Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Derek Calls Me Out
Pizza Parlor Derek, in his Columbus blog preview called me out for taking so long to write about Farrell Kaye. Two funny things about this. First of all, he has no idea who Farrell Kaye is and why he is interesting. Second, no blogger in the blogosphere is worse with deadlines than Pizza Parlor Derek. I correctly predicted that he would not keep up with episode recaps of "The Office." But apparently PPD has been busy catching up with old friends. But I do have to hand it to him, even though TallSkott and The Concierge did most of the research I just haven't found the time to sit down and bring the Farrell Kaye stuff into a coherent post. But I will. And soon.
Mota Suspended
Many of us wondered how Guillermo Mota came to the Mets and all of the sudden rebounded after an awful start to the season with Cleveland. Now we know. Mota tested positive for something (not clear what) on a drug test and will serve the third 50 game suspension (effective Opening Day) since Major League Baseball toughened its policy.
To his credit he didn't pull a Palmeiro, he took full responsibility for his positive test and said "I used extremely poor judgment and deserve to be held accountable. To my teammates and the entire Mets organization, I am sorry. I truly regret what I did and hope that you can forgive me. To baseball fans everywhere, I understand that you are disappointed in me, and I don't blame you. I feel terrible and I promise this is the first and last time that this will happen."
Mota had a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings with the Mets but evidently got off the juice for the postseason when he had a 5.40 ERA and fatally blew a 2 run lead in Game 2 of the NLCS.
The Concierge is now looking for a new favorite Met.
To his credit he didn't pull a Palmeiro, he took full responsibility for his positive test and said "I used extremely poor judgment and deserve to be held accountable. To my teammates and the entire Mets organization, I am sorry. I truly regret what I did and hope that you can forgive me. To baseball fans everywhere, I understand that you are disappointed in me, and I don't blame you. I feel terrible and I promise this is the first and last time that this will happen."
Mota had a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings with the Mets but evidently got off the juice for the postseason when he had a 5.40 ERA and fatally blew a 2 run lead in Game 2 of the NLCS.
The Concierge is now looking for a new favorite Met.
Girlz Is Dumb
For Halloween Mrs. Poop made cookies in the shapes of various Halloween items. I ate a bat, and a witch's hat and said "hats for bats...keep bats warm."
She said "what are you talking about?"
She said "what are you talking about?"
Hatchet Job
Why is a publication called "Women's Wear Daily" covering the change in editors at a business news magazine? I don't know either but here is their take:
UN-FORTUNE-ATE: Halloween brought scares of a different kind to the halls of Fortune when staffers learned at a noon meeting that Time Inc. editor in chief John Huey had promoted Andy Serwer to the magazine's managing editor. Serwer replaces Eric Pooley, who was saved from eviction from the Time Inc. offices when he was given an unspecified corporate job working on "investigative projects."
While many regard Serwer as a "good guy" and a "great television brand," many wondered whether he'd have the editorial clout to helm the biweekly business title. An editor at large at Fortune since 1998, Serwer has spent most of his tenure as a columnist, penning the "Street Life" column and longer features on business personalities such as Dell Computers founder Michael Dell. Serwer is also the daily business anchor of CNN's American Morning news show, and has been a fixture on the cable network for more than five years.
But Serwer, who said Huey approached him "a few days ago" for the position, lacks editing experience, save for a stint editing front-of-book pieces for Fortune a decade ago when Huey was its managing editor, nor has he managed a staff of any size. Moreover, his columns and features for the title were considered fluffy by many of his peers (one said his column read like it resulted from making one phone call) and sources close to the magazine heard Huey gripe about Serwer's inability to write big middle-of-the-book features in his early years. "He's everywhere and has done a great job with the brand of Andy Serwer," sniped one business journalist, who described Serwer's columns as "bad jokes behind Wall Street and basketball."
But Serwer's multimedia experience and his brand power are what propelled Huey to give him the job. "I am confident that he will bring his knowledge of both the story and the multimedia landscape to the helm of Fortune in exciting ways that will work to its great advantage in the future," said Huey in a statement. Moreover, Serwer believes his "people skills" will make up for his lack of editing experience.
