It's Getting Ugly

Senator Scott Brown was elected two years ago in a special election after the death of Ted Kennedy. He has to run for re-election next year and already the Democrats are lining up against him. Elizabeth Warren, who was the TARP cop for the Obama Administration pulled out the dagger first.
When asked how she paid for college, Warren said "I didn't pose naked."
Brown did, in Cosmopolitan when he was 22.



When Brown was asked about Warren's comment that she didn't pose naked, he said "Thank God."



Now women's groups are calling him sexist. Even if his remark was a little bit petty and catty, I don't blame him, for two reasons. First of all, she started it. Second of all, she's ugly.

Weekly Picks

Finally pieced together two good weeks in a row to get my total points on pace (need to average three per week to have a good season). I got kind of lucky because both New England and San Diego covered on late field goals. But it still counts and I hope to keep it going this week with a bunch of home favorites laying big lines.

NEW ENGLAND -6 1/2 dallas
I think I am pretty much going to pick New England every week. I think they are really great on offense and almost no team can keep up with them. I also like the half point I get if New England can win by a touchdown there's no push.

OAKLAND -7 cleveland
The Browns are really bad and it's being disguised because their early season schedule was weak. The Raiders are actually pretty good and their quarterback Jason Campbell (Bill confirms he is the same Jason Campbell who sucked for the Redskins) has been a great game manager, allowing the running game to dominate.

jacksonville -13 PITTSBURGH
I was looking for one underdog and this was the only one I liked. The Steelers got their big blowout last week. I don't think they're a great team that's gonna roll over everyone all the time. And I don't think the Jaguars are that bad.

DETROIT -4 1/2 san francisco
Last week's 48-3 win over the ExpensiveCornPrices was a total aberration. The 49ers are not that good. As long as Alex Smith is the QB, a team that can rush the passer like the Lions can, will pressure him and force turnovers.

BEST BET
NEW YORK JETS -7 1/2 miami
All this shit is swirling around the Jets this week, and I kind of like when that happens. The Dolphins are really bad and if the Jets don't turn it over (far from a given), they will win this game big.

Last week: 3-2 (4 point)
Season: 14-11 (15 points)
Best Bets: 1-0 (3-2)
Home Favorites: 1-0 (6-2)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 1-1 (3-5)
Road Underdogs: 1-1 (5-4)

CNN's Head is Up Uranus

CNN says the blackberry outage is "impacting users on almost every planet."



Not on Uranus!

Song of the Week

"Something to Talk About" - Bonnie Raitt
I'm going in a different direction this week for 1991. Too many of the other songs were cheesy cliches like "I Wanna Sex You Up," "Things That Make You Go Hmmm" and "More Than Words."

The NFL is Poop - Week 5

The Nightmare Team
Vince Young's proclamation that the Eagles were a Dream Team is turning into a nightmare. At 1-4, the Eagles can tolerate only 2 maybe 3 more losses in the next 11 games. Anymore than that and that almost certainly means no playoffs. So why did things go so wrong for the Eagles? First of all, Michael Vick is not a very good quarterback. He is an incredible playmaker, as a runner he's unstoppable (90 more yards yesterday) but he is not a good passer. Even though his completion percentage and yards per attempt stats are in line with what he did last year, and better than his Atlanta career, I still think he tries to force the ball into tight spots and thus us has thrown 7 INTs this year, as opposed to only 6 all of last year (in 12 games). I also think the Eagles may have read their own press clippings. They know how much talent they supposedly have, and think they can win on talent alone. The biggest manifestation of that comes from turnovers, 15 of them so far, by far the most in the league. They refuse to go down when tackled and often end up getting stripped. Vick refuses to take a sack, thinking he can always make something out of nothing. And they take dumb penalties. They had a chance to get the ball back against the Bills, 4th and 1, no way was Buffalo going for it. But the Eagles jumped. Just the latest stupid mistake that sabotaged their promising season.

The Anti-Michael Vick
Maybe the player least similar to Vick in the whole league is Tim Tebow, a big, strong, nice, moral guy. And I know for some reason we never compare the playing styles of players from different races but I see a lot of Michael Vick in Tim Tebow. Please allow me to explain. Like Vick, Tebow is better off as a running back. Like Vick, he is not a good passer. Like Vick, he wreaks havoc for opposing defenses when he tucks the ball and runs.
Right after Tebow was drafted in 2010, I wrote that I didn't think Tebow would ever be a good NFL quarterback.. After watching him down the stretch of the game against the Chargers, I stand behind my prediction. I also predicted (in the poll) that he would get no more than 32 career starts at quarterback. He will get number 4 in the Broncos next game. John Fox has named him the starting QB. The timing is good because the Broncos have a bye, and then a game against the weak Dolphins. So we'll see what the kid can do when given the chance.

Back to the Drawing Board
During the offseason ESPN came out with a new quarterback rating system, designed to completely eclipse the current passer rating, by being much more accurate. Taking more things into account and weighting them more accurately. I think that system needs to be reworked in light of the following result: Tim Tebow (4-10, 79 yards, 2 TTDs) had a better QBR than Aaron Rodgers (26-39, 396 yards, 2 TDs). I guess the reason is Tebow produced 2 TDs in a lot fewer plays than Rodgers, and avoided the sacks and penalties that hurt Rodgers. But any rating system that ranks Tebow's game, higher than Rodgers's is of little or no value.

A Brief Rant About the Redskins
Because of everything I said about the Eagles in the first item, they will probably beat the Redskins by 20 points this week.

Picture of the Week
Dewayne Bowe (or as I call him "Taste Dewayne Bowe" made one of the best catches I've ever seen. After being completely interfered with (a flag was thrown), Bowe shook off the defender, tipped the ball to himself a couple times and made the catch.



Ten and Oh My God That Would Be Awesome
Right now the only two undefeated teams are 5-0 Lions and the 5-0 Packers. Those two division rivals will meet on Thanksgiving Day. Because their upcoming schedules aren't that tough, there's at least a reasonable chance they will both be 10-0.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Green Bay 49 New England 48
Even though they fell behind early against Atlanta the Packers showed their offense cannot be stopped. Patriots looked good, but not invulnerable against the Jets.

Marching Bands Get Funky

The Syracuse University Marching Band aka the Sour Sitrus Society unveiled a new song (or at least I had never heard them play it before), "Hate Me Now" by Nas.
Though I enjoyed the song and thought it was an inspired choice, it was nothing compared to the version of LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" by the Ohio University Marching Band:

Weekly Picks

A good week last week but I really need two or three best bets in a row to really get rolling. The absence of a few teams makes things a little harder this week.

