During a time when this sport is waning in popularity and for lack of a better term punch, are we missing out on seeing the greatest boxer of all-time? Floyd Mayweather extended his unbeaten streak again this weekend over a smaller opponent but one that was widely regarded as a top five pound-for-pound pugilist. He flat out dominated the competition with more than one observer recording the fight twelve rounds to zero. He scored his first knockdown in the second round and seemed to be untested much of the fight. It had been almost two years since his last bout, and if someone can't step up to the plate soon we might go another few years without Pretty Boy knocking snot bubbles out of another foe.
This guy really has flat out dominated multiple weight classes since he burst onto the scene in the Olympics. Will the Pacquio fight ever come to fruition? If not, is there any reason for him to continue fighting? He seems to have plenty left in the tank, but the paydays have been numerous already. I am one of the few people I know that long for the days of quality boxing available nearly once per month on HBO with Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant calling the action and sending it to Harold Lederman's scorecard. Nowadays if two guys who could knockout their sister get in the ring, it ends up on pay-per-view. There are plenty of people to blame for the demise of the sweet science, but all I know for certain is that we should appreciate this once in a lifetime talent much like we laud Tiger Woods and Roger Federer in equally insignificant sports.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Congrats to anyone who took a chance on someone in the Giants passing game because you probably got them pretty late, and they look like they're here to stay out of the gates. If Steve Smith or Mario Manningham are still available in your leagues, you probably need them on your roster. It looks like Laurent Robinson is emerging as the top receiver in St. Louis. They're a miserable team. Any of you people who continue to draft Steven Jackson at the top of fantasy drafts are getting what you deserve in his production. Cedric Benson has put together a few nice games, but I sell high if someone wants to make a deal. You might contemplate dealing MJD high too because Jacksonville is awful. Guys on bad teams have a propencity to end up hurt at the end of the year or not playing hard. That's fantasy playoff time and that's no gouda. Get whatever Saints players you can find as long as it isn't Lance Moore. One year wonder with limited talent my friends. I'm thinking Julian Edelman is a one week play if Welker doesn't suit up again next week. Play anyone and everyone against the Tampa Bay defense until otherwise notified. They're awful and getting worse with injuries and benching. For a final thought, if you have a player who has struggled through the first two weeks, you can consider throwing out a bench player only if they have performed well. Don't pull someone you drafted high just so you can play a matchup as it will end up costing you dearly. And on a really really final note, there is way too much good tight end depth to spend any of your quality talent to trade for one.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Subscribe
Nothing makes a random day go up in value like getting something worthwhile in the mailbox. It's great at any age. Even if it is something that you purchased for yourself and expected to receive, you just can't beat making that walk to the mailbox worthwhile. There is a way to make this unbridled enjoyment appear more often by subscribing to magazines, organizations, or just the local newspaper. People get so caught up in being able to access any information they want on a daily basis through the internet. What about all the lost information that you used to get? You know what I'm talking about, the stuff you used to learn because it was pasted next to the interesting article.
Magazines are a pretty easy sell to most people because they're fairly cheap and employ pretty solid writing. That would be the key as to why to subscribe to them. Sure their website has some decent stuff posted on a daily basis, but these folks take time every week or month to really sit down and tackle a topic. That deserves our respect, admiration, and five minutes of so that it takes to peruse their work.
Newspapers are a much more difficult sell because people get their news from television, radio, and of course pages like the one you're reading right now. You're missing out on a breadth of information by not getting your local rag. The local paper tells you what is going on and keeps you informed about problems in your town. Regional papers will help keep you out of the bad neighborhoods and fill you in on where the latest wine tasting is. I'm a subscriber of the Chicago Tribune. I've been reading it for nearly two decades at this point. They have good writers, and every single day I catch something that I wasn't looking for. Sure some days the paper is a bit thin, but there is always the sudoku, crossword, and horoscope to bring me home. The sports section gives you a deeper look into your local teams, unless it is really just 500 words massaging the ego of the local hero. David Haugh I'm talking about your Bears coverage my friend. A little objectivity never hurt anyone. He makes me want to create a parody music video from Mother Lover to Cutler Lover. Anyhow, the entertainment section is key to knowing what is happening around Chicagoland. I hear about concerts, festivals, dining experiences, and all other forms of brain rotting that can carry you through a weekend. I understand that some people weren't taught at an early age to appreciate their daily paper, but why not start at 4 issues a week for $1. It is a dollar for crying out loud.
