It is funny to think how much relationships change over time. Take my relationship with my Bro, for example. Growing up we had your typical older/younger brother, where he asserted his "rights" as older brother quite frequently (you know, as a lawyer, I've read the Constitution and Bill of Rights cover-to-cover, more than once, and I still don't see these "rights" he claims to have had . . . I think I've been duped . . .). As we have grown older, things have changed. For starters, I eventually out grew him, so that took care of the physical advantages he might have had, and although he remains perhaps the smartest person I know, my minds not to shabby, so we are able to have some great conversations now. As it turns out, older brothers can make pretty good friends. The same goes for my Better Half. Our relationship has certainly changed over time, and not just the change in title from girlfriend to fiancée to Mrs. GameTime, TBD©. I am sure you can imagine that, over the course of seven years together, things change. Yet in those seven years, one thing still remains the same (okay, two, yes I still love her like crazy): I still have the uncanny ability to get that "What the hell are you talking about?" look whenever I want. Case-in-point:
Last night, not long after she had gotten back from catching up with some of her school friends, I proposed a toast, which I tend to go from time to time. She was, I can only imagine, expecting sweet and romantic; instead, she got "To Arthur Guinness, the man who revolutionized the world of real estate." Since you all, my avid readers, are of the same sound mind as me, I am confident you know that yesterday was the 250th Anniversary celebration of the founding of the Guinness brewery at St. James' Gate, Dublin. My Better Half probably knew this too. But having just returned from her "Let's Save the World" club reunion, she was caught a little off guard and, just like clockwork, out popped her famous "What the hell are you talking about?" look (speaking of popping out, a belated congratulations to Nosh and Gosh on the arrival of their incredibly adorable son Mosh). You might find this hard to believe, but I have enjoyed a Guinness or two in my lifetime and, like all things in life I enjoy, I have done a little research on the history of the Guinness brewery. While I will spare you the details on the brewing process, here's one interesting fact for: when Arthur Guinness leased the St. James' Gate brewery to begin brewing his now world famous porters and stouts (mostly stout now-a-days), he signed a . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . 9,000-year lease for £45 per year. Put another way, as of 2008, it would cost you £6,244.83 to purchase something that cost £45 in 1759, or $9,956.76 (US). I cannot even rent a decent apartment in Southern California for $10,000 per year, and some poor schmuck (Mark Rainsford) leased their property to a multi-national company for just that amount. And they have still got it for another 8,750 years.
Well, needless to say, my toast last night had its desired effect. And now, reliving this story, has got me craving another pint (or two) of Guinness (in a bottle . . . BRILLIANT). So, while go track down some people to take a "lawyer's" lunch, here are some things you might have missed from the past week:
- Need help with your picks for this Sunday? Here is a story about a twitter feed that just might help . . . provide you with hours of entertainment. What? You thought it was going to help you with your picks?
- Does this mean we can finally start the Matt Leinart is an NFL bust debate?
- Because the eighty uniform combinations Oregon already had just were not enough.
- Tiki Mayben really knows how to dish the rock.
- It was love at first excessively-large bar tab.
- Raise your hand if your top young prospect is not a murder suspect. Hand down Giants.
- Rest in peace Tiger Stadium, rest in peace.
- Insurance contracts say the darnedest things.
- Muammar al-Qadaffy-duck's secret identity has finally been revealed.
- Actual quote: "This will make me the chief of my tribe." [Editor's Note: men, prepare to squirm]
- Now you (yes, you) can scratch (and sniff?) the Nature Boy. Wooooooo! [Update: Now with a commercial.]
- Well, that really did not go as planned.
- This week's "Stupid Cops" award goes to (*spins wheel*): the fine folks at the Polk County Sheriffs Department, Lakeland, Florida.
Well, I have rounded up my crew and we are ready to have at it. What can I say, it is Friday and we have all worked too many hours. Unfortunately, it looks like you are still in need of some entertainment, which is why we picked out these clips for your weekly viewing enjoyment:
- Would you look at that, something exciting did happen at the Lions' game last Sunday.