NEW ENGLAND -7 1/2 new york jets
I really wanted to make this game my best bet but I'm actually a little afraid of the Jets. They play New England well and really need this game. But most of all I was scared off by their piss-poor performance last week. I expect a better effort with fewer turnovers this week.

philadelphia -3 BUFFALO
This goes against my number one philosophy for early-season games: "believe what you see, not what you believe." But I just have a funny feeling that the Eagles are not ready to have their season end this early on.

tampa bay +2 1/2 SAN FRANCISCO
Everyone is talking about the 49ers being 3-1. But they are still not good. Even though the ExpensiveCornPrices let me down last week, I still think they have a good enough defense to get this win on the road.

kansas city +1 1/2 INDIANAPOLIS
Call this one a hunch. Hard to figure two really bad teams. But I just don't think the Chiefs are or should be that bad. The Colts are, and they've already covered two spreads in a row.

BEST BET
san diego -4 DENVER
The Chargers always screw me, especially as road favorites. But I just see the talent gap in this game being a lot wider than four points.

Last week: 3-2 (4 point)
Season: 11-9 (11 points)
Best Bets: 1-0 (2-2)
Home Favorites: 1-1 (5-2)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 1-0 (2-4)
Road Underdogs: 1-1 (4-3)

Baseball is Poop - Division Series

162 Games and It All Comes Down to This
The Yankees and the Phillies were the best teams on paper going into the season, and on grass during the season. And then in 5 games, poof, it's gone. The Yankees had a glaring hole in their rotation, exacerbated when CC Sabathia could really only pitch one game. But then again, AJ Burnett gave them much more than expected in Game 4. The Phillies rotation almost lived up to expectations in the series, but their offense completely deserted them. These are the two teams in the league I hate most, so I don't feel sad at all, but I do think it is kind of unfair that the best record over 162 games seems to matter so little in a 5 or 7 game series.

Numbers Don't Lie
There is always a big debate among statistically-inclined fans (of which I am one) and those who believe in "clutch" performances (I'm in that camp too). The statheads say a player who gets hits or home runs at a certain rate during the regular season, will eventually revert to that same pace in the postseason (with a minor adjustment for facing better pitchers. But this game is played by human beings not robots. And it's clear whenever Alex Rodriguez gets up in a key spot his brain prevents his body from performing at its normal level. A-Rod had two more big strikeouts in Game 5 against the Detroit, the killer in the 7th with one out and the bases loaded and the formality to end the game. If you look at his total postseason record it actually isn't terrible, 884 OPS in 299 plate appearances (better than Jeter, btw). But he has had some really awesome series (all 3 in 2009, and the ones he played in before becoming a Yankee) and some terrible ones (the two against Detroit come to mind). But he has struck out 64 times in 299 PAs, a very high rate, which occasionally leads to him walking off the field sullenly while someone celebrates behind him.



A Tiger Triple is Possible
Justin Verlander is a lock to win the AL Cy Young and a near-lock to win the MVP as well. With only 4 teams left he has a roughly 25% chance of winning the World Series too. The last two times a pitcher won a World Series, the Cy Young and the MVP in the same series they were both Tigers. Gulliermo Hernandez in 1984 and Denny McLain in 1968.

No One Ever Uses Magnificent in Front of Allen Craig's Name
In Game 3 of the Phillies-Cardinals series, the Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the 8th inning. They were trailing 3-1 with Allen Craig up and The Magnificent Pooh Holes on deck. This was not second-guessing, I said before the at bat, Craig should have struck out on purpose. It seems crazy but I really liked their chances better with Pooh Holes up and two outs. Craig grounded into a double play and Pooh Holes led off the next inning with a double. But the Cardinals lost 3-2.

Revisiting The Last Night of the Regular Season
There has been a lot of talk about expanding the playoffs, maybe by one more team in each league and having the two wild card teams play a one-game "series" to strengthen the advantage of winning your division (would certainly give a rotational advantage). At first I was in favor, but now I have changed my mind. That great final night of the season would have been meaningless because Boston, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Atlanta would have all sewn up spots. And I know an exciting race could still happen between the 5th and 6th teams in each league, but I think that is watering it down a little too much. You'd have barely adequate teams competing for final playoff spots, like in hockey and basketball. Better to keep it to only the very best teams, so we can continue to get exciting well-played playoff series.

Can't Buy Me Love
With the elimination of the Phillies and Yankees, none of the four remaining teams is in the top 9 highest payrolls. The Tigers are 10th, Cardinals 11th, Rangers 13th and the small-market Brewers are 17th. It will be interesting to see if that changes next year as both NL teams have free agent first basemen who will surely get $20m per year contracts. I expect Pooh Holes to stay with St. Louis, but Fielder is almost certainly a goner.

Have an Easy Fast Everyone

A very observant Jew in Philadelphia went to his rabbi to complain that he wouldn't be able to watch the Phillies game tonight:
"Rabbi, why does God do this to us. All my gentile friends get to watch the game and I have to be at Kol Nidre and I can't watch the game."
The rabbi said "don't worry, this is why God created the DVR."
"You mean I can DVR Kol Nidre?"

Song of the Week

"How Bout Us" - Champaign
"Some people are made for each other
Some can love one another for life
How bout us"
One of the best songs of 1981

The NFL is Poop - Week 4

Roaring Back
The Lions have to stop doing this to their poor fans. They are going to be responsible for an increase in heart attacks in Michigan. For the second straight week the Lions fell behind by 20+ points, and for the second straight week they won the game. This is a double-edged sword. Sure it's great that Matthew Stafford keeps bringing them back and Calvin Johnson keeps catching touchdowns like Noah (in 2s, get it?) but they can't keep coming back like this. Can they?

Many Happy Returns
The Jets and Ravens combined to put up 51 points, while their quarterbacks each had ratings in the 30s. So how did they put up so many points? Return TDs. 5 of the 6 TDs in the game were returns. 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles and a kickoff. Amazing performance by the defense and special teams (can't totally blame the QBs when Sanchez is getting smashed in the back by Ed Reed), but a mostly shitty one by Flacco and Sanchez.

Many Happy Returns Part II
Devin Hester aka Windy City Flyer set the NFL record with his 11th career punt return for a touchdown. He also had a 73-yard kickoff return to set up a touchdown. He has 4 kickoff return TDs, giving him a record 15 combined kick return TDs.



A Giant Break
The Giants got a huge break when the referees ruled Victor Cruz down, having given himself up, instead of ruling it a fumble. Everyone is debating whether it was the right call, but no one is answering the key question: when did the whistle blow? If the whistle blew when he was on the ground then the refs made the right call, regardless of whether they actually should have ruled him down as the rule dictates, if they blew the whistle, then Cruz was right to lay the ball down. If they never blew the whistle, then the play was not over and should have been ruled a fumble.



