Coach of the year

I nominate Jeff Fisher. The Titans are 5-2 and who can name a starter on that team besides Vince Young? He's making professional "nobodies" play like mad. Sure, their wins are ugly, but they win. And without the big name talent of Cincy, San Diego, Indy or NE. I think it's pretty impressive that he keeps his team competitive no matter how awful they "should" be.

Nick Barnett:

You are a beautiful, wonderful man.

Paul Krugman

blames Rambo, Chuck Norris, and Patrick Swayze for Americans' distrust of Democrats with national security. This is serious insight from a serious (read liberal hack) economist, academic, and columnist. Oh, and Ronald Reagan only beat Jimmy Carter because he 'red-baited' and 'race-baited.'

For Bert

In honor of Bert passing the Bar...and me still finding him handsome.

Hating winners

I don't hate a team for winning, I hate them for being the bears. Or for just rubbing it in and padding stats. I cannot respect Brady & Co. anymore. It makes me sad because I liked Welker. But that was tasteless and tacky and in poor sportsmanship what they did last night against the redskins. I can't root for such jerks. They are probably one of the most talented teams ever assembled, but they are just being schoolyard bullies. Nothing more. It's bad enough to be throwing bombs up by 40 in the 4th but to put your second string guys in and still pass to score (it was 45-0 with just under 6 left in the game when they went down and scored the last td -not like washington was coming back). At any rate, I respect their talent. It is immense. The means to which they use it however, is unworthy of respect, in my opinion.

catching up with the blog

1. John, keep the cats coming. Love 'em. Quit discouraging it, Kris.

2. Thanks for the kind Congratulations, JB.

3. No thanks for your silly sports commentary, JB.

a. Browns didn't really give up much to get Quinn. Most people thought it was fortuitous that he was still around at that point in the draft. Miami fans were pissed when the Dolphins took Ginn over him. I'm not saying that Quinn is good--I thought he and ND were way overated as the Buckeyes proved in the 2006 bowl game--but it would have been very hard to pass on him at the time. Let me remind you that you were not praising Anderson in the pre-season or at any prior time when he played.

b. How can a team that sweeps the world series be overpaid? Looks like their paychecks are deserved to me. Which brings me to...

... 4. Hating winners. I understand resentment toward successful teams. However, it is a sign of weakness--of the self and of one's preferred team--to hate others for their success. It is good for sports to have a healthy dislike for ones rivals, but hating winners demonstrates thier power over you and your deficient character. Have righteous contempt for unseemly and unsportsmanlike behavior, but do not hate teams for beating you. Respect it, and get better.

5. I missed games 5 and 6 of the Indians-BoSox series. From what I can tell, that was a good thing. In the games I watched, however, I did not come to the conclusion that Wedge couldn't manage. The most I could fault him with was playing Amerian league style instead of bunting or running in a few situations which is hardly a fault in the AL. The Bottom line is Indians stars did not show up. Sizemore, Hafner, Sabathia, and Carmona did not perform. Don't blame Wedge.

Well,

I really hated the BoSox until Fred Willlard announced their lineup. So, I guess i like them right now.

Football

It used to be that the only team I rooted for to lose every game was the bears. I now add new england to that list. what jerks.

Brady's a penis

Sorry, I won't deny his skill, but he is a classless man. It's 38-0 in the 4th quarter and your throwing a bomb? And don't give me any crap about Belichik callin the play. Change it at the line or dump it off to a halfback. Everyone knows Bill's a tremendous cock. When Peyton was going for the record, he called audibles to runs and took knees when they were burying people, even when he was only 1 td away. Yea, Belichik (or whoever) is calling the plays, but Brady should have some honor and play with dignity, not to pad his stats.

HGH

Right, but as far as baseball rules go (I think) HGH is classified as a "steroid." They don't do science in baseball else they'd all know that it wasn't steroids that helped Bonds but his mighty robo-arm.