"I know about working well with people. I know how collaboration works. I've got a great bunch of people around me and they'll help me fill a bunch of holes," said Serwer (though some of those great people are the same ones sources said were passed over for the job, such as editor at large Peter Elkind). And despite the knocks, Fortune staffers are psyched for the fun-loving Serwer's spirit. "What we plan to do is reenergize this place" Serwer added. "We've got some terrific talent coming here dying to do really cool stuff. It's a matter of kicking ass and having fun."
UN-FORTUNE-ATE: Halloween brought scares of a different kind to the halls of Fortune when staffers learned at a noon meeting that Time Inc. editor in chief John Huey had promoted Andy Serwer to the magazine's managing editor. Serwer replaces Eric Pooley, who was saved from eviction from the Time Inc. offices when he was given an unspecified corporate job working on "investigative projects."
While many regard Serwer as a "good guy" and a "great television brand," many wondered whether he'd have the editorial clout to helm the biweekly business title. An editor at large at Fortune since 1998, Serwer has spent most of his tenure as a columnist, penning the "Street Life" column and longer features on business personalities such as Dell Computers founder Michael Dell. Serwer is also the daily business anchor of CNN's American Morning news show, and has been a fixture on the cable network for more than five years.
But Serwer, who said Huey approached him "a few days ago" for the position, lacks editing experience, save for a stint editing front-of-book pieces for Fortune a decade ago when Huey was its managing editor, nor has he managed a staff of any size. Moreover, his columns and features for the title were considered fluffy by many of his peers (one said his column read like it resulted from making one phone call) and sources close to the magazine heard Huey gripe about Serwer's inability to write big middle-of-the-book features in his early years. "He's everywhere and has done a great job with the brand of Andy Serwer," sniped one business journalist, who described Serwer's columns as "bad jokes behind Wall Street and basketball."
But Serwer's multimedia experience and his brand power are what propelled Huey to give him the job. "I am confident that he will bring his knowledge of both the story and the multimedia landscape to the helm of Fortune in exciting ways that will work to its great advantage in the future," said Huey in a statement. Moreover, Serwer believes his "people skills" will make up for his lack of editing experience.
"I know about working well with people. I know how collaboration works. I've got a great bunch of people around me and they'll help me fill a bunch of holes," said Serwer (though some of those great people are the same ones sources said were passed over for the job, such as editor at large Peter Elkind). And despite the knocks, Fortune staffers are psyched for the fun-loving Serwer's spirit. "What we plan to do is reenergize this place" Serwer added. "We've got some terrific talent coming here dying to do really cool stuff. It's a matter of kicking ass and having fun."
What the Papers Are Saying
Wall Street Journal:
"Time Inc., in its latest bid to reinvigorate its flagship business magazine, named a new managing editor of Fortune.
Andy Serwer, a columnist and Fortune veteran, will take the post, effective immediately. He succeeds Eric Pooley, an award-winning journalist and former top editor at Time, who spent less than two years in the job. He will remain with the company to work on investigative projects.
In addition to his duties at Fortune, Mr. Serwer, 47 years old, is a regular contributor to CNN and CNNMoney, an Internet venture between Time Inc. and Time Warner Inc. sister company Turner Broadcasting. His experience working across multiple platforms was a key reason Time Inc. Editor in Chief John Huey selected him, company executives said.
A self-described iconoclast with little editing experience, Mr. Serwer has spent most of his career at Fortune. He said that expanding Fortune's presence on CNNMoney, which carries content from Time's other business titles as well, is a top priority.
"I feel like we can still do a lot more amazing things there," he said. "We're really at the very beginning."
The appointment, which came as a surprise to many Time Inc. insiders, is the latest in a series of personnel decisions by Mr. Huey aimed at re-energizing the publisher's marquee titles.
Unlike Mr. Serwer, Mr. Pooley operated as a typical editor behind the scenes. Company insiders said Mr. Huey wanted a Fortune editor who would actively use the media to promote the magazine."
New York Times:
Time Inc. abruptly removed Eric Pooley as the managing editor of Fortune magazine yesterday, and named Andrew Serwer, a senior editor at large, to succeed him, becoming the magazine’s third top editor in less than six years.
John Huey, editor in chief of Time Inc., a unit of Time Warner, gave no reason for the change, which was effective immediately, and did not return calls seeking comment.