Admiral Ackbar Tried to Warn Them
Often times teams coming off big wins over quality opponents will then suffer an embarrassing defeat to an inferior opponent the very next game. This is commonly known as a "Trap Game." The Buffalo Bills fell into that trap, losing to the Bengals 23-20. The letdown was even worse considering they had a 17-3 lead. With the Eagles, Giants, Redskins and Jets in the next four game we will soon know whether the Bills are for real.



Picture of the Week
A game-torn jersey? This one actually held up pretty well as the Texans tried to rip it off Ben Roethlisberger's body.



Brief Rant About the Redskins
The Redskins should be 4-0 right now and the toast of the league. But I have to be satisfied with 3-1, considering my expectations going into this season. Rex Grossman has done a decent job of building leads and not blowing them. Well, maybe the defense deserves more credit for not blowing these games. Against Arizona and now St. Louis, the D had to hold off a furious comeback. And with the next 7 games against very beatable teams, I think the Redskins have good chance to be 7-4 or maybe even 8-3 going into Decemeber.

If the NFC Championship Game Were Played Today
Green Bay Packers 35 Detroit Lions 34
The only two unbeaten teams in the league are both in the NFC. They are both very exciting. And if they both keep this up they could well meet for the third time this season in the NFC title game.

Weekly Picks

Burned by the push again. Not off to a good start with only 7 points but as usual my overall record of 8-7 is still decent, above .500.

pittsburgh +3 1/2 HOUSTON
Let Houston win this game by 3. I really think the Texans are overrated and the Steelers should bounce back after a subpar effort against the Colts.

TAMPA BAY -10 indianapolis
I really think the Colts are putrid and I like the ExpensiveCornPrices. The crowd should be jacked for a Monday Night game. Even though I don't believe in that sort of thing. I just like the 'Prices.

detroit +2 1/2 DALLAS
Detroit is not going to give the Cowboys and Tony Romo a free pass the way the Redskins did. I also expect Detroit to play a little better offensively than they did last week when they stunk it up for the first half.

SAN DIEGO -7 miami
The Dolphins are a bad team. I like the Chargers to break through, they are 0-3 ATS so far this year. That can't last forever. St. Louis is also 0-3 ATS and the Raiders are 3-0. Everyone else is 1-2 or 2-1. That is why no one ever comes out ahead betting on football.

BEST BET
new england -6 OAKLAND
The Patriots are going to be angry.

Last week: 2-3 (1 point)
Season: 8-7 (7 points)
Best Bets: 0-1 (1-2)
Home Favorites: 2-0 (4-1)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 0-2 (1-4)
Road Underdogs: 0-1 (3-2)

Playoff Predictions

Division Series:
Diamondbacks over Brewers (5 games)
Phillies over Cardinals (3 games)
Yankees over Tigers (4 games)
Rangers over Rays (5 games)

League Championship Series:
Phillies over Diamondbacks (5 games)
Yankees over Rangers (6 games)

World Series:
Phillies over Yankees (6 games)

Baseball is Poop

Oh What a Night
They're calling it Wild Card Wednesday. Four teams went into the day tied for two spots. And the Braves and Red Sox had blown leads of 8 1/2 and 9 games in September. The Braves and Rays were facing their toughest division rivals, teams already in the playoffs, and the Cardinals and Red Sox were facing last place teams. The NL was just a footnote, the Cardinals blew out Houston and the Braves lost to the Phillies in extra innings. After rookie closer Craig Kimbrel blew the save in the 9th.
But the real action came in the AL where the Red Sox held a 3-2 lead (with the help of a scoreless inning from Daniel Bard and his 11.70 ERA in September). But Jonathan Papelbon blew it in the bottom of the 9th. Meaning the Red Sox needed the Yankees to win. But the Yankees blew (on purpose?) a 7-0 lead to the Rays, and in the bottom of the 12th, just minutes after Papelbon's implosion, Evan Longoria homered inside the foul pole to give the Rays the AL wild card.



The only other walk-off home run to clinch a playoff spot in the team's final game of the season, was the Shot Heard Round the World by Bobby Thomson.

So Close
The Amazing Pooh Holes came into the final game of the season with a chance to extend his 10-year streak of hitting at least .300 with 30 homers and 100 RBI. It was the longest such streak in major league history. That streak is over. But his streak of 11 seasons batting at least .299 with 30 homers and 99 RBI was extended to 11 years.

No Way Jose
I'm very disappointed with the way Jose Reyes went about winning the batting title. I thought the bunt was a little cheap, but acceptable, but pulling himself out of the game goes against the spirit of competition. You either win the title by competing hard or you lose it. He did deserve the title because he played great all season, it was just a sour note to end the season. And even more sour because it's likely the last game he'll ever play as a Met.



Picture of the Week
Ryan Roberts rounding the bases pays tribute to his manager, Kirk Gibson, by imitating the home run trot Gibson used in the 1988 World Series. Roberts hit a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning after Micah Owings had given up 5 runs in the top of the inning.

Jesus, The Professor and the Ponzi Scheme

The Department of Justice amended its complaint against Full Tilt Poker, alleging the online site was a giant Ponzi Scheme.
When the site was shut down for U.S. players in April for illegally processing player deposits, many players expected to be fully repaid for the account balances which they could no longer use.
PokerStars repaid players in an expeditious fashion. Full Tilt did not, because it could not. According to the DOJ, player accounts totaled $440 million, but Full Tilt only had $60 million on hand.
And here's where the Ponzi Scheme accusation comes in: the site's owners and directors, including famous poker pros Chris "Jesus" Ferguson and Howard "The Professor" Lederer are alleged to have been paid millions over this time, $40m to Lederer and $25m to Ferguson (though he was promised much more because he owned nearly 20% of the company).
Full Tilt says it was not a Ponzi Scheme it just got in trouble because it got scammed by a payment processor and in other cases it elected to fund player accounts before the payments actually cleared. And when those payments didn't materialize, a huge hole grew. And when Full Tilt got shut down in the U.S. it had no way to fill that hole.
Obviously, no matter what happened, Full Tilt had an obligation to keep most if not all of player money in a liquid account (they can invest it and earn interest). But there are a couple extenuating circumstances here. We don't know for sure if Full Tilt intended to be a Ponzi Scheme or it just became one when they ran into trouble collecting funds.
But most importantly, internet poker should not be illegal. I lost less than $5 in this incident. I also lost my chance to play poker from my home, a hobby I greatly enjoy. But what I have been robbed of most of all is televised poker.
The World Series of Poker will likely survive because it can get other sponsors, but it may end up being the only poker show on TV. Because they cannot survive without the sponsorships from the poker sites.
But I've probably watched my last episode of Poker After Dark and The Big Game (although this still airs online), which is the best poker show for advanced players.
And that's what has me so angry. I can't even watch what I want on TV because of the government. And though many in the poker community are hopeful this will get repealed and internet poker will be legal and regulated, I don't think that will ever happen.
And it's a damn shame.

