Highly Refined Pirates - Minus The Bear
2. The Body, The Blood, The Machine - The Thermals
3. The Cool - Lupe Fiasco
4. Get Awkward - Be Your Own Pet

Movies
Did not watch any this week. Hah.

Teams
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Green Bay Packers
3. New Orleans Hornets
4. Baltimore Orioles

Players
1. Nick Marakakis
2. Chase Utley
3. Chris Paul
4. Matt Stover

The 4: April 6, 2008-April 12, 2008

Action-Reaction: April 6, 2008

2008-04-06T09:29:00.002-04:00

Well I am back. For SIFS. Again. Woot.

Action: The Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles are atop first place in the AL East.
Reaction: I love early season baseball.

Action: Nick Markakis is my new mancrush.
Reaction: He definitely is, and deservedly so.

Action: The Boston Celtics have clinched home court advantage in the playoffs and set the record for largest single season turnaround, a 37-game swing from last year.
Reaction: Of course you are going to have a turnaround when you trade for three of the top players in the game your team is going to be good. This reminds, in a way, of the Yankees. Bostonians, are you fine with that identity? Being Yankee-like?

Action: Texas and Wyoming are starting a college football series that will meet three times in 2009, 2010, and 2012. The Wyoming athletic director said that it would be the biggest game in the history of Wyoming's stadium.
Reaction: Yeah, bring out a big team so your home fans can get your butts kicked. One thing is for sure, I will be rooting for Wyoming in these games.

Action: Memphis and Kansas have clinched spots in the NCAA title game.
Reaction: For all the talk of the top four seeds giving the best games, I was not exactly blown away by either game. The first half of Memphis-UCLA was the best part of any game. Memphis just took it to them in the second half, and North Carolina and Kansas were playing way too out of control. That Kansas-North Carolina game was almost painful to watch actually.

Action: I can't stand Billy Packer as an announcer.
Reaction: He sounded like a pompous, arrogant jerk during the Kansas-UNC game, criticizing every little thing. There was one play most notably where Wayne Ellington got a rebound, ran the length of the court and sank three. Packer started gushing all over him about how that was a great play and great decision. Fact is, if Ellington misses that shot, Packer is all over him for making a bad decision. I'm sure that's the case for all announcers, but Packer really bothered me last night. Really bothered me a lot.

Action: Jake Peavy two-hits the Dodgers in a 4-1 complete game win.
Reaction: Once they start breaking out the complete games, you know baseball has arrived. And baseball has arrived. Peavy will again be top five in Cy Young voting.

Action: Arizona freshman guard Jerryd Bayless is leaving Arizona early for the NBA Draft.
Reaction: Bayless is just clearing space for my boy, Brandon Jennings.

Action: Eric Gordon will enter the NBA Draft.
Reaction: Yeah, get out of Indiana as fast as you can. I do not blame you.

Action: The Denver Nuggets have fallen into an eighth place tie with the Golden State Warriors.
Reaction: When these two teams meet Thursday, that's going to be a good game.

Action: The Washington Capitals have clinched the Southeast Division in the NHL.
Reaction: Alex Ovechkin is the MVP. No question about it. If he does not win, it is robbery.

BAM.

2008 Preseason All-AL East Team

2008-04-05T15:45:00.002-04:00

I was originally going to do predictions for each division, but all the divisions are too close for me to call. So instead I have decided to go and create Preseason All-Star Teams for each division (First & Second teams). At the end of the series, there will be a vote on which team is the best. Please note I am factoring in last year's performance and this year's projected performance.

All-AL East First Team

C: Jorge Posada (NYY)
Posada's numbers from his career year last season trump all the other numbers of the other catchers in the East. I do not expect Posada to duplicate those numbers, but I definitely think he will still be the most productive catcher in the division.

1B: Carlos Pena (TB)
Like Posada, I do not think Pena will duplicate his numbers. That would be pretty cool if he did, but I do not expect him to hit 46 home runs again. Maybe 30, but not 46.

2B: Robinson Cano (NYY)
Cano had the best average and the most HRs and RBIs of any second basemen. He struggled in the field at times last season, but remains the top second baseman in the division. I expect him to only get better this season.

3B: Alex Rodriguez (NYY)

Need I say more?

SS: Derek Jeter (NYY)
Jeter is not the same player he was three or four years ago, but that does not mean he is not skilled. A .300 hitter, he comes through when needed and is adequately skilled in the field. Who cares if a study says he is the worst shortstop in baseball? I'm taking him over Julio Lugo, David Eckstein, Jason Bartlett, and Luis Hernandez.

LF: Hideki Matsui (NYY)
I originally had Manny Ramirez here because he is, well, Manny Ramirez. However, after looking at their numbers, Matsui hit more home runs and had more RBIs than Ramirez. Manny has adjusted his game away from being a power hitter a little bit, so he will not rake in the numbers we are accustomed to. However, I think Manny is in more of a decline than Hideki, so Hideki gets the nod.

CF: B.J. Upton (TB)
Upton will be a shining star in this league. He has 30+ home run power and batted .300 last year as a 22-year-old. I predict he will duplicate this performance.

RF: Nick Markakis (BAL)
Markakis is my newly christened mancrush, part of the reason he gets this spot. But love aside, I think he will have a better year than all of the other right fielders in the division. As a left-handed hitter, he has a short right field line in Camden Yards that he can exploit to his hearts delight.

DH: David Ortiz (BOS)
Ortiz was actually more productive last season even though he hit less home runs than he did in 2006. With no other team having a DH that can perform to Big Papi's level, he gets the nod.

SP: Scott Kazmir (TB)
Kazmir was the strikeout king for the American League last year and is only getting better. He should definitely be a 15-game winner behind his rising young offense. Kazmir will be one of the keys to the Rays projected success.

SP: Roy Halladay (TOR)
Halladay is only a few years removed from his Cy Young-winning season. He has declined recently, but can still hold his own against competition. He is still one of the best pitchers in the game on any given day.

SP: Josh Beckett (BOS)
There is not much to say about Beckett. He is a sure bet to win 17+ games and have an ERA under 3.50.

RP: Jonathon Papelbon (BOS)
The relief corps in the rest of the East pale in comparison to the staffs of the Red Sox and Yankees. Papelbon averaged a fantastic 13.0 K/9 and is still one of the most feared closers in the game.

RP: Mariano Rivera (NYY)
Rivera is most definitely on the decline, but he is still one of the better relievers in the East.

All-AL East Second Team

C: Jason Varitek (BOS)
This was a narrow choice over Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez, but with better offensive numbers and more able to handle pitching staffs, Tek gets the nod.

1B: Kevin Youkilis (BOS)
Youk gets the nod over Giambi, who is aging and has not showed anything recently. Youk is still Euclis, the Greek god of walks.

2B: Brian Roberts (BAL)
This was another close one, with Roberts getting the nod over Dustin Pedroia. Although Pedroia hit .317 to B-Rob's .290, I think that Pedroia will hit a sophomore slump as reigning AL Rookie of the Year.

3B: Mike Lowell (BOS)
Lowell will in no way repeat last year's numbers, but the Red Sox are betting on him to be a consistent presence in the order.

SS: David Eckstein (TOR)
See Jeter, Derek. Eckstein is the most proven and best fielder out the rest.

LF: Manny Ramirez (BOS)
I almost took Carl Crawford over Manny, but I expect Manny to rebound to 25+ HRs and 90+ RBIs this season.

CF: Vernon Wells (TOR)
Melky Cabrera almost got the nod here, but I Wells is a lot better than his stat line last year (.245/16/80) indicated. He should rebound to hit 30+ HRs with 100+ RBIs and bat over .270.

RF: Alex Rios (TOR)
Almost took Bobby Abreu here, but Rios continues to improve and should be a 30+ home run guy around the second or third spot in the order.

DH: Frank Thomas (TOR)
The Big Hurt can still hurt, as his 26 HRs last show. He will still impact the lineup, but not as much as in the past.

SP: Chien-Ming Wang (NYY)
It was tough to leave Wang off of the first team, but I think that Kazmir will have better year. Wang will still anchor the Yankees rotation, but he is liable to get knocked around a bit.

SP: James Shields (TB)
Shields is my sleeper for the year. I predict 15+ wins for him and a sub-3.60 ERA.

SP: Jeremy Guthrie (BAL)
Guthrie over Daisuke Matsuzaka? Just a wild guess. Dice-K was not really as productive as he seemed. Guthrie should win 13+ for the hapless O's this year.

RP: Joba Chamberlain (NYY)
No other relievers really.

RP: Hideki Okajima (BOS)
See above. Okajima will not be as dominate as last season thought…

All-American League East First & Second Teams.

Fantasy Baseball ’08: Volume I

2008-04-05T12:14:00.002-04:00

I know, I tried this before with fantasy football last fall, but back then I had four teams. I only have one baseball team this spring, however, so this should be a heck of a lot easier.

First off, I am playing in the Atroo Grou League with FanNationers and members of the Atroo. The league is run by the one and only Coletrain, and is rounded out with Nomar, chrono, redskinhater, Cardsox, thehemogoblin, hiya, Esco, DetroitFan, League of Shadows and Mac. My team is called The Dunder-Mifflins. I would like to say I have a pretty good team.

We conducted a live draft a few weeks ago, and this is the team I ended up with:

C: Jarrod Saltalamacchia
1B: Travis Hafner
2B: Brandon Phillips
3B: Alex Rodriguez
SS: Derek Jeter
OF: Vladimir Guerrero
OF: Corey Hart
OF: Shane Victorino
UTIL: Aaron Rowand
BN: Pat Burrell
BN: Troy Glaus
BN: Adam LaRoche
SP: Carlos Zambrano
SP: Tim Lincecum
RP: Chad Billingsley
RP: Chad Cordero
P: John Maine
P: Ian Snell
P: Joe Blanton
BN: Curt Schilling
BN: Matt Capps

Now, that is a pretty solid team, in my opinion. However, that viewpoint changed a little bit, and I had to move fast.

Schilling is on the DL until probably around August. So I dropped him and added Jeremy Guthrie to my roster. Then, (I didn't notice this until today, shame on me) I realized that Saltalamacchia is in the minors to start the season. So I added the hot Ryan Doumit, who probably will not be able to keep his hot streak up, but hopefully will be productive until Salty can make it back to the majors.

So there it is. Hopefully every Saturday I will be able to update all you readers on the progress of my team.

Loyalty Issues

2008-04-05T10:31:00.002-04:00

If I were a fan of the Baltimore Orioles or Milwaukee Brewers, I would count on hating the current front office crew in about five years. That's right, I am willing to predict that Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis and Brewers first basemen Prince Fielder will not be with their current team in five-to-seven years.

These predictions are from the controversy stemming from their contract disputes in the off season. With the numbers both of them put up last year they deserved to get paid this offseason. But they did not. Instead they had their contracts renewed for one year each and they are both being paid less than $1 million. The teams need to show loyalty to their players. To quote my dad, both of these players were "low-balled."

Let's look at each of these cases individually.

I am beginning to think I have a mancrush on Nick Markakis. Actually, I would like to take this opportunity to officially announce that I, DJ, have a mancrush on Nick Markakis. There.

Anyway, I have been watching Markakis steadily move up through the Orioles organization. I always being this up, but I saw him play Single-A ball and even then he was amazing. When he was placed in right field on Opening Day 2006 by Sam Perlozzo, I knew the future had arrived. Markakis was the Orioles lineup at some points this year and he is one of Major League Baseball's rising young stars. The Orioles need to keep him. Renewing his contract for one-year, $455,000 does not show that they want to keep him. I hope the Orioles realize that they are playing in the same division has the Yankees and Red Sox. I would hate to see Markakis patrolling the Pesky Pole in Fenway next to Jacoby Ellsbury or in right field at the new Yankee Stadium next to Melky Cabrera. I want to see him next to Adam Jones in Camden Yards. Playing these two teams many times during the season adds intrigue into Markakis to the potential of playing there.

So kill that potential, pay the man.

Here are Markakis' stats from last year:

G: 161
AB: 637
R: 97
H: 191
2B: 43
3B: 3
HR: 23
RBI: 112
SB: 18
CS: 6
BB: 61
SO: 112
BA: .300
OBP: .362
SLG: .485
OPS+: 121
TB: 309

They compare favorably to J.D. Drew:

G: 140
AB: 466
R: 84
H: 126
2B: 30
3B: 4
HR: 11
RBI: 64
SB: 4
CS: 2
BB: 79
SO: 100
BA: .270
OBP: .373
SLG: .423
OPS+: 105
TB: 197

J.D. Drew is making $14 million.

Markakis is making $455,000.

That ain't right.

Now let's look at Fielder. Now, Fielder is not the physical specimen of say, Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds, but the man can hit the ball. Far. When I first heard of young Prince Fielder, it was in Michael Lewis' Moneyball, where Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane painted an unflattering picture of him. Because of that, I did not have the best thoughts about Fielder when I first started seeing him play. After seeing him play multiple times however, my viewpoint is totally changed. The man can play. David Ortiz is aging. The Red Sox are going to be in the market for a DH in the next few years. Teams and general managers know that Fielder is the ideal choice an American League DH in the future. What is there to stop the Red Sox, Yankees, or even Angels from signing him to a huge deal the small market Brewers cannot match? I know the Brewers are a low budget team, but if they were to sign Fielder to a long-term deal now, they would be able to negotiate a shorter deal later in time so they will be able to keep him for his prime. The Brewers need to pay Fielder if they want to contend.

Pay him.

Fielder's stats from last year:

G: 158
AB: 573
R: 109
H: 165
2B: 35
3B: 2
HR: 50
RBI: 119
SB: 2
CS: 2
BB: 90
SO: 121
BA: .288
OBP: .395
SLG: .618
OPS+: 156
TB: 354

They compare to Paul Konerko.

G: 151
AB: 549
R: 71
H: 142
2B: 34
3B: 0
HR: 31
RBI: 90
SB: 0
CS: 1
BB: 78
SO: 102
BA: .259
OBP: .351
SLG: .490
OPS+: 116
TB: 269

Konerko makes $12 million.

Fielder makes $670,000.

Yeahhhhhhhh.

To me, the Orioles and Brewers need to follow the lead of the Colorado Rockies who signed young Troy Tulowitzki to a six-year, $31-million contract with the same or less service time as Markakis and Fielder. For both of those guys to see someone with less time than them make more money than them, that has to hurt. The Orioles are committed to rebuilding (or at least trying to be). Lock up Markakis. Put him next to Jones in the outfield. Markakis needs to be the centerpiece of the Orioles rebuilding process. I have heard talk of the Orioles contending in four-to-five years, which would put Markakis in his prime. Markakis is necessary for the Orioles to win. Peter Angelos, be loyal to your team and players. Sign the man.

As for Fielder, the Brewers need him for the future too. Put him in the lineup with Ryan Braun, J.J. Hardy, and Rickie Weeks, and you have something special. If the Brewers want to be able to outplay the Cubs for the NL Central crown, they will need Fielder anchoring their lineup, the Red Sox or Yankees lineup.

Sign these men.

BAM! Bracket Thoughts!

2008-04-04T20:58:00.005-04:00

And I am back with some more bracket thoughts. Due to personal obligations (band practice, homework, spring break) I was not able to post my thoughts about the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds in a timely fashion, so I will give them to you now.

Pregame

Candace Parker put on one of the gutsiest performances I have seen against Texas A&M. That just had to hurt.
The Sweet Sixteen had three double-digit seeded teams. Props to these small schools for their performance.

Charlotte Region

Tyler Hansbrough continued his phenomenal postseason play in wins over Washington State and Louisville. I don't watch a lot of college basketball, and I really hope I do not get scorned for his, but he may be the best college basketball player I have seen this decade/century/millennium.
Louisville beat Tennessee to help my bracket out. I always feel Tennessee is a bit overrated. I do not know what it is, but they always seem overrated to me in (men's) basketball and football.
The last minute of the Louisville-North Carolina game was so painful. The game is over. Please stop fouling. You are not going to get back into it. Thanks.
The higher seed won every game of the Charlotte Region except for No. 9 Arkansas over No. 8 Indiana and No. 3 Louisville over No. 2 Tennessee.

Detroit Region

I was not digging the raised court deal in Detroit. It just seemed way too dangerous for my liking.
Kansas is in the Final Four after beating Davidson. I do not think a lot of people would expect to write that sentence this year.
I have not read anything about this, but should Stephen Curry have taken the last shot of Davidson's 59-57 loss to Kansas? I personally think that Davidson could have tried to get him open better, but then again Kansas was playing tenacious defense.
I have had four scenarios running through my head regarding the last bullet:
- Curry takes the last shot, sinks it, and Davidson wins. Curry is regarded as a clutch hero.
- Curry takes the shot, but misses it. He is regarded as a valiant hero going down.
- Curry passes the shot to a teammate who sinks the winning basket. Curry is applauded as being unselfish.
- Curry passes the shot to a teammate who misses. Curry is regarded as trying to be too unselfish (see: James, LeBron; 2007 NBA Playoffs).
I have not heard anyone utter any of the above phrases, but they are in my mind, so I figured I would write them down.
Wisconsin was really a silent team this year, even in losing to Davidson. They are perennial homegrown contenders. I would not count them out next year.
Villanova was great in getting to the Sweet Sixteen. Even though I had Clemson in it instead of them.

Houston Region

Memphis ended Michigan State's Drew Neitzel's career. I enjoyed watching Neitzel throughout his entire career. Bravo.
Even though they beat Stanford, Texas just looked absolutely horrendous against Memphis. Horrendous.
Memphis has a definite shot at beating UCLA. Just as long as Joey Dorsey can stay out of foul trouble.
The higher seed won only one game in the Houston Region, No. 5 Michigan State over No. 4 Pittsburgh.

Phoenix Region

This was probably the weakest bracket in the entire tournament.
UCLA was not thoroughly challenged, although I was hoping Xavier would give them a run for their money.
Western Kentucky, San Diego, and West Virginia get major props from this bracket.
The lower seed won four games in this bracket.

Overtime

I find it fascinating that Memphis point guard Derrick Rose has a phobia of needles.
Also, Memphis backup point guard Andre Allen was suspended for violating team rules. I wanted to see him play one more time and marvel at his short length.
I finally get what people mean when they say they are glad the four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four. The first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament are great to watch young teams no one has ever heard of win a few games and screw up your bracket. But once you get to the Final Four, you want to see good basketball. That's why you want to see the top four seeds make it in.

Peace.

Friday Burn: 4.4.2008

2008-04-04T20:58:00.004-04:00

On the fifth anniversary of one of my finest moments (state geography bee appearance) and the fortieth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's death, I am feeling a little agitated. I need a burn.

Bus Cook. I am really starting to hate the man. Shopping around the services of Brett Favre, allegedly without his knowledge? I do not like that one bit. Favre is done. There is no way he will play again in another uniform. If he does, that is a total public relations disaster for the Packers, the NFL, and Brett Favre. Throughout this whole retirement process, Cook has been there, planting the seed of doubt in everyone's mind about Favre's status. He talked about how Favre could play two or three more years and leaked his opinion that Favre was being forced out by the Packers so that Aaron Rodgers could take the reins. The real article (not that little stub) has quotes from Cook saying he did not know of Favre's desire to play, but this just clouds the waters. Bus Cook, please do not become Drew Rosenhaus or Scott Boras.

I originally heard the story last night on the intro to Sportscenter before seeing the above link this morning. The intro scared me a little bit and made it sound like he could be traded in the next week. Whoever covered the story for ESPN (I forget who it was) did a good job of reassuring me that this would most likely not happen.

A little clarification for those of you who think that Favre needs his retirement papers to be officially retired and for the Packers to clear cap space. Favre would only need to file the papers to collect is severance pay which is usually done by people who need the money right away. Favre seems set for life so it is unnecessary for him to collect that pay right away. For the Packers to collect the $11.2 million in cap space that would be given to them after Favre is taken off the payroll, all they need to do is put Favre on the reserve/retired list, and, BAM, $11.2 million in cap space.

Chris Henry is done. Bravo, young man. Derailing your life at the age of 24. But since you have a world of talent, you will probably get picked up by some team willing to take a flyer on you. So clean up your act.

West Virginia University has the reputation of being one of the biggest party schools in the country. I know people (not naïve people at that) who have transferred out of there because there was too much drug and alcohol use. Has anyone else noticed that both Henry AND Pacman Jones have both come out of there? Must be something in the water…

As an Eagles fans, it is comforting to know that Donovan McNabb will not be traded. The way the Eagles closed out the 2007 season is a good sign for the 2008 season (see: 2007 Green Bay Packers). If the Eagles want to win now, they must do it with McNabb at the helm. Kevin Kolb is not ready AT ALL, and God help the soul that thinks he is the future within the next two years. Kolb has potential, but he is at least three-to-four years away. Throwing him to the lions in Philadelphia would not be the smartest thing to do. He should at least see some garbage time this year though.

Billy Packer
may be calling it quits as announcer of the Final Four games. I've still got my hand on the mute button for those games though. I will remember Packer most notably for ranting on national TV two or three years ago about how the Missouri Valley Conference had too many berths in the NCAA Tournament. Then three or so of those teams made the Sweet 16. Oops. Packer always struck me as an arrogant know-it-all and I did not like his voice to begin with.

On Sunday, Seattle Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard will make his return to Baltimore and Camden Yards. As a Baltimore area person, I really liked Bedard. I did not want to see him go, but I really like Adam Jones. I am hoping Jones can team with Nick Markakis to give the Orioles a good outfield. Also, former Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo returns to Camden Yards as well.

Mike Hampton strained his pectoral muscle warming up for his first start since 2005. Well, at least he still got paid that contract.

So this seems mighty similar to Action-Reaction. Well it is not. Get used to this.

The 4: 3.30.2008-4.5.2008

2008-04-01T07:29:00.003-04:00

Every week I am going to post a segment detailing my four favorite songs, bands, albums, movies, teams, and players. So here goes.

Songs
1. "West Coast" – Coconut Records
2. "Veni Vedi Vici" – Black Lips
3. "Michael" – Franz Ferdinand
4. "Geronimo" – Phantom Planet

Bands
1. Be Your Own Pet
2. Fugazi
3. Sonic Youth
4. Minus The Bear

Albums
1. Get Awkward, Be Your Own Pet
2. Murray Street, Sonic Youth
3. Highly Refined Pirates, Minus The Bear
4. Hip Hop Is Dead, Nas

Movies
1. The Life Aquatic
2. The Darjeeling Limited
3. Ocean's Eleven
4. Miracle

Teams
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Davidson Wildcats
4. San Diego Toreros

Players
1. Stephen Curry
2. RobJones
3. Chase Utley
4. Chris Paul

Hah. That was easy. And interesting.

Action-Reaction: March 30, 2008

2008-03-30T12:46:00.002-04:00

So here it goes:

Action: The Raiders have signed Kalimba Edwards to a two-year contract.
Reaction: This means the Raiders have signed/acquired/franchised six players for their defense. Their defense better be better this year or it is not going to be pretty in RaiderNation. The only thing I can really compare this to is how the Patriots reloaded their offense last offseason. Oakland is not New England, however, so it remains to be seen how much this will actually help. I am not suggesting that it will have a New England-esque effect, but it definitely could help the Raiders.