Mr. Serwer said in an interview that Mr. Huey had told him over the weekend that he wanted him to take the helm.
“I found out about it a couple of days ago,” he said. “It was a surprise to me that John wanted me to do this job.” He added that Mr. Huey “has a way of making surprising moves sometimes.”
Time Inc. has been promoting the conversion of much of the content of its print magazines to other forms, and Mr. Serwer, 47, has been in the forefront of that effort. He writes for Fortune, writes a blog and appears regularly on CNN, becoming what many of his colleagues said they considered to be the public face of the magazine.
Colleagues said that Mr. Huey gave the impression of wanting to move Fortune to a new level of public awareness and create “buzz” and saw the opportunity to do so with Mr. Serwer.
“I have an understanding of how stories go from print to the Internet to TV and what works and the cycle of news, and that’s really important,” Mr. Serwer said. “I think that’s something he wanted to tap into.”
The move comes as Portfolio, a new monthly business magazine from Condé Nast, prepares for its debut in April. Portfolio has been poaching writers from several news organizations, including Fortune, which has lost three.
In the interview, Mr. Serwer said that he welcomed the competition from Portfolio and suggested its entry into the marketplace would reinvigorate the whole category of business magazines, which has been flagging in part because so much business information is available on the Internet. He said he had so little time to prepare for yesterday’s announcement that he had no specific plans for the magazine, but added that he and Mr. Huey tended to see eye to eye."
New York Post:
"In a move that one insider described as "a lightning bolt out of the blue," Eric Pooley was removed as the top editor of Fortune and replaced by Andy Serwer, a longtime staffer.
Serwer, 47, who has a daily gig on CNN and a 50,000-name mailing list for his Internet blog, is seen as a triple threat, which is considered a vital resource in the new Time Inc.
"I understand how media works across three different platforms," said Serwer. On his relative paucity of management experience, the 21-year veteran of Fortune said, "I'll be relying on a lot of good people, but I also think a lot of it is instinctive."
Pooley, who was seen as aloof and detached, frequently worked behind closed doors. At one point in February, he called the staff together to do a public mea culpa, and pledged a more open policy."
Guess Who Eats Together at the Carnegie Deli
Met an old friend for lunch yesterday. Brian Cohen aka BC, the man who lived with me for the first two years of college was staying in Manhattan so I walked over to his hotel, which was only a couple blocks from the Carnegie Deli.
Nothing like a couple Jews enjoying smoked meats (he had the corned beef, I had the roast beef). He prefers the light green pickles, I like the dark green. And when the bill game to $35, he offered me the $18. He is the perfect lunch companion.
Unfortunately, as we have gotten older and moved geographically father away we haven't kept in touch all that well (but he is an avid "Poop" reader so we're not completely disconnected).
We talked about work, our wives, our houses, balding and how old we're getting now that we are talking about our wives, our houses and balding. When we meet for lunch again in a few years I anticipate a spirited discussion of our swollen prostates.
We also discussed our considerable weight gain, as we've put on close to 100 pounds combined since our college days.
The weather was great so I decided to walk to Penn Station and he had some time before his meeting so we walked downtown.
At about 50th street, BC exclaims "there's Gilbert Gottfried." I whip my ahead around (almost get poked in the eye by some guy handing out pamphlets) but wouldn't you know it, there was Gilbert, the voice of the AFLAC duck.
At 34th Street we said our goodbyes and vowed to stay in touch. But you know the mark of a good friend is someone who you may not see for a few months, but when you do it's like you're still sitting in Booth Hall cursing Pete Thamel and watching Conan.
Nothing like a couple Jews enjoying smoked meats (he had the corned beef, I had the roast beef). He prefers the light green pickles, I like the dark green. And when the bill game to $35, he offered me the $18. He is the perfect lunch companion.
Unfortunately, as we have gotten older and moved geographically father away we haven't kept in touch all that well (but he is an avid "Poop" reader so we're not completely disconnected).
We talked about work, our wives, our houses, balding and how old we're getting now that we are talking about our wives, our houses and balding. When we meet for lunch again in a few years I anticipate a spirited discussion of our swollen prostates.
We also discussed our considerable weight gain, as we've put on close to 100 pounds combined since our college days.