L'Shana Tova

May 5772 be the best year yet.
"Everyday I'm shecklin"

Song of the Week

"Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"
This song hit the top of the charts in 1971, 40 years ago. The Temptations had already several personnel changes up to this point. They had begun to transition into the psychadelic style that was becoming popular. This song was a throwback to the bluesy, harmonies that made them famous in the 1960s.

The NFL is Poop - Week 3

Bills Beat Brady
It's too early to tell if the Bills are for real, but they are certainly exciting. Their second straight huge comeback at home. It certainly looks like their offense is going to be strong with Harvard quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, a good running game and a big group of fast wide receivers. Their defense is questionable though, even with 4 interceptions, a couple of them were lucky. And they are still allowing a lot of points. After Cincinnati the schedule gets a little tougher. As for the Patriots, they are still a great team and I think they can still go on an historical offense roll if they can get their defense in shape is another matter.

The Lions Roar Back
The other surprising 3-0 team, the Detroit Lions, also needed a big comeback to stay unblemished. It's their first 3-0 start since 1980. And they did it was Matt Stafford to Calvin Johnson and some nasty defensive pressure from Suh and Crew. Not sure why they were so bad in the first half but it doesn't matter. Detroit became the first team to get shutout in the first half and trail by 20 points or more and come back to win since the Chicago Bears did that against Arizona Cardinals. Remember that game?



How's That Donovan McNabb experiment working out?
Through 3 games Donovan McNabb has presided over 3 Vikings collapses. Minnesota has blown 10-point halftime leads in all 3 games. And McNabb's offense has scored 6 points combined in the three second halves. This goes back to something I said last season, when the game is on the line, he just cannot make the plays needed to win games. The fact is, McNabb used to be good, but he isn't anymore. Minnesota needs to transition to Christian Ponder at some point this season.

Let's See Him Keep That Up
The first 3 catches of Torrey Smith's career were 74-yard, 41-yard and 18-yard touchdowns. All in the first quarter. A pretty good way to start a career.



A Brief Rant About the Redskins
This is the difference between winning teams and losing ones: putting games away. Just an atrocious performance at the end of that game -- in fact the whole game. Missed field goals, fumbles, bad play-calling in the red zone. And most regrettably several plays where the ball was snapped way over Tony Romo's head, and the Redskins could recover. One of those plays Romo actually flung the ball and got a completed pass -- avoiding a big loss. Now it wasn't one play that cost us the game, more like 6 or 8, but the most galling was allowing a 30 yard reception on 3rd and 21 (with the game on the line, they would have had to have gone for it on 4th down) and then tacking on a 15-yard facemask, basically giving the Cowboys the game. The Redskins schedule remains fairly easy for the next 8 games (especially if neither the Eagles nor the Bills are for real) but they have to start making those crucial plays that win -- and lose games.

Pictures of the Week
A sudden monsoon turned the first half of the Panthers-Jaguars game into a sloppy water-logged contest. At one point a replay review was made nearly impossible because the camera lenses were so wet you couldn't make out the play between the drops.

3000 Words

Labrador Retriever Hawkeye lies next to the casket at the funeral for his owner Navy SEAL John Tumilson who was killed when he his chopper was shot down in Afghanistan.



Man born with 6 fingers on each hand



Dodgers fan expresses his dissatisfaction with the team's current financial state

What Do You Give Me For? Herman Cain and South Park's Johnnie Cochran

What do you give me for Presidential candidate Herman Cain and Johnnie Cochran, as depicted on South Park?

Weekly Picks

A good week finally though I needed my best bet to rally from 17-0 down and a somewhat favorable spread getting 4 with the Raiders. But a junk touchdown by Carolina cost me a perfect 6.

pittsburgh -10 1/2 INDIANAPOLIS
This could be just a terrible year for the Colts. I'm talking about zero wins. I think the Steelers will force Collins into more turnovers and dominate this game the way they did against Seattle last week.

atlanta +1 1/2 TAMPA BAY
I'm still rolling with Atlanta as my Super Bowl champion. And I think this year Tampa Bay will have some breaks go against it, as compared to last year when everything went its way. But I still wouldn't want the ball in Josh Freeman's hands at the end of a game.

NEW ORLEANS -4 houston
The Texans are very overrated. Let's see them keep up with the Saints this week.

CAROLINA -3 jacksonville
Cam Newton has to come back to earth doesn't he? And everyone wants to pick against the Jaguars because they have a rookie quarterback, but Gabbert has to be better than Josh McCown right?

BEST BET
detroit -3 MINNESOTA
I always get sucked in by these road favorites giving 3 or 3 1/2 points. They always seem to win by that field goal margin. I guarantee either Detroit or Carolina wins by exactly 3. But I really think Donovan McNabb sucks and Detroit's pass rush is just going to be too much for him.

Last week: 4-1 (5 points)
Season: 6-4 (6 point)
Best Bets: 1-0 (1-1)
Home Favorites: 2-0 (2-1)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 0-1 (1-2)
Road Underdogs: 2-0 (3-1)

A Necessary Evil

Syracuse University will become a full-fledged member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in June 2014.
This means leaving behind the Big East Conference of which Syracuse was a founding member back in 1979.
It saddens me deeply to think about the tradition and rivalries we will lose. I will miss playing Georgetown and St. John's and I will certainly miss the Big East Tournament being in Madison Square Garden (though I am hopeful the ACC can rotate to that venue occassionally).
But being practical, the Big East conference for football was crumbling and Syracuse had to make a move instead of getting left holding the bag.
It seems almost inevitable college football will realign into 4 16-team superconferences, and joining one of those conferences is the best chance for Syracuse to restore its football program to prominence.
Also, the move give Syracuse the chance to create new rivalries with basketball powers Duke and North Carolina.
What it comes down to is Syracuse had to risk hurting the basketball program a little, instead of risking hurting the football team a lot.
50 years ago Bob Dylan implored us "you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone because times they are a-changin'" and that holds true to the current reshuffling of college sports.
Syracuse made the right decision, and in another 35 years we'll remember only what was won, not what was lost.

I Feel So Unaccomplished

For most people, if you want to check up on former classmates, you need to go to Facebook. Recently I saw two of my fellow students at the Newhouse School for Public Communications at Syracuse University, just by turning on the TV.

Clo Ewing appeared in a couple episodes of "Season 25," the Behind-the-Scenes show documenting the final season of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." She was shown greeting guests, and standing in for Oprah during rehearsals.

And on the "Real Sports" profile of Bob Uecker I saw Uecker's broadcast partner Cory Provus in the booth.

And there's also this list (which I believe I have posted before) of Syracuse graduates who are on air sportscasters in some form.

