Tiger Woods & Tibet

So, I'm on my annual NCAA vacation and CBS starts showing commercials for the Masters and they talk about Tiger and his chase for the 'Perfect Season.' Its March. Can't we at least wait until he gets back from England and his 3rd Major win in July before we have to see these ads? How sick of the Patriots chase did you become?

Please stop it CBS. Granted he is the greatest golfer of all time and the most dominant athlete of his sport right now, but he's got a long way to go. First he's got to get to 11 straight tourney wins. Which I don't think Tiger will do. Ever. Its the equivalent of DiMaggio's 56 game streak. Its the anomaly that can't be explained.

If the situation in Tibet gets further out of hand, do you think the US should pull out of the Summer Olympics? First of all, it's not going to happen. There's too much money at stake for it to happen. There would have to be protests on the scale of nothing I've seen in my lifetime. Cities in America would have to burn before we would think of boycotting these Games.

You don't think that the powers that be want our athletes over there kicking their asses on their soil? They go to sleep praying every night that this happens.

When it doesn't happen, look for the US to make a push for the Summer Games in 2016, and if that's already too late, expect the Summer 2020 Games to be on US soil.

Oh yeah, and Duke lost. Fuck.
But Opening Day is the 31st. Hooray.

I love it how my two sports don't quite overlap, although I wish they would. That would mean Duke is in the Final Four.

Puppy V Robot

Or, as the Japanese would title this link Super Happy Puppy Surprise Robot Attack

Also, the Mets got Johan Santana. Boo-fuckin-yah!

Well That Sucked

A sad and more painful ending to this season as opposed to last season. Last season the ending was quick, clean. This season, it was agonzing. A historical collapse, one for the records books. Seven up with 17 to play.

From the beginning of the season, I didn't have a good feeling about this team. It was because I didn't trust the starting pitching. Didn't have a number one, still don't. The starters pitched well at times, and tired down the stretch. The bullpen just fell apart.
The offense wasn't as electric as it was last year. Only Wright surpassed last season, Delgado had career lows in ave/obp/slug. Reyes disappeared at the end. Alou was a surprise for someone whose 40, but was oft hurt. Please get rid of Green, he plays like at 39 year old, which is bad since he's 34. Let the kids fight it out for LF. Don't trade them. I can send you a whole tape of Beltran leaving the field limping after running into a wall.

Don't change anything. Don't fire Willie. Or Omar. Nothing worked at the end. Everything fell apart. Everyone is to blame. Even the fans.

This ones gonna hurt a bit more. Always felt as we're a blessed club. Miracles, Buckner, even our pathetic teams are celebrated as Casey's lovable losers.

I have a good feeling about next year. Last time a Mets team disappointed me this much was the 85 team that won 98 games and finished 3 back of the Cards. No wild card, would have been wild card by 14 games. We all know how the next season turned out.

So we will wait and see what happens. If there isn't some kind of pitching signed during the off season, Shea might come down a season early. A leader needs to step up.

With only 20 weeks until pitchers and catchers, here are my bold predictions/wishes for 2008:
-Pedro 205 innings
-Reyes 85 steals, 140 runs
-Wright 335/450/600
-Delgado 33hr, 115rbis
-Beltran 30/30
-Maine/Glavine/Perez - 15 wins each

Now, just need to wait 5 weeks for college basketball to start.

Its All About The *

Barry Bonds' 756 homerun ball has been bought. And now the owner is letting the public decide what to do with it.

Go here to vote.

I voted for the asterisk.

What ever Bonds says, I know he cheated. He, along with a goodly portion of Major Leaguers, used performance enhancing substances. So, I believe this record is tainted.

The sad thing is that Bonds was a sure fire first-ballot Hall of Famer (and top 10 All Time player) before his head grew three sizes bigger. Now he'll be the poster boy for the Steroid Era.

Tour de France

I bet you didn't know that the Tour de France is currently in progress. That's what happens when there is no feel good American story at the Tour.

So here is the only 30 seconds of the race that I've seen. It involves a bike and a dog.

The bike gets the worst of this deal. And apparently the French word for 'smack' is 'smack'.

God Save The Playoff!

Two things I love. Chuck Klosterman and College Football.

He's right you know, this is the same reason I love College Football.

Fuck Yadier Molina

Well, I can finally write about the Mets now that the season is over. I have a couple of superstitious fears that things I do affect the way my team plays. The main one being writing about them.
I know deep down, if I write/gloat about my team, they will fail, especially once the playoffs begin. This fear began way back in 1988 with the Mets. I knew they would win the World Series that year, they were the best team in baseball and it had been just 2 years from the last one. This one was another sure thing, just like 86, but then they lost to the Dodgers and it was another light-hitting, defensive minded catcher that crushed my dreams. So, Mike Scioscia, fuck you too.
Ever since then I am frightened that if I talk about how good my team is, they will lose. It resurfaced again in 99 with Duke. 37-1 going into the final game, they had rolled everyone all season long. I knew I was watching history, their 38th win would be a record for D1 schools, most of the stars were underclassmen and would be returning the next year. Back-to-back was a sure thing. Wrong, enter fuckin UConn. Fuck Jim Calhoun.

