We're baaaack. Or at least I am.
IT'S HOCKEY SEASON! FINALLY! Too bad our teams haven't exactly blown up the standings, huh (well, not yet, anyway)?
To the Rangers fans: Be patient with Drury. He's a fantastic player who needs time to adjust to his new surroundings. He'll be fine and remember: He has won a Stanley Cup already (he was on the Avalanche team that won the thing after they picked up Ray Bourque).
To the Sabres fans: Be patient with this team. They're starting to pick up the pace here. Seasons like last year don't happen often and growing pains were bound to happen with this very young team. But hey, how 'bout that Clarke MacArthur?
Sabres at Canadiens tonight. Sabres are going for four wins in a row after beating Montreal twice and Ottawa once at home (the Sabres' only divisional opponent based in the States is the Boston Bruins). This is the fifth meeting between the two teams...and it isn't even December yet. ENOUGH! NO MAS!
In other matters, my new website is up! Check it out: http://www.edklingenberger.com
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Slight Rant, Slight Random Post
Hockey season can't come fast enough. Still. Hell, we've already had a goalie fight and the season hasn't started yet. If that doesn't get you fired up for hockey, then you have no pulse.
But hey - at least the last weekend of the baseball season will prove to be VERY interesting and well worth watching. With the Mets and Diamondbacks collapsing (The Mets just kept finding ways to lose to the Nationals...and what's up with the D-backs losing a September series to the Pirates?!) and the Rockies deciding to kick ass and take names and the Padres...uh...yeah, I'm looking forward to watching THIS whole drama unfold.
Well, there's the slight random post. Now, on to the slight rant.
*ahem*
Donovan McNabb posted a "perfect" quarterback rating on the Lions this past Sunday in what had to have been the most entertaining football game since...well...Cincinnati and Cleveland the week before. Which is great - teams posting 40-plus points on each other or turning the ball over five or six times apiece is my kinda football game.
But here's my problem: The "perfect" quarterback rating is 158.3. Where the hell did THAT number come from?! In baseball, a perfect game is the opposing batters going 0 for 27. A perfect game in bowling is 300. A perfect football quarterback rating is 158.3?! What in the world is that decimal doing there? Earth to Football "Experts": If you want a number to associate with perfection in football, please have the decency to make it a whole number, will ya? Preferably a round number. Please? For the sake of humanity. And oh yeah - you don't make your point or "analysis" clearer by yelling it at us. You just make us hate you and mute our TVs. Kinda defeats the purpose of you even talking, let alone yelling, doesn't it?
Well, that felt good. Now, who's up for a little Street Fighter?
But hey - at least the last weekend of the baseball season will prove to be VERY interesting and well worth watching. With the Mets and Diamondbacks collapsing (The Mets just kept finding ways to lose to the Nationals...and what's up with the D-backs losing a September series to the Pirates?!) and the Rockies deciding to kick ass and take names and the Padres...uh...yeah, I'm looking forward to watching THIS whole drama unfold.
Well, there's the slight random post. Now, on to the slight rant.
*ahem*
Donovan McNabb posted a "perfect" quarterback rating on the Lions this past Sunday in what had to have been the most entertaining football game since...well...Cincinnati and Cleveland the week before. Which is great - teams posting 40-plus points on each other or turning the ball over five or six times apiece is my kinda football game.
But here's my problem: The "perfect" quarterback rating is 158.3. Where the hell did THAT number come from?! In baseball, a perfect game is the opposing batters going 0 for 27. A perfect game in bowling is 300. A perfect football quarterback rating is 158.3?! What in the world is that decimal doing there? Earth to Football "Experts": If you want a number to associate with perfection in football, please have the decency to make it a whole number, will ya? Preferably a round number. Please? For the sake of humanity. And oh yeah - you don't make your point or "analysis" clearer by yelling it at us. You just make us hate you and mute our TVs. Kinda defeats the purpose of you even talking, let alone yelling, doesn't it?
Well, that felt good. Now, who's up for a little Street Fighter?
Monday, September 17, 2007
Home Field Disadvantage
So here's something odd: Only one American League home team won yesterday...and that took a walk-off home run. This means every AL game yesterday went into the bottom of the ninth inning. Your one AL Home Team winner? The White Sox, winning on Jim Thome's walk-off 500th career home run. Every other AL home team lost.
The National League didn't fare all that better at home, either. Milwaukee, Colorado, Houston, and San Diego are your four NL home team winners.
Add that up, and MLB home teams were 5-10 yesterday. Root, root, root for the home team? I guess not...
And no, I'm not writing about football. Why? 'Cause I didn't watch any. Take that, football!
The National League didn't fare all that better at home, either. Milwaukee, Colorado, Houston, and San Diego are your four NL home team winners.
Add that up, and MLB home teams were 5-10 yesterday. Root, root, root for the home team? I guess not...
And no, I'm not writing about football. Why? 'Cause I didn't watch any. Take that, football!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Obligatory Opening Football Week Post
I can't believe I'm about to write about football, but here goes.
OK, OK, I like the start of football season. Why? 'Cause it means that hockey season is only a month away. That and we get to see coaches bust arteries in their heads when things don't go right.
So how bad is it to be a sports fan in Western New York right now? If you saw the absolute "Why don't you just kick me in the balls while you're at it?!" way that the Bills lost to the Broncos yesterday, you would know. By the way: 15-14?! Come on! Score some points, dammit! I know some people might disagree with me, but I don't care about defense! More points, please. Or cause more turnovers. Those are fun...
But speaking as a Western New Yorker forced to follow the Bills...hockey season can't come fast enough. GO SABRES!
So, did anybody else find it strange that the entertaining games were Detroit-Oakland and Giants-Cowboys? Especially the latter?
I have to admit, I kinda started to hate myself while watching Chicago-San Diego. That game would've been more entertaining if it was Cubs at Padres instead of Bears at Chargers.
The new Minus The Bear album "Planet of Ice" is pretty awesome. Probably not the album to start with if you're getting into the band - their previous album ("Menos el Oso") is your best bet there - but pick up the new one after that. One bear claw up
DOOMED!
OK, OK, I like the start of football season. Why? 'Cause it means that hockey season is only a month away. That and we get to see coaches bust arteries in their heads when things don't go right.
So how bad is it to be a sports fan in Western New York right now? If you saw the absolute "Why don't you just kick me in the balls while you're at it?!" way that the Bills lost to the Broncos yesterday, you would know. By the way: 15-14?! Come on! Score some points, dammit! I know some people might disagree with me, but I don't care about defense! More points, please. Or cause more turnovers. Those are fun...
But speaking as a Western New Yorker forced to follow the Bills...hockey season can't come fast enough. GO SABRES!
So, did anybody else find it strange that the entertaining games were Detroit-Oakland and Giants-Cowboys? Especially the latter?