Song of the Week

"My True Story" - The Jive Five
I'm trying a new thing, I'm going to pick songs that are 50, 40, 30, 20 & 10 years old. Just to see what was popular then. It will be a fun walk down memory lane and maybe I'll do it again next year.
This one happens to be one of the best doo-wop hits of all-time.
"Her name was Sue, yeah, his name was Earl"

The NFL is Poop - Week 2

My Rookie of the Year Prediction is Looking Pretty Good Right Now
Through his first two games in the NFL Cam Newton has thrown for 854 yards. He is on pace to throw for 6,832 yards, go 0-16 and finish second in the NFL in passing (to Tom Brady). He did make some mistakes in this game. After leading the Panthers to a surprise 13-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter, the Packers outscored them 30-3 until a garbage touchdown at the end broke the spread. Newton threw three interceptions over that span. The kid knows a lot, but he still has a lot to learn.



Like 2007 All Over Again
The New England Patriots once again look dominant and Tom Brady is rolling up the passing yards and touchdowns at a record pace. A pace that would give him 7,520 and 56 TDs if he keeps it up. When you watch the Patriots you notice how great Tom Brady is, but you also can't help but see how great his protection is. Yes, he gets hit, and even sacked, but on most passing plays he just has so much time to throw.

Just One Play Away
The great comeback story of Michael Vick was temporarily derailed, and it cost the Eagles the game against the Falcons. Vick suffered a concussion when he was tackled into his own teammate. He left the game and never returned. Obviously a Vick injury would kill the Eagles "Dream Team" status. But I also think they need Vick to play the way he did last season, not as he did in Atlanta. Through 2 games (small sample) his completion percentage is down big, a hallmark of his Falcon days when he dropped back and waited for an opportunity to run.



Not a Good Omen
The Kansas City Chiefs have been outscored 89-10 so far this season. I don't really need to go on, there's nothing else to say.

A Brief Rant About the Redskins
The Redskins are 2-0 and in sole possession of first place in the NFC East. I am happy but I am not thriled. The Redskins failed to capitalize on many opportunties (a red zone INT and a blocked FG really hurt) and almost lost this game. Hopefully this was Rex Grossman's stinker and he can turn in a good performance next week in Dallas on Monday Night Football.

Game of the Week
Buffalo Bills 38 Oakland Raiders 35
Break up the Bills. A stirring comeback from an 18-point deficit capped by a touchdown with 14 seconds left. But how long can Ryan Fitzpatrick (109.6 rating) and Fred Jackson (229 rushing yards, 1st in NFL) keep this up? The schedule gets a lot tougher this week with New England at home, but the Bill schedule is littered with teams destined to be mediocre, the Bills will have a chance to prove they really are this good.

Game of Next Week
Atlanta at Tampa Bay
I choose this one because I already mentioned New England at Buffalo, and honestly I don't expect that one to be much of a contest. I really liked the AFC South coming into this season, thinking the Falcons and Saints would be battling for the division lead all year with Tampa Bay as a wild card possibility. So far all those teams are 1-1 after losing to tough NFC foes. The loser of this one falls in arrears in the division and conference race.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
New England Patriots 34 Detroit Lions 10
These two teams played in the preseason and Detroit dominated. I don't see that happening again. But the Lions do have the pass rush to potentially give the Patriots fits, but not the secondary. I wanted to give the Bills another nod here because I think once I go New England I never go back, but the Bills barely eked out a victory over the Raiders.

Mayweather's Legacy Disgraced, Merchant's Legacy Cemented

By now everyone knows the details of Saturday's big fight but let me explain for posterity and because these youtube videos will surely be taken down soon.
Floyd Mayweather was completely dominating Victor Ortiz for four rounds. Ortiz's only offense was rubbing his head on Mayweather until he blatantly head-butted him at the end of the 4th round. The fight was halted and a point was deducted.



After the fight resumed, Ortiz tried to apologize and an angry and frustrated Mayweather clearly didn't accept the apology. He hit a defenseless Ortiz with a combination that knocked him out and ended the fight.

Here's my take:
1) Ortiz was wrong for his dirty headbutts
2) Mayweather was wrong for taking advantage of Ortiz's seemingly sincere apology
3) Joe Cortese was the most culpable. He clearly did call the fighters back and restart the fight. But then he turned away. He did not see the knock-out punches. If Mayweather had kicked Ortiz in the stones, or head-butted him in retaliation, Cortese had no way of knowing.
4) Protect yourself at all times is technically correct, but it excuses Mayweather for hitting a fighter he knew wasn't protecting himself. It was within the rules but very unsporting of him. But it was nothing compared to what he did after the fight.



Larry Merchant is known for being tough on fighters, especially brash, arrogant ones. Many people say Merchant is racist, I don't agree, but the perception is out there. Regardless, Mayweather is getting paid millions of dollars, part of that is to answer Merchant's questions respectfully. Flipping out on a mostly-respected elder statesman of boxing just shows how little class Mayweather has.
But Larry's comeback "I wish I was 50 years younger and I'd kick your ass" was classic and guarantees he will forever be remembered as a tough in-ring, post-fight interview.



Bottom line: until Mayweather fights Pacquiao, many boxing fans, including myself, will have no respect for him, and will not consider him an all-time great.

Weekly Picks

Tough week with the Falcons laying and egg and losing a third game on a push. But it's time to bounce back. I see a lot of overreactions to what happened during Week 1 and I am hoping to exploit that this week.

green bay -10 CAROLINA
Hard to say a team giving up 10 points at home is an overreaction. And I like Cam Newton. But I don't seem him having a game like that again. And if he doesn't throw for 400, Aaron Rodgers will.

oakland +4 BUFFALO
Didn't the Bills suck just a week ago. One game, I don't care how convincing, doesn't make up for a lack of talent. They can even win this game by a field goal and I still get the spread.

NEW ENGLAND -7 san diego
If the Patriots are going to have one of those seasons where they embarrass 8 to 10 teams in a row, I don't want to sit on the sidelines and miss it. Plus, the Chargers are perennially disappointing in September (and then again in January.)

NEW YORK JETS -9 jacksonville
I think the Jets defense will really be dominant. Rex rips them and they respond.

BEST BET
tampa bay +2 1/2 MINNESOTA
I almost never pick underdogs as best bets. But I just don't get this spread. Did anyone watch Donovan McNabb last week? Or last season? He is not bouncing back. He is done. Sure he might even throw for 100 yards this week. But he stinks. The Bucs only looked bad last week because they played the Lions, who are better.

