This video is a little odd. Restaurant surveillance footage that reportedly shows a bum in Jacksonville panhandling for money from PTI host Tony Kornheiser, and getting thrown out of the restaurant.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Tickle Me Extreme
This is what the New Elmo can do. Not sure if I want to buy one for Cayla. She may drive Jordan out of his freakin mind with this thing.
Mets and Boobies
It will soon be time for me to make my first ever trip to New Orleans. Next season I will be able to see the AAA Mets...and boobies.
The Mets will move their AAA affiliate from Norfolk to New Orleans.
The Nationals will move theirs from New Orleans to Columbus.
The Yankees will move theirs from Columbus to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Phillies will move theirs from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to Allentown (home of Billy).
The Orioles will move theirs from Ottawa to Norfolk.
The Mets will move their AAA affiliate from Norfolk to New Orleans.
The Nationals will move theirs from New Orleans to Columbus.
The Yankees will move theirs from Columbus to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Phillies will move theirs from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to Allentown (home of Billy).
The Orioles will move theirs from Ottawa to Norfolk.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Where Joey Porter's Dogs At?
Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter's dogs (Tina and Nemo, a pit bull and a mastiff) got loose from his property and killed a miniature horse on a neighbor's farm. The dogs were still in the corral with the dead horse when police arrived. The two dogs were both likely bigger than the horse.
Joey Porter said ""I am saddened to learn that my dogs escaped from my yard and attacked and killed a horse. It was an accident and I am not sure how the dogs escaped. We have a very secure yard with a six-foot fence around it and this has never happened before. I have reached out to the owners of the horse and will do whatever I can to help them get through this very unfortunate situation."
We hope this won't result in the dogs being put down. Maybe they should call the Dog Whisperer. No dog is too much for him to handle.
Joey Porter said ""I am saddened to learn that my dogs escaped from my yard and attacked and killed a horse. It was an accident and I am not sure how the dogs escaped. We have a very secure yard with a six-foot fence around it and this has never happened before. I have reached out to the owners of the horse and will do whatever I can to help them get through this very unfortunate situation."
We hope this won't result in the dogs being put down. Maybe they should call the Dog Whisperer. No dog is too much for him to handle.
Breakfast All Day Long
McDonald's is considering serving breakfast all day long. The plan is not feasible in its current kitchen arrangements because different grills are used to cook the breakfast foods and the lunch/dinner fare.
Once the company gets one grill to do everything in all its stores it seems like this idea is a go.
McDonald's gets half its revenue from breakfast.
Denny's and IHOP are shaking in their boots.
Once the company gets one grill to do everything in all its stores it seems like this idea is a go.
McDonald's gets half its revenue from breakfast.
Denny's and IHOP are shaking in their boots.
They've Got Issues
Everything looks great for the Mets right now. But once the playoffs start worries will abound. Over the next two weeks we'll look at some of the issues facing the Mets, starting with who should be on the playoff roster.
Next Time It Counts
Tonight is my last Mets game of the season as part of our 6 pack plan. The game means nothing but it could be important for Pedro psychologically before the playoffs. He'll probably pitch only once more after this. I am excited to see him because I have only seem him in person once before and since I went to that game with Matt "The Mush" Focks, the Mets lost.
The Fall Season
The fall TV season has started and in addition to old favorites (too numerous to list) I'm going to give some new shows a whirl. If you've seen any show listed (or not listed) here that we should (or shouldn't) be watching please let me know.
The Nine: 9 people are held hostage for more than 2 days in a bank robbery. The show is about their lives afterwards. Premieres Wednesday October 4th at 10pm on ABC, right after Lost.
Knights of Prosperity: Goofy comedy about a gang of misfits who conspire to rob Mick Jagger. Seems like a limited premise but if My Name is Earl can work, so can this. Premieres Tuesday October 17th at 9pm on ABC
Six Degrees: Based on the theory that everyone is connected by Six degrees of separation, characters will meet, leave each other and meet again. Erika Christensen and Bridget Moynihan are in it. Premieres Thursday September 21st at 10pm on ABC.
The Class: A guy tries to get his 3rd grade class back together to impress his fiance. Instead she leaves him. This show already aired and we thought it was ok at best. But it does come on right before How I Met Your Mother at 8pm on Monday on CBS.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Basically a fake behind the scenes look at Saturday Night Live. First episode aired, but I didn't see it yet. Will air Mondays at 10pm on NBC.