The weather was great so I decided to walk to Penn Station and he had some time before his meeting so we walked downtown.
At about 50th street, BC exclaims "there's Gilbert Gottfried." I whip my ahead around (almost get poked in the eye by some guy handing out pamphlets) but wouldn't you know it, there was Gilbert, the voice of the AFLAC duck.
At 34th Street we said our goodbyes and vowed to stay in touch. But you know the mark of a good friend is someone who you may not see for a few months, but when you do it's like you're still sitting in Booth Hall cursing Pete Thamel and watching Conan.
Hoping Freak Show's Wife Reappears
From Variety:
Harold and Kumar are coming back.
Mandate Pictures has greenlit a sequel to 2004's "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," with John Cho and Kal Penn reprising their respective roles as Harold and Kumar.
Mandate's Nathan Kahane and Greg Shapiro are producing. New Line will handle worldwide distribution as a negative pickup.
Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg will co-direct from their script, which follows the duo on the lam after they try to sneak a marijuana-smoking implement onboard a flight to Amsterdam, and are suspected of being terrorists. Hurwitz and Schlossberg also wrote the script for the original, which grossed $18 million domestically.
Shooting is expected to start early next year in Shreveport, La.
Harold and Kumar are coming back.
Mandate Pictures has greenlit a sequel to 2004's "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," with John Cho and Kal Penn reprising their respective roles as Harold and Kumar.
Mandate's Nathan Kahane and Greg Shapiro are producing. New Line will handle worldwide distribution as a negative pickup.
Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg will co-direct from their script, which follows the duo on the lam after they try to sneak a marijuana-smoking implement onboard a flight to Amsterdam, and are suspected of being terrorists. Hurwitz and Schlossberg also wrote the script for the original, which grossed $18 million domestically.
Shooting is expected to start early next year in Shreveport, La.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
The Price Is Wrong, Bitch
After giving out prizes on "The Price is Right" for 35 years, Bob Barker is going to retire.
His last show will be June Seventh, 2007.
Barker said he wants to step down while he's "still young." He turns 83 on December 12th.
The search for a new host has been going on for two or three years.
After years of banging the spokesmodels and encouraging viewers to have their pets spayed or neutered, we'll miss Bob Barker.
One time I saw an episode of TPIR when Bob was laughing after coming out of the commercial break. He explained that the college kids in the audience were begging him to say that famous line from "Happy Gilmore".
His last show will be June Seventh, 2007.
Barker said he wants to step down while he's "still young." He turns 83 on December 12th.
The search for a new host has been going on for two or three years.
After years of banging the spokesmodels and encouraging viewers to have their pets spayed or neutered, we'll miss Bob Barker.
One time I saw an episode of TPIR when Bob was laughing after coming out of the commercial break. He explained that the college kids in the audience were begging him to say that famous line from "Happy Gilmore".
No Longer Seen On CNN
ANDY SERWER NAMED MANAGING EDITOR OF FORTUNE
(New York, October 31, 2006) - Andy Serwer has been named Managing Editor of Fortune it was announced today by John Huey, Editor-in-Chief of Time Inc. Serwer succeeds Eric Pooley, who will now be working with John Huey and Time Inc. Managing Editor Jim Kelly on investigative projects. The appointment is effective immediately.
Serwer (47) will oversee the leading biweekly business magazine, which is known for its unrivaled access to industry leaders and decision makers throughout the world.
No matter what project Andy takes on, he handles it with intelligence, wit and energy,” Huey said. “It is also safe to say that no journalist knows today’s business story better than Andy Serwer. I am confident that he will bring his knowledge of both the story and the multimedia landscape to the helm of Fortune in exciting ways that will work to its great advantage in the future.”
''I really am thrilled to be running a magazine with such a rich history and such a bright future,” Serwer said. “I look forward to working with my longstanding colleagues – the best business journalists on the planet. We're going to have a blast.”
As editor-at-large at Fortune since 1998, Serwer writes the “Street Life” column as well as stories about the personalities and behind-the-scenes action on Wall Street. His work has ranged from his provocative column in every issue to major cover stories on everything from the young Michael Dell to Michael Price (“The Toughest S.O.B. on Wall Street”) to the business of the Rolling Stones to the first look inside the financial and philanthropic workings of America’s richest family, the Waltons.