Action: North Carolina and UCLA are in the Final Four.
Reaction: My original bracket had a Roy Hibbert-Kevin Love matchup in the Championship Game, but I am thinking of trading that for a Tyler Hansbrough-Love matchup. The only bad thing about that matchup would be that viewers would have to watch that game on mute because it would turn into a lovefest between the announcers. I barely made it through the last five minutes of the North Carolina-Louisville games. Yes, we know these guys are good. We know that they are not supposed to be able to make three-pointers and outside shots, but they do. We do not need to hear the announcers gush over their talents non-stop for three hours. It would be a great game. I just would not want to listen to it.

Action: Davidson plays Kansas today while Texas goes up against Memphis for the remaining Final Four spots.
Reaction: Since Georgetown lost, I have been going all out for Davidson to go far. Davidson is either going to be able to hang tough and upset Kansas or just get blown out of the water, almost like Xavier was against UCLA. Davidson has probably increased their fanbase five-fold over the course of the tournament. As for Texas-Memphis, I am scared. I have Memphis in this game, but Texas could very easily win this. Texas was a very quiet team this year, at least to me, as they did not have a Kevin Durant on the team. They are good, and a team to watch.

Action: Jeff Conine has retired after signing a one-day contract with the Florida Marlins.
Reaction: As someone who has seen numerous Orioles games, I really liked Conine. He always seemed to come up with a good play and he was just an old school ballplayer whose style you could admire and imitate. The man did have two World Series rings too.

Action: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has very high interest in Tennessee Titans suspended cornerback/strip club frequenter Adam "Pacman" Jones.
Reaction: All I have to say is that if Jerry has his way, the circus is coming to town. Preliminary reports say that the Cowboys offered a seventh-round pick, but according to reports that I cannot view because I am not a "member" on any of the major sports news outlets, Dallas is willing to add a player to the package.

Action: Baltimore Ravens veteran offensive tackle Jonathon Ogden is uncertain on a return for the 2008 NFL season.
Reaction: Ogden is citing the health of his big toe as his reason for waiting. In my opinion, the Ravens need to know his decision soon, as his retirement could significantly influence their draft plans come April.

Action: The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team has lost four straight games.
Reaction: First time I ever remember anything happen like this to the Blue Jays.

Action: Jack Roush has accused Michael Waltrip of stealing a sway bar in "intellectual espionage."
Reaction: The only reason this story has any meaning to me is Roush's quote of "It's lawyer time" when asked about the incident.

Action: Opening Day for Major League Baseball is tomorrow.
Reaction: !!!

Even More Bracket Thoughts

2008-03-24T10:06:00.002-04:00

Pregame

My bracket is screwed. My champion, Georgetown, is done.
Now I'm rooting all out for Davidson to make the Final Four and all that good stuff.
I still have seven of the Elite Eight, three of the Final Four, and one of the Final Two still in.
I went 9-7 in picks in the second round, making me 31-17 for the tournament.
I will finish with at least 21 "losses."
This will go down as one of the hardest tournaments ever to pick, in my opinion.

Charlotte Region

I lost two of the four Sweet Sixteen teams here.
In my last edition, I said that Arkansas could give North Carolina some trouble with their size. I was wrong. I still can't figure out who #51 on Arkansas is.
I had Notre Dame riding Luke Harangody into the Sweet Sixteen, but Washington St. was quick to derail that. I'm dying to see WSU play, and given my market, I think I will see them play against UNC in a few days.
Louisville slipped into the Sweet Sixteen rather easily, beating Oklahoma.
I was hoping that Butler would upend Tennessee, but I was wrong. Tennessee could definitely beat Louisville, messing my bracket up even more.

Detroit Region

This was another bracket where I split the Sweet Sixteen teams.
Kansas continues their road to the Elite Eight by beating UNLV, and they now face Villanova, who dispatched upstart Siena. I'm taking Kansas.
Wisconsin shut down the one man show of Michael Beasley. That game was the first time I had ever seen Beasley play for an extended period of time, and I was rather impressed. However, Wisconsin showed in the second half that if you shut down Beasley, you shut down Kansas State.
Wisconsin faces Davidson who upended my champion Georgetown behind Stephen Curry's 30 points. That man has a sweet stroke. I'm rooting for Davidson now. I'm putting everything behind them.

Houston Region

Memphis gave me a big scare against Mississippi St. They should a lot playing without Dorsey and Dozier, who both fouled out. In their defense, some of the fouls called on them did not look like fouls. I'm not a ref though, so what do I know.
Drew Neitzel's senior season continues as Michigan St. put away one of my picks in Pittsburgh. Pitt just looked absolutely lethargic on the boards and was not fighting for the ball at all on the offensive glass. DaJuan
Blair impresses me a lot. He's a good talent.
I missed the end of the Stanford-Marquette game. I really want to see it.
To my mother's chagrin, Texas ousted Miami. My mom put Miami in the Final Four. She also had USC in there. Ouch. But she went on a limb and picked UCLA to win it all, so it balances out somewhat. Miami showed a lot of heart at the end though, hitting some amazing three-pointers. Too little, too late.

Phoenix Region

UCLA stayed true to my projected Final Four form, beating Texas A&M.
Western Kentucky upended San Diego, who made a late charge at the end. I still picked San Diego over UConn, so HA!
UCLA-Western Kentucky is either going to be a great game or a blowout.
Purdue scared me a lot in the Xavier game, but the Musketeers pulled it out. #25 on Purdue is extremely skinny, I don't know if anyone else noticed that.
West Virginia over Duke pleased the human but upset the bracket, ousting another Sweet Sixteen team.
Xavier-West Virginia will probably be the best game of the Sweet Sixteen.

Overtime

Ranking the eight Sweet Sixteen games:
Xavier-West Virginia
Tennessee-Louisville
Texas-Stanford
Wisconsin-Davidson
North Carolina-Washington St.
Memphis-Michigan St.
UCLA-Western Kentucky
Kansas-Villanova
All of this can change though…

National Champion
Georgetown

Final Two
Georgetown
Memphis

Final Four
North Carolina
Georgetown
Memphis
UCLA

Elite Eight
North Carolina
Louisville
Kansas
Georgetown
Memphis
Stanford
UCLA
Xavier

Sweet Sixteen
North Carolina
Notre Dame (Washington State)
Louisville
Butler (Tennessee)
Kansas
Clemson (Villanova)
Wisconsin
Georgetown (Davidson)
Memphis
Pittsburgh (Michigan State)
Stanford
Texas
UCLA
Drake (Western Kentucky)
Xavier
Duke (West Virginia)

Second Thirty-Two
North Carolina
Indiana (Arkansas)
Notre Dame
Washington St.
St. Joseph's (Oklahoma)
Louisville
Butler
Tennessee
Kansas
Kent St. (UNLV)
Clemson (Villanova)
Vanderbilt (Siena)
USC (Kansas St.)
Wisconsin
Davidson
Georgetown
Memphis
Oregon (Mississippi St.)
Michigan St.
Pittsburgh
Marquette
Stanford
St. Mary's (Miami)
Texas
UCLA
BYU (Texas A&M)
Drake (Western Kentucky)
San Diego
Purdue
Xavier
West Virginia
Duke

More Bracket Thoughts

2008-03-22T12:31:00.002-04:00

Pregame

How many guys with the last name "Smith" does Tennessee have? I lost count.
Do the guys on the American Eagles shop at American Eagle?
I doubt that anybody will have a perfect bracket after this one.
Stephen Curry is a beast.
Adam Emmenecker has to be one of the best all-around players I have seen. And that's not me echoing the announcers.
Picking a slumping Indiana team over Arkansas was a bad choice.
Whoever #51 on Arkansas is, he has awesome hair. I'd like to see his fashion sense.
The people in Tampa Bay got quite the show yesterday. Four upsets, two in overtime. Lucky bums.
I went 22-10 in the first round. Not good.

Charlotte Region

If North Carolina was playing Indiana in the second round game, I would pick North Carolina by a mile. However, Arkansas intrigues with their size that could help to neutralize Tyler Hansbrough, but Ty Lawson's speed could cancel out the size factor. Still taking North Carolina.
Notre Dame-Washington St. could be another good one. As I said before, I know nothing of how these two teams matchup. All I know is that Luke Harangody is a beast. So I think I'm leaning towards Notre Dame on this one to break through to the Sweet 16.
I took a risk with St. Joe's over Oklahoma and that did not pay off. Most people complain about how all these small conference schools come out of nowhere to wreak havoc on their brackets. I hate the middle-of-the-road big conference schools that you do not hear anything about during the season and that come in to the tournament and wreak havoc on my bracket. Examples this year include Arkansas, Oklahoma, Miami, Villanova, Mississippi St., Texas A&M, and Purdue. Throw UNLV and Kent St. in there for good measure. Maybe I just need to follow college basketball closer.
I think Louisville can definitely take Oklahoma. They better.
Butler over Tennessee. The Smiths can't save the Volunteers this time.

Detroit Region

Kansas should handle UNLV. I think. I know nothing of UNLV, so I'll have to watch this game to find out.
Villanova and Siena both slightly messed up my bracket. Villanova knocked out Clemson, one of my Sweet 16 teams. I am happy to see Villanova and Siena win. If I had filled out multiple brackets like I usually do, I would have had both of them winning. I'm going to say the magic continues for Lucky No. 13 and Siena upends Nova.
Wisconsin-Kansas St. intrigues as to who will guard Michael Beasley. Wisconsin is one of those teams that always sneaks up on me. After losing Alando Tucker, I did not think they could make it far into the tournament, but they always seem to do something right, sweeping the Big Ten crowns.
Davidson-Georgetown is a scary one for me. I have Georgetown winning it all, but the way Davidson has been playing puts me on upset alert. As I said before, Stephen Curry is a beast.

Houston Region

Memphis should run all over Mississippi St. Sorry for all you that wanted a Hansbrough family reunion in the finals.
Michigan St.-Pittsburgh is a great matchup. I am a big Drew Neitzel fan and would love to see them advance, but I also really like Pitt and DaJuan Blair. I picked Pitt though, so Neitzel's great college career is almost over.
Stanford is another one of those teams that has been sneaking around, but I have actually heard a lot of good things about them, especially the Lopez twins. Their size should be enough to stymie the Golden Eagles of Marquette.
I had St. Mary's against Texas here, but Miami proved me wrong. Texas should handle Miami though. Should. My mom actually has Miami in her Final Four. Riiiiiiiiiight.
This is the only bracket where the higher seed has one every game so far.

Phoenix Region

UCLA's easier road continues against Texas A&M, who they can probably handle with help from Kevin Love. A&M might hang tough for a little while, but they will be overwhelmed eventually.
The Western Kentucky-Drake game was the best game I have seen in a long, long time. I lost one of my Sweet 16 teams, but it was worth it for that excitement.
San Diego-UConn was the second best game I have seen in a while. AND I PICKED SAN DIEGO!!!!! That aside, San Diego-Western Kentucky will be a great one. I think Western Kentucky has the edge though. Also, for all you out there who would like to learn more about San Diego, read about RobJones. He has quite the story that was covered in Sports Illustrated a while back that covered his and his father's past.
Xavier's tenacious defense will be too much for Purdue, putting the Musketeers into the Sweet 16.
I have Duke over West Virginia, but the Belmont game really scared me. West Virginia can definitely beat Duke, which I would like them to do, but for the sake of my bracket, Duke, please get to the Sweet 16.

Overtime

I really enjoyed yesterday. Being off from school and watching basketball all day was awesome. However, the one thing that I absolutely hated was watching North Carolina beat up on Mount St. Mary's. That was horrible. No team should have to go through that. The Mount was thoroughly overmatched, but I guess there is not much they could do. It was still painful to watch while there were three other quality games going on.

So here are my picks:

National Champion
Georgetown

Final Two
Georgetown
Memphis

Final Four
North Carolina
Georgetown
Memphis
UCLA

Elite Eight
North Carolina
Louisville
Kansas
Georgetown
Memphis
Stanford
UCLA
Xavier

Sweet Sixteen
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Louisville
Butler
Kansas
Clemson
Wisconsin
Georgetown
Memphis
Pittsburgh
Stanford
Texas
UCLA
Drake
Xavier
Duke

Bracket Thoughts

2008-03-21T13:47:00.002-04:00

Thoughts on March Madness:

I have to hand it to the Maryland schools. With University of Maryland suffering a horrible collapse at the end of the season, the state was still represented by Mt. St. Mary's, Coppin State, and UMBC. If you extend along the I-95 corridor, George Mason, American, and Georgetown can be included. Morgan State was one game away, losing to Coppin in the conference championship game.
Elaborating on the last point, Coppin State was a great story. These guys were 4-19 on February 2, and won 12 of 13 to make it improbably into the tournament before bowing out to Mt. St. Mary's in the play-in game.

Charlotte Region

I really feel for Mt. St. Mary's in this one. They win their conference tournament, win a tough game against Coppin State, and what do they get? North Carolina. Ouch.
I do not see Indiana going far at all in the tournament. Besides dealing with losing Kelvin Sampson, they do not seem like they will be able to go far in this tournament.
I'll jump on the Luke Harangody bandwagon. The dude is a beast.
Winthrop is one of the teams that I always like every March. I picked them to beat No. 2 Tennessee as a No. 15 seed two years ago, in a game where Chris Lofton hit a buzzer beater. I also picked them to get into the Sweet 16 last year. However, this year, the Eagles just did not seem was good. I took Washington State over them, and they were totally overmatched. Washington State is a mystery to me. Being on the East Coast, I never saw them play this season. I had seen they were ranked in the pre-season Top 10, but never saw them play. Hopefully I'll get to see how good they really are.
The St. Joseph's-Oklahoma game is another mystery to me. I saw neither of these teams play this year, but they both come from tough conferences, St. Joseph's in the Atlantic 10 and Oklahoma in the Big XII.
I would love to see Boise State-Oklahoma in the second round. That would just be an awesome matchup. However, Louisville will definitely have the Broncos' number, so no Cinderella from Boise this year.
I feel that Butler was seeded a little low at No. 7. They definitely have the chance to go far. However, because they are seeded so low, I could see No. 10 South Alabama upsetting them.
Right now, Tennessee-American is at the half 29-22. American looked good early, but Tennessee came back. I have a feeling Tennessee will run away with this one. Tennessee is an interesting team. Many people have them in the Final Four and some as National Champion, but they are also a team I feel comfortable with kicking out early.
Must-see games: Indiana-Arkansas, Oklahoma-St. Joseph's, Butler-South Alabama.

Detroit Region

Kansas handled Portland St. as expected. It's a shame to see these small conference schools work hard to make it to the Big Dance, but then draw teams like Kansas and are one-and-don.
UNLV-Kent St. was a matchup between teams I had never seen this year. So I picked Kent St. and they lost.
The 5-12 game in this bracket is another enticing one. Clemson can definitely go far in this tournament, but so can Villanova. I am taking Clemson, but I would not rule out Villanova, even though some would say they were not deserving of the tournament.
I was somewhat surprised to see Vanderbilt as a No. 4, but that is mostly because they are not a team I think of as being a high seed. They do have fire power though and have the potential to wreak havoc.
Michael Beasley defeated O.J. Mayo in their lone matchup. Beasley cannot do it all by himself.
I expect Wisconsin to thoroughly handle Kansas St.
Gonzaga-Davidson is the best matchup in the first round. This is the must-see game of the tournament, but I am stuck watching American-Tennessee. I picked Davidson in this one. Gotta love the No. 10 seeds.
Georgetown will definitely handle UMBC, which is another shame.
Must-see games: USC-Kansas St. (it already happened, but it was), Gonzaga-Davidson.

Houston Region

Memphis over UT-Arlington. Lock it up.
Mississippi St.-Oregon is a tough one. I have not seen MSU play at all this year, I'm biased towards Oregon, and Tajuan Porter is one of my favorite college players. That young man can ball. This should be a good one. Little Hansbrough will get to show his stuff.
Michigan St. and Pittsburgh both won. Pitt was scaring me early though…
Marquette-Stanford is gearing up to be a great second-round game.
I picked St. Mary's over Miami. This is another No. 7-No. 10 matchup that I desperately wanted to see. St. Mary's definitely has the opportunity to be Cinderella.
I personally do not see why everyone is so high on Texas. I do not think they are that good, but that's just me. But they will win over Austin Peay. I don't even know how to pronounce Peay.
Must-see games: Mississippi St.-Oregon, St. Mary's-Miami.

Phoenix Region

UCLA's defense against Miss. Valley St. was amazing. I have never heard of a defense being that stingy (I didn't see the game or any highlights).
I had BYU over Texas A&M. Oh well.
Drake-Western Kentucky definitely has the firepower to usurp Gonzaga-Davidson as the best opening round game. I have Drake in the Sweet 16, but that could change quickly. It's 38-37, in favor of Drake, at half.
My upset of the tournament is San Diego over Connecticut. Probably won't happen, but is definitely worth the risk in my opinion. Gotta watch those WCC teams.
I am very impressed with Baylor's performance this year, and I was definitely rooting for them after all they have gone through this year.
Georgia was a great story as well, but their luck ran out against Xavier.
I picked West Virginia over Arizona. 'Zona has Lute Olsen coming back next year and Brandon Jennings coming in, so they look to be on the rise.
Duke scared me big time.
This is a very weak bracket. I can definitely see the roots of a UCLA conspiracy here.
Must-see games: Drake-Western Kentucky, Connecticut-San Diego.

I just love March Madness. The first four days are the best four days of any sporting event ever.

So here are my picks:

National Champion
Georgetown

Final Two
Georgetown
Memphis

Final Four
North Carolina
Georgetown
Memphis
UCLA

Elite Eight
North Carolina
Louisville
Kansas
Georgetown
Memphis
Stanford
UCLA
Xavier

Sweet Sixteen
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Louisville
Butler
Kansas
Clemson
Wisconsin
Georgetown
Memphis
Pittsburgh
Stanford
Texas
UCLA
Drake
Xavier
Duke

Second Thirty-Two
North Carolina
Indiana
Notre Dame
Washington St.
St. Joseph's
Louisville
Butler
Tennessee
Kansas
Kent St. (UNLV)
Clemson
Vanderbilt
USC (Kansas St.)
Wisconsin
Davidson
Georgetown
Memphis
Oregon
Michigan St.
Pittsburgh
Marquette
Stanford
St. Mary's
Texas
UCLA
BYU (Texas A&M)
Drake
San Diego
Purdue
Xavier
West Virginia
Duke

So there ya have it. I'll be coming back through to update this list eventually.

Action-Reaction: March 2, 2008

2008-03-02T14:04:00.002-05:00

Movers & Shakers

With free agency starting early Friday morning, many moves were made fast. This week Action-Reaction takes a look at the teams which were Movers and the teams that were Shakers. I am also joined by my good friend BSchwartz who is examining the teams that were not movers or shakers. Now, I'll give you a little definition right here. A mover is a team that made one or two big signings and possibly some smaller signings, while a shaker is a team that made multiple big moves and spent (or blew) a lot of cash on their acquisitions.

I would also like to thank BSchwartz for doing the anti-movers and anti-shakers.

Movers

Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles acted quickly, signing former New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel to a six-year, $57 million contract on the first day of free agency. The contract has $20 million in guaranteed money and $32 million in the first three years of the contract. The acquisition of the 27-year old Samuel triggers change in the Eagles secondary, as Lito Sheppard has been implicated in trade rumors, most prominently for Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona or to New England for the #7 draft pick. The other Eagles corner, Sheldon Brown, could be moved to safety, providing help to the aging Brian Dawkins.

Philadelphia has also reached an agreement with 26-year old defensive end Chris Clemons, formerly of the Oakland Raiders. In 2007, Clemons tied for the lead on the Raiders for sacks with a career-high eight. The Eagles hope that Clemons can team with Trent Cole and also replace the recently-cut Jevon Kearse.

The Eagles have also been linked to Randy Moss, although there does not seem to be enough cap room for both Samuel and Moss.

Yet another rumor has the Eagles pursuing Javon Walker, although I do not see Andy Reid taking a risk on an injured cancer. Yes, I am still bitter over his exit from Green Bay.

San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers built on last year's defensive free agency splurge, signing former Bengals defensive end Justin Smith to a six-year, $45 million deal. Smith recorded 43.5 sacks in his seven years with Cincinnati. Smith cancelled trips to Minnesota and Jacksonville after receiving a helicopter tour of San Francisco. Smith had at least five sacks in his first six seasons with the Bengals before recording only two last year. Smith was the No. 4 overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Missouri.

CBSSports.com's Clark Judge writes that this is a horrible move for the 49ers.

The 49ers also signed former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Allen Rossum and former St. Louis Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce. Neither of those moves seems to have that much of an effect on the 49ers, as Rossum mostly saw action as a special teams player last season and Bruce has seen his numbers decline in recent years.

New York Jets
The Jets have been active this offseason, first trading linebacker Jonathon Vilma to New Orleans and then acquiring Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins. I have read that Jenkins may not be the best option for Eric Mangini's 3-4 defense, but he will provide some meat up front to help the Jets linebackers.

The Jets made one of the biggest splashes in free agency so far, signing former Steelers guard Alan Faneca to a record five-year, $40 million contract. The deal has the most guaranteed money and the highest average per year given to an offensive lineman. Faneca will start on the Jets offensive line between former first-round picks D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. This seems like a good match for the Jets and Faneca, but Die Hard Steel's Neal Coolong says that the honeymoon period in New York will be short lived.

The Jets are not done yet wither. NFL.com's Adam Schefter has linked the Jets to Detroit Lions free agent Damien Woody, who was coached by Mangini in New England. The Jets are also interested in former Arizona linebacker Calvin Pace who visited Miami Saturday.

St. Louis Rams
With the retirement of longtime kicker Jeff Wilkins, the Rams acted quickly, signing Josh Brown away from the division rival Seattle Seahawks to a five-year deal. The deal is rumored to have a $4 million signing bonus attached to it, unheard of for a kicker.

Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota bolstered both sides of its passing game, signing Bernard Berrian and Madieu Williams. Berrian comes to Minnesota from Chicago where he played four seasons. The Vikings priority this offseason was providing more receiving targets for young quarterback Tarvaris Jackson who threw only nine touchdown passes in 2007. The Vikings signed Berrian to a six-year, $42 million contract, with $16 million guaranteed. In my book, that is overpaying a bit.

On the other side, the Vikings signed Williams away from the Bengals with a deal worth $33 million over six years, while signing fullback Thomas Tapeh to a five-year, $6 million contract. The Williams signing will help replace free agent Dwight Smith while Tapeh will provide some blocking for running backs Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor.

Shakers

Cleveland Browns
Cleveland has probably made THE biggest splashes in free agency this year. The club kept quarterback Derek Anderson in front of Brady Quinn by signing him to a three-year deal worth around $24 million. That is a far cry from the six-year, $65 million contract Anderson wanted, but for a 24-year old, it seems like it could work. Anderson was the surprise of last season with 34 touchdown passes, although he was inconsistent, throwing 27 interceptions.

