A lingerie shop in downtown Palm Springs was robbed of approximately $5,000 worth of corsets, g-strings, bustiers and other garments, in what the owner said was the second hit on her store in recent days.
"He cleaned me out of my Hustler line, all my crotchless panties, g-strings, corsets and bustiers and costumes," said Bonnie Reiss (click on the second video link to see Bonnie Reiss), owner of Sensuality, A Store for Her.
Reiss, who said she had just finished stocking merchandise for Valentine's Day, said a security camera captured the robber moving the lingerie from the store at 134 La Plaza around 1 a.m.
"When I arrived this morning, the store was a complete mess," she said. "He knew what he wanted."
Palm Springs police have not commented on the theft.
According to Reiss, the robber in the security video appeared be in his 20s, with blond hair in a crew cut. She said he left his fleece jacket and skateboard behind.
This is the second time in about a week that the store was robbed of pricey lingerie, according to Reiss, who added that she thought the same man was responsible.
"He took some specific cute little things," she said. "He's either got a petite little girlfriend or he's going to sell it."
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Idol Chatter
So the first four hours of American Idol audtions are through and I must say I did enjoy them but so far nothing or no one stood out (on the good side).
I know most people love these early rounds for all the bad singers, but I just don't get it.
The bad singers like deep voice guy may make you laugh for a couple seconds but after a while they get annoying.
I hate when they make fun of freaks like Alexis Cohen and the fact that she is poor and has to live in a one-room apartment with her mom.
The Princess Leia girl also made me sad because she really seemed hurt by it, even though she casually admitted to being a dork, you could tell that label hurt her.
And what about the guy sang Living on a Prayer, clearly he had family issues.
I did find the stalker guy's song to be hysterical because it was clever and he obviously wasn't serious about it.
I also thought the hairy guy in the skirt was kind of funny because once again he wasn't serious, so he was in on the joke.
I prefer when they have nice stories about good singers.
Like the girl who was almost killed in a car accident and she was so nervous she could barely sing.
And the girl with the sick daughter who had her whole family waiting outside.
Kady Malloy seems destined to follow in the footsteps of Katharine McPhee and especially Haley and slut it up should she make the top 12.
Of course, my favorite so far is Nina Shaw.
Oh, one more thing, I am Your Brother.
Note: All the links you see are to youtube clips of the auditions.
I know most people love these early rounds for all the bad singers, but I just don't get it.
The bad singers like deep voice guy may make you laugh for a couple seconds but after a while they get annoying.
I hate when they make fun of freaks like Alexis Cohen and the fact that she is poor and has to live in a one-room apartment with her mom.
The Princess Leia girl also made me sad because she really seemed hurt by it, even though she casually admitted to being a dork, you could tell that label hurt her.
And what about the guy sang Living on a Prayer, clearly he had family issues.
I did find the stalker guy's song to be hysterical because it was clever and he obviously wasn't serious about it.
I also thought the hairy guy in the skirt was kind of funny because once again he wasn't serious, so he was in on the joke.
I prefer when they have nice stories about good singers.
Like the girl who was almost killed in a car accident and she was so nervous she could barely sing.
And the girl with the sick daughter who had her whole family waiting outside.
Kady Malloy seems destined to follow in the footsteps of Katharine McPhee and especially Haley and slut it up should she make the top 12.
Of course, my favorite so far is Nina Shaw.
Oh, one more thing, I am Your Brother.
Note: All the links you see are to youtube clips of the auditions.
Weekly Picks
I made a huge move last week with a couple of ballsy picks ("a little guts here") but I'm still not in the clear. Currently I am in a 4-way tie for 7th (8 people cash). I can conceivably finish as high as 3rd, but the only way to cash is if I get the 3 remaining games right. Or at least this week's best bet and the Super Bowl. Because guts worked so well last week I'm forsaking them this week and going with the favorites. Here's the thing about upsets, in the NCAA tournament and the NFL Playoffs, they're fun early but they usually lead to lopsided games in the end. I'm counting on that to be true.
GREEN BAY -7 new york giants
I'm not too worried about the weather. The biggest factors in this decision are that all good things must come to an end, Brett Favre is playing out of his mind, the Giants have too many injuries, especially in the secondary to deal with a team that passes as well and as often as the Packers do. For this special week I'll give a score: Green Bay 28 New York 20.
Best bet
NEW ENGLAND -14 san diego
The only thing that concerns me here is that the Patriots defense has been so bad they haven't been stopping anybody. And that killer instinct from earlier in the season has been absent. I don't pay any attention to the Moss situation or the Olshansky comments, all that matters here is that the Patriots are much better and much healthier. Final score: New England 34 San Diego 13
GREEN BAY -7 new york giants
I'm not too worried about the weather. The biggest factors in this decision are that all good things must come to an end, Brett Favre is playing out of his mind, the Giants have too many injuries, especially in the secondary to deal with a team that passes as well and as often as the Packers do. For this special week I'll give a score: Green Bay 28 New York 20.
Best bet
NEW ENGLAND -14 san diego
The only thing that concerns me here is that the Patriots defense has been so bad they haven't been stopping anybody. And that killer instinct from earlier in the season has been absent. I don't pay any attention to the Moss situation or the Olshansky comments, all that matters here is that the Patriots are much better and much healthier. Final score: New England 34 San Diego 13
Yes, She is a Natural Disaster
Valiant effort by this Jeopardy contestant. They really should have given him half credit for this one. Btw, the category was Baby Names.
More Than Just The Ball Bouncing
17 year old Austrian Tamira Paszek has gotten some attention this week at the Australian Open for her skimpy outfits.
They Must Be Nuts
Virginia lawmakers want to make it illegal for drivers to display replica testicles on their cars.
Apparently one citizen complained to his state delegate that his daughter asked him to explain what that was hanging from the car in front of them.
Because he was uncomfortable explaining, he is going to attempt to limit the free expression of every Virginia driver who wants to compensate for their own small testicles by displaying a giant pair on the trailer hitch of their truck.
Apparently one citizen complained to his state delegate that his daughter asked him to explain what that was hanging from the car in front of them.
Because he was uncomfortable explaining, he is going to attempt to limit the free expression of every Virginia driver who wants to compensate for their own small testicles by displaying a giant pair on the trailer hitch of their truck.
Don't Know the Name But the Uh, Face? Rings a Bell
Although I've retired the Cheerleader of the Week for the playoffs in order to focus on the games, I couldn't help but notice this picture.
I've searched the Titans cheerleader page but I can't say for certain who is pictured here. But going by the only two distinguishing features we have here, could it be our old friend Tandra?
Tandra lists "my puppies" as her most prized possession. Which ones?
Then again, it could be Brooke.
I've searched the Titans cheerleader page but I can't say for certain who is pictured here. But going by the only two distinguishing features we have here, could it be our old friend Tandra?