- Rainn Wilson and Dwight Howard debate some serious topics. [Editor's Note: poor sound quality, sorry.
- "I don't want to make fun of him, just a little humor" . . . that we will broadcast on national television.
- He is the second-coming of Eric Metcalf. Finally!
- Stage diving into opponent's band ends . . . well . . . just the way we like it.
- In Russian soccer news: I wonder how this guy's "re-education" is going?
Have a great weekend everyone!
Girls from Orange County, California are, on average, hotter than normal. Trust me, I married one. This class of "hotter than normal" girls can be broken down further into two sub-classes: (1) classy hot (see, e.g., my Better Half), and, well, (b) USC hot (read: sluts). A portion of my morning commute takes me past USC, and it is about this time of year that this second class of OC girls begins filling the crosswalks around the campus. Personally, I have always equated destroyed-denim miniskirts, skimpy tank tops with daddy's high school graduation gifts hanging out, and Ugg boots as early-summer outfits; these girls call them uniforms for 8:00 a.m. classes. And while these "uniforms" may be the only redeeming quality of USC as a whole, they are also the first sign that summer is over . . . and that bums me out.
I must say that I had a pretty awesome summer. With the exception of an extended rehabilitation from what should have been a simple surgical procedure, I can not think of anything to really complain about. We had great weather pretty much all summer long down here in Southern California (what else is new); I became an uncle twice over; I had a great 4th of July party/weekend with many of my friends; I got to travel for work a couple of times; I started getting my golf game back to form; my Better Half and I celebrated our first anniversary; we took an awesome vacation with my family to Aruba; and I completed my first (mini) triathlon. No, it was not the same kind of fun my friends and I used have back at the Malibu Sands Beach Club; it was more of an adult fun (*wink*), but it was fun nonetheless.
And I was not the only person to have a great summer. No sir. Just look at the summer young Matthew Stafford had:
Wait, what? Seriously? I have got to believe this decision was not actually made by Jim Schwartz. I am pretty sure his phone rang on the 6th and the conversion went something like this:
"Hey Marty [Lions' GM Martin Mayhew], how's it going?"
"Hi Jimmy, things are going well."
"Good to hear, good to hear. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I just got off the phone with Willie [Lions' owner William Clay Ford], and we both wanted to let you know how happy we are you decided to make Stafford the starting quarterback. This situation has [former-first round bust] Joey Harrington written all over it, and we couldn't be more excited."
"Um, Marty, I haven't made it public yet, but I'm going to name [veteran-quarterback] Daunte [Culpepper] the starter tomorrow. I would think you guys wouldn't want a Harrington repeat."
"Don't be silly Jimmy. We've been watching the games too and you know we can't afford to have $78 million on the sidelines in this economy . . . err . . . I mean, you know we have the best chance of winning with Stafford out there."
"Well, I guess I would have to dis. . ."
"Sorry to cut you off there Jimmy, but I've got to run. Send our congrats to Stafford."
You have got to feel bad for Schwartz. This guy is doing everything he can to right this ship, to change the culture of the organization, to [insert cliche of choice here], and it is likely his first major decision was not even one of his own. Sure, it did not help that Daunte needed eight stitches in a toe before the final preseason game, but we are talking about a team in search of its first win in over a season. As you all know, the Lions have lost 17 games in a row [Update: 18 19] (final game of 2007 season and all of the 2008 season). Here is a brief look at the Lions 2009 schedule and my predicted outcome:
Week 1: at New Orleans - LOSS (fantastic offense vs. poor defense, it's a no-brainer)
Week 2: vs. Minnesota - LOSS (when the schedule first came out, I had this as a win . . . then Favre happened)
Week 3: vs. Washington - TOSS UP (could this finally be the week? I would have this as a win with Daunte at the helm)
Week 4: at Chicago - LOSS (while the Lions might win a game this season, it won't be in the NFC North)
Week 5: vs. Pittsburgh - LOSS (did you know Jerome Bettis is from Detroit?)