Weekend Wonderment
You want something to do this weekend? Better go buy that newspaper and find out what is happening in your local area. I already gave you the freebie on Wednesday of apple picking. If you still need inspiration, why not make someone's day through the wonder of snail mail and write them a letter. A good old fashioned letter my friends. You can type it, handwrite it, or put it in cursive for all I care, but why not give that a shot. I bet it has been far too long since you've put together one of those.
Magazines are a pretty easy sell to most people because they're fairly cheap and employ pretty solid writing. That would be the key as to why to subscribe to them. Sure their website has some decent stuff posted on a daily basis, but these folks take time every week or month to really sit down and tackle a topic. That deserves our respect, admiration, and five minutes of so that it takes to peruse their work.
Newspapers are a much more difficult sell because people get their news from television, radio, and of course pages like the one you're reading right now. You're missing out on a breadth of information by not getting your local rag. The local paper tells you what is going on and keeps you informed about problems in your town. Regional papers will help keep you out of the bad neighborhoods and fill you in on where the latest wine tasting is. I'm a subscriber of the Chicago Tribune. I've been reading it for nearly two decades at this point. They have good writers, and every single day I catch something that I wasn't looking for. Sure some days the paper is a bit thin, but there is always the sudoku, crossword, and horoscope to bring me home. The sports section gives you a deeper look into your local teams, unless it is really just 500 words massaging the ego of the local hero. David Haugh I'm talking about your Bears coverage my friend. A little objectivity never hurt anyone. He makes me want to create a parody music video from Mother Lover to Cutler Lover. Anyhow, the entertainment section is key to knowing what is happening around Chicagoland. I hear about concerts, festivals, dining experiences, and all other forms of brain rotting that can carry you through a weekend. I understand that some people weren't taught at an early age to appreciate their daily paper, but why not start at 4 issues a week for $1. It is a dollar for crying out loud.
Weekend Wonderment
You want something to do this weekend? Better go buy that newspaper and find out what is happening in your local area. I already gave you the freebie on Wednesday of apple picking. If you still need inspiration, why not make someone's day through the wonder of snail mail and write them a letter. A good old fashioned letter my friends. You can type it, handwrite it, or put it in cursive for all I care, but why not give that a shot. I bet it has been far too long since you've put together one of those.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Make A Change
We'll pay a brief, belated tribute to MJax today with the title and focus on the Man in the Mirror. The advice column is always an interesting challenge on Thursdays. Any type of writing requires some sort of motivation and point of view. Today we'll look at making a change in our lives. Often I find myself faced with looking myself in the mirror and saying that if you want a change in your life you have to make it happen. Basically, every so often you need to step back, evaluate, and call yourself out.
Some items that have required some personal reflection over the past year or two have been aspects of my life that were cause for unnecessary grief. Once I became an adult with my own money and decision-making power, I made it a point to explore all the sporting venues and events that I could. I travelled around Big Ten arenas, hit more Bears games, caught baseball on both sides of town, and continued supporting my alma mater. After many years of this, I realized that not only was this costly, but usually it made me a less enjoyable person to be around. When you drive 3.5 hours for a game, watch another crushing disappointment, then make the same return trip, you tend to be honery. That doesn't mean that my only sports disdain came from in-person events. My trusty HDTV allowed for just as many angry moments. What I realized is that I could get the same in-person rush from attending concerts without the risk of ruining other people's days. Like I've said before, when you go to a concert, no one ever loses. I also try to surround myself at home with other things to take my mind off those typical defeats (you have to have diversions as a Purdue fan). I take my sports pretty seriously, but there has to be limitations.
Another point of contention for me was unnecessary weight gain. I just was not comfortable in my clothes, sitting at my desk, or doing any sort of physical activity. Again I had to come to terms with the fact that only I could do something about it because I caused the problem in the first place. I had to find a medium for weight loss that didn't end up with eating a bunch of stuff I didn't like during the week only to "reward" myself with garbage on the weekends. I was able to find that plan, put healthy eating habits into motion, and then put myself into motion. Exercise was certainly a big part of accelerating that loss, but other big factors were keeping the house stocked with healthy options and learning to say no. Another big one there sports fans: MODERATE THE DRINKING. That factor alone will eliminate the swollen feeling that you have. Not only is it not healthy, but it is a huge factor in weight gain from the actual product to the reduced sense of healthy eating habits.