HGH vs steroids

HGH is not a steroid, it is a hormone. Steroids are a special class of hormones which include testosterone and androsterone, derivitives of which you guys likely mean when you refer to steroids. Steroids are are 4-membered rings with various side chains, while HGH, on the other hand, is a gene-based protein. (Testosterone steroid on the left, HGH protein on the right)

Byrd

Are you suggesting that the degree matters? He used HGH, which he obtained from a clinic being investigated for similar charges as Bond's supplier. You can read about it here, but he was taking HGH before his elbow surgery (I assume that's the injury you referenced). He claims it was to help him sleep. As it stands, there have been no medical exceptions to baseball's HGH policy. None. Either way, I would guess you feel the same way about Giambi or Palmiero who took HGH, so their noble baseball track records are also clean? It's a steroid either way you cut it. You can't pick and choose who gets to use it or why.

Congratulations, BMG

As many of you know, Bert Matthew George conquered the bar exam. This, in turn, deserves a hearty congratulations for the hard work he put in and the excellent lawyer he will become.



Congratulations, Bert-I am proud to be your friend.



JB

Byrd

I hope you didn't just imply that Byrd and Bonds were the same, because you know better. First of all, HGH isn't the real issue because it wasn't banned by baseball until 2004 or 2005. So I really don't care that Bonds took HGH. And don't tell me "accused" as if Bonds didn't take steroids, because he did. The evidence is overwhelming. Also don't tell me that he has passed every test, because they didn't start testing until 2004. His trainer when to JAIL for administering illegal performance substances. The trainer did not roll over on Bonds, or Barry would already be out of baseball or in jail himself. The feds are building a case, as we know. Now, as to Roger Clemens, I wouldn't doubt it. But don't act like Barry didn't take steroids, because he did, and don't act like steroids isn't cheating, because it is, and don't act like Byrd and Bonds are the same, because they aren't even close.

1. Bonds has taken way more than HGH.

2. Bonds has lied about it.

3. Bonds trainer when to jail.

4. Byrd was recovering from a devastating injury that nearly ruined his career, that is when he developed that crazy windup. Byrd was using it under prescription and stopped before baseball even banned it.

5. I don't care that Babe Ruth womanized and Ty Cobb was a jerk. That didn't affect the way the game is played. I mean, Michael Irvin got into the Football Hall of Fame, and he is the worst person ever to live.

Re: You and your damn cats

This one's in honor of you liking corn more than any human ever, Lord Cornkernalton.

Hm

I guess Jarrod had some free time.

Byrd

HGH was one of the big three Bonds is accused of taking. It's what Giambi and several other prominent and not prominent players use/have used and been accused of using. It's one of the major guys that led to all the congressional nonsense. If you maintain it gave Bonds or Giambi an advantage, then you have to call down Byrd as well. He's admitted he did take them (just found that out).

America

Answer me this-why does America tolerate the existence of hostile Syrian and Iranian regimes intent on arming themselves to the teeth and checking American support in the region at every turn? It isn't because of lack of strength, and it isn't because they care about upsetting the Arab street, (see Iraq). Iran has been funding the Hezbollah, since, oh, 1979. We do nothing. NOTHING. Iran funds and even provides soliders for the Iraq insurgency. We do NOTHING.

Count me confused. I hope we continue our "dialogue" with Iran to "persuade" them not to develop a nuke-bomb. I am sure they will "promise" not to use it on Israel.

I am not necessarily talking invasion-but no "democratic" experiment in Iraq can possibly work with these two countries on its borders. What is the point, I say, do something right or do it not at all. Iraq will not spread democracy in the Mid-East simply by exisiting.

I see no hope in the foreign policy-knuckleheads now running for President. Going to be a long year.

Derek Anderson

No way Brady Quinn should play right now. Maybe not even next year.