I have to admit, I kinda started to hate myself while watching Chicago-San Diego. That game would've been more entertaining if it was Cubs at Padres instead of Bears at Chargers.
The new Minus The Bear album "Planet of Ice" is pretty awesome. Probably not the album to start with if you're getting into the band - their previous album ("Menos el Oso") is your best bet there - but pick up the new one after that. One bear claw up
DOOMED!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Amazing...
I just saw part of a headline that read "Big Ben's Hourly Bongs". I first thought that headline referred to a certain quarterback and a drug habit...
...oh wait. The clock in London. Heh heh - never mind...
...oh wait. The clock in London. Heh heh - never mind...
Monday, July 30, 2007
Now THAT Was A Weekend...
Happy Almost August, peoples. This past weekend was home to a festival called BoulderFest here in Rochester. Naturally, since you're dealing with me here, I was one of many musicians pulling at least double duty during the course of the fest.
It all started Friday afternoon. I played drums for Journey of Jasmine late that afternoon (JoJ was the second band to play BoulderFest this year. Not a bad time slot, either). I stuck around to see The Isotopes that night - those guys were awesome. It takes a lot of guts to cover Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" at all, let alone play it almost note for note perfectly.
Saturday, however, was The Day Of Madness. At around noontime, I took the stage playing percussion for my friend Dan Ball Jr. About three hours later, SMOCK finally took the stage and rocked the crap out of the place. I should know 'cause I definitely had sweat in my eyes a few times during the course of our set. But wait! - it doesn't end there. That night, I was invited to sit in on piano for the band CHEA! for their show (they got the band back together!) outside of the festival. So I did, and beat the crap out of a piano for about an hour and a half or so. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, my hands hurt, my legs were tired, and I probably smelled funny. Such a good day...
It doesn't end there. About 12:30 Sunday afternoon, I got a call from a friend of mine asking me to fill in for his band's percussionist. So, uh...I did. I scrambled down to his place for a quick rehearsal, went to BoulderFest again, and then found out their percussionist was actually going to make the show. But since they still wanted me to play and realized he and I played different hand drums, The Kitchen Sinks took the stage with two percussionists.
So there you have it. Five shows in three days. All in all, the shows went well - Journey of Jasmine especially so - and this weekend was completely amazing. Same time next year?
It all started Friday afternoon. I played drums for Journey of Jasmine late that afternoon (JoJ was the second band to play BoulderFest this year. Not a bad time slot, either). I stuck around to see The Isotopes that night - those guys were awesome. It takes a lot of guts to cover Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" at all, let alone play it almost note for note perfectly.
Saturday, however, was The Day Of Madness. At around noontime, I took the stage playing percussion for my friend Dan Ball Jr. About three hours later, SMOCK finally took the stage and rocked the crap out of the place. I should know 'cause I definitely had sweat in my eyes a few times during the course of our set. But wait! - it doesn't end there. That night, I was invited to sit in on piano for the band CHEA! for their show (they got the band back together!) outside of the festival. So I did, and beat the crap out of a piano for about an hour and a half or so. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, my hands hurt, my legs were tired, and I probably smelled funny. Such a good day...
It doesn't end there. About 12:30 Sunday afternoon, I got a call from a friend of mine asking me to fill in for his band's percussionist. So, uh...I did. I scrambled down to his place for a quick rehearsal, went to BoulderFest again, and then found out their percussionist was actually going to make the show. But since they still wanted me to play and realized he and I played different hand drums, The Kitchen Sinks took the stage with two percussionists.
So there you have it. Five shows in three days. All in all, the shows went well - Journey of Jasmine especially so - and this weekend was completely amazing. Same time next year?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Spectacular Losing Day
Yesterday - the day after Bastille Day - I witnessed two absolutely spectacular losses on the baseball diamond. I saw a minor league beatdown in person, then a major league milestone on my TV. When it comes to losing, I won yesterday.
Let's start with the afternoon game. Yesterday afternoon, my friend and Journey of Jasmine bandmate Mike and I attended the Rochester Red Wings game against the Indianapolis Indians. The Red Wings got KILLED to the tune of 16-3. Three runs were walked in, one run was plunked in, and a grand slam was hit in the top of the second inning. When the top of the third inning ended with the score 9-0 in favor of Indianapolis, home team devotion quickly turned into morbid fascination for me. That and I almost got the sign language interpreter lady to crack during the singing of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" by singing one syllable behind everybody else (Mike and I had moved up to the front row in the seventh inning, stealing vacated seats near home plate). All in all, the game was flat-out amazing...and it was Cal Ripken "jersey" night, so I got a free shirt out of it.
But that's not all! There was another team to watch! Last night's baseball game on ESPN (home of Quite Possibly The Dumbest Thing Mankind Has Ever Seen) was the St. Louis Cardinals at the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were going for the sweep and trying to avoid a spectacular milestone in futility: They were just one loss away from 10,000 defeats as a franchise. However, this was not Philadelphia's night. Albert Pujols, fresh from shaking off his massive (for him) home run drought, crushed a pitch to the deepest part of the ballpark. He'd hit another home run later that night, but that first one was spectacular. That and the next batter went deep on the first pitch he saw after that mammoth blast from Uncle Albert. All told, the Cardinals hit six home runs as a team, won 10-2 (giving up Philadelphia's two runs in the ninth inning), and sent the Phillies into previously uncharted territory: 10,000 losses. Sure, I had to sit through a bunch of stupid tie-ins to the ESPYs during the game - for the record, the guys who made "Coming up next, The ESPYs" signs and held them up at the ballpark in Philadelphia should get the crap kicked out of them - but seeing a milestone loss like that was worth the effort. And then I turned off my TV the instant The ESPYs started.
In summary: I witnessed two big losses yesterday. It was amazing. A fun time was had by me.
UPDATE: As I was link hunting for this post, I stumbled onto this: Not only was my local-ish Really Minor League Team, the Batavia Muckdogs, no-hit yesterday, they were at the receiving end of a perfect game! Yet another spectacular loss from Spectacular Losing Day. Life doesn't get much better than this...
...or does it?
Let's start with the afternoon game. Yesterday afternoon, my friend and Journey of Jasmine bandmate Mike and I attended the Rochester Red Wings game against the Indianapolis Indians. The Red Wings got KILLED to the tune of 16-3. Three runs were walked in, one run was plunked in, and a grand slam was hit in the top of the second inning. When the top of the third inning ended with the score 9-0 in favor of Indianapolis, home team devotion quickly turned into morbid fascination for me. That and I almost got the sign language interpreter lady to crack during the singing of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" by singing one syllable behind everybody else (Mike and I had moved up to the front row in the seventh inning, stealing vacated seats near home plate). All in all, the game was flat-out amazing...and it was Cal Ripken "jersey" night, so I got a free shirt out of it.