In addition to his magazine work, Andy became one of the industry’s first internet stars nine years ago with his daily market round-up on Fortune.com, also called "Street Life," that has more than 50,000 e-mail subscribers. He has also been the very successful business anchor of CNN’s American Morning news show. He will continue to have an on-air presence on CNN.
Serwer joined Fortune in 1985 as an intern from the Columbia Journalism School, and was later promoted to associate editor. He quickly went on to become one of its most insightful, popular and productive writers. In addition to covering Wall Street, investing, information technology, and entertainment for the magazine, Serwer has also edited and written the front of the book section of Fortune, which includes breaking news and features focusing on business personalities, media, and technology.
The May 22, 2000 issue of the New Yorker summed up Serwer's contributions to Wall Street coverage like this: "Achaea had Homer, the Spanish Civil War had Hemingway, California had the Beach Boys, and now our hyperactive stock market has its own poet singer-Andy Serwer." In 1999, Serwer was named 2000 Business Journalist of the Year by TJFR Business News Reporter, which called him "perhaps the nation's top multimedia talent, successfully juggling the roles of serious journalist, astute commentator and occasional court jester. He's a prototype and inspires others in business journalism to test their skills in other media." Marketing Computers also ranked him sixth on its "Top Ten Web" list of Internet journalists that year.
Mr. Serwer received a bachelor's degree in history from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, graduating with departmental honors in 1981. He received an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta and a master's in journalism from Columbia University.
(New York, October 31, 2006) - Andy Serwer has been named Managing Editor of Fortune it was announced today by John Huey, Editor-in-Chief of Time Inc. Serwer succeeds Eric Pooley, who will now be working with John Huey and Time Inc. Managing Editor Jim Kelly on investigative projects. The appointment is effective immediately.
Serwer (47) will oversee the leading biweekly business magazine, which is known for its unrivaled access to industry leaders and decision makers throughout the world.
No matter what project Andy takes on, he handles it with intelligence, wit and energy,” Huey said. “It is also safe to say that no journalist knows today’s business story better than Andy Serwer. I am confident that he will bring his knowledge of both the story and the multimedia landscape to the helm of Fortune in exciting ways that will work to its great advantage in the future.”
''I really am thrilled to be running a magazine with such a rich history and such a bright future,” Serwer said. “I look forward to working with my longstanding colleagues – the best business journalists on the planet. We're going to have a blast.”
As editor-at-large at Fortune since 1998, Serwer writes the “Street Life” column as well as stories about the personalities and behind-the-scenes action on Wall Street. His work has ranged from his provocative column in every issue to major cover stories on everything from the young Michael Dell to Michael Price (“The Toughest S.O.B. on Wall Street”) to the business of the Rolling Stones to the first look inside the financial and philanthropic workings of America’s richest family, the Waltons.
In addition to his magazine work, Andy became one of the industry’s first internet stars nine years ago with his daily market round-up on Fortune.com, also called "Street Life," that has more than 50,000 e-mail subscribers. He has also been the very successful business anchor of CNN’s American Morning news show. He will continue to have an on-air presence on CNN.
Serwer joined Fortune in 1985 as an intern from the Columbia Journalism School, and was later promoted to associate editor. He quickly went on to become one of its most insightful, popular and productive writers. In addition to covering Wall Street, investing, information technology, and entertainment for the magazine, Serwer has also edited and written the front of the book section of Fortune, which includes breaking news and features focusing on business personalities, media, and technology.
The May 22, 2000 issue of the New Yorker summed up Serwer's contributions to Wall Street coverage like this: "Achaea had Homer, the Spanish Civil War had Hemingway, California had the Beach Boys, and now our hyperactive stock market has its own poet singer-Andy Serwer." In 1999, Serwer was named 2000 Business Journalist of the Year by TJFR Business News Reporter, which called him "perhaps the nation's top multimedia talent, successfully juggling the roles of serious journalist, astute commentator and occasional court jester. He's a prototype and inspires others in business journalism to test their skills in other media." Marketing Computers also ranked him sixth on its "Top Ten Web" list of Internet journalists that year.