30 Rock: Behind the scenes of a fictional show, The Girlie Show. Might be a comedic version of Studio 60. Premieres Wednesday October 11th at 8, also on NBC.
Friday Night Lights: Football show based on the movie which was based on the book which was based on a real high school football team in Texas. Premieres Tuesday October 3rd at 8 on NBC. Could be like Two a Days without the reality.
The Nine: 9 people are held hostage for more than 2 days in a bank robbery. The show is about their lives afterwards. Premieres Wednesday October 4th at 10pm on ABC, right after Lost.
Knights of Prosperity: Goofy comedy about a gang of misfits who conspire to rob Mick Jagger. Seems like a limited premise but if My Name is Earl can work, so can this. Premieres Tuesday October 17th at 9pm on ABC
Six Degrees: Based on the theory that everyone is connected by Six degrees of separation, characters will meet, leave each other and meet again. Erika Christensen and Bridget Moynihan are in it. Premieres Thursday September 21st at 10pm on ABC.
The Class: A guy tries to get his 3rd grade class back together to impress his fiance. Instead she leaves him. This show already aired and we thought it was ok at best. But it does come on right before How I Met Your Mother at 8pm on Monday on CBS.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Basically a fake behind the scenes look at Saturday Night Live. First episode aired, but I didn't see it yet. Will air Mondays at 10pm on NBC.
30 Rock: Behind the scenes of a fictional show, The Girlie Show. Might be a comedic version of Studio 60. Premieres Wednesday October 11th at 8, also on NBC.
Friday Night Lights: Football show based on the movie which was based on the book which was based on a real high school football team in Texas. Premieres Tuesday October 3rd at 8 on NBC. Could be like Two a Days without the reality.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Love is Blind
Remember that ESPN show Body Shaping where hot chicks worked out in Spandex? ESPN's Chris Fowler bagged one of those babes, Jennifer Dempster.
Julie Donaldson Gets Soaked
The Mets soak SNY hottie Julie Donaldson with beer during the postgame celebration. Julie was not safe even though she was in the "dry" area of the clubhouse.
So Sorry
Pete Rose signed a bunch of baseballs with the inscription "I'm sorry I bet on baseball" but claims he got zero dollars from it. Now 30 of those balls are going to be auctioned off.
Just another case of Rose being his own worst enemy when it comes to getting into the Hall of Fame.
I will use this space to restate my position on Pete Rose and his eligibility in the Hall of Fame.
1) He should never be allowed to participate in Major League Baseball ever again.
2) He should not be allowed into the Hall of Fame because the rules at the time he committed the infraction included banishment and permanent ineligibility from the Hall as the punishment for the crime he committed.
3) However, if I ruled the world I would changed that rule and allow his induction for his on-field achievements but his plaque would contain a line indicating his that he was banned for life for betting on the game. Maybe it would say "Never stopped hustling, on the field and off."
4) While I have little or no evidence to support this claim, I believe that Pete Rose bet against the Reds (at least one time). I believe Bart Giamatti knew about this and the two of them made a private agreement to suppress that info (because it served no one interests) and to repeal his banishment in a year's time. Giamatti's death ruined that plan and his replacements held firm to what they believed to be Giamatti's convictions.
Just another case of Rose being his own worst enemy when it comes to getting into the Hall of Fame.
I will use this space to restate my position on Pete Rose and his eligibility in the Hall of Fame.
1) He should never be allowed to participate in Major League Baseball ever again.
2) He should not be allowed into the Hall of Fame because the rules at the time he committed the infraction included banishment and permanent ineligibility from the Hall as the punishment for the crime he committed.
3) However, if I ruled the world I would changed that rule and allow his induction for his on-field achievements but his plaque would contain a line indicating his that he was banned for life for betting on the game. Maybe it would say "Never stopped hustling, on the field and off."
4) While I have little or no evidence to support this claim, I believe that Pete Rose bet against the Reds (at least one time). I believe Bart Giamatti knew about this and the two of them made a private agreement to suppress that info (because it served no one interests) and to repeal his banishment in a year's time. Giamatti's death ruined that plan and his replacements held firm to what they believed to be Giamatti's convictions.
Happy Kliq Day!
Today is September 20th (9/20) the day of the year when we celebrate the great Kliq920.
Several Kliq members read this blog (Josh, Mike, Bill, Pizza Parlor Derek and Brian) and several don't yet know how to read (Smist, Anton and E-Z-E).