But that's not all! There was another team to watch! Last night's baseball game on ESPN (home of Quite Possibly The Dumbest Thing Mankind Has Ever Seen) was the St. Louis Cardinals at the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were going for the sweep and trying to avoid a spectacular milestone in futility: They were just one loss away from 10,000 defeats as a franchise. However, this was not Philadelphia's night. Albert Pujols, fresh from shaking off his massive (for him) home run drought, crushed a pitch to the deepest part of the ballpark. He'd hit another home run later that night, but that first one was spectacular. That and the next batter went deep on the first pitch he saw after that mammoth blast from Uncle Albert. All told, the Cardinals hit six home runs as a team, won 10-2 (giving up Philadelphia's two runs in the ninth inning), and sent the Phillies into previously uncharted territory: 10,000 losses. Sure, I had to sit through a bunch of stupid tie-ins to the ESPYs during the game - for the record, the guys who made "Coming up next, The ESPYs" signs and held them up at the ballpark in Philadelphia should get the crap kicked out of them - but seeing a milestone loss like that was worth the effort. And then I turned off my TV the instant The ESPYs started.
In summary: I witnessed two big losses yesterday. It was amazing. A fun time was had by me.
UPDATE: As I was link hunting for this post, I stumbled onto this: Not only was my local-ish Really Minor League Team, the Batavia Muckdogs, no-hit yesterday, they were at the receiving end of a perfect game! Yet another spectacular loss from Spectacular Losing Day. Life doesn't get much better than this...
...or does it?
Thursday, July 12, 2007
OK, Break's Over, Back To Work
How strange was yesterday? No baseball to speak of at all unless you lucked out and found the Triple-A All-Star Game on TV (International League 7, Pacific Coast League 5). But The Most Boring Day In Sports is now behind us, thank God. So, PLAY BALL!
Best record at the break: Boston Red Sox (53-34)
Worst record at the break: Tampa Bay Devil Rays (34-53)
Interestingly enough, the division leaders haven't been able to put much real estate between them and their opponents so far this season. The Red Sox have the biggest division lead at 10 games. The next largest is Milwaukee in the NL Central, 4 and a half games ahead of the Cubs. The other four divisions are much tighter than that - none of those division leaders are ahead by more than 2 and a half games. If this keeps up, then these division titles won't be decided until late September/early October, which is stressful for the teams but great for the fans.
Here's another attention grabber: The Philadelphia Phillies are about to lose their 10,000th game as a franchise. Right now, they're sitting at 9,999. They aren't playing tonight, but that grand defeat could come as early as tomorrow night when they host the St. Louis Cardinals.
Two other intriguing match-ups this weekend:
Colorado at Milwaukee - the NL West's fourth place Rockies would be in third in the NL Central, but only a half-game behind the Cubs.
Detroit at Seattle - four-game set between one of the best teams in the bigs and the team few people expected to be good out of the AL West.
Speaking of Seattle, did you see Ichiro's inside-the-park home run in the All-Star Game? How friggin' cool was that?! That and the bottom of the ninth made that the most watchable All-Star Game in years. But Paula Cole singing "God Bless America"? Talk about 10 years too late. Between her and Counting Crows (?!) playing at the Home Run Derby, I almost thought I went 10 years back in time or something. Hootie and The Blowfish must've been booked solid this week...
Here's your All-Star Snub: Erik Bedard, starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, leads the majors in strikeouts (149) but wasn't invited to San Francisco. His 3.40 ERA is good for 11th in the AL, just behind Chien-Ming Wang and just ahead of Josh Beckett. Incidentally, fellow Oriole Jeremy Guthrie is second in the AL with a 2.74 ERA. Go figure...
You're a kitty!
Best record at the break: Boston Red Sox (53-34)
Worst record at the break: Tampa Bay Devil Rays (34-53)
Interestingly enough, the division leaders haven't been able to put much real estate between them and their opponents so far this season. The Red Sox have the biggest division lead at 10 games. The next largest is Milwaukee in the NL Central, 4 and a half games ahead of the Cubs. The other four divisions are much tighter than that - none of those division leaders are ahead by more than 2 and a half games. If this keeps up, then these division titles won't be decided until late September/early October, which is stressful for the teams but great for the fans.
Here's another attention grabber: The Philadelphia Phillies are about to lose their 10,000th game as a franchise. Right now, they're sitting at 9,999. They aren't playing tonight, but that grand defeat could come as early as tomorrow night when they host the St. Louis Cardinals.
Two other intriguing match-ups this weekend:
Colorado at Milwaukee - the NL West's fourth place Rockies would be in third in the NL Central, but only a half-game behind the Cubs.
Detroit at Seattle - four-game set between one of the best teams in the bigs and the team few people expected to be good out of the AL West.
Speaking of Seattle, did you see Ichiro's inside-the-park home run in the All-Star Game? How friggin' cool was that?! That and the bottom of the ninth made that the most watchable All-Star Game in years. But Paula Cole singing "God Bless America"? Talk about 10 years too late. Between her and Counting Crows (?!) playing at the Home Run Derby, I almost thought I went 10 years back in time or something. Hootie and The Blowfish must've been booked solid this week...
Here's your All-Star Snub: Erik Bedard, starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, leads the majors in strikeouts (149) but wasn't invited to San Francisco. His 3.40 ERA is good for 11th in the AL, just behind Chien-Ming Wang and just ahead of Josh Beckett. Incidentally, fellow Oriole Jeremy Guthrie is second in the AL with a 2.74 ERA. Go figure...
You're a kitty!
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Requiem For Some Laundry
I'm not the first to say this on the sports blogosphere, but it's worth noting: The Chicago White Sox are bad this year. Really bad. This team merely two years removed from winning a World Series title have aged quickly this season (four everyday players are on the DL right now) and their pitching is not in the same place it was during their championship campaign. Earlier this week, the White Sox took a 6-2 lead into the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles. Game over, right? Nope. The Orioles scored three runs in the eighth and two runs in the ninth off of Sox relievers (closer Bobby Jenks officially blew the save in the ninth and took the loss) and won the game 6-5. But here's another scary statistic: The White Sox were 4-14 in interleague play. You know, The National League's Exercise In Futility That The American League Wins Every Year Not Named The All-Star Game. They only won FOUR games against the NL this year! And it's not like they had tough Interleague opponents, either - They played the Cubs (lost five of six, getting swept in the series in their own ballpark), Astros (lost 2 of 3), Phillies (lost all 3), Pirates (lost 2 of 3), and Marlins (lost 2 of 3). Murderers' Row Of Mediocrity right there...
Possibly the scariest statistic of them all: As of today, they only have one more win than the Kansas City Royals. One. That's it.