Mr. Serwer received a bachelor's degree in history from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, graduating with departmental honors in 1981. He received an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta and a master's in journalism from Columbia University.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Right Up My Alley
Miami's zoo has a temporary exibit on excrement titled ``The Scoop on Poop,'' which invites visitors to explore the science of shit.
It was created by Clyde Peeling's Reptiland in Allenwood, (Pennsylvania). It's scheduled to appear at zoos in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh next year.
Stool sample models abound: hay-like football-sized balls from an elephant, kidney-bean-looking pellets from a porcupine and coal-like lumps coated with fur from a black bear.
Zoo officials and the exhibit's creators say it's educational, not just gross. Visitors can smell the stench of flowers that mimic dung to attract flies for pollination. Videos include one of a hippo spreading its droppings around to mark its territory.
It was created by Clyde Peeling's Reptiland in Allenwood, (Pennsylvania). It's scheduled to appear at zoos in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh next year.
Stool sample models abound: hay-like football-sized balls from an elephant, kidney-bean-looking pellets from a porcupine and coal-like lumps coated with fur from a black bear.
Zoo officials and the exhibit's creators say it's educational, not just gross. Visitors can smell the stench of flowers that mimic dung to attract flies for pollination. Videos include one of a hippo spreading its droppings around to mark its territory.
Who Needs iTunes?
If you listen to music, mostly while you are at your computer playing online poker or blogging, then you don't need iTunes. Believe it or not youtube is a much better resource for music. Watch this space for a Song of The Week (roughly every week).
Sure there are copyright issues but not a worry for the listener/viewer. Pretty much every popular new song is on youtube, though older selections might be harder to find. As an example I was going to say that youtube does not have "I've Got Love On My Mind" by Natalie Cole, but:
Sure there are copyright issues but not a worry for the listener/viewer. Pretty much every popular new song is on youtube, though older selections might be harder to find. As an example I was going to say that youtube does not have "I've Got Love On My Mind" by Natalie Cole, but:
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Any Consolation?
Shawn aka Jems, sent me an e-mail expressing satisfaction that the Cardinals went on to win the World Series:
"To me, the Cardinals proved that when they're ON they ARE a good baseball team. I feel less like we flopped more like they won now. That Tiger team stormed through the AL at a 7-1 pace, which Yankee fans and even Mets fans concede is far superior to the NL. The Cardinals did play 6 weeks without Pujols early in the season, and were on pace to win 92 games or so prior to completely flopping in September.
Additionally, the Mets series now becomes a part of the story. It will be included in the folklore of this season. The Endy catch will get recognized in history, as highlights will show how the Cards bounced back from that and still won. If the Tigers won, no one even remembers the Mets made the playoffs or pushed it to 7 games. We go down as the stiffest competition they faced."
I disagree with this. It leaves an even worse taste in my mouth because I know we should have beaten the Cardinals and could have beaten the Tigers. Going in we thought the Tigers were invincible and on some magic carpet ride. Instead it seemed they were gassed and their hitters were exposed. The Cardinals are arguably the worst World Series Champion of all time (they have the worst regular season record, I believe). Because I feel the Mets should have beaten them, the fact that they won it all makes me feel even worse.
In terms Shawn can understand: Some guy makes a stupid call and outdraws you to knock you out of a poker tournament. He ends up winning the whole thing. Does that mean he's actually better than you thought he was? Or does it mean that if you could have gotten that one card, maybe you could have won?
"To me, the Cardinals proved that when they're ON they ARE a good baseball team. I feel less like we flopped more like they won now. That Tiger team stormed through the AL at a 7-1 pace, which Yankee fans and even Mets fans concede is far superior to the NL. The Cardinals did play 6 weeks without Pujols early in the season, and were on pace to win 92 games or so prior to completely flopping in September.
Additionally, the Mets series now becomes a part of the story. It will be included in the folklore of this season. The Endy catch will get recognized in history, as highlights will show how the Cards bounced back from that and still won. If the Tigers won, no one even remembers the Mets made the playoffs or pushed it to 7 games. We go down as the stiffest competition they faced."
I disagree with this. It leaves an even worse taste in my mouth because I know we should have beaten the Cardinals and could have beaten the Tigers. Going in we thought the Tigers were invincible and on some magic carpet ride. Instead it seemed they were gassed and their hitters were exposed. The Cardinals are arguably the worst World Series Champion of all time (they have the worst regular season record, I believe). Because I feel the Mets should have beaten them, the fact that they won it all makes me feel even worse.