Now I have no idea if either of these things afflict any of you, but the morale of the story is that when you find yourself in an unhappy pattern, only you can stop it. These two items are just personal examples. Sometimes we can all benefit from pulling back and self evaluating our own situation. Are you someone that finds yourself in a constant jealous circle? What is it that you actually want? Are you missing someone special in your life? Why not try a new way of finding someone or hang out where you might find good people to meet? Do you wish you had something that other people have? Why not set up a spending plan that allows you to save for that certain item or items? Odds are you can make it happen for yourself, just like they did. Do you want to go out more with your friends or try that fancy restaurant? Then freaking do it. No one controls you except for you. You only get one chance at life, so if you're not satisfied then do something about it. If you're working on breaking distasteful habits, try to not make the reward be an appeasement of that habit. If you are going to try to lose weight and you hit a 5 lb target, don't reward yourself with a gallon of ice cream. Kind of defeats the purpose eh? Hopefully you found something in these paragraphs that you can utilize in your life. If not, thanks for making it to the end. Sorry, there are no additional prizes for that feat.
Ode to Nader
Let's start with a simple suggestion for a reward system that works for almost anyone: television channels. We all have some sort of basic programming package with our cable or satellite provider. We all also have a type of program that we enjoy whether it be music, movies, or sports. If you find yourself bored often or generally unhappy, why not reward yourself with some new channels. These packages typically cost anywhere from $4 to $12 per month depending on how many new channels you get. I personally endorse the sports entertainment plan on Comcast which provides access to the NFL Redzone Channel. That little guy provides 6.5 hours of prime NFL footage every Sunday. It is like having the NFL Sunday Ticket without having to change the channel every 30 seconds. I would also support adding HBO for their original programming such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hard Knocks, and whatever other popular shows that get discussed at the water cooler.
Some items that have required some personal reflection over the past year or two have been aspects of my life that were cause for unnecessary grief. Once I became an adult with my own money and decision-making power, I made it a point to explore all the sporting venues and events that I could. I travelled around Big Ten arenas, hit more Bears games, caught baseball on both sides of town, and continued supporting my alma mater. After many years of this, I realized that not only was this costly, but usually it made me a less enjoyable person to be around. When you drive 3.5 hours for a game, watch another crushing disappointment, then make the same return trip, you tend to be honery. That doesn't mean that my only sports disdain came from in-person events. My trusty HDTV allowed for just as many angry moments. What I realized is that I could get the same in-person rush from attending concerts without the risk of ruining other people's days. Like I've said before, when you go to a concert, no one ever loses. I also try to surround myself at home with other things to take my mind off those typical defeats (you have to have diversions as a Purdue fan). I take my sports pretty seriously, but there has to be limitations.
Another point of contention for me was unnecessary weight gain. I just was not comfortable in my clothes, sitting at my desk, or doing any sort of physical activity. Again I had to come to terms with the fact that only I could do something about it because I caused the problem in the first place. I had to find a medium for weight loss that didn't end up with eating a bunch of stuff I didn't like during the week only to "reward" myself with garbage on the weekends. I was able to find that plan, put healthy eating habits into motion, and then put myself into motion. Exercise was certainly a big part of accelerating that loss, but other big factors were keeping the house stocked with healthy options and learning to say no. Another big one there sports fans: MODERATE THE DRINKING. That factor alone will eliminate the swollen feeling that you have. Not only is it not healthy, but it is a huge factor in weight gain from the actual product to the reduced sense of healthy eating habits.
Now I have no idea if either of these things afflict any of you, but the morale of the story is that when you find yourself in an unhappy pattern, only you can stop it. These two items are just personal examples. Sometimes we can all benefit from pulling back and self evaluating our own situation. Are you someone that finds yourself in a constant jealous circle? What is it that you actually want? Are you missing someone special in your life? Why not try a new way of finding someone or hang out where you might find good people to meet? Do you wish you had something that other people have? Why not set up a spending plan that allows you to save for that certain item or items? Odds are you can make it happen for yourself, just like they did. Do you want to go out more with your friends or try that fancy restaurant? Then freaking do it. No one controls you except for you. You only get one chance at life, so if you're not satisfied then do something about it. If you're working on breaking distasteful habits, try to not make the reward be an appeasement of that habit. If you are going to try to lose weight and you hit a 5 lb target, don't reward yourself with a gallon of ice cream. Kind of defeats the purpose eh? Hopefully you found something in these paragraphs that you can utilize in your life. If not, thanks for making it to the end. Sorry, there are no additional prizes for that feat.