And then there was yesterday. Yesterday, the Minnesota Twins visited the south side of Chicago for a doubleheader and kicked the crap out of them. The first game was a football score - Minnesota 20, Chicago 14. The Sox committed five errors and the Twins DIDN'T score in the sixth and ninth innings. The scary thing is it would've been more lopsided if a Twins batter didn't ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the eighth.
But that was the first game. But what happened in the nightcap? Simply put, the Twins kept hitting but the White Sox stopped. Morneau went deep three times (hat trick?) as the Twins piled up one more home run (six) than Sox hits (five) in game two. Twins 12, Sox 0.
If that wasn't enough, the White Sox will have to deal with BOOF! in today's game. Good luck to 'em. Poor southsiders - they gotta deal with Cubs fans all summer long 'cause the better Chicago team is playing in Wrigleyville this year...
This guy is pretty awesome
Possibly the scariest statistic of them all: As of today, they only have one more win than the Kansas City Royals. One. That's it.
And then there was yesterday. Yesterday, the Minnesota Twins visited the south side of Chicago for a doubleheader and kicked the crap out of them. The first game was a football score - Minnesota 20, Chicago 14. The Sox committed five errors and the Twins DIDN'T score in the sixth and ninth innings. The scary thing is it would've been more lopsided if a Twins batter didn't ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the eighth.
But that was the first game. But what happened in the nightcap? Simply put, the Twins kept hitting but the White Sox stopped. Morneau went deep three times (hat trick?) as the Twins piled up one more home run (six) than Sox hits (five) in game two. Twins 12, Sox 0.
If that wasn't enough, the White Sox will have to deal with BOOF! in today's game. Good luck to 'em. Poor southsiders - they gotta deal with Cubs fans all summer long 'cause the better Chicago team is playing in Wrigleyville this year...
This guy is pretty awesome
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Happy Fourth of July!
Woo hoo! It's Independence Day! In honor of America's Founding Fathers, let's celebrate! Drink some beer, cook some meat, watch some baseball, and blow some crap up (or at least watch other people blow crap up)!
Enjoy the holiday.
Enjoy the holiday.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Happy Canada Day!
Yep, you read that right. July 1st is Canada Day. So crack open a Molson or Labatt and watch hockey highlights on YouTube in honor of our neighbors to the north! Beauty, eh?
Speaking of hockey: Apparently, Daniel Briere is a Flyer. He signed a hefty 8-year deal with a "no-movement clause" to play in Philadelphia. That leaves me to say this: What in the world were they thinking? 8 years?! Don't get me wrong - I'm gonna miss seeing him in a Sabres' uniform and I wish him the best of luck in Flyer Country. BUT, you can almost guarantee he doesn't have 8 full seasons left in him. At least not without him turning fragile and missing at least 30 games a year at the tail end of that deal. Yes, Briere is a good offensive presence and should work well with Simon Gagne, but this is almost DiPietro-like insanity from the Flyers' front office here. I'm still completely confused by the deal...
I just found out Chris Drury and Scott Gomez both signed with the New York Rangers. I'll definitely miss Drury in a Slugs jersey. That dude is simply awesome. These are fantastic pickups for the Blueshirts. I'll leave the rest of the analysis from the Rangers' perspective to McNally...especially since I know full well he's probably having a moral quandary because Gomez used to play for the Devils.
So what's next for the Sabres? Slug Country was hoping that at least one of the two co-captains would stick around in Western New York. But since neither of them stayed - but Adam Mair resigned! - this clearly means the team belongs to guys like Tim Connelly, Ales Kotalik, Thomas Vanek, Maxim Afinogenov, and Jason Pominville. In hindsight, the writing was more than likely on the wall for the co-captains last year - Briere in particular - when Connelly got a contract extension before the beginning of last season. So overall, I have very mixed emotions about today. On one hand, I know full well I will miss watching Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. But on the other hand, Pominville-Afinogenov-Connelly is a REALLY scary line, so I still like this team. I'm personally hoping they can keep Vanek (though he's restricted) and Zubrus right now...
I'm watching baseball right now. Because NOTHING says "Canada Day" like a baseball game in Detroit, Michigan. Though reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau is Canadian...
The new Devin Townsend album is friggin' awesome. Full review coming soon.
Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again
Speaking of hockey: Apparently, Daniel Briere is a Flyer. He signed a hefty 8-year deal with a "no-movement clause" to play in Philadelphia. That leaves me to say this: What in the world were they thinking? 8 years?! Don't get me wrong - I'm gonna miss seeing him in a Sabres' uniform and I wish him the best of luck in Flyer Country. BUT, you can almost guarantee he doesn't have 8 full seasons left in him. At least not without him turning fragile and missing at least 30 games a year at the tail end of that deal. Yes, Briere is a good offensive presence and should work well with Simon Gagne, but this is almost DiPietro-like insanity from the Flyers' front office here. I'm still completely confused by the deal...
I just found out Chris Drury and Scott Gomez both signed with the New York Rangers. I'll definitely miss Drury in a Slugs jersey. That dude is simply awesome. These are fantastic pickups for the Blueshirts. I'll leave the rest of the analysis from the Rangers' perspective to McNally...especially since I know full well he's probably having a moral quandary because Gomez used to play for the Devils.
So what's next for the Sabres? Slug Country was hoping that at least one of the two co-captains would stick around in Western New York. But since neither of them stayed - but Adam Mair resigned! - this clearly means the team belongs to guys like Tim Connelly, Ales Kotalik, Thomas Vanek, Maxim Afinogenov, and Jason Pominville. In hindsight, the writing was more than likely on the wall for the co-captains last year - Briere in particular - when Connelly got a contract extension before the beginning of last season. So overall, I have very mixed emotions about today. On one hand, I know full well I will miss watching Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. But on the other hand, Pominville-Afinogenov-Connelly is a REALLY scary line, so I still like this team. I'm personally hoping they can keep Vanek (though he's restricted) and Zubrus right now...
I'm watching baseball right now. Because NOTHING says "Canada Day" like a baseball game in Detroit, Michigan. Though reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau is Canadian...
The new Devin Townsend album is friggin' awesome. Full review coming soon.
Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again Do it again
Monday, June 25, 2007
...And Another Season Of Interleague Play Is In The Books
2007's round of Interleague Play came to a screeching halt last night with the conclusion of the Tigers/Braves and Astros/Rangers games. I watched the former last night and it turns out the latter was the more interesting game. Sigh...