The Browns bolstered their defense by acquiring two top defensive tackles in Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. Apparently, Rogers-to-Cincy was a done-deal that fell through, allowing the Browns to swoop in and snatch Rogers from Detroit for cornerback Leigh Bodden and a third-round pick in the April draft. Williams was from the Green Bay Packers for a third-round pick in the draft as well. Rogers will have an impact immediately, while it remains to be seen if Williams will be able to repeat last year's performance. As League of Shadows likes to say, he could be the next Cletidus Hunt.

What seems to be the biggest acquisition for the Browns however is the acquisition of Donte Stallworth from New England. Stallworth will team with Braylon Edwards who is coming off of a breakout season in which he caught 16 touchdown passes. Stallworth was signed to a seven-year contract worth $35 million. In my opinion, seven years is a little too much for Stallworth given his durability issues and the fact that he has not had one of "those" seasons where everything has gone right. However, he will take pressure off of Edwards and is just another weapon, complementing Kellen Winslow and Jamal Lewis.

Buffalo Bills
The Bills are second behind the Browns in the splash zone for 2008 free agency. Their biggest move came Saturday when they acquired Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Marcus Stroud for draft picks. The Bills also signed former NY Giants linebacker Kawika Mitchell and former Minnesota defensive tackle Spencer Johnson to five-year contracts. Buffalo also released longtime defensive tackle Larry Triplett.

The Bills look poised to make a run at the AFC East division crown, given the inactivity of New England, or at least a Wild-Card berth. According to agent Joel Segal, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Bryant Johnson is scheduled to visit Buffalo Sunday along with Titans tight end Ben Troupe. The Bills could be contenders next year folks. Or they could be pretenders.

Oakland Raiders
Oakland has been an interesting case this free agency. Fact is, none of their moves make that much sense, but they are still throwing the money around. The Raiders boosted their defense, signing former New York Giants safety Gibril Wilson to a six-year, $39 million contract. In the last four years, Wilson has averaged 6.9 tackles per game, tops in the NFL for safeties. Wilson has started since 2004, his rookie season, and is expected to contribute to a sluggish Oakland D immediately. Wilson replaces Stuart Schweigart and Hiram Eugene at free safety, and puts the talk of moving Michael Huff to free safety to rest.

The Raiders made one of the most eyebrow-raising moves this offseason, signing defensive tackle Tommy Kelly to a seven-year deal worth upwards of $50 million, with over $18 million guaranteed. That is without mentioning Kelly is coming off of reconstructive knee surgery. Kelly was undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2004, but has earned high praise from Oakland teammates such as Warren Sapp. Kelly is versatile enough to play either inside or outside, which could help relieve some of the pain of losing Chris Clemons.

The Raiders placed the franchise tag on corner Nnamdi Asomugha, paying him $9.465 million in 2008. The Raiders were also able to re-sign running back Justin Fargas to a three-year, $12 million contract before he hit free agency. However, Al Davis could not retain Clemons, wide receiver Jerry Porter, or backup quarterback Josh McCown.

Miami Dolphins
The Bill Parcells purge continues in South Beach. The Miami Herald is reporting that the Dolphins and defensive end Jason Taylor are on the verge of parting ways, following suit of longtime friend and teammate Zach Thomas, ending an era in Miami.

Parcells has made some key additions to the Dolphins, boosting their chances for a better 2008. The addition of Reggie Torbor boosts the linebacking corps that lost Thomas to the Cowboys. Torbor signed a four-year deal with Miami after winning the Super Bowl with the Giants last season. The Dolphins added another linebacker in Charlie Anderson, who most recently played for Houston. Former Titans defensive tackle Randy Starks and former 49ers guard Justin Smiley were both signed to five-year contracts by the Dolphins. And this was just the second day of free agency.

On the first day of free agency, Parcells signed former Raiders and Cardinals quarterback Josh McCown to a two-year deal where he will try to become 13^th starting quarterback in Miami since the retirement of Dan Marino. The lone holdover of last season's quarterback carousel is second-year pro John Beck who saw action in his rookie campaign last season. The Dolphins released Cleo Lemon and Trent Green, both of whom were utterly disappointing in 2007.

Miami acquired Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Jason Ferguson and their sixth-round pick in the 2008 Draft for the Dolphins 2008 and 2009 sixth-round selections. Parcells signed former Cowboys draftee Sean Ryan to a one-year deal. Ryan has nine catches for 90 yards in his career, which includes a stint with the New York Jets. Finally, the Dolphins signed former Jaguars wide receiver Ernest Wilford to a four-year contract after he had a career season in which he caught 45 passes for 518 yards and three touchdowns. I would not expect Miami to be done yet either.

Now, it's BSchwartz's turn…

First off I want to thank DJ for having me as a guest spot in this blog. My goal here was to find a few teams that have been picked apart as well as a few that are sitting back and watching the first few days of free agency.

My first teams are the ones that have sat back and watched as their top talent takes off to bigger and better things.

New England Patriots
The team that led the way last year in the Free Agency period seems to be the biggest loser thus far in 2008. Asante Samuel's departure was a given, but still will leave a hole in the secondary. The good news for New England is that Asante was more or less a system DB, he made his name by sitting in the Pat's system and using Safeties to trap WR's. The bad news, Asante will fit in PERFECTLY in Philly using Dawkins to help him out and will prove to stay at the top of his game.

Then there is the Randy Moss saga. Everyone felt that Moss was happy in New England and would easily stay there. Well they forgot that Moss is also happy with loads of zeros on his pay checks. Remember this guy played for Oakland on purpose. Even if Moss returns it will cost New England as well as upsetting some guys that took pay cuts to stay. Add to all of that Stallworth's signing to Cleveland means that the great WR's that the Pats had a year ago may just be Wes Welker come next season.

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals thought that they landed Shaun Rogers. For a second it seemed like they may be making a move to improve their pitiful defense. But then the Browns swooped in and took Rogers, and while the Bengals were busy with that their top 2 defensive players headed out of town.

Justin Smith and Madieu Williams may have both gotten a little more than they were worth, but at the same time who does that leave on the Bengals D? They need to do something quick.

NY Giants
Last year the Giants lost Tiki and as a result won a Super Bowl, so I'm guessing they are going with that "Less is More" strategy again this year. Thus far the Giants have locked up their kicking crew, Jeff Feagles who is what 87 years old? And Lawrence Tynes who was a bad Brett Favre pass away from being known as the guy that kicked the knuckle ball that landed about 35 yards wide and 20 yards short of winning a game.

As far as players taking off? Although they have a Manning at QB this team achieved the greatest honor in the NFL because of their defense. That defense will have to be without Kawika Mitchell and Gibril Wilson next year. I also wouldn't hold my breath on Michael Strahan coming back for another year either.

So we are what 2 days into free agency? So when I was asked to name the teams that were sitting back and doing nothing, well I guess these guys will be there for now. Time will tell if these guys stay here.

Denver Broncos
My very own Denver Broncos HAVE to lead this list. While this team is criticized every year for overspending on risky free agents and not planning too much for the future they are now being criticized for the opposite.

Denver started out as the first team to reach a deal for Shaun Rogers and have ended up re-signing John Engelberger as their biggest name thus far. They also let the loud mouthed sorry knee having Javon Walker walk away (or should I say limp? If you can't tell I'm a bit bitter with how that worked out).

The silver lining for the blue and orange is that not only has John Lynch decided to come back but he will be back at a discounted price to allow the team to get some young talent. It would seem that this franchise has learned their lesson, but then again if there is another #84 on the Broncos by the end of the week with "MOSS" above that number don't be shocked.

Atlanta
The Falcons made the first news of free agency this year. They just couldn't wait to dump as many players as they could. Letting Rod Coleman, Byron Leftwich, and Alge Crumpler go as well as a few more.

So that would mean that Atlanta is going to come out guns blazing right? Well….. They re-signed Chris Redman, yeah they guy that was selling insurance during last year's free agency period.

My advice to Atlanta, don't cut the guys you have unless you know you can get someone, ANYONE to replace them.

Kansas City
The Chiefs put off losing star DE Jared Allen by one season with the dreaded Franchise Tag. And since then the only guy they have gotten to take an offer is punter Dustin Colquitt. WOO HOO! This brings me to a question a friend of mine posed a while back. If you know your team is going to be bad do you put more focus on getting a good punter?

Either way KC needs to focus on something, sure Larry Johnson should be a bit more productive than he was a year ago, but that isn't going to cut it. Your team was awful last year and you are doing nothing to change that.

While there may be a few other teams that could fit the "Sit back" group, some teams really have no need to go out and bid for guys. As for the fans of teams on either of these lists, remember last year people felt the Giants didn't make enough moves to get over the hump and that the Rams and 49ers made all the right moves. So take it for what it is.

If you read all of this, you deserve a gold star.

GOLD STAR!

The Farce of the 40

2008-02-24T10:13:00.002-05:00

The combine is this weekend. The best college football players from around the country congregate in Indianapolis to be measured to the quarter-inch, weighed to the half pound, and poked and prodded in determining their health. After that, they are subjected to a battery of tests such as the 40-yard dash, the bench press, the shuttle, and so on. The scouts examine all the results and compare them down the second decimal place against each other, searching for the player that could be draft gold. It is sad though, because the combine really provides no merit.

I'll start with the 40. I've heard rumors about how Devin Hester ran a 4.1 and about how Darrell Green repeatedly ran in the 4.2s. But they didn't really run that fast. This article provides all the information you need on the 40 if you're really interested. I will echo some of its sentiments, but for the full monkey, read that. It has some good evidence. How can guys in t-shirts, baggy shorts, and sneakers running on artificial turf run that fast? The truth is they cannot. Well how do they get those times? Hand-timing. The NFL does not use electric timing, so it depends on 30-some scouts holding stopwatches to record these times, which is a somewhat corrupt system.

If a scout has a favorite prospect, he can easily shave a few notches off his time, making him look better to the team. If a team has a problem with a prospect, the scouts can fudge his times, pointing to bad combine performance as their reason for not drafting him. If their decision is second-guessed later, they always have bad combine performance to fall back on.

Another problem with the 40 is the circumstances. You have a football player. Starting in a sprinter's stance. Not wearing pads. And not carrying a football. Does that accurately translate to on-field ability? I don't think so. A player will run differently if they're wearing pads. A player will run differently if they are carrying the football. A player will run differently if they are carrying the football. A player will run differently if there are 11 other faster men out there chasing him. And at the combine they want him to run a 40-yard dash to determine his draft? Please.

The best analogy for the combine I have heard is "a test for which the students already know the answers." That describes it perfectly. The players know exactly what will be at the combine, and therefore can train specifically for those events. They can train to run a fast 40, they can train to bench press 225 pounds more times than anyone. But does any of this translate to on-field ability? Not really. Does Mike Mamula sound familiar? He vaulted himself to the seventh pick in the draft in the late 1990s because of his combine performance. However, he was not much of a player on the field, thus labeling him a workout warrior and a draft bust.

If I was a GM searching for talent, I would most likely stick to looking at on-field performance when evaluating talent. Certain gems can be revealed through the combine, but would do you really want to go by tests the students have all the answers for?

Action-Reaction: February 17, 2008

2008-02-17T14:29:00.002-05:00

Not much news going on right now. I do not have that much to say either.

Action: Roger Goodell is under fire because he said SpyGate was closed but now it is open, or something to that point.
Reaction: I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but I'm calling it as I see it. I think that if the Patriots had beaten the Giants, this would not have been reopened. They could have been displayed as a team that fought adversity and accusations all season long and reached their ultimate goal. But now the Patriots can be displayed as the ones who "almost got away with it." They can take the Patriots down, all the way down, because they are not the undefeated golden children of the NFL.

Action: The circus, I mean Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee, was on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
Reaction: I watched about an hour of the "festivities" as I called them and, as they all say, someone is lying. I personally think it is Clemens. Clemens came off as just guilty. And arrogant. Almost Bonds-esque arrogance. While McNamee owned up to his mistakes and admitted to his credibility issues, Clemens skirted the questions he was asked when it was pointed out that he had credibility issues just like McNamee. What bothered me the most was just that Clemens looked guilty. Boy, did he look guilty. He only made eye contact occasionally when being questioned, often looking off to the side or looking down at papers in front of him. While McNamee was speaking he was jotting down something on papers he had in front of him as well. McNamee, however, kept his eyes on the questioner most of the time and was very calm and collected while he was talking. I do not know if McNamee had any of the same treatment, but Clemens speaking to his lawyers before answering some of the questions just sort of sealed it. My opinion. I've also talked to some diehard Yankees fans who think Clemens is guilty as well. Tough sledding ahead for the Rocket.

Action: Former Ram Willie Gary is suing the Patriots for taping the Rams' final walkthrough at Super Bowl XXXVI.
Reaction: Who is Willie Gary?

Really short edition today, but I must take this opportunity to promote next week's edition of Action-Reaction: The Farce of the 40.

You draftniks will never be the same.

Oops

2008-02-09T11:56:00.003-05:00

First off, I was going to write a blog defending Bill Belichick for his actions at the end of Super Bowl XLII, but since every member of the media outside the New England area and ESPN is against him, it would be pretty pointless for me to do so. I'm not in the mood to be torn apart right now.

Second of all, the Patriots only lost because Belichick was wearing that hideous red sweatshirt, not his trusty old gray one.

But my main point. Did anyone else watch Today on Monday morning? Did you notice anything about who was reporting on the Super Bowl? Yep, that's right, NBC had former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber covering Super Bowl XLII from Glendale.

VIDEO LINK BECAUSE IT WON'T EMBED

Now that has to be one of the most awkward television moments ever, but I have to applaud Tiki, as he did a fantastic job. But still, the sight of Tiki Barber interviewing a champagne-drenched Eli Manning about just winning the Super Bowl after essentially saying that the Giants had no shot at winning under Tom Coughlin or with Manning at quarterback just brings out all the awkward emotions in me.

As most of you know, Barber left the Giants after the 2006 season at the ripe age of 31 and was publicly criticized for letting his team down and walking away from the game. Personally, I agree with him in his agreeing to walk away from football. When you're 60-years old, do you want to be able to walk around or do you want to be stuck in bed reminiscing about the glory days? I'd like to have my health.

When I used to ask my mom if I could play football, she would tell me a story about Johnny Unitas and his son. The story goes that young his son was deciding between golf and football and went to his dad, the legendary quarterback for guidance. According to the story, the elder Unitas said that if his son wanted to be able to walk, he should play golf. I don't know how true that anecdote is, but it is still powerful.

Barber may not have had a good "football reason" (ie injury, fatigue, contract dispute, no playing time) to retire, but he had a career waiting for him in TV, a job he rightfully took. I don't know how good his performance on the tube has been, however. His early season criticisms of the Giants provided extra drama and really made him look stupid. I thought he would do a good job, but he has not really lived up to expectations.

So yeah.

This blog was supposed to be about Belichick.

But instead, it is about Barber.

Action-Reaction: February 3, 2008

2008-02-03T10:04:00.002-05:00

I'm actually writing this on Saturday like I'm writing it on Sunday, but that's because I want to get up and post it before the Fox pregame starts at 9:00 AM ET. Really, who even watches it? I'm going to be homework. But now it's Sunday. And it's 8:51 AM. Probably won't beat Fox.

DAMN!

Action: The New England Patriots put their quest for an undefeated season on the line tonight against the New York Giants in Glendale, Arizona in Super Bowl XLII.
Reaction: The ________ will beat the _______ by a score of __-__.

Ha sorry. Didn't want to get too far ahead of myself. So here's a little meditation on each team.

The New England Patriots. Love them or hate them, they are still 18-0, looking to go 19-0 and complete the first undefeated season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They have boyishly good-looking Tom Brady and the highest scoring offense in NFL history. Fun for the defenses.

The New York Giants aren't supposed to be here. They were left for dead after Week 2. But they're here. They've won 11 straight road games (not that it matters, neutral site) and have plenty of momentum.

Let's take a closer look.

Quarterback
Tom Brady. Yes, the man has three rings (and Gisele Bundchen). Eventually, he'll probably have to sprout extra fingers, but you cannot deny how great his play has been of late. The addition of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, and Wes Welker has helped him even more, as he had been doing more with less for years. Brady's been here before, so he knows the drill.

On the other side of the ball is Eli Manning. Manning has been consistent this postseason, but he did throw an NFL-high 20 interceptions during the regular season. Many people are playing the waiting game, waiting to see if the Eli we all know and love (except Giants fans) shows up.

Edge: New England (duh).

Running Back
Laurence Maroney has come on strong of late and showed he can carry the load if the passing game is not producing desired results. Kevin Faulk is the most underrated member of the Patriots, but, hey, he has three rings. Faulk is definitely a player to watch. He can do it all. He can run, block, and pass, and, along with Welker, is Brady's safety valve on third downs. Heath Evans and Kyle Eckel provide bruising short-yardage ability.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have made everyone forget Tiki Barber (except Tiki Barber) and the two combine for a great change of pace combination. Jacobs, weighing in at 264 pounds, is a wrecking ball, while Bradshaw is fearless and quick. Bradshaw has had some fumbling issues this season which should be something to watch. Jim Finn is a solid fullback.

Edge: Even. We'll only know after the game.

Wide Receivers
Ah yes, the Patriots' wide receiving corps, the most daunting in the league. Randy Moss has not shown up at all this preseason, but has still managed to impact games on the ground, showing the Belichick will get him involved as much as possible. Moss can stretch the defense like he did on his record-breaking touchdown catch in December, or go across the middle. The Giants will use Gibril Wilson to try and get some hits on him early and intimidate him across the middle. Donte' Stallworth has not produced as much as people expected this season, but his value is still there. He provides a decoy to stretch the field for Moss, Welker, or Gaffney to get underneath. Speaking of Wes Welker, no one expected him to do this at all this year. I thought he was the most overrated acquisition in the history of the NFL, but he has proved myself and everyone else wrong. Welker is essentially another running back on the field, but one's been able to stop him. Teams seem more willing to left him hurt them underneath than to let Moss or Stallworth hurt them deep. Finally, Jabar Gaffney. This is the one member of the Patriots organization I hate the most. Was he even supposed to be on the team this year? I don't think so. But he's still there, making crucial plays. It's one of those things that's like, "They have Moss, Stallworth, and Welker. Why are they going to Gaffney?"

If the Patriots do anything in this game, it should be to double cover Plaxico Burress. This is the one thing the Packers did not do that really miffed me. They don't need to double him the entire game, but every once in a while, throw another safety over the top on him. Burress absolutely did not many things to Al Harris that cannot be mentioned on this blog, but getting some extra hits on him with a safety should do some good. Amani Toomer is still quick (witness his touchdown catch against Dallas), but the man is playing on a reconstructed knee and the Patriots corners are faster. Belichick should be able to spare some single coverage on Toomer to cover Plexi-glass. Steve Smith provides a viable third option, but he is inexperienced which could cause some problems.

Edge: New England.

Tight Ends
The Patriots tight ends are solid. Ben Watson is a viable red-zone target (3 catches, 2 touchdowns in the playoffs) and he has the right combination of size and speed to create mismatches within the linebackers. Kyle Brady is primarily a blocking tight end who is used most of the time in motion.

Kevin Boss has been a pleasant surprise in place of Jeremy Shockey. Heck, The Baltimore Sun says that Boss is a more complete player than Shockey. Who knew? After Boss however, the depth isn't there like it is in New England. Boss will garner some looks from Manning, but he will have a hard time shaking the Patriots linebacking corps.

Edge: New England.

Offensive Line
The New England offensive line has been flawless this year. Matt Light will have his hands full with Osi Umenyiora, but when these two teams met in December, the Patriots O-line was not at full strength. The line will switch around its blocking schemes, sometimes doubling Umenyiora, sometimes doubling Strahan.

The Giants offensive line is a little banged up. Rich Seubert is probable, and I think the durability of this line is in question. Other than that, The Sun says that the Giant's O-line is "nothing special."

Edge: New England

Offensive Edge: New England.

Defensive Line
New England has a front line of Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, and Sir Fine-a-Lot himself, Vince Wilfork. Seymour and Warren get good pressure from the end spots while Wilfork can push through almost everything up the middle. Combined with the fact that the Patriots use many different looks with their linebackers on the line to confuse the offensive line, Manning could be in for a long day. Seymour and Warren have good speed for defensive ends as well as monstrous strength.

The crux of the Giants defensive line is their defensive ends. Tackles Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield can hold their own stuffing the run, but if the Giants want to have a chance in this game, they need to put constant pressure on Brady the whole game. Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora got pressure on Brady in the December meeting, but neither of them could get to him and sack him. The X-factor becomes Justin Tuck who will have to be rotated in to keep Strahan and Osi fresh the entire game. Strahan really wants this ring, and I think this will be a defining moment for Osi. Osi had 13 sacks during the season, but six came in one game and only seven came in games against first string offensive tackles. Something to think about.

Edge: Even.

Linebackers
New England is old, no question about it. Based on name recognition, Junior Seau, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Adalius Thomas, and the other dude I'm forgetting would be the best corps in the league. However, they are not Methuselah and have accepted age. They're still good, don't get me wrong, but the first time Brandon Jacobs takes aim at one of these linebackers, how they react will be imperative to the outcome of the game.

New York's crew might actually be better. Antonio Pierce anchors the middle with Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor on either side. If I recall correctly, Torbor got some great hits on Brady in December, but with Belichick's mind, I don't see that happening again. The linebacking corps will have to change up their looks, adjusting the fact that they will have to cover Wes Welker occasionally. They are definitely more athletic than the Patriots group, but they don't have the experience.

Edge: New England, but only because of experience.

Defensive Backs
First off, Plaxico Burress and Randy Moss have a height advantage on all of these corners.

Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs will be on Toomer and Burress the whole game. James Sanders will most likely be used to shade and give help to whichever needs it the most while Rodney Harrison will be a fifth linebacker in the box, taking aim at Jacobs.

The Giants cornerbacks are very inexperienced. Corey Webster and Aaron Ross have both been in the league less than four years. The Giants aren't putting Jason Seahorn out there either (hey, he got burned by Brandon Stokley seven years ago, maybe he wasn't that good anyway). Sam Madison is another solid corner, but he has been injured this year and has gotten burned occasionally. R.W. McQuarters will come in on some nickel and dime situations. James Butler will probably in the box like Harrison, while Gibril Wilson will have the daunting task of playing centerfield against this passing attack.

Edge: I'll say Even again.

Kickers
Stephen Gostkowski is 1-2 in the postseason but has made nine of his last ten. He isn't Vinatieri, but he has a good leg and the game may be under the retractable roof.

NFC Championship Game hero Lawrence Tynes will have scrutiny thrust upon him again this week. If he misses, he probably won't have a chance to redeem himself. Bill Belichick does not like to give second chances.

Edge: Even.

Punters
Chris Hanson has been solid this year, but the Patriots have not really had to punt that much either.

The roof might be closed due to chances of showers, so Jeff Feagles, one of the best directional punters, should have a great day.

Edge: New York.

Returners
Ellis Hobbs holds the NFL record for longest kick return, a 108-yarder in Week 1, while Wes Welker is dangerous in the open field. Both are fast (no dip, why did I write that?).