Tandra lists "my puppies" as her most prized possession. Which ones?
Then again, it could be Brooke.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Top Dogs
The AKC is out with its list of top dog breeds as measured by the number of dogs registered during the previous year.
1) Labrador Retriever - No surprise here, labs are the best family dogs. This is the 17th year in a row that labs have topped the list.
2) Yorkshire Terrier - I consider it a major symbol of the decline of our society that so many people have Yorkies. If you want a 6 pound pet to dress in stupid outfits and carry in your purse, get a cat.
3) German Shepherd
4) Golden Retriever - Similar to a lab in appearance, demeanor and disposition but it comes in only one color and has long hair making it a little more of a maintenance hassle.
5) Beagle - Mrs. Poop loves beagles and even once told Diesel that beagles are cuter than he is. Mrs. Poop once claimed to have been raised by beagles because her first dogs, Foxy and Suzy, were beagles. She loves looking at dog clothes online at oldnavy.com because their spokesdog is a beagle. The beagle has been in the top ten list every year since 1915.
6) Boxer - I like boxers but for some reason Diesel hates them.
7) Dachshund - Like my little buddy Kevin, everyone loves a wiener.
8) Poodle - Although I hate toy poodles I actually enjoy a nice standard poodle, as long as it is not shaved in a ridiculous fashion for a dog show.
9) Shih Tzu - My new friend Bauer is a Shih Tzu though I protest this gay coat Short Julie made him wear.
10) Bulldog - Back on the top ten list for the first time since 1935. The bulldog knocked the miniature schnauzer (Mama Poop's favorite breed) off the list. Maybe if the bulldog someday breeds with #9 this new super breed can take over the top spot.
1) Labrador Retriever - No surprise here, labs are the best family dogs. This is the 17th year in a row that labs have topped the list.
2) Yorkshire Terrier - I consider it a major symbol of the decline of our society that so many people have Yorkies. If you want a 6 pound pet to dress in stupid outfits and carry in your purse, get a cat.
3) German Shepherd
4) Golden Retriever - Similar to a lab in appearance, demeanor and disposition but it comes in only one color and has long hair making it a little more of a maintenance hassle.
5) Beagle - Mrs. Poop loves beagles and even once told Diesel that beagles are cuter than he is. Mrs. Poop once claimed to have been raised by beagles because her first dogs, Foxy and Suzy, were beagles. She loves looking at dog clothes online at oldnavy.com because their spokesdog is a beagle. The beagle has been in the top ten list every year since 1915.
6) Boxer - I like boxers but for some reason Diesel hates them.
7) Dachshund - Like my little buddy Kevin, everyone loves a wiener.
8) Poodle - Although I hate toy poodles I actually enjoy a nice standard poodle, as long as it is not shaved in a ridiculous fashion for a dog show.
9) Shih Tzu - My new friend Bauer is a Shih Tzu though I protest this gay coat Short Julie made him wear.
10) Bulldog - Back on the top ten list for the first time since 1935. The bulldog knocked the miniature schnauzer (Mama Poop's favorite breed) off the list. Maybe if the bulldog someday breeds with #9 this new super breed can take over the top spot.
Packers Fans Are Crazy
Exhibit A: The local Fox affiliate will not play a Seinfeld rerun at 5:30 on Saturday evening because they heard it is Eli Manning's favorite show. The station says it is trying to do its part.
*****
Exhibit B: A man was arrested for taping a Packers jersey to his 7-year old son after the kid refused to wear the jersey. I don't know who's crazier, the father for trying to teach the kid a lesson about civic pride, the impudent little brat who wouldn't support the team (unless he's a Redskins fan) or the turncoat mother who took the cellphone pictures and dimed her husband out to the cops.
*****
Exhibit C: A nun who won the right to be on the field for the coin toss of last week's game by winning an essay contest will be back on the field for this week's coin toss because she brings the team good luck. Apparently the sisters at her convent are well-known Packer fans and a few years ago then Packers coach Mike Sherman sent them a big-screen TV.
*****
Exhibit D: This is what they do to their dogs.
*****
Exhibit B: A man was arrested for taping a Packers jersey to his 7-year old son after the kid refused to wear the jersey. I don't know who's crazier, the father for trying to teach the kid a lesson about civic pride, the impudent little brat who wouldn't support the team (unless he's a Redskins fan) or the turncoat mother who took the cellphone pictures and dimed her husband out to the cops.
*****
Exhibit C: A nun who won the right to be on the field for the coin toss of last week's game by winning an essay contest will be back on the field for this week's coin toss because she brings the team good luck. Apparently the sisters at her convent are well-known Packer fans and a few years ago then Packers coach Mike Sherman sent them a big-screen TV.
*****
Exhibit D: This is what they do to their dogs.
The Butterfly Effect
They say if a butterfly flaps its wings in Australia it can cause a snowstorm in the U.S. I know now this to be true. Plus I saw the movie.
The following is a true story about how an innocent comment about recycling led to me spilling Vitamin Water on the seat of my car:
It all started two weeks ago when I forgot to bring the pail around on recylcing day meaning we had a 4 week buildup of what our town calls "comingle" (plastic bottles and metal cans).
Digression: we drink a lot of beverages that come in individual containers. Mrs. Poop drinks a lot of bottled water and seltzer and flavored water and I drink a lot of Coke (though I'm down to one can per day). Which reminds me that ever since I posted requesting that Poopheads send me your Coke Rewards points not one of you assholes has sent me even a single code. That's gratitude for you!
Then Mrs. Poop told me one day that if you put bottles in the recycling with the caps on, they can't be recycled because the plastic in the caps is different. So you have to be sure to remove the caps before you recycle something.
This Tuesday, so I wouldn't forget I brought the recycling pail around to the front of the house early in the evening.
But I forgot that there were still several cans and bottles on the kitchen counter. Because of Mrs. Poop's nasty habit of calling me a douche when I forget to do something, as I noticed the recyclable items on my way out the door on the way to work, I threw them in a plastic bag and brought them outside. But my hands were full so I decided to go the car first to put my stuff down.
And because it was such a cold night I figured I might as well start the car while I had it open. But in order to put the key in the ignition I had to put the bag of recylables on the front seat. When I picked up the bag, a bottle of Vitamin Water (from which I had just removed the cap before I left the house) which still had a little bit of liquid in the bottom, fell out of the bag and onto the seat.
After dropping off the items I sat down and felt a wet spot. The spillage from the Vitamin Water had left a small but noticeable puddle of grape smelling fliud on my seat. I had to retrieve one of Diesel's dog towels from the back to put on the seat while I drove. Believe it or not, the density of the towel threw off my equilibrium and I had to readjust all the mirrors and I kept hitting my knee on the steering wheel.