So once again, the AL beat the NL senseless and took its lunch money. In other shocking news from The Vatican, turns out The Pope is catholic. I broke it down by division, and here's what that looks like:
AL East: 45-45, .500
AL Central: 48-42, .533
AL West: 44-28, .611
NL East: 38-43, .469
NL Central: 43-50, .462
NL West: 34-44, .436
So the AL won 137-115. The shining examples of AL's dominance were the Tigers and Angels, who each went 14-4 in Interleague play this season. Meanwhile, only six NL teams finished interleague play with winning records. The only NL teams to finish more than one game over .500 against the AL were the Cubs and the Rockies. The 8-4 Interleague Cubs clearly took advantage of their limited schedule, winning 5 of 6 against the White Sox (including the sweep this weekend), who had their asses handed to them by the NL this year (4-14). You could point out the fact that the Rockies swept the Yankees earlier this week, but they promptly got swept in Toronto this weekend, so that doesn't explain their 10-8 Interleague record. Series wins against Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Boston explains it. Though they did lose a series to the Royals. Go figure...
So what now? I'm not really a baseball purist, but I'm thinking Interleague Play should be scrapped. The AL has always won Interleague play (please leave a comment if I'm wrong about this) since its inception. The other sad reality is the lack of intriguing matchups. You have five (Mets/Yankees, Cubs/White Sox, Astros/Rangers, Dodgers/Angels, Giants/Athletics) and that's kinda it. I also don't think it's an accurate representation of how a team fares against the opposing league. Think about it: This season, the Yankees play as many games against the Red Sox - 18 - as they did against the entire National League. AND the Cubs only played 12 games against the American League - half of which were against a horrible White Sox team! So yeah - either add more Interleague games to balance it out a little more or scrap the whole thing.
But at least we got to see a no-hitter during Interleague play this year. We almost had two...
So once again, the AL beat the NL senseless and took its lunch money. In other shocking news from The Vatican, turns out The Pope is catholic. I broke it down by division, and here's what that looks like:
AL East: 45-45, .500
AL Central: 48-42, .533
AL West: 44-28, .611
NL East: 38-43, .469
NL Central: 43-50, .462
NL West: 34-44, .436
So the AL won 137-115. The shining examples of AL's dominance were the Tigers and Angels, who each went 14-4 in Interleague play this season. Meanwhile, only six NL teams finished interleague play with winning records. The only NL teams to finish more than one game over .500 against the AL were the Cubs and the Rockies. The 8-4 Interleague Cubs clearly took advantage of their limited schedule, winning 5 of 6 against the White Sox (including the sweep this weekend), who had their asses handed to them by the NL this year (4-14). You could point out the fact that the Rockies swept the Yankees earlier this week, but they promptly got swept in Toronto this weekend, so that doesn't explain their 10-8 Interleague record. Series wins against Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Boston explains it. Though they did lose a series to the Royals. Go figure...
So what now? I'm not really a baseball purist, but I'm thinking Interleague Play should be scrapped. The AL has always won Interleague play (please leave a comment if I'm wrong about this) since its inception. The other sad reality is the lack of intriguing matchups. You have five (Mets/Yankees, Cubs/White Sox, Astros/Rangers, Dodgers/Angels, Giants/Athletics) and that's kinda it. I also don't think it's an accurate representation of how a team fares against the opposing league. Think about it: This season, the Yankees play as many games against the Red Sox - 18 - as they did against the entire National League. AND the Cubs only played 12 games against the American League - half of which were against a horrible White Sox team! So yeah - either add more Interleague games to balance it out a little more or scrap the whole thing.
But at least we got to see a no-hitter during Interleague play this year. We almost had two...
Saturday, June 23, 2007
A Young Person's Guide To All Things METAL!!!
Have you ever been completely confused by the many subgenres in the world of heavy metal? Do you need help deciphering what is and what isn't metal? Well, fear not, grasshopper, 'cause I'm here to help. With this handy dandy little guide, you should be able to understand what goes where in the world of metal and what is most definitely not metal. So, turn up your computer speakers as loud as you can and let's rock.
First off, let's talk Hard Rock. What's the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? Well, that's simple. Heavy Metal is metal, while Hard Rock isn't. For example, take AC/DC and Wolfmother. Both are Hard Rock bands. Almost metal, but not quite. I think it has something to do with actual melodies and the distortion pedals not set on full gain. A band like Clutch fits into this category as well.
Now, let's get into METAL!!!. The first stop is the straight-up Traditional Metal.
Traditional Metal - This is a good place to start on your journey into all things heavy. To get into Traditional metal, look for early Metallica (of course, it wouldn't be metal of me to say anything nice about more recent Metallica. Too bad we all know damn well every late-period Metallica basher still owns Reload and St. Anger...), Megadeth, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Testament, Pantera (one of my personal favorites) and - for a more modern example - Avenged Sevenfold. They definitely picked up the Traditional Metal flag in recent years, despite (due to?) the overt cheesiness of their lyrical content. I should probably mention Godsmack here, but I won't because Godsmack sucks.
Thrash/Speed Metal - This is the genre for people who wish NOFX was heavy and Pantera played faster. Sadly for the latter, their only serious foray into speed metal was the awesome "Fucking Hostile". But let's talk bands. Once again, early Metallica comes into play here (specifically, the first two albums). But besides them, look into bands like Slayer, Sepultura, Suicidal Tendencies, and Overkill, with Strapping Young Lad leading the modern charge.
Alternative Metal - This is generally what happened to metal when the 1980's ended. Practitioners Of The Metal started trying new ideas and generally started to slow tempos down, favoring power and groove over raw speed. I'm lumping nu-metal and rap metal in here 'cause I don't wanna talk about them by themselves. Anyway, here is where you look for bands like System of a Down, Snot (who both have their own speed metal tendencies), Rage Against The Machine, Sevendust, Slipknot, Mudvayne, and so on. But not Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy is not metal.
Industrial Metal - This is for people who wish their metal sounded more electronic-y and colder than most metal does. Classic examples: Fear Factory and White Zombie. Some people think Strapping Young Lad is Industrial metal, but I'm not buying that one.
Progressive Metal - metal for math geeks (speaking of which, I'm lumping math metal into this one). This is metal for people who can stand some cheese and live for time changes and extended suites. Or, in the case of the most excellent "hardcore meets prog metal" Dillinger Escape Plan, time changes and a purveying sense of confusion. The band long considered the cream of the progressive metal crop is Dream Theater. Judging by the Dream Theater rip-off acts that have sent me friend requests on Myspace, That consideration still holds true. But besides them, look for bands like Symphony X, Evergrey, Mudvayne (math metal), and definitely Opeth (if you don't mind a touch of death in your prog metal). If you also want Progressive metal but you don't want those pesky lyrics and singers getting in the way, then look no further than Liquid Tension Experiment and Planet X.
Hair Metal - I'm just acknowledging its existence. It exists. Now, if you want REAL metal cheese, look no further than...