Domenik Hixon is hoping for déjà vu again against New England. Hixon broke off a kick return for a touchdown in Week 17. R.W. McQuarters handles the punt return duties, but he fumbled last week, so watch for New England to go for the strip.

Edge: Even.

Coaching
Bill Belichick is the master motivator. He has drilled the us-against-the world philosophy into the heads of his players. The news that the Patriots taped the St. Louis Rams final walk through before Super Bowl XXXVI will not distract them. It only provides more ammunition for Belichick to use. He knows that there are a lot of people out there who don't want the Patriots to win. He wants to win and he knows that he can win.

Tom Coughlin was a dead man after Week 2. The Giants were 0-2, had been blown out 35-13 at home by the Packers, and had lost 9 of their last 11. He quickly righted a sinking ship and has taken them all the way. Hopefully, he has defrosted by now.

Edge: New England.

Now for the moment of truth. Kimmie Meissner is picking New England, and I will have to agree with my hometown hero (my sister went to middle school with her).

The New England Patriots will win Super Bowl XLII, their fourth title in seven years, over the New York Giants by a score of 34-24. Tom Brady will throw three touchdown passes to Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Jabar Gaffney while Laurence Maroney adds another on the ground. Stephen Gostkowski will add two field goals. Eli Manning will throw two touchdowns, one apiece to Plaxico Burress and Kevin Boss, while Ahmad Bradshaw breaks the plain once. In addition, Lawrence Tynes will go 1-2 on field goals.

Tom Brady wins Super Bowl MVP for the third time as he completes 24 of 32 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns.

Kapish?

Jerramy Stevens, We Hardly Knew Ye

2008-02-02T10:09:00.002-05:00

Jerramy Stevens, you should be ashamed of yourself.

No, not for your comments before Super Bowl XL and then your subsequent choking.

For your past. You are a despicable human being. You deserve nothing of what you have.

Oh, excuse my outburst right there. I need to explain myself. The reason for my outburst is a Seattle Times in-depth feature on the 2000 University of Washington football team entitled "Victory and Ruins" that exposes the team's run-ins with the law and the lack of discipline provided by coach Rick Neuhisel and athletic director Barbara Hedges. The team featured felons and players who had misdemeanors and players charged with sexual assault. Perfect for the stereotypical athlete getting off on crimes.

Which brings me to Jerramy Stevens. Stevens was one of four players given his own section in the feature. His was entitled "Convicted of assault and rape, star player received raft of second chances." The actions of Stevens that are chronicled in this disgust me. I don't need to describe them. You can read the article yourself. But what is even more appalling is the action (or lack thereof) taken by the state of Washington and the school itself.

Here's FanNation's own Big Ben68 with his reaction to the Stevens article:

Holy f*cking hell...Stevens has done a lot of s*it and gotten away with just about all of it...

I don't want to sound like an athlete-hater, because I'm not. I am an athlete and I participate in athletics at my school. But I really hate special treatment given to athletes. It's something that just really gets me. In my Honors Algebra II class last year, one of my teammates on track spent an entire quarter with a 70 before being moved down a class. The track coach was our teacher. There was another incident in the fall at my school where the school received pictures of various students, including three defensive starters on the football team, drinking on the morning of our school's first night game in its 43-year history. All athletes had to sign a pledge when the season started accepting responsibility and discipline if something like this happened. The common understanding was that we would be suspended from athletics for a year. The three football players missed two games. Members of the women's soccer team that implicated did not miss any time, according to some people. The extent of their punishment was supposedly writing an apology and apologizing in team meetings. However, our administration did not release any information, so the details still remain cloudy.

But what University of Washington did was horrible. Who knows how many people their football players hurt? Stevens was obviously out of control and the school barely did anything about it. Read the article. Read about what he did in high school. This guy is a disgrace. And the ignorance. To me, ignorance is the worst thing an athlete can have. Ignorance to rules, ignorance to authority, and ignorance to the team. Stevens had them all. He probably would not be drafted on the first day in the NFL Draft today because of his character issues. Stevens deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Pacman Jones as well. And Cedrick Wilson might have to join him.

It is a disgrace to the NFL that they have players like these associated with the league. One moment, you are reading about Brett Favre, but the next you are reading about Pacman Jones or Rae Carruth. Sadly, the NFL has members from both ends of the spectrum.

Now I don't have any personal connection to Stevens. I have Madden NFL 2002, in which Stevens is a backup tight end to Christian Fauria on the Seahawks, but I never really played with the Seahawks. Before Super Bowl XL, Stevens' 15 minutes of fame, I immediately disliked him. I was rooting for the Seahawks, but listening to this guy talk made me want to hurt him. I laughed at him after he dropped those three passes.

In the words of a Deadspin.com article, "The 2000 Washington Huskies were horrible people:"

We'll say this, and it'll be the last time we ever say it: We wish Joey Porter would have put his face through a wall.

Agreed?

Anyway, you owe it to yourself to read the Seattle Times feature.

Thanks for reading.

Rap (or Hip-Hop) Review

2008-01-21T20:04:00.002-05:00

For the past few days, I have been on a rap binge. My sister came home from college with a few rap albums she said I need to hear. Then we went to the library the next day and we left with a few more rap albums. I listened to all of these (a total of seven, less than I thought) in two days. I came out with a whole new viewpoint on rap (or hip-hop or whatever).

As with most young people, I had that requisite rap stage in fifth grade and into middle school. For some reason, Like Mike really captivated me. I don't know why, nor do I want to know why. I listened to that soundtrack a million times. I thought I was pretty cool for listening to that. After a while, I moved into the whole "Rap is crap" phase of my life. I wasn't really interested in 50 Cent, Nelly, Young Buck, G-Unit, or any of those people really. I hated rap, rappers, and all the people that listened to it. In eighth grade it was really bad. I was a blues snob and hated everything. However, like all things, I grew out of that stage (thank God). Now, thanks to a sister who is a music major, I have been exposed to many different types of music, including rap (again). This time around, I made sure not to abandon my roots (experimental rock). And this is what I came up with:

In the past week, I have listened to:
The Black Album – Jay-Z
Graduation – Kanye West
The Cool – Lupe Fiasco
Kala – M.I.A.
Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A
Hip Hop Is Dead – Nas
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest

After listening to all of these, I feel a little "rapped" out, but not so enough that I can't write about these.

The Black Album – Jay-Z
This was my least favorite album of all that I listened to. Jay-Z's voice just doesn't have it for me. Also, I just don't feel that Jay-Z can really rap about his subject matter. It's confusing, but let me explain. I think of Jay-Z more as Shawn Carter now than Jay-Z. I see him as a millionaire mogul. And then I hear him rapping in "Justify My Thug," and I just don't get it. Why does a multi-millionaire mogul need to rap about his "thug"? I'm probably not in touch with the whole street thing (Esco or J. Hova, want to clue me it?), but this song seems a little unnecessary. I'd probably be more accepting of this if it was in his older stuff, but in 2003? I don't think so.

Anyway, I would have to say that my favorite song off of this album is "99 Problems." That's probably everybody's favorite Jay-Z song, but it is a great song. It has a "Fuck Tha Police" feel in it. That's the only song I really like off of The Black Album.

Guess I'll have to get some more Jay-Z.

Graduation – Kanye West
Compared to The College Dropout, Graduation is great. I did not like The College Dropout at all. There were too many skits in it and I didn't really feel the flow in it. Graduation is a different story. I really like the feel to it and I like Kanye better than Jay-Z, so that might have something to do with it as well. I don't really have any qualms about this album.

My favorite song off this album is "Stronger." I really like the song, partly because of the Daft Punk sample, but West does a good job of rapping over it and not totally destroying it.

The Cool – Lupe Fiasco
Now, if there's one thing I hate, it is super long rap albums. However, The Cool doesn't do that to me. Despite weighing in at 19 tracks, Lupe Fiasco can keep my attention span for the period of time needed to listen to the entire album. This album is full of great tracks. "Go Go Gadget Flow" is my favorite song off of this album. "Paris, Tokyo" and "Hi-Definition" keep this album interesting. I'll admit my interest fell off near the end while I was listening because of the length, but nonetheless, a great sophomore release. No sophomore slump for Lupe Fiasco.

Kala – M.I.A.
M.I.A. has been taking the British underground scene by storm and for good reason. She is a rising star in the world. Kala is a great album. She's got great beats and everything. My favorite tracks are "Paper Planes" and "Come Around." "Come Around" is fine until Timbaland comes in and starts rapping. The songs on this album have almost tribal beats to them, making them extremely catchy.
Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A
I liked this album but I just had one problem with it: the songs are too damn long. I guess when you have X number of members you have to let each of them have a shout-out, but it gets ridiculous. I barely made it through this album just because of the length of it. Still a great one. Not as good as some of the other ones, but I still really liked it.

Hip Hop Is Dead – Nas
This is the best album out of all the ones I listened to. I really liked Nas's delivery and the album had the whole epic delivery to it. I'm going braindead right now, but the album is just good top to bottom. My favorite song off of this one is the title track, which seems cliché, but I always find it in my head. This is probably my favorite album out of all of these.

It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
This album is a showcase of Chuck D's genius. Most of today's generation would just recognize Flavor Flav from this and just talk about him. However, I feel that Flavor makes it hard to take Public Enemy seriously, because whenever I hear his voice I just start thinking about Flavor of Love and just start laughing. Chuck D steals the show though. I have read about how this album is all him and if it is, it is a work of art. I would have to say that my favorite song off of this album though is "Cold Lampin' With Flavor." No other songs really stick out even though it is a great album.

The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
I really, really like this group and album. I love the bass and drum beats in all the songs, and I like how the lyrics seem to lack the pretentiousness found in the lyrics of other artists. I find the fact that there is an Arsenio Hall reference in almost every song quite amusing. This album has a laid-back feel, but you can feel the beat being pushed by the drums and bass and the occasional horn solo. Great album. My favorite song is "What?" credited to the fact that it was the line "What is a compound without a element?"

Rank of the Albums
Hip Hop Is Dead – Nas
The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
The Cool – Lupe Fiasco
It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A
Graduation – Kanye West
Kala – M.I.A.
The Black Album – Jay-Z

Your thoughts on my opinions?

Or your opinions on my thoughts?

I'm no hip-hop/rap expert by the way.

Thanks.

Lawrence Tynes: Zero to Hero

2008-01-21T13:08:00.002-05:00

Ah, Mr. Tynes. You're a lucky man don't you know. If your Giants had lost last night, there would be a thousand angry New Yorkers outside of your home with pitchforks, torches, and broken bottles. There would also be a basket of cheese from yours truly in the mail. But no. Instead you become yet another athlete to redeem himself on the big stage. If I were you I would have a fruit basket in the mail to Corey Webster right now, by the way. I think he would deeply appreciate it.

Tynes is the new poster boy for America's short term memory loss. In a period of ten minutes he goes from the top of every hit list in New York City to the hero of the NFC Championship Game. However, like all athletes, he still has even more pressure on him. If he messes up again in Super Bowl XLII, should he just pack his bags and head back to Scotland? Or will he be allowed to stick around? Remember Jay Feely after his disastrous game in Seattle?

That is the matchup I will be watching on Super Sunday. Will Lawrence Tynes remain the hero? Or will he become the zero?

Action-Reaction: January 20, 2008

2008-01-20T13:10:00.002-05:00

Ah, so Axn-Rxn is back after a one week hiatus. Stupid exams. Anyway, it's 10:47 AM ET and I'm sitting in my room (complete disaster area) thinking about a lot of stuff. I cannot get The Mars Volta show out of my head (I'll try to post a review soon). I'm trying to get my plans together for today (Lots of football involved). I'm trying to figure out what I got on my exams (84 on AP Euro is all I know). I'm listening to In Defense of the Genre by Say Anything (totally sucky album, …Is a Real Boy absolutely pwns it). I'm gonna listen to something else now (Hold up). Minus The Bear will work for now. I'm also dreading having to finish taking the Christmas tree down today before my friend comes over to watch the New England-San Diego game, and then I'm skipping a track party to go over to my friend's house (his dad is the biggest Packer fan I have ever met) to watch the Green Bay-New York game. And on top of this, there really is not any news out there. So I'll make a compromise with you guys. I'll just put the one newsworthy bit I have, then talk a bit about the two games today and the significance of the weekend. So deal.

Action: Unranked Maryland Terrapins upset #1 North Carolina IN Chapel Hill.
Reaction: I don't know if they burned any cars in College Park or not. Anyway, I am not a Terps fan at all. My parents initially told me that I was not allowed to go there for college (stupid party schools), but of course, they have pulled a John Kerry (flip-flop) and said I could go there because it has one of the top journalism programs in the mid-Atlantic. Forget that, I am getting out the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. ANYWAY, I watched the last 1:22 of this game and it was quite exciting. Now, I said I wasn't a Terps fan, but that does not mean I won't root for them, especially when they are playing North Carolina or Duke (GOAT, the basketball gods are going to strike you down for liking both). I'm like all people that grew up in Maryland. I have that tiny connection to UMD, because it represents my state (which I hate), right? So when I turned it on and Maryland was down 78-76 with 1:22 left, I was praying for a victory. Bambale Osby looks like a kid at my school. Anyway (again), I have no clue why Hansbrough took that three at the end. I know he had a great look, but couldn't they have at least gotten it to Ellington? He's probably a better shooter with a bad look than Hansbrough is with a good look. Well, we'll never know.

I was talking to my friend last night afterwards, and he said that was Maryland's defining win for the year and that win could put them into the tournament. We'll have to wait and see. In my opinion, the Maryland program has been on the downhill after their National Championship. Williams is a great coach and all, but the recruiting is not there. The only good recruit I know they're getting next year is Sean Mosely of St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. I don't know his rank or anything (GOAT, want to give me some help?), but I saw him play against my school and he was great. He's got great size and a great shot for a guard. He was being guarded by our forwards and just owned up on them. He did dog it occasionally, but once the ball came to him, he lit it up. He could be up for a bit of a wakeup call in college, but he still looked great.

Anyway, that's the only viable news tidbit for the day, so I decided I'd do just a bit of writing about this weekend.

The following section will be re-posted in PackerNation, so by the way, so I ain't plagiarizing.

The air is electric today. I don't think I have been this pumped up for a game in a long, long time. Why? Well, in case you live under a rock, my Packers are in the NFC Championship Game. I'm not going to go too in-depth into the game because of superstition, but yeah, I'll just talk. I have been waiting a long time for this. I was merely four years old when the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI. My family was living in a one-floor rancher, a half-hour from everywhere in Southern Maryland. My grandparents were visiting from Oregon, and we were having a great family time watching the Super Bowl. Now, I had developed a love-affair with the Packers earlier that year. I was an impressionable young child. Something about watching that Favor dude in the #4 jersey just captivated me. There was something about those green jerseys and yellow helmets and the cheeseheads and the frozen tundra and the name Lambeau just had me. I remember making fun of my aunt two weeks before the Super Bowl after the Packers had just finished off the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship Game because she had a Kerry Collins, Carolina Panthers travel bag. I mocked her endlessly, but she put up with me. I was just that kind of child. So the game rolled around and I was the only one in the household rooting for the Packers. I barely remember anything about the game except for Desmond Howard sprinting past Adam Viniateri into the endzone. That play still gets me to this day. The image that stays with me to this day is Favre running around on the field, helmet held high, after throwing the touchdown pass to Andre Rison in the first quarter. The Packers went on to win, and I was a Packers fan for life.

Now, the summer of 1997 was a summer of change for me. My family moved from Southern Maryland up to a little town (now a huge-a** area ripe with urban sprawl) because my dad had taken a job at a little Catholic high school. My sister went through there and now I am currently going through there. In the fall of 1997, I started kindergarten and became more aware of my surroundings. I started clipping box scores out of newspapers (WTF?) and saving them. I cut anything out of the paper that remotely had to do with the Pack Attack. I watched all their games. My mood was devastated if they lost. My life started to depend on them. I got my first Brett Favre jersey from my godfather (sadly, we gave it away later, not realizing the significance of it), and I just started to watch the Packers. Then Super Bowl XXXII came. I had watched the Packers defeat Steve Young and the 49ers the week before in that mud bowl. My sister, three years older than me, much to my horror, was becoming a Broncos fan. We fought many times over this. Anyway, I sat through Super Bowl XXXII. The game just didn't feel right to me. The Packers weren't in their reliable home jerseys (I used to abhor the white road jerseys, but they have grown on me as I now possess one) and the Broncos just looked too good. The game ended. I sat down in our dining room (I was watching it on a little ten-inch TV) and cried. It was painful. I felt like my world was ending.

The 1998 Packers season was another I would like to forget. I myself take full responsibility for their loss in the Wild-Card game to San Francisco, because my benevolent godfather had given me a Steve Young jersey for Christmas (it still remains one of my most prized possessions, because, hey, it's Steve Young). I cried again when Terrell Owens caught that pass in front of Darren Sharper after the blow fumble call on Jerry Rice. I still haven't forgiven you Mr. Rice. As for you Mr. Owens, well, ha, that's another blog for another time. I almost lost one of my good friends, Craig, because of that game. Craig was the first Packer fan I met at my new school and his dad is the biggest Packer fan I know. I'm going to their house tonight to watch the game. Whenever I went over to Craig's house to chill, his dad would pull out some Packers DVD or VHS and we'd just sit and watch it. Sadly, Craig has become a Titans fan. That's another story.

Anyway, 1999-2004 are dark years for me. My interest and obsession with the Packers waned, and I became, gulp, a Ravens fan. Got that out of my system thankfully. I still had my Packers moments. In fourth and fifth grade, when I won back-to-back Geography Bee titles, I was wearing my new Brett Favre jersey. Remarkably, I have had the same Brett Favre road jersey since fourth or fifth grade. It still fits thankfully. In sixth grade, again at a new school, I immediately solidified myself as the number one Packer fan. The summer before and the summer before that (I get years mixed up too much), I had gone to Green Bay and the Packers training camp. Great experiences for me. Anyway, people knew I was a Packers fan, and I liked that they knew. In seventh grade, the Packers started off 0-4, and sadly, I gave up on them. They rallied back to finish 8-8 or 9-7 or something like that. I forget whether or not that was the year that Irv Favre died (might have been my sixth grade year), but I still have a tape of the Raiders game. This summer they showed it on NFL Network when I was out at my grandparents (converted fans now) and I made my cousins sit down and watch it and explained the significance to them.

Now, 2005 is the worst year in recent memory for Packers fans. The 4-12 season. The injuries. Javon Walker, my new second favorite player getting hurt and demanding a trade. Black Monday in Baltimore. I was there, but that's ANOTHER blog for another time. The sad part was I was a diehard that year. That hurt so bad. (It's now 11:47 AM ET. I'm writing a lot.) But I didn't lost faith. I applauded the McCarthy hire and the A.J. Hawk and Greg Jennings selections in the draft. But in 2006, because of the new workload of high school mostly, I was indifferent to their 8-8 season. But then I discovered a little thing called FanNation, and that rekindled my fire. This year has been one of the best ever for me. This is the closest I have followed the Packers EVER and it has paid off. People don't get why I'm skipping a party tonight. They don't get that I am now mentally insane, thanks to #4 of the Green Bay Packers. So now I sit in my yellow room, staring at my Packers pennant, my Lambeau Field panoramic, my Packers sheets (crap, gotta make my bed), my Super Bowl XXXI poster, and my Brett Favre poster.

And I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

*Brief interruption while I help my mom take the Christmas tree down*

*And we're back*

So I've basically lost my train of thought. It's now 1:04 PM EST. The Packers game starts in five hours and thirty-eight minutes while the Patriots-Chargers game starts in two-and-a-half hours. Minus The Bear is still sustaining me, so I guess that's good. Anyway, I would like to talk a little bit about the significance of this weekend. Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (THREE DAY WEEKEND!). But I just have a little bone to pick about this. I really hate when people call it MLK Day. Say the man's name for God's sake. Show him the respect he deserves. So while all you are out enjoying your day off, show some respect to the man. Use his full name. Don't take a shortcut in a society full of shortcuts.

Ah yes, one last nugget of news:

Action: John Harbaugh has been hired as coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
Reaction: Good luck. You're going to need it.

Album Review: In Utero

2008-01-17T18:41:00.002-05:00

I recently bought Nirvana's third and final album, In Utero. Upon listening to it, I decided to write a review.