And it was all Mrs. Poop's fault!
The following is a true story about how an innocent comment about recycling led to me spilling Vitamin Water on the seat of my car:
It all started two weeks ago when I forgot to bring the pail around on recylcing day meaning we had a 4 week buildup of what our town calls "comingle" (plastic bottles and metal cans).
Digression: we drink a lot of beverages that come in individual containers. Mrs. Poop drinks a lot of bottled water and seltzer and flavored water and I drink a lot of Coke (though I'm down to one can per day). Which reminds me that ever since I posted requesting that Poopheads send me your Coke Rewards points not one of you assholes has sent me even a single code. That's gratitude for you!
Then Mrs. Poop told me one day that if you put bottles in the recycling with the caps on, they can't be recycled because the plastic in the caps is different. So you have to be sure to remove the caps before you recycle something.
This Tuesday, so I wouldn't forget I brought the recycling pail around to the front of the house early in the evening.
But I forgot that there were still several cans and bottles on the kitchen counter. Because of Mrs. Poop's nasty habit of calling me a douche when I forget to do something, as I noticed the recyclable items on my way out the door on the way to work, I threw them in a plastic bag and brought them outside. But my hands were full so I decided to go the car first to put my stuff down.
And because it was such a cold night I figured I might as well start the car while I had it open. But in order to put the key in the ignition I had to put the bag of recylables on the front seat. When I picked up the bag, a bottle of Vitamin Water (from which I had just removed the cap before I left the house) which still had a little bit of liquid in the bottom, fell out of the bag and onto the seat.
After dropping off the items I sat down and felt a wet spot. The spillage from the Vitamin Water had left a small but noticeable puddle of grape smelling fliud on my seat. I had to retrieve one of Diesel's dog towels from the back to put on the seat while I drove. Believe it or not, the density of the towel threw off my equilibrium and I had to readjust all the mirrors and I kept hitting my knee on the steering wheel.
And it was all Mrs. Poop's fault!
Who Are You Voting For?
DC Sports Bog (yes, Bog, not blog) compiles a list of campaign contributions by athletes and other sports professionals.
Stephon Marbury gave $2300 to Barack Obama
David Stern gave $2300 to Hillary Clinton
Syracuse AD Daryl Gross gave $500 to Hillary Clinton
Rutgers Women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer gave $2300 to Chris Dodd
Martina Navratilova gave $1000 to John Edwards
Peyton Manning gave $2300 to Fred Thompson
George Steinbrenner gave $2300 to Rudy Giuliani
Brian Cashman gave $2300 to Rudy Giuliani
Keith Hernandez gave $1000 to Rudy Giuliani
Stephon Marbury gave $2300 to Barack Obama
David Stern gave $2300 to Hillary Clinton
Syracuse AD Daryl Gross gave $500 to Hillary Clinton
Rutgers Women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer gave $2300 to Chris Dodd
Martina Navratilova gave $1000 to John Edwards
Peyton Manning gave $2300 to Fred Thompson
George Steinbrenner gave $2300 to Rudy Giuliani
Brian Cashman gave $2300 to Rudy Giuliani
Keith Hernandez gave $1000 to Rudy Giuliani
What I Should Have Said Theater
This is what LeBron James should have said about a speeding ticket he got for driving 101 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone late at night on December 30 (his birthday) on his way home after a game. LeBron's reaction was very blase, playing it off and saying that his Benz's speedometer actually shows speeds of up to 200.
This is what LeBron James should have said:
"I was doing 101. That's it. I was speeding. I've just got to abide by the law. I got caught. I made a mistake, and I'll live with it. I wasn't drunk. I was just speeding. That's it."
Note: that is part of what he did say, so he had it half right, but he needed to add this:
"But I also understand that given my profession and my influence on kids things like that can't happen. Too many kids look up to me for me to behave so irresponsibly. I don't want to look like I'm condoning driving 36 miles above the speed limit. The next time I drive 100 I'll be in a racecar on a track somewhere. Maybe I'll build one in my backyard. I've got the land, and the money."
This is what LeBron James should have said:
"I was doing 101. That's it. I was speeding. I've just got to abide by the law. I got caught. I made a mistake, and I'll live with it. I wasn't drunk. I was just speeding. That's it."
Note: that is part of what he did say, so he had it half right, but he needed to add this:
"But I also understand that given my profession and my influence on kids things like that can't happen. Too many kids look up to me for me to behave so irresponsibly. I don't want to look like I'm condoning driving 36 miles above the speed limit. The next time I drive 100 I'll be in a racecar on a track somewhere. Maybe I'll build one in my backyard. I've got the land, and the money."
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Better Than the Men
While the Syracuse men's basketball team stumbled through the early season, losing to every decent team they played (except possibly Virginia), the women's team quietly put together possibly the best start in the program's history.
After losing their second game to North Carolina (top ten team, no shame in that), the Orangesses went on a school-record, 12-game winning streak.
But perhaps the most impressive thing they've done so far this season was play such a close game with top-ranked Connecticut.
The Orange lost by 6 points at home, they had a 9 point lead at one point in the first half, and an 8 point advantage in the second half.
And after a 5 minute cold stretch put them down 61-51 with 3:43 to play, they fought back scoring 8 straight points to make it a game.
Unfortunately a couple go-ahead 3-pointers missed and the Orange went down, but not after putting on a great show.
New coach Quentin Hillsman may be building a powerful program that will be able to compete with UConn for years to come.
The game was played in the Carrier Dome and 4,221 people showed up, a fraction of the crowd at your typical men's game, but a record for the women's team.
After losing their second game to North Carolina (top ten team, no shame in that), the Orangesses went on a school-record, 12-game winning streak.
But perhaps the most impressive thing they've done so far this season was play such a close game with top-ranked Connecticut.
The Orange lost by 6 points at home, they had a 9 point lead at one point in the first half, and an 8 point advantage in the second half.
And after a 5 minute cold stretch put them down 61-51 with 3:43 to play, they fought back scoring 8 straight points to make it a game.
Unfortunately a couple go-ahead 3-pointers missed and the Orange went down, but not after putting on a great show.
New coach Quentin Hillsman may be building a powerful program that will be able to compete with UConn for years to come.
The game was played in the Carrier Dome and 4,221 people showed up, a fraction of the crowd at your typical men's game, but a record for the women's team.
My Visit to IKEA
Before Mark Malkoff wrapped up his week living in IKEA, Mrs. Poop and I decided to pay him a visit in his temporary "apartment."
The store is so big and there is really only way through it (there are arrows painted on the ground) that it took us quite a while to find him and we finally did in bedroom furniture.
He even had an official store sign, like the ones that say "living rooms" or "unpronounceable Swedish furniture", and his said "Mark's apartment."
