I am sorry to say, I do not have any witty introduction for you this week. In fact, I did not think GameTime, TBD© would be publishing its weekly Link Dump for the next few weeks. You see, my Grandpa passed away last night/early this morning (depending on what time zone you were in) and I really did not think I had it in me to come on here and make it happen. But then it hit me, he would want me to do this.
My Grandpa was a great man; husband, father, grandfather and, most importantly, an unbelievable friend, all in one. I am a better person today because of the time I got to spend with him growing up. His will (Editor's note: defined as "purpose or determination, often hearty or stubborn determination; willfulness") to live was second-to-none, as he overcame obstacle after obstacle. Put simply, he lived, laughed, and loved everyday and everyone around him. He wanted nothing but the best for his family, and did everything he could to provide it. He was a true superhero, in every sense of the word, and he would dominate you at any card game as if there was no tomorrow. I am thankful I got to see him two weeks ago, still smiling, still laughing, and still reminiscing about great times and greater memories.
So Grandpa, this one is dedicated to you. Wherever you are, I want you to know that because I knew, I have be changed for good. Oh, and your attorney jokes were always the best I have heard.
- How Gus Johnson was omitted from this list is beyond me. At least DP cracked the Top 20.
- I would have thought that uniforms were the least of their concerns.
- A Super Bowl cover-up by the NFL?
- Somehow we missed this during the week of the Cardinals/Panthers game. Since the Cardinals are in the Super Bowl, I think "Strongest Right Arm" and "Fart Box" are still relevant.
- If you want your city to host the Super Bowl, a two-to-one strip-club-to-fire-station ratio is key.
- Is this not the ironies of ironies?
- And, of course, the biggest question surrounding the Super Bowl festivities in Tampa this week: are there enough chicken wings?
- Dan Shaughnessy takes issue with Gisele feeding Tom a chip, and for a reason other than pure, unadulterated jealousy. Bitter the Patriots did not make the Super Bowl, much?
- Simeon Rice: Jon Gruden's biggest fan . . . er . . . or not. You decide.
- I am sure by now you have all seen the video of Arizona's Chase Budinger getting curb-stomped by Houston's Aubrey Coleman. Well, according to Tom Penders, the whole thing was just a misunderstanding blown way out of proportion by ESPN.
- Pete might not be in the hall, but he will always be on some dude's calf.
- The excerpts from Joe Torre's book are getting pretty juicy.
- Speaking of juice, apparently Bonds is not in the clear after all. (See what I did there? Again, genius.)
- A generation of children are destined for therapy because of lop-sided victories in youth sports.
- If YouTube had been around while I was in high school, our dance team would have been disbanded too, and then there would have been no redeeming value to our rallies whatsoever.
- All this time, I thought cheerleading was a contact sport only in my dreams.
As for your weekly viewing pleasure, we have an awesome invention, a not-so-awesome invention, and, of course, pain . . . always pain:
Have a great weekend everyone. Talk to you in a couple of weeks.
If, much like the fine folks here at GameTime, TBD©, you are a dedicated Starbucks drinker (dedicated, addicted, what's the difference?), you have undoubtedly seen the "The Way I See It" quotes printed on every cup. Normally the quotes seem random and unrelated to most things that happen in every day life. But not today. Today, on a "grande in a vente" cup, the following was written: "There is a subtle difference between a mission and a promise. A mission is something you strive to accomplish - a promise is something you are compelled to keep. One is individual, the other is shared. When a mission and a promise are one and the same . . . that's when mountains are moved and races are won." The quote came from President and CEO of Susan G Komen for the Cure, Hala Moddelmog. While I do not equate what I am about to tell with curing cancer, it is a good story nonetheless.
A "close friend" of the GameTime, TBD© family went and got himself/herself a ticket for running a red light, you know, one of those tickets issued by a video camera. Well, he/she approached the Chief and asked if he could help him/her out with fighting ticket. Like any good attorney, the Chief promised to do so. After reviewing the evidence, it became quite clear that this "close friend" did in fact run the red (no matter how many times "close friend" argued it's a judgment call, much like instant replay in the NFL). The Chief thus made it his mission to find a way to still get his "close friend" out of the ticket. So the Chief dug in and, like a good attorney (because he is one), sought out a way to get the evidence excluded so that the State would not be able to carry its burden of proof. The Chief thinks he came up with a pretty compelling argument and that the "close friend" should be getting out of the ticket. Of course, the Chief spent way too much time on this simple proposition -- performing research, contacting City officials, obtaining copies of contractual agreements, etc. -- but it was his mission, and he was going to do what ever it took to move that mountain. We will let you know what happens with the case, but you should know that the Chief does not lose very often when it comes to a legal battle (Lawyered!).