Album: In Utero
Artist: Nirvana
Released: September 21, 1993
Recorded: February 12, 1993-February 26, 1993
Genre: Grunge
Length: 41:11
Label: DGC Records (Division of Geffen Records)
Producer: Steve Albini & Scott Litt

Reviews
All Music Guide: 5/5 stars
Robert Christgau: A
Entertainment Weekly: B+
NME: 8/10
Q: 4/5 stars
Rolling Stone: 4.5/5 stars

Other Accolades
Billboard Top 100: 1
Spin Best Albums of 1993: 3
Rolling Stone Album of the Year (Critics Pick): 1
Entertainment Weekly Top Albums of the Year: 5
Mojo Top 100 Albums of 1993: 13
Kerrang! 100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (Editors): 1
Kerrang! 100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (Readers): 2
Q Best 50 Albums of Q's Lifetime: 20
Spin 50 Most Essential Punk Records: 13
Spin 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s: 18
Magnet Top 60 Albums, 1933-1993: 2
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time: 439
Pitchfork Media Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: 13
Spin 100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005: 51
Q Best 100 Albums Ever: 22

Backstory: I was possessed to buy In Utero after reading an article by Jim DeRogatis in his book Milk It! About Nirvana and the recording process of In Utero. DeRogatis expressed how he thought that Nirvana's third and final studio album might be there best, even better than mega-hit Nevermind. Nirvana, after all, had it all going for them. They were going into recording with one of the biggest names in the alternative scene, Steve Albini, of Big Black and Shellac fame. Albini had worked on such hits as the Pixies' Surfer Rosa, which happened to be Kurt Cobain's favorite album. However, Albini is notorious for mixing the vocal tracks lower in the songs, making them harder to hear over the guitars. The members of Nirvana were happy with how In Utero sounded in the studio, but once they took it home the realized that the vocals were harder to hear than they wanted them to be. Albini, also being notoriously strict, would not allow Nirvana back into his studio to remix their work, so they were forced to remix it with a Geffen Records technician, fueling speculation that Geffen considered the album to be "unreleaseable" and that they were making Nirvana make it more radio-friendly. Geffen denied all of this. So what does this album sound like? Let's take a look (the reviews consist of my initial reaction in first hearing the song mixed with later listening. Also, this album has a lot of famous lines, so bear with me.):

1. "Serve the Servants"
The album opens with the resounding line "Teenage angst has paid off well." Despite a great opening line, the album does not open with the same raw power approach of Nevermind with "Smells Like Teen Spirit." If any of you are familiar with recent music and artists, this song sounds like a song from The Vines. Cobain's voice nearly mirrors frontman Craig Nicholls'. This song has a more calm air than I was expecting when I put this in and cranked up the volume. Even the disjointed guitar solo sounds laidback along with Cobain's vocals. The vocals remain "normal" until the last note of the song when Cobain lets out a small scream. The chorus of this song, "Serve the servants, oh no," intrigues me, as it seems that Cobain is implying (with the "oh no") that serving the servants would be taboo in today's society. My little opinion there. This is not quite the opener I was expecting, but after listening to it a few times, it is a great song.
Rating: 3.5/5

2. "Scentless Apprentice"
"Scentless Apprentice" opens with pounding drums from Dave Grohl and disjointed guitar until it settles into a constant riff. For each line Cobain backs off into feedback, restoring the riff between lines. The chorus is essentially a scream. This song could be classified as a headbanger, as I find myself subconsciously moving along with the beat. The bass, everpresent in Nirvana songs, is right along with the drums. Looking at the lyrics, it is unclear exactly who Kurt is referring to, and none of the lines really stick out except for the last one, "Throw me in the fire and I won't throw a fit." This song is a trademark of Albini recording, as Albini frequently used vocal effects. On the chorus, Cobain's scream appears as if it is covered by a film. The song is reminiscent of the Big Black (Albini's band) song "Kerosine." In listening to both, I have found that the words are essentially interchangeable.
Rating: 4/5

3. "Heart-Shaped Box"
One of the most famous songs off of In Utero, it opens with arpeggiated guitar chords, while drums and bass go along with it. This continues until the chorus when Cobain is unleashed and shouts "Hey / Wait / I've got a new complaint / Forever in debt to your priceless advice." The second verse follows the suit of the first verse and then after the second verse is a guitar solo, in which the bass line appears to be mixed very high in the song, almost above the guitar. After the third verse, the song ends with an extended chorus. This is one of Nirvana's greatest hits, and I agree. There isn't as much to write about it, but listening to it is enough explanation.
Rating: 5/5

4. "Rape Me"
Following one of Nirvana's most famous songs is its most controversial (I'm looking at you, Wal-Mart). "Rape Me" opens with the quiet lines, "Rape me / Rape me my friend / Rape me / Rape me again" before exploding into the chorus of "I'm not the only one." After the second verse and second chorus is the bridge with some of the most famous lines of the song, "My favorite inside source / I'll kiss your open sores." Despite all the controversy, this song follows the typical Nirvana formula of quiet verse, loud chorus, quiet verse. This is often considered an overrated Nirvana song, but I see no reason for that classification.
Rating: 4/5

5. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle"
Frances Farmer, for those of you who don't know, was an actress during the 1930's who fell into the pitfalls of drugs derailing her career. Cobain and his wife Courtney Love were infatuated with Farmer, who became the namesake for their daughter, Frances Bean, according to Jim DeRogatis' book Milk It!. According to Wikipedia, Frances Bean was named after Frances McKee of The Vaselines. This song has probably the least famous of Cobain's famous lines. The said line is the chorus of "I miss the comfort in being sad." The song opens with palm muted chords that explode before settling back into palm mutation. The pattern continues in the verse until the famous chorus and some typical Cobain groaning until the great breakdown of the song. The song ends after a final chorus after the breakdown.
Rating: 4.5/5

6. "Dumb"
The guitar is extremely active at the beginning of "Dumb." The best line of the song is "I'm not like them / But I can pretend." The eeriest part of the song is the wailing cello on the second verse. The cello is present throughout the entire song, but it is at its apex during the second verse.
Rating: 4/5

7. "Very Ape"
The disjointed chords have another guitar track dubbed over them which Cobain sings along with. I have trouble finding the bass in this song. The lyrics have very little meaning to me and there isn't anything particular grabbing about the song. That was my initial review. After listening to it a few times, I have found the song to be pretty good actually. I initially liked the next song, "Milk It" better, but after listening to both multiple times, my love for "Milk It" has waned. "Very Ape" is actually a very good song.
Rating: 3.5/5

8. "Milk It"
The song opens with drums and incessant noodling on the guitar before jumping into the riff which pauses every so often before going into the verse where Cobain starts moaning the lyrics. The song, about a parasite, has a chorus of only four words: "Doll steak / Test meat." The song is somewhat similar to "Very Ape" except it has more of an edge. Cobain's voice earns most of the credit for providing the edge. As I said before, I initially liked "Milk It" better than "Very Ape," but that has since changed.
Rating: 3/5

9. "Pennyroyal Tea"
The song starts with acoustic guitar and Cobain clearing his voice and acoustic guitar. The lyrics on the famous chorus of "I'm anemic royalty" sound as if they are being drowned out by the guitar, as Albini dubbed it low. It is a good song even though there is very little to write about it. I'm getting tired…
Rating: 3.5/5

10. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"
This song is a direct jab at Geffen Records, who wanted Nirvana's music to be more radio friendly. The song starts with high feedback and Cobain talking while a dominant bass riff takes over. The guitar spastically plays before going into a riff. The final line offers one plea: "Speak, speak the truth." The song then goes into a guitar and drums breakdown where the song essentially starts over again with another breakdown of pure noise and feedback.
Rating: 3/5

11. "Tourette's"
The only coherent words in the song are the spoken "Moderate rock" at the beginning of the song and "Hey." No lyrics are listed in the album insert. This song does have an insane riff which is the most attractive part of it. It's only 1:35 long, but it packs quite the punch.
Rating: 4/5

12. "All Apologies"
I'm just going to say it now: this version SUCKS. Horribly. The MTV Unplugged in New York version absolutely owns this. The guitar sounds out of the tune, the vocals are WAY too low, and the bass is mixed too high. Horrible engineering on a great song. I can see why the Unplugged version is more famous. Still, "All Apologies" is a great closer for the album, especially for the mantra "All in all is all we are" to end it. My favorite part of the song is one of the first lines: "What else can I say / Everyone is gay." It's a good closer and a good song, but this version just plain SUCKS. Sorry Kurt and Steve.
Rating: 2/5

Final rating: 4/5

Final Analysis: Nirvana should definitely have worked with someone else besides Steve Albini on this. This could have been a masterpiece, but instead the listener spends the whole time straining for the vocals which are buried under guitar and bass. I still think Albini is somewhat of a genius (seriously, listen to some of his Big Black stuff), but he and Nirvana were not meant to be together. The album is still good, but Bitch Vig did a much better job on Nevermind, which would get the nod in a head to head matchup.

Team Payroll vs. Team Performance in Baseball

2008-01-09T10:14:00.002-05:00

The following is a research paper I wrote for my English class this year on team payroll's relationship to team performance in baseball. I received a 94 on the paper. Please give it a read and tell me what you think. Later, I'll type up a more in-depth blog about my preface. Thanks, and enjoy.

Preface

While I was researching my paper, I realized that I wanted to find a way to represent the success of a team related to their payroll in numerical form. So I started the quest to perfect a formula to figure out a team's "payroll performance score" or "PPS." My original formula for PPS was very basic: take the rank of the team's payroll and subtract it from the rank of their record. So let's use the 2003 World Series-winning Florida Marlins as an example. In 2003, the Marlins went 91-71, the seventh-best record in the Majors that year. The Marlins' payroll was $49,050,000, the twenty-fifth highest in the game. In my initial formula, seven would be subtracted from twenty-five, giving them a PPS of eighteen. I realized, however, that I would run into issues with my formula after I figured out each team's PPS for 2003. The Oakland Athletics had the highest score of nineteen, with the fourth-best record and twenty-third highest payroll. But the A's did nothing in the playoffs, getting ousted by Boston in the first round, while the Marlins won it all. How could I get the PPS formula to reflect accurately?

I came to my next idea: add points to the difference between record rank and payroll rank. The difference between payroll rank and record rank, my initial PPS formula, became the "raw payroll performance score" (RPPS). I then took the teams' RPPS and added points to it based on the following criteria: winning their respective division or wild-card, success in the playoffs, and wins. I added five points to a team's score for winning their division and three points for winning their wild-card. Five points were added for making it past the first round of the playoffs, seven points for two rounds, and nine points for winning the World Series. Finally, five points were added if a team won more than 110 games, four points if the team won 100-109 games, three points if the team won 90-99 games, two points if a team won 80-89 games, and one point if a team won 76-79 games. I subtracted a point if a team won 70-75 games, two points if a team won 60-69 games, three points if a team won 50-59 games, and four points if a team only won 40-49 games. This final total became known to me as "adjusted payroll performance score" or APPS.

So let's take another look at the 2003 Florida Marlins. After subtracting record rank from payroll rank, I had a score of eighteen for the Marlins. The Marlins won the National League wild-card that year, allowing three more points to be added, giving them a score of twenty-one. The Marlins won the World Series, so I added nine more points, giving them a score of thirty. Finally, Florida was 91-71, so three points were added, giving them a final APPS of thirty-three, tops in the Majors, ahead of Oakland who had a score of twenty-seven and Minnesota who had a score of eighteen.

My final dilemma with my formula was how it was to be viewed. If the scores were listed in order and the viewer viewed them from top to bottom, I realized that larger market teams would be shut out entirely of being viewed as "successful." The 2003 New York Yankees had an RPPS of zero. They had the best record and highest payroll, a season that could be viewed as successful. However, a score of zero would not be viewed as successful by a casual viewer. This led me to view the scores on a spectrum. I have not been able to perfect a graphic for this yet, but I have an idea in my mind. First, with RPPS, teams in the middle of the spectrum (scores of five to negative five) would be viewed as having successful seasons, as they would have finished in the general area they were supposed to. Teams in the positives to the right in the six to ten range would be viewed as having good seasons be considered slightly overachieving. Teams with an RPPS of above ten would be considered to have had a sensational season. Teams with an RPPS between negative six and negative ten would be considered underachievers, while teams with an RPPS of under negative ten had a horrendous season. The 2003 New York Mets had the worst season of the last five years, having the second-highest payroll, but finishing with the twenty-seventh best record to finish with an RPPS of negative twenty-five.

The ranking of the teams based on APPS can still be put on the spectrum, but because of the addition of points for success, the center of the spectrum must be at five. So an APPS of between zero and ten is considered successful, ten to fifteen is considered a good season, and above fifteen is a sensational season. Zero to negative five is considered underachieving, while anything under that is just horrible. So using this data, I was able to find the most successful teams over the past five years.

According to RPPS, the most successful team over the past five years has been the Cleveland Indians, with an average RPPS of 12.0, while the least successful team has been the New York Mets with an RPPS of -10.6. The most successful team according to APPS has been the Oakland Athletics with an average APPS of 16.0. The least successful team has been the Baltimore Orioles with a score -9.4.

I did not feel this data was concrete enough to be used in the following paper, as it is still being perfected, but I did use some form of RPPS to represent success. Hopefully this provided a new way to look at team payroll and team performance.

Team Payroll vs. Team Performance

In baseball, there is a direct link between team payroll and team performance. It is conventional baseball wisdom that a large market team, one that plays in a large city with high revenues, such as the New York Yankees, should perform better than a small market team, one that plays in a smaller city with low revenues such as the Kansas City Royals. Steve Marantz wrote in the article "If You Don't Pay, You Lose" in The Sporting News, "In baseball, as in no other professional sport, championships are purchased, lock, stock, and barrel." However, there are prominent exceptions to this alarming trend.

Baseball is a game rooted in money which is evident after a quick glance at the game itself. Out of the four major sports organizations, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball is the only one that does not have a salary cap. Because of this, richer teams in larger markets can outbid poorer teams for top talent in free agency ("Sports"). Many feel that the poorer teams are automatically placed at a disadvantage when the season starts. "When spring training starts, half the teams have no chance. The players know it, the managers know it, and most importantly, the fans know it," Peter Magowan, owner of the San Francisco Giants said ("Baseball's"). When asked how he feels about the relationship between team payroll and team performance, The Baltimore Sun columnist Peter Schmuck stated:

I believe there is a direct relationship between high payroll and success in Major League Baseball, and the best evidence is the New York Yankees. They have spent the most money on salaries over the past decade or so and have appeared in the playoffs every year since 1995. That's not a coincidence. (Schmuck Interview)

Schmuck echoes the sentiment Magowan presents that at the beginning of the season, it is clear-cut who the favorites are just based on payroll.

Some baseball analysts and owners have argued that some of the smaller teams, such as the Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins, should be disbanded. However, the success of the Athletics and Twins in recent years has made it hard for this proposed action to be justified. One way that the gap between the large and small market teams has been closed slightly is through revenue sharing. The point of revenue sharing is to have the richer teams share a portion of their profits with the poorer teams. Many rich teams, such as the New York Yankees, feel that this Robin Hood-like policy is unfair to them because they are basically penalized for making money. Outspoken Yankees owner George Steinbrenner likened revenue sharing to communism by saying, "You can't say, 'Well let's share everything equal,' or else we would be over in Russia. And it didn't work over there" ("Baseball's"). As Steinbrenner's comments show, more significant revenue sharing will not come easily.

The past history offers a distinct look into the impact of the payroll differential in Major League Baseball. In 1996, the eight teams in the playoffs were all in the top half of the payroll rankings and the team with the higher payroll won each series, ending with the New York Yankees defeating the Atlanta Braves in the World Series (Schmuck, "Money"). Contrast 2002 to 1996. The four teams in 2002 that advanced to their respective League Championship Series ranked no higher than ninth in payroll. The playoffs ended with the Anaheim Angels, with a lower payroll, defeating the San Francisco Giants in a seven-game series. This victory for small revenue teams went so far as to somewhat dispel the notion that "only the teams with the highest payrolls such as the New York Yankees had a shot at winning the World Series" ("Angels"). From the year 2002 to 2007, a team with a payroll regarded as "high" won the World Series only twice.

Even though all the evidence makes it seem virtually impossible to compete year-in and year-out with a low payroll, there is a glaring exception to the rule: the Oakland Athletics. The success of this particular baseball franchise was so shocking; it led the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig, to call it "an aberration" (Lewis 123). In his book Moneyball, author Michael Lewis followed Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane throughout an entire season to get an inside look into the art of running a small market franchise. The Athletics practice "moneyball," a system implemented by Beane which breaks from the baseball tradition of spend, spend, spend. Dealing with a low budget and payroll, this is essentially the only way Beane can keep the Athletics competitive. Agent Scott Boras, who has some of the highest paid clients in baseball, when talking about Oakland's success, remarked, "What happened to these franchises is a product of management's decisions. Teams like Oakland have used intellect to overcome imbalance" ("Baseball's"). The "imbalance" Boras speaks of is simply money, not a skill advantage, as Oakland's success has shown.

The Oakland Athletics are a perfect example of a small market team competing on the big stage. In looking for players, Beane follows the philosophy of baseball sabermetrician Bill James. James is the author of the Baseball Abstract, which was published throughout the late 1970's and into the 1980's, and created a whole new way of looking at the game of baseball. James is the inventor of statistics such as range factor, runs created, and on-base plus slugging (OPS). James was an advocate of on-base percentage (OBP), which Beane took to heart (Lewis 69). On pages 128 and 129, Lewis writes:

A player's ability to get on base – especially when he got on base in unspectacular ways – tended to be dramatically underpriced in relation to other abilities. Never mind fielding skills and foot speed. The ability to get on base – to avoid making outs – was under priced compared to the ability to hit with power. The one attribute most critical to the success of a baseball team was an attribute they could afford to buy. At that moment, what had been a far more than ordinary interest in a player's ability to get on base became, for the Oakland A's front office, an obsession.

Not being able to afford to pursue high-profile free agents on the free agent market, Beane had to resort to looking to unusual sources for value. After the 2001 season, first basemen Jason Giambi left the Athletics for the New York Yankees and a seven-year, $120 million contract. In displaying the payroll gap between the large and small markets, Lewis wrote, "And that some fraction of the $120 million the Yankees had paid Jason Giambi after the 2001 playoffs to lure him away from the Oakland A's was to prevent him from ever again playing for the Oakland A's" (Lewis 123). The Athletics faced the dilemma of how to replace Giambi at first base. Beane called on Scott Hatteberg, whom he converted from catcher to first base, as he saw immense value in Hatteberg's ability to get on base. The cheap investment in Hatteberg paid off, as Hatteberg finished thirteenth in Major League Baseball in on-base percentage, third in pitches seen per plate appearance, and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio, a feat nearly unequaled by any other player (Lewis 170). Along with "treating rich teams as petty cash dispensers" by extracting cash from teams by selling them players, the Athletics also would use players in the last year of their contracts as "rentals," acquiring them for next to nothing near the trade deadline and only keeping them for the stretch drive (Lewis 197).

As the payrolls rise, the realization is made that teams are not paying for more people; the teams are still paying for the same twenty-five players, giving talent a higher price. In 1998, pitcher Kevin Brown signed a then-astronomical seven-year, $105-million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, making him the highest paid player in baseball history. However, this did not equate to instant success for the Dodgers. In the five seasons from 1999 to 2003 Brown played in Los Angeles, the Dodgers went 426-384 (a .526 winning percentage) and did not make the playoffs in any of those years ("Professional"). Brown's addition boosted their payroll and added hope for success, but the money spent on Brown did not translate into success for the Dodgers.

In the same offseason, former Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza signed a contract worth $91-million over seven years with the New York Mets ("Do"). Piazza played out all seven years of his contract with the Mets from 1999 to 2005. In Piazza's seven years in New York, the Mets had two playoff appearances and made the 2000 World Series, losing to the New York Yankees. The Mets finished the seven years with a record of 568-565, a .501 winning percentage (Forman). Evaluation of Piazza's tour of duty with the Mets is difficult, as the Mets had success early in Piazza's Mets career, but in the last few years of Piazza's contract, the Mets were horrible, including a 66-95 season in 2003.

Alex Rodriguez is one of the most popular examples of equating team performance to team payroll. In December 2000, Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers. This record-breaking contract did not turn into winning ways for the Rangers, as Texas went 216-270 in Rodriguez's three years (2001-2003) in Texas. Before the 2004 season, Rodriguez was traded to the New York Yankees for second basemen Alfonso Soriano. In Rodriguez's four years in New York, the Yankees are 387-261 and have made the playoffs each year, but have yet to win a World Series (Forman). In 2003, before the Yankees added Rodriguez to their payroll, their payroll was $152,749,814 while they won 101 games. In 2004, with the addition of Rodriguez, the Yankees' payroll ballooned to $182,835,513, and they still won 101 games (Holtz). Despite the team's lack of success, Rodriguez has won two American League Most Valuable Player Awards while with the Yankees. He recently was re-signed by the Yankees to a record 10-year, $275 million contract, reportedly worth up to $300 million with incentives, after he opted out of his former contract ("Alex Rodriguez").

The past five years show many different trends in terms of team performance and team payroll. In 2003, the Florida Marlins won the World Series with the twenty-fifth (out of thirty) highest payroll, defeating the New York Yankees, who had the highest payroll and best record that year. Also in 2003, the Oakland Athletics outperformed their payroll the most out of any team in Major League Baseball, finishing 96-66, the fourth best record in the game, with the twenty-third highest payroll. The New York Mets turned in one of the worst performances in Major League Baseball history from a payroll standpoint, finishing 66-95, good for the twenty-seventh best record. This is not much of a shock until one realizes the astronomical amount of money the Mets were paying: $117,176,620, the second highest payroll in the game. To put this into starker terms, the Mets essentially paid $1,775,403.33 per win in 2003 (Holtz).

The 2004 baseball season followed closer to the plan conventional wisdom set for it, as the Boston Red Sox won the World Series with the second-highest payroll in baseball, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals, who had the twelfth-highest payroll, in a four-game sweep. The Chicago White Sox won the 2005 World Series with the thirteenth-highest payroll, defeating the Houston Astros, who had the twelfth-highest payroll. Also in 2005, the Cleveland Indians put in the best payroll-related performance, finishing with the sixth-best record in baseball, while putting together the twenty-sixth highest payroll (Fry).

In payroll-related performances, 2006 was a year to remember. First off, the Florida Marlins started the season with a payroll of $14,998,500, the lowest in baseball by over $20 million, and thirteen times less than the New York Yankees, who had the highest payroll. They outperformed all expectations, finishing 78-84, or basically paying $192,288.46 per win. The Oakland Athletics again put in a great performance, finishing with the fifth-best record while having the twenty-first highest payroll (Forman). Another small market team, the Minnesota Twins, finished with the third-best record in baseball while having the nineteenth-highest payroll. The World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals had the eleventh-best payroll, but the thirteenth-best record, actually underperforming based on their payroll. They beat the Detroit Tigers, who had the fourth-best record of the year and the fourteenth-highest payroll (Fry).

With the second-highest payroll in 2007, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the second time in four years. They swept the surprising Colorado Rockies who finished the year with the sixth-best record on the twenty-fifth highest payroll. Also surprising the experts in 2007 were the Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres, who had the best, fifth-best, and eighth-best records in baseball while having the twenty-third, twenty-sixth, and twenty-fourth highest payrolls. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays were the perfect example of team performance relative to team payroll, having the lowest payroll and worst record in the majors (Fry).

The answer is obvious that team payroll influences team performance, but there is still hope for small market franchises as the Oakland Athletics have proven. The advent of the "moneyball" strategy has given the most hope to the small market teams, and with the recent success of small-market, low-payroll teams in general is a great sign for baseball. With teams outside of the top ten in payroll winning the World Series in three of the past five years, it appears that the landscape of Major League Baseball is changing. However, conventional wisdom still continues to rule a game unwilling to change its unwritten rules.

Works Cited

"Alex Rodriguez signs new Yankee deal." UPI NewsTrack. (Dec 13, 2007): NA. Student Resource Center - Gold. Thomson Gale. John Carrol School. 15 Dec. 2007.

"Angels, Giants Win Baseball Pennants; First All-Wild Card World Series Set; Other Developments." Facts On File World News Digest 24 Oct. 2002. Facts On File World News Digest @ FACTS.com. Facts On File News Services. 11 Nov. 2007 <http://www.2facts.com>.

"Baseball's Future." Issues & Controversies On File 23 June 2006. Issues & Controversies @
FACTS.com. Facts On File News Services. 11 Nov. 2007 <http://www.2facts.com>.

"DO HIGH PAYROLLS GUARANTEE PENNANTS?" USA Today Mar. 1999: 7. Student
Research Center Gold. InfoTrac. John Carroll School. 10 Nov. 2007. Keyword: Baseball Payrolls.

Forman, Sean L. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 13 November 2007.

Fry, Ben. Salary Vs. Performance. 2007. Ben Fry. 9 Nov. 2007 <www.benfry.com>.

Holtz, Sean. Baseball Almanac. 2 Nov. 2007 <www.baseball-almanac.com>.

Lewis, Michael. Moneyball. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003.

Marantz, Steve. "If You Don't Pay, You Lose." The Sporting News 10 Nov. 1997: 8. Student
Research Center Gold. InfoTrac. John Carroll School. 7 Nov. 2007.

Schmuck, Peter. E-Mail interview. 19 Nov. 2007.

Schmuck, Peter. "Money Doesn't Always Buy Happiness." The Sporting News 19 May 1997: 37. Student Resource Center Gold. InfoTrac. John Carroll School. 6 Nov. 2007.

"Sports Salary Caps." Issues & Controversies On File 26 Nov. 2004. Issues & Controversies @
FACTS.com. Facts On File News Services. 11 Nov. 2007 <http://www.2facts.com>.

Thanks for reading.