So now I take care in what I do, say and even wear when my teams are on. The more important the game, the more care I take. During ACC games, I've been known to change my shirt, change the chair that I'm sitting in and during one season I made origami cranes constantly while Duke was playing.

After watching the recent Game 7 from my chair, my couch, standing, etc. I've begun to realize that what I do has no effect on how my teams play, but it isn't going to stop me from trying.

Worst. Game. Ever.

Its disappointing to watch your team go out with a whimper. No fire, no hustle, nada. Getting beat to a missed rebound in the last minute is sad, getting beat to TWO in the last minute is unforgivable. They didn't want to win tonight.

Other than that, thank you JJ, for a great year and a great career. Now just 7 months until next year, which, unfortunately will see the team with the powder blue as national champ contenders, not Duke. Unless there is a fiery bus crash or a crazed sniper somewhere on the UNC campus

A Couple Of Things

I cannot put into words my disdain for the people who refuse to use their turn signal.

GET OFF THE FUCKIN PHONE AND TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH THAT GOD DAMN ESCALADE IN FRONT OF ME!!!

Am I overreacting? This is common courtesy people. What kind of lazy fucks have we become?

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The Greatest-80s-Song-That-Never-Became-A-Huge-#1-Single

"Bringin' On The Heartache" - Def Leppard

This song is 80s to its core. The great opening riff, a great chorus, not one, but three heavy metal solos. And not the crappy speed solos of the 80s, more 70s british bluesy solos. This was Def Leppard at the top of their game. They still had the long hair and everyone had two arms. They fuckin rocked. The second greatest Def Leppard song of all time ("Photograph", duh) and it fell flat on the charts and almost crushed my 11 year old spirit. I mean, look at the the top 10 singles of 1981, the year the song was released:

# 1. Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
# 2. Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
# 3. Lady - Kenny Rogers
# 4. (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
# 5. Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
# 6. Celebration - Kool & The Gang
# 7. Kiss On My List - Daryl Hall & John Oates
# 8. I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt
# 9. 9 To 5 - Dolly Parton
# 10. Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon

"Bringing on the Heartache" is better than 8 of the songs on that list.


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My 7th Annual NCAA Vacation began today. It is a good time. I am happy now. I will watch more games this year than last. I will cook every day. I will clean. I will see the ducks. I will get at least 10 games right tomorrow. I will work on the campaign. I will shop at Target.

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Sad news, Games Galore moved from the corner of Glenwood and Duraleigh. They moved to Cary, which sucks, because the last time I drove to Cary, my car died for about 20 minutes. And I was in the mood to buy a board game. Maybe Hobby Master, but I dont think so.


Listening to - Pete Townshand 'Gold'

Following The Flame

Just 5 days left until Winter Olympics XX, the big double X, the 'Score', a dozen & two-thirds of another dozen.

Watch the opening ceremonies for sheer TV pomp at its best, and for this: The Sparks of Passion.
The Ceremonies involves choreographers, directors, costume designers and international professionals; they will also involve a choreographed exhibition on skates called Sparks of Passion, in which eight ice hockey athletes will race at 50 km an hour inside the Stadio Olimpico. The uniqueness of this exhibition is also guaranteed due to the Sparks of Passion, generating red flames 2 metres long.


See where the flame is right now!
The Route

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

I know spring is just around the corner when i see Cadbury Creme Eggs in the store. The Creme Egg is my absolute weakness, I'm pretty sure the Creme Egg would be in my last meal. These things rock, a chocolate shell covering some white/orange spongy, sticky mass of pure sugar. Whoever invented this thing should be fucking knighted.
It also has one of the most timeless advertizing lines of all time. The Cadbury bunny has been schilling these sugarbombs for as long as i can remember. Also the eggs are only available for a short time, disappearing right after easter like jesus.

But the Creme Egg is only the predecessor to the real star of the junk food spring scene. Girl Scout Cookies. These things hit strip malls like mating season and people go fuckin nuts. Tell me of another time you've ever bought more than 2 of the SAME kind of cookie in one shopping trip. These too have remain relatively constant over the years, allowing me to buy box after box of thin mint every spring until the girlscouts disappear, returning to their magic tree to start baking next years batch of chocolately goodness.

Also, I heard some magical words today. "Two weeks until pitchers and catchers." A glorious phrase, especially this year with a stronger team. Delgado & Wagner. I love Omar Minaya. In fact if i ever get a dog, his (or her) name will be Omar.