Ode to Nader
Let's start with a simple suggestion for a reward system that works for almost anyone: television channels. We all have some sort of basic programming package with our cable or satellite provider. We all also have a type of program that we enjoy whether it be music, movies, or sports. If you find yourself bored often or generally unhappy, why not reward yourself with some new channels. These packages typically cost anywhere from $4 to $12 per month depending on how many new channels you get. I personally endorse the sports entertainment plan on Comcast which provides access to the NFL Redzone Channel. That little guy provides 6.5 hours of prime NFL footage every Sunday. It is like having the NFL Sunday Ticket without having to change the channel every 30 seconds. I would also support adding HBO for their original programming such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hard Knocks, and whatever other popular shows that get discussed at the water cooler.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Apples
Pretty simple title and a pretty simple blog today. It is Fall, we're in the Midwest, and that means apple season. Find your local orchard and either take your kids to pick some fresh apples or hit their on-site shops to buy whichever kind your heart desires. There are many wonderful variations and a good orchard will let you taste each and every one. Some quality kinds currently in season include the Ginger Gold, Gala, McIntosh, and Cortland varieties depending on the taste and use you're looking for. One tip that I would like to pass along is to check the firmness and taste that you like and try a new apple variety. If you like Honeycrisp (and most people do), find another firm sweet-tart variety that is locally grown. The reason you can't pick Honeycrisps for yourself is because they're grown in Michigan. Lucky man Neush, lucky man. Sure the ones from the Orchard are better than the grocery store, but they aren't fresh from the site. Why pay almost double when you can find a similar variety grown at the orchard. Also, I know that their pies are probably great, but buy a bag of apples, use half, and make your own. You'll be able to eat it warm out of the oven and save a ton of dough. There is no better time than this weekend to head out to Maple Park, Harvard, Malta, or any other apple orchard in the Chicagoland area. If you want Honeycrisp really bad, take a road trip to Michigan, lord knows they could use the tourist dollars.
Restaurant Recap
No better way to start a weekend than a hearty Saturday morning breakfast, so why not head out to one of the multiple Egg Harbor Cafe locations throughout Chicagoland and southern Wisconsin. While they have a few spots, these are certainly not chain restaurants. They offer superb breakfast and lunch food everyday for a very reasonable cost. Personally, I think the best option is the scrambler combo which gives you a scrambler of your choice with meat, veggies, potatoes, and cheese, banana bread french toast, and a side of fruit. You've got everything you need right there on one plate. If you pair that with the Strawberry-Orange juice carafe, you've found a winner. The seasonal fare is outstanding with pumpkin/pecan pancakes, numerous fruit offerings, and other changing items. For lunch, I'm a fan of the chicken/brie wrap. You've got apples and other goodies tucked inside that wrap as well. They have all the heartwarming favorites you want and a website to boot. Find the closest establishment and get your grub on.
Restaurant Recap
No better way to start a weekend than a hearty Saturday morning breakfast, so why not head out to one of the multiple Egg Harbor Cafe locations throughout Chicagoland and southern Wisconsin. While they have a few spots, these are certainly not chain restaurants. They offer superb breakfast and lunch food everyday for a very reasonable cost. Personally, I think the best option is the scrambler combo which gives you a scrambler of your choice with meat, veggies, potatoes, and cheese, banana bread french toast, and a side of fruit. You've got everything you need right there on one plate. If you pair that with the Strawberry-Orange juice carafe, you've found a winner. The seasonal fare is outstanding with pumpkin/pecan pancakes, numerous fruit offerings, and other changing items. For lunch, I'm a fan of the chicken/brie wrap. You've got apples and other goodies tucked inside that wrap as well. They have all the heartwarming favorites you want and a website to boot. Find the closest establishment and get your grub on.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
U2 Review
Well the 2009 concert series has finally drawn to a close with the four fine Irishmen known as U2. The self-proclaimed best band on the planet proved to the massive 80,000+ audience at Soldier Field that they are indeed the best showmen from Dublin. In order to be the best band, you need to play longer than two hours when the average ticket price for that jam packed crowd was triple figures. They certainly put together a musical extravaganza with a spaceship-like stage that allowed for circular movement to play at each end of the crowd. The light show and video board were both top notch. I can say that I haven't seen a musical show like that before.