Action-Reaction: January 6, 2008

2008-01-06T10:07:00.002-05:00

Well it's the first Action-Reaction segment of 2008, so I hope you all enjoy. Sorry I skipped out last week. Just wasn't that much news going on. However, this week is different:

Action: Brian Billick was fired as coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
Reaction: All I have to say (and I've said it many times) is "It took them long enough." I have never seen anyone ride the Super Bowl gravy train for so long. How can an "offensive genius" get by for so long on his defense? All I heard during Billick's term was about how much of an offensive genius he was. Where was the offense? Nowhere. I have to think that Billick benefits more from the people around him than the people benefit from Billick. The Ravens haven't won in the playoffs since 2001, yet people talk about how much of a winner he is. Sure, they were 13-3 last year, but they didn't win in the playoffs. Isn't that where it counts? Sorry for the rant-yness. Even when I was a Ravens fan, I never liked Billick. Just comes off arrogant to me. Not my type of person.

Action: Cam Cameron was fired as coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Reaction: One way to look at this is the fact that he went 1-15 this year. The other way to look at this is to look at the fact that the team was horrible. The offense was bad, the defense was bad, and the special teams were bad. I don't think anyone could have done much with the personnel he had down there. Not to mention the fact we all knew he was doomed as soon as Bill Parcells took over. It'll be interesting to see how Parcells does after taking over.

Action: The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Washington Redskins 35-14 in the Wild-Card round of the NFL Playoffs yesterday.
Reaction: Well first of all, my heart goes out to the Redskins and all they've gone through this year. Everyone said they were the team you didn't want to face in the playoffs, and for a while it looked as if that was true after they took a 14-13 lead in the fourth cover and recovered the botched kickoff. However, the missed field goal by Shaun Suisham really turned the momentum in Seattle's favor as they returned Todd Collins' first two interceptions of the season back for touchdowns, blowing the game wide open. The Seahawks travel to Green Bay for the divisional playoffs next weekend.

Action: The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-29 last night.
Reaction: The Steelers blew it. Weren't they 9-2 at one point? I know the loss of Parker hurt down the stretch, but the defense looked bad, getting beat twice, at home, in bad weather, in conditions they are supposed to thrive in by a team from Florida. That's just pathetic. Props to the Jags.

Action: The Tennessee Titans travel to San Diego to play the Chargers in the Wild-Card round. This is a rematch of a Week 14 showdown where San Diego came back from a 17-3 deficit to win the game in overtime. Vince Young is a game-time decision.
Reaction: If Young's legs are rendered useless it will be interesting to see how the Titans fair on his arm or the arm of Kerry Collins. Probably not that good as they are missing their top two wide receivers and their top tight end. The defense has been playing well as of late, but the key to the defense, Albert Haynesworth has been nagged by injuries recently. All in all, things are not looking up for the Titans. Maybe they should have thrown the Indy game after Young went down to let Cleveland in. Then on the other hand, we've got all the drama queens in San Diego, and I won't even get into them.

Action: The New York Giants travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers.
Reaction: With the Redskins out, the Giants are now the team you do not want to face in the playoffs. I can't think of that much to write about this game, other than it will be a good one.

Action: Bill Belichick wins Coach of the Year.
Reaction: I agree, this is a great choice, while Packers coach Mike McCarthy is a close second. No one expected McCarthy and the Packers to do what they did, but no one thought a team could go undefeated either. Belichick wins, SpyGate aside, because, he won. Period.

Action: Tom Brady wins NFL MVP Award.
Reaction: Brady ran away with the award, earning 49 of the 50 votes. He deserves it. Fifty (50) touchdown passes really does that for you. And he performed rather consistently throughout the whole season while leading his team through the controversy of SpyGate. Second-place, in my world, would be a tie between Brett Favre and Tony Romo (even though I can't stand him). We have seen three great performances from great quarterbacks this year.

Action: JP Losman has demanded a trade out of Buffalo.
Reaction: Well if I were him I'd stick around. They didn't stick with him. What makes you think they'll stick with Trent Edwards?

Action: Hawaii coach June Jones as flown to Texas to meet with SMU.
Reaction: Hahahahahaha. If Jones takes that job, no matter how much money he gets, he's no longer an offensive genius. He's an idiot. June, do yourself a favor: stay at Hawaii where you can win consistently. Don't throw it away at a has-been powerhouse. Thanks.

I appreciate your readership deeply.

Best fifteen minutes out there?

2007-12-25T10:21:00.002-05:00

So it's Christmas Eve and I can't sleep. It must be something. Probably because I haven't been to bed before midnight since Christmas, er Winter (PC), Break began. So it's 11:53 PM and I'm looking through the albums on my computer and I notice something: Group Sex by Circle Jerks is only fifteen minutes long. I've listened to the album before and I knew it had fourteen tracks on it, but I did not have a clue that it was only fifteen minutes long. This has to be genius or something, doesn't it? Let's take a look…

Group Sex was the debut album of Circle Jerks, released in 1980. Circle Jerks were an American hardcore band from southern California.

Now into the album. Group Sex is 933 seconds long. That amounts to fifteen minutes and thirty-three seconds. That is just over one-quarter of an hour.

The longest song on the album is 1:34. The average length of each song on the album is 1:06. The shortest track is twenty-four seconds long.

(Clock reads 12:00 AM. Merry Christmas! Church in twelve hours.)

Now, those of you not familiar with American hardcore must be thinking, "These guys are total slackers, this isn't music." But to me, and hopefully many others out there, this stuff is pure genius. The music is characterized by continuously pounding bass lines and very fast ride cymbal. The lyrics often resemble shouting while the guitar part is just a few power chords put together in a riff and repeated with the occasional solo.

The points of the songs are clear, such as "I Just Want Some Skank" and "Don't Care." Others like "World Up My Ass" are just creative.

In my opinion, the American hardcore and punk scenes from the early 1980's are vastly underrated. When punk is brought up, people usually immediately think of Johnny Rotten and the British punk from the 1970's or Blink-182 and today's "punk." (Sorry to break this to you. It's not punk. None of it is. Punk is dead. If punk was still alive, these guys would be in the back of their vans making album inserts and packaging their albums. But they aren't. They have people to do that for them. People will always have people to do that for them. No more punks, in the music sense of the word. End rant. Sorry about that.) Revolutionary bands such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat aren't thought of. In reality, these are the unruly youths who cleared the way for Green Day, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, and all the other crap out there. Little rant there, but ok.

And now, a review.

Track Listing
1. "Deny Everything" (0:24)
2. "I Just Want Some Skank" (1:09)
3. "Beverly Hills" (1:03)
4. "Operation" (1:29)
5. "Back Against the Wall" (1:34)
6. "Wasted" (0:42)
7. "Behind the Door" (1:25)
8. "World Up My Ass" (1:16)
9. "Paid Vacation" (1:28)
10. "Don't Care" (0:34)
11. "Live Fast Die Young" (1:33)
12. "What's Your Problem" (0:56)
13. "Group Sex" (1:03)
14. "Red Tape" (0:56)

Group Sex fits the American hardcore band stereotype perfectly. Short, fast, to the point cuts that come and go quickly. The album starts out with "Deny Everything," which focuses on being framed and the right of being innocent until proven guilty. The song's twenty-four seconds long. Not that much they can cram in there. "I Just Want Some Skank" is about the speaker of the song who, coincidentally, wants some skank. Can't go wrong there.

"Beverly Hills" focuses on the upper class residents that punks hated so much. The song refers to the residents of Beverly Hills as being "lame" while taking shots at the upper class. The song "Operation" is a little weird. I don't really want to get into it, it's just weird. Really weird, actually. "Back Against the Wall" describes the situation every punk felt they were in. They each felt they were being persecuted for their ideas and lack of conformity. Their backs were against the wall, in essence, and they felt the need to fight back.

"Wasted" is a short little ditty about, you guessed it, being wasted. "Behind the Door" is a bit harder to decipher, but hey, no one really wants to know what goes on behind closed doors. "World Up My Ass" is another song similar to "Back Against the Wall" about punks being told how to act and how they are sick of it. The theme of the album seems to be quite repetitive, but "World Up My Ass" has a cool guitar solo not found anywhere else on the album.

I've never really paid that much attention to "Paid Vacation." I can't find the point to the song. Cool riff and beat to it though. "Don't Care" is pretty simple to figure out however. Can you guess what it's about? "Live Fast Die Young" is not the advice you want to give to young people it seems, but it is the exact mindset of punks in the 1980's. The opening line reads "I don't want to live till I'm 34 / I don't want to die in a nuclear war." The lyrics sing of hopelessness in the era and the seeming doom of the Reagan era.

"What's Your Problem" sings mockingly, "Tell me what's your problem / What you gonna do." Mocks everyone. Ah, the title track, "Group Sex." What's this song about? I think you can guess. The appealing part of this song is the female voices of the chorus shouting "Group sex!" with a spoken word song overtop of it. Probably the best song of the album. "Red Tape" is about red tape and being kept out of certain areas by red tape. The goal of the song seems to be to break down the red tape separating the different social classes.

Well it's late and someone wants to get up and open some presents, so I hope you enjoyed this quick review of a quick album.

Merry Christmas and give it a listen.

Action-Reaction: December 23, 2007

2007-12-23T11:10:00.002-05:00

Happy holidays all! Hope you enjoy this week's edition of Action-Reaction. For a little twist, I'll post what song I'm listening to while I write each little thing. Yes, innovative, I know.

Action: Reds trade Hamilton to Rangers for two prospects
Reaction: Josh Hamilton was one of the best stories of 2007 so this move has raised some eyebrows. In 2007, Hamilton batted .292 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs. The Reds received two top pitching prospects from the Rangers. Moving Hamilton leaves Cincinnati with a hole in centerfield that will either be filled by Ryan Freel or a minor leaguer. Cincinnati filled in the back half of their pitching rotation in acquiring Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera. I think this move definitely helps Cincinnati as pitching is what the Rangers need more than hitting. I would still expect a big year from Hamilton in the hitter-friendly Ameriquest Field.
Song: Smashing Pumpkins – "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"

Action: Barry Bonds voted Story of the Year by the Associated Press
Reaction: Barry is still getting all the attention he wants. He beat out Michael Vick, Tim Donaghy, the Florida Gators, and SpyGate and received 100 out of 146 first place votes. Ah, yes, feed the monster what it wants: attention.
Song: Thurston Moore – "Hang Out"

Action: TO catches 15^th touchdown pass
Reaction: Does Andy Reid still have to break out the spandex?
Song: We Are Scientists – "Callbacks"

Action: Schottenheimer in no hurry to make NFL return
Reaction: I don't blame him. After what he went through in San Diego, I'd give him all the time in the world.
Song: Silversun Pickups – "Lazy Eye"

Action: Ledger reveals Marion Jones' doping regiment
Reaction: I found this very interesting, as the saga continues. This totally verifies any doubt that Jones was using during her great Olympic performance. As a runner myself, I felt very letdown by her admission as watching her performance at Sydney 2000 was very inspirational.
Song: Sugarcult – "Riot"

Action: FSU will be short 36 players for Music City Bowl
Reaction: That really has to hurt. If you're betting on Florida St. in this one, I might be inclined to switch wagers over to Kentucky. I say 300+ yards and 3 TDs for Andre Woodson.
Song: Pixies – "Debaser"

Action: Marbury files grievance
Reaction: More in the Knicks saga…
Song: Shellac – "Prayer to God"

Action: Peppers inactive vs. Cowboys
Reaction: This is the first game Peppers has missed since 2002. I really have to hand it to this guy. He is a warrior. His production has fallen off recently, but he is still one the best athletes in the game. He is probably the fastest defensive end I have seen. This was a big impact for the Panthers defense.
Song: "A New England" – Billy Brag

Action: Jets place Coles on IR
Reaction: This seems to cap off the Jets season appropriately. There so many great expectations surrounding this team and they flopped. I was expecting a lot out of Coles for my fantasy team, but the lack of consistency at the quarterback position coupled with nagging injuries held Coles to 55 catches for 646 yards and six touchdowns.
Song: Sonic Youth – "(I Got A) Catholic Block)

Action: Tommy Byrne dies at 87
Reaction: Just take a moment out of your holiday shopping and say a quick prayer for the Byrne family.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Festivus to all, and to all a good night!

An Open Letter to the Moderators

2007-12-22T11:37:00.003-05:00

Dear Moderators,

I am really pleased with all the positive changes you have made over the past few months, really I am. However, I feel there are two changes I would like to see and that I feel are needed.

First, I propose extending the throwdown deadline to 48 or 72 hours. I classify myself as being notorious for not finishing arguments in allotted time (sorry Cassidy). Having the deadline there gives you the urge to finish it, but 24 hours is unreasonable in my mind. I've already had to forfeit a turn because I missed the deadline of 9:02 PM. I got home from school, changed to go to band practice, got home from band practice for a minute and then went right back out to a wrestling match at my school. I got home at 9:15 PM. I'm not going to let FanNation get in the way of my social life which is what is being done by this 24 hour deadline. I'd like 48 or 72 hours, but not 24. It's too hard when you have a social life.

Second, I would like to see in-group throwdowns added. The perfect guinea pig would be SIFS. The group is large enough (throwdowns barely even get 32 votes anymore either) to have a sufficient voting base and the members are knowledgeable enough to vote on the cases presented, not on the topic. This would be great for tournaments and for the overall morale of participants in throwdowns who feel that people with no knowledge of the subject are affecting the outcome.

Ah, and I have thought of a third: a shared page thing for throwdowns like there is for blogs. Just a few clicks and its sent to a group instead of tedious copying and pasting. This wouldn't really help the spam problem, but it would help prevent our favorite users such as djroxalot from continually FanMailing us individually to look at his arguments (I never do, btw. Nothing against you though).

So yeah, there's a few possible changes you should look at FanNation. Glad I could be of some help. Don't worry, I won't appoint myself to be an official of anything.

Yours truly,

DJ
DJTG_2010
Dr. Cool

Action-Reaction Lite: December 16, 2007

2007-12-16T12:12:00.003-05:00

So I don't have that much time this week for Action-Reaction due to a research paper on the relationship between team payroll and team performance due tomorrow and I still have a substantial amount of work left on it. So I'm bringing everyone Action-Reaction Lite.

Action: The winless Dolphins go for their first win today against the Ravens in Miami.
Reaction: This game seems dead even. Both teams have been playing horribly this year, which gives both a chance to win. I would definitely love to see los Dolfines pull out the victory, but it will be really hard for them. I predict that Willis McGahee will have a big day and that Kyle Boller snaps a seven-game road losing streak in Miami.

Action: The New England Patriots host (I think) the New York Jets today in a rematch of the infamous Week 1 game that led to SpyGate.
Reaction: And to think, I picked the Jets to win that Week 1 game 16-13. This game is going to give new meaning to the phrase "playing until the whistle blows." This is going to be ugly. Jets fans, prepare to see some carnage. I'm going to say the Patriots will break 60 or at least 50 today.

Action: Andy Pettitte admits using hGH to help recover from an injury in 2002. Pettitte says the hGH did not help him.
Reaction: This is where it is going to get tough. We are going to have a bunch of players using this explanation. How is baseball going to determine who is lying and who is not? Even more questions…

Action: Padres trade prospects for Jim Edmonds.
Reaction: Hopefully Edmonds has a clean bill of health and can really produce for the Padres. That's speaking as a Padres fan…

Action: 49ers third-stringer Shaun Hill led the Niners to a 20-13 victory over the Bengals.
Reaction: Glad to see a Maryland alum doing well. Has San Francisco found their quarterback?

So yeah, this is pretty lackluster. Deal with it.

The Book You Have to Read

2007-12-15T14:31:00.003-05:00

I'm taking a break this week of Album of the Week and Band of the Week, so I thought I'd write a little bit about a book I read.

It is generally regarded by music fans and critics that certain albums are untouchable to criticism. Led Zeppelin IV, Tommy, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band are generally put in this category. Well, I have found the book that challenges these sentiments.

Kill Your Idols: A New Generation of Rock Writers Reconsiders the Classics asks the burning question: Are these albums as good as advertised? I had always asked myself that question when listening to albums that were regarded as classics that I didn't really dig. I agreed with sentiments posed in this book, but also disagreed with many.

The critics can be a bit critical however. On some occasions, the music is regarded by them as total crap, which is most likely not true.

Kill Your Idols covers the following albums:

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys
Smile – The Beach Boys
Tommy – The Who
Kick Out the Jams – The MC5
Sweetheart of the Rodeo – The Byrds
Trout Mask Replica – Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek and the Dominoes
Untitled ("IV") – Led Zeppelin
Harvest – Neil Young
Exile on Main St. – The Rolling Stones
Desperado – The Eagles
Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd – Lynyrd Skynyrd
GP / Grievous Angel – Gram Parsons
The Best of the Doors – The Doors
The Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
Horses – Patti Smith
Exodus – Bob Marley & the Wailers
Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
Ram – Paul & Linda McCartney
Double Fantasy – John Lennon / Yoko Ono
Never Mind the Bollocks . . . Here's the Sex Pistols – The Sex Pistols
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables – Dead Kennedys
Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen
My Greatest Exes – Various Artists
Imperial Bedroom – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
The Joshua Tree – U2
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
Nevermind – Nirvana
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness – The Smashing Pumpkins
OK Computer – Radiohead
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco

If you read this book, you have to be tolerant. Some of you diehards out there might get a bit offended by the flaws in the albums being pointed out. I have only heard a few of the albums on the list, and I'm sure some of you have heard most of them. But reading this totally makes you re-examine your opinions on the music. You probably aren't going to like the book, but it is an entertaining and humorous read. Not to mention informative.

Give it a chance. You might like it.

This will never end…

2007-12-15T11:39:00.002-05:00

This might be a little premature, but I would have to say the Mitchell Report will be somewhat of a lost cause. I mean, it's great we're getting all this info on steroids and who allegedly did them, but the conspiracy theories are already coming out.

I walked into my first class of the day, religion, and simply said, "Pettite and Clemens" to my religion teacher, who is a diehard Yankees fan. He just shook his head before telling me that Mitchell allegedly has ties to the Red Sox organization and there were no Red Sox implicated in his report. He then said, "Coincidence?" You can't tell me that no member of the Red Sox used steroids.

The steroid scandal will never be over. As much as it pains me to say this, baseball is tainted, probably irreparably. This whole era is dirty. People's stats are inflated because they used steroids. People's stats are deflated because they played against people using steroids. It's a no-win cause for baseball.

We all know what was going on. Guys we liked were juicing. Guys were hated were juicing. Guys we thought were juicing were juicing. Guys we didn't think were juicing were juicing. Guys with big stats were juicing. Guys with no stats were juicing.

I haven't had a chance to read any of the report, and I probably won't read a lot of it, but baseball is shaken to its core. Everyone's reputation is tarnished. The guys whose names were named will start naming more names. This firestorm will take years to quell. It is going to be virtually impossible for anyone to get by without being questioned. Baseball has put itself under a very intense microscope, not even mentioning the dilemma the league is now in.

Do they suspend all named in the report? Do they deny them interest to the Hall of Fame? Do they remove people from the Hall of Fame?

This is a bit of a rant, but the Mitchell Report bogs baseball down even more. The scrutiny is unbearable. This is a crisis. Baseball is in a state of emergency. They need FEMA. I don't think they will be able to really recovery that fully from this. Everyone's feats will always be under scrutiny in this era and in the near future. It's almost like we are going to have to expect that someone will test positive for steroids.

Expect the worst. Hope for the best. That's all we can do now.

Anyway, I hope this made sense to all of you. It doesn't even make that much sense to me right now, but whatever.

What's your take? Do you have any conspiracy theories?

Action-Reaction: 12/9/07

2007-12-09T09:57:00.002-05:00

Ah, some good ol Action-Reaction for your Sunday. This week's edition of Action-Reaction is a Baltimore edition, as I am getting all of the stories out of The Baltimore Sun, so I'm sorry for no hyperlinks.

Action: Ravens tackle Jonathon Ogden is leaning towards and will "most likely" retire at the end of the season.
Reaction: It's a shame, since I had warmer feelings towards Ogden than most other Ravens players, but he's a good guy and great player, so it's hard to argue with that. Ogden has been slowed by a toe injury all year, so it appears that age is catching up to him. The Ravens have also lost all seven games Ogden has played in this year.

Action: Tim Tebow wins Heisman Trophy.
Reaction: Meh. I'm not the biggest Tebow fan, but he has been truly great this year, and is not a product of a system (Colt Brennan and June Jones, I'm looking at you). Tebow became the first sophomore to win the award while Darren McFadden finished second (again). This year was probably the hardest one to pick a winner from. All four of them deserved it in some capacity, and all four of them didn't deserve it some way. Still, Tebow was the best choice. If McFadden didn't stumble at the beginning of the season, he would have run away with it. Congrats, Tebow.

Action: Delaware will face Appalachian State in the Division I-AA, I mean FCS Championship Game Friday.
Reaction: Who you got? I think I'll take Appalachian State in this one. I know nothing about FCS teams, but the Mountaineers seem like the safe choice. A-State beat Michigan this year while Delaware beat Navy. I think Appalachian State will take this one, 41-34. Your thoughts?

Action: Marvin Harrison will miss tonight's game against the Ravens.
Reaction: It's a shame that Harrison has been banged up this year. I hope this isn't the beginning of the end for him and that age has not caught up with him.

Action: Reggie Bush will miss Monday night's game at Atlanta due to a partially torn knee ligament.
Reaction: The Saints season just keeps getting worse. The sexy pick for the NFC's representative in the Super Bowl had to recover from a slow start and losing Deuce McAllister for the season. If I were the Saints, as long as I had Bush I would have another good, "real" running back on the roster.

Action: The Denver Broncos have rewarded wide receiver Brandon Stokley with a three-year contract extension.
Reaction: Ok, so he's done something in Denver. He's still not the damn good wide receiver you say he is, CURTIS4BRONCOS. What.

Action: Navy promotes Ken Niumatalolo to head coach.
Reaction: Losing Paul Johnson to Georgia Tech really hurts Navy, but I think Niumatalolo can step in and keep it up. As long as Navy keeps running that triple option, there will be teams that cannot stop them. The only question I have is whether or not Johnson is taking to option to Tech. Anyone know that answer?

Action: Donovan McNabb will start today when the Eagles play host to the Giants.
Reaction: He better not get sacked 12 times again. If he does, well, that's just bad. The Eagles can still take second-place in the division if they win out while the Giants lose their last four. There's still hope!

Action: Rick Pitino still stuck on 499 wins after Louisville loses to Dayton.
Reaction: Well that just sucks for you, Rick Pitino.

So thus ends the December 9, 2007 edition of Action-Reaction. Thanks for reading.

DJ’s Band of the Week: 12/2/07-12/8/07

2007-12-08T22:38:00.002-05:00

This week's segment focuses on the alternative band Say Anything.

When I first prepared to listen to Say Anything, I automatically expected, in my musical pretentiousness that would not like them at all. I was proven wrong after the first few songs. I'll admit, I am not a big fan of front man Max Bemis' voice, but I warmed to it after a while. I classify Say Anything as the band that I like that I am technically not supposed to like. Granted, the only album I have listened to by them is …Is a Real Boy, but I thoroughly enjoyed the album.