Week 6: at Green Bay - LOSS (I think the Lions are oh-for-Barry-Sanders's-retirement at Lambeau Field)
Week 7: BYE (a bye is a win in my book)
Week 8: vs. St. Louis - WIN (a bad team, after a bye week, at home? Finally!)
Week 9: at Seattle - TOSS UP (will Matt Hasselbeck still be alive for this game? That will be the key)
Week 10: at Minnesota - LOSS (any chance Favre will be watching this game in his Wranglers?)
Week 11: vs. Cleveland - WIN (I'm glad we drew the AFC North this season)
Week 12: vs. Green Bay - LOSS (here's hoping the entire starting 22 of the Packers eats too much turkey the night before Thanksgiving . . . hey, they could be that stupid)
Week 13: at Cincinnati - TOSS UP (at least one thing is certain, a Bengal or two will have been arrested by this point in the season and that can't hurt our chances)
Week 14: at Baltimore - LOSS (unless the o-line is much improved this season, Stafford might lose his life here)
Week 15: vs. Arizona - LOSS (since 1997, all but 2 of the defending Super Bowl losers have failed to make the playoffs the following season . . . I'm just saying)
Week 16: at San Francisco - TOSS UP (Frank Gore will be running on stumps by this point in time, but that could still be good enough to beat the Lions . . . sad, but true)
Week 17: vs. Chicago - TOSS UP (this is the Lions' one shot to steal an NFC North game . . . assuming the Bears have clinched a playoff birth by then)
So there you go. I had the guts to call two, TWO, for-sure wins this entire season. If they can squeak out wins in fifty percent of the games I have labeled as a "toss up" (5 of them), then we are looking at a 4-and-12 or 5-and-11 (not to brag, but the Vegas over/under on Lions wins is 4.5). More importantly, if the Lions do not win that week three match-up against the Washington Redskins (Insert Name Here), it is likely their losing streak will reach . . . dear lord! . . . twenty-three games. Yes sir, in the modern era of football, we might witness a team go nearly a season-and-a-half without a win. That is nearly 22 months, or 679 days, between wins; and that is assuming they are able to beat the Rams in week eight.
My point here is this: if you were the Lions, and you were trying to turn this franchise around, would you not focus on just getting wins in 2009 season? They are not going to contend for a playoff spot, and everyone knows it. And for every Peyton Manning or Matt Ryan out there, there is a Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, or JOEY HARRINGTON. Are we not supposed to learn from history so we do not repeat the mistakes of our past? Having seen some of the preseason action, I have soften my stance on Stafford being a bad pick; the kid has got talent and the potential to be a franchise quarterback. Still, he needs time to develop and the Lions need wins. But can we really be surprised the team is in this situation when they are run by the same guys who run Ford Motor Company? Anyone interested in going in with me on an NFL franchise? All we need is $872 million.
Regardless, summer is coming to an end (boooooo) (bah . . . hehehe), and football season has finally arrived (yay). Things are looking up for the Lions, the Bruins look to be competitive again, and the NHL and College Basketball are right around the corner. I guess it truly is that special time year.
[Editor's Note: We apologize to those of you who show up every Friday more for the fantastically witty introductions. Today's Link Dump will have a shorter introduction because (1) the Chief was stuck in court all morning and unable to finalize everything in a timely manner; (b) we have more links of note than normal; and (iii) it's the start of a long weekend and we expect that most of you do not need that much entertainment before your inevitable early departure from work.]
On Wednesday, my buddy Pong and I had the following gchat conversation:
Me: So, the college football season kicks off tomorrow.
Pong: Check is in the mail.