In terms Shawn can understand: Some guy makes a stupid call and outdraws you to knock you out of a poker tournament. He ends up winning the whole thing. Does that mean he's actually better than you thought he was? Or does it mean that if you could have gotten that one card, maybe you could have won?
No Smoking At Legal Sea Food
One of my favorite restaurants (the place we ate the night I proposed to the future Mrs. Poop) is now a completely smoke free environment. The menu included a codicil that the only smoke allowed was from Red Auerbach's cigar. Auerbach died of a heart attack at age 89. A story I heard, perhaps apocryphal, is that one time a diner asked him put out his cigar claiming Legal was a non-smoking restuarant. He replied "read the menu."
His career with the Celtics really was quite remarkable and even more so he made Bill Russell the first black head coach in any sport. For some reason he had some bad feeling towards Phil Jackson later in life but he will always be remembered as a brilliant basketball man and the architect of the Celtics' dynasty in the 50s and 60s.
His career with the Celtics really was quite remarkable and even more so he made Bill Russell the first black head coach in any sport. For some reason he had some bad feeling towards Phil Jackson later in life but he will always be remembered as a brilliant basketball man and the architect of the Celtics' dynasty in the 50s and 60s.
So Long Champ
Former heavyweight champ Trevor Berbick died at the age of 52 (we think). Berbick beat Muhammad Ali in Ali's last fight, and lost to Tyson in 1986 when Tyson won the belt. He died in Jamaica and was found with a wound to his head. SCZA found a couple good youtube clips of Berbick. First, his parking lot fight with Larry Holmes. Then his sanctioned title bout that launched the career of Mike Tyson. So long, Trev.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Weekly Picks
Another bad week of picks. A 1-2 record (salvaged by the Giants) leaves me at 8-7 after a 6-2 start. I'll have to win all of these games to get back to my goal of two-thirds correct. But the good news is somehow Adam and Harley keep gaining ground. They are in a second place tie, two back of the leader. A full slate this week.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -5.5 jacksonville jaguars
Two things I think are overrated in terms of picking NFL games. The dropoff to the backup quarterback and home field advantage. In this case I don't think Leftwich to Garrard is a huge deal, but I will pay attention to the fact that Jacksonville is 3-0 at home and 0-3 on the road. Because the Eagles lost last week this game takes on a lot of importance. Jacksonville won't go 0-8 on the road this season but this isn't where they'll pick up that win. So even though it's a lot of points to give a decent team, I'll go with the Eagles and Up Chuck McNabb.
CHICAGO BEARS -16.5 san francisco 49ers
You can ask every week and I will still pick the Bears. I know it's a ton of points, but this team is pissed off. I believe their game plan for Arizona was all wrong. They will try running the ball more and start Grossman with short and intermediate passes. He went deep too many times. He definitely won't commit 6 turnovers again.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS -2.5 baltimore ravens
One of the biggest mistakes gamblers make is believing what they thought, instead of what they see. The Saints are pretty damn good and the Ravens, despite their hot start are pretty close to going into the tank. With spreads of fewer than 3 points I basically just pick the winner. I think New Orleans holds home field in this one.
TENNESSEE TITANS -3.5 houston texans
Bad teams don't usually win two games in a row, but both of these horror shows are coming off wins, and the Titans had a bye week to revel in it. I think Houston might actually be on to something though. I love Andre Johnson to catch 2 TDs and the bonus is, Houston can lose by a field goal and still cover.
NEW YORK GIANTS -9.5 tampa bay buccaneers
Tampa Bay is 3-0 (ATS) with Bruce Gratkowsi. That is not a coincidence. The Giants are playing excellent football right now and are coming off a big win. But I could definitely see them struggling in this one. I'll take Tampa Bay but I'd feel much more confident if the spread were 10.5 instead.