Please use the comments section to share your favorite Kliq stories.
Several Kliq members read this blog (Josh, Mike, Bill, Pizza Parlor Derek and Brian) and several don't yet know how to read (Smist, Anton and E-Z-E).
Please use the comments section to share your favorite Kliq stories.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
The NFL is Poop - Week 2
Look for "The NFL is Poop" each week at the conclusion of that week's games. We'll analyze the action and have some running features.
They Figured Out How To Use Mike Vick
The Falcons finally figured out that Mike Vick will never be a good pocket passer. He needs to be out there running for them to succeed. That's when he is most dangerous. This probably will never work in the playoffs, and he might get killed by a linebacker one of these days, but it beats the alternative which is, watching him make every throw 2 seconds too late.
So What Does That Mean for Vince Young?
For some reason the Titans traded Billy Volek even though they have the worst QB situation in the league (assuming the Raiders get demoted to Pop Warner) so now they are stuck with Kerry Collins and Vince Young. Soon the Titans are going to begin the Vince Young era. Problem is, like Vick, he lacks the ability to throw as a good NFL QB should. If they let him lose he can win them games, if they force him to conform, he'll be inconsistent and never lead them anywhere.
The Best Player on Every Team is the Backup Quarterback
I think Broncos fans are being a tad impatient with Jake Plummer. I know he's had three bad games in a row (including the AFC Championship game against Pittsburgh) but he really was fantastic last year. He deserves a lot more slack than they are giving him, especially because his backup is a rookie.
What Goes Around
As I have described here before, my strategy for picking NFL games is this: With 50% of the league finishing between 7-9 and 9-7 each year, teams win just about every other week. I look for good teams coming off a loss and bad teams coming off a win. But last week of the 10 games in which the teams had different records coming in (a 1-0 team vs. an 0-1 team) the 1-0 team improved to 2-0 in 8 of those cases. Only the Giants and the 49ers bucked that trend. But don't worry, once the season gets going, my theory will prove itself again.
Game of the Week
Giants 30, Eagles 24. An amazing fourth quarter comeback for the Giants who really couldn't afford to fall to 0-2. I don't believe this was a "coming of age" game for Eli Manning, I just think he's a good quarterback who is still young and therefore will improve, regress and improve and regress. Then it will only matter if he has a little more testicular fortitude than his brother come playoff time.
Game to Watch
Saints and Falcons in New Orleans, the first game back since Hurricane Katrina. I don't buy into all the emotion, but both teams are 2-0 right now and if the Saints are for real (they do have legitimate weapons on offense) then that emotion could be a huge boost for them to springboard them to a 3-0 start.
Cheerleader of the Week
Valerie of the Buffalo Jills. Valerie is 19 years old, she's a 5'6" brunette with hazil [sic] eyes who obviously filled out this application herself. She loves pasta, Sandra Bullick, Matthew McConahay and hates spelling.
Time to Rant About the Redskins
Mark Brunell is horrible. They have to sit him down. He can't complete a pass and cost the team a chance to get back in the game with a horrible interception. Joe Gibbs will never bench him though so we'll have to wait until next season to see if Jason Campbell is ready. Brunell blew so many third downs with horrible passes. He stinks.
If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
The San Diego Chargers would beat the Chicago Bears 28-17. Each week I'll pick the two best teams from each conference to play in my mythical Super Bowl. I'll consider season performance to date but also talent, so this space won't necessarily be populated by the teams with the best record. Both of these teams have good strong ball-hawking pressure defenses, good running games (though LT is much better) and young untested QBs who have the potential to screw it up at any moment.
They Figured Out How To Use Mike Vick
The Falcons finally figured out that Mike Vick will never be a good pocket passer. He needs to be out there running for them to succeed. That's when he is most dangerous. This probably will never work in the playoffs, and he might get killed by a linebacker one of these days, but it beats the alternative which is, watching him make every throw 2 seconds too late.
So What Does That Mean for Vince Young?
For some reason the Titans traded Billy Volek even though they have the worst QB situation in the league (assuming the Raiders get demoted to Pop Warner) so now they are stuck with Kerry Collins and Vince Young. Soon the Titans are going to begin the Vince Young era. Problem is, like Vick, he lacks the ability to throw as a good NFL QB should. If they let him lose he can win them games, if they force him to conform, he'll be inconsistent and never lead them anywhere.