Last week: 2-3 (1 point)
Season: 2-3 (1 point)
Best Bets: 0-1 (0-1)
Home Favorites: 0-1 (0-1)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 1-1 (1-1)
Road Underdogs: 1-1 (1-1)

Don't Have Skype Sex on a Stolen Computer

An Ohio woman settled a lawsuit with a software company after she claimed the company grabbed a sexually explicit photo of her from her computer.
Here's what happened: Susan Clements-Jeffrey, a teacher, age 52, bought a laptop from a student for $60.
Not surprising that computer had been stolen, and sold to another student for $40, who quickly flipped it to his naive teacher for a 50% profit.
Mrs. Clements-Jeffrey used the computer and the webcam to communicate with her out of state boyfriend.
This is where Absolute Software comes in.
In an attempt to recover the stolen property, the company grabbed a webcam image of Clements-Jeffrey. They used a webcam image rather than some other saved photo, because that's the only way to determine who is actually using the computer.
They also used the tracking software to locate the computer. They turned over the location and the explicit photo to local police, who arrested Clements-Jeffrey.
She sued, claiming her privacy and been violated and she had no idea the computer was stolen. A judge agreed and ruled in her favor (instead of taking it further, the parties settled).
The judge ruled, even though the company was tracking stolen property, a legitimate purpose, it crossed a line when it obtained and disseminated (to police) a sexually explicit image of Clements-Jeffrey.
I agree. And I would love to side with her but for one big thing. She didn't know the computer was stolen? There's no way that can be true. She bought a laptop from a student for $60 and didn't think it had been stolen. Not possible.
Not saying she deserved to have her naked photos exposed, but when you traffic in stolen goods I believe you lose some of your rights. And I think she should have had this case dismissed.

They're So Cute At This Age

An elderly couple, Bruce and Esther Huffman, have become the darlings of the internet after they released a video they unknowingly recorded while trying to figure out how to use their webcam.
The Huffmans, in their 80s but only recently married were trying to record a video for their grandkids.
Surely they will enjoy Bruce making monkey faces, singing nonsense songs and tell Esther to pull down her dress.

No Wonder the Fans Love Tom Brady

Tom Brady's advice to the fans before Sunday's home opener, a 4:15 PM start against the Chargers.
"Start drinking early. Get nice and rowdy. It's a 4:15 game, a lot of time to get lubed up. Come out here, and cheer for the home team."

The Patriots later clarified the "drinking early" remark on behalf of Brady, telling the assembled media, "He meant 'stay hydrated, drink a lot of water. Be loud, drink responsibly.'"

Scarlett Johansson Naked Cell Phone Pics

The pictures the internet has been awaiting for years have finally surfaced. Topless Scarlett Johansson cell phone pics.



Since Gnitsark tipped me off to the story (and even slid his non-work iPhone under my nose so I wouldn't have to wait until I got home to check out these pictures) I used his face to obscure the nipple and keep the Poop's high standards of decency.

As always with cell phone pics, the question comes up, are they real? This certainly looks like her face. And I have read reports that the pictures have been examined at a very high magnification and no evidence of photoshopping is present.

So if the pictures are real, how about the titties? ScarJo has long been the subject of the "real or fake?" debate and I have to say her cans stand up to close scrutiny. They are a natural shape, and you can't see the implant as you often can with fake boobies. Don't believe me? Look for yourself, BUT NOT AT WORK.

Love is Blind

Seth Green and Clare Grant.
He's 5'4" she's 5'7", 5"10 in heels.
I have a feeling he likes to take her out dancing.

Song of the Week

"Your Precious Love" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Another legendary song written by Ashford and Simpson who did their best work for other people.

The NFL is Poop - Week 1

Welcome Back NFL
It's hard to miss something that never even left but it seems there is more excitement, personally and across the broader fan base, for this season than for years past. Just the thought of a canceled or shortened season was enough to turn any NFL fan into a whipped boyfriend running back whenever the NFL was ready to have us again. I am not placing blame, I am part of the problem, though I was not part of the audience for Sunday Night's Cowboys-Jets game, which pulled in the highest rating for a Week 1 primetime game since 1996. And what a great game it was.

I Bet A Lot of Cowboys Fans Will Be Changing the First Letter of his Last Name This Morning
Tony Romo (with an R) gifted a game to the Jets with a 4th quarter fumble and an interception. Romo is a pretty good quarterback but it seems like he will never fulfill the promise he had when he first burst on the scene. And the window for the Cowboys to become a top team is closing.

Whose League Is It?
You always hear a lot of talk about how the NFL is now a passing league, as opposed to a running one. Really? In Week 1, six running backs gained more than 100 yards and they all won. 7 of the top 8 receivers by yards lost, except Wes Welker who probably wou;dn't have ruined my perfect item if not for that 99-yard TD. I know a lot of this depends on play-calling which is based on the game situation. I know teams rush for a lot of yards because they are winning, they don't necessarily win because they rush for a lot of yards. But a difference that drastic in winning percentage for top rushers vs. top receivers does show us that a good running game is still a great way to build and keep a lead.

Impressive Debut
I wasn't sold on Cam Newton as an NFL prospect (though I did pick him to win Rookie of the Year) and I still am not convinced, but I was impressed by what I saw from him while watching the Panthers-Cardinals game on the computer during breaks in the Redskins-Giants. He showed a better, more accurate throwing arm than I thought he possessed, and he also used his running abilities to great effect, but also with great judiciousness. He did make some mistakes and I still think he has some 9 for 21, 3 INT games in his future. But judging by his debut, his future looks bright.



A Brief Rant About the Redskins
If the Redskins are to go 2-14 this year, I just hope the other win is against the Giants. Prior to this season the Giants had beaten us 9 of the past ten times. That's one win in 5 years against my most hated rival. I do see some promise on offense, though I am not buying a Rex Grossman jersey just yet. He did play well, and make some great throws, but the Giants injury-depleted pass rush may have helped in that regard. Tim Hightower looked good running the ball, which will help balance. There are still big concerns about the defense, especially with Reed Doughty getting burned on a deep ball. But Arizona is up next at home, a very winnable game. After that 4 of the next 5 games are on the road (Dallas, St. Louis, Carolina and Buffalo) against teams that aren't expected to be very good.



Picture of the Week
Kerry Collins looks old and beaten. And this was taken before the game started.



Picture of the Week II
Of all the touching tributes to 9/11 during Sunday's games, there were none I wanted to touch more than this ribbon worn by a Redskins cheerleader.



Did Jaws Just Say Shit?
I think he did. Listen carefully and you can hear Ron Jaworski say "shit you have to get rid of this ball..."



If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Buffalo 34 Chicago 17
Just for fun I am starting this season off with the teams that had the best victories in Week 1. Judging only by what I saw, not what I thought. Maybe New England - Green Bay is a more likely matchup, but they only won by 14 and 8 respectively. And I do have concerns about Green Bay's defense which almost gave this game away.