Reasons:

1. Derek Anderson is steady as she goes. Quinn is wound tight.

2. Derek Anderson can throw it farther and faster-period.

3. Derek Anderson is much taller.

4. Derek Anderson isn't a media, endorsement, photo-shoot whore.

5. Derek Anderson doesn't charge $75 for his autograph, unlike his No. 2.

6. But, Browns management is too stupid to realize this and will play Quinn because they gave up so much to get him even though it is impossible for Quinn to play better than Anderson has played this year. Dumb.

Paul Byrd

So he took HGH, which wasn't banned by baseball at the time, to recover from his injury, which jeopardized and completely changed his career. This is a story?! Sometimes I swear baseball is retarded. He wasn't taking Barry Bonds-type 'roids, and he isn't associated with all the BALCO stuff. Get real. Also, Byrd better be on the roster next year or I will start a rebellion.

Why the Football Gods Will Curse the Patriots

This article from espn.com http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071023&sportCat=nfl


It goes a little over the top, but I have to say the premise is convincing. I have come to believe that all the talking about "team" and the assertion that the Pats pay no attention to "stats, touchdowns and points" is a bunch of mularkey. This team is exactly the opposite of what it pretends to be. It is selfish, arrogant, feels entitled, condescending, haughty and worst of all-unsportsmanlike. And it starts with the trifecta of ugly sportsmanship, that is, Belichick, Vrabel, Harrison, Brady and Moss. Obviously, the Patriots don't really care about team and character and all that crap they spew if they are going to sign Randy Moss in the first place. Yes, he is having a monster year, and yes he is a great wide receiver. But, he is still a gigantic gigantic piece of trash. A complete waste of a human being, of not value except for the ability to leap and catch footballs. But, his indiscretions are well documented. Let us move on.

Vrabel is a showboating, dirty, classless, mean and arrogant football player. He doesn't get as much publicity as others on the team, but he hits people low and dirty (ask Drew Bledsoe in the '98 playoffs) and tries to hurt people, much like his lover-buddy Harrison. You don't hear as much about Vrabel because the people he is hurting or diving at are offensive lineman and nobody cares about or sees it. Harrison himself is downright dirty, I wish him nothing but ill.

Belichick is a donkey's nut-sack. Leaving the new cheating scandal aside, for much has been written on that, neverthess Belichick's arrogance is legendary. First of all, he is not a genius. Football does not make men mountains of genius. Bill Belichick does not know more than the next guy about the game of football. His football maxims are trite and ridiculous, and does he actually think we believe his "I misunderstood the rules" line of horse puckey? The league, for its part, is in full damage control mode and won't let out any more information and destroyed much of the accompanying documentation. That leads one to assume there is much more to the story. But even if there isn't, what a sham this man is.

Why are the Pats running up the score every game if they don't care about numbers? What kind of sportmanship is throwing the ball deep down the field when you are up 28 points? I hate this team, this organization. I hate the arrogant coach, I hate the numb-skulled owner, and I hate the pretending to be everything I am not quarterback.

No denying they are good, they are probably the best team in football right now. But that is not why I hate them, I hate them for who they are. They remind me of the Red Sox, that arrogant, over-paid, vain, petulant bunch of pigs that made it to the World Series because Eric Wedge is the worst in-game manager I have ever seen. He is good at managing talent and brining in the right people, but lord's sake he doesn't know how to handle an actual game. Good god.

You and your damn cats

Sometimes I really hate you.

Saw Porcupine Tree last night, my review here.

Drive-By Truckers tomorrow, Ween thursday.

Busy week.

Re: Harry Potter News?

Tribe part 2

Really Wedge??? Lofton on 3rd and a man on 1t with 1 out and you don't steal 2nd??? Wait...double play??? really???? You're terrible Wedge. Gove Boston the championship you dick.

Bungles

In my day of mad posts:

You know you're a shitty RB when you can't score against the Bungles. You blow cake Thomas Jones.

RE: good to eat

That looks like the most delicious thing I've ever dreamed of eating. Holy Mother of God I want one now.