The way we see it, here are somethings you might have missed:
- Let us start things off right this week: Marisa Miller photoshoot.
- NHLPA seeks winter break so players can relive the classic college tradition of hooking-up-with-that-girl-from-high-school-who-used-to-ignore-you-but-now-thinks-you're-cool-because-you're-in-college, all in the name of "selling the game".
- At least the Pittsburgh Penguins understand the importance of fans.
- NCAA set to ruin beach . . . er . . . I mean "sand" volleyball. Why God, why?
- Athlete divorces going public always make for a good read.
- We would like to know if so-called-expert Mel Kiper takes into account team needs before composing his mock draft.
- Reality show? Michael Irvin? When and where do we tune in?
- Why Kurt Warner is a better quarterback than Peyton Manning [Editor's Note: That's impossible]. And no, the answer is not Jesus. Wait, is it?
- This is why my yet-to-be-conceived children will own and play every single sports video game out there.
- If we read this poster right, David Bonaduce and Jose Canseco are set to make out this weekend.
- Come on, who has not scored in the "centre circle" with her? [Editor's Note: ba-ZING!]
- What's going on with girls' high school basketball in Texas? Last week it was it was 94-1; this week, 100-0. And the team wants to forfeit the victory?
- The PGA Tour, having run out of local "phenoms" who will ultimately fail to challenge Tiger Woods, starts shipping them in from abroad.
The way we see it, this weeks Link Dump has a little bit of everything for your viewing pleasure. We have got a former-SC player looking retarded [Editor's Note: No, not that one, the other one . . . no, not him, the OTHER one . . .], an impressive display of athleticism, and, of course, people getting hurt. What could be better?
Before we conclude, we have a bonus link for all you Star Wars fans out there. Have a great weekend everyone!
GameTime, TBD© pop quiz: What do the numbers 10, 15, 25, and 21 have in common? [Editor's Note: cue the Jeopardy music.]
No, my dear readers, they are not the margins of loss in the Lions' first four games this season. Though, I would not blame you for thinking so. Give up?
Those beautiful numbers, my friends, are the forecasted highs in East Rochester, New York for the next the four days. Why, you may be asking yourself, do the fine people at GameTime, TBD© care about the highs in East Rochester when it is sunny and 80 glorious degrees in Los Angeles right now? Well, at 11:45 p.m. this evening, my Better Half and I will be departing on a red-eye bound for Chicago (current temperature, according to weather.com, 1 degree . . . but it feels like -13? . . . awesome) and then on to East Rochester to visit my grandparents. Some might think it unwise to head for upstate New York in mid-January but to you I say this: have you not always wanted to see what happens when you put a petite California-blond in sub-freezing temperatures for a weekend? It is like the ultimate science experiment . . . nay . . . like an episode of MTv's Exiled (look, I'm not proud of my guilty pleasures, it's just something I have to live with). Sources close to GameTime, TBD© can confirm that my Better Half is reporting that she has only been snowed on once in her life. She has been IN the snow several times, but it was only when she was in New York City showing the United Nations a thing or two about diplomacy during her senior year of college that she actually got snowed on. Do not get me wrong, my blood has definitely thinned since my days of living just south of our neighbors to the north, but I can still remember the layers of clothes I had put on just to go out for recess in kindergarten. Not fun.
So, while I figure out ways to (1) make my blood thicker between now and 5:30 a.m. CST, and (b) convince my Better Half it would be fun to run outside in her bikini and boots (unfortunately, she's about 100-times smarter than I am . . . and I'm pretty damn smart), here are some things you might have missed:
- Apparently Lions management failed to read my road map to success before hiring their new head coach. A note to Mr. Schwartz, do not expect to be in Detroit for four years if Lewand sticks around.
- Perhaps a six pack of one of these might help you get through the NFC Championship game on Sunday. Unfortunately, you probably won't see much of the AFC Championship then.
- My friends and I have already mapped out our training schedule for the next year.
- A raging catfight? Lesbian girlfriends? Someone's hair set on fire? Anyone else smell 2010 summer blockbuster?
- Eddie Curry sued for sexual harassment . . . by ex-chauffeur . . . ex-MALE-chauffeur.
- My yet-to-be-conceived first son would like everyone to know that he has already committed to play basketball at UCLA.
- Another rule change in the works intended to make the BCS better. Unfortunately, rule change not spelled P-L-A-Y-O-F-F.