The problem is that I didn't go to see a musical show, I went to see a concert. Snow Patrol delivered on that as the opener by playing all of their well known hits. They played to the crowd and displayed some solid musicianship. One of the better openers that I have seen over the years. U2 started on the wrong foot by having us wait approximately 45 minutes before ascending to the stage, even though the only changes were the actual instruments. Instead of delivering corned beef and cabbage, we were served boiled potatoes as our starter. Four straight songs off the poppy-at-best new album, and then finally the crowd responded to Beautiful Day. Overall, eight new tracks were played along with three each from their previous two albums. If you were looking for the glory days of the 80s or even some 90s fare, you were in the wrong place. They could have played just as much new stuff, but delivered a great show by playing another half hour of golden oldies. Pride, Streets have no name, and Still haven't found what I'm looking for were the most inspired of the night. One, With or Without You, and Bad were also worthwhile ventures. In between the two hour festival, we were appropriated two separate video montages of political stature to eat up another fifteen minutes of band time. I certainly enjoyed the 2006 Vertigo Tour in the United Center, but given the price and lack of delivery, you won't find me at another U2 show unless we get a greatest hits tour.
Side note: seriously reconsider going to any concert at Soldier Field. It tooks us over an hour to travel five to six blocks to our vehicle after the show.
Digital Ditty
Despite my less than stellar appraisal of the U2 concert, their music still delivers when wandering around the yard or tackling the weekend chores. I'm not a master of the deepcuts from this band, so I'll suggest their introductory single of I Will Follow as a personal favorite and lean on the resident U2 expert in my circle of friends to deliver Bad as her one-off choice. They are both worthy of consistent rotation on your electronic device of choosing. As for the opener, I will stay generic with Crack the Shutters from Snow Patrol although if you crave something a bit deeper, you can certainly give Shut Your Eyes a shot.
The problem is that I didn't go to see a musical show, I went to see a concert. Snow Patrol delivered on that as the opener by playing all of their well known hits. They played to the crowd and displayed some solid musicianship. One of the better openers that I have seen over the years. U2 started on the wrong foot by having us wait approximately 45 minutes before ascending to the stage, even though the only changes were the actual instruments. Instead of delivering corned beef and cabbage, we were served boiled potatoes as our starter. Four straight songs off the poppy-at-best new album, and then finally the crowd responded to Beautiful Day. Overall, eight new tracks were played along with three each from their previous two albums. If you were looking for the glory days of the 80s or even some 90s fare, you were in the wrong place. They could have played just as much new stuff, but delivered a great show by playing another half hour of golden oldies. Pride, Streets have no name, and Still haven't found what I'm looking for were the most inspired of the night. One, With or Without You, and Bad were also worthwhile ventures. In between the two hour festival, we were appropriated two separate video montages of political stature to eat up another fifteen minutes of band time. I certainly enjoyed the 2006 Vertigo Tour in the United Center, but given the price and lack of delivery, you won't find me at another U2 show unless we get a greatest hits tour.
Side note: seriously reconsider going to any concert at Soldier Field. It tooks us over an hour to travel five to six blocks to our vehicle after the show.
Digital Ditty
Despite my less than stellar appraisal of the U2 concert, their music still delivers when wandering around the yard or tackling the weekend chores. I'm not a master of the deepcuts from this band, so I'll suggest their introductory single of I Will Follow as a personal favorite and lean on the resident U2 expert in my circle of friends to deliver Bad as her one-off choice. They are both worthy of consistent rotation on your electronic device of choosing. As for the opener, I will stay generic with Crack the Shutters from Snow Patrol although if you crave something a bit deeper, you can certainly give Shut Your Eyes a shot.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Football Frenzy
Congratulations for all of you who spent yesterday doing absolutely nothing except pretending that your ass was sewn to the couch and eating whatever was within eyeshot during the first weekend of NFL football. You're a true American, and we appreciate your services. Good news for all Carolina Panther fans: even though Jake Delhomme has thrown 9 interceptions in his last 51 passes, the backup Josh McCown was put on IR today. Good luck and godspeed to you folks. Let me know how it goes. See you at the top of the draft in April.