Indians

So it's the 3rd inning of game 7 and I've decided Wedge is the worst coach ever. Granted I haven't played baseball in years and I'm a little drunk, but I can't believe how he calls his games. This is god damn awful. I could have 17 more beers and still make better decisions. Fuck Wedge. I'm rooting for the Tribe and I hate boston ( I refuse to capitalize their name), but Wedge is so bad. This team is better off without a coach and just playing. Also peralta is a god damn terrible defensive shortstop. I'll give up his 20 hrs a season for a guy that can field a high chopper and turn the god damn double play. Terrible. Fuck Wedge and fuck peralta.

PS WHAT THE FUCK CALLIN BYRD OUT FOR STEROIDS WHEN SHILLING AND CLEMENS ARE STILL PITCHING LIKE THAT. I hate major league baseball. Hate.

Harry Potter news?

OK:

Read this ONLY if you've finished Deathly Hallows AND if you want to know who is gay. It's kind of weird, but I don't really think it matters.

And BTW Nick, the Neil Young Archive series is awesome. So far, those 2 albums are my favorite in the NY catalogue and I can't wait for the box set which has been further delayed until Feb last I heard.

A.V. Club's Primer on Neil Young

I've long thought the real value of the Onion was not in it's eerily on-target spoofy news, but in the clever a.v. Club. I agree with the movie reviews there quite a lot (i.e. Brett Ratner is a big douche), disagree with the music reviews quite a lot (they seem to think Arcade Fire is the next best wonderband), but on the whole I think the a.v. Club is a fairly decent filter for media and culture.

Anyway, they've got a nice Primer up on Neil Young, which is really helpful for someone like me who's more of a passive Neil Young fan, knowing most of his 'hits,' but really clueless as to where to go next in trying to discover his music.

Do Awards Mean Anything Anymore

On the heels of AlGore's Nobel triumph, Chris Matthews is receiving an award for being Churchillian.

GOOD TO EAT

No somebody tell me why we don't have any damn Hardee's around here! 2 sausage, ham, bacon, cheese omlettes, hash browns and sausage gravy. Get thee to a Hardee's, posthaste!
From Reason.

Apparently,

that asshole in the playoffs commercials is Dane Cook. I'm pretty happy I didn't know that and he still pissed me off. That douche needs to stfu and comb his damn hair. And get kicked in the balls by me.

BoSox Pitching

I don't follow the American League to closely since I'm a Reds fan (plus the DH is the devil's creation). However, statistically the Indians had the best starting rotation in the league I believe as well as two of the best five starters according to ERA. Beckett has been great for the Sox this year with the most wins and 6th in ERA, and they have one of the best closers in Papelbon.

Now that I checked the stats, I see that Boston had the best team ERA in the AL (Indians were 3rd), so their bull pen was better than Cleveland's this year. The Indians relievers have pitched fairly well thus far, though. And don't forget, the Indians were 2nd in all of baseball last year in runs scored and 8th this year, so they can put up runs too.

Baseball question

So I don't normally follow baseball (too many games to keep track of, etc) but I watch the Indians occasionally at the bar if they're on. And I've been watching postseason (much easier to keep track of). So here is my question for you who know better. Is Boston's pitching really that bad? As far as I can tell the Indians pitching has smoked Boston, but like I said I really have no idea. I admit Boston's offense is crazy-stupid good. But pitching-wise they have failed to impress me at least.

And I love both The White Stripes and Casey Blake. But that's just hangover talk.

Wow!!!!!

Thanks for that Kris. Butt rock made my morning.

Butt rock 4 lyfe!

This is the most fantastic buttrock video I have ever seen. It is 7 minutes of pure, longhaired, tight-pantsed, awesome rock. Enjoy.

NP

Al Gore wins Nobel prize: SC rules in favor of Bush.

Nick:

I expect a rough outline sometime next week. And shame for discussing anything Arnold-related without a mighty picture!