Power Metal - Demons and Dragons and Swords and the NIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!! Referred to by a few of my friends as "Viking Metal", power metal is just that. Power. And cheese, holy CRAP is there cheese to be found. It's like a metal cheese wheel rolling down a steep cliff (or, uh, hill). Frankly, you wind up asking yourself if they're really being serious with this stuff as you listen to it. The most obvious example is Manowar. But, also check out bands like Blind Guardian, Sonata Arctica (power metal with a progressive edge - see Symphony X), Dragonforce (waaay over the top - you can tell they don't take themselves too seriously), and Mastodon (a band that found a way to make power metal cool).
Death Metal - And here is where you find the "cookie monster" style vocals. This is for metal heads who don't appreciate all that "melody" nonsense. But in reality, you'll find some musicians who know what the hell they're doing in here as well. Your death metal purveyor is, well, Death. But, you'll also find bands like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Obituary, and Morbid Angel here. And, of course...Dethklok, anyone?
Black metal - Now, I've always thought that this was stretching a little. However, you'll find differences between Black and Death metal if you look hard enough. Black metal is kinda like Death metal's goth-y little brother. And yes, Black metal practitioners tend to wear makeup onstage and in press photos (but no colors outside of black and white. They call it "corpsepaint"). Here, you'll find bands like Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon, Immortal, Mayhem, and Old Man's Child. I probably should talk about Cradle of Filth here, but I'm not going to because nobody listens to Cradle of Filth on their own volition.
Doom/Sludge metal - DOOM! DOOOOOOM! Here is a subgenre that really sacrifices speed for vibe and power. This is also probably the only type of metal that doesn't make for good driving music. The Patient Man's Metal, Doom/Sludge metal works slowly and takes its time, but still knows where it's going. The clearest example is Type O Negative here (though some call them Goth Metal, which is Black Metal with a sense of melody), but also check out bands like Eyehategod, Isis, Corrosion of Conformity, and Cathedral.
Metalcore - Possibly the dumbest name of all the metal subgenres. This is a genre that combines the music of Traditional and Thrash metal with vocals straight out of hardcore. This is probably the logical evolution from a band like Biohazard. If you want Metalcore, you'll be looking for bands like Hatebreed, Chimaira, Diecast (if you want some singing to go with your blood-curdling screams), Evergreen Terrace, and Lamb of God to a lesser extent.
Grindcore - The Metal of Confusion. Noisy, hard to understand, surprisingly nimble, and over before you know what hit you, let alone figure out what the hell is going on. But most of the time, when you dig below the surface, you discover that they don't take themselves as seriously as you might think. Believe me, that can be fun in its own right. Your premier grindcore band is The Locust (I saw them live once. It was confusing but still fun), but also look for bands like A.C. and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza.
This leaves me with the current crop of metal permeating airwaves as we speak. It has some of the same ideals as Metalcore but with some more Traditional and Thrash elements. That and most of them feature frontmen that can seriously sing as well as scream their brains out. I don't know what to call it, so I won't bother. I'll just enjoy it. For this, check out Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, God Forbid, Unearth, and Mastodon (if you want some power metal to go with that).
Welp, there you have it. I've probably left some subgenres off of this list, but meh...whatever. To wrap this up, here are my 10 favorite metal bands in no particular order except perhaps for number 1:
1. Pantera
2. Opeth
3. System of a Down
4. Strapping Young Lad
5. Mudvayne
6. Deftones
7. Dillinger Escape Plan
8. Mastodon
9. Metallica
10. Black Sabbath (the legends)
Happy Metaling.
First off, let's talk Hard Rock. What's the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? Well, that's simple. Heavy Metal is metal, while Hard Rock isn't. For example, take AC/DC and Wolfmother. Both are Hard Rock bands. Almost metal, but not quite. I think it has something to do with actual melodies and the distortion pedals not set on full gain. A band like Clutch fits into this category as well.
Now, let's get into METAL!!!. The first stop is the straight-up Traditional Metal.
Traditional Metal - This is a good place to start on your journey into all things heavy. To get into Traditional metal, look for early Metallica (of course, it wouldn't be metal of me to say anything nice about more recent Metallica. Too bad we all know damn well every late-period Metallica basher still owns Reload and St. Anger...), Megadeth, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Testament, Pantera (one of my personal favorites) and - for a more modern example - Avenged Sevenfold. They definitely picked up the Traditional Metal flag in recent years, despite (due to?) the overt cheesiness of their lyrical content. I should probably mention Godsmack here, but I won't because Godsmack sucks.
Thrash/Speed Metal - This is the genre for people who wish NOFX was heavy and Pantera played faster. Sadly for the latter, their only serious foray into speed metal was the awesome "Fucking Hostile". But let's talk bands. Once again, early Metallica comes into play here (specifically, the first two albums). But besides them, look into bands like Slayer, Sepultura, Suicidal Tendencies, and Overkill, with Strapping Young Lad leading the modern charge.
Alternative Metal - This is generally what happened to metal when the 1980's ended. Practitioners Of The Metal started trying new ideas and generally started to slow tempos down, favoring power and groove over raw speed. I'm lumping nu-metal and rap metal in here 'cause I don't wanna talk about them by themselves. Anyway, here is where you look for bands like System of a Down, Snot (who both have their own speed metal tendencies), Rage Against The Machine, Sevendust, Slipknot, Mudvayne, and so on. But not Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy is not metal.
Industrial Metal - This is for people who wish their metal sounded more electronic-y and colder than most metal does. Classic examples: Fear Factory and White Zombie. Some people think Strapping Young Lad is Industrial metal, but I'm not buying that one.
Progressive Metal - metal for math geeks (speaking of which, I'm lumping math metal into this one). This is metal for people who can stand some cheese and live for time changes and extended suites. Or, in the case of the most excellent "hardcore meets prog metal" Dillinger Escape Plan, time changes and a purveying sense of confusion. The band long considered the cream of the progressive metal crop is Dream Theater. Judging by the Dream Theater rip-off acts that have sent me friend requests on Myspace, That consideration still holds true. But besides them, look for bands like Symphony X, Evergrey, Mudvayne (math metal), and definitely Opeth (if you don't mind a touch of death in your prog metal). If you also want Progressive metal but you don't want those pesky lyrics and singers getting in the way, then look no further than Liquid Tension Experiment and Planet X.
Hair Metal - I'm just acknowledging its existence. It exists. Now, if you want REAL metal cheese, look no further than...
Power Metal - Demons and Dragons and Swords and the NIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!! Referred to by a few of my friends as "Viking Metal", power metal is just that. Power. And cheese, holy CRAP is there cheese to be found. It's like a metal cheese wheel rolling down a steep cliff (or, uh, hill). Frankly, you wind up asking yourself if they're really being serious with this stuff as you listen to it. The most obvious example is Manowar. But, also check out bands like Blind Guardian, Sonata Arctica (power metal with a progressive edge - see Symphony X), Dragonforce (waaay over the top - you can tell they don't take themselves too seriously), and Mastodon (a band that found a way to make power metal cool).