Weekly Picks

A new season means a new chance to erase some recent failures and recapture my past form. I haven't really read much going into Week 1 because I don't do fantasy but I think I have a pretty good idea of who will be good and who will be bad. But remember, when we look back on these results in 10 weeks, what we think are upsets now may not turn out to be.

indianapolis +9 HOUSTON
I think this line is a total overreaction. Yes Peyton Manning matters, but not this much.

detroit +1 1/2 TAMPA BAY
This year's upstart team will beat last year's upstart team.

ARIZONA -7 carolina
This line is a little bigger than I would like but I do not like Cam Newton and I do think Kevin Kolb will be good. No way Newton wins his first NFL start, on the road. Whether he can lose by less than a touchdown, I'm not sure, but I'll take my chances.

philadephia -3 1/2 ST. LOUIS
I'm not convinced the Eagles are as good as everyone says and the Rams may show some big improvement this year. But I think Philly will get off to a good start with a win in Week 1.

BEST BET
atlanta -2 CHICAGO
My Super Bowl team against the Bears who still haven't upgraded their line enough to protect Jay Cutler.

Hey McFly Your Shoe's Untied

Nike is releasing the Nike Mag, a replica of the futuristic shoe Marty McFly wore in 2015 in "Back to the Future II."
The Nike on the strap even glows. The replica is pretty faithful to the original, except it doesn't lace itself.



Nike will release 1,500 pairs of the 2011 Nike Mag sneaker for auction on eBay and donate all proceeds to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research.

Nike decided more than four years ago to create the shoe, but was unsure when a pair would be ready. Unlike the shoes in the movie, the real-life versions had to be designed for day-to-day use. For instance, the design used in the movie required Fox to wear a battery pack with wires running down his pants to light the shoe, which was the best technology available at the time.

Nike also has created a faux "lost scene" from the movie starring Christopher Lloyd and Kevin Durant with a cameo from Mayor Goldie Wilson.

Baseball is Poop

Closest Race in Years
I don't think I have ever come across a more difficult decision for a Rookie of the Year award than the one confronting voters this season. The top two candidates are Phillies pitcher Vance Worley (11-1, 2.85 ERA) and Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel (43 saves, 1.55 ERA). I know Worley's stats, especially his record, are inflated by being on such a good team, but it is a lot harder to be really good as a starter than as a closer. But Kimbrel hasn't just been lucky (though his setup men are so good he gets plenty of leads to work with), he's been really good and has the ability to continue this performance for many years. So who should be NL Rookie of the Year? I am going to go with Worley, but he stil has about 5 more starts left (which would bring him to 23) and if he falters I would be willing to go with Kimbrel.




Nyjer Morgan Must Have Lost His Mind
I think there is something wrong with Nyjer Morgan. He has developed a bad reputation around baseball for dirty play (knocking over a catcher when he didn't have the ball, 8 games suspension for his role in a brawl plus 7 games for throwing a ball into the stands) and his unusual personality (he has several alter egos and aliases). Under the name Tony Plush, Morgan has picked a twitter fight with the Stupendous Pooh Holes, referring to him as "Alberta" and "she." After mouthing off to Chris Carpenter after a strikeout, Pooh Holes ran towards Morgan to make go back to the dugout.
I don't find his antics amusing at all and he isn't a good enough player to have a mouth this big. I hope Prince Fielder accidentally sits on him and crushes the life out of him.



What's in a Name? I
My favorite rookie this year is St. Louis Cardinals closer Fernando Salas. But proving my old adage "you can't trust a palindrome" Salas has blown 5 saves this season.

What's in a Name? II
On June 24th in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Houston Astros used 3 pitchers. Wandy Rodriguez, Fernando Rodriguez and Aneury Rodriguez. They lost 5-1.

What's in a Name? III
In an interleague contest between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox on July 1, there were two home runs hit. Both by A. Ramirez, Aramis and Alexi.

Best First Pitch of the Year
A performer in a Cirque De Soleil show does an intricate windup but still manages to throw a perfect strike.

Who Wants to Taste My Schweddy Balls?

Ben & Jerry's will be offering for a limited time a new flavor, "Schweddy Balls," based on the brilliant Saturday Night Live sketch starring Alec Baldwin.



The flavor is made up of "vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum and is loaded with fudge covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls."

NFL Season Predictions

AFC East: New England Patriots
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: Houston Texans
AFC West: San Diego Chargers
AFC Wild Cards: Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets
AFC Conference Championship: Patriots over Chargers


NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
NFC North: Green Bay Packers
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons
NFC West: St. Louis Rams
NFC Wild Cards: Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints
NFC Conference Championship: Falcons over Eagles

Super Bowl: Atlanta 34 New England 29

Offensive Player of the Year: Roddy White
Defensive Player of the Year: Ndamukong Suh
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Nick Fairley
Comeback Player of the Year: Matthew Stafford
Coach of the Year: Jim Schwartz

Last year only 3 of us participated (I'll be lucky to get that many this year) and all 3 of us correctly predicted the Packers would make the Super Bowl.

Also, please enter all the espn.com games. The group name is The Poop. Definitely do the eliminator one. That would be fun if a lot of us got in and a few of us built long streaks.

Song of the Week

"Solid" - Ashford & Simpson
I regret being two weeks late with this tribute to one of the great songwriters of our time, Nick Ashford.
The day he died was the day of the East Coast earthquake and I was too busy to change the scheduled Song of the Week.
The following week I wanted to get "You're the Inspiration" in before our anniversary.
So that brings us to "Solid" one of the of their hits that Ashford and Simpson actually performed themselves.

I Think I Would Still Hate a White Dog-Killer

ESPN the Magazine recently ran a fascinating article "What If Michael Vick Were White."

Along with the article was a picture, Michael Vick reimagined and digitally altered to be a white man.



Juding from just the headline alone, I was pleased they used proper grammar but disappointed that they were going say Michael Vick was persecuted and punished harshly, because he is black.

Then I read the article: "I'm certain white privilege would not be enough to rescue a white NFL star caught killing dogs."

And it goes on to make the point that separating Vick or any of us from our race would be impossible. If Vick were white, he would have grown up in different circumstances and quite possibly never have been exposed to dogfighting in the first place. Maybe he wouldn't even play football, who knows?

Regardless of color Vick has turned his life around. He seems to be on the straight and narrow and personally, and on the basis of his play on the field he signed a new 6-year, $100m contract with the Eagles. I hope he uses that money to repay his creditors and uses these lessons to live an honest life.

But I will always hate him. No matter what color he is.

Song of the Week

"You're the Inspiration" - Chicago
I used to play this song on the piano when Mama Poop forced us to take lessons.
I'm so glad that 25 years later I finally understand the true meaning of these lyrics.