- Lack of lane violations gets coach's wife suing mad.
- Coach of high school basketball team that just won 94-1: "don't hate the player, hate the game." What is that? She said respect the game? She must have been confused.
- Yes, there is a 6' 8" female high school basketball player out there and, yes, she does look and sound like a grown man.
- We here at GameTime, TBD© have been known to make light of your everyday male student/female teacher sex scandal. We do, however, realize that these relationships can have severe emotional affects on a teenage boy.
- What do you get for being a mom who poses as her daughter to enroll in high school and try out for the cheerleading squad? Why, an all-expense-paid trip to the loony bin of course.
- Looks like Bonds might be in the clear (see what I did there? . . . genius, I know).
- No, this recession will not stop the New York Yankees from screwing over the City of New York.
- David Feherty: great guy, funniest man in sports.
And for your weekly viewing pleasuer, I lead with an apology. We hear at GameTime, TBD© often forget the awesome power this section of our Link Dump wields over our readers. So, to those of you who have had a particular song stuck in your head for the past week, we are sorry. But you were warned going into it. As for your viewing pleasure this week, we do include a song (that probably won't get stuck in your head) and revisit The Chief's epic man-crush (bromance?):
Have a great weekend everyone!
[Video Update: The Stars Wars trilogy as you have never seen it/heard it before.]
Has anyone else out there had a little trouble getting back into the swing of things this week? I thought so. It is the first full week of work I have had in nearly a month. Weird. But that is why the fine folks here at GameTime, TBD© do what we do. We know that Fridays are always the hardest the day of the week, especially a week like this.
That is right, my dear avid readers, GameTime, TBD©'s weekly Link Dump is back. I have missed you all and I hope you had a safe and happy 2008 holiday season. The new year is already in full swing it seems. The past year was a banner year for the folks here at GameTime, TBD©. "We" introduced some new content and, according to Google Analytics, managed to increase the readership a little. Some how, along the way, I took some trips, got married, and got to visit some great cities like Gulfport and Copiah, Mississippi (not at once thankfully). It looked as though 2009 was going to start off the same way as I was scheduled to spent next week in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, but that is thing with monitoring trials, they get continued all the time. So now, I get to spend Super Bowl Sunday flying out to Point Pleasant instead (I think I should get paid extra for that). My Better Half threw her GameTime, TBD© duties (hehe . . . duties) on the back burner and headed back to school, but I promise I will introduce her to everyone eventually (she's a little shy).
In the mean time, I need to focus on what is important: making sure everyone is able to get through the rest of their Friday with a smile on your face. If you think you have had a weird week, wait until you see some of the things you may have missed:
- Getting over a terrible GM is like getting over a relationship, you just need time. Apparently NBC is not willing to give me that time.
- It is one thing to support your favorite team, but it is something completely different (crazy?) to get a tattoo to commemorate the worst season in NFL history.
- Dictionary.com defines "leavened" as "to add a rising agent to; to cause to rise, especially by fermentation; or to pervade with a lightening, enlivening, or modifying influence." Somehow that defines Eric Mangini's humor. Congrats Cleveland.
- It is going to be awfully hard for JoePa to coach from the booth again next season without his glasses. (In related news, SI's 10 Best College Sports Pranks.)
- Dear Coach Jagodzinski, Good look on the job search, we hope everything works out with you and the Jets. Oh, and by the way, you're fired. Love Always, AD DeFilippo.
- Woman lists baseball card on eBay for $10 because listing it at $15 would have cost her an extra 20 cents.
- Do you think my firm would pay me $65,000 for not showing up?
- Anyone else in the market for a new snowboard?
- "In a bizarre incident that will surely lead to litigation . . ."
- Nothing says "I'm the right man for the job" like a lengthy powerpoint presentation.
- Remember when Nitro was your favorite American Gladiator? Me too. Now I would just like to stare at his man-boobs.
- A word of caution for your next spear fishing trip.
We have decided to remove the video portion of our weekly Link Dump for 2009. Apparently some of you find the videos crude, rude, and insensitive . . . and totally hilarious. Which is why I would never think of removing it. Did I have you worried? Here are some clips I hope you enjoy:
- This song has been stuck in my head for the past few days. Misery loves company.
- From the guys who brought you BCS Monkeys, I proudly present: A Woman's Worst Nightmare.
- Funny, I gave my wife one of these about six years ago when we first started dating; but I recall mine serving a different purpose.
- A little rough on landing, he might have to settle for the bronze.
It is going to be an awesome year here at GameTime, TBD©, so stick around. In the meantime, have a great weekend everyone!