He was seated at a table with a couple other associates and he was pecking away on his laptop. I introduced myself but he was very busy and borderline rude and we only spoke for a few seconds before I decided to let him get back to his work because I understood that he was probably writing his last couple sketches before he had to leave.
He left IKEA Saturday but still doesn't seem to have all the videos from his stay posted. But those I have watched I enjoyed, but by far the best one was Mark working out in IKEA. Inspired song choice.
The store is so big and there is really only way through it (there are arrows painted on the ground) that it took us quite a while to find him and we finally did in bedroom furniture.
He even had an official store sign, like the ones that say "living rooms" or "unpronounceable Swedish furniture", and his said "Mark's apartment."
He was seated at a table with a couple other associates and he was pecking away on his laptop. I introduced myself but he was very busy and borderline rude and we only spoke for a few seconds before I decided to let him get back to his work because I understood that he was probably writing his last couple sketches before he had to leave.
He left IKEA Saturday but still doesn't seem to have all the videos from his stay posted. But those I have watched I enjoyed, but by far the best one was Mark working out in IKEA. Inspired song choice.
The Damino of Australia
This kid throws a massive party while his parents were away and posts the invitation on MySpace. About 500 wasted teenagers were there and when police came to break it up things got out of hand. Now the cops want to charge this kid's parents $20,000 (AU) for the costs associated with breaking up this party.
But Corey Worthington doesn't stop there, he goes on TV and unrepentantly tell this pompous self-righteous blonde bimbo that he won't take his glasses off. They're famous!
But Corey Worthington doesn't stop there, he goes on TV and unrepentantly tell this pompous self-righteous blonde bimbo that he won't take his glasses off. They're famous!
Paulo's Book Club: "Is Your Mama a Llama?"
"Is Your Mama a Llama?" - Deborah Guarino
From the opening line ("is your mama a llama?") to the surprising twist at the end when we learn Lloyd's true identity, this book is a spine-tingling page-turner.
The reader is taken along with Lloyd on a journey of self-discovery.
Join him as he meets Dave, Rhonda and Llyn, and learns a lot about life and a little about himself.
Seriously though, of all the childrens' books I know, "Is Your Mama a Llama?" is my favorite. I like rhymes, I like animals and I love this book.
From the opening line ("is your mama a llama?") to the surprising twist at the end when we learn Lloyd's true identity, this book is a spine-tingling page-turner.
The reader is taken along with Lloyd on a journey of self-discovery.
Join him as he meets Dave, Rhonda and Llyn, and learns a lot about life and a little about himself.
Seriously though, of all the childrens' books I know, "Is Your Mama a Llama?" is my favorite. I like rhymes, I like animals and I love this book.
Song of the Week
"Mother" - Danzig
I don't normally like hard rock songs but this is an exception for its pure energy.
Also Mrs. Poop and Mrs. TallSkott did a mean duet to it on Guitar Hero II.
I don't normally like hard rock songs but this is an exception for its pure energy.
Also Mrs. Poop and Mrs. TallSkott did a mean duet to it on Guitar Hero II.
Hall of Fame Voting is a Joke
I could do this every year and maybe I will because every year a bunch of mediocre players get votes for the Hall of Fame. I don't understand how this happens. Is it just a local sportswriter doing something nice for a guy who was nice to him during his career? Either way it's inappropriate and every writer who does it should be stripped of his vote.
Here are this year's vote getters:
Rod Beck 2
Travis Fryman 2
Robb Nenn 2
Shawon Dunston 1
Chuck Finley 1
David Justice 1
Chuck Knoblauch 1
Todd Stottlemyre 1
Brady Anderson definitely would have gotten 1 except the writers are taking a stand against steroids users, remember? But who did Jose Rijo piss off?
Here are this year's vote getters:
Rod Beck 2
Travis Fryman 2
Robb Nenn 2
Shawon Dunston 1
Chuck Finley 1
David Justice 1
Chuck Knoblauch 1
Todd Stottlemyre 1
Brady Anderson definitely would have gotten 1 except the writers are taking a stand against steroids users, remember? But who did Jose Rijo piss off?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Reversal of Fortune
You may think Fortune magazine is a staid business magazine for stodgy old millionaires who want to read about luxury yachts and currency arbitrage. Not any more. Under the stewardship of Managing Editor Andy Serwer Fortune has become a fun to read, edgy magazine which targets a younger audience.
The strategy seems to be working. Serwer put LeBron James on the cover of the December 10th issue featuring the Top 25 most powerful people in business, though LeBron isn't one of them, yet.
That cover evidently caught the eye of "The Hills" star Spencer Pratt who was photographed reading that issue while on vacation with bathing beauty Heidi Montag.
Serwer trumpted this Fortune spotting in the latest version of his column, "Captain's Blog."
At Thanksgiving dinner I was trying to explain the transformation of Fortune to Mrs. Poop's uncle, who is a magazine writer. I couldn't quite find the right words. The right words arrived in my mailbox a few days later.
This ain't your grandfather's Fortune magazine anymore.
The strategy seems to be working. Serwer put LeBron James on the cover of the December 10th issue featuring the Top 25 most powerful people in business, though LeBron isn't one of them, yet.
That cover evidently caught the eye of "The Hills" star Spencer Pratt who was photographed reading that issue while on vacation with bathing beauty Heidi Montag.
Serwer trumpted this Fortune spotting in the latest version of his column, "Captain's Blog."
At Thanksgiving dinner I was trying to explain the transformation of Fortune to Mrs. Poop's uncle, who is a magazine writer. I couldn't quite find the right words. The right words arrived in my mailbox a few days later.
This ain't your grandfather's Fortune magazine anymore.
Master Bates the Mush
In the two seasons Master Bates has had season tickets for the New York Giants, the Giants have gone 3-5 at home each year.
This season the Giants have gone on an incredible 9 game road winning streak, the only way they could stay away from Master Bates.
To recap last two seasons, including playoffs, the Giants are 6-10 at home and 14-5 on the road.
But that's nothing compared to what he did to the New York Rangers.
The Rangers started the season 15-9-2. Since then they are 6-11-3. What happened? Papa Poop took Master Bates to the game on December 3rd for his birthday.
This season the Giants have gone on an incredible 9 game road winning streak, the only way they could stay away from Master Bates.
To recap last two seasons, including playoffs, the Giants are 6-10 at home and 14-5 on the road.
But that's nothing compared to what he did to the New York Rangers.
The Rangers started the season 15-9-2. Since then they are 6-11-3. What happened? Papa Poop took Master Bates to the game on December 3rd for his birthday.