Speaking of piles of poop, new marketing campaign for Big Ten football: Bad Ten. It actually works because Penn State appears to be decent. Half of the league deserved to lose this Saturday, but found a way to escape due to the favorable home field conditions. Northwestern hit a last second field goal to beat the crew from Ypsilanti who got pasted one week ago by Army. Wisco took OT to beat Fresno (not the chiles, the football team), and MSU was the first crew to fall to the MAC. Not that Indiana wouldn't lose to the MAC, I'm certain they would struggle to finish in the upper half of that conference. A miraculous goal line fumble saved the Loosiers for the second week in a row. Ohio State saved some face but found a way to blow the game to an 18 year old kid. Michigan ran all over the powerful golden dome. I'm sure it wasn't Fat Charlie's fault since he doesn't know defense. He should know better than throwing the ball around when you're trying to close out the game. Translation from Charlie to players: our offensive line is so gutless and nutless that I think golden boy needs to throw it around for us to have any chance of moving the sticks. Real nice coach, real nice. The Juice appears to be spilled down in Chambana, but ISU would lose a scrimmage with themselves. The Boilers put up a grand fight (no pun intended) with the Oregonians but couldn't complete an extra point kick to throw off the scoring. It's going to be another long season in Big Ten season, but any of these 11 squads could find a bowl game once they have to start playing each other.
To all you Bears fans out there, Blackhawks start skating in a few more days so that's good news. The newly revamped and renovated Urlacher is now on the shelf for another year. He should be really refreshed for 2010. Maybe he'll want some more new money. Follow the paper trail my friends, Briggs is the only Bear over the past two years to get new money and play worth a damn. Tommie Harris is the leader in the clubhouse for turd of the year. Back to back would be quite an accomplishment. Only John Thierry and Stan Thomas have been repeat offenders. I'm pretty sure I could complete passes with Nathan Vasher as the defender in one on one as all-time QB. No better way to ignite the fan base like tossing 4 picks to the hated rival. Congrats on that grand entrance Jay. I can only hope that you can back that athletic performance with turning into a complete douchebag all year. I'm sure none of those picks were your fault. Quick advice to the franchise QB: don't the throw the ball at the 350 lb fat guy when trying to run a screen pass.
Things I noticed, learned, or think from Week One: the Bucs secondary is awful without the luxury of the Cover 2, those pesky young Jets are going to give the Pats a run for their money this year considering their defense allowed zero points while missing two starters to suspension, Kyle Orton is smiling with his 1-0 record, the Broncos suck out loud, apparently filming Hard Knocks doesn't actually help your season, Mike Vick will not have a positive impact on the Eagles' season, teams really came prepared to hit yesterday, that doesn't include the Rams, and good for Mike Singletary beating the defending NFC champs.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
I'm not quite sure what type of fantasy help you guys are looking for this football season, so feel free to drop in a comment. I can do start/sit, waiver wire, or guys to buy low/sell high. Whatever my loyal readers need to help their season. I'll start by tackling potential free agents. Keep in mind that I play in a "Man's" league, which is 14 teams deep with only 4 bench spots, so if Cadillac Williams or Mike Bell is available in your league then you should know enough to pick them up. I was impressed by the Colts defense, but I worry that part of their success can be attributed to the rookies starting for the Jags. The Falcons defense looks primed for a good year with some serious playmakers. Keep in mind their bye week is Week 4 before you pounce immediately. The Packers D should be owned or you should own them. I favor receivers and tight ends that get lots of catches and targets. I think Shockey's big day was a product of the Lions running out of guys to use in coverage. When they play a team with a pulse, he won't score two TDs. Devery Henderson is a one trick pony, but either he or Robert Meachem will be worth owning this season. Keep your eye on the Saints. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon will be asked to pick up their workloads with Gonzo out in Indy. If you replace one guy with two, that means neither is a good play. The Clayton brothers in Baltimore and Tampa actually look like receivers that will get a good deal of targets due to age (Mason) and injury (Bryant) in the other top wides on those rosters. Robert Royal, Vernon Davis, and Todd Heap all received plenty of targets this weekend and are tight ends to take a long look at in upcoming weeks especially with looming bye weeks. Speaking of targets, some deep league wideouts to watch are Laurent Robinson and Antwaan Randle El. Both guys get a boost from dead arm QBs who wet their pants when faced with a good rush.
