Could You Describe the Ruckus, Sir?

Hello all. It has been far too long. I am sorry for the relative lack of activity taking place around these parts of the world wide web, but my schedule has been absolutely crazy. It still is, actually, but I was not going to let it stop me from taking care of my favorite people (the avid GameTime, TBD© readers) once again. And for a while I bounced around how to start off this week's Link Dump. Do I regale you with stories of my adventures in Point Pleasant, West Virginia (ever heard of the Mothman?)? Or the fact that Vanessa Hudgens loves taking pictures of herself . . . in the mirror . . . without any clothes on (she's 18 right? [Googling Vanessa Hudgens] 20, phew . . . oh yeah, that one's NSFW)? Or maybe I could tease you with details of my upcoming vacation (that's just cruel). But then, as it so often does, life picked the topic for me.

You may or may not have heard (I'm going to guess you have), but John Hughes passed away yesterday at the far-too-young age of fifty-nine. I am willing to wager that there is not a single person out there who does not have at least one Hughes-written movie amongst their top ten favorite movies of all time. Sure, his more recent credits might not be all that impressive, but look at the run he had from 1983 to 1991: Mr. Mom; Vacation; Sixteen Candles; The Breakfast Club; European Vacation; Weird Science; Pretty in Pink; Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Planes, Trains & Automobiles, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck, Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, and Dutch. That is an impressive eight-year run. Having not attended high school until the late-1990s, I can not say I appreciated The Breakfast Club, or the other Brat Pack movies, as much as some of my older readers, but they are still great movies. And there is not a week that goes by that I do not follow up one of my far-too-intellectual jokes with "Bueller? . . . Bueller? . . . Anyone? . . . Anyone?" And I will be the first to admit that I will still watch Home Alone when it is on during the holiday, and you can bet that Christmas Vacation is right there for the encore. But I would have to say that Planes, Trains & Automobiles ranks as my favorite John Hughes movie (I knew Rich Eisen and I would be best buddies). It is by far John Candy's best work (sorry all you Who's Harry Crumb lovers) and, if you know me, you know there is not a pre-Bowfinger Steve Martin movie I do not love, and it was written by, perhaps, my second-favorite film/television writer of all time (sorry Hughes family, Sorkin takes the cake).

And while I am sure we could spend the rest of the day debating why we prefer one Hughes movies over another, that is not really why you are here. Obviously the thoughts and prayers of the GameTime, TBD© team go out to the Hughes family, but we are here to make sure you all are a little happier on this Friday afternoon, not bummed out. So to help you get through the rest of your afternoon (and to help me get to vacation a little faster), here are some things you might have missed:

• This countdown alone could kill the rest of your afternoon, but it is totally worth it: The 50 Most Badass Moments In Sports.
• I can not decide if the fourteen points UCLA got in the preseason coaches' poll means they are overrated or underrated.
• Round 1 goes to Delaware; round 2 to the NCAA. But rest assured, Montana is safe.
  
• UCF should know that college football fans take their drunk co-eds tailgating very seriously.
• "I don't know when I'll start again. But I will be the next black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. And I will be in the Hall of Fame." Good to know Vince does not have any self-esteem issues.
• Something tells me that Michael Crabtree will probably not let his cousin speak on his behalf for much longer.
• I do not care if it is $90 or $60, it better be the best pizza ever made for that kind of money.
• The Juice may be loose sooner than expected.
• I have said it before, and I will say it again, the litigious nature of this society drives me mad.
• When the gravy train stops running, a girl has got to earn a living somehow.
• Here is a fine example of second place being the first winner: the view.
• He's a she; she's a he; he's a she-he.
• A new fight for those right-wing freaks that have hijacked my beloved Republican party.
• Although this photo spread has nothing to do with Marisa Miller (or other attractive women for that matter), I promise you, making it through all 20 galleries is well worth your time.

If you have truly taken the time to enjoy all of those links, it has probably taken you about an hour to get this far (I think that is some kind of record for the Link Dump). And for your effort, you deserve to rewarded. While I am willing to wager that only one of these videos' writing rises to the level of John Hughes (heck, two of them are unscripted), I think they are all equally enjoyable and will likely bring a smile to your face (oh, and probably a slight cringe):

• "Those aren't pillows!" (okay, I cheated, Hughes actually wrote it).
• Livin' the dream, baby!
• And he's out!
• Remember when laser pointers used to be cool? Not anymore.
• Still trying to keep you in the Tweet Boxx loop: Episode 5, Episode 6, and Episode 7.
• I am about a week late on this one, but you have got to respect their dedication to Trey (and college rivalries).
• Of course, you can have that last one without this one. [Editor's Note: remember, username: GameTimeTBD; password: gametime]

The GameTime, TBD© office is closed next week; sorry about that. Regardless, have a great weekend (and week) everyone!