Paulo's Book Club: ":07 Seconds or Less"
":07 Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns" by Jack McCallum
This book actually got it's start as an article in Sports Illustrated. Author Jack McCallum spent 10 days embedded with the Phoenix Suns coaching staff during training camp before the 2005-2006 season. The article was great, did a great job of showing what the coaches thought about, and talked about (the watershed moment being Alvin Gentry calling Michael Olowokani a pussy). After the article was printed, it was so well received that it was commissioned for a book.
The book fell short of my expectations based on the article. I liked the book but I think McCallum fell back on recapping the season too much, instead of sharing insights about what it's like to be in the playoffs as the coach of a team.
Instead of going through the day by day explaining what happens and including the funny things people say, the book basically revolved around the playoffs (they did have an interesting run that year) and used the regular season to fill in the blanks.
Here's some of what we learned in the book:
The assistant coaches spend hours breaking down tape figuring out tendencies of their opponents and boil it down to tip sheets for each player. And the players never read them.
Head Coach Mike D'Antoni as cast a guy who cares more about the mental and emotional aspects of the game than the Xs and Os. His strategy is to get his team to run because he feels the best shots are available in the first 7 seconds of the shot clock.
He tries to tell the team that they've been screwed by referees' calls but can't remember the name of a porn star. He asks the assistants about that Del Rio chick. Gentry suggests that he use Jenna Jameson instead. He does, "guys, we've been screwed more times than Jenna Jameson."
Steve Nash wanted to go to Syracuse (or Washington) but they wouldn't offer him a scholarship so he went to Santa Clara instead. The book hardly has a bad word to say about Nash, because the coaching staff hardly has a bad word to say about Steve Nash. And can you blame them? He was in the middle of hs second straight MVP season for this book. The glowing reviews of Nash do stop long enough for the coaches to admit that he is bad on defense.
Shawn Marion was the most interesting character in this book because it portrayed him as being supremely confident and incredibly insecure at the same time. Marion believed he was the key player on the team, more than Nash or Stoudemire, and felt he never got the credit he deserved. He also resented the fact that he was being played out of position (according to him), that coaches demanded more from him and that his name constantly came up in trade rumors. The study of how the coaching staff handled Marion's ego during the season was the most interesting part of the book. You can read about Marion's insecurity in this excerpt.
Amare Stoudemire is portrayed as a complete idiot. The type of guy you wanted to hate but couldn't because he was so funny and so well meaning. Stoudemire was hurt during this season and played only three games. McCallum is starkly honest about the fact that the Suns felt Stoudemire did not put enough effort into his rehab. But he sure is funny. Stoudemire didn't know where Atlantic City was. One day he was wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt but when Gentry asked to name one Stones song he said "can't help you Chief."
He also wore an Al Capone t-shirt but didn't know anything about Capone except that "he was a bad guy." When McCallum explained about Capone, Stoudemire said "there was a time when drinking was illegal?"
Eddie House was called Casa by his teammates, a touch I really enjoyed since I've spent years translating names the other way (Joe Table, Charles Blackmouth).
House is a nice, funny guy, the spirit of the team who never stops talking and never stops shooting. However, Casa was insecure about his role on the team, almost acknowledging that when his shot wasn't falling, he was useless.
There are a lot of things to like about this book, even though it's not perfect it's still the best inside look at a season with an NBA team you are going to get. While I did enjoy the recap of the Suns playoff series, I remembered most of it, particularly the Kobe-Raja Bell feud. What I wanted more of was the silly little moments like these outtakes from McCallum's original article, some of which eventually made the book.
Note: Thanks to Billy for lending me the book.
This book actually got it's start as an article in Sports Illustrated. Author Jack McCallum spent 10 days embedded with the Phoenix Suns coaching staff during training camp before the 2005-2006 season. The article was great, did a great job of showing what the coaches thought about, and talked about (the watershed moment being Alvin Gentry calling Michael Olowokani a pussy). After the article was printed, it was so well received that it was commissioned for a book.
The book fell short of my expectations based on the article. I liked the book but I think McCallum fell back on recapping the season too much, instead of sharing insights about what it's like to be in the playoffs as the coach of a team.
Instead of going through the day by day explaining what happens and including the funny things people say, the book basically revolved around the playoffs (they did have an interesting run that year) and used the regular season to fill in the blanks.
Here's some of what we learned in the book:
The assistant coaches spend hours breaking down tape figuring out tendencies of their opponents and boil it down to tip sheets for each player. And the players never read them.
Head Coach Mike D'Antoni as cast a guy who cares more about the mental and emotional aspects of the game than the Xs and Os. His strategy is to get his team to run because he feels the best shots are available in the first 7 seconds of the shot clock.
He tries to tell the team that they've been screwed by referees' calls but can't remember the name of a porn star. He asks the assistants about that Del Rio chick. Gentry suggests that he use Jenna Jameson instead. He does, "guys, we've been screwed more times than Jenna Jameson."
Steve Nash wanted to go to Syracuse (or Washington) but they wouldn't offer him a scholarship so he went to Santa Clara instead. The book hardly has a bad word to say about Nash, because the coaching staff hardly has a bad word to say about Steve Nash. And can you blame them? He was in the middle of hs second straight MVP season for this book. The glowing reviews of Nash do stop long enough for the coaches to admit that he is bad on defense.
Shawn Marion was the most interesting character in this book because it portrayed him as being supremely confident and incredibly insecure at the same time. Marion believed he was the key player on the team, more than Nash or Stoudemire, and felt he never got the credit he deserved. He also resented the fact that he was being played out of position (according to him), that coaches demanded more from him and that his name constantly came up in trade rumors. The study of how the coaching staff handled Marion's ego during the season was the most interesting part of the book. You can read about Marion's insecurity in this excerpt.
Amare Stoudemire is portrayed as a complete idiot. The type of guy you wanted to hate but couldn't because he was so funny and so well meaning. Stoudemire was hurt during this season and played only three games. McCallum is starkly honest about the fact that the Suns felt Stoudemire did not put enough effort into his rehab. But he sure is funny. Stoudemire didn't know where Atlantic City was. One day he was wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt but when Gentry asked to name one Stones song he said "can't help you Chief."
He also wore an Al Capone t-shirt but didn't know anything about Capone except that "he was a bad guy." When McCallum explained about Capone, Stoudemire said "there was a time when drinking was illegal?"
Eddie House was called Casa by his teammates, a touch I really enjoyed since I've spent years translating names the other way (Joe Table, Charles Blackmouth).
House is a nice, funny guy, the spirit of the team who never stops talking and never stops shooting. However, Casa was insecure about his role on the team, almost acknowledging that when his shot wasn't falling, he was useless.
There are a lot of things to like about this book, even though it's not perfect it's still the best inside look at a season with an NBA team you are going to get. While I did enjoy the recap of the Suns playoff series, I remembered most of it, particularly the Kobe-Raja Bell feud. What I wanted more of was the silly little moments like these outtakes from McCallum's original article, some of which eventually made the book.