Speaking of piles of poop, new marketing campaign for Big Ten football: Bad Ten. It actually works because Penn State appears to be decent. Half of the league deserved to lose this Saturday, but found a way to escape due to the favorable home field conditions. Northwestern hit a last second field goal to beat the crew from Ypsilanti who got pasted one week ago by Army. Wisco took OT to beat Fresno (not the chiles, the football team), and MSU was the first crew to fall to the MAC. Not that Indiana wouldn't lose to the MAC, I'm certain they would struggle to finish in the upper half of that conference. A miraculous goal line fumble saved the Loosiers for the second week in a row. Ohio State saved some face but found a way to blow the game to an 18 year old kid. Michigan ran all over the powerful golden dome. I'm sure it wasn't Fat Charlie's fault since he doesn't know defense. He should know better than throwing the ball around when you're trying to close out the game. Translation from Charlie to players: our offensive line is so gutless and nutless that I think golden boy needs to throw it around for us to have any chance of moving the sticks. Real nice coach, real nice. The Juice appears to be spilled down in Chambana, but ISU would lose a scrimmage with themselves. The Boilers put up a grand fight (no pun intended) with the Oregonians but couldn't complete an extra point kick to throw off the scoring. It's going to be another long season in Big Ten season, but any of these 11 squads could find a bowl game once they have to start playing each other.
To all you Bears fans out there, Blackhawks start skating in a few more days so that's good news. The newly revamped and renovated Urlacher is now on the shelf for another year. He should be really refreshed for 2010. Maybe he'll want some more new money. Follow the paper trail my friends, Briggs is the only Bear over the past two years to get new money and play worth a damn. Tommie Harris is the leader in the clubhouse for turd of the year. Back to back would be quite an accomplishment. Only John Thierry and Stan Thomas have been repeat offenders. I'm pretty sure I could complete passes with Nathan Vasher as the defender in one on one as all-time QB. No better way to ignite the fan base like tossing 4 picks to the hated rival. Congrats on that grand entrance Jay. I can only hope that you can back that athletic performance with turning into a complete douchebag all year. I'm sure none of those picks were your fault. Quick advice to the franchise QB: don't the throw the ball at the 350 lb fat guy when trying to run a screen pass.
Things I noticed, learned, or think from Week One: the Bucs secondary is awful without the luxury of the Cover 2, those pesky young Jets are going to give the Pats a run for their money this year considering their defense allowed zero points while missing two starters to suspension, Kyle Orton is smiling with his 1-0 record, the Broncos suck out loud, apparently filming Hard Knocks doesn't actually help your season, Mike Vick will not have a positive impact on the Eagles' season, teams really came prepared to hit yesterday, that doesn't include the Rams, and good for Mike Singletary beating the defending NFC champs.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
I'm not quite sure what type of fantasy help you guys are looking for this football season, so feel free to drop in a comment. I can do start/sit, waiver wire, or guys to buy low/sell high. Whatever my loyal readers need to help their season. I'll start by tackling potential free agents. Keep in mind that I play in a "Man's" league, which is 14 teams deep with only 4 bench spots, so if Cadillac Williams or Mike Bell is available in your league then you should know enough to pick them up. I was impressed by the Colts defense, but I worry that part of their success can be attributed to the rookies starting for the Jags. The Falcons defense looks primed for a good year with some serious playmakers. Keep in mind their bye week is Week 4 before you pounce immediately. The Packers D should be owned or you should own them. I favor receivers and tight ends that get lots of catches and targets. I think Shockey's big day was a product of the Lions running out of guys to use in coverage. When they play a team with a pulse, he won't score two TDs. Devery Henderson is a one trick pony, but either he or Robert Meachem will be worth owning this season. Keep your eye on the Saints. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon will be asked to pick up their workloads with Gonzo out in Indy. If you replace one guy with two, that means neither is a good play. The Clayton brothers in Baltimore and Tampa actually look like receivers that will get a good deal of targets due to age (Mason) and injury (Bryant) in the other top wides on those rosters. Robert Royal, Vernon Davis, and Todd Heap all received plenty of targets this weekend and are tight ends to take a long look at in upcoming weeks especially with looming bye weeks. Speaking of targets, some deep league wideouts to watch are Laurent Robinson and Antwaan Randle El. Both guys get a boost from dead arm QBs who wet their pants when faced with a good rush.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Simply Put...The Greatest
The childhoods of millions Americans will officially be put into the past tense this evening when Michael Jordan is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. We can try to hang on with movies like GI Joe or Transformers, you can read those lists about kids from the 80s, and even bust out the old NES. All of those things are only diversions at this point because this moment seals the fact that the era of our youth is now gone. It is a well deserved honor and will certainly be one of those lifetime moments for any kid who grew up in the 1980s or 1990s. Whether you lived in Chicago or not, you loved Michael. He brought basketball to the masses.