The Best Player on Every Team is the Backup Quarterback
I think Broncos fans are being a tad impatient with Jake Plummer. I know he's had three bad games in a row (including the AFC Championship game against Pittsburgh) but he really was fantastic last year. He deserves a lot more slack than they are giving him, especially because his backup is a rookie.
What Goes Around
As I have described here before, my strategy for picking NFL games is this: With 50% of the league finishing between 7-9 and 9-7 each year, teams win just about every other week. I look for good teams coming off a loss and bad teams coming off a win. But last week of the 10 games in which the teams had different records coming in (a 1-0 team vs. an 0-1 team) the 1-0 team improved to 2-0 in 8 of those cases. Only the Giants and the 49ers bucked that trend. But don't worry, once the season gets going, my theory will prove itself again.
Game of the Week
Giants 30, Eagles 24. An amazing fourth quarter comeback for the Giants who really couldn't afford to fall to 0-2. I don't believe this was a "coming of age" game for Eli Manning, I just think he's a good quarterback who is still young and therefore will improve, regress and improve and regress. Then it will only matter if he has a little more testicular fortitude than his brother come playoff time.
Game to Watch
Saints and Falcons in New Orleans, the first game back since Hurricane Katrina. I don't buy into all the emotion, but both teams are 2-0 right now and if the Saints are for real (they do have legitimate weapons on offense) then that emotion could be a huge boost for them to springboard them to a 3-0 start.
Cheerleader of the Week
Valerie of the Buffalo Jills. Valerie is 19 years old, she's a 5'6" brunette with hazil [sic] eyes who obviously filled out this application herself. She loves pasta, Sandra Bullick, Matthew McConahay and hates spelling.
Time to Rant About the Redskins
Mark Brunell is horrible. They have to sit him down. He can't complete a pass and cost the team a chance to get back in the game with a horrible interception. Joe Gibbs will never bench him though so we'll have to wait until next season to see if Jason Campbell is ready. Brunell blew so many third downs with horrible passes. He stinks.
If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
The San Diego Chargers would beat the Chicago Bears 28-17. Each week I'll pick the two best teams from each conference to play in my mythical Super Bowl. I'll consider season performance to date but also talent, so this space won't necessarily be populated by the teams with the best record. Both of these teams have good strong ball-hawking pressure defenses, good running games (though LT is much better) and young untested QBs who have the potential to screw it up at any moment.
Brent Musburger is a Dick
With just over 9 1/2 minutes to play in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game between USC and Nebraske, with USC leading, 21-10, Musburger began describing on the air how USC quarterback John David Booty lets his receivers know he has spotted a certain kind of coverage.
"John David told us that his signal when he finds one-on-one and they're coming, it's that 'hang loose,' that familiar sign you've seen surfers use," said Musburger, referring to the sign where the thumb and little finger are raised.
That information had been gleaned from Booty on Friday during a standard production meeting. Announcers and producers meet with coaches and star players as part of their game preparation. However, much of what is said in those meetings is considered private, as background only, to help the announcers spot trends and potential plays.
"We're supposed to be partners in this," USC sports information director Tim Tessalone said, "but this is certainly going to make us think twice about trying to help them have as good a broadcast as possible. What he did was unconscionable. In my 28 years, I've never seen such an egregious breach of trust. Brent is not a rookie at this, and he should know better."
Musburger late Monday, through an ESPN spokesman, issued this statement: "We've explained to USC that during our pregame meeting we discussed how we used replays to illustrate a specific signal the week before in the Ohio State-Texas telecast. In that context, we asked if USC has a similar way of communicating and the specific signal was offered. Clearly, there is a misunderstanding, and we regret the confusion. We look forward to working with USC on future telecasts as we continue to cover [its] great program."
It all began when the subject of secret signals came up in that Friday meeting. A replay of the Ohio State-Texas telecast on Sept. 9 had shown how Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith taps the top of the helmet to let receiver Ted Ginn Jr. know he's noticed one-on-one coverage. Booty was asked if USC had a similar signal. At that point, he told Musburger about USC's signal.
Booty was surprised that it had become an issue by Monday. "Going in there the other day, I wasn't going in there to tell them what we were doing or what we were trying to accomplish," he said of the production meeting. "And I'm going to do the same thing the next time I go in there."
After Musburger mentioned Booty's hand signal, commentator Bob Davie, the former Notre Dame coach, said on the air: "I was surprised he told us that, particularly now that you've told all of America what the signal is."