DENVER BRONCOS -2.5 indianapolis colts
Good defense usually beats good offense. But the Colts are a great regular season team. They'll win this one but if they play again in January (even in Indianapolis) they'll probably lose.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS +2.5 new england patriots
Once again we have that magic number of 2.5 points. I think the Patriots will always find a way to win these games. Plus I haven't been very impressed with the Vikings this year even though they are off to a pretty decent start. Last week they knocked off Seattle but I don't think lightning will strike twice.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -5.5 jacksonville jaguars
Two things I think are overrated in terms of picking NFL games. The dropoff to the backup quarterback and home field advantage. In this case I don't think Leftwich to Garrard is a huge deal, but I will pay attention to the fact that Jacksonville is 3-0 at home and 0-3 on the road. Because the Eagles lost last week this game takes on a lot of importance. Jacksonville won't go 0-8 on the road this season but this isn't where they'll pick up that win. So even though it's a lot of points to give a decent team, I'll go with the Eagles and Up Chuck McNabb.
CHICAGO BEARS -16.5 san francisco 49ers
You can ask every week and I will still pick the Bears. I know it's a ton of points, but this team is pissed off. I believe their game plan for Arizona was all wrong. They will try running the ball more and start Grossman with short and intermediate passes. He went deep too many times. He definitely won't commit 6 turnovers again.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS -2.5 baltimore ravens
One of the biggest mistakes gamblers make is believing what they thought, instead of what they see. The Saints are pretty damn good and the Ravens, despite their hot start are pretty close to going into the tank. With spreads of fewer than 3 points I basically just pick the winner. I think New Orleans holds home field in this one.
TENNESSEE TITANS -3.5 houston texans
Bad teams don't usually win two games in a row, but both of these horror shows are coming off wins, and the Titans had a bye week to revel in it. I think Houston might actually be on to something though. I love Andre Johnson to catch 2 TDs and the bonus is, Houston can lose by a field goal and still cover.
NEW YORK GIANTS -9.5 tampa bay buccaneers
Tampa Bay is 3-0 (ATS) with Bruce Gratkowsi. That is not a coincidence. The Giants are playing excellent football right now and are coming off a big win. But I could definitely see them struggling in this one. I'll take Tampa Bay but I'd feel much more confident if the spread were 10.5 instead.
DENVER BRONCOS -2.5 indianapolis colts
Good defense usually beats good offense. But the Colts are a great regular season team. They'll win this one but if they play again in January (even in Indianapolis) they'll probably lose.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS +2.5 new england patriots
Once again we have that magic number of 2.5 points. I think the Patriots will always find a way to win these games. Plus I haven't been very impressed with the Vikings this year even though they are off to a pretty decent start. Last week they knocked off Seattle but I don't think lightning will strike twice.
Friday, October 27, 2006
A Rat in Dallas
A Dallas Cowboys coach, his wife and the family's nanny have sued a McDonald's owner, alleging they found a dead rat in a salad purchased at a Southlake, TX restaurant. The lawsuit, which seeks $1.7 million in damages, was filed Thursday in state district court on behalf of Cowboys passing-game coordinator Todd Haley, his wife, Christine Haley, and the family's live-in baby sitter, Kathryn Kelley.
This poor guy has been yelled at by T.O. for not getting him the ball enough, and now this.
This poor guy has been yelled at by T.O. for not getting him the ball enough, and now this.
Thankfully He Didn't Have to Live Through the Bears Game
Matt Leinart and his ex-girlfriend Brynn Cameron had a baby boy named Cole Cameron on October 24th. Obviously the baby will take his father's last name. Cameron is a much better mother's maiden name as baby's middle name than say Hogan, so he's a lucky kid.
On a personal note, you may recall that this story and the picture of Brynn that accompanied it, vaulted this blog to the highest number of hits ever.
On a personal note, you may recall that this story and the picture of Brynn that accompanied it, vaulted this blog to the highest number of hits ever.
Weird People Love the Internet
Weird Al Yankovic's latest album debuted at #10 on the billboard top 100. It was the first time he ever had an album in the top 10. His hit song "White and Nerdy" took the #9 spot on the singles chart, surpassing Weird Al's previous peak of #12 with "Eat It" in 1984.
After 12 albums, why is this one the one that finally made the breakthrough? Because of the internet. People like me used our blogs to bring White and Nerdy to the masses. You're welcome buddy.
After 12 albums, why is this one the one that finally made the breakthrough? Because of the internet. People like me used our blogs to bring White and Nerdy to the masses. You're welcome buddy.
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