Death Metal - And here is where you find the "cookie monster" style vocals. This is for metal heads who don't appreciate all that "melody" nonsense. But in reality, you'll find some musicians who know what the hell they're doing in here as well. Your death metal purveyor is, well, Death. But, you'll also find bands like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Obituary, and Morbid Angel here. And, of course...Dethklok, anyone?
Black metal - Now, I've always thought that this was stretching a little. However, you'll find differences between Black and Death metal if you look hard enough. Black metal is kinda like Death metal's goth-y little brother. And yes, Black metal practitioners tend to wear makeup onstage and in press photos (but no colors outside of black and white. They call it "corpsepaint"). Here, you'll find bands like Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon, Immortal, Mayhem, and Old Man's Child. I probably should talk about Cradle of Filth here, but I'm not going to because nobody listens to Cradle of Filth on their own volition.
Doom/Sludge metal - DOOM! DOOOOOOM! Here is a subgenre that really sacrifices speed for vibe and power. This is also probably the only type of metal that doesn't make for good driving music. The Patient Man's Metal, Doom/Sludge metal works slowly and takes its time, but still knows where it's going. The clearest example is Type O Negative here (though some call them Goth Metal, which is Black Metal with a sense of melody), but also check out bands like Eyehategod, Isis, Corrosion of Conformity, and Cathedral.
Metalcore - Possibly the dumbest name of all the metal subgenres. This is a genre that combines the music of Traditional and Thrash metal with vocals straight out of hardcore. This is probably the logical evolution from a band like Biohazard. If you want Metalcore, you'll be looking for bands like Hatebreed, Chimaira, Diecast (if you want some singing to go with your blood-curdling screams), Evergreen Terrace, and Lamb of God to a lesser extent.
Grindcore - The Metal of Confusion. Noisy, hard to understand, surprisingly nimble, and over before you know what hit you, let alone figure out what the hell is going on. But most of the time, when you dig below the surface, you discover that they don't take themselves as seriously as you might think. Believe me, that can be fun in its own right. Your premier grindcore band is The Locust (I saw them live once. It was confusing but still fun), but also look for bands like A.C. and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza.
This leaves me with the current crop of metal permeating airwaves as we speak. It has some of the same ideals as Metalcore but with some more Traditional and Thrash elements. That and most of them feature frontmen that can seriously sing as well as scream their brains out. I don't know what to call it, so I won't bother. I'll just enjoy it. For this, check out Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, God Forbid, Unearth, and Mastodon (if you want some power metal to go with that).
Welp, there you have it. I've probably left some subgenres off of this list, but meh...whatever. To wrap this up, here are my 10 favorite metal bands in no particular order except perhaps for number 1:
1. Pantera
2. Opeth
3. System of a Down
4. Strapping Young Lad
5. Mudvayne
6. Deftones
7. Dillinger Escape Plan
8. Mastodon
9. Metallica
10. Black Sabbath (the legends)
Happy Metaling.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Back...
I thought about using something like “McNally’s Back” or “The Return of McNally”, but quite frankly, both of those titles are really dumb. Let’s just say rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. My absence was part writer’s block, and part new girlfriend. Though writers block is easy to dismiss, sports typically becomes secondary in lieu of potential… well you know. Nevertheless I have returned, which will no doubt alleviate the worries of all four readers. Moving on…
Basketball-
Tony Parker won the MVP, and this is why I hate the NBA. What kind of a world do we live in where a French native is a finals MVP? This would never happen if Hunter S. Thompson were still alive. Not that he has direct control over such things, but damnit, he just wouldn’t let it happen. Well at least the series was exciting *insert sarcastic tone here*. Is it me, or have all the Spurs’ championships been the equivalent to watching Classic Curling Competitions (Only on VS)? Is the East just that non-competitive or are the Spurs just that mundane. Probably both, but that’s ok, with both Durant and Oden going to Western Conference teams, the East is due for a comeback in about 10 years. Which reminds me; let us take this moment to mourn the Celtics’ loss. *Ahem* Ha-ha Boston. All that time spent losing, just to lose where it counted the most. Normally I’d be an advocate for teams associated with Irish culture; too bad Boston fans are total Massholes…
Sadly, I don’t think Lebron is ever going to win a championship, at least not with the Cavaliers. I know he evidently made “LeLeap” or whatever transcendence that basketball players make, but he was unable to duplicate his performance in the finals. Just ask A-Rod what its like to have various impressive accolades without a ring. Probably doesn’t seem like much of a consolation. I detest people who are content with just “getting there”. It’s the sports equivalent of getting dumped and saying “Well it’s for the best”. Lebron is too good for the Cav’s to have potential for a high draft pick, which means he’ll probably never find his Pippen or Shaq while he is under the Cleveland organization. It’s really unfortunate because I actually like Lebron. Those “The Lebrons” commercials are hysterical. He’s not a whiny bitch like Kobe, and he doesn’t make those annoying T-Mobile commercials like Dwayne Wade. And he’s not French, although the name Lebron is a little suspect. These are the things that make a champion.
Hockey-
Ladies and Aquatic Mammals with Webbed Feet, may I present your 2007 Stanley Cup Champions! I was thrilled to see the Ducks win, if for no other reason then this was the first time since the Avs beat the Devils that the team I was favoring was the team to hoist the Cup. I just couldn’t get excited about Ottawa, although the H-A-S line was pretty entertaining throughout. Still, Ottawa beat Buffalo, which left a sour taste in my mouth. You kind of always hope the team that sends your team golfing are the ones to win it all. This transference occurs simply because you want to say your team was beaten by the best. Unless of course you team lost to the New Jersey Devils. Have I made enough compulsive anti-Devils comments at this point for readers to just assume their implication? This will save me some time in the future.
Although I enjoyed the Duck’s winning the Cup, I was a little disappointed in the series. 5 games isn’t very exciting, although each individual game was great to watch. Especially game 3, I enjoyed that one tremendously. I was also tremendously wasted at the time, which might account for some entertainment value. I hate to admit it, but I don’t particularly like Chris Pronger anymore. I understand that he is a defenseman, and a certain amount of physicality is a requisite for the position, but two playoff (PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS? Sorry random Mora moment) suspensions are two too many. There wasn’t much doubt as to the appropriateness of each suspension either, unless you’re a resident of Southern California. Scott Burnside put it best, he’s lucky he didn’t cost his team the championship. And I hate agreeing with Burnside, which just adds to my dislike of Pronger.
Before I get to Baseball, I would like to designate this part of the blog as a moment of silence for the recently incarcerated Paris Hilton.