The best part of Say Anything, in my opinion, is the lyrics. At first glance, I got the impression of a band trying too hard and being pretentious, but after a while, I gradually warmed to them. I really like the delivery of all the lyrics. It makes me feel like I am watching the scenes being illustrated in the song, which adds a whole other element to the music. My favorite song would have to be "Admit It!!!" possibly followed by "The Futile."

Say Anything was founded while all the members were in high school. In 2000 they self-released an EP entitled Junior Varsity before also self-releasing their first album, Baseball in 2002. The next year, 2002, they again self-released an EP, this time entitled Menorah\Mejora. Both Baseball and Junior Varsity are out of print.

In 2004, the band was signed to Doghouse Records where they released their third EP, For Sale…. In August 2004, …Is a Real Boy was released. After Say Anything signed with J Records, a division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment, …Is a Real Boy was reissued with a bonus disk entitled …Was a Real Boy in 2006. …Was a Real Boy contains seven of eight songs leaked onto the internet as set under the title of Vs. AIDS Demos. Bemis originally said that the demos were bad music.

In October of 2007, Say Anything released In Defense of the Genre.

So yeah, great band. I put this together pretty quickly, but whatever. Enjoy.

DJ’s Album of the Week 12/2/07-12/8/07

2007-12-08T14:36:00.001-05:00

This week's Album of the Week is Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. I have rated Unknown Pleasures as the second best album I have ever heard.

Album Name: Unknown Pleasures
Album Artist: Joy Division
Release Date: June 15, 1979
Recorded: April 1-17, 1979
Genre: Post-punk
Length: 39:24
Label: Factory
Producer: Martin Hannett, Joy Division

Track Listing
1. "Disorder" (3:31)
2. "Day of the Lords" (4:47)
3. "Candidate" (3:02)
4. "Insight" (4:29)
5. "New Dawn Fades" (4:48)
6. "She's Lost Control" (3:57)
7. "Shadowplay" (3:53)
8. "Wilderness" (2:38)
9. "Interzone" (2:16)
10. "I Remember Nothing" (5:52)

Album Charts
UK Charts - #71 in August 1980
Q magazine, 100 Greatest British Albums Ever - #19
Pitchfork Media, 100 Greatest Albums of the 1970s - #9

Reviews
All Music Guide – 5/5 stars
Pitchfork – 10/10
Rolling Stone – 4/5 stars
NME – 10/10
Scene Point Blank – 10/10
Robert Christgau – A-

As I said before, I think Unknown Pleasures is the second-best work I have ever heard. The synth-like drums really fit the post-punk era, but compared to other contemporary music, it is quite Spartan, with just drums, guitar, bass, and vocals on most songs. According to legend, producer Martin Hannett recorded this album on the roof of the Stockport studio they were recording at. Hannett, a bit of an eccentric, also dubbed each drum track individually. For those of you who do not understand one bit of the last sentence, Hannett recorded a drum track of just the bass drum. Then another of just snare drum. Then another of just hi-hat. Then another of just cymbals. And so on. It really adds to the experience of listening to the album when you are associated with the legendary aspects of it. The cover art is exactly 100 pulses from the first pulsar ever discovered. I don't know what that means. Care to help me out? Anyway, on to the album…

1. "Disorder" (3:31)
This song starts off with an insane bass riff that is repeated throughout the entire song before being joined by the simple, yet complicated (it's nearly impossible to play) guitar riff. As with most songs, lead singer Ian Curtis sounds distance and almost bored. Near the climax of the song, the guitar switched to chords and there are "whooshing" effects on the bass, adding an almost eerie mood to the song. When I listen to this song in headphones it is almost as if the bass is turned up as high it can go. It feels like a very relaxed song, but once the listener really gets into it can be very, very intense. Unofficial music video here.
My rating: 4.5/5

2. "Day of the Lords" (4:47)
"The Day of the Lords" starts out with an appregiated guitar and an ascending bass line backed by steady drums before Curtis' voice cuts in. This theme continues throughout the entire song. Curtis' vocals become so impassioned in the middle and near the end, they sound like the shouts of a tortured man (which he was), before the guitar finishes with a fitting solo. Live performance here.
My rating: 4/5

3. "Candidate" (3:02)
This song is pretty nondescript in the overall scheme of the album. To me, it sounds basically like Curtis singing a conversation with the guitar distant in the background. Still a good song, but it does not stand at all in the mind.
My rating: 3/5

4. "Insight" (4:29)
"Insight" is one of the more fast-paced songs on the album after a slow start. Actually, the song doesn't really start until about forty seconds in. The sound of an opening door also greets the real beginning of the song, while Curtis sings nostalgically about how he remembers "when we were young." After the chorus is repeated, a sequence of Star Wars-like sounds come in almost as a solo. Curtis' nostalgic tone continues throughout the song, with the song ending with another solo of Star Wars sounds. Great acoustic cover here.
My rating: 3.5/5

5. "New Dawn Fades" (4:48)
This is probably the second or third-best song on the album. The guitar creates a sense of anticipation at the beginning of the song with its riff being played down on the lower strings. The anticipation keeps building until Curtis starts singing, at which point the music becomes dominated by the bass. There's just something about this song that really gets me. The tone and calmness it just brings is amazing. This sounds lame in a way, but I have not realized how great of a song this is until right now as I am listening to it and typing this. The passion exhibited by Curtis is just so overwhelming. This is also the only song where there is a real guitar solo. The guitar solo was featured in a chase scene of the movie Heat, by the way. The song ends with the drums exiting alone off into the distance. Unofficial music video for "New Dawn Fades" featuring scenes from Heat
here.
My rating: 5/5

6. "She's Lost Control" (4:46)
This is the most widely known song off the album, probably because of the constant drums and repeating bass line. The bass line sounds more like it is being played by a guitar. Joy Division was widely regarded as one of the first bands to start playing the bass like a guitar. The guitar enters on the chorus and backs Curtis' lyrics. The constant guitar chords fit the bass line and project very well. Not much else can be said about this song, except it is one of Curtis' best vocal performances, in my opinion. Live television performance here.
My rating: 5/5

7. "Shadowplay" (3:53)
"Shadowplay" is another gem off the album, so much that it has also been covered by The Killers and Silversun Pickups. The guitar creates an uneasy atmosphere while the bass provides undertones. Curtis sounds frantic in his vocals, as though he is looking for someone. The guitar solos seem to contrast against the earlier mood, but they transition, with help from the bass back into the verse quite well. Curtis seems to come to a sense of closure of acceptance at the end of the song, creating a resolution. Live performance here.
My rating: 4.5/5

8. "Wilderness" (2:38)
Another lesser known song, "Wilderness" is more upbeat with a sliding bass riff coupled with the guitar. Basically a story of traveling through the wilderness. This song is still good, but there really isn't anything that sets it apart from other Joy Division songs, making it sadly nondescript. Live performance here.
My rating: 3/5

9. "Interzone" (2:16)
The shortest song on the album, "Interzone" is one of my personal favorites. The guitar is the most present out of all the songs and it is the fastest song on the album by far. The drums push the tempo. "Interzone" is the only song on the album that uses two vocalists, as bassist Peter Hook joins Curtis on the vocal tracks. Hook as a more raw voice than Curtis' deep monotone which creates almost a conflict between the voices which fits together very well. "Interzone" is probably the hidden gem of the album. Tribute video here.
My rating: 4/5

10. "I Remember Nothing" (5:52)
I really need to finish this, so this is basically a slow, somber ballad to close out the album. I can't really find anything exciting about the song, except for the sound of breaking glass and that Curtis' voice has a tone heard nowhere else on the album, making the listener feel very uneasy. It is a fantastic song, despite being nondescript. It is a great way to cap off a great album. Live performance here.
My rating: 4.5/5

Total rating: 5/5

A must listen album.

Action-Reaction: December 2, 2007

2007-12-02T14:26:00.002-05:00

This will be my SIFS blog, along with the idea BSchwartz and I are hammering out, but I got this idea from my local newspaper. I'll present a news item (the "Action") and then put my take (the "Reaction") after it. The "Reaction" could be humorous, serious, or I could not have a take on it at all. Enjoy.

Action: Wannstedt gets 3-year extension
Reaction: This seems a little contradictory of Pitt. Wannstedt has had three losing seasons after five straight winning seasons by Pitt. I think this contract is mostly based on the fact that Pitt just upset No. 2 West Virginia 13-9 last night. As with all things, time will tell.

Action: Miles staying at LSU
Reaction: I think it's great to see someone with loyalty to his school, but I am still a little suspicious, as Miles has not yet signed it. If he really wanted to send a message to his players, he would have signed it right then and there.

Action: Beckham carries Galaxy to win
Reaction: At least he did something in the U.S. Oh wait, it was an exhibition. The last exhibition game, no less. Beckham flopped. That's all I have to say. Maybe he'll come back stronger next year. At least he better or there will be some angry soccer fans at his door. Wait, who in the U.S. cares about soccer? Oh wait, Keeper will be at Beckham's door if he flops.

Action: U.S. clinches first Davis Cup since '95
Reaction: This is farther out of America's conscious than David Beckham and soccer…

Action: LSU regent: Pelini going to Nebraska
Reaction: That's a good move for Nebraska. Pelini could bring back the vaunted the Blackshirts D. I don't how this could affect LSU though. They have had the rep for being a great defensive program for a while, but I think their talent could overcome the problem of losing their coordinator.

Action: Twins, Yanks haggle over Santana
Reaction: I personally do not want to see Santana on either the Red Sox or the Yankees, but anyway, this has turned into a drama in itself. I honestly do not know what I would do if I was in either team's shoes. I mean, you really want Santana. Putting him on either staff puts that team over the top, but losing all that talent must be excruciating. It really sucks to be Coco Crisp. I hope the Sox can keep Ellsbury. I really like watching him play.

Action: Chaos Reigns
Reaction: All I really have to say is WHOA. This is beyond chaos. It is quite obvious that Ohio State is in the National Championship again, but after that I have no clue. I really wanted to see Missouri have a chance, but they just could not get it done last night. All I have to say is that someone is not going home happy after the selection show tonight.

So there, I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Action-Reaction. It'll get spiced up a bit in future editions I'd have to think.

DJ’s Band of the Week 11/25/07-12/1/07

2007-12-01T14:50:00.001-05:00

My Band of the Week this week is Washington, D.C.'s own The Evens.

The Evens are an indie rock band featuring guitarist and vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer and vocalist Amy Farina. The Evens were formed in the fall of 2001 before MacKaye's band, Fugazi, went on hiatus. Farina is formerly of The Warmers while MacKaye is formerly of Minor Threat. The Evens began practicing extensively after Fugazi went on hiatus and eventually released a self-titled album in on MacKaye's Dischord Records.

The Evens gained acclaim in 2003 for creating a music video for an original song called "Vowel Movement." The children's song was made for Washington, D.C. based Pancake Mountain, an internet-based children's program. The video was Sesame Street-like and has become a fan favorite, even though it has never been played live. The band then released The Evens in March 2005. Diehard MacKaye fans were greatly anticipating the release because it was his first non-Fugazi LP release since 1987's Embrace, while The Evens are his first side project since Pailhead in 1988.

On November 6, 2006, The Evens released Get Evens.

I myself have only heard The Evens, but The Evens have thrust themselves into the upper echelon of my favorite bands. MacKaye's voice is just great all around, but Farina's voice is what really gets me. Her voice reminds me of a sunny winter's day with snow on the ground. That's hard to understand, but just listen to them and you will hear what I mean. My favorite song by them is "Around the Corner." Other great songs include "All These Governors," "If It's Water," and "You Won't Feel a Thing." I would recommend The Evens to anyone that enjoys some great indie rock.

The Best Game No One Will See

2007-11-28T19:59:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, Thursday, November 29, 2007, the 10-1 Green Bay Packers travel to Dallas to take on the 10-1 Cowboys. This game could be the best of the season (yes, better than Pats-Colts), as it will most likely determine home-field advantage in the NFC. The road to the Super Bowl will most likely go through Dallas or the frozen tundra of Lambeau. It's an old fashioned Texas shootout between two of the top quarterbacks in the league this year, Brett Favre and Tony Romo. But the only thing is, no one will see this game.

Why?

NFL Network.

In my opinion, NFL Network is the biggest ripoff in the history of sports. The NFL can't do the same thing as NBA TV or an MLB channel because there are only a small number of NFL games each weeks, as opposed to many, many NBA and MLB games in a week. How many subscribers are there NFL Network anyway?

As someone who only has basic cable, is too young to go to a bar, and is too stingy to pay for NFL FieldPass, I will be relegated to following the game on NFL.com, CBS Sportsline, or ESPN.com, watching the little arrows. Yeah. It's horrible.

I think NFL Network is great for all of the offseason stuff like rebroadcasting games and the show "America's Game," but I don't think it is meant for broadcasting live NFL games. When the Vikings played the Packers on NFL Network last year, I got lucky because I was at my grandparents' house in Oregon who had NFL Network. The Packers won 9-7 (if I remember correctly) in a great game.

I was going to do a good ol' analysis of it, but for that, check this blog by our favorite Eagle Hater. I just don't have time.

So here is my prediction (a bit biased):

Packers 31, Cowboys 28

Let the best team win.

Homefield advantage is at stake.

Today We Are All Redskins Fans

2007-11-27T07:53:00.002-05:00

Today, as hard as it may be to fathom for you Cowboys and Eagles fans, we are all Redskins fans.

Last night, I posted the following comment on Super Squirrel's blog about Sean Taylor:

Anyway, I had the same knee jerk reaction as everyone. The "OMG a famous person has gotten shot" reaction. I'm sure I would be reacting much differently if it was an Packer or something, but it's all sort of gotten numbed (can't think of better word choice) to me. My family watches the local Baltimore news every morning. Every morning its the same. Triple shooting, double stabbing, the list goes on. After a while, it's all the same to me. Sean Taylor is just another guy who got shot and I want him to recover. He isn't "Sean Taylor, football superman, who got shot fighting for his life and hopes to play football again." I couldn't care less about Sean Taylor's football career right now. This all might sound horrible, but in the society we are in where people get shot everyday, it all wears down on you. Taylor's just become another statistic of burglar's shooting the people they were trying to rob. It's just all gone numb on me.

Yeah, I hope Sean Taylor gets better, but I hope everybody else who has gotten shot gets better too. I don't care about Sean Taylor, Football Player, right now, I care about Sean Taylor the person right now.

I know this is all different for you Ben because you're one of the Redskins' top fans, but if you look at the big picture, Taylor's just another home burglary victim who got shot.

That sounds horrible, but it's the truth.

But now, after learning of Sean Taylor's death from my dad through my bedroom door at 6:47 AM, I realize that it is different. Me being a football fan, a die-hard (in my opinion), no less, has a profound impact on how I view this tragedy. The football impact on the Redskins is harsh; they lost one of the game's rising stars, someone who had a shaky start (see: spitting incident in playoffs), but had really started to pull it together personally and professionally. The impact on the Redskins (and the rest of the football world) is unimaginable, having someone taken from you that quickly, and especially after he was having good prognosis.

I was never the biggest Sean Taylor fan. I had watched him play at University of Miami, but something just didn't click between Sean Taylor the player and DJ the fan. After he went to the Redskins, more of the same followed, as I am an Eagles fan. I thought a lot of what he did was unnecessary like the spitting incident or blowing up Bills punter Brian Moorman in the Pro Bowl this past year. But I am still connected to him. On October 14, 2007, Taylor intercepted Brett Favre for the 278^th time, breaking the record set by George Blanda an eternity ago.

I did not know that much about Taylor, but I feel that if I could go back in time, I would pay a little more attention to him as a player.

It's such a shame this has to happen. Darrent Williams, now Sean Taylor. Last night, I said they were just victims of shootings. Now, as a sports fan, I realize that their loss is much, much more than just a shooting.

It was part of the game of football's soul being removed.

2007 Sportsmen of the Year

2007-11-25T15:48:00.001-05:00

My 2007 Sportsmen of the year are the Kansas Jayhawk and Missouri Tiger football teams.

The curtain closed less than five minutes ago on the No. 4-ranked Tigers' 36-28 victory over the No. 2-ranked Jayhawks, and ever since the last two minutes of the game, I have been thinking, "Are there any more-deserving bodies in sports than these two teams?"

Let's look at it. Neither of these teams (especially Kansas) were expected to do much. Both started the year unranked and overlooked. Both play in the Big XII and are in the North division, much regarded as a pushover division compared to the powerhouses of Oklahoma and Texas in the Big XII South. They both got out to quick starts, but they were putdown as the products of an easy schedule.

And look at the players on the two teams.

Todd Reesing was too short to play major college football.

Aqib Talib wasn't good enough.

Chase Daniel was overlooked.

The Missouri and Kansas football teams defied the odds that were set against them, although Missouri is now in the position to defy even more odds.

They are my 2007 Sportsmen of the Year.

Now to the game.

I don't think I have seen a more meaningful game played in a long, long time. Both teams already had this game circled on their calendars, as it was the annual "Border War" for bragging rights between the two schools. Add to the game that the winner would win the Big XII North and play in the Big XII Championship Game. Add to the mix that the winner could have a number one or number two ranking if they won and a shot at the National Championship. This game was dripping with potential.

I'd have to say it lived up to the hype.

I'll admit, I was tempted to change the channel and watch The Incredibles when Kansas fell behind early and I almost gave it up as a lost cause. However, I felt a great rush of excitement when they start storming back. I joined my father at the kitchen table to watch the last two minutes, when Kansas was trailing 34-28. When Missouri went back to punt, we looked at each other and it was understood we were in for a great finish.

I personally think that Talib should have let the punt go into the endzone for a touchback on the punt, but that's my opinion. When he failed to gain any yardage out of the return, I had a sinking feeling that this was not Kansas' game. My feeling was justified when Reesing was sacked in the endzone for a safety and a 36-28 Missouri lead.

On the kickoff, my dad remarked that the return-man could still fumble and give Kansas hope, but that hope was to no avail.

My heart goes out to the Kansas players, and I sincerely hope that they get a BCS At-Large bid. I would also like to congratulate Missouri and wish them the best of luck in (hopefully) beating Oklahoma.

My Sportsmen of the Year.

DJ’s Album of the Week: 11/25/07-12/1/07

2007-11-25T15:46:00.002-05:00

This is basically the same thing as Artist of the Week. Enjoy.

This week's Album of the Week honor goes to Sonic Nurse by Sonic Youth. I recently purchased this album on Sunday, November 18, and have been listening to it nonstop.

Album Name: Sonic Nurse
Album Artist: Sonic Youth
Release Date: June 7, 2004
Recorded: July 2003-February 2004
Genre: Alternative Rock
Length: 62:48
Label: DGC / Interscope
Producer: Sonic Youth

Track Listing
1. "Pattern Recognition" (6:53)
2. "Unmade Bed" (3:53)
3. "Dripping Dream" (7:46)
4. "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" (4:51)
5. "Stones" (7:08)
6. "Dude Ranch Nurse" (5:12)
7. "New Hampshire" (5:12)
8. "Paper Cup Exit" (5:57)
9. "I Love You Golden Blue" (7:03)
10. "Peace Attack" (6:12)

Album Charts
Official Norwegian Chart – No. 21
Official Belgium Chart – No. 23
Official French Chart – No. 41
Official Italian Chart – No. 50
Official Irish Chart – No. 53
Billboard Top 200 – No. 64
Official German Chart – No. 89

Reviews
All Music Guide – 4/5 stars
Entertainment Weekly – A-
The Guardian – 3/5 stars
Pitchfork – 8.5/10
Prefix – 8.0/10
Robert Christgau – A-
Rolling Stone – 3.5/5 stars
Tiny Mix Tapes – 3/5 stars

First off, this is a long album. The shortest song is 3:53. The average song length is over six minutes. This album is not for the faint of heart. It is more reserved compared to Sonic Youth's younger days and contains many instrumental interludes, as opposed to their latest release Rather Ripped. Also, this album was recorded during guitarist Jim O'Rourke's stint with Sonic Youth, adding another guitar to the lineup of Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo. Kim Gordon and Steve Shelley round out the rest of the band on bass guitar and drums. Compared to Sonic Youth's releases in the early 1990's, this release could be seen as a letdown, as shown by the ratings, it is still a fantastic listen, as it mixes early Sonic Youth with newfound maturity and artistic craftsmanship. Even though for being such a great album, it is quite homogeneous. I will probably end up writing the same thing for many of the songs. It's one of those things where it's the same, but different, at the same time. Makes for an enjoyable listen.