Note: Thanks to Billy for lending me the book.
So Long Little Bunny
Back in college Mrs. Poop and her roommates decided that they wanted to get a pet rabbit. I warned her that Poop On Me had a rabbit, and they don't make very good pets. Against my advice they got the rabbit and he ran around their apartment chewing stuff.
He never was quite the cuddly little beast Mrs. Poop wanted.
But Audrey was a good pet.
He traveled with Mrs. Poop from Syracuse to Connecticut then to Staten Island when we first moved in together.
He came with us to New Jersey then when we bought a house he got his own room in the basement where he was occassionally harrassed by his new brother Diesel.
Right after Chase was born Audrey got sick, and now Audrey passed away.
Audrey was 8 years old.
We'll miss you little bunny.
He never was quite the cuddly little beast Mrs. Poop wanted.
But Audrey was a good pet.
He traveled with Mrs. Poop from Syracuse to Connecticut then to Staten Island when we first moved in together.
He came with us to New Jersey then when we bought a house he got his own room in the basement where he was occassionally harrassed by his new brother Diesel.
Right after Chase was born Audrey got sick, and now Audrey passed away.
Audrey was 8 years old.
We'll miss you little bunny.
Monday, January 14, 2008
What Do You Give Me For? Me and Hedo Turkoglu
Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu and author of the blog, Paul aka The Poop.
This is post #3333 in the history of the Poop, dedicated to TallSkott for his love of random numbers and lookalikes, this pair in particular.
This is post #3333 in the history of the Poop, dedicated to TallSkott for his love of random numbers and lookalikes, this pair in particular.
The NFL is Poop - Divisional Playoffs
Green Bay Packers 42 Seattle Seahawks 20
It took the Seahawks 3 minutes to get a 14-0 lead thanks to two fumbles by Ryan Grant. But the Packers scored touchdowns the next 6 times they had the ball turning this game into a laugher. Ryan Grant followed up the worst 3 minutes of his career with the best 57 minutes of his career, rushing for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had runs of 26, 24, 43 and 28 yards. The Seahawks could not tackle him.
And Brett Favre played like the little boy everyone says he is. Normally his freewheeling plays result in interceptions but his signature play in this game was an underhanded pass to Donald Lee as Favre was stumbling. It turned into an 11 yard gain on 3rd and 8 and put the Packers on the 3 yard line setting up the touchdown that made the score 28-17.
The Beautiful Game
Despite the fact that this game was the most one sided of all the games this weekend, it might have been the most fun. The weather was awesome. The field was clear at the start of the game, and by the third quarter it was completely covered and shovelers were coming out to clean the yard lines after every play. Must have been a great game on HD, make you feel like you need to put on a hat and gloves.
New England Patriots 31 Jacksonville Jaguars 20
The Jaguars game plan was supposed to be "run and stop the run" and that may have been it, but it didn't work. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew rushed 19 times for 66 yards. And on the other hand Laurence Maroney ran for 122 yards and a touchdown. The Jaguars got very little pressure on Tom Brady and forced the Patriots into zero turnovers, and made 2 of their own. And despite all that, the Jags stayed in the game. Until the middle of the fourth quarter the Jags had 6 possessions, 2 TDs, 2 FGs, a punt and a fumble. Up to that same point the Pats had 6 possessions, 4 TDs, 1 FG and 1 missed FG. This script is very similar to other recent New England games, they don't stop anyone, but they don't get stopped either.
San Diego Chargers 28 Indianapolis Colts 24
What the Chargers did in this game was truly amazing considering they didn't have LaDanian Tomlinson for much of the game and Billy Volek led their final scoring drive. This game was full of big plays (touchdowns of 25, 30, 56 & 55 yards, not including Antonio Cromartie's 89 yard interception return for a touchdown that was called back) and lead changes (neither team scored twice in a row, every score was matched). Improbably, maybe even impossibly, Billy Volek led the Chargers on the final 78 yard touchdown drive, though it was fortuitously extended by a facemask on Marlin Jackson after an incomplete pass on 3rd down. Lucky for him Peyton Manning has his Super Bowl ring because he threw for 400 yards in this loss. Manning also threw two crucial interceptions deep in San Diego territory, but they both came on tipped passes. But when Manning had one final chance (actually two final chances), the Chargers stopped them on 4th down both times.
Coaching Decisions
Tony Dungy absolutely made the right move to try for a touchdown on their first trip to the red zone instead of a field goal that would have made the score 28-27 with 2:01 left. Part of the reason why it seemed like it could have worked is because they gave San Diego such horrible field position. If they kick the field goal, then they have to go for an onsides kick, which probably isn't as likely as that 4th down play. Plus because they got stopped with 2:01, they earned an extra timeout. But Norv Turner made a bad move by running the ball on 3rd and 4 from the 13 with 1:49 left. You need to make that first down. Luckily for Turner the Chargers got a great punt, and a huge defensive stop.
New York Giants 21 Dallas Cowboys 17
The incredible New York Giants have now won 9 straight road games. Eli Manning played a great game, not making any mistakes and leading his team on some key drives to win his second playoff game. The key to the game was Manning leading a touchdown drive to tie the game in the last minute of the first half. The Cowboys had just gone on a 20 play drive getting to 3rd down every time (except once they converted on second down) and coming through every time and using up 10 and a half minutes. But Manning got a long pass to Steve Smith, a short pass to Steve Smith (with a penalty added on) then a long pass to Kevin Boss which set up the touchdown. The Giants really got a boost out of that drive. The Giants defense played great in the second half, and similar to the Chargers, they made 2 key stops to seal the victory.
Sob Story
After the game a choked up T.O. cried while telling the media not to blame this loss on Tony Romo's Mexico tryst with Jessica Simpson and her parents.
There are only 2 explanations to why T.O. behaved like this, and neither of them is that he is a good teammate. Remember he was the first one to bring up that Jessica should stay home because she was a distraction. Either T.O. was being completely insincere and he was acting like that to seem like a good guy (why was he wearing sunglasses unless he knew he was going to cry?) or he is manic depressive and goes through really high highs and really low lows (remember the attempted suicide?) But I wouldn't be surprised at all if 3 months from now in an interview if T.O. begins to sabotage his Cowboys stint with a remark about Romo's vacation and how it hurt the team.
Games of Next Week
San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots
The Chargers are angry but if Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates are gimpy they have no chance of keeping up with the Patriots scoring machine.
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers
The warm weather Giants will get a decidedly frigid game against a team that loves that loves the bad weather. This one should be a doozy.