Commentator Kirk Herbstreit added, "He can use it as an indicator next week." An "indicator," which can also be verbal, tells players whether a signal is for real or not.
Musburger responded, "Yeah, he can use it as an indicator. What the heck."
"John David told us that his signal when he finds one-on-one and they're coming, it's that 'hang loose,' that familiar sign you've seen surfers use," said Musburger, referring to the sign where the thumb and little finger are raised.
That information had been gleaned from Booty on Friday during a standard production meeting. Announcers and producers meet with coaches and star players as part of their game preparation. However, much of what is said in those meetings is considered private, as background only, to help the announcers spot trends and potential plays.
"We're supposed to be partners in this," USC sports information director Tim Tessalone said, "but this is certainly going to make us think twice about trying to help them have as good a broadcast as possible. What he did was unconscionable. In my 28 years, I've never seen such an egregious breach of trust. Brent is not a rookie at this, and he should know better."
Musburger late Monday, through an ESPN spokesman, issued this statement: "We've explained to USC that during our pregame meeting we discussed how we used replays to illustrate a specific signal the week before in the Ohio State-Texas telecast. In that context, we asked if USC has a similar way of communicating and the specific signal was offered. Clearly, there is a misunderstanding, and we regret the confusion. We look forward to working with USC on future telecasts as we continue to cover [its] great program."
It all began when the subject of secret signals came up in that Friday meeting. A replay of the Ohio State-Texas telecast on Sept. 9 had shown how Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith taps the top of the helmet to let receiver Ted Ginn Jr. know he's noticed one-on-one coverage. Booty was asked if USC had a similar signal. At that point, he told Musburger about USC's signal.
Booty was surprised that it had become an issue by Monday. "Going in there the other day, I wasn't going in there to tell them what we were doing or what we were trying to accomplish," he said of the production meeting. "And I'm going to do the same thing the next time I go in there."
After Musburger mentioned Booty's hand signal, commentator Bob Davie, the former Notre Dame coach, said on the air: "I was surprised he told us that, particularly now that you've told all of America what the signal is."
Commentator Kirk Herbstreit added, "He can use it as an indicator next week." An "indicator," which can also be verbal, tells players whether a signal is for real or not.
Musburger responded, "Yeah, he can use it as an indicator. What the heck."
Juiced
Greenspan must be going nuts this morning as the Dodgers took the lead in the NL west in improbable fashion.
Trailing 9-5 in the bottom of the 9th inning, Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin and Marlon Anderson homered in four consecutive at bats to tie the game. Martin and Anderon homered on the first two pitches thrown by reliever Trevor Hoffman who replaced Joe Adkins after the first two homers.
It was the first time a team had gone back-to-back-to-back-to-back since 1964.
Improbably the Padres came back to take the lead 10-9, but the Dodgers did it again in the bottom of the 11th, winning on a walkoff 2-run homer by Nomar Garciaparra.
Trailing 9-5 in the bottom of the 9th inning, Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin and Marlon Anderson homered in four consecutive at bats to tie the game. Martin and Anderon homered on the first two pitches thrown by reliever Trevor Hoffman who replaced Joe Adkins after the first two homers.
It was the first time a team had gone back-to-back-to-back-to-back since 1964.
Improbably the Padres came back to take the lead 10-9, but the Dodgers did it again in the bottom of the 11th, winning on a walkoff 2-run homer by Nomar Garciaparra.
Who Needs Tickets?
Thanks to my parents desire to have 3 children there are no available tickets for any schnooks or SCZAs to upcoming Mets playoff games.
We have purchased 4 tickets to Game 2 of the NLDS and 4 to Game 1 of the NLCS (should the Mets make it that far).
There will be a lottery for NLCS games next week.
Some of you may question my sister's credentials but I can assure you that she is a Met fan, and even if she weren't she is a blood relative and therefore my father (who is paying for the tickets) has deemed that she deserves one.
We have purchased 4 tickets to Game 2 of the NLDS and 4 to Game 1 of the NLCS (should the Mets make it that far).
There will be a lottery for NLCS games next week.
Some of you may question my sister's credentials but I can assure you that she is a Met fan, and even if she weren't she is a blood relative and therefore my father (who is paying for the tickets) has deemed that she deserves one.
Division Champs
The Mets have won the National League's Eastern Division!
For full coverage visit a very, very, very happy recap.
For full coverage visit a very, very, very happy recap.