Track-by-Track Review

1. "Pattern Recognition" (6:53)
Lyrics and vocals – Kim Gordon
The first song on the album, "Pattern Recognition," starts out very quickly, with a guitar riff in sync with the vocals before it reaches the chorus of "You're the one" less than a minute into the song. The song breaks into tiny breakdowns and bridges at various junctures throughout the song. The last minute of the song dissolves into classic Sonic Youth noise. The three guitars that come together around the 2:40 mark provide an example of the artistic skill of SY and the effect of the addition of Jim O'Rourke on the band.
My rating: 4.5/5

2. "Unmade Bed" (3:53)
Lyrics and vocals – Thurston Moore
This is the shortest song on the album, but one of the best. Its short(er) length makes it catchier to the casual ear, and is a meditative song. Moore's vocals question the listener throughout the song. The guitars (ever present throughout the album) appear to be doing three different things at once, while even the rhythm guitar takes some time out to improvise a bit on the rhythm. Steve Shelley's drums seem a little different to me in the song, but nevertheless, it fits with the unusual nature of the guitars.
My rating: 5/5

3. "Dripping Dream" (7:46)
Lyrics and vocals – Thurston Moore
"Dripping Dream" starts out with spastic noise before a two-guitar riff cuts through. Gradually, the noise is manipulated to create a third riff on top of the other two guitars. The chorus on this song is delivered amazingly in short, two-word lines by Moore. It is hard to tell the exact meaning of the song, but after the first three minutes, it feels as if it should be over at about the three minute mark. The song extends into an elaborate breakdown where all but the bass make their presence known. The original riffs return in the last two minutes with the vocals to end the song.
My rating: 4/5

4. "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" (4:51)
Lyrics – Sonic Youth
Vocals – Kim Gordon
If listeners want early 1990's Sonic Youth, this is the closest they will get. This song is somewhat reminiscent of "Swimsuit Issue" off of 1992's Dirty. Gordon's vocals are fierce on the verse, but let up somewhat on the choruses. As with a lot of Gordon's fierce songs, this song really dives in deep and seems to attack whoever the song is about. As for the title of this song, I can't seem to find any connection.
My rating: 3/5

5. "Stones" (7:08)
Lyrics and vocals – Thurston Moore
"Stones" is probably my favorite song off Sonic Nurse. The drumbeat at the beginning is addictive and the riff is great with all the guitars forming a great melody. The vocals don't start until a few minutes into the song, creating a great anticipation as the riffs change many times before the vocals start at the two minute mark. The verse is pretty laid back, but the chorus of "Dead or alive/There's danger/The dead are alright/With me" has some intensity. The chorus is the most intense part of this enjoyable song. The riffs from the beginning of the song persist throughout varying occasionally. Moore's voice intermittently falls into perfect harmony with the guitars. At the four minute mark, a gradual crescendo starts and builds up to past the five minute mark where the guitars start to solo and the bass makes its presence known for the first time on the album. The soloing persists until the end of the song.
My rating: 5/5

6. "Dude Ranch Nurse" (5:44)
Lyrics and vocals – Kim Gordon
This song is just of an "Eh" from me. Gordon's vocals are more laid back compared to "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream," and they fit in well with the guitars. The use of the phaser effect adds to the guitars. I am pretty sure this is the only sing that mentions nurses on the album. It's a pretty good song, but it doesn't really speak to me the way the "Stones" or "Pattern Recognition" does.
My rating: 3/5

7. "New Hampshire" (5:12)
Lyrics and vocals – Thurston Moore
"New Hampshire" starts off with pounding, distant drums with high noise on the guitar. Pretty soon the two guitar riff starts up with some overlying harmonics added. As the name suggests, this song is about New Hampshire, although it is unclear what exactly about New Hampshire it keys on. Moore's vocals come in a little over a minute into the song and follow the same pattern they have had for the rest of the album. Nothing really fantastic and out of the out of the ordinary happens.
My rating: 4/5

8. "Paper Cup Exit" (5:57)
Lyrics and vocals – Lee Ranaldo
Backing vocals – Thurston Moore
This song is already regarded as "special" because it features Lee Ranaldo on vocal, as opposed to Gordon or Moore. The drums start out the song and the guitar joins them. Then, the vocals swoop in and the guitars change in to a flurry of minor chords. On the chorus, Ranaldo displays his fantastic vocal range and his story-telling style where he urges the subject of the song to "Sing along." Ranaldo's song adds a bit more of a pop aspect to Sonic Youth because his voice fits more of that mold, as opposed to Moore or Gordon, and he puts a lot of urgency behind his voice. I always look forward to Lee's songs on the Sonic Youth albums. This is not his best work, but it is still good enough to earn a rating of four out of five from me.
My rating: 4/5

9. "I Love You Golden Blue" (7:03)
Lyrics and vocals – Kim Gordon
This is the one song on the album that I don't really like. I just can't get into it. Part of it is from being worn down by the length of the album before this song. Gordon's vocals are very, very soft in this song to go along with the guitar, while the drums spend a lot of their time lightly on the ride. I just can't dig it. It's a decent song, I am usually just too worn down by the time I get to it to really have a deep appreciation for it.
My rating: 2.5/5

10. "Peace Attack" (6:12)
Lyrics and vocals – Thurston Moore
The song starts out with a chord similar to the opening one off of "Elegy for All the Dead Rock Stars" from Thurston Moore's solo album Psychic Hearts. Probably my second or third favorite song on the album. It makes the listener feel almost one with nature and just really relaxed. Not much else to say about it other than it is a gem.
My rating: 5/5

Total rating: 4/5

Overall, this is not an album you want to get if you are intent on getting a lot of vocals. However, if you are someone who is most interested in the technical aspects of a song, this would be a very good choice. It receives my seal of approval.

DJ’s Band of the Week: 11/18/07-11/24/07

2007-11-22T17:40:00.001-05:00

This is a weekly segment I will do chronicling which band I am listening to the most for that week. It should get pretty random. Enjoy.

For this week, November 18, 2007 to November 24, 2007, I am going to have to go with New York City's own The Strokes.

The Strokes were founded in 1998 through a network of friends and currently consist of singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Albert Hammond, Jr. and Nik Valensi, bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti.

In 2001, The Strokes released The Modern Age EP which started one of the biggest bidding wars for a band in history. The Strokes became one of the most hyped bands in history…

The Strokes justified this hype in late 2001 releasing their debut LP, Is This It, in August in the United Kingdom and in October in the United States. Is This It received a four star rating from Rolling Stone and a 9.1 rating from Pitchfork. The album garnered its greatest honors at the end of 2001, by being named album of the year by the magazines Entertainment Weekly and TIME. NME claimed that The Strokes were touring with some of the "best pop songs ever." The Strokes also hit the television circuit hard during this time period, appearing on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman.

The Strokes' second album Room on Fire was released in October 2003. The band made the cover of Spin Magazine along with the cover of Rolling Stone. The Strokes again made the rounds on the late night TV shows. The album was a hit with such songs as "Reptilia" and "12:51."

Finally, in January 2006, First Impressions of Earth, The Strokes' third album was released. The album featured the singles "Juicebox" and "Heart in a Cage." First Impressions of Earth debuted at number four on the US album charts and number one in the UK. The album went gold its first week out in Japan and was iTunes' most downloaded album for two weeks. The band went on national and international tours during this time.

The Strokes are currently on hiatus.

Some videos:
Is This It
Barely Legal
Last Nite
12:51
Reptilia
Heart in a Cage
You Only Live Once
The End Has No End
Someday
Another great video is for "Juicebox," but it is highly inappropriate, so I'll let you find it on your own.

I would recommend any of the above videos.

The Strokes.

Great band.

Check them out.

Colts-Pats, Dungy-Belichick, Manning-Brady, Addai-Maroney?

2007-11-14T13:37:00.002-05:00

Lost in the mix of the Colts-Patriots rivalry, the Dungy-Belichick rivalry, and the Manning-Brady rivalry, I can sense a new rivalry brewing (at least in my eyes): Joseph Addai vs. Laurence Maroney. That does not seem totally illogical now, does it? Both running backs came in to the league last year as rookies. Both have great quarterbacks and great supporting casts. As Manning and Brady each get older, along with their receivers, I think that Addai v. Maroney will become the centerpiece of the Indianapolis Colts-New England Patriots rivalry.

So let's compare these two men of the hour:

Name:	Joseph Addai	Laurence Maroney
College:	LSU	Minnesota
Age:	24	22
Height:	5-11	5-11
Weight:	214	220
Career Stats
Games:	24	20
Games Started:	8	3
Attempts:	397	264
Yards:	1,841	1,162
AVG:	4.6	4.4
Long:	41	41
Rushing TDs:	14	6
Receptions:	65	24
Yards:	546	231
Average:	8.4	9.6
Long:	73	31
Receiving TDs	3	1

Head-to-Head
November 5, 2006
Addai: 18 rushes, 43 yards, 1 TD
Maroney: 16 rushes, 63 yards
January 21, 2007
Addai: 14 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD
Maroney: 8 rushes, 13 yards
November 4, 2007
Addai: 26 rushes, 112 yards, 5 receptions, 114 yards, 1 TD
Maroney: 15 rushes, 59 yards

Analysis
Overall, I would have to say that Joseph Addai is definitely "winning" this rivalry. First off, he's got the ring. Secondly, the Colts are 2-1 since he and Maroney came into the league. Thirdly, he has the better stats so far. Head-to-head, they were relatively even until their last showdown, when Addai definitely took the lead in this rivalry. But as Maroney develops (this season would be his rookie season had he stayed at Minnesota), he could definitely excel in the NFL, past Addai.

There are not many other people who would see this as a rivalry, partly because of the Manning-Brady stuff that overshadows it, but I will always be comparing Addai and Maroney.

Interesting take, eh?

What a day, what a day!

2007-11-06T20:16:00.001-05:00

Wow! I don't remember a day like this in the NFL ever. So full of excitement and anticipation. There was the biggest regular season game in years between New England and Indianapolis. There were three kickoff returns for touchdowns. There was the longest scoring play in NFL history. The rushing record was set. There were so many great performances, I'm going to have to go through each game individually to list them all!

Atlanta Falcons 20, San Francisco 49ers 16
Atlanta Falcons
Warrick Dunn: 27 rushes, 100 yards, 1 TD
Michael Boley: 10 tackles, 1 FF
Keith Brooking: 6 tackles, 1 sack
Lawyer Milloy: 8 tackles, 1 INT
San Francisco 49ers
Vernon Davis: 7 receptions, 77 yards
Patrick Willis: 10 tackles, 1 sack

Buffalo Bills 33, Cincinnati Bengals 21
Buffalo Bills
J.P. Losman: 24/34, 295 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Marshawn Lynch: 29 carries, 153 yards, 1 TD, 1/1, 8 yards, 1 TD
Lee Evans: 9 catches, 165 yards, 1 TD
Angelo Crowell: 14 tackles (11 solo)
Cincinnati Bengals
Carson Palmer: 26/39, 271 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Kenny Watson: 7 receptions, 90 yards

Detroit Lions 44, Denver Broncos 7
Detroit Lions
Jon Kitna: 16/31, 252 yards, 2 TDs
Kevin Jones: 17 rushes, 71 yards
Shaun McDonald: 5 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD
Jason Hanson: 3/3 FGs, 5/5 XPs
Shaun Rogers: 3 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 TD
Denver Broncos
Patrick Ramsey: 29/46, 262 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Brandon Marshall: 9 receptions, 96 yards

Green Bay Packers 33, Kansas City Chiefs 22
Green Bay Packers
Brett Favre: 24/34, 360 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Donald Driver: 5 receptions, 99 yards
Greg Jennings: 3 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TDs
Mason Crosby: 4/5 FGs, 3/3 XPs
Corey Williams: 6 tackles, 2 sacks
Charles Woodson: 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD
Kansas City Chiefs
Damon Huard: 19/32, 213 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Larry Johnson: 19 rushes, 53 yards, 1 TD
Tony Gonzalez: 10 receptions, 109 yards, 1 TD

Minnesota Vikings 35, San Diego Chargers 17
Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson: 30 rushes, 296 yards, 3 TDs
Chester Taylor: 9 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD
Sidney Rice: 4 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD
San Diego Chargers
LaDainian Tomlinson: 16 rushes, 40 yards, 1 TD
Matt Wilhelm: 14 tackles (11 solo)
Antonio Cromartie: 2 tackles, 109-yard missed FG return for TD

New Orleans Saints 41, Jacksonville Jaguars 24
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees: 35/49, 445 yards, 3 TDs
Reggie Bush: 17 attempts, 72 yards, 1 TD
Marques Colston: 10 receptions, 159 yards
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quinn Gray: 20/33, 354 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs
Reggie Williams: 6 receptions, 128 yards, 1 TD
Reggie Nelson: 10 solo tackles
Maurice Jones-Drew: 5 rushes, 28 yards, 2 receptions, 31 yards, 100-yard kickoff return TD

Washington Redskins 23, New York Jets 20 (OT)
Washington Redskins
Clinton Portis: 36 rushes, 196 yards, 1 TD
Shaun Suisham: 5/5 FGs
Rocky McIntosh: 12 tackles (11 solo)
New York Jets
Kellen Clemens: 23/42, 226 yards, 1 TD
Jerricho Cotchery: 5 receptions, 90 yards
David Harris: 24 tackles (20 solo)

Tennessee Titans 20, Carolina Panthers 7
Tennessee Titans
LenDale White: 31 rushes, 100 yards, 1 TD
Albert Haynesworth: 7 tackles, 3 sacks
Carolina Panthers
Drew Carter: 3 catches, 56 yards, 1 TD
Jon Beason: 11 tackles (9 solo)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17, Arizona Cardinals 10
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jeff Garcia: 18/28, 196 yards, 1 TD
Earnest Graham: 34 rushes, 124 yards, 1 TD
Joey Galloway: 5 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD
Arizona Cardinals
Larry Fitzgerald: 4 receptions, 95 yards
Darnell Dockett: 10 tackles, 2 sacks

Cleveland Browns 33, Seattle Seahawks 30 (OT)
Jamal Lewis: 20 carries, 37 yards, 4 TDs
Kellen Winslow: 11 receptions, 125 yards
Seattle Seahawks
Matt Hasselbeck: 30/47, 318 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Bobby Engram: 14 receptions, 139 yards, 1 TD

New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 20
New England Patriots
Tom Brady: 21/32, 255, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
Randy Moss: 9 receptions, 145 yards, 1 TD
Mike Vrabel: 5 tackles, 1 sack
Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning: 16/27, 225 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Joseph Addai: 26 rushes, 112 yards, 5 receptions, 114 yards, 1 TD

Houston Texans 24, Oakland Raiders 17
Houston Texans
Sage Rosenfels: 11/19, 181 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Ron Dayne: 21 rushes, 122 yards, 1 TD
Oakland Raiders
Justin Fargas: 23 rushes, 104 yards, 1 TD
Robert Thomas: 11 tackles (9 solo)
Kirk Morrison: 8 tackles (7 solo)
Stuart Schweigart: 8 tackles (4 solo), 1 INT

Dallas Cowboys 38, Philadelphia Eagles 17
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo: 20/25, 324 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Julius Jones: 13 rushes, 57 yards, 1 TD
Marion Barber: 16 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Owens: 10 receptions, 174 yards, 1 TD
DeMarcus Ware: 8 tackles (7 solo), 1.5 sacks
Philadelphia Eagles
Donovan McNabb: 27/46, 264, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Brian Westbrook: 16 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD, 14 receptions, 90 yards
Mike Patterson: 8 tackles (7 solo)

Pittsburgh Steelers 38, Baltimore Ravens 7
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger: 13/16, 209 yards, 5 TDs
Santonio Holmes: 4 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TDs
Nate Washington: 3 receptions, 51 yards, 2 TDs
James Harrison: 9 tackles (8 solo), 3.5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 FF
Troy Polamalu: 7 tackles, 1 FF
James Farrior: 6 tackles, 1 sack
Baltimore Ravens
Terrell Suggs: 11 tackles (6 solo), 1 sack

Players of the Week
Offense

Adrian Peterson, MIN
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
Drew Brees, NO
Clinton Portis, WSH
Randy Moss, NE

Defense

James Harrison, PIT
David Harris, NYJ
Shaun Rogers, DET
Corey Williams, GB
Darnell Dockett, ARZ

Special Teams

Antonio Cromartie, SD
Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX
Glenn Holt, CIN
Nate Burleson, SEA
Leon Washington, NYJ

What a great week!

However, a dark cloud does hang over this day: Chad Johnson was taken off of the field in Buffalo on a stretcher with a neck injury. My prayers are with him and his family.

Future Thoughts
Here is a bold prediction: the winner of Monday's Baltimore-Pittsburgh game will beat New England. Like it, huh? But seriously, I think the team that comes out and dominates on defense and scores some points has a chance. Either team has the potential to do this, and each team has the potential to flop. I personally would like to see a Pittsburgh triumph, but I logically do not know who to pick. All I will say is that either the Steelers or Ravens will beat New England when they get their shot.

Well the Steelers set that straight. So my bold prediction is that the Pittsburgh Steelers will triumph over the New England Patriots later this season. I'm such a genius.

Hopefully next week can live up to this much excitement.

What Runs Through My Head

2007-11-04T13:27:00.000-05:00

In all sports, any athlete will tell you that the preparation is almost as important as the actual event. Most athletes use music to help them get pumped up. Cross country is no different. I listen to the following 24-song playlist before every cross country meet. What you listen to when you run is imperative, as it is nearly impossible to change what is stuck in your head once you get going. So here it is:

1. “Hunting For Witches” – Bloc Party, A Weekend In the City. I have to be honest, I don’t really like Bloc Party. They maybe have two other good songs (“Banquet,” “Helicopter”), but this one joins them. The guitar riff is simply amazing, combined with the panning of the vocals throughout most of the song. There is keyboard present throughout the song, but it does not really bother me as the guitar riff starts to blend in. The vocals, which are panned between speakers at many parts throughout the song, are superb, as his (I forget his name) voice fluctuates between high and low. The first song on my playlist I listen to. The rest of the songs come on in a random order.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4_G7LxJacY

2. “We Used To Be Friends” – The Dandy Warhols, Welcome To The Monkey House. A casual listener passing by would not regard The Dandy Warhols as something to listen to get you pumped up, but I beg to differ. Even though Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s vocals are pretty relaxed, they do not lack the edge I search for to get pumped up. The verses of the song are all bass and keyboards, but when the chorus of the song hits, a heavily distorted guitar comes in. However, the guitar is not overpowering and it provides a very nice balance. And of course, in the verse, the clap-clap provides a rhythm that I somehow am addicted to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3FXQViwGlk

3. “I Am Over It” – The Dandy Warhols, Welcome To The Monkey House. As a runner, you have a lot of time to stew over different events. I should have said this, I should have talked to her, I shouldn’t have done that-type of things. This song helps me get all of those distractions out of my head by telling myself that I actually am over it. Part of the Zen to running is clearing your mind of things that could be distracting during a race. The simple drums, bass, and guitar help get that point through to me and clear my mind. The Dandy Warhols really put me into a peaceful mood as I feel like I could fall asleep to a lot of their songs, but they somehow still pump me up.

4. “Exorcising Demons” – The Features, Exhibit A. This song basically serves the same purpose to me as “I Am Over It” does. I use the idea of exorcising the distractions for however many minutes I am running as a release. The song really clears my mind while pumping me up, not to mention how insane the bass is while the guitar plays a catchy yet heavy rhythm.

5. “The Heinrich Maneuver” – Interpol, Our Love To Admire. This song is good no matter what. From the catchy vocals to the unusual bass riff to the guitar, this song really gets me pumped up. I have had this song stuck in my head for a few of my races and they have been some of my best ones. The drums really get stuck in my head and the pre-chorus really pushes me and makes me get through the race. Interpol is a great band, by the way. This song has the urgency and frenetic energy you need to push you as a runner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZtKsfSvFTQ

6. “All Fired Up” – Interpol, Our Love To Admire. This song does exactly what it says: it gets you fired up. The simple guitar riff combined with the repeated chant of “I’ll take you on/I’ll take you on/I’ll take you on/I’ll take you all on” really makes me feel like I can, well, take all the runners on. This is another song that frequents my head and creates a “me-against-the world” feeling. And it works. This song is fantastic. It really fires me up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WywSYDMb5Mg

7. “Obstacle 1” – Interpol, Turn On The Bright Lights. I don’t really have much to say about this song, besides the fact that the repetitive lead guitar combined with the bass really creates a great rhythm to have in your head. The lyrics can be somewhat questionable (“Stories are boring and stuff/She’s always calling my bluff”) but it is one of my all-time favorite songs. The drums in the chorus provide for the urgency for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkBAUqp6NKg

8. “Disorder” – Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures. I don’t really know why this song pumps me up. I think part of it is the bass, but other than that, this wouldn’t be a song that would pump a lot of people up. Probably only because it’s one of my favorites. Ian Curtis’ vocals are haunting and that contributes somehow to my pre-race psyche.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrzGpVOPcTI

9. “She’s Lost Control” – Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures. Ditto what I said for “Disorder.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVc29bYIvCM

10. “Charmer” – Kings of Leon, Because of the Times. Anyone who has heard this song knows that it really does pump you up. The heavy guitar and bass and drums contribute, but the real catalyst is the vocal talents of Caleb Followill. His inhuman screams really get the juices flowing. Makes me want to go out and just run fast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YO0J-a-FxI

11. “Four Kicks” – Kings of Leon, Aha Shake Heartbreak. The drums push this song faster and faster which pushes me faster and faster while I run. Not to mention I think about the video, which is a huge fight, and that pushes me even harder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZe4rn-VTvI

12. “Atlantis to Interzone” – Klaxons, Myths of the Near Future. When I first heard this song, the one thing that struck me were the vocals and synth, but after listening to the song with headphones, I discovered what makes this song amazing: the bass. Just listen to it. The bass part is amazing. Just thinking about that is something that gets in your mind and doesn’t leave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvzkVKhUVL0

13. “Gravity’s Rainbow” – Klaxons, Myths of the Near Future. The bass is very good in this song, but not to the same extent as in “Atlantis to Interzone.” Other than that, and the guitar part somewhat, I don’t really know what gets me so pumped in this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpWgW7-0esU

14. “Four Horsemen of 2012” – Klaxons, Myths of the Near Future. Now I know why this song gets me pumped up. The screaming vocals with the low harmony combined with the keyboard and hi-hat part on the drums just make me want to run faster, as if I am running from the Four Horsemen. Listening to this song and really getting pumped can look pretty intimidating, I’ll tell you that much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgg5Yynrd08

15. “Glass Ceiling” – Metric, Live It Out. The descending guitar and bass riffs are really the only reason I listen to this. I really like Emily Haines’ voice, too. Again, another one that pumps me up without me realizing it. Still a good one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyPZ5vOcSWk

16. “Something Against Me” – Pixies, Surfer Rosa. Another “me-against-the world” type song as it makes you want to run the people that have something against you into the ground. The vocals are incomprehensible but the static guitar provides a good backbeat to have in your head. Yay for running!

17. “I’m Housin’” – Rage Against The Machine, Renegades. Well, it is Rage. Listening to RATM really just pumps you up. It is pretty self-explanatory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssnaqhkKIpA

18. “How I Could Just Kill A Man” – Rage Against The Machine, Renegades. Ditto to “I’m Housin’,” except it is even faster. Yeahhhhhhhhhh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFfIZSh_chg

19. “100%” – Sonic Youth, Dirty. Well this is my favorite song of all-time, so it does deserve a spot on this list. That’s about it. This song probably gets stuck in my head the most out of all of them, and I like it, so I won’t complain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iva_Y9W3hJ0

20. “Chapel Hill” – Sonic Youth, Dirty. This song has the urgency behind it to get me through my running, and it is just a rockin’ song. It is tame compared to some of the other songs, but it has meaning behind that really, really makes me think. The guitar solo gets stuck in my head occasionally, and it rocks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBivMTOOZFo

21. “Death Valley ‘69” – Sonic Youth with Lydia Lunch, Bad Moon Rising. Sonic Youth seems tame compared to some of the stuff that pumps me up, but the thing that gets me in “Death Valley ‘69” is Lydia Lunch’s vocals. They are really haunting and urgent, and her scream at the end really sets me up for my running.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abFsnnsa_6A

22. “Nature of the Experiment” – Tokyo Police Club, A Lesson In Crime. The bass riff is the best part of the song, and the song talks about “Taking me in increments” which is what you really need to do to succeed in running. Whether you’re taking it a mile at a time, a half-mile at a time, or a quarter-mile at a time, to succeed you have to take it little by little.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPY5vTbLhs8

23. “Citizens of Tomorrow” – Tokyo Police Club, A Lesson In Crime. “Citizens of Tomorrow” has only really gotten stuck in my head once, at Bull Run after I fell, and the line that was in my head was “This is not how we planned it.” It was fitting for that race, as it did not go how I planned. The song is quite somber, as it is about getting blown apart by robots, but it puts the idea that every race could be your last in your head and that you need to really race your hardest every time out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOi3F00oJtI

24. “White Noise” – The Vacation, The Band From World War Zero. First off, the guitar riff is super-catchy. Not catchy, super-catchy. The screaming vocals feel like an adrenaline rush. Yeah, it gets me pumped up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZFnvOC7LnI

Well, my analyzing skills really fell of there at the end, but I stand firm by my claim that running is the one sport where you can be affected the most mentally. You have to have your mind cleared and something that is not distracting, but something that will keep the distance you are running out of your mind. It’s a delicate balance. If you don’t believe me, join a cross country team.