It took the Seahawks 3 minutes to get a 14-0 lead thanks to two fumbles by Ryan Grant. But the Packers scored touchdowns the next 6 times they had the ball turning this game into a laugher. Ryan Grant followed up the worst 3 minutes of his career with the best 57 minutes of his career, rushing for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had runs of 26, 24, 43 and 28 yards. The Seahawks could not tackle him.
And Brett Favre played like the little boy everyone says he is. Normally his freewheeling plays result in interceptions but his signature play in this game was an underhanded pass to Donald Lee as Favre was stumbling. It turned into an 11 yard gain on 3rd and 8 and put the Packers on the 3 yard line setting up the touchdown that made the score 28-17.
The Beautiful Game
Despite the fact that this game was the most one sided of all the games this weekend, it might have been the most fun. The weather was awesome. The field was clear at the start of the game, and by the third quarter it was completely covered and shovelers were coming out to clean the yard lines after every play. Must have been a great game on HD, make you feel like you need to put on a hat and gloves.
New England Patriots 31 Jacksonville Jaguars 20
The Jaguars game plan was supposed to be "run and stop the run" and that may have been it, but it didn't work. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew rushed 19 times for 66 yards. And on the other hand Laurence Maroney ran for 122 yards and a touchdown. The Jaguars got very little pressure on Tom Brady and forced the Patriots into zero turnovers, and made 2 of their own. And despite all that, the Jags stayed in the game. Until the middle of the fourth quarter the Jags had 6 possessions, 2 TDs, 2 FGs, a punt and a fumble. Up to that same point the Pats had 6 possessions, 4 TDs, 1 FG and 1 missed FG. This script is very similar to other recent New England games, they don't stop anyone, but they don't get stopped either.
San Diego Chargers 28 Indianapolis Colts 24
What the Chargers did in this game was truly amazing considering they didn't have LaDanian Tomlinson for much of the game and Billy Volek led their final scoring drive. This game was full of big plays (touchdowns of 25, 30, 56 & 55 yards, not including Antonio Cromartie's 89 yard interception return for a touchdown that was called back) and lead changes (neither team scored twice in a row, every score was matched). Improbably, maybe even impossibly, Billy Volek led the Chargers on the final 78 yard touchdown drive, though it was fortuitously extended by a facemask on Marlin Jackson after an incomplete pass on 3rd down. Lucky for him Peyton Manning has his Super Bowl ring because he threw for 400 yards in this loss. Manning also threw two crucial interceptions deep in San Diego territory, but they both came on tipped passes. But when Manning had one final chance (actually two final chances), the Chargers stopped them on 4th down both times.
Coaching Decisions
Tony Dungy absolutely made the right move to try for a touchdown on their first trip to the red zone instead of a field goal that would have made the score 28-27 with 2:01 left. Part of the reason why it seemed like it could have worked is because they gave San Diego such horrible field position. If they kick the field goal, then they have to go for an onsides kick, which probably isn't as likely as that 4th down play. Plus because they got stopped with 2:01, they earned an extra timeout. But Norv Turner made a bad move by running the ball on 3rd and 4 from the 13 with 1:49 left. You need to make that first down. Luckily for Turner the Chargers got a great punt, and a huge defensive stop.
New York Giants 21 Dallas Cowboys 17
The incredible New York Giants have now won 9 straight road games. Eli Manning played a great game, not making any mistakes and leading his team on some key drives to win his second playoff game. The key to the game was Manning leading a touchdown drive to tie the game in the last minute of the first half. The Cowboys had just gone on a 20 play drive getting to 3rd down every time (except once they converted on second down) and coming through every time and using up 10 and a half minutes. But Manning got a long pass to Steve Smith, a short pass to Steve Smith (with a penalty added on) then a long pass to Kevin Boss which set up the touchdown. The Giants really got a boost out of that drive. The Giants defense played great in the second half, and similar to the Chargers, they made 2 key stops to seal the victory.
Sob Story
After the game a choked up T.O. cried while telling the media not to blame this loss on Tony Romo's Mexico tryst with Jessica Simpson and her parents.
There are only 2 explanations to why T.O. behaved like this, and neither of them is that he is a good teammate. Remember he was the first one to bring up that Jessica should stay home because she was a distraction. Either T.O. was being completely insincere and he was acting like that to seem like a good guy (why was he wearing sunglasses unless he knew he was going to cry?) or he is manic depressive and goes through really high highs and really low lows (remember the attempted suicide?) But I wouldn't be surprised at all if 3 months from now in an interview if T.O. begins to sabotage his Cowboys stint with a remark about Romo's vacation and how it hurt the team.
Games of Next Week
San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots
The Chargers are angry but if Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates are gimpy they have no chance of keeping up with the Patriots scoring machine.
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers
The warm weather Giants will get a decidedly frigid game against a team that loves that loves the bad weather. This one should be a doozy.
College Basketball Ineptitude
Here's a rundown of several ignominious incidents in college basketball this season:
North Carolina State got off to a decent start against top-ranked North Carolina, trailing only 16-11 through the first 9 minutes of their game on January 12th. Ten minutes later the score was 41-11. NC State missed 18 straight shots during the 25-0 run. UNC won the game 92-63.
*****
Rick Majerus came out of retirement for this shit? Majerus's St. Louis Billikens lost to George Washington on January 10th, by the score of 49-20. SLU shot 14.6% from the field (7-48), including 5% (1-19) from 3-point range, but they did assist on 4 of those 7 baskets. I guess that's good passing. They missed 23 consecutive shots at one point and scored only 7 points in the first half. 20 points set a new DI record for fewest points in a game in the shot clock era. Georgia Derek's alma mater Georgia Southern previously held the record with 21. After the game Rick Majerus said George Washington played tough on defense.
*****
Bobby Knight's Texas Tech Red Raiders played similarly tough defense against Louisiana Tech on Decemeber 5th. After taking an early 22-12 lead, TTU went on a 46-3 run over the next 20 minutes. Louisiana Tech went 19 minutes without a field goal, but they did have 19 turnovers during that span.
*****
And the Arizona women finished a game against Oregon State on January 3rd, with only two players on the court. Arizona has 10 players, but two were hurt, one was ineligible, and one missed the game for personal reasons. That left them with only 6 players in uniform for this game. Arizona started playing shorthanded with 1:28 left in regulation. Amazingly, they kept the game tied for that final 1:28 and the entire first overtime, while playing 4 on 5. Once they lost 2 more players that was too much to overcome and they played the final 1:01 with a 3 player disadvantage, eventually losing 94-88.
North Carolina State got off to a decent start against top-ranked North Carolina, trailing only 16-11 through the first 9 minutes of their game on January 12th. Ten minutes later the score was 41-11. NC State missed 18 straight shots during the 25-0 run. UNC won the game 92-63.