From the song "Be Like Mike" to commercials with Mars Blackmon and Johnny Kilroy, he was beyond basketball. He was the most identifiable figure for better than two decades. We grew up trying to make shots without looking at the hoop, finishing off a long day at school with Gatorade, and thinking that it was a good idea to spend over $100 on a pair of shoes. Think about that for a minute...this was the late eighties people. I spend between $40 and $50 on a pair of shoes now as an adult. From a sheer inflation perspective, that means you probably spent between $300 and $400 of today's money on those shoes. That is one powerful salesman. This guy singlehandedly began the SUV market when he started endorsing the Chevy Blazer. "Well there's a 60% chance that this thing will roll over in a curve and you might die. But, it comes with a cardboard standup of MJ." "I'll take it!"
MJeff compelled everyone with everything he did. He made minor league baseball relevant, he turned a fledgling sports card company in Upper Deck into the biggest brand with an exclusive rights package, he invented the exclusive rights package to marketing, and people actually spent money to watch Space Jam. Let that one sink in for a bit. I own that soundtrack. I'm not afraid to admit it. Pretty sure the Quad City DJs are on that bad boy.
Jordan will continue to be a larger than life, almost mythical figure even though he'll be around watching his son play college ball at UCF, running the Bobcats franchise into the ground, and being part of the Jordan brand of clothing. He's not just a human anymore, but an actual brand. Sure he had plenty of transgressions during his career and family life, but thankfully for us the media circus was not around to ruin his reign throughout our young lives. You have to continue to look back and appreciate because that is as good as it will ever be for any of us in this metropolis. It was an absolute privilege to grow up in this area and watch the G.O.A.T. bring joy to my home city. Today will be a great day to see our favorite son put in his rightful place on the top of the basketball world, but it also further illustrates that the greatest era of sport in the City of Chicago is long gone.
From the song "Be Like Mike" to commercials with Mars Blackmon and Johnny Kilroy, he was beyond basketball. He was the most identifiable figure for better than two decades. We grew up trying to make shots without looking at the hoop, finishing off a long day at school with Gatorade, and thinking that it was a good idea to spend over $100 on a pair of shoes. Think about that for a minute...this was the late eighties people. I spend between $40 and $50 on a pair of shoes now as an adult. From a sheer inflation perspective, that means you probably spent between $300 and $400 of today's money on those shoes. That is one powerful salesman. This guy singlehandedly began the SUV market when he started endorsing the Chevy Blazer. "Well there's a 60% chance that this thing will roll over in a curve and you might die. But, it comes with a cardboard standup of MJ." "I'll take it!"
MJeff compelled everyone with everything he did. He made minor league baseball relevant, he turned a fledgling sports card company in Upper Deck into the biggest brand with an exclusive rights package, he invented the exclusive rights package to marketing, and people actually spent money to watch Space Jam. Let that one sink in for a bit. I own that soundtrack. I'm not afraid to admit it. Pretty sure the Quad City DJs are on that bad boy.
Jordan will continue to be a larger than life, almost mythical figure even though he'll be around watching his son play college ball at UCF, running the Bobcats franchise into the ground, and being part of the Jordan brand of clothing. He's not just a human anymore, but an actual brand. Sure he had plenty of transgressions during his career and family life, but thankfully for us the media circus was not around to ruin his reign throughout our young lives. You have to continue to look back and appreciate because that is as good as it will ever be for any of us in this metropolis. It was an absolute privilege to grow up in this area and watch the G.O.A.T. bring joy to my home city. Today will be a great day to see our favorite son put in his rightful place on the top of the basketball world, but it also further illustrates that the greatest era of sport in the City of Chicago is long gone.
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