"You bring meaning to my life
You're the Inspiration"

The Animals Knew

An amazing story in the Washington Post about the strange behavior of animals at the National Zoo before last week's earthquake.

Here are some examples:
-About five to ten seconds before the quake, many of the apes, including Kyle (an orangutan) and Kojo (a Western lowland gorilla), abandoned their food and climbed to the top of the tree-like structure in the exhibit.

-About three seconds before the quake, Mandara (a gorilla) let out a shriek and collected her baby, Kibibi, and moved to the top of the tree structure as well.

-The red ruffed lemurs sounded an alarm call about 15 minutes before the quake and then again just after it occurred.

-The Zoo has a flock of 64 flamingos. Just before the quake, the birds rushed about and grouped themselves together. They remained huddled during the quake.

Here's one possible scientific explanation: An earthquake generates two types of seismic waves. The first is the relatively weak, fast-moving P wave, or primary wave. Then comes the more powerful S wave, or secondary wave, which lumbers along at a leisurely pace and heaves the ground up and down.

The first P waves would have reached Washington about 15 seconds before the S waves. The animals may have been responding to the P waves before humans noticed the ground shaking.

That's why some of the animals moved to higher ground, because they felt the earth shaking.

But that doesn't explain the lemurs sounding their alarm 15 minutes before.

Maybe that was just an aberation.

Maybe the lemurs knew.

We will never know why animals pick up on these things before we do. Unless they decide to tell us.

Song of the Week

"Working My Way Back to You Babe" - The Spinners
Master Bates and I used to play this on a Fisher Price record player.

What Do You Give Me For? Toucan Sam and the Mayan Archaelogy Initiative Toucan

Kellogg is asking a group working to defend Mayan culture to reconsider its logo, saying consumers can confuse it with Toucan Sam.
An attorney for Kellogg sent a letter to the nonprofit Maya Archaeology Initiative saying Kellogg opposes the group's bid to trademark its logo.
The Maya Archaeology Initiative says there is little similarity. It says its logo is based upon a realistic toucan native to Mesoamerica, while Toucan Sam is a cartoon character with the coloring of Froot Loops.

Where Were You When the World Shook?

My one chance to experience an earthquake in New York City and I missed it. I was in a meeting in the center of the building and none of us felt a thing.
We started getting e-mails about it and assumed it was just DC. But people seated near the windows did feel.
Did you?
Share your experience in the comments section.

Best Stadium Fight I've Ever Seen

A huge fight in the stands of the 49ers-Raiders preseason game. This one went on for quite a while before security was able to break it up.



Unfortunately things turned uglier after the game. A Raiders fan wearing a "Fuck the Niners" t-shirt was shot several times in the stomach. The second incident of horrific fan violence at a game in California this year.

You Can't Always Get What You Want

The New Meadowlands Stadium to be shared by the Giants (Big Blue) and the Jets.
It will be called MetLife Stadium. Which is adequate, but a better sponsor was out there.
JetBlue Stadium would have been so perfect.
Similarly, wouldn't CitiField be so much cooler if Ralph Lauren had ponied up (pun intended) the money to name it The Polo Grounds?

Please Don't Wear Our Clothes

Ambercrombie and Fitch is offering to pay The Situation not to wear the company's clothes.
Sitch wore neon green A&F sweatpants in the latest episode of the show.
That led the company to make the offer to The Situation (and other Jersey Shore castmembers), and to release this statement:
“We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans."



I think this is a pretty funny and savvy move by the store. I doubt there are many fans of the show who will be so outraged they will boycott. And I believe there are a lot of people who hate the show who may look more favorably upon the brand now.

Mostly I think A&F is just trying to steal some buzz from the show sort of like when Vivid video offers every hot chick in some kind of scandal a million dollars to appear in a porn movie.

Song of the Week

"Back in the High Life Again" - Steve Winwood
Dan Uggla's hitting-streak reminded me of this song. In 1987, Paul Molitor had a 39-game streak from July 16th through August 26th. Since this period coincided with my time at sleepaway camp I missed the entire hitting streak. We didn't have computers or cell phones in those days. When I returned home I remember watching a montage of Molitor's hits set to this song. And I always think of it during long streaks.

Rainy Summer Sunday

"The sun did not shine
it was too wet to play
So we sat in the house
All that cold, cold wet day."



Good thing I had Thing 1 and Thing 2 to entertain me.

3000 Words

Bears at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago stay cool by licking giant blocks of ice.



Bryan Devonshire stacks his chips at the World Series of Poker



Justin Bieber wears a Kelly Kapowski t-shirt

The Only Thing Mrs. Poop Ever Asked Me to Post

Authorities on Friday were trying to determine why Jani Lane, former lead singer of the 1980s glam-band Warrant, was at a Woodland Hills motel when he died Thursday.

Lane has a home in the South Bay, so it is unclear exactly why he was at the Ventura Boulevard motel, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the case. Alcohol and prescription drugs were found in the motel room, the sources said, but there was no indication he took intentionally took his own life.

An autopsy will determine how the 47-year-old Redondo Beach resident died, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner. Lane's body was found about 5:30 p.m. Thursday in a room at a Comfort Inn in the 20100 block of Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills.

Song of the Week

"Orchestrated Love Song" - Burlap to Cashmere
This is the first time I've featured a Christian Rock song as Song of the Week. But the concept "I want to live on a boat and sail away with my children" hits home for me. Unless it's about Jesus somehow.

End of Nights

Today is the first day of the rest of Mrs. Poop's life. Today she set an alarm, woke up, got in the shower and went to work.
The sun was out, it was 6:45am.
After toiling for 10 years on the night shift Mrs. Poop has moved to days and will be working 7a - 3:30p hopefully for the rest of her life.
Coupled with a recent change in my hours (I'm 5a - 2p, by choice) we are now a normal couple.
Well, not a normal couple. A strange couple with normal work schedules.
This is wonderful, it is something we have all been waiting a very long time for. Over the past four years Mrs. Poop and I have done a lot of single parenting, often while very tired, to accomodate each other's work and sleep schedules.
Now we will go to sleep at the same time, wake up at the same time (roughly) and come home from work at the same time.
We hope will not constantly feel tired anymore. It is now safe to call our home at anytime between normal phone call hours (8a - 8p) and have no fear that someone's slumber will be disturbed.
The only problem: child care. It's nearly impossible to find a daycare to accomodate Mrs. Poop's sporadic (5 days every 2 weeks, 2 of which are weekends) and erratic (the days are never the same) work schedule. So we are turning to our parents (who are beyond wonderful and helpful to us) and a friend of Mrs. Poop's who is willing to watch our two rugrats in addition to two of her own.
A new page in our lives begins today. Or maybe Wednesday when we hope our kids don't force their new babysitter to send them back immediately.