Re: I like some of these guys

Me too! That list is dumb. You can legitimately criticize lyrics for being stupid, vapid, or ridiculously over-the-top, and every lyricist is going to be guilty of those over the course of many, many songs and albums. A better way to go about it would be to highlight the repeat offenders and list their songs.

Scott Stap definitely belongs there... almost every Creed song is laden with a fake and generic spirituality that made them a Christia-rock cross over. Dream Theater, a band that I'm really fond of as you well know, is capable of some remarkably awful (and sometimes whiney) lyrics. For every "Don't Stand so Close to Me" there's a "Synchonicity," and Peart's hit-to-miss ratio is incredibly high, says I.

Oo, random thought. There should be a Terminator Musical, with music by Rush and lyrics by Peart. In fact, there's already quite a few Rush songs you could use in it! Better yet, construct the plot of a Terminator Musical around pre-existing Rush songs. I'm a genius!

I like some of these guys

Apparently Blender is releasing a list of the worst lyricists of all time. Wonder where Elton ranks?

Guess I missed it,

but the UN denied Taiwan's membership. The China/Taiwan debate is one I've just started learning about and it is fascinating to hear different perspectives from both Chinese and Taiwanese people.

On baseball, I wish I liked it enough to say semi-intelligent things about it. But I don't, so I'll just let Eric and Bert go to town. I'll just stick to snarky comments and Casey Blakes obvious awesomeness.

MLB TBS commentators

All I know is that Tony Gwynn got really fat. Really fat.

End communication.

Baseball question

This is a really ticky-tack question, but it bugged me the whole time I was mowing lawn today. Based on what I know from watching MLB on TV, starting pitchers who have the day off sit in the dugout, while relievers sit in the bullpen. Now, pitchers who are normally starters get called to relieve in rare circumstances, such as game 7 of the Series. My question is where those guys sit during the game. If they're in the dugout, they'd have to run across the field to get to the bullpen to warm up. But they wouldn't already be in the bullpen, unless the manager anticipated them being used, right? Is there a secret tunnel connecting the bullpen with the dugout/locker room?

What we've all been waiting for....

Here ya go....I have a boner. From this.

Tribe, GRE, and more

1. I love how that scrotum pustule on TBS (not Brenley, not Gwynn...the other guy) couldn't stop drooling over the Yankees (i.e., gleefully saying the Yankees were sending the "winning run" to the plate in the eighth inning!).

2. Borowski scares the hell out of me, but what can we do? Rafael "Right" and Rafael "Left" are needed to set up, and Lewis ain't a closer. As unimpressed as I am that Borowski "...let the league in saves!" (I don't have the numbers, but I wonder where he ranked in blown saves), I guess you gotta dance with who brung ya.

3. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner on the GRE thing, Sifo. (Nick?) The thing I remember being most annoyed by were the Old English translations ("According to the passage, which of the following best describes Breorthgrath's feelings about Thraefthrar's theft of Aethergrog's wooden mace?"). I hope you did well.

4. Um. I don't have any more, I guess.

Re: Game 2

Um...Seeing as how they have Leonidas playing 3rd, I don't see how you could be concerned. Whoever gets the ball will play like a man and die like a Spartan!

Wait....his wife's named Gorgo? What the hell...and she's played by Headly Lamar?

Did you miss game 2?

One thought, or question actually. Should Borowski get the ball in a close game in the ninth?

Go Tribe!

Congrats to the Indians for making it this far. Still, none of the games were as exciting as the thursday night rout. And Casey Blake still looks very manly with his beard. Predictions/thoughts?

Hooray!

Drinking a couple of beers a day may be good for your memory!

Sifo is...

... a font of wisdom and counsel.

Fear you not the Doomheralds' Herald of Doom, yet?

Oh, and I'm taking the GRE LIT on Saturday morning. Any tips, Eric?

Just checking....

Who is Sifo? I'm an idiot....