Wait for it…
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! You know, its circumstances like these that really make me believe in a higher power. There’s enough media coverage to start calling this “The Simple Life: Prison Sentence”. I mean really, how great is this? All we’re missing is a Lindsey Lohan/Britney Spears telethon called “Live from Rehab: Free Paris Now!” I really believe society needs events like these, to remind us that there are a lot of stupid people out there, so live with caution.
Baseball-
The New York Yankees have won 9 straight. 9 Straight! That’s quite an accomplishment considering these particulars:
1) Their pitching staff is the most diluted and overworked in baseball.
2) Both John Sterling and Michael Kay are still employed, which is detrimental to team morale.
3) Their level of play has been wildly inconsistent, which is what you want with a 200 million dollar payroll.
4) George Steinbrenner has been eerily quiet, which leads me to believe he has either been killed or kidnapped.
5) Joe Torre is a flat out narcoleptic. Not that I don’t like Joe. Seriously though, get help Mr. Torre.
Are the Yankees finally turning things around? Possibly, although they did just get shut out by the Mets. I don’t know it’s too early to tell, too many question marks, too many geriatric starters. They have been playing some fantastic baseball lately, it’s really a shame they just can’t play the Pirates and the D-Backs for the rest of the regular season.
Basketball-
Tony Parker won the MVP, and this is why I hate the NBA. What kind of a world do we live in where a French native is a finals MVP? This would never happen if Hunter S. Thompson were still alive. Not that he has direct control over such things, but damnit, he just wouldn’t let it happen. Well at least the series was exciting *insert sarcastic tone here*. Is it me, or have all the Spurs’ championships been the equivalent to watching Classic Curling Competitions (Only on VS)? Is the East just that non-competitive or are the Spurs just that mundane. Probably both, but that’s ok, with both Durant and Oden going to Western Conference teams, the East is due for a comeback in about 10 years. Which reminds me; let us take this moment to mourn the Celtics’ loss. *Ahem* Ha-ha Boston. All that time spent losing, just to lose where it counted the most. Normally I’d be an advocate for teams associated with Irish culture; too bad Boston fans are total Massholes…
Sadly, I don’t think Lebron is ever going to win a championship, at least not with the Cavaliers. I know he evidently made “LeLeap” or whatever transcendence that basketball players make, but he was unable to duplicate his performance in the finals. Just ask A-Rod what its like to have various impressive accolades without a ring. Probably doesn’t seem like much of a consolation. I detest people who are content with just “getting there”. It’s the sports equivalent of getting dumped and saying “Well it’s for the best”. Lebron is too good for the Cav’s to have potential for a high draft pick, which means he’ll probably never find his Pippen or Shaq while he is under the Cleveland organization. It’s really unfortunate because I actually like Lebron. Those “The Lebrons” commercials are hysterical. He’s not a whiny bitch like Kobe, and he doesn’t make those annoying T-Mobile commercials like Dwayne Wade. And he’s not French, although the name Lebron is a little suspect. These are the things that make a champion.
Hockey-
Ladies and Aquatic Mammals with Webbed Feet, may I present your 2007 Stanley Cup Champions! I was thrilled to see the Ducks win, if for no other reason then this was the first time since the Avs beat the Devils that the team I was favoring was the team to hoist the Cup. I just couldn’t get excited about Ottawa, although the H-A-S line was pretty entertaining throughout. Still, Ottawa beat Buffalo, which left a sour taste in my mouth. You kind of always hope the team that sends your team golfing are the ones to win it all. This transference occurs simply because you want to say your team was beaten by the best. Unless of course you team lost to the New Jersey Devils. Have I made enough compulsive anti-Devils comments at this point for readers to just assume their implication? This will save me some time in the future.
Although I enjoyed the Duck’s winning the Cup, I was a little disappointed in the series. 5 games isn’t very exciting, although each individual game was great to watch. Especially game 3, I enjoyed that one tremendously. I was also tremendously wasted at the time, which might account for some entertainment value. I hate to admit it, but I don’t particularly like Chris Pronger anymore. I understand that he is a defenseman, and a certain amount of physicality is a requisite for the position, but two playoff (PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS? Sorry random Mora moment) suspensions are two too many. There wasn’t much doubt as to the appropriateness of each suspension either, unless you’re a resident of Southern California. Scott Burnside put it best, he’s lucky he didn’t cost his team the championship. And I hate agreeing with Burnside, which just adds to my dislike of Pronger.
Before I get to Baseball, I would like to designate this part of the blog as a moment of silence for the recently incarcerated Paris Hilton.
Wait for it…
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! You know, its circumstances like these that really make me believe in a higher power. There’s enough media coverage to start calling this “The Simple Life: Prison Sentence”. I mean really, how great is this? All we’re missing is a Lindsey Lohan/Britney Spears telethon called “Live from Rehab: Free Paris Now!” I really believe society needs events like these, to remind us that there are a lot of stupid people out there, so live with caution.
Baseball-
The New York Yankees have won 9 straight. 9 Straight! That’s quite an accomplishment considering these particulars:
1) Their pitching staff is the most diluted and overworked in baseball.
2) Both John Sterling and Michael Kay are still employed, which is detrimental to team morale.
3) Their level of play has been wildly inconsistent, which is what you want with a 200 million dollar payroll.
4) George Steinbrenner has been eerily quiet, which leads me to believe he has either been killed or kidnapped.
5) Joe Torre is a flat out narcoleptic. Not that I don’t like Joe. Seriously though, get help Mr. Torre.
Are the Yankees finally turning things around? Possibly, although they did just get shut out by the Mets. I don’t know it’s too early to tell, too many question marks, too many geriatric starters. They have been playing some fantastic baseball lately, it’s really a shame they just can’t play the Pirates and the D-Backs for the rest of the regular season.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
We Have A No-Hitter!
I tuned into ESPN tonight just in time to see whatever they were showing pre-empted by Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander trying to complete a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers with two outs in the ninth inning. Aaaannnd.... HE DID IT! 112 pitches, 0 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts. The interesting stat line belongs to Brewers center fielder Bill Hall. He went 0 for 0 at the plate, drawing three out of the four walks issued by Verlander. But still, a certainly masterful performance by a HIGHLY promising young pitcher.
And then, hours later, I witnessed three Los Angeles Dodgers hit home runs on consecutive pitches. Not only that, but the third home run hitter was their pitcher! AND, the shortest home run travelled 408 feet, so those baseballs were hit HARD. That was friggin' COOL...
WHERE ARE THE CHEETOS?!?!?!
And then, hours later, I witnessed three Los Angeles Dodgers hit home runs on consecutive pitches. Not only that, but the third home run hitter was their pitcher! AND, the shortest home run travelled 408 feet, so those baseballs were hit HARD. That was friggin' COOL...
WHERE ARE THE CHEETOS?!?!?!
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