With the sports book account re-upped to its normal level, college football season is officially back. Putting my annual quest for supplemental income aside for the time being, it did not take long for the 2009 college football season to get the entire Blogosphere moving at the speed of sound. In fact, all it took was a right cross (and a bad Ali impersonation) from LeGarrette "Roll Me a Fatty" Blount (pronounced "blunt" for those of you not understanding the reference) at the end of last night's Oregon/Boise St. game (I would love to include a link to a video at this point, but ESPN has forced any and all posters of the video to remove it from YouTube . . . so I refuse to link to ESPN's version of the video out of principal). So now everyone from print media, television media, and the blogs is weighing on what punishment should be handed down to young Mr. Roll Me a Fatty. So, I figured GameTime, TBD© might as well jump on the bandwagon and throw in our two cents. After watching the events unfold, then rewinding the DVR and watching them a few more times, we feel: (1) it was nice of Boise St. head coach Chris Petersen to tee up his own player like that; the shot could not have been any easier from Blount; (b) while I do not condone Blount's actions, it does kind of seem like Boise St.'s Byron Hout got what he deserved; and (iii) it is funny that fans are always tough guys from behind the barricade, right up until that point when the player is about to cross over the barricade; suddenly those fans can not flee fast enough.
Does Blount deserve to be punished? Yes, of course he does. Criminally like some people are suggesting? Probably not. I expect that Blount will be sitting out at least the next three to four games, and I will be disappointed in both the University of Nike Oregon and the Pac-10 if it is anything less than that. Considering Blount was suspended by the school during the preseason, I would not be surprised if he was asked to sit out the rest of the season. Especially now that Coach Kelly laid an egg in his first game as a head coach in front of a national television audience.
Well, that is all we really have to say about the topic. More importantly, it is time for us to go make our picks for the weekend. So, while I go figure out what spreads I like (Penn St. -27.5 versus Akron in College Station? Yes please.), here are some things you might have missed to help get you to that long weekend a little faster:
- It looks like I will be seeing a match-up of Top 20 teams next week in Tennessee after all.
- College football sideline reporters are hired based on talent alone . . . talent, of course, being defined as blond hair and a healthy set of sweater kittens.
- A collection of fantastic team photos. Thank you, Deadspin.
- America's Sideline Princess returned to work last night, and Zennie Abraham (who?) is just a little suspicious about the timing of everything.
- If you can read Part I and Part II of Simmons's recounting of his most recent trip to Vegas without making comparisons to your group of friends, well then good sir, you are a better man than I.
- Looking for a way to liven up your fantasy football draft? Here is one suggestion for you.
- Having to sign a quarterback just for a preseason game so that your one healthy quarterback does not have to take every snap because he is your team's future? Only the Lions.
- Allow me to introduce you to the scapegoat for the 2009 Dallas Cowboys' season.
- As it turns out, Daniel Synder's bad decisions extend beyond player personnel.
- 2009 has been a great year for the Jagodzinski family.
- Apparently quarterback greatness is not hereditary.
- Headed to a game at Boise St. this season to see the blue turf? Make sure to wear the proper gang colors.
- Please UConn, think of the children.
- I am sorry, they are going to do what?
- When tackling a 14-year-old girl with a gun, recruiters would like you to remember to keep your head up and drive through your opponent.
- Where does Roger Federer stay during the U.S. Open? Why, the Roger Federer suite of course. Wait, what?
- I guess it is time to cross chess off the list of "Things People Do Better When Drunk".
We had to throw those last couple links in there to make sure you did not think we spent the whole week reading about football. Oh wait, that is exactly how we spent the whole week. Regardless, we will keep the football to minimum in these clips selected for your viewing pleasure:
- Those guys who make all those videos of crazy basketball shots went to summer camp this past summer. What did they do at summer camp? Made a video of crazy basketball shots.
- Unfortunately, the punching bag Blount used to train for this upcoming season does not make an appearance during this tour of the Ducks' home locker room. Looks like it is tough playing for the University of
Nike Oregon. - Fat chick + mechanical bull = predictable ending.
- Narcolepsy is not something to be joked about. Okay, maybe just this once.
Have a great weekend everyone!