*****
Rick Majerus came out of retirement for this shit? Majerus's St. Louis Billikens lost to George Washington on January 10th, by the score of 49-20. SLU shot 14.6% from the field (7-48), including 5% (1-19) from 3-point range, but they did assist on 4 of those 7 baskets. I guess that's good passing. They missed 23 consecutive shots at one point and scored only 7 points in the first half. 20 points set a new DI record for fewest points in a game in the shot clock era. Georgia Derek's alma mater Georgia Southern previously held the record with 21. After the game Rick Majerus said George Washington played tough on defense.
*****
Bobby Knight's Texas Tech Red Raiders played similarly tough defense against Louisiana Tech on Decemeber 5th. After taking an early 22-12 lead, TTU went on a 46-3 run over the next 20 minutes. Louisiana Tech went 19 minutes without a field goal, but they did have 19 turnovers during that span.
*****
And the Arizona women finished a game against Oregon State on January 3rd, with only two players on the court. Arizona has 10 players, but two were hurt, one was ineligible, and one missed the game for personal reasons. That left them with only 6 players in uniform for this game. Arizona started playing shorthanded with 1:28 left in regulation. Amazingly, they kept the game tied for that final 1:28 and the entire first overtime, while playing 4 on 5. Once they lost 2 more players that was too much to overcome and they played the final 1:01 with a 3 player disadvantage, eventually losing 94-88.
Milton Bradley Syndrome
Milton Bradley (the baseball player, not the game maker) has now played for 5 teams in his 8 year career. And when he starts the season with the Texas Rangers it'll be 6 teams in 9 years.
Part of the reason Bradley bounces around so much is his temper.
The Indians traded him to the Dodgers after he got into a fight with manager Eric Wedge.
While with the Dodgers he got into a tussle with some fans and he spiked a water bottle in front them after it had been thrown at him. He also was suspended for throwing a bag of balls onto the field following an ejection.
And this past season with the Padres he freaked out on an umpire who allegedly called him a piece of shit, and got his knee torn up in the process.
Despite the fact that he has never had 20 homers in a season (he gets hurt a lot) and he's a career .273 hitter with an OPS below .800 (which is just decent for an outfielder), there always seems to be another team after him.
The demand for Bradley comes from what I have now called the Milton Bradley Syndrome. Every time one of these incidents happens, everyone talks about it and says "he could be so good, if he could just control his temper."
So in essence, by being such a dick, he gets people to talk about how good he is, even though he isn't really that good.
Another Milton Bradley Syndrome sufferer is Alabama Coach Nick Saban. Yes he did a really good job recruiting and coaching at LSU, building a really strong program that won half a title for him, and eventually a title for Fewer [Les] Miles.
Saban first got national attention at Michigan State where in his 5th season (after 4 mediocre ones) he went 9-2. He parlayed that into a job at LSU where admittedly he did an excellent job. But in two season with the Dolphins he went 9-7 and 6-10 before he hit the road for Alabama even after insisting he wouldn't. His first season at Alabama was a disaster, even though they finished 7-6. They lost to Louisiana-Monroe, at home.
Despite that mediocre recent performance, his name came up (how seriously nobody knows) in discussions about the openings at several other schools.
The fact that everyone thinks he's always available may do more to get him his next job, or an extension from Alabama, than his results on the field.
And then there's Amy Winehouse. We never would have heard of this British singer if she wasn't such a disgusting mess that she makes Britney Spears look like she's got it together.
Winehouse is constantly drinking and doing drugs and fighting with her husband who is in jail for assault.
And her only song that I've heard of is about the fact that she doesn't want to go to rehab. Further proving that if she were normal she wouldn't be famous at all.
And one British music critic called her the best British female singer since Dusty Springfield. Let her sing something as good as "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and then we'll talk.
But once again, her negative qualities have led people to exaggerate her good qualities to such a degree that she's become overrated simply because she's such a douche.
Part of the reason Bradley bounces around so much is his temper.
The Indians traded him to the Dodgers after he got into a fight with manager Eric Wedge.
While with the Dodgers he got into a tussle with some fans and he spiked a water bottle in front them after it had been thrown at him. He also was suspended for throwing a bag of balls onto the field following an ejection.
And this past season with the Padres he freaked out on an umpire who allegedly called him a piece of shit, and got his knee torn up in the process.
Despite the fact that he has never had 20 homers in a season (he gets hurt a lot) and he's a career .273 hitter with an OPS below .800 (which is just decent for an outfielder), there always seems to be another team after him.
The demand for Bradley comes from what I have now called the Milton Bradley Syndrome. Every time one of these incidents happens, everyone talks about it and says "he could be so good, if he could just control his temper."
So in essence, by being such a dick, he gets people to talk about how good he is, even though he isn't really that good.
Another Milton Bradley Syndrome sufferer is Alabama Coach Nick Saban. Yes he did a really good job recruiting and coaching at LSU, building a really strong program that won half a title for him, and eventually a title for Fewer [Les] Miles.
Saban first got national attention at Michigan State where in his 5th season (after 4 mediocre ones) he went 9-2. He parlayed that into a job at LSU where admittedly he did an excellent job. But in two season with the Dolphins he went 9-7 and 6-10 before he hit the road for Alabama even after insisting he wouldn't. His first season at Alabama was a disaster, even though they finished 7-6. They lost to Louisiana-Monroe, at home.
Despite that mediocre recent performance, his name came up (how seriously nobody knows) in discussions about the openings at several other schools.
The fact that everyone thinks he's always available may do more to get him his next job, or an extension from Alabama, than his results on the field.
And then there's Amy Winehouse. We never would have heard of this British singer if she wasn't such a disgusting mess that she makes Britney Spears look like she's got it together.
Winehouse is constantly drinking and doing drugs and fighting with her husband who is in jail for assault.
And her only song that I've heard of is about the fact that she doesn't want to go to rehab. Further proving that if she were normal she wouldn't be famous at all.
And one British music critic called her the best British female singer since Dusty Springfield. Let her sing something as good as "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and then we'll talk.
But once again, her negative qualities have led people to exaggerate her good qualities to such a degree that she's become overrated simply because she's such a douche.
You Got RickRoll'd
If you are not one of the millions of people who have already been RickRoll'd click on the link to this awesome youtube video.
Don't ask questions, just click. It's safe for work and once you click, you'll understand.
Don't ask questions, just click. It's safe for work and once you click, you'll understand.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
They Go Together
Two West Virginia players sit next to each other on the bench during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
The Next Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins
I normally hate Kenny Mayne and "The Mayne Event" packages he does for ESPN but this one (from last month, about 5 months too late) on Dallas assistant coach Tony Sparano was pretty funny.
Now that the Cowboys lost to the Giants, Sparano is free to sign with his old boss, Bill Parcells, to be the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Now that the Cowboys lost to the Giants, Sparano is free to sign with his old boss, Bill Parcells, to be the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
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